Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 6:70
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
70. Have I not chosen you twelve ] Or, Did not I choose you the Twelve (comp. Joh 13:18)? Here probably the question ends: and one of you is a devil is best punctuated without an interrogation; it is a single statement in tragic contrast to the preceding question. It would be closer to the Greek to omit the article before ‘devil’ and make it a kind of adjective; and one of you is devil, i.e. devilish in nature: but this is hardly English. The words contain a half-rebuke to S. Peter for his impetuous avowal of loyalty in the name of them all. The passage stands alone in the N.T. (comp. Mat 16:23), but its very singularity is evidence of its truth. S. John is not likely to have forgotten what was said, or in translating to have made any serious change.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Have not I chosen you twelve? – There is much emphasis in these words. Have not I – I, the Saviour, the Messiah, chosen you in mercy and in love, and therefore it will be a greater sin to betray me? Chosen. Chosen to the apostolic office; conferred on you marks of special favor, and treason is therefore the greater sin. You twelve. So small a number. Out of such a multitude as follow for the loaves and fishes, it is to be expected there should be apostates; but when the number is so small, chosen in such a manner, then it becomes every one, however confident he may be, to be on his guard and examine his heart.
Is a devil – Has the spirit, the envy, the malice, and the treasonable designs of a devil. The word devil here is used in the sense of an enemy, or one hostile to him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joh 6:70-71
Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Judas Iscariot
I. WHO THEN WILL SAY THAT THE MEN WITH WHOM CHRIST BEGAN HIS NEW KINGDOM WERE MORE THAN MEN; not bone of our bone, but a princely sort, quite away from the common herd? On the contrary, they fairly represented human nature in its best and worst aspects–gentleness, ardour, domesticity, enterprise, timidity, courage, and one of them was a devil–a man like the others, but in him a pre-eminent capacity for the foulest mischief.
II. A wonderfully instructive fact is this that JESUS DID NOT POINT OUT THE SUPREMELY WICKED MAN, but simply said, One of you is a devil. Thus a spirit of mournful self-suspicion was excited, culminating in the mournful Is it I? It is better not to know the worst man in the Church: to know only that judgment will begin at the House of God, and to be wondering whether that judgment will take most effect on ourselves. No man fully knows himself. The very star of the morning fell from heaven: why not you or I?
III. ISCARIOTS WAS A HUMAN SIN RATHER THAN A MERELY PERSONAL CRIME. Individually, I did not sin in Eden, but humanly I did; personally, I did not covenant for the betrayal of my Lord, but morally I did; I denied Him, and pierced Him; and He loved me and gave Himself for me.
IV. WHY DID CHRIST CHOOSE A MAN WHOM HE KNEW TO BE A DEVIL.? A hard question, but there is one harder still. Why did Jesus choose you? (J. Parker, D. D.)
A solemn warning
I. FOR THE TWELVE. Peter had spoken in their name as well as for himself: Christ replies that nevertheless there is ground for self-examination. Their honour and the position they enjoyed as apostles, and possible future heads of the Church, was no infallible guarantee of their sincerity. There was, therefore, with a devil in their midst, room for heart-searching before God.
II. FOR JUDAS. How Christ came to elect him presents no more inseperable problem than that involved in any attempt to harmonize Divine sovereignty and human freedom. Why should God employ wicked men anywhere, particularly in His Church? All men are dealt with as free agents. If Christ elected Judas, it was probably because
1. He recognized that to be the Fathers Will.
2. He would rescue if He could a soul as black as his.
3. He would make it clear that Judas was self-destroyed. The warning was manifestly for the sake of Judas to discover to Him his awful danger. (T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
Judas
Did Christ know the character of this man of Kerioth (Joh_2:24-25; Joh_13:11)? A number of questions will suggest themselves; but we note only the brief account given in the Bible.
I. THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS DEPRAVITY. As treasurer, he develops selfishness, avarice, thievishness: a typical defaulter. The anointing at Bethany showed satan in possession. Conference with the chief priests, and the compact with them. The upper room, the betrayer revealed. The kiss, and the cowardly disappearance.
II. HIS DREADFUL DEATH. The accounts in Matthew and Acts are not contradictory: one is supplemental to the other. Conviction, remorse, suicide (Mat 28:3-5.)
III. HIS DOLEFUL DESTINY. Own place (Mat 26:24). The two Scripture hints indicate his dark doom. Remarks:
1. This betrayer a minister. Official prominence has special dangers. Hierarchies have been traitors, in destroying foundation doctrines, and individuals have pierced Christ in the house of his friends.
2. But the loyal far outnumber the betrayers. Do not forget the faithful standard-bearers.
3. A warning to all against making worldly gain out of professed godliness. Let avarice be shunned.
4. Each impenitent sinner will have his own place. Remorse will be his constant companion.
5. Contrast the joy in prospect of departure which a loyal faith yields (2Ti 4:6-8). (H. F. Smith, D. D.)
Why Judas was chosen
In reference to the apostleship of Judas, certain questions are eagerly pressed. If Jesus knew all men, was He deceived in Judas? If not deceived, why did He call him? When He discovered his true character, why did He not dismiss him? In view of such questions, it is to be noted
(1) that he attached himself to Jesus as a disciple before he was made an apostle; and for his profession of discipleship he is himself responsible;
(2) that, being a professed disciple, Jesus appointed him to be one of the twelve;
(3) that Jesus, on whom no mock faith could impose, knew what manner of man he was; and
(4) that his testimony in favour of Jesus, in its own place, and within its own limbs, is as valuable as that of any. Had there been fault in Jesus, he was the man to find it out and tell it; indeed there was the strongest possible reason why he should have told it, to quiet his own conscience and justify his conduct. Not one of the twelve has borne more distinct testimony to the truth–vital to the Christian system–that Jesus is the Sinless One. (J. Culross, D. D.)
