Johannes 15:19

19 Wäret ihr von der Welt, so hätte die Welt das Ihre lieb; weil ihr aber nicht von der Welt seid, sondern ich habe euch von der Welt erwählt, darum haßt euch die Welt.

Johannes 15:19 Meaning and Commentary

John 15:19

If ye were of the world
Belonged to the world, were of the same spirit and principles with it, and pursued the same practices:

the world would love its own;
for every like loves its like; the men of the world love each other's persons, company, and conversation:

but because ye are not of the world:
once they were, being born into it, brought up in it, had their conversation among the men of it, were themselves men of carnal, worldly, principles and practices; but being called by Christ, and becoming his disciples, they were no more of it; and as he was not of the world, so they were not of it, though they were in it. The Jews distinguish the disciples of the wise men, from (amled yvnya) , "the men of the world" ^F21, pretending that they were not; but this is a character that only belongs to the disciples of Christ, in consequence of their being called by him out of it:

but I have chosen you out of the world:
which designs not the eternal election of them, but the separation of them from the rest of the world in the effectual calling, and the designation of them to his work and service:

therefore the world hateth you;
and since it was upon that account, they had no reason to be uneasy, but rather to rejoice; seeing this was an evidence of their not belonging to the world, and of being chosen and called by Christ out of it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 80. 2.

Johannes 15:19 In-Context

17 Das gebiete ich euch, daß ihr euch untereinander liebet.

18 So euch die Welt haßt, so wisset, daß sie mich vor euch gehaßt hat.

19 Wäret ihr von der Welt, so hätte die Welt das Ihre lieb; weil ihr aber nicht von der Welt seid, sondern ich habe euch von der Welt erwählt, darum haßt euch die Welt.

20 Gedenket an mein Wort, das ich euch gesagt habe: "Der Knecht ist nicht größer denn sein Herr." Haben sie mich verfolgt, sie werden euch auch verfolgen; haben sie mein Wort gehalten, so werden sie eures auch halten.

21 Aber das alles werden sie euch tun um meines Namens willen; denn sie kennen den nicht, der mich gesandt hat.