John 4:1-42

1 ut ergo cognovit Iesus quia audierunt Pharisaei quia Iesus plures discipulos facit et baptizat quam Iohannes

2 quamquam Iesus non baptizaret sed discipuli eius

3 reliquit Iudaeam et abiit iterum in Galilaeam

4 oportebat autem eum transire per Samariam

5 venit ergo in civitatem Samariae quae dicitur Sychar iuxta praedium quod dedit Iacob Ioseph filio suo

6 erat autem ibi fons Iacob Iesus ergo fatigatus ex itinere sedebat sic super fontem hora erat quasi sexta

7 venit mulier de Samaria haurire aquam dicit ei Iesus da mihi bibere

8 discipuli enim eius abierant in civitatem ut cibos emerent

9 dicit ergo ei mulier illa samaritana quomodo tu Iudaeus cum sis bibere a me poscis quae sum mulier samaritana non enim coutuntur Iudaei Samaritanis

10 respondit Iesus et dixit ei si scires donum Dei et quis est qui dicit tibi da mihi bibere tu forsitan petisses ab eo et dedisset tibi aquam vivam

11 dicit ei mulier Domine neque in quo haurias habes et puteus altus est unde ergo habes aquam vivam

12 numquid tu maior es patre nostro Iacob qui dedit nobis puteum et ipse ex eo bibit et filii eius et pecora eius

13 respondit Iesus et dixit ei omnis qui bibit ex aqua hac sitiet iterum qui autem biberit ex aqua quam ego dabo ei non sitiet in aeternum

14 sed aqua quam dabo ei fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam

15 dicit ad eum mulier Domine da mihi hanc aquam ut non sitiam neque veniam huc haurire

16 dicit ei Iesus vade voca virum tuum et veni huc

17 respondit mulier et dixit non habeo virum dicit ei Iesus bene dixisti quia non habeo virum

18 quinque enim viros habuisti et nunc quem habes non est tuus vir hoc vere dixisti

19 dicit ei mulier Domine video quia propheta es tu

20 patres nostri in monte hoc adoraverunt et vos dicitis quia Hierosolymis est locus ubi adorare oportet

21 dicit ei Iesus mulier crede mihi quia veniet hora quando neque in monte hoc neque in Hierosolymis adorabitis Patrem

22 vos adoratis quod nescitis nos adoramus quod scimus quia salus ex Iudaeis est

23 sed venit hora et nunc est quando veri adoratores adorabunt Patrem in spiritu et veritate nam et Pater tales quaerit qui adorent eum

24 spiritus est Deus et eos qui adorant eum in spiritu et veritate oportet adorare

25 dicit ei mulier scio quia Messias venit qui dicitur Christus cum ergo venerit ille nobis adnuntiabit omnia

26 dicit ei Iesus ego sum qui loquor tecum

27 et continuo venerunt discipuli eius et mirabantur quia cum muliere loquebatur nemo tamen dixit quid quaeris aut quid loqueris cum ea

28 reliquit ergo hydriam suam mulier et abiit in civitatem et dicit illis hominibus

29 venite videte hominem qui dixit mihi omnia quaecumque feci numquid ipse est Christus

30 exierunt de civitate et veniebant ad eum

31 interea rogabant eum discipuli dicentes rabbi manduca

32 ille autem dixit eis ego cibum habeo manducare quem vos nescitis

33 dicebant ergo discipuli ad invicem numquid aliquis adtulit ei manducare

34 dicit eis Iesus meus cibus est ut faciam voluntatem eius qui misit me ut perficiam opus eius

35 nonne vos dicitis quod adhuc quattuor menses sunt et messis venit ecce dico vobis levate oculos vestros et videte regiones quia albae sunt iam ad messem

36 et qui metit mercedem accipit et congregat fructum in vitam aeternam ut et qui seminat simul gaudeat et qui metit

37 in hoc enim est verbum verum quia alius est qui seminat et alius est qui metit

38 ego misi vos metere quod vos non laborastis alii laboraverunt et vos in laborem eorum introistis

39 ex civitate autem illa multi crediderunt in eum Samaritanorum propter verbum mulieris testimonium perhibentis quia dixit mihi omnia quaecumque feci

40 cum venissent ergo ad illum Samaritani rogaverunt eum ut ibi maneret et mansit ibi duos dies

41 et multo plures crediderunt propter sermonem eius

42 et mulieri dicebant quia iam non propter tuam loquellam credimus ipsi enim audivimus et scimus quia hic est vere salvator mundi

John 4:1-42 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 JOHN 4

In this chapter the apostle cautions against seducing spirits; advises to try them, and gives rules by which they may be known, and by which they are distinguished from others; and then returns to his favourite subject, brotherly love. He exhorts the saints not to believe every man that came with a doctrine to them, but to try them, since there were many false teachers in the world; and gives a rule by which they may be tried and judged, as that whatever teacher owns Christ to be come in the flesh is of God, but he that does not is not of God, but is the spirit of antichrist that should come, and was in the world, 1Jo 4:1,2, but, for the comfort of those to whom he writes, he observes, that they were of God, and had overcome these false teachers, through the mighty power of the divine Spirit in them, who is greater than Satan, and all his emissaries, 1Jo 4:4. He distinguishes between seducing spirits, and faithful ministers of the word; the former are of the world, speak of worldly things, and worldly men hear them; but the latter are of God, and they that have any spiritual knowledge of God hear them; but such as are not of God do not heal them, by which may he known the spirit of truth from the spirit of error, 1Jo 4:5,6. And then the apostle returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, which he enforces by the following reasons, because it is of God, a fruit of his Spirit and grace, and because it is an evidence of being born of God, and of having a true knowledge of him; whereas he that is destitute of it does not know him, seeing God is love, 1Jo 4:7,8, and having affirmed that God is love, he proves it, by the mission of his Son, to be a propitiation for the sins of such that did not love him, and that they might live through him; wherefore he argues, that if God had such a love to men, so undeserving of it, then the saints ought to love one another, 1Jo 4:9-11. Other arguments follow, engaging to it, as that God is invisible; and if he is to be loved, then certainly his people, who are visible; and that such who love one another, God dwells in them, and his love is perfected in them; and that he dwells in them is known by the gift of his Spirit to them, 1Jo 4:12,13, and that God the Father so loved the world, as to send his Son to be the Saviour of it, before asserted, is confirmed by the apostles, who were eyewitnesses of it; who also declare, that whoever confesses the sonship of Christ, God dwells in him, and he in God; and who had an assurance of the love of God to them, who is love itself; so that he that dwells in God, and God in him, dwells in love, 1Jo 4:14-16. And great are the advantages arising from hence, for hereby the saints' love to God is made perfect; they have boldness in the day of judgment, since as he is, so are they in this world, and fear is cast out by it, 1Jo 4:17,18, but lest too much should be thought to be ascribed to love, that is said to be owing to the love of God to them, which is prior to theirs to him, and the reason of it, 1Jo 4:19. And the chapter is closed with observing the contradiction there is between a profession of love to God, and hatred of the brethren, seeing God, who is invisible, cannot be loved, if brethren that are seen are hated; and also the commandment, that he that loves God should love his brother also, 1Jo 4:20,21.