The character of Judas
If the choice of the false disciple was not due either to ignorance or to foreknowledge, how is it to be explained? The only explanation to be given is that, apart from secret insight, Judas was to all appearance an eligible man, and could not be passed over on any grounds coming under ordinary observation. His qualities must have been such, that one not possessing the eye of omniscience, looking at him, would have been disposed to say of him what Samuel said of Eliab: Surely the Lords anointed is before him (1Sa 16:6). In that case, his election by Jesus is perfectly intelligible. The Head of the Church simply did what the Church has to do in analogous circumstances. The Church chooses men to fill sacred offices on a conjunct view of ostensible qualifications, such as knowledge, zeal, apparent piety, and correctness of outward conduct. In so doing, she often makes unhappy appointments, and confers dignity on persons of the Judas type, who dishonour the positions they fill. The mischief resulting is great; but Christ has taught us, by His example in choosing Judas, as also by the parable of the tares, that we must submit to the evil, and leave the remedy in higher hands. Out of evil God often brings good, as He did in the case of the traitor. Supposing Judas to have been chosen to the apostleship on the ground of apparent fitness, whet manner of man would that imply? A vulgar, conscious hypocrite, seeking some mean by-end, while professedly aiming at a higher? Not necessarily; not probably. Rather such a one as Jesus indirectly described Judas to be when he made that reflection: If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. The false disciple was a sentimental, plausible, self-deceived pietist, who knew and approved the good, though not conscientiously practicing it; one who, in aesthetic feeling, in fancy, and in intellect, had affinities for the noble and the holy, while in will and in conduct he was the slave of base, selfish passions; one who, in the last resource, would always put self uppermost, yet could zealously devote himself to well-doing when personal interests were not compromised. In thus describing Judas, we draw not the picture of a solitary monster. Men of such type are by no means so rare as some may imagine. History, sacred and profane, supplies numerous examples of them, playing an important part in human affairs. Baalam, who had the vision of a prophet and the soul of a miser, was such a man; Robespierre, the evil genius of the French Revolution, was another. The man who sent thousands to the guillotine had, in his younger days, resigned his office as a provincial judge, because it was against his conscience to pronounce sentence of death on a culprit found guilty of e capital offence. A third example, more remarkable then either, may be found in the famous Greek Alcibiades, who, to unbounded ambition, unscrupulousness, and licentiousness, united a warm attachment to the greatest and best of the Greeks. The man who in after years betrayed the cause of his native city, and went over to the side of her enemies, was in his youth an enthusiastic admirer and disciple of Socrates. How he felt towards the Athenian sage may be gathered from words put into his mouth by Plato in one of his dialogues, words which involuntarily suggest a parallel between the speaker and the unworthy follower of a greater than Socrates: I experience towards this man alone (Socrates) when no one would believe me capable of: a sense of shame. For I am conscious of an inability to contradict him, and decline to do what be bids me; and when I go away, I feel myself overcome by desire of the popular esteem. Therefore I flee from him, and avoid him. But when I see him, I am ashamed of my admissions, and oftentimes I would be glad if he ceased to exist among the living; and yet I know well, that were that to happen, I should still be more grieved. The character of Judas being such as we have described, the possibility at least of his turning a traitor becomes comprehensible. One who loves himself more than any man, however good, or any cause, however holy, is always capable of bad faith more or less heinous. He is a traitor st heart from the outset, and all that is wanted is a set of circumstances calculated to bring into play the evil elements of his nature. (A. B. Bruce, D. D.)
Treachery is not hidden from Christ
Alexander I. of Russia professed a strong friendship for Napoleon, but when nearly all Europe had turned against him, he also became his enemy. An Austrian courier was taken prisoner. There was found in his possession e letter from the commander of the Russian forces, addressed to the Archduke Ferdinand, congratulating him upon his victory, and expressing the hope that very soon the Russian Army would be permitted to co-operate with the Austrians against the French. Napoleon immediately sent the letter to Alexander without note or comment. (Abbotts Napoleon. )
The baseness of treachery
Of all the vices to which human nature is subject, treachery is the most infamous and detestable, being compounded of fraud, cowardice, and revenge. The greatest wrongs will not justify it, as it destroys those principles of mutual confidence and security by which only society can subsist. The Romans, a brave and generous people, disdained to practise it towards their declared enemies; Christianity teaches us to forgive injuries: but to resent them under the disguise of friendship and benevolence, argues a degeneracy at which common humanity and justice must blush. (L. M. Stretch.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 70. Have not I chosen you twelve] Have I not, in an especial manner, called you to believe in my name, and chosen you to be my disciples and the propagators of my doctrine! Nevertheless, one of you is a devil, or accuser, enlisted on the side of Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Chosen, not to eternal life, but to the great office of an apostle. I chose but twelve amongst you, Mat 10:1-4, and of those twelve one is , an accuser, or informer; a name by which the devil (who is the grand accuser of the brethren) is ordinarily expressed in holy writ.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
70. Have not I chosen . . . and oneof you is a devil:“Well said, Simon-Barjonas, but that’we’ embraces not so wide a circle as in the simplicity of thineheart thou thinkest; for though I have chosen you but twelve, oneeven of these is a ‘devil'” (the temple, the tool of that wickedone).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Jesus answered them,…. The disciples, taking Peter’s answer to his question, as delivered in the name of them all, and as expressing their mind and sense:
have not I chosen you twelve; not to grace and glory, to holiness and happiness; though this was true of eleven of them, but to be apostles:
and one of you is a devil? or like to one, is a deceiver, a liar, and a murderer, as the devil is from the beginning; all which Judas was, and appeared to be, in the betraying of his master. The Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, “is Satan”; which name, if given to Peter, as it once was on a certain occasion, Mt 16:23, might very well be given to Judas; who, notwithstanding his profession of faith in Christ, was in the hands and kingdom of Satan, and under his influence and power: and this our Lord said, partly that they might not too much presume upon their faith and love, and steady attachment, and be over confident of their standing; and partly, to prepare them for the apostasy of one from among them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And one of you is a devil ( ). Jesus does not say that Judas was a devil when he chose him, but that he is one now. In John 13:2; John 13:27 John speaks of the devil entering Judas. How soon the plan to betray Jesus first entered the heart of Judas we do not know (12:4). One wonders if the words of Jesus here did not cut Judas to the quick.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
A devil [] . See on Mt 4:1. The word is an adjective, meaning slanderous, but is almost invariably used in the New Testament as a noun, and with the definite article. The article is wanting only in 1Pe 5:8; Act 13:10; Rev 12:9; and perhaps Rev 20:2. It is of the very essence of the devilish nature to oppose Christ. Compare Mt 16:23.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Jesus answered them,” (apekrithe autois ho lesous) “Jesus replied to them,” to the chosen, selected twelve, Joh 6:67.
