Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 10:38
But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father [is] in me, and I in him.
38. believe the works ] ‘Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed’ (Joh 20:29); but it is better to have the faith that comes with sight than none at all.
that ye may know, and believe ] The better reading probably is, that ye may come to know and continually know; ‘attain to knowledge and advance in knowledge in contrast to your state of suspense’ ( Joh 10:24). In the Greek it is the aorist and present of the same verb ‘to come to know, perceive, recognise:’ the aorist denotes the single act, the present the permanent growth. The apparent awkwardness of having the same verb twice in the same clause has probably caused a large number of authorities to substitute another verb in the second case. But the change of tense is full of meaning, especially in reference to the Jews. Many of them attained to a momentary conviction that He was the Messiah (Joh 2:23, Joh 6:14-15, Joh 7:41, Joh 8:30, Joh 10:42, Joh 11:45); very few of them went beyond a transitory conviction (Joh 2:24, Joh 6:66, Joh 8:31).
the Father is in me, and I in him ] For ‘in Him’ read with the best authorities in the Father. An instance of the solemnity and emphasis derived from repetition, so frequent in this Gospel.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 38. Believe the works] Though ye do not now credit what I have said to you, yet consider my works, and then ye will see that these works prove that I am in the Father and the Father in me; and, consequently, that I and the Father are one. This seems to be the force of our Lord’s argument; and every man must see and feel that it is conclusive. There was no possibility of weakening the force of this reasoning but by asserting that these miracles were not wrought by the power of God; and then they must have proved that not only a man, but a bad man, such as they said Jesus was, could work these miracles. As this was impossible, then the argument of Christ had a complete triumph.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If I do such works as can be done by no less than a Divine power, being beyond the power and ability of all creatures; then, though you will not give credit to any bare affirmations of myself, because I say I am the Son of God, yet believe the things for the testimony that my works give unto it. Proper effects give testimony to the proper cause; he who doth those things which none but God can do, must needs be God, or empowered by God to do them. This is the way for you to know, be persuaded, and believe, that the Father is in me by his mighty, Divine, working power: Joh 14:10, The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works; and I work in and together with him. This phrase, The Father is in me, and I in him, teacheth us three things concerning Christ:
1. His oneness in nature and essence with the Father.
2. His personal distinction from his Father: here are two mentioned, the Father, and me: none can properly be said to be in himself.
3. The most perfect and intimate indwelling of one of the Persons in the Holy Trinity in the other.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But if I do,…. Works, which none but God can do:
though ye believe not me; what Christ said in his doctrine and ministry, though they paid no regard to that, and did not receive his testimony, on the credit of him the testifier, as they ought to have done:
believe the works; not only that they are true and real, and not imaginary and delusory; but for the sake of them believe the above assertion, that Christ is the Son of God, he and his Father being one; or take such notice of these works and miracles, consider the nature, evidence, and importance of them, and the divine power that attends them,
that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him; or “in the Father”, as one of Beza’s exemplars; the Vulgate Latin, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, or “in my Father”, as read the Syriac and Arabic versions; that they are one in nature, distinct in person, equal in power, and have a mutual inhabitation and communion in the divine essence; all which is manifest, by doing the same works, and which are out of the reach and power of any mere creature.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But if I do ( ). Condition again of the first class, assumed as true, but with the opposite results.
Though ye believe not me ( ). Condition now of third class, undetermined (but with prospect), “Even if you keep on (present active subjunctive of ) not believing me.”
Believe the works ( ). These stand irrefutable. The claims, character, words, and works of Jesus challenge the world today as then.
That ye may know and understand ( ). Purpose clause with and the same verb repeated in different tenses (first , the second ingressive aorist active subjunctive, that ye may come to know; then the present active subjunctive, “that ye may keep on knowing”). This is Christ’s deepest wish about his enemies who stand with stones in their uplifted hands to fling at him.
