Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
24. the works ] If they did not see that His words were Divine they might at least have seen that His works were such. Comp. Joh 10:38, Joh 14:11, Joh 5:36. Here again their sin was against light; for they admitted the works (Joh 11:47).
which none other man did ] Comp. Joh 9:32.
seen my Father ] Comp. Joh 14:9-10.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The works which none other man did – The miracles of Jesus surpassed those of Moses and the prophets:
- In their number. He healed great multitudes, and no small part of his life was occupied in doing good by miraculous power.
- In their nature. They involved a greater exertion of power. He healed all forms of disease. He showed that his power was superior to all kinds of pain. He raised Lazarus after he had been four days dead. He probably refers also to the fact that he had performed miracles of a different kind from all the prophets.
- He did all this by his own power; Moses and the prophets by the invoked power of God. Jesus spake and it was done, showing that he had power of himself to do more than all the ancient prophets had done. It may be added that his miracles were done in a short time. They were constant, rapid, continued, in all places. Wherever he was, he showed that he had this power, and in the short space of three years and a half it is probable that he performed more miracles than are recorded of Moses and Elijah, and all the prophets put together.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Our Saviour often appeals to his works, both to own his mission from God, and also to prove the Jews inexcusable in their not receiving and embracing him; for which latter purpose he mentions them here, and saith, that he had done such works as no man did, and by his own power and virtue. Christ did some works such as we do not read that ever man did; as the multiplying of the loaves, the giving sight to those that were born blind, the healing of so many desperate diseases: and for such as he did which God had also given men a power to do, he did them in a quite different manner from that in which men did them. Elisha raised the Shunammites child to life; but it was by prayer. Peter cured the lame man, Act 3:6; but it was in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We read indeed of Christs praying at the raising of Lazarus; but his ordinary way was by his word of command, which was a quite different way than that used by those men by whom miracles had been wrought. Besides, it is manifest that the generality of the Jews did not look upon Christ as one sent from God, though many of them did: and admit that there had been nothing in the miracles wrought by Christ, more than Elijah, or Elisha, or the prophets had done; yet it had been sufficient for to have convinced them, that he acted by a Divine power, and must be sent and authorized by and from God to do what he did. Now saith our Saviour, If I had not done before their faces such works as no man could do but by a power derived from God, and some such as God never authorized men to do, their sin had been nothing to what now it is: but now they have understood that I am sent from my Father; and knowing this, yet going on in their most malicious designs against me, they both declare a hatred and malice against my Father who sent me, and me as sent by him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. If I had not done . . . theworks which none other . . . did(See on Joh12:37).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If I had not done among them the works,…. This is another, and a new argument, evincing the inexcusableness of their ignorance, and infidelity, and sin, taken from the works that Christ did; such as healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, causing the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk, cleansing lepers, and casting out devils; which were clear proofs, and full demonstrations of his deity, and of his being the true Messiah:
and which none other man did; in his own name, and by his own power; and which none of the men of God ever did; as Moses, Elijah, Elisha, or others; and particularly that of giving sight to one that was born blind: now if these works had not been done among them, openly, visibly, and publicly,
they had not had sin; or so much sin; or their sin of unbelief would not have been so great, or attended with such aggravating circumstances; or they would not have been guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, as many of them were; who saw his works and miracles, and were convicted in their own consciences that he was the Messiah, and yet rejected him, against all the light and evidence which the Spirit of God gave by them, and by whom Christ wrought his miracles:
but now have they both seen; the works which were done, and the Messiah, whose mission from the Father they proved;
and hated both me and my Father; for their rejection of him as the Messiah, notwithstanding the doctrines he taught, and the miracles he wrought, plainly arose from obstinacy, malice, and inveterate hatred against Christ, and against the Father that sent him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They have both seen and hated ( ). Perfect active indicative of and , permanent attitude and responsibility. The “world” and the ecclesiastics (Sanhedrin) had united in this attitude of hostility to Christ and in reality to God.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1 ) “If I had not done among them the works,” (ei ta erga me epoies a en autois) “if I had not done the works (miraculous deeds and teaching) which I did among them,” the rejecting Jews, restating the same concept of verse 22; through His teaching and His miraculous deeds, Joh 3:2; Joh 5:36; Joh 7:31; Joh 12:37.
2) “Which none other man did,” (ha oudeis allos epoiesen) “Which no other one ever did,” as witnessed by Nicodemus, Joh 3:2; and witnessed at the healing of a paralytic (Mar 2:5-11) who said “we never saw it on this wise before.”
