Part 717 (1/2)

14:18. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.

14:19. Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more. But you see me: because I live, and you shall live.

14:20. In that day you shall know that I am in my Father: and you in me, and I in you.

14:21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.

14:22. Judas saith to him, not the Iscariot: Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world?

14:23. Jesus answered and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him.

14:24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard is not mine; but the Father's who sent me.

14:25. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you.

14:26. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.

Teach you all things... Here the Holy Ghost is promised to the apostles and their successors, particularly, in order to teach them all truth, and to preserve them from error.

14:27. Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled: nor let it be afraid.

14:28. You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved me you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I.

For the Father is greater than I... It is evident, that Christ our Lord speaks here of himself as he is made man: for as G.o.d he is equal to the Father. (See Phil. 2.) Any difficulty of understanding the meaning of these words will vanish, when the relative circ.u.mstances of the text here are considered: for Christ being at this time shortly to suffer death, signified to his apostles his human nature by these very words: for as G.o.d he could not die. And therefore as he was both G.o.d and man, it must follow that according to his humanity he was to die, which the apostles were soon to see and believe, as he expresses, ver. 29. And now I have told you before it come to pa.s.s: that when it shall come to pa.s.s, you may believe.

14:29. And now I have told you before it come to pa.s.s: that when it shall come to pa.s.s, you may believe.

14:30. I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world: cometh: and in me he hath not any thing.

14:31. But that the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given me commandments, so do I. Arise, let us go hence.

John Chapter 15

A continuation of Christ's discourse to his disciples.

15:1. I am the true vine: and my Father is the husbandman.

15:2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

15:3. Now you are clean, by reason of the word which I have spoken to you.

15:4. Abide in me: and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.

15:5. I am the vine: you the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.

15:6. If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch and shall wither: and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire: and he burneth.

15:7. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will: and it shall be done unto you.

15:8. In this is my Father glorified: that you bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples.