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John Chapter 16

1. THESE things have I spoken to you, that you should not be offended.

2. They shall put you out of the synagogue; but the hour comes, that everyone that kills you will think that he offers sacred worship to god.

3. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the father nor me.

4. But these things have I spoken to you, that when the hour comes, you may remember them, because I said them to you; but these things I said not to you from the beginning, because I was with you,

5. But now I go away to him that sent me, and none of you asks me, Whither go you away?

6. But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

7. But I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you.

8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world about sin, and about justice, and about judgement.

9. About sin indeed, because they believe not in me.

10. But about justice, because I go away to my father, and you see me no more.

11. But about judgement, because the prince of this world is judged.

12. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13. But when he shall come, the Spirit of Truth, he will lead you into all truth; for he will not speak of himself, but whatever things he shall hear, [those] he will speak; and he will announce to you things to come.

14. He will glorify me for he shall receive of mine, and shall announce it to you.

15. All things whatever the father has, are mine; therefore said I that he shall receive of mine, and shall announce to you.

16. A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall behold me, because I go away to the father.

17. Then said [some] of his disciples one to another, What is this that he says to us, a little while, and you shall not see me; and again, a little while, and you shall behold me, and because I go to the father ?

18. They said therefore, What is this that he says, a little while? We know not what he speaks.

19. Then jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said to them, Do you enquire one with another of that I said, a little while, and you shall not see me, and again a little while, and you shall behold me?

20. Verily, verily, I say to you, that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; but you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21. A woman, when she is in travail, has sorrow, because her hour is come; but when the child is born, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22. And you now therefore indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one takes from you.

23. And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say to you, that whatever things you shall ask the father in my name, he will give you.

24. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be filled.

25. These things have I spoken to you in proverbs; but the hour comes, when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will announce to you plainly concerning the father.

26. In that day you shall ask in my name; and I say not to you, that I will pray the father for you:

27. For the father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from god.

28. I came forth from the father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the father.

29. His disciples say to him, Lo, now speak you plainly, and say no proverb.

30. Now we know that you know all things, and needest not that any one should ask you. In this we believe that you earnest forth from god.

31. jesus answered them, Do you now believe?

32. Behold, the hour comes, and is now come, that you shall be scattered every one to his own, and shall leave me alone; and I am not alone, because the father is with me.

33. These things have I spoken to you, that in me you might have peace: In the world you shall have tribulation: but take courage, I have overcome the world.

Verse 2. The hour comes that every one that kills you will think that he offers sacred worship to God. In this passage by killing, is signified to deprive of spiritual life, that is, of faith and charity, for by the disciples are signified all things of truth and good, of faith and charity. AC 8902.

The lord says these words to the disciples, but by the disciples are meant all those who worship the lord, and live according to the truths of his Word; these, the wicked in the world of spirits are continually desirous to kill, but whereas they cannot do this as to the body, they are continually desirous to do it as to the soul; and when they cannot do this, they burn with such hatred against them, that nothing is more delightful to them than to do them mischief. That to kill in the Word signifies to destroy souls, which is spiritually to kill, is evident from many passages there, as from the following, Isaiah 14:19, 20, 21; 26:21; Jer 25:33; Lam 2:21; Ezek 9:1, 6; John 16:2; Rev 18:24. AR 325.

The above words were spoken to the disciples, and by the disciples in the representative spiritual sense are meant all the truths and goods of the church; hence it is evident what is meant in that sense by killing them, namely that they shall then destroy the goods and truths of the church. AE 315.

Verses 5, 7. But now I go away to him that sent me. See Extract verse 26 of the foregoing chapter.

To go to the Father, in the above passage denotes to unite the human essence to the divine essence. AC 3736. See also AE 852, and AR 962.

That the lord was divine truth when in the world, is evident also from the lord's words; for he says, that he would send another Comforter, (that is, in place of himself) or the Spirit of Truth; and of himself he says, that they know him, because he remains with you, and is amongst you; and likewise, "I say the truth to you, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send him to you." AC 9199. See also AE 228.

Verses 8, 9, 10, 11. And when he is come, he will reprove the world about sin, and about justice, and about judgement, &c. Sin in this passage denotes all infidelity; to reprove about justice is about every thing which is contrary to good, when yet the lord united the human principle to the divine, that he might save the world, which is meant by I go to the Father, and you shall see me no more; about judgement, means about every thing that is contrary to truth, when yet evils are cast down into their hells, that they can no longer do mischief, which is meant by the prince of the world being judged. In general to reprove about sin, justice, and judgement, denotes about all infidelity contrary to what is good and true, thus about there being no charity and faith, for by justice and judgement, in ancient times, in respect to the lord, was meant all mercy and grace, and in respect to man all charity and faith. AC 2235.

Verse 13. Whatsoever things he shall hear, he will speak. Whatsoever things he shall hear, denotes whatever things he shall receive from the lord. AC 9311.

