Studies in the Gospel According to John* 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).
8. John the Baptizer’s Testi mony to Jesus as the Christ, the True Bridegroom, the One Who Must Increase while He, Himself Decreases, the Son of God, Who Speaks the Very Words of God.— Ch. 3:22-36. V. 31. “He that cometh from, above is above all: he that is of (or, out of) the earth is earthy (rather, of the earth, or, out of the earth), and speaketh of the earth (rather, of, or, out of, the earth he speaketh): He that cometh from (or, out of) heaven is above all.” Many commentators, especially German commentators, hold that John the Baptizer’s testimony closes with the 30th verse and that from here on to the end of the chap ter we have comments made by John, the writer of the Gospel. They base this opinion upon three arguments: First, that expressions occur from here on which are characteristic of John the Evangelist; second, that the teaching from here on is beyond what John the Baptizer is supposed to have known';land third, that it is said in verse 32, “No man receiveth his wit ness,” which they hold could be more properly said at the time when John wrote the Gospel than it could be said by John the Baptizer at this time. But these reasons will hardly bear careful scrutiny. As to the expres sions used supposed to be characteris tic of John the Evangelist, they are not very definite nor clearly charac teristic of John the Evangelist and Copyright, 1913, by R. A. Torrey
may easily have been used by John the Baptizer and, furthermore, the style of John the Evangelist who was a disciple of John the Baptizer may have been derived in a measure from John the Baptizer. As to the teach ing being beyond the knowledge of John the Baptizer, there is really nothing said that may not have been revealed to John the Baptizer, or that is beyond what he says elsewhere. In utterances which are unquestion ably his, we have the definite teach ing that Jesus was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (ch. 1:29) and that Jesus was the Son of God (ch. 1:34). That defi nite revelations regarding the Lord Jesus had been made to John the Baptizer we know from chapter 1:33. As to the statement made in verse 32 “No man receiveth His witness,” this could be appropriately said even at the time when John the Baptizer spoke, for the Lord Jesus Himself said “Ye receive not our witness” (v. 11), and in chapter 2 we have a rec ord of how the testimony of Jesus was questioned and rejected by the leaders in Jerusalem (ch. 2:13-21). When one reads with an unprejudiced mind, the impression produced is that the same person (that is John the Baptizer) is speaking in vefsj; 31 as spoke in verse 30. Verse 31 is an explanation that John the ;Baptizer would naturally give of his statement in verse 30. It is, however, jai matter of no great consequence whether John the Baptizer, or John the Evangelist is the speaker in verses 31-36. In
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