3) “They had not had sin:” (hamartian ouk eichosan) “They would not have had sin,” the degree of sin against light and knowledge that they had, Pro 29:1; Jas 4:17; They knew their call to repentance and belief, but would not, Luk 13:3; Luk 13:5; Joh 8:24.
4) “But now have they both seen and hated,” (nun de kai heorakasin kai memisekasin) “However now and hereafter-they have both seen and hated,” and cannot longer or any more plead ignorant of me, Eph 4:18; Pro 1:20-31; Pro 29:1.
5) “Both me and my Father.” (kai eme kai ton patera mou) “Both my Father and me,” Joh 15:18; Joh 15:23; Joh 15:25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
24. If I had not done among them the works Under the word works he includes, in my opinion, all the proofs which he gave of his Divine glory; for by miracles, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by other demonstrations, he clearly proved that he was the Son of God, so that in him was plainly seen the majesty of the Only-begotten Son, as we have seen under Joh 1:14 (91) It is commonly objected, that he did not perform more miracles or greater miracles than Moses and the Prophets. The answer is well known, that Christ is more eminent in miracles in this respect, that he was not merely a minister, like the rest, but was strictly the Author of them; for he employed his own name, his own authority, and his own power, in performing miracles. But, as I have said, he includes in general all the testimonies of heavenly and spiritual power by which his Divinity was displayed.
They have seen and hated. He concludes that his enemies cannot escape by any shifts to which they may have recourse, since they despised his power, which evidently was altogether Divine; for God had openly manifested his Divinity in the Son; and therefore it would serve no purpose for them to say that they had only to do with a mortal man. This passage reminds us to consider attentively the works of God, in which, by displaying his power, he wishes us to render the honor which is due to him. Hence it follows, that all who obscure the gifts of God, or who contemptuously overlook them, are ungrateful to God, and malicious.
(91) See vol. 1, p. 47.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(24) If I had not done among them the works.Comp. Note on Joh. 15:22, and for the evidence of our Lords works, see Joh. 5:36; Joh. 9:3-4; Joh. 9:24; Joh. 10:21; Joh. 10:37; Joh. 14:10. They met the evidence of works by the assertion that He was a sinner, and possessed a devil. Their hatred led them to ascribe the highest good to the power of evil. To such hearts there are no channels by which goodness can approach. (Comp. especially Notes on Mat. 12:31-32.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. If There is another if enforcing and expanding the if of Joh 15:22.
Had not done works Not by his word only, but by his works, attesting the superhuman power of his word, had he revealed to them the truth. His word, like original right and truth, attested itself to the conscience. His work, such as none other man did, attested his superhuman nature to their reason. With conscience and reason combining to attest his superhuman excellence, it was an excuseless folly for human beings to reject and hate him, claiming to be the Son and Messenger of God.
Seen and hated me and my Father His works were not merely in themselves separate evidences. They were a part of his character and of himself. They were the attributes going to make up his divine person, as it appeared before them. He walked before them an Omnipotent. He passed in the scene before their eyes visible God. The curtain was uplifted, and upon the level stage of earth God incarnate passed before their view, as the visible Jehovah passed before the eyes of Moses. Hence he could truly say, now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Joh 15:24. If I had not done among them “If I had not done among them such extraordinary works as no other person ever did,not even their prophets, or Moses himself,they had not had any degree of sin, comparable to that which they now lie under: but now, as they have rejected my superior miracles, which they have seen with their own eyes, at the same time that they acknowledge the evidence of those which Moses wrought, of which they have heard only by distant report, they manifest such an obdurate perverseness of temper, that I may truly say, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father; and my Father himself will justly resent and punish it as an indignity which shews their enmity to him.” The words ofthe blind man, ch. Joh 9:32 are a fine comment on the first part of this verse: Since the world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Ver. 24. Works which none other man did ] More stupendous, because by my own power, and all to the people’s profit. These were of use in the Church’s infancy, and Papists boast of them still; but those are the devil’s lying wonders, 2Th 2:9 . As for our religion, Pudet diabolum Lutheri doctrinam miraculis confirmare, It is shameful that the devil confirms the traching of Luther, saith Gretser the Jesuit. But we answer with Augustine, He that now looks for a miracle is himself a great miracle: Qui adhuc prodigia quaerit magnum est ipse prodigium. Christ was the only Thaumaturgus or wonder worker. This is attested by Josephus the Jew, and confessed by Mahomet.
