Jesus was demanding they stop judging by outward appearance

JESUS WAS DEMANDINGTHEY STOP JUDGING
BY OUTWARDAPPEARANCE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 7:24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and
start judging justly."
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Judge not according to the appearance
A. Macleod, D. D.
Judging according to the appearance led the Jews into error —
I. RESPECTING THE LORD HIMSELF.
1. They never got deeperthan the surface of His Person. The Christ they were
expecting was one piecedup of mere outsides of the reality. What resemblance
had that sorrow. strickenprophet of Nazarethto the glare and splendour of
the Christ of their imagination? He came poor to look at and poor as He
seemed. They had no eyes for the Divinity within.
2. There is the same shutting of the eyes now to the Divinity in His person; the
same refusal to receive Him as Lord.(1) By how many is nature regardedas

greaterthan Christ!(2) Many acceptthe opinion of the world for their idea of
Christ.(3) Some habitually exclude from their thoughts the presence ofJesus
in providence.(4) Others, staggeredat their sinfulness, are blinded to the fact
that in Jesus there is cleansing forall their vileness.
3. Some scriptural views which will counteractthese errors and lead to a
righteous judgment.(1) It ought not to seemstrange to a human being that a
Divine Saviourshould be human also. Man cannotdraw near to an abstract
God. We need one who has dwelt on earth, who has knownour sorrows, and
is as near to us as our nature is; and such a one is Jesus.(2)But a merely
human Saviour would not meet our need. Only God can save us. This Jesus
claims to be, and the Gospels sayHe was, and prove it on every page.
II. RESPECTINGTHE WORKS OF THE SAVIOUR.
1. It was one of these that called forth the unrighteous judgment He here
rebukes. About six months before He had healed the impotent man (John 5:1-
9). According to appearance He had violated the Sabbath, But in the strictest
sense that was such a deed as the Sabbath was appointed to suggestand
promote. And the misjudging eye followedHim whereverHe went, and
adjudged the miracles, which were manifestations from heaven, to be a sign
from hell.
2. Similar errors are found among us.(1)His work on the cross has been
judged according to appearance, and setdown as martyrdom and as the last
manifestation of that obedience which is a model to us. Neither of these views
enter into the inner meaning of the transaction. As for the first, it is not in
harmony with the law of Jesus:"When they persecute you in one city, flee ye
into another." But our Lord sought death. As for the next, the Bible leaves no
room for doubt that there was more in Christ's death than that "Christ died

for the ungodly." "We have redemption through His blood," etc. The primal
and essentialaim of Christ's death was atonement for sin.(2) His work in
carrying on His providence. There may be an appearance ofevil to God's
people, while we know that "no evil shall happen to them." The Lord's
dealings with them are transactedbeyond the range of the outward eye. Jesus
cannot be unkind to them.
III. RESPECTING THEIR OWN SPIRITUAL STATE.
1. They did not suspecttheir own wickedness, but seemedto themselves to be
animated by zeal for God's law. There was much in appearances to foment
this delusion. Had we arrived on the scene whenthese words were spoken, we
should have concludedthat some grand actof national worship was going
forward; and had we heard this reference to Sabbath violation, we might have
thought the people no respecters ofpersons in their zeal for God's law. But
underneath all that show of worship was hollow unbelief, and all that zealfor
"Rememberthe Sabbath" was a cloak for their transgressionof "Thoushalt
not kill."
2. Our circumstances are notdissimilar to theirs. Our Lord's day is a festival
as really as that feast;but is ,our heart in Sabbath worship, and while we bow
the head, are we bowing the heart? Excellent though Sabbath-keeping and
Church-going are, they are apt to deceive us. And so with other religious acts.
We may be very scrupulous outwardly, and yet inwardly be far from
God.Conclusion:
1. The world is full of people who seemas though they were all journeying in
one direction; yet part is travelling to heaven and part to hell. Whatever the
outside of our lives may seem to say, we belong to one or the other. Let us
ascertainby the test of a righteous judgment to which we belong.

2. We are all hastening to a day when judgment will not be according to
appearance.
3. But why appeal to the future? God is passing His righteous judgments on
our state and actions now. Let us be judges with Godin this matter, and be
satisfiedwith nothing that will not satisfy Him.
(A. Macleod, D. D.)
Hiding behind others
Charles S. Robinson, D. D.
Here is administered a rebuke to the injustice and peril of making the
apparent inconsistencies ofChristians the apologyfor delay in beginning a
religious life.
I. THE INJUSTICE OF JUDGING THE MERE APPEARANCE OF
OTHERS.
1. One cannotalways know the actualfacts as to another's inconsistent
behaviour.
2. Northe balances ofbetter behaviour behind it.
3. Northe unseen spiritual struggle againstit.

