Article February 24, 1940 Issue

Bible Notes

The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in this column can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13) —Various commentators bring out the thought that the use of the word "friends" at this point by no means limits the circle of those for whom the Master was willing to "lay down his life," since though others might, and did, express enmity towards him, he obeyed his own precept that men should love their enemies (Matt. 5:44). Thus all were his friends, though who obeyed his commands were friends in a specially intimate sense (cf. John 15:14).

"All things that I have heard of my Father" (John 15:15) —It may well be borne in mind that the Greek preposition here rendered "of" does not mean "of" in the sense of "about," but rather in the older sense of "from," which was more widely used at the time when our Authorized Version was prepared than it is now. Thus Goodspeed renders: "Everything that I have learned from my Father;" while Weymouth (Fifth Edition) prefers: "All that I have heard from the Father."

"I have . . . ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16)—The Greek word rendered "ordained" need not, of course, refer to any official ceremony of "ordination," as that word is sometimes used today, but means rather "placed" or "appointed." Dr. Moffatt's rendering appears to clarify the passage somewhat by putting it in more modern English, thus: "Appointing you to go and bear fruit—fruit that lasts;" while Weymouth suggests: "I . . . appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might be lasting."

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