Studies in the Gospel According to John 1 By R. A. TORREY (These studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading) II. The Public Ministry of Jesus Leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1:19—12:50 (continued). 9. The Lord Jesus’ Testimony to the Woman of Samaria that He was the Christ, and the Woman’s Testimony, He “told me all things that ever I did,” chapter 4:1-39 (conclud’d).
Bible scholars, we are satisfied that the second is the true interpretation. If the latter be the true interpreta tion, then we have a time set for the incident as recorded in the text. Har vest began about the middle of April and lasted until the end of May; this conversation, therefore, must have oc curred somewhere between the mid dle o f December and the last o f Jan uary. Doubtless as the Lord Jesus spoke, He saw the Samaritans hurry ing out of the village of Sychar to ward Him, and He bids His disciples lift their eyes and in this crowd of Samaritans, so eager to hear the Word to behold the harvest already ripe for reaping. Isaiah 49:18 not only in its thought but in its very words presents a very-striking paral lel from the Old Testament. Perhaps our Lord had the words of the prophet in mind as He spoke (see also Isa. 49:9-13). Even at the present time, the plain at the foot of Mt. Gerizim over which these Samaritans were then hurrying, is fertile grain land, and so doubt less it was then, and in it the disciples might see a promise of rich crops— but our Lord had His eye upon a far more important harvest, a spiritual harvest, and He would turn the at tention of His disciples to it. V. 36. “And (omit, and) he that reapeth receiveth wages (or, reward), and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both (omit, both) he that sow^ eth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”
V. 35. “Say not ye, (add, that) there are yet four months, and then cometh (add, the) harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for (rather, that ) they are white already to (rath er, unto ) harvest.” Two different interpretations are given to this verse, the first being that it was a proverbial saying that four months , would intervene be tween. seed time and harvest. If this were the interpretation here, then the thought would be that while this was the usual rule, in the case o f the Samaritans there was no such time between seed time and harvest, but harvest followed immediately upon sowing. The second interpretation being that these words set forth a de scription of the actual state of things, namely, that it was now four months before the natural harvest, but that the spiritual harvest was already ripe. It is not a point of very vital impor tance but the latter seems to be the true interpretation. Not only is it the interpretation that naturally sug gests itself to one as he reads the words of Christ in their connection, but furthermore “ four months” is not the time between seed time and har vest in that country. Though the first interpretation is that defended by Alford and some other leading
1 Copyright by R. A. Torrey, 1914.
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