John Calvin Commentary John 4:23

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers." — John 4:23 (ASV)

But the hour comes. Now follows the latter clause, about repealing the worship, or ceremonies, prescribed by the Law. When He says that the hour comes, or will come, He shows that the order laid down by Moses will not be perpetual. When He says that the hour is now come, He puts an end to the ceremonies and declares that the time of reformation, of which the Apostle speaks (Hebrews 9:10), has thus been fulfilled. Yet He approves of the Temple, the Priesthood, and all the ceremonies connected with them, as far as relates to past times. Again, to show that God does not choose to be worshipped either in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim, He takes a higher principle: that the true worship of Him consists in the spirit; for from this it follows that He may be properly worshipped in all places.

But the first inquiry that presents itself here is: Why, and in what sense, is the worship of God called spiritual? To understand this, we must consider the contrast between the spirit and outward emblems, as between the shadows and the truth. The worship of God is said to consist in the spirit because it is nothing other than that inward faith of the heart which produces prayer, and then purity of conscience and self-denial, so that we may be dedicated to obedience to God as holy sacrifices.

From this arises another question: Did not the Fathers worship Him spiritually under the Law? I reply, as God is always like Himself, He did not from the beginning of the world approve of any other worship than that which is spiritual and which agrees with His own nature. This is abundantly attested by Moses himself, who declares in many passages that the Law has no other object than that the people should cling to God with faith and a pure conscience.

But it is still more plainly declared by the Prophets when they severely attack the hypocrisy of the people, because they thought that they had satisfied God when they had performed the sacrifices and made an outward display. It is unnecessary to quote here many proofs that are found everywhere, but the most remarkable passages are the following—Psalms 50; Isaiah 1, 58, 66; Micah 5; Amos 7.

But while the worship of God under the Law was spiritual, it was enveloped in so many outward ceremonies that it resembled something carnal and earthly. For this reason, Paul calls the ceremonies flesh and the beggarly elements of the world (Galatians 4:9). Similarly, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews says that the ancient sanctuary, with its appendages, was earthly (Hebrews 9:1). Thus, we may justly say that the worship of the Law was spiritual in its substance but, in respect of its form, it was somewhat earthly and carnal, because the whole of that economy, the reality of which is now fully manifested, consisted of shadows.

We now see what the Jews had in common with us and in what respect they differed from us. In all ages, God wished to be worshipped by faith, prayer, thanksgiving, purity of heart, and innocence of life; and at no time did He delight in any other sacrifices. But under the Law there were various additions, so that the spirit and truth were concealed under forms and shadows, whereas now that the vail of the temple has been rent (Matthew 27:51), nothing is hidden or obscure. Indeed, there are among us today some outward exercises of godliness, which our weakness makes necessary, but their moderation and sobriety are such that they do not obscure the plain truth of Christ. In short, what was exhibited to the fathers under figures and shadows is now openly displayed.

Now, in Popery, this distinction is not only confused but altogether overturned, for there the shadows are no less thick than they formerly were under the Jewish religion. It cannot be denied that Christ here lays down an obvious distinction between us and the Jews. Whatever subterfuges the Papists may use to attempt to escape, it is evident that we differ from the fathers in nothing more than outward form, because while they worshipped God spiritually, they were bound to perform ceremonies, which were abolished by the coming of Christ.

Thus, all who oppress the Church with an excessive multitude of ceremonies do what is in their power to deprive the Church of the presence of Christ. I will not stop to examine the vain excuses they plead, that many people today have as much need of those aids as the Jews had in ancient times.

It is always our duty to inquire by what order the Lord wished His Church to be governed, for He alone thoroughly knows what is expedient for us. Now, it is certain that nothing is more at variance with the order appointed by God than the gross and singularly carnal pomp that prevails in Popery.

The spirit was indeed concealed by the shadows of the Law, but the masks of Popery disfigure it altogether. Therefore, we must not turn a blind eye to such gross and shameful corruptions. Whatever arguments may be employed by ingenious men, or by those who do not have sufficient courage to correct vices—that these are doubtful matters and ought to be regarded as indifferent—it certainly cannot be endured that the rule laid down by Christ should be violated.

The true worshippers. Christ appears indirectly to rebuke the obstinacy of many, which was afterwards displayed, for we know how obstinate and contentious the Jews were when the Gospel was revealed, in defending the ceremonies to which they had been accustomed. But this statement has an even more extensive meaning, for, knowing that the world would never be entirely free from superstitions, He thus separates the devout and upright worshippers from those who were false and hypocritical.

Armed with this testimony, let us not hesitate to condemn the Papists in all their inventions and boldly despise their reproaches. For what reason do we have to fear when we learn that God is pleased with this plain and simple worship, which the Papists disdain because it is not attended by a cumbersome mass of ceremonies? And of what use to them is the idle splendor of the flesh, by which Christ declares that the Spirit is quenched?

What it means to worship God in spirit and truth appears clearly from what has already been said. It is to lay aside the entanglements of ancient ceremonies and to retain merely what is spiritual in the worship of God, for the truth of the worship of God consists in the spirit, and ceremonies are merely a kind of appendage.

And here again, it must be observed that truth is not compared with falsehood but with the outward addition of the figures of the Law. Therefore—to use a common expression—it is the pure and simple substance of spiritual worship.