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John 7:17
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15 aAnd the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”  
16 1Jesus answered them and said, a“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  
17 aIf anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  
18 aHe who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who bseeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and cno unrighteousness is in Him.  
19 aDid not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? bWhy do you seek to kill Me?”  
20 The people answered and said, a“You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”  
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel.
22 aMoses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, bbut from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  
23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because aI made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  
24 aDo not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”  

Could This Be the Christ?

25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to akill?  
26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. aDo the rulers know indeed that this is1 truly the Christ?  
27 aHowever, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”  
28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, a“You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and bI have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me cis true, dwhom you do not know.  
29 But aI know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”  
30 Therefore athey sought to take Him; but bno one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  
31 And amany of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”  

Jesus and the Religious Leaders

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.
33 Then Jesus said1 to them, a“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I bgo to Him who sent Me.  
34 You awill seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you bcannot come.”  
35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to athe Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  
36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

37 aOn the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, b“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  
38 aHe who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, bout of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
<< John 7:16   John 7:18 >>


John 7:17

If any man will do his will - Literally, if any man wills or is willing to do the will of God. If there is a disposition in anyone to do that will, though he should not be able perfectly to keep His commandments. To do the will of God is to obey His commandments; to yield our hearts and lives to His requirements. A disposition to do His will is a readiness to yield our intellects, our feelings, and all that we have entirely to Him, to be governed according to His pleasure.

He shall know - He shall have evidence, in the very attempt to do the will of God, of the truth of the doctrine. This evidence is internal, and to the individual it is satisfactory and conclusive. It is of two kinds.

1. He will find that the doctrines which Jesus taught are such as commend themselves to his reason and conscience, and such as are consistent with all that we know of the perfections of God. His doctrines commend themselves to us as fitted to make us pure and happy, and of course they are such as must be from God.

2. An honest desire to obey God will lead a man to embrace the great doctrines of the Bible. He will find that his heart is depraved and inclined to evil, and he will see and feel the truth of the doctrine of depravity; he will find that he is a sinner and needs to be born again; he will learn his own weakness, and see his need of a Saviour, of an atonement, and of pardoning mercy; he will feel that he is polluted, and needs the purifying influence of the Holy Spirit.

Thus, we may learn:

1.That an honest effort to obey God is the easiest way to become acquainted with the doctrines of the Bible.

2.Those who make such an effort will not cavil at any of the doctrines of the Scriptures.

3.This is evidence of the truth of revelation which every person can apply to his own case.

4.It is such evidence as to lead to certainty. No one who has ever made an honest effort to live a pious life, and to do all the will of God, has ever had any doubt of the truth of the Saviour' s doctrines, or any doubt that his religion is true and is suited to the nature of man. They only doubt the truth of religion who wish to live in sin.

5.We see the goodness of God in giving us evidence of his truth that may be within every man' s reach. It does not require great learning to be a Christian, and to be convinced of the truth of the Bible. It requires an honest heart, and a willingness to obey God.

Whether it be of God - Whether it be divine.

Or whether I speak of myself - Of myself without being commissioned or directed by God.




Other Barnes' Notes entries containing John 7:17:

Psalms 119:66
Hosea 14:9
Zechariah 6:15
Matthew 19:1
John 3:10
John 6:66
John 8:32
John 12:49
John 14:10
Romans 12:2
Hebrews 5:14

 

<< John 7:16   John 7:18 >>

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