John 14:18

John 14:18-24 . I will not leave you comfortless — Greek, ορφανους , orphans: a word elegantly applied to those who have lost any dear friend; I will come to you — By my spiritual presence. The Greek, ερχομαι , is literally, I come to you; for what was certainly and speedily to be, our Lord speaks of as if it were already. Yet a little while and the world — Which only sees by bodily eyes; seeth me no more — In the sense it has done for some time past, though it knows me not; but ye see me — That is, ye certainly shall see me; for, after I have done conversing with the world, I will appear again to you, and give you distinguishing marks of my regard for you; because I live, ye shall live also — Because I am the living One, in my divine nature, and shall rise again in my human nature, and live for ever in heaven; therefore, ye shall live the life of faith and love on earth, and hereafter the life of glory. At that day — When I fulfil this promise to you; when ye see me after my resurrection; but more eminently at the day of pentecost, John 14:21 . He that hath my commandments — Written in his heart; and keepeth them — Makes them the continual rule of his conduct; he it is that loveth me — And none else have any title to this character, whatever specious pretences they may make to it.

And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father — With a peculiar love, a love of approbation and delight; and I will love him — In an especial manner; and will manifest myself to him — More abundantly. Judas saith — Being much surprised to hear our Lord speak as he had done; not Judas Iscariot — For he, as it was said before, was gone out before our Lord began this discourse; but another apostle of that name, who was also called Thaddeus and Lebbeus, the son of Alpheus, and the brother of James the less. This Judas, upon hearing Christ express himself in such a way, said, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, &c. — Dost thou not intend to make a public appearance, which will be obvious to the eyes of all? For, according to the notions they had conceived of the Messiah, he was to appear unto all the Jews, nay, to the whole world, and was to take unto himself universal empire. Jesus answered, If a man love me — It may be sufficient to tell you, that, as I said before, ( John 14:21 ,) If a man, in deed and in truth, love me, he will keep my words, in an humble, obedient, and conscientious manner; and my Father will love him — Will still more approve of, and take complacency in him, for the more any one loves and obeys God, the more God will love him; and we will come unto him — By still larger communications of the Spirit of truth wisdom, holiness, and comfort; and make our abode with him — Continually.

Leave (ἀφήσω) See on John 4:3. Comfortless (ὀρφανούς) Literally, bereft or orphans. Only here and James 1:27, where it is rendered fatherless. Compare my little children (John 13:33). "He hath not left us without a rule (John 13:34); nor without an example (John 13:15); nor without a motive (John 14:15); nor without a strength (John 15:5); nor without a warning (John 15:2, John 15:6); nor without a Comforter (John 14:18); nor without a reward (John 14:2) (James Ford, "The Gospel of St. John Illustrated"). I will come (ἔρχομαι) Present tense, I come. See on John 14:3.

Comfortless; the word in the Greek is, orphans, persons without father and mother, who for the most part are the most comfortless persons; therefore it is translated comfortless: Christ hath a care, not only of the people’s salvation and life, but also of their comforts while they are here; he will not leave his people without proportionable comfort for their distresses. I will come to you; in the Greek it is, I do come to you, to denote the certainty and the suddenness of his coming; which is either to be understood of his resurrection, which was (as we know) after the absence of three days; or, which is more probable, (for after his resurrection he stayed with them but a few days), in and by his blessed Spirit, (for the Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ), who was to come, and to abide with them for ever. Though it may also have a reference to his coming again to judge both the quick and the dead, to receive them to himself, that (as he said before) they might always be where he was; but the two former senses are understood as more specially relating to their present distresses, upon account of his bodily absence from them.

18 . comfortless ] Rather (with Wiclif) fatherless , as the word is translated James 1:27 , the only other place in the N.T. where it occurs; or (with the margin) orphans , the very word used in the Greek. The inaccurate rendering ‘comfortless’ gives unreal support to the inaccurate rendering ‘Comforter.’ In the Greek there is no connexion between orphans and Paraclete. We must connect this rather with the tender address in John 13:33 ; He will not leave His ‘little children’ fatherless. I will come to you ] Or, I am coming to you , in the Holy Spirit, whom I will send. The context seems to shew clearly that Christ’s spiritual reunion with them through the Paraclete, and not His bodily reunion with them either through the Resurrection or through the final Return is intended.

John 14:18 . Οὐκ ἀφήσω , I will not leave ) although you fear that I will. Ye shall have joy from Me and from the Father .[351] This is the consolation given to those who were fearing that they should be orphans .— ὑμᾶς , you ) O little children : ch. John 13:33 .— ὀρφανοὺς , orphans [Engl. Vers. loses the force, ‘comfortless’]) The tie of relationship which the disciples had was with Christ, not with the world.— ἔρχομαι , I come ) The Present implying the speediness of His coming. I come , after the resurrection; My presence not being done away with after the Ascension, but confirmed by it. Also saith He, I come , not, I return . All His other Comings are rather continuations of His first Coming than repetitions of it. Also He says, in the Present, I come , and presently after, Ye see , and, I live , in John 14:19 : this is owing to the very vivid realising of the thing as present, which was about to be immediately after, and for certain: John 14:27 , “Peace I leave (Present) with you, My peace I give ,” etc. [351] Referring to which latter He says, I will not leave you orphans, i.e. Fatherless .—E. and T.

(18) I will not leave you comfortless. —Better with the margin, I will not leave you orphans, which exactly represents the Greek word. “Comfortless” is unfortunate, as it suggests a connection with “Comforter” which does not exist in the original. Our translators have rendered the word by “fatherless” in James 1:27 , which is the only other passage where it occurs in the New Testament, and Wiclif has “faderless” here. He thinks of them as His children whom He is leaving in the world (comp. John 13:33 ), but He will not leave them destitute and bereaved. I will come to you.—This coming, as is shown by the whole context, is the spiritual presence in the person of the Paraclete.

Comfortless - Greek, "orphans." Jesus here addresses them as children, John 13:33 . He says that he would show them the kindness of a parent, and, though he was going away, he would provide for their future welfare. And even while he was absent, yet they would sustain to him still the relation of children. Though he was to die, yet he would live again; though absent in body, yet he would be present with them by his Spirit; though he was to go away to heaven, yet he would return again to them. See John 14:3 .