4. Northe penitence and prayer which may have followedit.
II. The peril of hiding behind the mere appearance ofothers.
1. It is itself inconsistent;would men follow Christians who are correct?
2. It is evasive:men only mean to stop appeal.
3. It is illogical:it pays the highestcompliment to real religion.
4. It is unreasonable:men know they are independently responsible to God.
5. It is unsafe: it shows men they know the right way of living when they
criticize what is inconsistentwith it.
(Charles S. Robinson, D. D.)
Judging by outward appearances
J. N. Norton, D. D.
I. IS NOT A TRUE WAY OF JUDGING. Some of the most delicious fruits
are encasedin rough and unsightly coverings;and one who had not tasted
them before, would be likely to pass them by, and go on to others which
seemedto be better. One day a man dressedin plain, coarse clotheswalked
into a little English village, carrying a bundle tied up in a handkerchief. No
one noticedhim, or caredfor him. After a while the stage-coachdrove up; the

little way-side mail-bag was thrown off, and all the idlers of the village
assembledabout the post-office. The contents of the bag were soonassorted,
and there was nothing deserving of notice, except a formidable-looking letter,
with a large seal, directedto Lord Somebody. The postmasterexamined it,
and read its superscription aloud. Everybody was on tip-toe of expectation,
and for giving the nobleman a grand reception. Meanwhile, the strangerin
the homespun dress sat silently watching the proceedings;and, when the
public curiosity had worn itself out over the letter, he claimed it as his own.
Astonishment, indignation, and a variety of other emotions, took possessionof
the crowd. But when the postmaster, who had seenthe nobleman some- where
before, and now recognizedhim in his plain clothes, handed him the letter,
every one beganto try and do awaywith the unfavourable impression which
had been made on the strangerby the coolcontempt with which he had been
treated so long as he had been thought to be only an ordinary traveller. Lord
Somebody, taking his bundle in his hand, left the village, giving the advice
containedin the text as his parting legacyto its mortified inhabitants.
II. IS NOT A JUST WAY OF JUDGING. Many hundred years age when the
Tabernacle ofthe Lord was at Shiloh, a goodwoman, named Hannah, went
into pray, and to ask for a specialblessing which she greatly longed for. It was
in her heart that she spake to the Lord, and no loud word was uttered. But He
who knowethall things could hear her. Eli the priest saw her come in, and,
judging from outward appearance, he judged unjustly, rashly concluding her
to be tipsy. How Eli's heart must have been wrung by the reply (1 Samuel
1:15). People who wearthe longestfaces, andwho talk the most religiously,
have not always the most of the love of God in their hearts. As Shakespeare
has worded it — "A man may smile, and smile, and be a villain."
III. IS NOT A SAFE WAY OF JUDGING. The ice on the river appears to be
as safe as the earth, but how many who venture upon it pay for their temerity!
"Oh! how I wish I could ride in a carriage, like that gentleman!" exclaimeda
little fellow, one day, as a handsome coachand four dashed rapidly by him,
while he trudged along the dusty road. "I am sure that man must be as happy
as a king. O that I had been born so lucky!" At no greatdistance from the

spot where the carriage passedhim, it suddenly stopped, and the complaining
and envious boy arrived just in time to see the happy ownerof the carriage
descendfrom it. Alas! little of happiness was to be seen. The rich man was a
cripple, and before he could move a step, a pair of crutches had to be brought
to him, and, as he cautiouslyraised himself from the seat, his face was
distorted with pain. The little boy was thus taught the lessonof the text.
(J. N. Norton, D. D.)
Appearances
A traveller showedLavater two portraits — the one a highwayman who had
been broken upon the wheel, the other was a portrait of Kant the philosopher.
He was desired to distinguish betweenthem. Lavater took up the portrait of
the highwayman, and, after attentively considering it for some time, "Here,"
said he, "we have the true philosopher. Here is penetration in the eye and
reflectionin the forehead; here is cause, andthere is effect;here is
combination, there is distinction; synthetic lips and analytic nose." Then,
turning to the portrait of the philosopher, he exclaimed, "The calm-thinking
villain is so well expressedand so strongly marked in this countenance that it
needs no comment." This anecdote Kant used to tell with greatglee.
Judge not by appearances
At one of the annual Waterloo banquets the Duke of Wellington after dinner
handed round for inspectiona very valuable presentation snuff-box set with
diamonds. After a time it disappeared, and could nowhere be found. The
Duke was much annoyed. The guests (there being no servants in the room at
the time) were more so, and they all agreedto turn out their pockets. To this
one old officer vehemently objected, and, on their pressing the point, left the
room, notwithstanding that the Duke beggedthat nothing more might be said
about the matter. Of course suspicionfell on the old officer;nobody seemedto
know much about him or where he lived. The next year the Duke at the
annual banquet put his hand in the pocketof his coat, which he had not worn

