John Calvin Commentary John 5:30

"I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." — John 5:30 (ASV)

I can do nothing of myself. It would be superfluous here to enter into abstruse reasonings about whether the Son of God can do anything of himself or otherwise, as it relates to his eternal Divinity; for he did not intend to keep our minds occupied with such trifles.

Consequently, there was no reason why the ancients should have been so anxious and distressed about refuting the calumny of Arius. That scoundrel claimed that the Son is not equal to the Father because he can do nothing of himself. The holy men replied that the Son justly claims for himself all that can be ascribed to the Father, from whom he has his origin, with respect to his person.

But, in the first place, Christ is not speaking of his Divinity simply. Instead, he warns us that, as he is clothed with our flesh, we ought not to judge him from outward appearance, because he has something higher than man. Again, we ought to consider with whom he was dealing. His intention was to refute the Jews who were trying to contrast him with God. He therefore affirms that he does nothing by human power, because he has God, who dwells in him, as his guide and director.

We should always remember that, whenever Christ speaks about himself, he claims only what belongs to man; for he is mindful of the Jews, who wrongly said that he was merely an ordinary man. For the same reason, he ascribes to the Father whatever is higher than man. The word judge properly belongs to doctrine, but is also intended to apply to the whole of his administration, as if he had said that he acts by the Father’s direction in all things, that the Father’s will is his rule, and that therefore the Father will defend him against all adversaries.

And my judgment is just. He concludes that his actions and sayings are beyond blame, because he does not attempt anything except by the command and direction of the Father; for it should be regarded as beyond all controversy that whatever proceeds from God must be right.

This modesty should be held by us as the first maxim of piety: to have such reverence for the word and works of God that the name of God alone would be sufficient to prove their justice and rectitude. But how few there are who are ready to acknowledge that God is just, unless they are compelled to do so!

I acknowledge, indeed, that God demonstrates his righteousness by experience; but to limit it to the perception of our flesh, so as to have no opinion about it except what our own mind suggests, is wicked and daring impiety.

Let us, therefore, consider it certain and undoubted that whatever is from God is right and true, and that it is impossible for God not to be true in all his words, and just and right in all his actions.

We are also reminded that the only rule for acting well is to undertake nothing except by the direction and commandment of God. And if after this the whole world should rise against us, we will still have this invincible defense: that whoever follows God cannot go astray.

Because I seek not my own will. He does not here make his own will and that of his Father clash with each other, as if they were contrary things, but only refutes the false opinion they held: that he was impelled by human presumption rather than guided by the authority of God. He affirms, therefore, that he has no personal disposition separate from the command of the Father.