John Calvin Commentary John 5:24

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life." — John 5:24 (ASV)

He that heareth My word. Here the way and manner of honoring God is described, so that no one may think it consists solely in any outward performance or in frivolous ceremonies. For the doctrine of the Gospel is like a scepter to Christ, by which He governs believers whom the Father has made His subjects. This definition is eminently worthy of notice.

Nothing is more common than a false profession of Christianity; for even the Papists, who are most inveterate enemies of Christ, boast of His name in the most presumptuous manner. But here Christ demands from us no other honor than to obey His Gospel. Therefore, it follows that all the honor which hypocrites bestow on Christ is only the kiss of Judas, by which he betrayed his Lord. Though they may call Him King a hundred times, they still deprive Him of His kingdom and of all power when they do not exercise faith in the Gospel.

Hath eternal life. By these words He likewise commends the fruit of obedience, so that we may be more willing to render it. For who could be so hardened as not to submit willingly to Christ, when the reward of eternal life is offered to him? And yet we see how few there are whom Christ gains to Himself by such great goodness.

So great is our depravity that we would rather perish by our own choice than surrender ourselves to obey the Son of God, so that we may be saved by His grace. Both, therefore, are included here by Christ—the robe of devout and sincere worship which He requires from us, and the method by which He restores us to life.

For it would not be sufficient to understand what He previously taught—that He came to raise the dead—unless we also knew the manner in which He restores us to life. Now He affirms that life is obtained by hearing His word; and by the word hearing He means faith, as He immediately afterwards declares.

But faith has its seat not in the ears, but in the heart. From where faith derives such great power, we have previously explained. We should always consider what the Gospel offers us; for we need not wonder that he who receives Christ with all His merits is reconciled to God and acquitted of the condemnation of death, and that he who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit is clothed with heavenly righteousness, so that he may walk in newness of life (Romans 6:6).

The clause that is added, believeth on Him who sent Him, serves to confirm the authority of the Gospel, as Christ testifies that it came from God and was not invented by men. He elsewhere says that what He speaks is not from Himself, but was delivered to Him by the Father (John 7:16; John 14:10).

And shall not come into condemnation. There is an implied contrast here between the guilt to which we are all naturally liable and the unconditional acquittal we obtain through Christ. For if all were not liable to condemnation, what purpose would it serve to free from it those who believe in Christ?

The meaning, therefore, is that we are beyond the danger of death because we are acquitted through the grace of Christ. And therefore, though Christ sanctifies and regenerates us by His Spirit to newness of life, yet here He specially mentions the unconditional forgiveness of sins, in which alone human happiness consists. For a man begins to live when God is reconciled to him; and how would God love us if He did not pardon our sins?

But hath passed. Some Latin copies have this verb in the future tense, will pass from death to life; but this has arisen from the ignorance and rashness of some person who, not understanding the meaning of the Evangelist, has taken more liberty than he ought to have taken; for the Greek word μεταβέβηκε (hath passed) has no ambiguity whatever.

There is no impropriety in saying that we have already passed from death to life. For the incorruptible seed of life (1 Peter 1:23) resides in the children of God; they already sit in heavenly glory with Christ by hope (Colossians 3:3); and they have the kingdom of God already established within them (Luke 17:21).

For though their life be hidden, they do not on that account cease to possess it by faith. And though they are besieged on every side by death, they do not cease to be calm on this account, because they know that they are in perfect safety through the protection of Christ.

Yet let us remember that believers are now in life in such a way that they always carry with them the cause of death. But the Spirit, who dwells in us, is life, which will eventually destroy the remains of death. For it is a true saying of Paul that
death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).

And indeed, this passage contains nothing that relates to the complete destruction of death or the entire manifestation of life. But though life is only begun in us, Christ declares that believers are so certain of obtaining it that they should not fear death. And we need not wonder at this, since they are united to Him who is the inexhaustible fountain of life.