since the lastdinner, and there was the missing snuff-box! The Duke was
dreadfully distressed, found out the old officer, who was living in a wretched
garret, and apologized. "Butwhy," said His Grace, "did you not consentto
what the other officers proposed, and thus have saved yourself from the
terrible suspicion?" "Because,sir, my pockets were full of broken meat,
which I had contrived to put there to save my wife and family, who were at
that time literally dying of starvation." The Duke, it is said, sobbed like a
child; and it need not be added that the old officerand his family suffered no
more from want from that day. Appearances are often deceptive. We don't
know all. Therefore "Judge not, that ye be not judged."
We must not judge by appearances
C. H. Spurgeon.
Whatevertruth there may be in phrenology, or in Lavater's kindred science
of physiognomy, we shall do well scrupulously to avoid forming an opinion
againsta man from his personalappearance. If we so judge we shall often
commit the greatestinjustice, which may, if we should ever live to be
disfigured by sicknessormarred by age, be returned into our own bosomto
our bitter sorrow. Plato comparedSocratesto the gallipots of the Athenian
apothecaries,onthe outside of which were painted grotesque figures of apes
and owls, but they containedwithin precious balsams. All the beauty of a
Cleopatra cannotsave her name from being infamous; personalattractions
have adorned some of the grossestmonsters that ever cursed humanity. Judge
then no man or womanafter their outward fashion, but with purified eye
behold the hidden beauty of the heart and life.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
The folly of judging by appearances
J. N. Norton, D. D.
Two knights met in a woodone day, and saw betweenthem a shield fastened
to a branch. Neitherknew to whom it belonged, or why it was there. "Whose

is this white shield? " said one. "White? Why it is black!" replied the other.
"Do you take me for blind, or a fool, that you tell me what my own eyes can
see is false?" And so words were bandied about until the dispute became so
violent that swords were drawn, when a third knight came upon the scene.
Looking at the angry men, he said, "You should be brothers in arms. Why do
I see these passionate gestures,and hear these fierce words?" Eachknight
made .baste to explain the imposition which the other had tried to practice
upon him. The stranger smiled, and riding to one side of the shield, and then
to the other, he said, very quietly, "Do not charge with your weapons just yet.
Change places!" They did so, and, behold, the knight who had seenthe white
side of the shield saw now the black side also;and the knight who had been
ready to do battle for the black stoodface to face with the white side.
Ashamed of their hot haste, they apologizedone to the other, and rode out of
the greenwoodas goodfriends as ever. The lessontaught in this story is very
important. Half the misunderstandings and quarrels which disturb the peace
and destroy the happiness of families and neighbourhoods might be
prevented, if those who engage in these disputes could see both sides of the
question at once. How wise, then, are those people who are careful never to
form hasty opinions, and who wait until they have seenor heard both sides,
before venturing to determine which is right!
(J. N. Norton, D. D.)
Deceptive appearances
W. Baxendale.
Rabbi Joshua, the son of Chananiah, was a very learnedand wise man, but he
was ugly. His complexion was so dark that he was nicknamed "The
Blacksmith," and little children ran away from him. One day, when the Rabbi
went to court, the Emperor Trajan's daughter laughed at his ugliness, and
said, "Rabbi, I wonder how it is that such greatwisdom should be contained
in an ugly head." Rabbi Joshua kept his temper, and, instead of replying,
asked, "Princess,in what vessels does your august father keephis wine?" "In
earthern jars, to be sure," replied she. "Indeed," exclaimed the Rabbi, "why