24. ] He refers to the testimony of His works among them also, as leaving them again without excuse; they had had ocular witness of His mission.
not to them (as Aug [220] ), but as Act 2:22 , .
[220] Augustine, Bp. of Hippo , 395 430
is, not only by external evidence, but also by internal, the right reading. (as Lcke remarks, ii. 643) would imply that the referred to were contemporaries of our Lord, or, at all events, that their works still lasted.
does not refer to the works (as Lcke), but to , see ch. Joh 14:9 .
Joh 15:24 . . This repeats in a slightly varied form the statement of Joh 15:22 . He had not only come and spoken, but had done works which none other had done, cf. Joh 3:2 ; Joh 9:32 ; Joh 7:31 . The miracles wrought by Christ were themselves of a kind fitted to produce faith. In them men were meant to see God, Joh 5:17 ; Joh 5:19-20 . So that He could say, . This is their guilt, that they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. This does not imply that they had been conscious of seeing the Father in Christ, but only that in point of fact they had done so. Cf. Joh 14:9 ; Joh 1:18 .
among. Greek. en. App-104.
none other man = no one else. Greek oudeis altos. App-124. Compare Joh 5:36; Joh 9:30.
they had not, &c. Same as in Joh 15:22. Notice the different negatives me and ou in the two clauses of the verse as in Joh 15:22.
seen. Greek horao. App-133.
24.] He refers to the testimony of His works among them also, as leaving them again without excuse;-they had had ocular witness of His mission.
-not to them (as Aug[220]), but as Act 2:22, .
[220] Augustine, Bp. of Hippo, 395-430
is, not only by external evidence, but also by internal, the right reading. (as Lcke remarks, ii. 643) would imply that the referred to were contemporaries of our Lord,-or, at all events, that their works still lasted.
does not refer to the works (as Lcke), but to , see ch. Joh 14:9.
Joh 15:24. , they have seen) the works.
Joh 15:24
Joh 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin:-Jesus had done among them works of a character impossible to be done by man. These works showed that God was with him. If he had not done these works they would not have been guilty of the sin of rejecting Christ-the greatest sin of all sins.
but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.-These works which showed Gods presence having been performed before their eyes, there was no excuse for their sins. They were the greater sinners for rejecting these works. Their rejecting him while the Father was working through him manifested their hatred of both him and his Father. To reject Jesus as the Christ is the greatest hatred of sin.
sin
Sin. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”).
If: Joh 3:2, Joh 5:36, Joh 7:31, Joh 9:32, Joh 10:32, Joh 10:37, Joh 11:47-50, Joh 12:10, Joh 12:37-40, Mat 9:33, Mat 11:5, Mat 11:20-24, Mar 2:12, Luk 10:12-16, Luk 19:37-40, Luk 24:19, Act 2:22, Act 10:38, Heb 2:3, Heb 2:4
but: Joh 6:36, Joh 12:45, Joh 14:9, Mat 21:32
hated: Exo 20:5, Deu 5:9, Psa 81:15, Pro 8:36, Rom 1:30, Rom 8:7, Rom 8:8, 2Ti 3:4, Jam 4:4
Reciprocal: Lev 26:43 – their soul Num 12:8 – similitude Num 14:11 – believe me 1Ki 17:24 – Now by this 2Ki 19:28 – thy rage 2Ch 18:7 – I hate him Job 21:14 – they say Psa 88:8 – made Psa 95:9 – saw Psa 109:3 – fought Isa 30:11 – cause Hos 9:8 – in the Hos 14:9 – but Mic 3:2 – hate Mat 8:3 – I will Mar 7:6 – honoureth Luk 4:29 – and thrust Luk 19:14 – General Joh 4:48 – Except Joh 5:23 – He that Joh 5:37 – Ye have Joh 5:42 – that Joh 6:27 – for him Joh 6:46 – any Joh 8:42 – If Joh 9:16 – This man Joh 14:7 – ye Rom 7:8 – For without Rom 15:3 – The 1Co 16:22 – love 2Co 4:4 – the image Col 1:15 – the image 1Jo 2:23 – denieth
4
This verse teaches the same principle of responsibility as verse 22, but from a different standpoint. No intelligent man should fail to grasp the evidence of his own eyes. The people had seen the miraculous works of Jesus through a period of more than three years, and they should have known that no one like them could perform such deeds. The conclusion which they could not avoid was that Jesus was doing the things by the help of God. That is why Jesus accused them of both seeing and hating him and his Father.
