John 16:7

John 16:7-8 . Nevertheless, I tell you the truth — I acquaint you with the case just as it is, and tell you the reasons of my going away, though you have not asked them. It is necessary even on your account that I should depart, because, if I go not away, and enter upon my mediatorial office, the Comforter — By whose assistance, as I told you, you are to convert the world, will not visit you: whereas, if I depart — And take possession of my kingdom; I will send him unto you — As the first-fruits of the exercise of my kingly power, to answer all the great and glorious purposes for which you and my church shall need him. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, &c. — Greek, ελεγξει τον κοσμον περι αμαρτιας , &c.; rather, he will convince the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. So Dr. Campbell, who interprets the passage as follows: “Concerning sin — That is, their sin in rejecting me, whereof the Spirit will give incontestable evidence, in the miracles which he will enable my apostles to perform in my name, and the success with which he will crown their teaching. Concerning righteousness — That is, my righteousness, or innocence, the justice of my cause; of which the same miraculous power, exerted for me by my disciples, will be an irrefragable proof, convincing all the impartial that I had the sanction of Heaven for what I did and taught, and that, in removing me hence, God hath taken me to himself.

Concerning judgment — That is, divine judgment, soon to be manifested in the punishment of an incredulous nation, and in defence of the truth.” Dr. Whitby gives nearly the same interpretation of this important paragraph; remarking that the original word, παρακλητος , here used, signifies both an advocate and a comforter; he observes, in explanation of the terms, “He performed the part of an advocate in respect of Christ and his gospel, by convincing the world of sin in their not believing on him, and of the righteousness [the innocence and holiness] of Christ; and by confirming the apostles’ testimony of him, by signs and miracles, and various gifts imparted to them, Hebrews 2:4 ; 1 John 5:6-8 ; and by pleading their cause before kings and rulers, and against all their adversaries, Matthew 10:18-19 ; Luke 21:15 ; Acts 6:10 . In respect of the apostles and the faithful he also did the part of a comforter, as being sent for their consolation and support in all their troubles, filling their hearts with joy and gladness, and giving them an inward testimony of God’s love to them, and an assurance of their future happiness, Romans 8:15-16 .”

John 16:7 . ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ … ἀπέλθω . “But,” or “nevertheless I tell you the truth,” I who see the whole e ent tell you “it is to your advantage” and not to your loss “that I go away”. This statement, incredible as it seemed to the disciples, He justifies: ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω … ὑμᾶς . The withdrawal of the bodily presence of Christ was the essential condition of His universal spiritual presence.

It is expedient (συμφέρει) From σόν together, and φέρω to bear or bring. The underlying idea of the word is concurrence of circumstances. Go away (ἀπέλθω) The different words for go should be noted in this verse, and John 16:10. Here, expressing simple departure from a point. Depart (πορευθῶ) Rev., go. With the notion of going for a purpose, which is expressed in I will send him.

{2} Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (2) The absence of Christ according to the flesh is profitable to the Church in that it causes the Church to be wholly dependant upon his spiritual power.

He doth not say it was expedient for him, though this was truth; for his human nature was not till his ascension glorified, as afterward, John 17:5 ; but he saith it was expedient for them. The saints may desire a dissolution, but it is for their own advantage, Philippians 1:23 . Christ desires it for their advantage; because the Holy Spirit could not come upon them (as in the days of Pentecost) until he by his death had made reconciliation for iniquity; and God had so ordered the counsels of eternity, that Christ should first die, rise again, and ascend into heaven, and then he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, as one eminent fruit of Christ’s meritorious death and passion, Acts 2:32,33 Eph 4:11 . We are not able to give certain reasons of the counsels of God; but the reasonableness of them in this very particular may easily be concluded: that the sending of the Spirit might appear to be the fruit of Christ’s death: that the Messiah’s influence upon the sending of him jointly with the Father, might appear; for he was to be sent from Christ glorified, John 7:39 : that the Spirit might glorify Christ, as we have it, John 16:14 ; for (saith that verse) He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you: and that the world might better understand the mystery of the Trinity. The Father was by all owned to be in heaven. The Son ascended up to heaven in the presence of many witnesses. The Spirit descended from heaven with great majesty and glory, as may be read.