2) “Have not I chosen you twelve,” (ouk ego humas tous dodeka ekseleksamen) “Have I not chosen the twelve of you?” He had, Mat 10:2-7. Or I have chosen all twelve of you, haven’t I? Joh 16:16; Joh 16:26-27.
3) “And one of you is a devil?” (kai eks humon eis diabolos estin) “One out of you all is (exists as) a devil,” in essence of nature and moral character of a covetous soul. The term “diabolos” (Gk.) means adversary and is usually translated Satan. It is always in the singular and is here used of Judas Iscariot, in his absolute choice, of his own volition to follow the devil, Joh 13:2; Joh 13:27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
70. Jesus answered them. Since Christ replies to all, we infer from it that all spake by the mouth of Peter. Besides, Christ now prepares and fortifies the eleven apostles against a new offense which was already at hand. It was a powerful instrument of Satan for shaking their faith, when they were reduced to so small a number, but the fall of Judas might take away all their courage; for since Christ had chosen that sacred number, who would ever have thought that any portion of the whole number could be torn away? That admonition of Christ may be interpreted thus: “You twelve alone remain out of a large company. If your faith has not been shaken by the unbelief of many, prepare for a new contest; for this company, though small, will be still diminished by one man.”
Have not I chosen you twelve? When Christ says that he has chosen or elected twelve, he does not refer to the eternal purpose of God; for it is impossible that any one of those who have been predestinated to life shall fall away; but, having been chosen to the apostolic office, they ought to have surpassed others in piety and holiness. He used the word chosen, therefore, to denote those who were eminent and distinguished from the ordinary rank.
And one of you is a devil. He unquestionably intended, by this name, to hold up Judas to the utmost detestation; for they are mistaken who extenuate the atrocity implied in the name and indeed we cannot sufficiently execrate those who dishonor so sacred an office. Teachers who faithfully discharge their office are called angels
They should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of Hosts, (Mal 2:7.)
Justly, therefore, is he accounted a devil, who, after having been admitted to so honorable a rank, is corrupted through his treachery and wickedness. Another reason is, that God allows more power and liberty to Satan over wicked and ungodly ministers, than over other ordinary men; and therefore, if they who were chosen to be pastors are driven by diabolical rage, so as to resemble wild and monstrous beasts, so far are we from being entitled, on that account, to despise the honorable rank to which they belong, that we ought rather to honor it the more, when the profanation of it is followed by so fearful a punishment.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(70) One of you is a devil.But even the brightness of His hope in them is not uncrossed by a shadow; and this shadow is seen in its fearful darkness by the light of the truth, which, like a flash of inspiration, has come to Peters heart, and has been spoken in the names of all. No human joy is for the Man of Sorrows unmarred. The very height to which these eleven have risen, through doubt and difficulty, in honest hearts and earnest lives, shows the depth to which one, with like power and capacity, like call and opportunity, had fallen. The order of the words is emphatic in the sadness which asks the question, Did I not choose you twelve, and of you one is devil? There was the same choice for all, and the choice made, as it is always made, from their fitness and promise for the work for which all were chosen. And of even twelve, one who was subject for hope then is beyond hope now. There may be mystery connected with this life of Judas which none of us can understand; there are certainly warnings connected with it which none of us can refuse to heed.
A devil.The meaning would be more exactly given, perhaps, if the word were simply rendered devil, but this can hardly be expressed in English. See Note on Mat. 16:23, and, further on Judas, see Notes on Act. 1:16-25.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
70. Chosen Our Lord’s reply sifts them down to a visible remainder of eleven who are pronounced not reprobate; chosen and true elect.
A devil Whether this word here is to signify adversary, accuser, prosecutor, calumniator, or devil, commentators differ largely. But thus much is plain; the speaker could not but know that the last and worst of these meanings was the most obvious, being the then most common. It could not have been, therefore, an unmeant meaning. He is called a devil, perhaps, as now having in his will a readiness for a devilish act. Or, it may be, from his relation to Christ as a dark opposing figure in the sacred circle, a miniature antichrist. Or, devil, because a fallen angel an apostate apostle.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was who would betray him, being one of the twelve.’
Yet even now Jesus knew that, although He had especially chosen them as his henchmen, there was one who was not true. ‘Have I not chosen you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ This latter phrase is not, of course, to be taken literally but means ‘is doing the work of the Devil’. The one whom He had in mind was, of course, Judas the Betrayer. Yet we should note that He would still give him the chance to repent if he would.
To be chosen by Jesus Christ for a unique privilege and yet to betray Him! It almost seems impossible. But we must recognise from this that Jesus already knew Judas’ heart and mind. Why then did He choose him? We must assume that Judas was at least partly sincere at this stage. He would after all perform miracles and cast out evil spirits as did the other Apostles. And every man must be given a chance. But his commitment was not full and true. He too believed for the wrong reasons, and the greed for money got the better of him. He was not following Jesus for the right reasons, he was gripped by ambition and hopes of power. We too must learn to root out anything within us that in the least hinders our obedience to Christ, or we too may find that our trust is not in the real thing. We must ask ourselves – Am I really committed to Him for Him to save, or is my Christianity just a social thing or a way of self advancement or in order to boost my self-esteem or for what I can get out of it? That is the crucial question.
