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Scott's Reference Library
John 15:26 through John 15:27 (NIV)
26“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the
Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And
you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:4 through John 16:15 (NIV)
4b I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
5“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you
going?’ 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I
tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away,
the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When
he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard
to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no
longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands
condemned.
12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he,
the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet
to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it
known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 26-27
The blessed Spirit will maintain the cause of Christ in the world,
notwithstanding the opposition it meets with. Believers taught and encouraged by
his influences, would bear testimony to Christ and his salvation.
John 16:1 through John 16:7
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.