Before the siege of Jerusalem began, the Christians had departed from the doomed city, the greater number to Pella and the region east of the Jordan. About this time St. John went to Ephesus and there had his home during the remainder of his long life, which is said to have been prolonged till after the year 98. To this period of his residence at Ephesus the Gospel and the Three Epistles that bear his name are believed to belong. The gravest problem of New Testament criticism is as to the authorship of the Fourth Gospel. While the question cannot be treated here, the Editor of this volume may be permitted-in view of the profound importance of the question to express his own earnest faith and conviction that the Gospel is the work of St. John, the Apostle, and is its own best evidence. It differs from the earlier Gospels in that it directly claims to proceed from an eyewitness (i. 14, xix. 35). It seems to have been drawn up' for a circle of disciples, the elder members of which had themselves been eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus, and could testify to the truth of the narrative (xxi. 24). While the Apostle John is nowhere named, there passes through the entire Gospel an unnamed figure, who is so designated as to give the impression that "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and the Apostle John, and the writer who is here speaking from his personal knowledge of the life of Christ, are one and the same person. The purpose for which the Gospel was written is also distinctly declared by the writer himself (xx. 31), to lead his readers to the faith that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, in order that they may have eternal life in His Name.

The First Epistle, which is placed here because of its close connection with the Gospel, may be regarded as a postscript intended to be circulated along with it. Unlike the Second and Third, this Epistle has no opening salutation, but begins with a reference as it were to the Gospel. Its opening verses seem to associate with the Apostle those elder members of the church who have certified to the authorship and authenticity of the Gospel, but soon it changes to the singular, "I write." The purpose for which it is written is also clearly stated (1 John i. 4, v. 13). It is an application of the great truths of the Gospel. As the Gospel traces the path which the Apostle's own faith had gone over as his fellowship with Jesus grew, so the Epistle appeals to his readers to strive after the results of such fellowship, Righteousness and Love.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN.

[The Prologue shews that the philosophy whose beginnings are to be traced among the Colossians and Ephesians in St. Paul's time (see pp. 428, 439) was still active at Ephesus, claiming to be a perfecting of Christianity, while it undervalued the historical manifestation of Christianity and made the mistaken separation which some noble spirits also in our own day make, between the Ideal and the Historic Christ. It is probable that the term Logos or Word was used by this philosophy in its enquiries about the possibility and manner of God's revelation of Himself to man. It is also probable that the same term came to St. John not from philosophy but directly from the Old Testament. It would have a deeper and more personal meaning for him than for those who held only this philosophy. But it served as a connecting link between his answers and their questionings, and having made it useful to this end, he leads them away from fruitless discussion to the contemplation of Jesus as he had known Him." He tells the story of the development of his own faith and that of others, from the day when he recognized in Jesus the Christ (chapter i) to the day when it culminated in the confession of even doubting Thomas (xx., 28, 29).]

PROLOGUE.

The Eternal Creative Word of God, the Life of the World and the Light of men, was Incarnate in Jesus Christ. The world did not receive Him, but Believers beheld in Jesus the Glory of the Onlybegotten Son of God in whom God is Fully Revealed. I. 1-18.

IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not one thing came into being. That which hath come into being was in Him Life, and the Life was the Light of Men: and the Light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness received It not into itself. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John: the same came for wit

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ness, that he might bear witness of the Light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the Light, but came that he might bear witness of the Light. The Light, the true Light which lighteth every man, was coming into the world. In the world He was, and the world through Him came into being, and the world did not recognize Him. He came unto His own home, and His own people received Him not. But as many as received Him, He gave to them the right to become children of God, to them that believe on His name, who were begotten, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and spread His tabernacle among us, and we beheld His Glory, Glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of Grace and Truth: (John beareth witness and crieth, saying-this was he who said-He that cometh after me is now come to be before me, because He was before I began to be :) because from His Fulness we all received, and grace more and more abounding: because the Law was given through Moses, Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. God hath no man ever yet seen God only-begotten, He hath declared Him.

FIRST MAIN DIVISION.

THE MANIFESTATION OF HIS GLORY IN LIFE AND POWER. I. 19-12. 50

PART 1.

JESUS AND HIS FIRST DISCIPLES.

John Baptist's Three Testimonies to Him. His First Disciples. The Strengthening of their Faith as they beheld His Glory when, in His First Sign, He turned Water into Wine. I. 19-2. II.

And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who

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art thou? And he confessed and denied not, and he confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the Prophet? And he answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us: what sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. And they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou if thou art not the Christ nor Elijah nor the Prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water in the midst of you standeth One whom ye know not, He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a Man who is become before me, because He was before me and I knew Him not, but that He should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing with water. And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it abode upon Him and I knew Him not, but He that sent me to baptize with water, He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Spirit and I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.

Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his disciples, and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God! And the two dis

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ciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. But Jesus turned and beheld them following and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto Him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, Master), where abidest Thou? He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see. They came therefore and saw where He abode, and they abode with Him that day it was about the tenth hour. One of the two that heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother: he findeth first his own brother Simon and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John, thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter, that is, Rock). On the morrow He was minded to go forth into Galilee. And He findeth Philip, and Jesus saith unto him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee underneath the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven standing open and the