Commentary on the Gospel of St. John (Volume 2 ); With a Critical Introduction Translated from the Second French Ed. of F. Godet

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1881 Excerpt: ... SECOND PAKT. V. l-XII. 50. THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNBELIEF IN ISRAEL. / TTI to this point, decided faith and unbelief have been only exceptional phenomena; the masses have remained in a state of passive indifference or of purely outward admiration. From this time the situation takes a more definite character. Jesus continues to make known the Father, to manifest what He Himself is to humanity. This revelation meets with growing resistance, and, by becoming more pronounced, contributes even to strengthen it. The development of this abnormal fact, unbelief, becomes the prevailing feature of the history (v.--xii.). Faith shows itself still; but compared with the powerful and rapid current which bears the nation along, it is like a weak and imperceptible eddy. / It is in Judea especially that the development of unbelief / takes place. Elsewhere, no doubt, antipathy appears; but Jerusalem is the centre of resistance. The reason of this is easy to understand. In the capital, as well as in the whole province of Judea which depends on it, there is found a well-disciplined population, whose fanaticism is ready to support its rulers in the most violent course which their hatred shall pursue. Jesus Himself depicts this state of things in the Synoptics by the keen words: "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem" (Luke xiii. 33). And if the Baptist was sacrificed by the sword of Herod, we have seen, iv. 1, that very probably it was the Pharisees and scribes who had delivered up to him his victim. This observation explains the relatively considerable place which is occupied with the journeys to Jerusalem in our Gospel. General tradition, which forms the basis of the three synoptical narratives, was moulded to suit the wants of 141 popular evangelization, the gosp...