The Divine Spiritual principle, which proceeds from the lord, is called in the Word the Spirit of Truth, and is holy truth, and is not of any spirit, but is of the lord, by a spirit sent from the lord, as may be manifest from the words of the lord himself in John, "When he shall come, the Spirit of Truth, he shall lead you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever things he shall hear, he will speak, he will also announce to you things to come. He will glorify me, because he shall receive of mine, and shall announce it to you." AC 3969.

The truth, which immediately proceeds from the Divine [Being or principle] cannot be heard by any one, not even by any angel; for to the intent that what is divine may be heard, it must first become human, and it becomes human when it passes through the heavens, and when it has passed through the heavens it is presented in a human form, and becomes speech, which speech is uttered by spirits, who, when they are in that state, are called the Holy Spirit, and this Spirit is said to proceed from the lord, because the holy principle of the spirit, or the holy truth which that Spirit then speaks, proceeds from the lord. From these considerations it may be manifest that the truth, which proceeds immediately from the Divine [Being or principle] cannot be presented to any one as discourse or speech, except by the Holy Spirit. AC 6982.

That when the lord was glorified, the divine truth proceeds from him, he himself teaches in John, "The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, whom I will send to you, shall not speak from himself, he shall glorify me, because he shall receive from mine, and shall announce it to you." AC 10053.

That the Holy Spirit is the same with the lord, and that it is the truth itself, from which man has illustration, is evident from these words, "jesus said, When the Spirit of Truth shall come, he shall lead you into all truth; he shall not speak from himself, but whatever things he shall hear, he shall speak; he shall glorify me, because he shall receive of mine, and shall announce it to you;" from which words it is evident that the truth itself, which proceeds from the lord, is called the Holy Spirit, which truth, as being in light, enlightens. Divine Love and Wisdom, 149. See also AR 819.

Verse 15. All things whatever the Father has are mine, That the lord so often attributes to the father what is his, has been explained above, AC 1999, 2004; for jehovah was in him, consequently in singular the things belonging to him; this may be illustrated by, though not compared with, what is similar in respect to man; for the soul of man is in him, and because it is in him, it is in things most singular belonging to him, namely in the most singular things of his thought, and in the most singular things of his action; whatever has not his soul in it, is not his; the soul of the lord was life itself, or esse itself, which is jehovah, for he was conceived of jehovah, thus it was in the most singular things belonging to him; and since life itself, or esse itself, which is jehovah, was his, as the soul is man's, so his was what is jehovah's, according to his words, that all things which the Father has are his. AC 2025.

Inasmuch as the father and he were one, therefore also he says, All things which the Father has are mine, and that therefore the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, was to receive from the lord what he should speak, John xvi.13, 14, 15. AE 852.

Verse 23. Verily, verily, I say to you, that whatever things you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Inasmuch as John saw those who were clothed in white garments, and desired to know and to ask who they were, and this was perceived in heaven, therefore he was first interrogated, and next informed. The case was similar with the prophet Zechariah, when he saw several things represented to him, as may be manifest from Zech 1:9; 2:2, 4; 4:2, 5, 11, 12; 5:2, 6, 10; 6:4. Moreover in the Word we frequently read that the lord answers when they call upon him and cry; also that he gives when men ask; nevertheless the lord gives them to ask and what they shall ask, wherefore the lord knows it before, but still he wills that man should first ask, to the intent that he should ask as from himself, and thus what he asks may be appropriated to him. AR 376.

Since the union of the lord's divinity and humanity is like the union of soul and body, and no one can come to the soul of man, but to the man himself, therefore the lord says, that they should come to him, and should ask the Father in his name, and that he would give to them, John 16:23, 24. AE 852.

Verses 26, 27. The Word of the lord is like an ocean, a shrubbery, and a garden; when the Word is in any fullness in the internal of man, then the man speaks and acts of himself from the Word, and not the Word by him. The case is similar with the lord, because he is the Word, that is, divine truth and divine good in the Word; the lord from himself or the Word acts in man, and into.him, but not by him, inasmuch as man acts and speaks freely from the lord, whilst from the Word. But this may be more properly illustrated by the mutual commerce of soul and body, which being two distinct principles, but reciprocally united, the soul acts in the body and into the body, but not by the body, and the body acts of itself from the soul; the reason why the soul does not act by the body, is, because they do not consult and deliberate with each other, nor does the soul command or force the body to do this or that, or speak from its mouth, nor does the body require or ask the soul to give and supply any thing, for all of the soul is the body's, mutually and reciprocally. The case is similar with the divinity and humanity of the lord, for the divinity of the father is the soul of his humanity, and the humanity is his body, and the humanity does not ask its divinity what it should speak and operate, wherefore the lord says, "In that day you shall ask in my name, and I say not to you that I will ask the father for you, for the father himself loves you, because you have loved me." In that day, denotes after glorification, that is, after perfect and absolute union with the father. TCR 154.

Verse 28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world, &c. By coming forth from the Father is to be understood, that the Divine [principle] itself assumed the human; by coming into the world is signified that he was as a man, and by going to the Father, that he united the human essence to the divine essence. AC 3736.

