John 14:24

Joh 14:24. Ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με, he that loveth Me not) as is the case with the world. See Joh 14:22.—τοὺς λόγους μου, My words) The godly man is said to keep both the word and words, and the commandments, of Christ and of God; the hypocrite is said not to keep them: it is only the word, or words [not also the commandments], that the man who is professedly alien to Christ is said not to keep. To observe His word is the whole; to observe the commandments is the part.—οὐ τηρεῖ, keepeth not) and therefore is not loved [of the Father and Son, Joh 14:21], nor seeth the ‘abiding’ of the Father and Son in him.—καὶ ὁ λόγος, and the word) This clause has reference not only to the former words of this verse, but also to Joh 14:23; nay, even more to the latter, as is evident from the singular number being used here, as in Joh 14:23.—ὃν ἀκούετε, which ye hear) now also, whilst I am speaking these things with you.—ἀλλὰ, but) Hence is evident the reason why he who keepeth, or else keepeth not, the word of Jesus, hath the Father also (abiding with him), or else hath Him not accordingly.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 14:24 . The necessity of love as a condition of this manifested presence is further emphasised by stating the converse, ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με … πατρός . The κόσμος of Joh 14:22 is here more closely defined by ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με . See Holtzmann.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 24. He that loveth me not, c.] Hence we learn that the man who is not obedient to the testimonies of Christ does not love him and the Spirit of this truth has said, He who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, 1Co 16:22.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. He who loveth, me but keepeth not my words. As believers are mixed with unbelievers in the world, and as they must be agitated by various storms, as in a troubled sea, Christ again confirms them by this admonition, that they may not be drawn away by bad examples. As if he had said, “Do not look upon the world so as to depend on it; for there will always be some who despise me and my doctrine; but as for you, preserve constantly to the end the grace which you have once received.” Yet he likewise intimates that the world is justly punished for its ingratitude, when it perishes in its blindness, since, by despising true righteousness, it manifests a wicked hatred towards Christ.

And the word which you hear. That the disciples may not be discouraged or waver on account of the obstinacy of the world, he again procures credit to his doctrine, by testifying that it is from God, and that it was not contrived by men on the earth. And, indeed, the strength of our faith consists in our knowing that God is our leader, and that we are founded on nothing else than his eternal truth. Whatever then may be the rage and madness of the world, let us follow the doctrine of Christ, which rises far above heaven and earth. When he says that the word is not his, he accommodates himself to the disciples; as if he had said that it is not human, because he teaches faithfully what has been enjoined on him by the Father. Yet we know that, in so far as he is the eternal Wisdom of God, he is the only fountain of all doctrine, and that all the prophets who have been from the beginning spoke by his Spirit.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(24) He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.—He has shown in the previous verse how the Father and the Son can take up their abode in the hearts of the believers. He now shows how they could not be manifested to the hearts of the world. He that loveth not Christ keepeth not His word, and that word is the Father’s. He has rejected the love of God which is revealed in the Son, and has Himself closed the channels of communion with God. God cannot dwell with him because there is in him nothing which can be receptive of the Divine Presence.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. is not mine] To be understood literally: see on Joh_12:44.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings,.... These words may have respect both to external professors of religion, who being destitute of true love to Christ, though they outwardly observe his ordinances and commands; yet inasmuch as this does not spring from a principle of love to him, and is done only to be seen of men, or to obtain life for themselves, may be said, not to keep his words or commands, because they do not keep them aright; and to the profane world, who, as they have no affection to Christ, pay no regard to any orders or ordinances of his: and they may be considered as having in them a reason or argument, justifying the conduct of Christ, in manifesting himself to his disciples, and not unto the world; as the following words give a reason why the Father takes so much notice of, comes and makes his abode with such as keep the words of Christ:

and, or "for"

the word which you hear, is not mine, but the Father's which sent me: that is, it is not only mine, but my Father's also: it is not mine as man; it is not a scheme of things of my own devising; it is not from earth, but from heaven; my Father has a concern in it, and therefore regards such who hear, receive, and keep it: and this is said by him partly to engage a greater regard and attention to his word, his truths, and ordinances, by his disciples; and to expose and aggravate the sin of those who despised and rejected them; since it was not barely casting contempt on him, but on his Father likewise.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

Ver. 24. But the Father’s] Therefore to be obeyed, because of divine authority. God’s impress makes authentic, and binds every good heart to obedience. Veniat, veniat verbum Domini, et submittemus ei, sexcenta si nobis essent colta, said Baldassar, a godly Dutch divine (in Epist. ad Oecolamp.).

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The word which ye hear is not mine - See the notes at Joh 5:19; Joh 7:16.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Because they did not love him, nor keep his sayings, their sin was aggravated; because the words which he spake were not his will only, but the will of his Father who had sent him into the world, to reveal his will to the sons of men.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. Loveth me not—As the if was a mighty if, so this not is a terrible negative. It shuts the soul from communion with Christ in earth or heaven. And so Judas is answered. By a distinct reiteration Jesus clears Judas’s thoughts, and draws in his mind the distinct outline of the clear truth. In the coming dispensation of the Spirit the manifestations of Christ will be made to the spirits of those who love him, and to those alone.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

We have three statements about love and obedience:

(1) Love involves obedience (Vers. 15, 23), or obedience naturally is included in love;

(2) obedience (having and keeping commandments) is the great proof of love (Ver. 21); and

(3) (Ver. 24) "he that loveth not," i.e. the absence or negation of love seems necessarily to forbid or discountenance obedience the language differs slightly. He that loveth me not keepeth not my words i.e. the various utterances into which my one Word may be subdivided in detail and the logov , the one all-revealing Word, out of which all the logoi proceed, is not mine (as self-originated), but is the Father"s that sent me. Without love to Christ the world has none of the conditions on which the self-manifestation of Christ really depends.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of the Work of the Spirit.

v. 24. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings; and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.

v. 25. These things have I spoken to you, being yet present with you.

v. 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have unto you.

