Yuēhànfúyīn 16

1 Wǒ yǐ jiāng zhèxie shì gàosu nǐmen , shǐ nǐmen búzhìyú diēdǎo .

2 Rén yào bǎ nǐmen gǎn chū gōngtáng . bìngqiĕ shíhou jiāng dào , fán shā nǐmen de , jiù yǐwéi shì shìfèng shén .

3 Tāmen zhèyàng xíng , shì yīn wèicéng rènshi fù , yĕ wèicéng rènshi wǒ .

4 Wǒ jiāng zhèxie shì gàosu nǐmen , shì jiào nǐmen dào le shíhou , kĕyǐ xiǎngqǐ wǒ duì nǐmen shuō guō le . wǒ qǐxiān méiyǒu jiāng zhè shì gàosu nǐmen , yīnwei wǒ yǔ nǐmen tóng zaì .

5 Xiànjīn wǒ wǎng chāi wǒ lái de fù nàli qù . nǐmen zhōngjiān bìng méiyǒu rén wèn wǒ , nǐ wǎng nàli qù .

6 Zhī yīn wǒ jiāng zhè shìqing gàosu nǐmen , nǐmen jiù mǎn xīn yōuchóu .

7 Ránér wǒ jiāng zhēn qíng gàosu nǐmen . wǒ qù shì yǔ nǐmen yǒu yì de . wǒ ruò bù qù , bǎo huì shī jiù bù dào nǐmen zhèlǐ lái . wǒ ruò qù , jiù chāi tā lái .

8 Tā jì lái le , jiù yào jiào shìrén wéi zuì , wéi yì , wéi shĕnpàn , zìjǐ zébeì zìjǐ .

9 Wéi zuì , shì yīn tāmen bù xìn wǒ .

10 Wéi yì , shì yīn wǒ wǎng fù nàli qù , nǐmen jiù bù zaìjiàn wǒ .

11 Wéi shĕnpàn , shì yīn zhè shìjiè de wàng shòu le shĕnpàn .

12 Wǒ hái yǒu hǎoxiē shì yào gàosu nǐmen , dàn nǐmen xiànzaì dāndāng bù le ( huò zuò "bùnéng lǐng huì" ) .

13 Zhī dĕng zhēnlǐ de Shènglíng lái le , tā yào yǐndǎo nǐmen míngbai ( yuánwén zuò "jìnrù" ) yīqiè de zhēnlǐ . yīnwei tā bù shì píng zìjǐ shuō de , nǎi shì bǎ tā suǒ tīngjian de dōu shuō chūlai . bìng yào bǎ jiānglái de shì gàosu nǐmen .

14 Tā yào róngyào wǒ . yīnwei tā yào jiāng shòu yú wǒde , gàosu nǐmen .

15 Fán fù suǒyǒude , dōu shì wǒde , suǒyǐ wǒ shuō , tā yào jiāng shòu yú wǒde , gàosu nǐmen .

16 Dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen jiù bùdé jiàn wǒ . zaì dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen hái yào jiàn wǒ .

17 Yǒu jǐ gè méntǔ jiù bǐcǐ shuō , tā duì wǒmen shuō , dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen jiù bùdé jiàn wǒ . zaì dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen hái yào jiàn wǒ . yòu shuō , yīn wǒ wǎng fù nàli qù . zhè shì shénme yìsi ne .

18 Méntǔ bǐcǐ shuō , tā shuō dĕng bù duō shí , dàodǐ shì shénme yìsi ne . wǒmen bù míngbai tā suǒ shuō de huà .

19 Yēsū kān chū tāmen yào wèn tā , jiù shuō , wǒ shuō dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen jiù bùdé jiàn wǒ , zaì dĕng bù duō shí , nǐmen hái yào jiàn wǒ . nǐmen wéi zhè huà bǐcǐ xiàng wèn má .

20 Wǒ shí shízaì zaì de gàosu nǐmen , nǐmen jiāngyào tòngkū , āi haó , shìrén dǎo yào xǐlè . nǐmen jiāngyào yōuchóu , ránér nǐmen de yōuchóu , yào biàn wéi xǐlè .

21 Fùrén shēngchǎn de shíhou , jiù yōuchóu , yīnwei tāde shíhou dào le . jì shēng le háizi , jiù bù zaì jìniàn nà kǔchǔ , yīnwei huānxǐ shìshang shēng le yī gèrén .

22 Nǐmen xiànzaì yĕ shì yōuchóu . dàn wǒ yào zaìjiàn nǐmen , nǐmen de xīn jiù xǐlè le . zhè xǐlè , yĕ méiyǒu rén néng duó qù .

23 Dào nà rì , nǐmen shénme yĕ jiù bù wèn wǒ le . wǒ shí shízaì zaì de gàosu nǐmen , nǐmen ruò xiàng fù qiú shénme , tā bì yīn wǒde míng , cìgĕi nǐmen .

24 Xiàng lái nǐmen méiyǒu fèng wǒde míng qiú shénme , rújīn nǐmen qiú jiù bì dé zhe , jiào nǐmen de xǐlè kĕyǐ mǎnzū .

25 Zhèxie shì , wǒ shì yòng bǐyù duì nǐmen shuō de . shíhou jiāng dào , wǒ bù zaì yòng bǐyù duì nǐmen shuō , nǎi yào jiāng fù míng míng de gàosu nǐmen .

