John 4:42

4:27-42 The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of his word. He told her secret sins with power. She fastened upon that part of Christ's discourse, many would think she would have been most shy of repeating; but the knowledge of Christ, into which we are led by conviction of sin, is most likely to be sound and saving. They came to him: those who would know Christ, must meet him where he records his name. Our Master has left us an example, that we may learn to do the will of God as he did; with diligence, as those that make a business of it; with delight and pleasure in it. Christ compares his work to harvest-work. The harvest is appointed and looked for before it comes; so was the gospel. Harvest-time is busy time; all must be then at work. Harvest-time is a short time, and harvest-work must be done then, or not at all; so the time of the gospel is a season, which if once past, cannot be recalled. God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work. Our Saviour, by teaching one poor woman, spread knowledge to a whole town.

Blessed are those who are not offended at Christ. Those taught of God, are truly desirous to learn more. It adds much to the praise of our love to Christ and his word, if it conquers prejudices. Their faith grew. In the matter of it: they believed him to be the Saviour, not only of the Jews but of the world. In the certainty of it: we know that this is indeed the Christ. And in the ground of it, for we have heard him ourselves.

Said (ἔλεγον) The imperfect tense: said to the woman as they successively met her. Saying (λαλιὰν) Another word is designedly substituted for λόγον, word (John 4:39, John 4:41). In John 4:39 λόγος, word, is used of the woman, from the Evangelist's standpoint, as being a testimony to Christ. Here the Samaritans distinguish between the more authoritative and dignified word of Jesus, and the talk of the woman. Rev., speaking. Compare the kindred verb λαλέω, in John 4:26, John 4:27; also John 8:43; Matthew 26:73. The Christ The best texts omit. The Savior (ὁ σωτὴρ) John uses the word only here and 1 John 4:14. See on Jesus, Matthew 1:21. It is significant that this conception of Christ should have been first expressed by a Samaritan.

40. abode two days—Two precious days, surely, to the Redeemer Himself! Unsought, He had come to His own, yet His own received Him not: now those who were not His own had come to Him, been won by Him, and invited Him to their town that others might share with them in the benefit of His wonderful ministry. Here, then, would He solace His already wounded spirit and have in this outfield village triumph of His grace, a sublime foretaste of the inbringing of the whole Gentile world into the Church.

Several things may be the occasion of faith, which are neither the principal efficient causes, nor the proper instrumental cause of it. The principal efficient cause of the faith of these Samaritans was, undoubtedly, the finger of God upon their souls, enlightening their minds with the saving knowledge of the gospel, and bowing their wills to the obedience of it. The proper instrumental cause was their hearing the words of Christ; but the occasion of this was what the woman had told them: so as, though they in a sense believed because of what she had said, because that occasioned their coming out to see and hear Christ; yet the proper instrumental cause was their hearing Christ, God upon their hearing him working in their hearts an ability and a willingness to receive and to close with Christ. Thus the church gives us the first occasion of receiving the Scriptures, and believing them to be the word of God: we, having them put into our hands by the church, read them, and find such impresses and stamps of Divinity in them, that we conclude, from our reason very probably, that they are more than human writings; but never firmly and fixedly receive them as such, until persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit. These Samaritans do not only own Christ as a prophet, nor do they only suspect that he must be the Messias, but they profess to know that he was the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

42 . thy saying ] Not the same word as in John 4:39 , the Greek for which is the same as that translated ‘word’ in John 4:41 . John 4:39; John 4:41 should be alike, viz. ‘word,’ meaning ‘statement’ in John 4:39 and ‘teaching’ in John 4:41 . Here we should have ‘speech’ or ‘talk.’ In classical Greek lalia has a slightly uncomplimentary turn, ‘gossip, chatter.’ But this shade of meaning is lost in later Greek, though there is perhaps a slight trace of it here; ‘not because of thy talk;’ but this being doubtful, ‘speech’ will be the safer translation. The whole should run, no longer is it because of thy speech that we believe . In John 8:43 lalia is used by Christ of His own words; see note there. we Have heard him ourselves ] Better, we have heard for ourselves . There is no ‘Him’ in the Greek. ‘The Christ’ is also to be omitted. It is wanting in the best MSS. the Saviour of the world ] It is not improbable that such ready hearers would arrive at this great truth before the end of those two days. It is therefore unnecessary to suppose that S. John is here unconsciously giving one of his own expressions ( 1 John 4:14 ) for theirs.

John 4:42 . Οὐκ ἔτι , now no longer ) The true progress of faith is here evinced.— αὐτοί , ourselves ) Augustine admirably remarks on this passage: At first it was by the report of others, afterwards by His own presence [the men were led to believe]. This is the way in which those who are abroad, and are not yet Christians, are dealt with in the present day. Christ is announced as having come, through Christian friends; that woman as it were, that is, the Church, announcing the tidings. Men come to Christ, and believe, through that report. He remains with them two days , i.e. He gives them the two precepts of charity: [88] and far more persons, and more firmly too, believe in Him, that He is indeed Himself the Saviour of the world . Hence it is evident in what sense that hackneyed quotation ought to be understood: I indeed would not believe the Gospel, did not the authority of the Catholic Church admonish (others read, move ) me to do so : Contra Ep. fundamenti, Chap. v.[89] Inasmuch as in this passage Augustine is not teaching, but is opposing the Manicheans.[90]— τοῦ κόσμου , of the world ) not merely of the Jews.

Faith frees from party zeal: they believe in Jesus, since He is the Saviour of the world , having laid aside their boasting of their fathers ,[91] John 4:12 , “Art Thou greater than owe father Jacob,” etc. [88] To love Christ, and to love one another.—E. and T. [89] “The authority of the Church” is here not her infallibility , but her faithful testimony .—E. and T. [90] The Edition of E. B. and Steudel caused me great difficulty by a misprint, “Non docet Augustinus, sed Manich æus adversum tenet.” The large Ed. of 1759 solved it by the true reading, ‘Manichæis.’ Calvin, Inst. , lib. i., ch. John 7:3 , answers the argument drawn by Romanists from the words of Augustine, here quoted, by saying, that Augustine, in the passage referred to, speaks of himself as a Manichean ; viz. that he means that, when a Manichean, he was moved by the authority of the Church to believe the Scriptures. So also Musculus, who considers ‘crederem’ and ‘commoveret’ to be equivalent to ‘credidissem’ and ‘commovisset.’ Augustine, in the words immediately following, says, “Those whom I obeyed when they said to me, Believe the Gospel, why should I not obey when they tell me, ‘Believe not Mani?’ ” Whence it is plain, he is speaking of himself as an unbeliever, and is informing us how he was first converted from being a Manichean to be a Catholic Christian, namely, by listening to the voice of the Church.

(42) We have heard him ourselves. —The “Him” is not part of the original text, and the sentence is more forcible without it: We have ourselves heard. Probably “the Christ” should also be regarded as no part of the original text, and the last clause should be, and know that this is truly the Saviour of the world. The result of their hearing is that they know. There is here, as frequently in St. John, stress laid upon the development of faith. We shall find it again in the following verses, which mark it in the case of the courtier.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him, ... - There is seldom an instance of so remarkable success as this. From a single conversation, in circumstances, in a place, and with an individual little likely to be attended with such results, many sinners were converted; many believed on the testimony of the woman; many more came to hear, and believed because they heard him themselves. We should never despair of doing good in the most unpromising circumstances, and we should seize upon every opportunity to converse with sinners on the great subject of their souls' salvation.