If there is no love for Christ in the heart of a man, because faith never found entrance into that heart, then there can be no keeping of His words; and if not of His, then neither of His Father’s, whose words He was teaching, who had sent Him. Without the love toward Christ which grows out of faith there can be no really good works; all the works of unbelievers which have the appearance of keeping the words of Christ are "splendid vices," with which they deceive others and often themselves. Jesus, having now promised the Comforter to His disciples, having given the assurance also that He Himself would come and reveal Himself to His disciples and that He, with the other persons of the Godhead, would make His abode with the believers, tells them also what special work the Spirit would do in their case. He had spoken many things to them during His ministry, and especially in the last days, whose importance and significance they had not grasped. Therefore that same Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father would send in His name, would serve as their teacher, giving them the understanding of all things which they still had in memory, and recalling to their minds such things as they had forgotten. Note: The Father sends the Spirit, but in the name of Jesus; the same intimate relation between the Father and the Son again appears. Because Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God and is acting as the Advocate of mankind with the Father, for that reason the Spirit is sent in His name. That was the assurance which comforted and encouraged the apostles, and which serves also for our comfort. For with such a promise to back them up in their teaching, we know that the apostles could not fail in their proclamation of the great truths of God. We may rely without the slightest hesitation and doubt upon the words that were written by the apostles or under their direction, knowing that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, directed and inspired them.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμός. Quite literally; comp. Joh 12:44. This explains why Christ cannot manifest Himself to the world: it rejects God’s word. On πέμψαντος see on Joh 1:33. Perhaps there is a pause after Joh 14:24: with Joh 14:25 the discourse takes a fresh departure, returning to the subject of the Paraclete.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24.] These verses contain the answer to the question in both its parts:—ἡμῖν, because love to Christ, leading to the keeping of His word, is the necessary condition of the indwelling and manifestation in man of the Father and the Son;—οὐχὶ τῷ κόσμῳ, because want of love to Christ, leading to neglect of His words, necessarily excludes from communion with the Father and the Son, and the Spirit, who reveals the Son in man. “The addition πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσ. κ. μονὴν παρʼ αὐτῷ ποιησ. makes this incapacity still plainer and more deeply felt.” Meyer. For (καί, and hence you may infer what I am setting forth) the word which ye hear (and which the world οὐ τηρεῖ = ἀθετεῖ),—is not Mine, but the Father’s (not, ‘non tam … quam’). On the gracious and wonderful promise of ver. 23, see Rom 8:15.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. The implied argument of this verse is that the “world,” which does not love Jesus and does not “keep His commandments,” is spiritually incapable of apprehending such spiritual manifestations of God and Christ as those which have been promised to faithful disciples. Nothing is said of a manifestation in glory, such as that which Jude and his fellow-disciples longed to see (cf. v. 22).

ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με κτλ., “he that does not love me” (sc. the world) “does not keep my sayings” (λόγοι as distinct from λόγος, His full message). λόγοι here is practically equivalent to ἐντολαί (v. 21).

καὶ ὁ λόγος ὃν ἀκούετε. καί is for καίτοι, in accordance with Jn.’s usage (see on 3:11): “and yet, the word which ye hear,” i.e. which the world hears without understanding what it implies. The phrase ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν has appeared before at 8:43, where see note.

οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμός κτλ. Cf. 7:16 ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμή, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με. See also 8:28, 12:49; and for the thought of Christ being “sent” by God, see on 3:17.

Parting Words: A Summary of the Last Discourse (vv. 25-31)

24. The implied argument of this verse is that the “world,” which does not love Jesus and does not “keep His commandments,” is spiritually incapable of apprehending such spiritual manifestations of God and Christ as those which have been promised to faithful disciples. Nothing is said of a manifestation in glory, such as that which Jude and his fellow-disciples longed to see (cf. v. 22).

ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με κτλ., “he that does not love me” (sc. the world) “does not keep my sayings” (λόγοι as distinct from λόγος, His full message). λόγοι here is practically equivalent to ἐντολαί (v. 21).

καὶ ὁ λόγος ὃν ἀκούετε. καί is for καίτοι, in accordance with Jn.’s usage (see on 3:11): “and yet, the word which ye hear,” i.e. which the world hears without understanding what it implies. The phrase ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν has appeared before at 8:43, where see note.

οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμός κτλ. Cf. 7:16 ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμή, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με. See also 8:28, 12:49; and for the thought of Christ being “sent” by God, see on 3:17.

Parting Words: A Summary of the Last Discourse (vv. 25-31)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My sayings [λογους] . Rev., words. Compare word, ver. 23. The constituent parts of the one word.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.