‘Iscariot’. This probably means ‘man of Cherioth’, but other alternatives have been suggested. It was a way of distinguishing him from ‘the other Judas’ (Joh 14:22) among the twelve
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 6:70. Jesus answeredhave not I chosen you twelve, &c.? “The opinion of my character and mission, which thou, O Peter, hast expressed in thine own name, and in the name of thy brethren, is just: however, I know, that you are not all agreed in this confession; for one of you is a devil, a malicious informer, and so perfectly bad a man, that he will betray me. It is true, I made choice of this very person equally with the rest, to be my apostle and companion; but from what I now tell you will happen, I hope you are convinced that I did not pitch upon so unworthy a person through ignorance of him. I was intimately acquainted with the character and dispositions of all of you, and in my choice of you had it in view to make each of you assist me, according to his qualities, whether good or bad, in carrying on the grand design that I am come to execute. By this argument, therefore, you may know that I am the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and that your faith is well founded on me.” According to some great writers, our Lord intimates, that the reason why he had not more plainly declared himself to be the Messiah, was because he knew that Judas would have accused him of rebellion against the Romans, for the word , devil, does sometimes signify a false accuser. But there does not appear to be any proof that Judas from the beginning intended to betray Christ. It is more than probable, that he had first engaged with him principally in expectation of secular advantages; and, finding those views disappointed, he might now begin to form that detestable scheme which he afterwards executed. If this was the occasion on which he first entertained the thought, as appears highly probable, one would have expected that such an intimation of his secret wickedness would have struck him to the
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 6:70-71 . Not a justification of the question in Joh 6:67 , nor any utterance of reflection generally, but an outburst of grief at the sad catastrophe which He foresaw (Joh 6:64 ), in the face of that joyous confession which the fiery Peter thought himself warranted in giving in the name of them all .
The question extends only as far as .; then comes with the simple the mournful contrast which damps the ardour of the confessing disciple. Comp. Joh 7:19 .
Observe the arrangement of the words , and impressively taking the lead: Have not I (even I , and no other) chosen you the twelve to myself? And of you ( this one chosen by myself ) one is devil ! not the devil, but of devilish kind and nature . Comp. , Joh 1:1 . In what an awful contrast the two stand to each other! The addition of to heightens the contrast, laying stress upon the great significance of the election, which nevertheless was to have in the case of one individual so contradictory a result.
] not an informer (Theophylact, De Wette, Baeumlein), not an adversary or betrayer (Kuinoel, Lcke, B. Crusius, and earlier writers), but, in keeping with the deep emotion (comp. Mat 16:23 ), and the invariable usage of the N. T. in all places where . is a substantive (in Joh 8:44 ; Joh 13:2 ; 1Jn 3:8 ; 1Jn 3:10 ): devil , whereby antagonism to Christ is set forth in its strongest manner, because in keeping with its demoniacal nature. That John would have written , or (Joh 8:44 ; 1Jn 3:10 ), is an arbitrary objection, and does not adequately estimate the strength of the emotion, which the expression employed, never forgotten by John, fully does.
Joh 6:71 . , . . .] He spoke of , like Joh 9:19 ; Mar 14:71 ; see Stallb. ad Plat. Rep . p. 363 B. As to the name ., [255] man of Karioth , see on Mat 10:4 . Observe the sad and solemn emphasis of the full name , as in Joh 13:22 . itself is used quite as a name , as forming with . one expression. Bengel, therefore, without reason desiderates the article before . , and prefers on that account the reading (see the critical notes).
, . . . ] traditurus erat , not as if he was already revolving it in his mind (see, on the contrary, Joh 13:2 ), but according to the idea of the divine destiny (Ellendt, Lex. Soph . II. p. 72). Comp. Joh 7:39 , Joh 11:51 , Joh 12:4 ; Joh 12:33 , Joh 18:32 ; Wis 18:4 : ; Jdt 10:12 . Kern has erroneously lowered the expression to the idea of possibility .
, . . . ] although he , etc. Still is critically doubtful (omitted by Lachmann), and without it the tragic contrast is all the stronger.
[255] Not equivalent to , man of lies, as Hengstenberg maintains, after Pro 19:5 ; the Greek form itself already forbids this.
Note 1.
With respect to the psychological difficulty of Jesus having chosen and retained Judas as an apostle, we may remark: 1. That we cannot get rid of the difficulty by saying that Jesus did not make or intend a definite election of disciples (Schleiermacher, L. J . p. 370 ff.), for this would be at variance with all the Gospels, and in particular with Joh 6:70 . Joh 6:2 . Jesus cannot have received Judas into the company of the apostles with the foreknowledge that He was choosing His betrayer (Hengstenberg; comp. Augustine in Psalms 55 : electi undecim ad opus probationis , electus unus ad opus tentationis ); this would be psychologically and morally inconceivable. He must have had confidence that each one of the twelve, when He selected them according to the variety of their gifts, temperaments, characters, etc., would become under His influence an effective supporter of His work; and, at any rate, the remark in Joh 6:64 is only a retrospective inference from the inconceivableness of so hideous an act in the case of one selected by the Lord Himself. The view in question also goes too far in this respect, that it attributes the crime not to the dangerous disposition of Judas, but to the knowledge of Christ from the outset, which would logically lead to the outrageous and inadmissible thought of Daub, that He purposely chose Judas, in order that he might betray Him. Comp. Neander, Lcke, Kern, Ullmann ( Sndlosigk .), Tholuck, De Wette, Ewald, and many others. 3. Although the bent of the man, and his inclination towards an unhallowed development, which, however, did not lead to a complete rupture until late (Joh 13:2 ), must have been known to Christ, the reader of all hearts, yet it may have been accompanied with the hope, that this tendency might be overcome by the presence of some other apostolic qualification possessed by Judas, perhaps a very special gift for external administration (Joh 12:6 , Joh 13:28 ). 4. As it became gradually evident that this hope was to be disappointed when the care of the money affairs became a special temptation to the unhappy man, it was the consciousness of the divine destiny herein manifesting itself (Joh 6:70-71 ; Act 4:28 ) which prevented Jesus from dismissing Judas, and so disturbing the further progress of the divine purpose; while on the part of the Lord, we must, in conformity with His calling, suppose a continual moral influence bearing upon Judas, though this to the last remained without effect, and turned out to his condemnation, a tragic destiny truly, whose details, besides, in the want of sufficient historical information concerning him before the commission of his bloody deed, are too far removed from the reach of critical judgment to enable them to lend any support to the difficulties arising therefrom as to the genuineness of Joh 6:70-71 (Weisse, Strauss, B. Bauer), or to warrant the assumption of any modification of the statement, which John, in accordance with his later view, might have given to it (Lcke, Ullmann, and others).
Note 2.