26 Dào nà rì , nǐmen yào fèng wǒde míng qíqiú . wǒ bìng bù duì nǐmen shuō , wǒ yào wéi nǐmen qiú fǔ .

27 Fù zìjǐ aì nǐmen , yīnwei nǐmen yǐjing aì wǒ , yòu xìn wǒ shì cōng fù chūlai de .

28 Wǒ cōng fù chūlai , dào le shìjiè . wǒ yòu líkāi shìjiè , wǎng fù nàli qù .

29 Méntǔ shuō , rújīn nǐ shì míng shuō , bìng búyòng bǐyù le .

30 Xiànzaì wǒmen xiǎodé nǐ fán shì dōu zhīdào , yĕ búyòng rén wèn nǐ . yīncǐ wǒmen xìn nǐ shì cōng shén chūlai de .

31 Yēsū shuō , xiànzaì nǐmen xìn ma .

32 Kàn nǎ , shíhou jiāng dào , qiĕ shì yǐjing dào le , nǐmen yào fēnsàn , gè guī zìjǐ de dìfang qù , liú xià wǒ dúzì yī rén . qíshí wǒ bù shì dúzì yī rén , yīnwei yǒu fù yǔ wǒ tóng zaì .

33 Wǒ jiāng zhè shì gàosu nǐmen , shì jiào nǐmen zaì wǒ lǐmiàn yǒu píngān . zaì shìshang nǐmen yǒu kǔnàn . dàn nǐmen kĕyǐ fàngxīn , wǒ yǐjing shèng le shìjiè .

Yuēhànfúyīn 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Persecution foretold. (1-6) The promise of the Holy Spirit, and his office. (7-15) Christ's departure and return. (16-22) Encouragement to prayer. (23-27) Christ's discoveries of himself. (28-33)

Verses 1-6 Our Lord Jesus, by giving his disciples notice of trouble, designed that the terror might not be a surprise to them. It is possible for those who are real enemies to God's service, to pretend zeal for it. This does not lessen the sin of the persecutors; villanies will never be changed by putting the name of God to them. As Jesus in his sufferings, so his followers in theirs, should look to the fulfilling of Scripture. He did not tell them sooner, because he was with them to teach, guide, and comfort them; they needed not then this promise of the Holy Spirit's presence. It will silence us to ask, Whence troubles come? It will satisfy us to ask, Whither go they? for we know they work for good. It is the common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to look only on the dark side of the cloud, and to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. That which filled the disciples' hearts with sorrow, was too great affection for this present life. Nothing more hinders our joy in God, than the love of the world, and the sorrow of the world which comes from it.

Verses 7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it effectually, and none but he. It is the method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort. The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely tell them of it. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the fault of sin; of the folly of sin; of the filth of sin, that by it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof is death. The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is guilty before God. He convinces the world of righteousness; that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the righteous. Also, of Christ's righteousness, imparted to us for justification and salvation. He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be accepted as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves the ransom was accepted, and the righteousness finished, through which believers were to be justified. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his power is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by Christ, this gives us confidence, for no other power can stand before him. And of the day of judgment. The coming of the Spirit would be of unspeakable advantage to the disciples. The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the relish, and savour, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ. It behoves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit.

Verses 16-22 It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither sufferings in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. Believers have joy or sorrow, according to their sight of Christ, and the tokens of his presence. Sorrow is coming on the ungodly, which nothing can lessen; the believer is an heir to joy which no one can take away. Where now is the joy of the murderers of our Lord, and the sorrow of his friends?

Verses 23-27 Asking of the Father shows a sense of spiritual wants, and a desire of spiritual blessings, with conviction that they are to be had from God only. Asking in Christ's name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favours from God, and shows full dependence upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness. Our Lord had hitherto spoken in short and weighty sentences, or in parables, the import of which the disciples did not fully understand, but after his resurrection he intended plainly to teach them such things as related to the Father and the way to him, through his intercession. And the frequency with which our Lord enforces offering up petitions in his name, shows that the great end of the mediation of Christ is to impress us with a deep sense of our sinfulness, and of the merit and power of his death, whereby we have access to God. And let us ever remember, that to address the Father in the name of Christ, or to address the Son as God dwelling in human nature, and reconciling the world to himself, are the same, as the Father and Son are one.

Verses 28-33 Here is a plain declaration of Christ's coming from the Father, and his return to him. The Redeemer, in his entrance, was God manifest in the flesh, and in his departure was received up into glory. By this saying the disciples improved in knowledge. Also in faith; "Now are we sure." Alas! they knew not their own weakness. The Divine nature did not desert the human nature, but supported it, and put comfort and value into Christ's sufferings. And while we have God's favourable presence, we are happy, and ought to be easy, though all the world forsake us. Peace in Christ is the only true peace, in him alone believers have it. Through him we have peace with God, and so in him we have peace in our own minds. We ought to be encouraged, because Christ has overcome the world before us. But while we think we stand, let us take heed lest we fall. We know not how we should act if brought into temptation; let us watch and pray without ceasing, that we may not be left to ourselves.