all the common people keeptheir wine in earthern jars; the Emperor's wine
should be kept in handsome vessels." The princess, who thought that Joshua
was really in earnest, went off to the chief butler, and ordered him to pour all
the Emperor's wine into gold and silver vessels, earthernjars being unworthy
of such precious drink. The butler followedthese orders; but when the wine
came to the royal table it had turned sour. The next time the princess met the
Rabbi she expressedher astonishment at his having given her such a strange
piece of advice, and mentioned the result. "Thenyou have learned a simple
lesson, princess,"was the Rabbi's reply. " Wine is bestkept in common
vessels:so is wisdom." The next time the princess met the Rabbi she did not
laugh at his ugly face.
(W. Baxendale.)
Deceptive appearances
C. H. Spurgeon.
I have heard of one who felt convincedthat there must be something in the
Roman Catholic religion from the extremely starved and pinched appearance
of a certain ecclesiastic. "Look,"saidhe,"how the man is worn to a skeleton
by his daily fastings and nightly vigils! How he must mortify his flesh!" Now
the probabilities are that the emaciatedpriest was labouring under some
internal disease, whichhe would have been heartily glad to be rid of, and it
was not conquest of appetite, but failure in digestionwhich had so reduced
him; or possibly a troubled conscience,whichmade him fret himself down to
the light weights. CertainlyI never met with a text which mentions
prominence of bone as an evidence of grace. If so "the living skeleton" should
have been exhibited, not merely as a living curiosity, but as the standard of
virtue. Some of the biggestrogues have been as mortified in appearance as if
they had lived on locusts and wild honey. It is a very vulgar error to suppose
that a melancholy countenance is the index of a gracious heart.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

Sometimes hard to judge
An ingenious device is attributed in the Talmud to King Solomon. The Queen
of Sheba, attracted by the reputation of his wisdom, one day presentedherself
before him, holding in her hands two wreaths, the one of exquisite natural
flowers, the other of artificial. The artificial wreath was arrangedwith so
much taste and skill, the delicate form of the flowers so perfectly imitated, and
the minutest shades of colourso wonderfully blended, that the wise king, at
the distance at which they were held, was unable to determine which was
really the work of the Divine Artist. For a moment he seemedbaffled; the
Jewishcourt lookedon in melancholy astonishment; then his eyes turned
towards a window, near which a swarm of bees were hovering. He
commanded it to be opened; the bees rushed into the court, and immediately
alighted on one of the wreaths;whilst not a single one fixed on the other.
Then said some of them of Jerusalem
Bishop Ryle.
I. THE OBSTINATE BLINDNESSOF THE UNBELIEVING JEWS. They
defended their denial of our Lord's Messiahshipby two assertions,both of
which were wrong (ver. 27).
1. They were wrong in saying that they knew whence He came. They meant
that He came from Nazareth;but He was born at Bethlehem, and belonged to
the tribe of Judah, and was of the lineage of David. The Jews, with their care-
fully-kept family histories, could have found this out. Their ignorance was,
therefore, without excuse.
2. They were wrong in saying that "no man was to know whence Christ
came." This was in fiat contradictionto Micah5:2 (see Matthew 2:5; John
7:42), which they found it convenientnot to remember (2 Peter3:5). How
common is this habit to-day! "There are none so blind as those who will not
see."

II. THE OVER-RULING HAND OF GOD OVER ALL HIS ENEMIES (ver
30).
1. Our Lord's sufferings were undergone voluntarily. He did not go to the
cross becauseHe could not help it. Neither Jew nor Gentile could have hurt
Him, exceptpower had been given them from above. The passioncould not
begin until the very hour which God had appointed.
2. Christ's servants should treasure up this doctrine. Nothing can happen to
them but by Divine permission (Psalm31:15).
III. THE MISERABLE END TO WHICH UNBELIEVERS SHALL ONE
DAY COME (ver. 34). It is uncertain whether our Lord had in view
individual casesofunbelief, or the national remorse at the siege of Jerusalem.
There is such a thing as finding out truth too late (Proverbs 1:28; Matthew
25:11). Therefore decide for Christ now.
(Bishop Ryle.)
The origin of Jesus
T. Whitelaw, D. D.
I. THE COGITATIONS OF THE JERUSALEMITES.
1. Wonder.(1)The fearlessnessofChrist (ver. 26) startled them, considering
that He was a marked Man (ver. 25). Being themselves destitute of moral
courage (ver. 13), they had no idea of such fortitude as innocence and truth
could inspire, and that he whom God shields is invulnerable (Isaiah 54:17)
until his work is done (Deuteronomy 33:25)and his hour is come (John 9:4;
Hebrews 9:27).(2) The timidity of the rulers (ver. 26) puzzled them. They had