In order to illustrate what is meant by coming forth, or proceeding, the following examples may serve. It is said of truth that it comes forth or proceeds from good, when truth is the form of good, or when truth is good in a form, which the understanding can apprehend; it may also be said of the understanding, that it comes forth or proceeds from the will, when the understanding is the will formed, or when it is will in a form apperceivable to the internal sight. In like manner it may be said of thought which is of the understanding, that it comes forth or proceeds, when it becomes speech, and of will when it becomes action; thought clothes itself with another form when it becomes speech, but still it is thought which so comes forth or proceeds, for the words and sounds, which are put on, are nothing but adjects, which cause the thought to be appropriately apperceived; in like manner will becomes another form, when it becomes action, but still it is will which is presented in form; for the gestures and motions, which are put on, are nothing but adjects, which cause the will to appear and affect appropriately. It may also be said concerning the external man, that he comes forth or proceeds from the internal, yea, substantially, because the external man is nothing else than the internal, so formed that he may act agreeably in the world in which he is: from these considerations it may be manifest, what is meant by coming forth or proceeding in the spiritual sense, namely that when it is predicated of the lord, it denotes the Divine [Being or principle] formed as a man, thus accommodated to the perception of those who believe; yet both are one. AC 5337.

The lord taught that he was no longer jehovah under the form of an angel, but that he was jehovah-man, by these words, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father. AC 9315.

That the divine good of the divine love, which is the father, was united to divine truth, which is the Son, reciprocally in the lord, and that hence his Human [principle] itself is divine good, is signified by coming forth from the Father, and coining into the world, and going to the Father, AC 10067.

Verse 33. Jesus said, These things have I spoken to you, that in me you may have peace; in which passage, in the supreme sense, peace signifies the lord ; in the representative sense his kingdom, and good from the lord there, thus the Divine [principle] which flows into good, or into the affections of good, and which from an inmost principle makes joy and happiness. AC 3780.

By peace is here meant internal delight arising from conjunction with the lord, whence comes heaven and eternal joy; peace is here opposed to tribulation; because by tribulation is signified infestation from evils and falses, which infestation attends those who are in divine peace, so long as they live in the world, since the flesh, which they then carry about them, covets those things which are of the world, whence comes tribulation; wherefore the lord says, that in me you may have peace, in the world you shall have tribulation; and whereas the lord as to his Human [principle] acquired to himself, power over the hells, thus over the evils and falses which arise thence into the flesh with every one, and infest him, therefore he says, take courage, I have overcome the world. AE 365.

In the world you shall have tribulation. By tribulation is manifestly meant temptation. AC 1846.

I have overcome the world. It is to be noted, that the Last Judgement was effected upon those, who have lived from the time of the lord to this day, but not upon those who lived before. For on this earth a Last Judgement had twice before taken place, one which is described in the Word by the flood, the other accomplished by the lord himself, when he was in the world, which is also meant by these words of the lord, I have overcome the world. Last Judgement, 46.

By the lord overcoming the world, is meant, that he subdued all the hells; for the world in this passage signifies all evils and falses which are from hell, as likewise in John 8:23; 12:31; 14:17, 19, 30; 15:18, 19; 16:8, 11; 17:9, 14, 16. AE 359.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Verse 2. The hour comes that any one that kills you will think that he offers sacred worship to God. What is here rendered offers sacred worship to God, is expressed in the common version of the New Testament by does God service, but the words in the original literally mean to offer sacred worship to God, thus inculcating the awful lesson, that in the latter days the worship of god will become merely external, through the extinction of all true faith and charity.

Verse 4. But these things have I spoken to you, that when the hour comes, you may remember them, because I said them to you. In the common version of the New Testament, these words are thus rendered, But these things have I told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them; in which rendering no distinction is made between speaking and saying, both terms being expressed by the same verb, told; neither is the idea given that the things spoken were to be remembered, but only that the speaker was to be remembered; whereas in the original, distinct mention is made of speaking and saying, and it is also expressly said, that the things spoken were to be remembered, as well as the divine speaker.

Verse 16. A little while, and you shall not see me; and again, a little while and you shall behold me. A distinction is here made, which has not been attended to in the common version of the New Testament, between seeing and beholding, the former term being expressed in the original by theoreite, and the latter by opsesthe, thus instructing us, not only that there are different degrees of intellectual sight, or vision, but that the sight expressed by the term opsesthe, as relating to the lord in his state of glorification, is more interior than what is expressed by the term theoreite, which latter sight has relation to the lord in his state of humiliation.

Verse 21. A woman, when she is in travail, has sorrow, because her hour is come, but when the child is born, she remembers no more her anguish. A distinction is here made between sorrow and anguish, which are expressed in the original by the terms lupe and thlipsis, the former term having relation to the pain experienced in the moment of suffering, and the latter to the recollection of it when it is past.

Verse 27. The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me. The original term expressive of love, in both these cases, is philo, which relates rather to friendship than to love, thus denoting the affection grounded in the intelligence of truth, more than in the love of good.