John Calvin Commentary John 13:18

"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth my bread lifted up his heel against me." — John 13:18 (ASV)

I speak not of you all. He again declares that there is one among the disciples who, in reality, is the very opposite of a disciple. He does this partly for the sake of Judas, to render him more inexcusable, and partly for the sake of the others, so that they may not be overpowered by the ruin of Judas. Not only does He encourage them to continue to persevere in their calling when Judas falls away, but as the happiness He speaks of is not common to all, He exhorts them to desire it with even greater eagerness and to adhere to it more firmly.

I know whom I have chosen. This very circumstance—that they will persevere—He ascribes to their election. For human virtue, being frail, would tremble at every breeze and be overthrown by the feeblest stroke if the Lord did not uphold it by His hand.

But as He governs those whom He has elected, all the devices that Satan can employ will not prevent them from persevering to the end with unshaken firmness. And not only does He ascribe their perseverance to election, but also the beginning of their piety. From where does it arise that one person, rather than another, devotes himself to the Word of God?

It is because he was elected. Again, from where does it arise that this person makes progress and continues to lead a good and holy life? It is because the purpose of God is unchangeable, to complete the work that was begun by His hand.

In short, this is the source of the distinction between the children of God and unbelievers: the former are drawn to salvation by the Spirit of adoption, while the latter are hurried to destruction by their flesh, which is under no restraint. Otherwise, Christ might have said, “I know what kind of person each of you will be.” But so that they may not claim anything for themselves, but, on the contrary, may acknowledge that by the grace of God alone, and not by their own virtue, they differ from Judas, He places before them that election by free grace on which they are founded. Let us, therefore, learn that every part of our salvation depends on election.

In another passage, He includes Judas in the number of the elect.

Have not I chosen (or, elected) you twelve,
and one of you is a devil? (John 6:70)

But in that passage, the mode of expression, though different, is not contradictory. For there the word denotes a temporal election, by which God appoints us to any particular work, in the same manner as Saul, who was elected to be a king and yet was a reprobate. But here Christ speaks of the eternal election, by which we become the children of God and by which God predestined us to life before the creation of the world.

Indeed, the reprobate are sometimes endowed by God with the gifts of the Spirit to execute the office with which He invests them. Thus, in Saul, we perceive for a time the splendor of royal virtues, and thus Judas also was distinguished by eminent gifts, such as were fitting for an apostle of Christ.

But this is widely different from the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord bestows on none but His own children. For He renews them in understanding and heart, so that they may be holy and blameless in His sight. Besides, that sanctification has a deep root in them which cannot be removed, because the adoption of God is irrevocable.

Meanwhile, let us regard it as a settled point that when, having embraced by faith the doctrine of Christ, we also follow it throughout our lives, this results from the election of God. This election is the only cause of our happiness, by which we are distinguished from the reprobate. For they, being destitute of the grace of the Spirit, miserably perish, while we have Christ as our guardian, who guides us by His hand and upholds us by His power.

Besides, Christ here gives clear proof of His Divinity: first, when He declares that He does not judge according to the manner of men; and secondly, when He pronounces Himself to be the Author of election.

For when He says, I know, the knowledge of which He speaks belongs distinctively to God. But the second proof—contained in the words, whom I have chosen—is far more powerful, for He testifies that those who were elected before the creation of the world were elected by Himself. Such a remarkable demonstration of His Divine power ought to affect us more deeply than if the Scripture had called Him God a hundred times.

That the Scripture may be fulfilled. It might have been thought improper that one should have been elected to such an honorable rank who yet did not possess true piety. For it might readily have been objected: Why did Christ not elect one whom He intended to admit into the number of the Apostles? Or rather, why did He appoint a man to be an Apostle who, He well knew, would become so wicked?

He explains that this must have happened because it was foretold, or at least, that it was no new occurrence, for David had experienced the same thing. Some think that it is a quoted prediction which properly applies to Christ, while others think that it is merely a comparison: that as David was basely betrayed by a personal enemy, so a similar condition awaits the children of God.

According to the latter view, the meaning would be: “That one of my disciples wickedly betrays his Master is not the first instance of treachery that has taken place in the world; but, on the contrary, we now experience what Scripture declares to have happened in ancient times.” However, as David foreshadowed what was afterwards to be seen more fully in Christ, I readily agree with the former expositors who think that this was strictly the fulfillment of what David, by the Spirit of prophecy, had foretold (Psalms 41:9).

Besides, some believe that the clause under consideration does not form a complete sentence and needs the principal verb to be supplied. But if we read it continuously, That the Scripture may be fulfilled, he who eateth bread with me lifteth up his heel against me, there will be nothing lacking.

To lift up the heel is a metaphorical expression. It means to attack a person in an unperceived manner, under the pretext of friendship, so as to gain an advantage over him when he is not on his guard. What Christ suffered, who is our Head and our Pattern, we, who are His members, ought to endure patiently.

Indeed, it has usually happened in the Church in almost every age that it has had no enemies more inveterate than members of the Church. Therefore, so that believers may not have their minds disturbed by such atrocious wickedness, let them accustom themselves early to endure the attacks of traitors.