as little comprehensionof the essentialcowardiceofwickedness(Proverbs
28:1; Job 18:7-21)as of the majesty of goodness.
2. Suspicion. Ruminating on the inaction of the authorities, they beganto
whisper that something had occurredto change their tactics;that perhaps
they had ascertainedthatJesus was the Messiah(ver. 26) — a conjecture that
was immediately dismissed, little guessing that truth often presents itself in
such seemingly involuntary suggestions.
3. Decision. Who Jesus was theycould settle in a moment.(1) When Messiah
came, no one would be able to tell whence He came, or His parentage (ver 27),
though His birthplace would be known(ver. 42).(2)Everybody knew Jesus'
birthplace and parentage.(3)Therefore He could not be Messiah, but only "a
man," like His fellows. Goodlogic, it is obvious, is not the same thing as sound
Divinity.
II. THE DECLARATIONS OF JESUS.
1. A concession. Theirknowledge ofHis origin was —(1)Ostensibly
complete.(2)Essentiallyerroneous, since they had no acquaintance with His
higher nature.
2. A proclamation.(1)Concerning Himself.
(a)His Divine Mission. "I am not Come of Myself." "He sent Me."
(b)His Divine knowledge. "Iknow Him," the Sender.

(c)His Divine essence. "Iam from Him."(2) Concerning them.
(a)Their ignorance of God. "Whom ye know not."
(b)As a consequence, theirnon-recognitionof Him.Lessons:
1. The true humanity of Jesus.
2. To know Christ after the flesh only is to be ignorant of Him in reality.
3. No one knows Christ who recognizes notHis Divine origin and mission.
4. A knowledge ofthe Father necessaryto a true acquaintance with the Son
(Matthew 11:27).
5. It is not possible for wickedmen to do all they wish exceptGod wills.
(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
Knowledge of Christ must be more than critical
C. H. Spurgeon.

I heard two persons on the WengemAlp talking by the hour of the names of
ferns; not a word about their characteristics,uses, orhabits, but a medley of
crack-jaw titles, nothing more. They evidently felt that they were ventilating
their botany, and kept eachother in countenance by alternate volleys of
nonsense. Theywere about as sensible as those doctrinalists who for ever talk
over the technicalities of religion, but know nothing by experience of its spirit
and power. Are we not all too apt to amuse ourselves afterthe same fashion.
He who knows mere Linnaean names, but has never seena flower, is as
reliable in botany as he is in theologywho candescantupon
supralapsaranism, but has never known the love of Christ in his heart. True
religion is more than doctrine; something must be knownand felt.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Howbeit we know this Man whence He is
W. H. Van Doren, D. D.
Note the ineffable self-complacencyof spiritual ignorance and pride. Although
His miracles made Him famous, yet they neither know nor desired to know
His realnature.
1. Knowing God's power, they would not have resistedHis Son.
2. Knowing God's justice, they would not have rejectedHis warnings.
3. Knowing God's mercy, they would not have grieved His Spirit.
4. Knowing God's wisdom, they would not have trusted their folly. So far
from knowing, they have never carefully inquired into His life and birth.
Indeed, they did not know that He was born at Bethlehem. Had they known
Him, they would not have felt angry at Sabbath healing.

(W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
Jewishtheories about Christ's origin and coming
DeanPayne Smith.
When the wise men came, the scribes at Jerusalemaverred that the Messiah
should be born "in Bethlehemof Judaea," andadduced in proof the words of
Micah. But here we find that Micah's words were by no means universally
held as conclusive. Some held — and many famous Jewishexpositors have
since maintained that the Messiahwould come suddenly, like a bright and
unexpected meteor, as here. The popular opinion, however, agreedwith the
answerof the scribes above (ver 42). Now it would be erroneous to suppose
that the opinion expressedin the text was groundless or fanciful. It restedon
all those passagesin the Old Testamentwhich refer to our Lord's Divine
origin. To us the doctrine of the Divine and human natures in Christ is a
cardinal article of faith; and, trained in this belief, we reconcile by its aid
many statements of the prophets which externally are at variance with one
another. But this twofold aspectmust have been a serious difficulty to those
who had only the teaching of the prophets, without the New Testament
exposition of that teaching;nor canI see anything absurd in the expectation
that, like a secondMelchisedek, He would appear suddenly, with no human
lineage, and no place of earthly birth and education. More correctly, we may
regard this idea as only a confused anticipation of the truth that the Messiah
was not only David's Son, but also "the Son of God." This very title is more
than once given to our Lord (John 1:49; Matthew 16:16;Matthew 26:63). In
the latter text, Caiaphas probably put the question contemptuously, as
representing what he deemed to be the most extreme form of Messianic
doctrine; but there were other and better men who held it devoutly as a truth.
But could these noble souls make it harmonize with the equally plain
prophetic teaching that the Messiahwas to be a Man, a descendantof David,
and born at Bethlehem? Many attempts were no doubt made to harmonize
this apparent discrepancy. One such we read in 's dialogue with the Jew

