Exposition of John, Chapter 8 · Verse 29
Verſe 48. Then anſwered the Jewes, and ſaid unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane, and haſt a devil?
From this to the end of the Chapter, theſe adverſaries do change their way of proceeding with Chriſt. So long as they had any ſeeming ground, or ſhew of reaſon, they debate the matter; but now being put from all that, they fall a railing at his perſon; and Chriſt defends and replies, till they come to violence. It may be taken up in this order. 1. They rail at him, ver. 48. and he vindicates himſelfe as an honourer of his Father, and therefore they were in the wrong who reproached him ver. 49. and behoved to make account to God for it, ver. 50. And he ſheweth their loſſe who deſpiſe his Word, which preſerveth men from death, ver. 51. 2. They take occaſion from what he ſaith of his Word, to carp…in: objecting that Abr…ham and the Prophets were dead, ver. 52. And that he ſhould make himſelfe greater then they, ver. 53. And he clears himſelfe of ambition in this matter, charging it on them, ver. 54, 55. and ſh…weth that Abrahams joy depended on him, ver. 56. before whom he had a ſubſiſtence as God, though as man he was not old, ver. 57, 58. Upon which aſſertion, they betake themſelves to violence, and he avoideth it, ver. 59.
In this verſe we have their firſt attempt; wherein, taking advantage of his ſharp cenſure of them, they charge him with being a Samaritan and poſſeſſed with an evil Spirit. They do particularly charge him to be a Samaritan, not only, becauſe they accounted the Samaritans the moſt impious of men, becauſe of their Apoſtacy from the Church of Judah, and the true Religion there, (whereof they account him alſo guilty by his doctrine) but ſpecially, becauſe as the Samaritans were moſt bitter enemies unto, and traducers of the Jewes (as may be ſeen in part, Joh. 4.9.) ſo did they account of him, who durſt be ſo bold as to deny them to be children of God, and to ſay they were of the devil. As for the other charge, thou haſt a devil, it is true that elſewhere they do maliciouſly aſſert againſt their light, that he was guided and aſſiſted by Satan in his doctrine and miracles, Matth. 12.24. But here, it ſeemes, they only intend to retort his challenge, and do ſay, he had a devil, which prompted him to ſay they were of the devil. And ſo the challenge is all one with the former of a Samaritan, whom they looked on (as on all wicked men) as guided by an evil ſpirit, and accordingly, Chriſt anſwers both, in anſwering one of them. Doctrine 1. Albeit wicked enemies to truth may, for a time, enter the liſts of diſpute, as if they minded to ſeek out, and follow truth; Yet conviction in debate will not gain ground upon them; As appeares in theſe Jewes, who when they are put to the worſe in diſpute, yet they come nothing the nearer to truth. 2. Unbeliefe and contempt of the truth will end in blaſphemy; And impious men, being convinced, will turne ratlers, and betake themſelves to perſonal reflexions againſt the perſons of men who maintain the truth, when they can do no better: for, ſo do they deal with Chriſt. 3. Wicked men can vent no reproaches, calumnie;, or blaſphemies, againſt Chriſts ſervants and people, which Chriſt hath not ſanctified in his own perſon, being called to his face the worſt of men, a reproacher and enemy to the people of God, and one poſſeſſed with an evil ſpirit; As here we ſee. 4. There are none more ready to reproach Chriſt and his followers, as if they were poſſeſſed with an evil ſpirit, then theſe who are his real ſlaves themſelves; for, they who are of the devil, ver. 44. ſay of Chriſt, thou haſt a devil. 5. Such is the power of ignorance, prejudice, or malice, when men are poſſeſſed therewith, that they will draw bad concluſions, and put hard conſtructions upon beſt actions; for, upon Chriſts uſeful and true doctrine, they think they do well to draw theſe bad concluſions, Say we not well (intimating they had a cuſtome of it before) that thou art a Samaritan, &c. ſince thou ſpeakeſt ſo.