That the Father is in me, and I in the Father ( ). Thus he repeats (verse 30) sharply his real claim to oneness with the Father as his Son, to actual deity. It was a hopeless wish.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
In Him. The best texts read ejn tw patri, in the Father.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But if I do,” (ei de poio) “However if I do them,” as I claim with many witnesses; 1) The prophets, 2) John the, Baptist, 3) The miraculous works that I do, 4) The testimony of the people made whole, etc.
2) “Though ye believe not me,” (kan emoi me pisteuete) “Even if you do not believe in me,” that I am the Son of God, Joh 6:69, my personal virgin birth, Isa 7:14; Mat 1:18-25; my lineage from David, Bethlehem of Judea, Mic 5:2; Mat 2:4-6; Luk 2:1-12; that I am the Water of Life, Bread of Life, and Light of the world, Joh 4:1 to Joh 6:71; Joh 8:1-59.
3) “Believe the works: (tois ergois pisteuete) “You (are to) believe the works;- the miraculous deeds that I do, Joh 4:34; Joh 5:36; Joh 17:4-5; For these were works of power, with love and out-pouring compassion to help the needy, Joh 14:10-11; Joh 15:24.
4) “That ye may know, and believe,” (hina gnote kai ginoskete) “In order that you all may know and continue to know,” by the miracles that I have done, the prophecies I have fulfilled, and the testimony I have given, for this is why they were done, Mar 2:10-11; Joh 3:2; Joh 20:30-31.
5) “That the Father is in me, and I in him.”(hoti en emoi ho pater kago en to patri) “That the Father is (exists) in me, and I exist in him,” the one true God, Joh 10:30; 1Co 6:8; Joh 10:27-30; Joh 17:21; Joh 17:23, Col 2:9.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
38. But if I do. He shows that they are held plainly convicted of unbelieving and sacrilegious contempt, because they render no reverence or honor (304) to what are undoubtedly the works of God. This is a second concession, when he says, “Though I allow you to doubt of my doctrine, you cannot deny, at least, that the miracles which I have performed are from God. You therefore openly reject God, and not a man.”
That you may know and believe. Though he places knowledge before faith, as if faith were inferior to it, he does so, because he has to do with unbelieving and obstinate men, who never yield to God, until they are vanquished and constrained by experience; for rebels wish to know before they believe And yet our gracious God indulges us so far, that he prepares us for faith by a knowledge of his works. But the knowledge of God and of his secret wisdom comes after faith, because the obedience of faith opens to us the door of the kingdom of heaven.
That the Father is in me, and I in him. He repeats the same thing which he had said before in other words, I and my Father are one All tends to this point, that in his ministry there is nothing contrary to his Father. “ The Father, he says, is in me; that is, Divine power is manifested in me.”
And I am in my Father; that is, “I do nothing but by the command of God, so that there is a mutual connection between me and my Father.” For this discourse does not relate to the unity of essence, but to the manifestation of Divine power in the person of Christ, from which it was evident that he was sent by God.
(304) “ Aucune reverence ni honneur.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(38) But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works.A higher faith would have believed Him. Had they truly known their own spiritual needs, and truly known the meaning of that great truth He had taught, they would have found in Him the true satisfaction of the minds cravings, and the faculty of faith would have rested in the object of its existence. For all this the Old Testament had been a preparation; but their minds had not been prepared by it. He will take therefore their own lower ground, and appeal to the sight of those who have not faith. (Comp. Note on Joh. 20:29.) Let them test the works, think of their character, as some of them had already done (Joh. 9:16), and see at least that these are of the Father.
That ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me.The more probable text is, that ye may perceive, and may (permanently) know that the Father is in Me . . . Failing the intuitive faith-knowledge, He appeals to the intellectual perception, which is not immediate, but from which they may ascend to that knowledge, and may then really know that such works can be only of the Father; and that, therefore, the Father is present in Him who does them, and that He who does them is one with the Father Joh. 10:30).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
38. Believe the works The blind-born (Joh 9:35-38) believed the works; therefore his faith was ready to underwrite whatever the author of the works should say of himself.