Trypho. Trypho there affirms " that the MessiahatHis birth would remain
unknown and unacquainted with His powers until Elias appeared, who would
anoint Him and proclaim Him as the Christ." In the Talmud the most
conflicting opinions are found respecting the Messiah's advent. In one place it
is said that He will first manifest Himself at Rome; in another, that the place
will be Babylon; in a third, that He will not appear at all unless the Jews
reform their manners. More frequently, however, it asserts thatJerusalem
would be the place of His birth. Who could read such passagesas Psalm87:5;
Isaiah2:3; Psalm 50:2, and not draw from them the conclusionthat the
Messiahwouldbe born on Zion's Holy Hill (2 Esdras 13:6, 35, etc.).
(DeanPayne Smith.)
Then cried Jesus in the Temple
Christ grievedby misconceptions aboutHimself
G. Calthrop, M. A.
Nathanaelhad a technical objection(John 1:46); but it was sweptaway at
once by the moral impression produced by Jesus. These Jews hadalso a
technicalobjection ("whenChrist came, no one was to know whence He
was"), and this servedto neutralize, for them, all the effectof the Saviour's
teaching. They were bond-slaves to the letter; and this not the letter of
Scripture, but of their own interpretation of Scripture. Let us consider —
I. THE ATTACK UPON CHRIST. Just before His teaching had been
assailed;now His personand mission. "He cannot be the Christ, because we
know all about Him." Recallcircumstance. The speakers are JerusalemJews,
who are well acquainted with the animus of the rulers towards Him. "How is
it, then," they ask, "thatHe is allowedto speak so fear. lessly? Are the rulers
coming round to believe in Him? But when we think of it, that cannot be.
They are aware, as we are, that one over whose antecedents no obscurity rests
can be no Messiah." All neutralized by a notion I This pains and distresses
Jesus, and He "cries out" loudly, with emotion, seeking to rectify the mistake.

II. THE DEFENCE. Jesus admits the truth of what they say, so far as it goes;
they have an outward knowledge ofHim and His origin. But this is only what
appears. There is something beyond of which they are ignorant, and that is
the Divine mission. But this mission is a fact. "He that sent Me is real" — i.e.
(probably), "really exists." Why, then, do they not recognize the fact? Because
they, little as they think it, are ignorant of God. With this ignorance of God,
He contrasts His own inward consciousnessofGod and His relation to Him.
"I know Him."
III. RESULT OF THE DEFENCE. The extreme irritation of the Jews atbeing
told that they did not know God, and their indignation at Jesus'assumptionof
a peculiar relationship to the Father. They considerHim to be at least
touching upon the confines of blasphemy, and "seek to take Him"; but they
could not, because His hour was not yet come.
IV. FOR PRACTICAL INFERENCES, letus Ñ
1. Recurto the thought that Christ is pained by misconceptionof His person
and work, because He knows how ruinous such misconsceptions are to
mankind.
2. That He speaks severely, because itis necessaryto do so. In no other way
could He hope to obtain for the truth admissioninto the hearts of His hearers.
(G. Calthrop, M. A.)

Then they sought to take Him; but no man laid hands on Him, because His
hour was not yet come.
The hour of destiny
P. L. Davies, A. M.
I. CHRIST'S HOUR WAS DIVINELY PREDESTINATED. This is proved by
—
1. The numerous predictions of Scripture.
2. The long suffering of God in the preservationof the human race.
3. The influences which this hour has exerted on the condition of the world.
II. CHRIST'S HOUR WAS ABOVE ALL CONTINGENCYAND HUMAN
INTERFERENCES.This fact shows —
1. The universality of Divine providence.
2. The futility of human opposition to the ways of God.
3. The steadfastnessofthe Divine plan.
III. HIS HOUR DID NOT AFFECT THE MORAL FREEDOM OF HIS
CONDUCT.

1. He chose the hour.
2. This choice proves His infinite love for us.
3. The manner in which He submitted to His destiny is a sublime model for us.
(P. L. Davies, A. M.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(24) Judge not according to the appearance.—He has put the case before them
in its true light, I and from their own point of view. There was another
Positive Preceptof Moses whichthese judges were forgetting, though it, too,
formed part of the first sectionof the Law read at Tabernacles(Deuteronomy
1:16-17). (Comp. Note on John 7:19.)Let them who profess to judge Him by
the Law obey it, and form a just and honestopinion, and not be biasedby the
appearance ofa mere technicality. Even if His work did fall under the
condemnation of what they held to be the letter of the Mosaic law (comp. Note
on John 5:10), they knew perfectly well—andtheir own practice as to
circumcisionproved this—that it did so in appearance only.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
7:14-24 Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His
doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the
teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any