The aim of Jesus in the discourse Joh 6:26 ff. was to set before the people, who came to Him under the influence of a carnal belief in His miracles, the duty of seeking a true and saving faith instead, which would secure a deep living reception of and fellowship with Christ’s personal life, and that with a decision which, with an ever-advancing fulness, lays open this true work of faith in the appropriation of Himself to the innermost depth and the highest point of its contents and necessity. Baur’s opinion, that the discourse sets forth the critical process of the self-dissolution of a merely apparent faith, so that the latter must acknowledge itself as unbelief, has no such confession in the text to support it, especially as the and the are not identical. See, besides, Brckner, p. 143 ff. Regarding the difficulty of understanding this discourse, which even Strauss urges, it may partly be attributed to the Johannean idiosyncrasy in reproducing and elaborating his abundant recollections of the words of Jesus. The difficulty, however, is partly exaggerated (see Hauff in the Stud. u. Krit . 1846, p. 595 ff.); and partly it is overlooked that Jesus, in all references to His death and its design, had to reckon on the light which the future would impart to these utterances, and sowing, as He generally did, for the future in the bosom of the present, He was obliged to give expression to much that was mysterious, but which would furnish material for, and support to, the further development and purification of faith and knowledge. The wisdom thus displayed in His teaching is justified by the history .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1645
ONE OF THE APOSTLES A DEVIL
Joh 6:70. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
OUR blessed Lord and Saviour, in the whole of his deportment, was meek and gentle: yet, when occasion called to it, he exercised a holy fidelity even towards his beloved Apostles. They had now all confessed him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God; and had declared their determination still to adhere to him, however others of his Disciples might be offended at him, and induced to forsake him [Note: ver. 6669.]. On this account they might be led to value themselves on their steadfastness, or perhaps feel themselves offended, when they should find, at a future period, that one of their own body was a traitor. Our Lord, therefore, warned them both against self-confidence at the present time, and against that discouragement which they would hereafter feel, when they should behold him delivered up to death through the instrumentality of one of his own most highly-favoured Apostles; saying, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Now, if you doubt not the Saviours love in giving this solemn warning to his followers, let not me be thought harsh, if I call your attention to it,
I.
As delivered to the Apostles
God in every age has of his own sovereign will and pleasure, chosen, irrespective of any merit in themselves, the objects of his more especial favour
[Even in heaven did he choose some of the angelic host in preference to others, whom, in his righteous judgment, he suffered to fall and perish: on which account they who kept their first estate are called his elect angels [Note: 1Ti 5:21.]. And after man also had sinned, God chose our fallen race in preference to the fallen angels; providing a Saviour for us, when he had made no such provision for them. To various offices also has he chosen men, as Moses, to bring his people out of Egypt; Aaron and his descendants, to officiate in the priesthood, whilst the descendants of Moses were only Levites; and Saul and David to exercise the royal functions in Jerusalem; and Cyrus, three hundred years before any such person existed in the world, to restore his people from Babylon. The whole Jewish people were chosen by God to be to him a holy nation, and a peculiar treasure to him above all the people upon earth [Note: Deu 7:6.]. In like manner our blessed Saviour chose his twelve Apostles. They did not choose him, but he them [Note: Joh 15:16.]; calling one from his nets, and another from the receipt of custom; and afterwards another, in the midst of his most hostile purposes, and blood-thirsty pursuits [Note: Act 22:14.]. He appealed to them, Have not I chosen you twelve? Have I not distinguished you above others, to be my stated attendants, and to be instructed by me with all imaginable clearness in the things which to others are revealed only in parables [Note: Luk 8:10.]?]
But though, in external circumstances, there is a great resemblance between the elect, there is often a sad difference between them
[As, amongst the Jews, all were not Israel who were of Israel [Note: Rom 9:6], so all the elect are not elect unto salvation [Note: 2Th 2:13.]: as we clearly see amongst the chosen Apostles, one of whom was, and remained to the last, a devil. In their call they were alike, as they were also in their endowments (the power of working miracles), their outward conduct, and their usefulness. On one occasion, Judas seemed to be the most excellent of all the Apostles: for, when a very precious box of ointment, which might have been sold for three hundred pence (almost ten pounds) and been given to the poor, was poured upon the head and feet of our blessed Lord, he was the first to complain of the waste; and he it was who inspired all the rest of the Apostles with indignation against it, as an act of insufferable extravagance. True, indeed, his motives were not very pure (as we are told [Note: Compare Mat 26:7-9. with Joh 12:3-6.]); but of them the Apostles neither knew, nor suspected any thing. On the contrary, when, at the close of our Saviours life, he told his Disciples that one of them would betray him, every one of them suspected himself rather than Judas, so correct had been his outward deportment during the whole period of our Lords ministry on earth. But during that whole time, Judas, who had been entrusted by our Lord as the purse-bearer for them all, had pilfered money in small quantities from the bag (had he stolen largely, the money would have been missed); and so hardened did he become through his dishonest practices, that at last he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver, and delivered him up into the hands of his enemies. This reigning lust of covetousness shewed, that, in the midst of all his professions, he was at heart no better than a devil, and that he might be justly designated by that opprobrious name.]
And may we not consider this warning,
II.
As delivered to us
Yes, we also are Gods chosen people
[As Christians, we are chosen above all the rest of the world, not one-sixth part of which has ever heard of the name of Christ. As Protestants, too, we are favoured of Almighty God to be delivered from the superstitions of Popery, and from the deplorable bondage in which the Popish community is held. And to whom do we owe it that we were not born of heathen, or Mahometan, or Popish parents? To whom is it owing, that our lot is cast in this happy land of light and liberty? Can we trace these mercies to any thing but the sovereign grace, and the electing love, of God? And may I not go further still, and say, that you, my dear brethren, are favoured with a ministration of the Gospel as clear and as faithful as any around you? I trust I may, without vanity and without boasting, call God to record, that I have never kept back any thing which I conceived to be profitable for you [Note: Act 20:20.]. Then, in these respects, I may say of all of you, that God has chosen you: and, inasmuch as you are all equally partakers of these mercies, you may account yourselves equally the children of God; yea, and so far as your outward conduct is correct, you may be accounted so by others.]