John 16:7 . Ἐγὼ , I ) who am not asked by you, and who know not to lie (who am incapable of deceiving you).— ἀλήθειαν , the truth ) although ye do not comprehend the truth of this thing, which I tell you. All truth [though it seem painful] is good to the saints.— συμφέρει ) It is expedient for you, in respect of the Paraclete (Comforter), John 16:7-8 , “If I depart, I will send Him unto you;” and in respect of Myself, John 16:16-17 , “ Ye shall see Me , because I go to the Father;” and in respect of the Father, John 16:23-24 , “In that day, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.”— γὰρ , for ) The office of the Paraclete is twofold, viz., towards the world in this place, and towards believers in John 16:12-13 , “He will guide you into all truth.”— ἀπέλθω , πορευθῶ , if I depart not; if I go ) These verbs differ: the former has more reference to the terminus a quo (the place from which the departure takes place); the latter, to the terminus ad quem (the place to which one goes his way).— οὐκ , not ) It was not suitable that Jesus should be present in weakness, and the Holy Spirit present in power at the same time; ch.

John 7:39 , “The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified;” Acts 2:33 , “Being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this;” and it was the province of Jesus to send Him, not to call Him to Himself (whilst still on earth).— πρὸς ὑμᾶς ) unto you , not unto the world, although the world shall feel His ‘reproof,’ John 16:8 .

7 . I tell you the truth ] ‘I’ is again emphatic; ‘I who know, and who have never misled you.’ Comp. John 14:2 . It is expedient ] So Caiaphas had said ( John 11:50 ) with more truth than he knew; so also the taunt at the crucifixion, ‘Himself He cannot save.’ ‘That’ here = ‘in order that’ (S. John’s favourite particle, ἴνα ). Comp. John 16:2 and John 12:43 . I go away ] There are three different Greek verbs in John 16:5; John 16:7; John 16:10 , and our translators have not been happy in distinguishing them. The verb in John 16:5; John 16:10 should be I go away : here for ‘I go away’ we should have I depart , and for ‘I depart’ we should have I go My way . In the first the primary idea is withdrawal ; in the second, separation ; in the third, going on to a goal . the Comforter ] The Advocate (see on John 14:16 ). The Spirit could not come until God and man had been made once more at one . In virtue of His glorified and ascended Manhood Christ sends the Paraclete. ‘Humanity was to ascend to heaven before the Spirit could be sent to humanity on earth.’

(7) Nevertheless I tell you the truth. —The words He is about to utter are words of strange sound for the ears of disciples, and He prefaces them by an appeal to His own knowledge and candour in dealing with them, as in John 14:2 . The pronoun bears the weight of the emphasis, “I, who know all.” It is expedient for you that I go away.—“There is no cause,” He would say, “for the deep sorrow which has filled your hearts. It is for your advantage that I, as distinct from the Paraclete, who is to come, should go away” (John 14:16). Yes; for those who had left all to follow Him; for those who had none to go to but Himself (John 6:68); for those whose hopes were all centred in Him, it was—hard and incomprehensible as the saying must have seemed—an advantage that He should go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.—Better, . . . the Advocate will not come unto you. (Comp. Excursus G.) For the connection between the departure of Christ and the coming of the Advocate, comp. Notes on John 7:39, and Acts 2:33. We may not fathom the deep counsels of God in which the reason of these words is to be found; but the order fixed in these counsels was that the Son of Man should complete His work on earth, and offer the sacrifice of Himself for sin, and rise from the dead, and ascend to the Father’s throne, before the Advocate should come. The Son of Man was to be glorified before the Spirit was to be given.