man, of any nation, seeksto do the will of God, he shall know whether the
doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate
the truth shall be given up to errors which will be fatal. Surely it was as
agreeable to the design of the sabbath to restore health to the afflicted, as to
administer an outward rite. Jesus told them to decide on his conduct
according to the spiritual import of the Divine law. We must not judge
concerning any by their outward appearance, but by their worth, and by the
gifts and gracesofGod's Spirit in them.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Judge not according to the appearance - Not as a thing first offers itself to
you, without reflection or candor. In appearance, to circumcise a child on the
Sabbath might be a violation of the law; yet you do it, and it is right. So, to
appearance, it might be a violation of the Sabbath to heal a man, yet it is right
to do works ofnecessityand mercy.
Judge righteous judgment - Candidly; looking at the law, and inquiring what
its spirit really requires.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
24. Judge not, &c.—thatis, Rise above the letter into the spirit of the law.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Do not judge persons, and condemn me for what I have done, merely out of
your hatred, prejudice, and malice againstme. Or, do not judge according to
the first appearance of this fact. It lookethto you as a violation of the sabbath;
it is not indeed so, but the performance of a duty greaterthan that of
sanctifying the sabbath is. Judge righteously, and do not condemn in me what
you yourselves do in other causes, because ofyour hatred to and prejudice
againstme; nor condemn an actionwhich is in itself a righteous action, and
not deserving condemnation.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Judge not according to the appearance,.... Orthrough respectof persons, and
so as to please men, the Scribes and Pharisees;who had condemned the action
of Christ, in curing the diseasedman on the sabbath day, and sought to kill
him for it:
but judge righteous judgment; give your sense and judgment of things,
according to the truth and evidence of them; and do not find fault with that,
which you yourselves allow of, and which Moses andhis law, and your own
practices, justify.
Geneva Study Bible
{9} Judge not {g} according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
(9) We must judge according to the truth of things, lest men turn us from the
truth and carry us away.
(g) By the show that I make: for I seemto be a despicable personfrom among
the rabble of Galilee, and a carpenter's son, whom no man considers to be
very important: but mark the matter itself well, and judge the tree by the
fruit.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
John 7:24. This closing admonition is general, applicable to every case that
might arise, but drawn by way of deduction from the specialone in point.
According to the outward appearance, thatact was certainly, in the Jewish
judgment, a breach of the Sabbath; but the righteous judgment was that to
which Jesus had now conducted them. Upon ὄψις, id quod sub visum cadit,
res in conspicuo posita, see Lobeck, Paralip. p. 512. It does not here mean
visage, as in John 11:44, and as Hengstenberg makes it, who introduces the
contrastbetweenChrist “without form or comeliness,”and the shining

countenance ofMoses. Onκρίνειν κρίσιν δικαίαν, comp. Tob 3:2; Susannah
53; Zechariah7:9.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
24. according to the appearance]‘According to the appearance’Christ’s act
was a breachof the Sabbath. This is almost certainly the meaning, although
the word translated‘appearance’may mean ‘face,’and is rightly translated
‘face’in John 11:44 (see note there). There is no reference here to Christ’s
having ‘no form nor comeliness,’as if He meant ‘Judge not by My mean
appearance.’
Bengel's Gnomen
John 7:24. Μὴ κρίνετε κατʼ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίανκρίσιν κρίνατε, judge not
according to the appearance, but judge true judgment) On that Sabbath,
which fell among the days of the FeastofTabernacles (the Sabbath moreover
had fallen this year on the fifth day of the feast), there used to be read the
book Ecclesiastes, a greatportion of which is this very precept as to avoiding
superficial judgment and holding to right judgment. [It is also judging
according to appearance, or(what is the same)according to the flesh; ch.
John 8:15, “Ye judge after the flesh,” when the letter is taken independently
of the (spiritual) sense. Christ Himself judges according to truth. Isaiah11:3-
4, “He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the
hearing of His ears, But with righteousness shallHe judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”—V. g.]—τήν) The judgment
that is true, is one.[186]This is the force of the article.
[186]Whilst false judgments are many.—E. and T.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 24. - Judge not according to appearance ? the superficialaspectof
things, the merely formal side, the unexplained letter of the Law. Οψις id
quod sub visum cadit res in conspicuo posita. According to that, the healing
and the bed carrying consequentupon it would be a positive infraction of a