But, after all, God may see, and most probably does see, an immense difference between you
[Only see what one reigning lust proved and demonstrated in Judas Iscariot: it proved him, in despite of all his specious appearances, to be a devil. My dear brethren, the same evidence will demonstrate the same awful truth, wherever it be found. Nor does it matter what that reigning lust is: it may be covetousness, or lewdness, or pride, or vindictiveness, or any other sin; but, whatever it may be, whether dear as a right eye, or apparently necessary as a right hand, it will decide our character, and determine our doom: if it continue unmortified and unsubdued, it will infallibly consign us over to the fire of hell [Note: Mar 9:43-48.]. If one besetting sin marked Judas as a son of perdition [Note: Joh 17:12.], and transmitted him to that everlasting dread abode, so will it us, whose place it must be, as well as his [Note: Act 1:25.]. Our being of the seed of Abraham will not make us Gods children, any more than it made him [Note: Rom 9:7-8.]. Our saying, Lord, Lord, however confidently we may repeat it, will not procure us a place in heaven [Note: Mat 7:21.]; nor if we have wrought miracles and cast out devils in the Saviours name, will it prevail to avert from us our merited condemnation [Note: Mat 7:22-23.]. Perish we must, if sin of any kind be harboured in our hearts [Note: Psa 66:18.]. It is not necessary that we be perfect, in order to obtain mercy of the Lord in that day: for then who could ever be saved? The Apostles themselves were not perfect: but in purpose and endeavour we must be perfect: and they only will find acceptance before God, who are Israelites indeed, and without guile [Note: Joh 1:47.]. I say again, in aim and effort we must be perfect: for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God [Note: Rom 2:28-29.].]
Application
1.
Rest not then, brethren, in outward privileges
[Be it so: you may have all the privileges that Paul himself possessed when in his unconverted state: yet would they not profit you, if you were not brought to the knowledge of Christ Jesus [Note: Php 3:4-9.], and to a real conformity to his image [Note: Php 3:10-11 and 1Co 13:1-3.]. Who can think of one of our Lords chosen Apostles perishing in his sins, and not tremble for himself, lest his very mercies, instead of rescuing him from eternal misery, should only aggravate and increase it?
Beware, then, lest, having been exalted to heaven, like Capernaum, in your privileges, you be cast down to hell for your abuse of them; and lest, having remained impenitent under blessings which Tyre and Sidon would have improved, your final condemnation become at last proportionably heavier than theirs [Note: Mat 11:20-24.].]
2.
Examine yourselves as to your inward dispositions
[God sees the heart: and by the dispositions of the heart will he judge us in the last day. Now, suppose that our blessed Lord, who in his tender mercy has chosen this whole assembly to enjoy all the means of salvation, should, on inspecting our hearts, pronounce that there was, in the midst of us, one who, notwithstanding all his fair pretences and specious appearances, was a devil; and suppose that unhappy being were pointed out to us; with what pity should we look upon him, and how compassionately should we weep over him! And can we venture to hope, that in such an assembly there is not one who is under the dominion of some secret lust? If in such a family as our blessed Lords, where they had such rich instructions, such a bright example, and such motives to serve their God aright, there was, even amongst the small number of twelve, one that was a devil; is there not reason rather to fear, that, instead of one only being found in the midst of this whole assembly, there may be as many in proportion as amongst our Lords Apostles; namely, one in every twelve? O! what a fearful thought is this! And is this an. uncharitable thought? Are we all so like to the holy Apostles, that one in twelve may not be supposed to differ from them, if not in outward conduct, yet in the integrity of his heart, and in the entire devotion of his life? And what if, after all, this proportion should be inverted, and not above one in twelve be found truly dead to sin, and alive unto righteousness, as the holy Apostles were, and ready to lay down their lives for the Lord Jesus; would not this come nearer to the truth? Alas! alas! I would not be uncharitable: but when I compare the mind, the spirit, the entire conduct of you all, with that of the Apostles, I cannot dissemble my fears respecting the testimony which the Lord Jesus, the Judge of quick and dead, shall bear respecting you at the last day. Judge then yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord. Judge whether there be not some price for which ye have already sold your Saviour, and for which ye are betraying him to an ungodly world. I must tell you, that if there be any thing, even life itself, which ye are not ready to part with for his sake, that is the price for which ye have sold him; and that, though ye may continue to deceive both yourselves and others, the hour is coming when your true character will be declared, and your proper doom awarded to you [Note: Mat 10:39.]. May God, in his infinite mercy, impress this awful subject on all your minds, and lead every one of you to look for this unhappy character, (supposing there to be one amongst you,) not to your neighbour, but to yourselves; and to inquire, every one for himself, Lord, is it I? Lord, is it I? that so at last the number of this unhappy people may be diminished; and if it were possible, that not one of you should remain, who shall not at last have an approving testimony from the heart-searching God! Amen, and Amen.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ver. 70. Have not I chosen you twelve, &c. ] q.d. If ye believe and will abide by it, look well to your footing; it will shortly be tried what stability is in you, when such an angel as Judas shall show himself to be a devil. Stand fast; for you are like to be shaken, as he in the history said, when he whipped the pillars and public statues before the earthquake, which he had, by a prophetic spirit, foretold. (Simeon Monach.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
70. ] The selection of the Twelve by Jesus is the consequence of the giving of them to Him by the Father, ch. Joh 17:6 , in which there also Judas is included. So that His selecting, and the Father’s giving and drawing, do not exclude final falling away .
Meyer observes, that the solemn addition, after , heightens the contrast to the opposite result which follows.
] It is doubtful in what sense this word should be taken. Whether we render it (= ), or , (both given by Euthym [96] ,) it will be an in the N.T. Of the two however the latter is the harsher, and less analogous to N.T. diction. Certainly, in the dark act here prophesied, Judas was under the immediate instigation of and yielded himself up to Satan (cf. our Lord’s reply to Peter, Mat 16:23 ); and I would understand this expression as having reference to that league with and entertainment of the Evil One in his thoughts and purposes, which his ultimate possession by Satan implies. This meaning can perhaps hardly be rendered by any single word in another language. The E. V. ‘ a devil ’ is certainly too strong; devilish would be better, but not unobjectionable. Compare ch. Joh 17:12 .