Joh 15:24. If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they would not have sin; but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. Jesus had spoken in Joh 15:22 of his words as sufficient to deprive the world of all excuse in rejecting and hating Him. He now turns to His works as effecting the same end. The words of Jesus were the Fathers words as well as His own (chap. Joh 3:34); of the same character are the works, which here, as elsewhere, are not to be confined to miracles. They include all that Jesus did, and their appeal had been to the same internal eye which ought to have seen the force and beauty of the word. But that eye the world had closed, and for the same reason as before, so that it was again without excuse.
Joh 15:24-27. If I had not done among them, &c. If I had wrought no miracle at all among them; nay, if I had not done such extraordinary works as no other man ever did, not even their prophets, or Moses himself; they had not had sin Any degree of sin comparable to that which they are now under: but now they have both seen, &c. But now, as they have rejected my superior miracles, which they have seen with their own eyes, at the same time that they own the evidence of those which Moses wrought, of which they have heard only by distant report, they manifest such an obstinate perverseness of temper, that I may truly say, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. For in my miracles, which are greater than any hitherto exhibited, they have seen, or might have seen, who I am; namely, the only-begotten Son of God; and who is my Father; for the glory of all the divine perfections shines forth in my miracles. Nevertheless, they have rejected me, who have performed these miracles, and my Father likewise, who sent me to perform them; so that, shutting their eyes against the light thus shining on them, and hardening their hearts against that incontrovertible evidence of my mission, which my mighty works afford, it is evident they reject me, not out of ignorance and weakness, but out of wilful hatred to me, and him that sent me, and therefore are utterly inexcusable. But this cometh to pass This is all permitted; that the word might be fulfilled Or, in consequence of this being permitted, the word is fulfilled; see note on chap. Joh 12:37-40; that is written in the law Or in their sacred volume; (namely, Psa 35:19;) They hated me without a cause These very words, strictly speaking, were spoken concerning David, and are here applied to the Messiah, both because David was a type of him, and because he was hated without a cause, (see Isa 3:3-9; Dan 9:26; Zec 12:10,) as David was. The meaning is, Be not surprised that I, who am the Messiah, have been rejected of the Jews. It has happened according to the prediction of their own prophets. But when the Comforter is come, &c. But, for your encouragement I assure you, that they will not always continue thus obstinately bent against me and my religion. When he, who is to comfort you under all your troubles by the aid he will afford you, and who on that account is justly styled the Comforter; when he is come, whom I will send you from the Father To remain always with you; even the Spirit of truth He shall bear witness to me and to my religion so effectually, that many of the Jews shall be converted. Macknight. We may observe here, that the Spirits coming, and being sent, by our Lord, from the Father, to testify of him, are personal characters, and plainly distinguish him from the Father and the Son. And his title as the Spirit of truth, together with his proceeding from the Father, can agree to none but a divine person. And that he proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father, may be fairly argued from his being called the Spirit of Christ, 1Pe 1:11; and from his being said to be sent by Christ from the Father, as well as sent by the Father in Christs name. And ye also Weak as you now appear, shall, by his powerful assistance, bear a courageous and convincing testimony to me, because you have been with me from the beginning Namely, of my ministry, and therefore are the best qualified to give an account of my whole conduct; which, the better it is known, the more it will justify my cause, and expose the wickedness of those that rise up against me. In other words, In process of time mens eyes shall be opened to discern the authority of your testimony; and they shall give credit to your reports concerning me, because they shall know that ye have been my companions from the very first, consequently eye and ear-witnesses of all that I have done and said: so that after a while you shall testify concerning me, and preach my religion far more successfully than it will be in your power to do at the beginning. See Doddridge and Macknight.
Ver. 24. If the testimony which Jesus bore to Himself did not succeed in enlightening them, His works ought at least to have procured credence for His testimony. The one who did not have a consciousness sufficiently developed to apprehend the divine character of His teachings, had at least eyes to behold His miracles.
For the first two , see Joh 6:36 : they have caused things which seemed incompatible to move together: seeing and hating;and this at once (the two following ) with reference to me and my Father: these last two are additive, not adversative.
These verses amplify the former two. They also add the idea that the world’s hatred did not jeopardize God’s redemptive plan. Its hatred was part of what God predicted would accompany Messiah’s mission. The Jews’ own Scriptures condemned their unbelief. Probably the quotation comes from Psa 69:4. David experienced hatred for no reason. How much more would the Son of David experience it?
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)