Albert Barnes Commentary John 16

These things. The things spoken in the two previous chapters, promising them divine aid and directing them in the path of duty.

Be offended. For the meaning of the word offend, see the notes on Matthew 5:29.

It means here the same as to stumble or fall—that is, to apostatize. He proceeds immediately to tell them what he had often informed them of: that they would be subject to great persecutions and trials. He was also himself about to be removed by death. They were to go into an unfriendly world. All these things were in themselves greatly fitted to shake their faith and to expose them to the danger of apostasy .

If they had not been informed of this, if they had not known why Jesus was about to die, and if they had not been encouraged with the promised aid of the Holy Ghost, they would have sunk under these trials and forsaken him and his cause. And we may learn from this:

1. That if Christians were left to themselves they would fall away and perish.
2. That God affords means and helps beforehand to keep them in the path of duty.
3. That the instructions of the Bible and the help of the Holy Spirit are all granted to keep them from apostasy.
4. That Jesus beforehand secured the fidelity and made certain the continuance in faith of his apostles, seeing all their danger and knowing all their enemies. And, in the same way, we should be persuaded that he is able to keep that which we commit to him against that day, (2 Timothy 1:2, 12).

Out of the synagogues. (See John 9:22.)

They would excommunicate them from their religious assemblies. This was often done (Acts 9:23–24; Acts 17:5; Acts 21:27–31).

Whosoever killeth you. This refers principally to the Jews. It is also true of the Gentiles that in their persecution of Christians, they supposed they were rendering acceptable service to their gods.

God service. The Jews who persecuted the apostles regarded them as blasphemers and as seeking to overthrow the temple service and the system of religion which God had established. Thus, they supposed they were rendering service to God in putting them to death (Acts 6:13–14; Acts 21:28–31). Sinners, especially hypocrites, often cloak enormous crimes under the pretense of great zeal for religion.

Men often suppose, or profess to suppose, that they are rendering God service when they persecute others; and, under the pretense of great zeal for truth and purity, evince all possible bigotry, pride, malice, and uncharitableness.

The people of God have suffered most from those who have been conscientious persecutors, and some of the most malignant foes which true Christians have ever had have been in the church, and have been professed ministers of the gospel, persecuting them under the pretense of great zeal for the cause of purity and religion.

It is no evidence of piety that a man is full of zeal against those whom he supposes to be heretics; and it is one of the best proofs that a man knows nothing of the religion of Jesus when he is eminent for self-conceit in his own views of orthodoxy, and firmly fixed in the opinion that all who differ from him and his sect must of course be wrong.

These things which are about to happen (John 16:1–2). He had foretold them that they would take place.

You may remember, etc. By calling to mind that He had foretold these things, they would perceive that He was omniscient, and would also remember the consolations He had afforded them and the instructions He had given them. Had these calamities come upon them without their having been foretold, their faith might have failed; they might have been tempted to suppose that Jesus was not aware of them, and therefore that He was not the Messiah. God does not permit his people to fall into trials without giving them sufficient warning, and without giving all the grace that is necessary to bear them.

At the beginning. In the early part of the ministry of Jesus. The expression these things here refers, probably, to all the topics contained in these chapters. He had, in the early part of His ministry, forewarned them of calamities and persecutions (Matthew 10:16; Matthew 5:10–12; Matthew 9:15), but He had not so fully acquainted them with the nature, design, and sources of their trials; He had not so fully apprised them of the fact, the circumstances, and the object of His death and of His ascension to heaven; He had not revealed to them so clearly that the Holy Spirit would descend, and sanctify, and guide them; and especially He had not, in one continued discourse, grouped all these things together, and placed their sorrows and consolations so fully before their minds. All these are included, it is supposed, in the expression "these things."

Because I was with you. This is the reason He gives why He had not at first made known to them clearly the certainty of their calamities and their joys; and it implies:

1. That it was not necessary to do it at once, as He was to be with them for more than three years, and could have abundant opportunity gradually to teach these things, and to prepare them for the fuller announcement when He was about to leave them.
2. That while He was with them, He would go before them, and the weight of calamities would fall on Him; consequently, they did not then need the presence and aid of the Holy Spirit as much as they would when He was gone.
3. That His presence was to them what the presence of the Holy Spirit would be after His death (John 16:7).

He could teach them all necessary truth. He could console and guide them. Now that He was to leave them, He fully apprised them of what was before them, and of the descent of the Holy Spirit to do for them what He had done when with them.

Now I go my way. Now I am about to die and leave you, and it is proper to announce all these things to you.

None of you asks me... They gave themselves up to grief instead of inquiring why he was about to leave them. Had they made the inquiry, he was ready to answer them and to comfort them. When we are afflicted we should not yield ourselves to excessive grief. We should inquire why it is that God thus tries us; and we should never doubt that if we come to him, and spread out our sorrows before him, he will give us consolation.

It is expedient for you, etc. (John 16:7). The reason why it was expedient for them that He should go away, He states, is that only in this way would the Comforter be granted to them. Still, it may be asked why the presence of the Holy Spirit was more valuable to them than that of the Savior Himself? To this it may be answered:

1. That by His departure, His death, and ascension—by having these great facts before their eyes—they would be led by the Holy Spirit to see more fully the design of His coming than they would by His presence. While He was with them, notwithstanding the plainest teaching, their minds were filled with prejudice and error. They still adhered to the expectation of a temporal kingdom and were unwilling to believe that He was to die. When He should have actually left them, they could no longer doubt on this subject and would be prepared to understand why He came. And this was done. See the Acts of the Apostles everywhere. It is often necessary that God should visit us with severe affliction before our pride will be humbled and we are willing to understand the plainest truths.

2. While on the earth, the Lord Jesus could be bodily present in only one place at one time. Yet, in order to secure the great design of saving men, it was necessary that there should be some agent who could be in all places, who could attend all ministers, and who could, at the same time, apply the work of Christ to men in all parts of the earth.

3. It was an evident arrangement in the great plan of redemption that each of the persons of the Trinity should perform a part. As it was not the work of the Spirit to make an atonement, so it was not the work of the Savior to apply it. And until the Lord Jesus had performed this great work, the way was not open for the Holy Spirit to descend to perform His part of the great plan; yet, when the Savior had completed His portion of the work and had left the earth, the Spirit would carry forward the same plan and apply it to men.

4. It was to be expected that far more signal success would attend the preaching of the gospel when the atonement was actually made than before. It was the office of the Spirit to carry forward the work only when the Savior had died and ascended; and this was actually the case (see Acts 2). Hence it was expedient that the Lord Jesus should go away, that the Spirit might descend and apply the work to sinners. The departure of the Lord Jesus was to the apostles a source of deep affliction, but had they seen the whole case, they would not have been thus afflicted. So God often takes away from us one blessing that He may bestow a greater. All affliction, if received in a proper manner, is of this description; and could the afflicted people of God always see the whole case as God sees it, they would think and feel, as He does, that it was best for them to be thus afflicted.

It is expedient. It is better for you.

The Comforter. (See notes on John 14:16).