[96] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 6:70 . ; this reply of Jesus to Peter’s warmhearted confession at first sight seems chilling. Peter had claimed for himself and the rest a perfect loyalty; but this confidence of Peter’s carried in it a danger, and must be abated. Also it was well that the conscience of Judas should be pricked. Therefore Jesus says: Even in this carefully selected circle of men, individually chosen by myself from the mass, there is not the perfect loyalty you boast. . Even of you one is a devil. Lcke, referring to Est 7:4 ; Est 8:1 , where Haman is called , as being “the slanderer,” or “the enemy,” suggests that a similar meaning may be appropriate here. But Jesus calls Peter “Satan” and may much more call Judas “a devil”. Besides in the present connection “traitor” is quite as startling a word as “devil”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Have I not chosen = Did I not choose. Compare 13. 14, 15, 16, 19. Luk 6:13.
twelve = the twelve. See App-141.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
70.] The selection of the Twelve by Jesus is the consequence of the giving of them to Him by the Father, ch. Joh 17:6,-in which there also Judas is included. So that His selecting, and the Fathers giving and drawing, do not exclude final falling away.
Meyer observes, that the solemn addition, after , heightens the contrast to the opposite result which follows.
] It is doubtful in what sense this word should be taken. Whether we render it (= ), or , (both given by Euthym[96],) it will be an in the N.T. Of the two however the latter is the harsher, and less analogous to N.T. diction. Certainly, in the dark act here prophesied, Judas was under the immediate instigation of and yielded himself up to Satan (cf. our Lords reply to Peter, Mat 16:23); and I would understand this expression as having reference to that league with and entertainment of the Evil One in his thoughts and purposes, which his ultimate possession by Satan implies. This meaning can perhaps hardly be rendered by any single word in another language. The E. V. a devil is certainly too strong; devilish would be better, but not unobjectionable. Compare ch. Joh 17:12.
[96] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 6:70. ) The article has great force.-, I have chosen) There is therefore a kind of election, from which one can fall away.- , of you) from among so few.-, one) This indefinite disclosure excited all the others, and proved the truth of their confession, as made by Peter, but excluded Judas, although not contradicting that confession. Here was the point where Judas ought to have repented. [The wretched man had been offended, Joh 6:61, (Jesus had said to the murmuring disciples) Doth this offend you? Wherefore that exclamation of Peter, To whom shall we go? did not after this square with his views. He did no doubt go, but it was to the chief priests.-V. g.]-, the devil) not merely evil to himself, but even dangerous to others.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 6:70
Joh 6:70
Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?-As Peter had confessed Christ and had given assurance of the confidence of the twelve in him, he in turn assures them he had chosen the twelve as his followers and his disciples and they had the promise of the life that he gave; but that one of the number would fail and be lost. [The shadow of sorrow is still upon his heart.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
devil
(Greek – ,” adversary, usually trans). Satan. Cf. (See Scofield “Rev 20:10”). Also see, Joh 13:27.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Have: Joh 6:64, Joh 13:18, Joh 17:12, Mat 10:1-4, Luk 6:13-16, Act 1:17
and one: Joh 8:44, Joh 13:2, Joh 13:21, Joh 13:27, Act 13:10, 1Jo 3:8, Rev 3:9, Rev 3:10
a devil: 1Ti 3:11, Tit 2:3,*Gr.
Reciprocal: 2Ki 5:20 – Gehazi Job 1:6 – came also Psa 139:3 – and art acquainted Pro 29:1 – General Mat 13:21 – root Mat 16:23 – Satan Mat 26:14 – Judas Mat 26:21 – Verily Mat 28:16 – the eleven Mar 14:10 – one Mar 14:18 – One Luk 6:16 – Judas Iscariot Luk 22:3 – entered Joh 1:42 – Thou art Joh 12:4 – Judas Iscariot Joh 13:26 – Judas Iscariot Joh 15:16 – have not Joh 20:31 – these Act 1:2 – the apostles Act 1:25 – go 2Ti 3:3 – false accusers
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE DOWNFALL OF JUDAS
Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon.
Joh 6:70-71
Who was Judas? He was one of the Twelve chosen to be with the Lord during His life on earth. When the twelve were sent out by two and two to preach, Judas went also. To Judas, as to the others, Christ gave the power against unclean spirits and to heal all manner of disease. He was one of that privileged band who followed our Blessed Lord, who witnessed His miracles, who enjoyed the closest intimacy with Him. What was his character during this time? Are we to suppose that, whilst he was preaching the doctrines of Christ, he did so without himself believing in them? That, whilst he cast out devils in the Name of Jesus, he had no faith in that Name? That, whilst at Christs bidding, he went forth, without scrip, without bread, without money, exposing himself to enmity and hardship, to want and suffering, he did so with hatred towards Christ settled in his heart? Oh! no. Judas was far more like many of us. He was a man of a weak and vacillating mind, capable of going rightsadly liable to go wrong; trembling and hesitating on the edge of faith, yet not yielding himself, heart and soul, to his Masters will; believing, not really and savingly, but with a kind of belief; working for and obeying Christ in a measure; perhaps thinking himself all this time to be a faithful, hard-working, obedient disciple.
But a change came over him. Unbelief entered his heart, unsuspected by those around, known only to our Lord. Sin was then presented to his noticehe allowed his thoughts to dwell on it. To conceal it he framed a lie. Reproof was administered. The thought and deed of treachery was added to his former sins. Exposure followed. Then entered hatred and led him to that final act, which dragged down his soul to everlasting, irretrievable ruin. Notice:
I. His lack of faith.Our Lord, in His great Eucharistic discourse, spoke of feeding His people with His Body and His Blood, and many of His disciples, saying This is an hard saying, departed from Him. It was then that Christ spoke the words of the text. This discourse seems to be the event which first disclosed the character of Judas in its weakness. He had preached and worked miracles in Christs Name, but had not true, strong faith in Himhence, when any doctrine beyond his reason was taught, his weak faith allowed him not to grasp it. By his lack of faith in doctrine he weakened, and eventually lost his faith in the person of Christ; for how is it possible to disbelieve a doctrine without disbelieving the teacher? It is the spirit of belief, or of unbelief, in us which determines whether we sit as humble learners of what Christ has taught, or as judges of what Christ should have taught. I have been told by some, who even professed themselves Christians, it does not matter much whether we ever receive the Sacrament or not. Does it not matter? It is impossible that Christs wishes, that Christs commands, should be of no consequence. If ever this spirit of unbelief assails any of you, put it quickly from you as a suggestion of the devil. And if the saying is too hard for you, pray earnestly to God to give you faith to grasp it. And even if your faith be feeble, do not therefore forsake this Heavenly Feast, but come and partake of it, praying for further grace and enlightenment. We are not to wait till we fancy our faith is matured to obey Christs commands. We are to obey, that our faith may be strengthened and made perfect.
