How did you go? Did you find some answers? How did you find them? I hope what we have been doing together is giving you some tools for your bible study.
Don’t neglect ‘the resources you have in E-sword. I have a number of different commentaries loaded in E-Sword.
Keil & Delitzsch (OT commentary – not much help here), John Gill, Matthew Henry, JFB – Jamieson Fausett and Brown, Adam Clarke and Geneva Bible Notes. Oh and I am also building my own commentary under the Study Notes. Ha ha you could even add Ian Vail’s Bible Gems to that but I shouldn’t be so presumptuous nor bold. Get the point? The power of E-Sword is significant. Use it.
My advice to people in the Digging For Hidden Treasure Seminar is to look at the commentaries after you have done your work. Your thoughts are clouded by the so called experts if you read them first. Do your study first and then see what they have to say about it! You may find they are not so useful at times and other times they seem to miss the point completely on what you wanted to know.
Gill says:
My time is not yet come; meaning, not the time of his death, or of his exaltation and glorification, or of the showing of himself forth unto the world; though all this was true; but of his going up to this feast; as appears from Joh_7:8;
But your time is always ready; intimating, they might go at any time; their lives were not in any danger, as his was, and had nothing to consult about the preservation of them; it was all one to them when they went up, whether before the feast, that they might be ready for it, or at the beginning, middle, or end of it, as to any notice that would be taken of them, unless they should be guilty of an omission of their duty; but not on any other account; which was not his case. [At least he has noticed the curious My time // Your time. But doesn’t add much more help.]
Matthew Henry
has screeds of input which often can put you off. He often goes into great detail on insignificant or irrelevant things.
(1.) He shows the difference between himself and them, in two things: – His time was set, so was not theirs: His going up to the feast when his time was come.
He does make some good comment on When and How.
(1.) When he went: When his brethren were gone up. He would not go up with them, lest they should make a noise and disturbance, under pretence of showing him to the world; whereas it agreed both with the prediction and with his spirit not to strive nor cry, nor let his voice be heard in the streets, Isa_42:2. But he went up after them. We may lawfully join in the same religious worship with those with whom we should yet decline an intimate acquaintance and converse; for the blessing of ordinances depends upon the grace of God, and not upon the grace of our fellow-worshippers. His carnal brethren went up first,and then he went. Note, In the external performances of religion it is possible that formal hypocrites may get the start of those that are sincere. Many come first to the temple who are brought thither by vain-glory, and go thence unjustified, as he, Luk_18:11. It is not, Who comes first? that will be the question, but, Who comes fittest? If we bring our hearts with us, it is no matter who gets before us.
(2.) How he went, ōs en kruptō – as if he were hiding himself: not openly, but as it were in secret, rather for fear of giving offence than of receiving injury. He went up to the feast, because it was an opportunity of honouring God and doing good; but he went up as it were in secret, because he would not provoke the government. Note, Provided the work of God be done effectually, it is best done when done with least noise. The kingdom of God need not come with observation,Luk_17:20. We may do the work of God privately, and yet not do it deceitfully.
Barnes
-We know not why it was not yet a proper time for him to go. It might be because if he went then, in their company, while multitudes were going, it would have looked like too much the appearance of parade and ostentation; it might excite too much notice, and be more likely to expose him to the envy and opposition of the rulers . . . Jesus therefore chose to go up more privately, and to remain until the multitude had gone. They commonly traveled to those feasts in large companies, made up of most of the families in the neighbourhood.
JFB
doesn’t address the issue
In the midst of Matthew Henry’s pages of comments is a gem – My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready. He had some work yet to do in Galilee before he left the country: in the harmony of the gospels betwixt this motion made by his kindred and his going up to this feast comes in the story of his sending forth the seventy disciples (Luk_10:1, etc.), which was an affair of very great consequence; his time is not yet, for that must be done first.
Do you see that is what we have been doing in the Bible Gems numbers of times now: Tracking the story with the other gospels. Does John know the accounts of the others? You bet he does. But he doesn’t always tell us where he has departed from the norm. Remember he is clipping the stories to suit the purpose of his theme. So yes, the part about the “sending of the 70” has been omitted in John. That was an important fact to know. Look at it and see what you think.
Enough for today, this Gem is already too long.
People who shine from within don’t need the spotlight.
Anon