The Father is in me If Omnipotence energizes my actions, the Omnipotent must pervade my person.
Our Lord’s argument here shows, 1. The use of the divine name to designate inferior beings, does not derogate from its supreme sense when applied to him. 2. The humanity of Christ is taken into the divinity, enveloped with its dignity, without changing it out of its true human nature. So that the so-called hypostatic union results in perfect man and perfect God in oneness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 10:38. That ye may know, and believe “That ye may know that I neither do, nor say any thing, but by my Father’s authority; for the Father and I are so intimately and entirely united, that every thing I say and do, is in reality said and done by him, and he approves of it accordingly.” See Joh 10:30.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
Ver. 38. But if I do, though ye, &c. ] q.d. Stumble not at the meanness of my person, condition, followers, &c. When it was sometimes disputed among the Romans in the council, using to deify great men, whether Christ, having done many wonderful works, should be received into the number of the gods? it was at length concluded (saith the historian) quod non deberet recipi inter Deos, pro eo quod non haberet cultores, propter hoc quod paupertatem praedicaret et eligeret, quam mundus contemnit.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
though = even if. Greek. kan= kai ean. App-118. the works. These have a voice of their own. Compare Psa 19:1-4.
believe. App-150. that, &c. With this profound statement Compare Joh 14:10, Joh 14:11, Joh 14:20; Joh 17:11, Joh 17:21. See also Mat 11:27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 10:38. , even though Me) You ought to have believed in Me: even separating Me from the works.- , that ye may know and believe) Faith follows subsequently to knowledge with those that are of a rather dull susceptibility.- , , the Father in Me, and I in Him) I am none else than the Father, in such a way, however, that I remain still the Son; and He none else than I, in such a way, however, as that He still remains the Father. And if any one shall have known Me, he knoweth the Father, and hath learned the Son. But if the power of One were less than that of the Other, the knowledge also would mislead; for in that case neither the essence nor the power of One can be learned by means of the Other.-Chrys. on this passage. These two sentences, I and the Father are one, and, the Father in Me and I in the Father, mutually explain one another. Comp. ch. Joh 17:11; Joh 17:21, Holy Father, keep-those-that they may be one, as We are. As Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 10:38
Joh 10:38
But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.-Independent of the words and claims of Jesus, the works that he did ought to prove to them that the Father was with and in Jesus doing the works and so approving him as sent of God. To this there was no reply. [If they had personal prejudices against Jesus, they ought to consider his works without prejudice.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
believe the: Joh 3:2, Joh 5:36, Act 2:22, Act 4:8-12
that ye: Joh 10:30, Joh 14:9-11, Joh 14:20, Joh 17:11, Joh 17:21-23
Reciprocal: Exo 7:9 – Show Exo 23:21 – my name Num 14:11 – believe me Mic 5:4 – in the majesty Zec 13:7 – the man Mat 8:4 – for Mat 11:5 – blind Joh 6:27 – for him Joh 6:30 – see Joh 10:25 – the works Joh 11:42 – that they Joh 12:39 – they Joh 14:10 – Believest Joh 14:11 – or Joh 14:28 – Father Act 10:38 – for Phi 2:6 – thought Col 2:2 – of the Father Col 2:9 – in 1Jo 5:7 – The Father 1Jo 5:9 – we
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
The gist of this verse is the willingness of Jesus to pass over his personality for the time. Yet he insisted that the Jews should at least accept him as a worker of good things.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 10:38. But if I do, even if ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and recognise, that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. If He does the works of His Father, then, even although they might be unwilling to accept His witness respecting Himself, the works bear a testimony they are bound to receive. Receiving this testimony and thus learning that the works of Jesus are the Fathers works, men will know that He and the Father are one, the Father abiding in Him, and He in the Father. But this is not a truth learnt once for all. The words of Jesus are: that ye may know (being brought to conviction by the testimony of the works) and (from that point onwards continually) recognise . . . Their eyes once opened, they will ever see in the works tokens of the Fathers presence.