II. His yielding to evil.This history of Judas teaches us also to be constantly on our guard against the first suggestions of evil. Sin entered into his heart, at first, perhaps, but half-suspected by himself, and then, gradually increasing in strength, and adding to itself fresh sins, ended in the destruction both of his body and his soul. These first suggestions are very dangerous. They are so very subtle, so apparently unimportant and trivial, that we hardly deem it worth our while to notice them. Yet they are, as the saying is, the thin edge of the wedge, which at first slightly gashes the heart and then opens a wide cleft which separates us from God and His Christ. Oh! mark well these first suggestions, these first thoughts, these first, trivial as they seem, words and deeds of sin. Satan is as cunning now as when he tempted Judas. All great sins have small beginnings. Judas commenced by doubting our Lord, and ended by betraying him.
Rev. C. Marriott.
Illustration
The frequency of our Lords warnings and hints addressed to Judas Iscariot is very remarkable. Rollock observes what an awful proof it is of the hardness of the heart that a man so warned should not be conscience-stricken and repent.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
0
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him, but he did not point him out to the others yet. A. man with the kind of heart that Judas possessed, deserved to be called by the term which Jesus used.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 6:70. Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve? and one of you is a devil. Alas! even in this small circle there is an element that the light attracts not but repels. In good faith Peter had spoken of all his brethren, when he said, we have believed. He knew not, and probably Judas himself knew not, to whom Jesus referred. The germ of the future crime and that alone as yet existed. But from the beginning Jesus knew all. Amongst the disciples He knew who would desert Him: in this inner circle He knew who would show himself a traitora devil. Many weaker interpretations, but all baseless, have been given of this word. The traitor will do his work at the instigation of the Evil One, and animated by his spirit: his work will be the work of the devil: he himself in doing it will be the associate of Satan: nay, as we shall see, he will be more.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Joh 6:70-71. Jesus answered them And, yet even ye have not all acted, nor will you act, suitably to this knowledge and faith. For, have I not chosen, or elected, you twelve To the honour and happiness of a peculiar intimacy with me, and to a station of the most distinguished eminence and importance in my church? And yet one of you, as I well know, is a devil Is now influenced by one, and will become my accuser and betrayer. As the word , rendered devil, sometimes signifies a false accuser, Mr. Locke considers our Lord as intimating here, that the reason why he had not more plainly declared himself to be the Messiah, was, because he knew Judas would, on that ground, have accused him of rebellion against the Romans. But, as Dr. Doddridge observes, there does not appear to be any proof that Judas from the beginning intended to betray Christ. It is more than probable, that he at first engaged with him in expectation of secular advantages, and finding those views disappointed, he might now begin to form that detestable scheme which he afterward executed. If this was the occasion on which he first entertained the thought, as it probably might be, one would imagine that such an intimation of his secret wickedness must have struck him to the heart. He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon He meant Judas, though he did not at this time think fit to name him. Christ called Judas a devil, because he foresaw that he would be an apostate and a traitor. So likewise in rebuking Peter, who had expressed an utter aversion to his suffering at Jerusalem, he called him Satan, on account of that one act, by which he opposed the great design of his coming into the world. And he might much more give Judas the name of devil, who resembled Satan so nearly, in the wickedness of his dispositions and actions.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Vv. 70, 71. Jesus answered them: Is it not I who have chosen you the Twelve?And one of you is a devil! Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon, Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, he, one of the Twelve.
Peter had spoken in the name of all; Jesus tears off the veil which this profession, apparently unanimous, threw over the secret unbelief of one of their number. Not only does He wish thereby to make Judas understand that He is not his dupe and prevent the offense which the thought that their Master had been wanting in discernment might cause to the other apostles.
But He desires, especially, to awaken Judas’ conscience and to induce him to break with the false position in which he seems to persist in continuing. Jesus addresses in His answer, not Peter alone, but all (, them). He brings strikingly together () these two facts so shockingly contradictory: the mark of love which He has given to them all by their election and the ungrateful perfidy of one of them. The words have the emphasis: From among you, chosen by myself. The word , does not mean merely diabolical, or child of the devil (Joh 8:44); it denotes a second Satan, an incarnation of the spirit of Satan. The word of address: Satan, addressed to Peter in the scene at Caesarea Philippi, makes him also an organ of Satan. But as for him, he was so only momentarily and through an ill-directed love. This Judas, to whom Jesus had just opened the door, nevertheless remains, covering himself with the mask of a hypocritical fidelity and accepting as his own Peter’s profession. The term which Jesus had employed expressed already the deep indignation which was occasioned in Him by this persistency of Judas and the foreseeing of the hateful end to which this course of action must infallibly lead him.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
6:70 {16} Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
(16) The number of the professors of Christ is very small, and among them also there are some hypocrites, and those worse than all others.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
It might appear that the Twelve had chosen Jesus as their rabbi, but really the choice had been His (Mar 3:13-19; Luk 6:12-16). He had chosen them and they had then believed on Him even as the Father chose the elect who then believed on Jesus. Reflecting His knowledge of those who believed in Him and those who did not (Joh 6:64), Jesus revealed that even among the Twelve there was one unbeliever. Jesus had chosen him to be one of the Twelve, but God had not chosen Him for salvation.
The Greek word translated "devil" (Gr. diabolos) does not have an article with it in many reliable ancient Greek manuscripts. This usually indicates an emphasis on the quality of the noun. Here it probably means that one of the Twelve was devil-like (cf. Mar 8:33). The Greek word is the equivalent of the Hebrew satan, meaning adversary or accuser. It means slanderer or false accuser, but when it occurs as a substantive it means Satan (e.g., Joh 8:44; Joh 13:2; cf. Joh 13:27). Jesus probably meant that one of the Twelve was going to behave as Satan because Satan would direct him.