certain enactment. But judge righteous judgment. Consider the case, and see
that I have done, in this actof healing, less than you are doing yourselves,
notwithstanding all your punctilio, and with a higher justification. The aorist
κρίνατε involves probably "the one true and complete decisionwhich the case
admits" (Westcott).
Vincent's Word Studies
Appearance (ὄψιν)
Primarily, seeing or sight. In John 11:44;Revelation1:16, face, and hence
external appearance. The word occurs only in the three passages cited.
Righteous judgment (τὴν δικαίανκρίσιν)
Properly, the righteous judgment; that which is appropriate to the case in
hand.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Judge not according to the appearance - Attend to the law, not merely in the
letter, but in its spirit and design. Learn that the law which commands men to
rest on the Sabbath day is subordinate to the law of mercy and love, which
requires them to be ever active to promote God's glory in the comfort and
salvationof their fellow creatures;and endeavor to judge of the merit or
demerit of an action, not from the first impression it may make upon your

prejudices but from its tendency, and the motives of the person, as far as it is
possible for you to acquaint yourselves with them; still believing the best,
where you have no certainproof to the contrary.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on John 7:24". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/john-
7.html. 1832.
Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon John 7:24". "Barnes'Notes onthe Whole
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/john-7.html.
1870.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Jesus here chargedhis foes with having made a false judgment, based solely
on the fact that Jesus had APPARENTLYbroken the sabbath; but here he
explained that the performance of an actof mercy and salvationtook
precedence oversabbath law, a principle which they recognizedin connection
with a far lesserthing, the rite of circumcision. Thus, their judgment that
Jesus was worthy of death as a sabbath-breakerwas anevil judgment, based
solelyon superficialand unsound premises. Jesus, by this discussion, also
replied to the ignorant denial of some of the people that there was any plot to
kill him. By openly discussing the charge on which they soughtto put him to
death, Jesus did two things: (1) showing that the multitude was ignorant of the
truth, and (2) exposing the falsity of the charge on which they wanted to kill
him.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography

Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/john-7.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Judge not according to the appearance,.... Orthrough respectof persons, and
so as to please men, the Scribes and Pharisees;who had condemned the action
of Christ, in curing the diseasedman on the sabbath day, and sought to kill
him for it:
but judge righteous judgment; give your sense and judgment of things,
according to the truth and evidence of them; and do not find fault with that,
which you yourselves allow of, and which Moses andhis law, and your own
practices, justify.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on John 7:24". "The New John Gill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/john-
7.html. 1999.

Geneva Study Bible
9 Judge not g according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
(9) We must judge according to the truth of things, lest men turn us from the
truth and carry us away.
(g) By the show that I make: for I seemto be a despicable personfrom among
the rabble of Galilee, and a carpenter's son, whom no man considers to be
very important: but mark the matter itself well, and judge the tree by the
fruit.
Copyright Statement
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Beza, Theodore. "Commentaryon John 7:24". "The 1599 Geneva Study
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/john-7.html. 1599-
1645.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Judge not, etc. — that is, Rise above the letter into the spirit of the law.
Copyright Statement

These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
7:24". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/john-7.html. 1871-8.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
According to appearance (κατ οπσιν — kat' opsin). And so, superficially. See
John 11:44. Also not “righteous” (δικαιαν — dikaian) judgment.
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Robertson'sWordPictures of
the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/john-7.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.

Vincent's Word Studies
Appearance ( ὄψιν )
Primarily, seeing or sight. In John 11:44;Revelation1:16, face, and hence
external appearance. The word occurs only in the three passages cited.
Righteous judgment ( τὴν δικαίανκρίσιν )
Properly, the righteous judgment; that which is appropriate to the case in
hand.
Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon John 7:24". "Vincent's Word
Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/john-7.html. Charles
Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
The Fourfold Gospel
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment1.

Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. If the act
of Christ in healing a man were judged as a mere act, it might be considereda
breach of the Sabbath. But if the nature of the actbe takeninto accountand
all the laws relative to it be considered--in short, if it be judged righteously in
all bearings--it would be amply justified.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon John 7:24". "The
Fourfold Gospel". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/john-
7.html. Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
24.Judegenot according to the appearance. Having concluded his defense, he
likewise administers a reproof on this ground, that they are carriedaway by
wickeddispositions, and do not form a judgment according to the fact and the
matter in hand. Circumcisionwas properly held by them in reverence;and
when it was performed on the Sabbath-day, they knew that the Law was not
violated by it, because the works ofGod agree wellwith eachother. Why do
they not arrive at the same conclusionas to the work of Christ, but because
their minds are preoccupiedby a prejudice which they have formed against
his person? Judegment, therefore, will never be right, unless it be regulatedby
the truth of the fact;for as soonas persons appearin public, they turn their
eyes and sensesonthem, so that the truth immediately vanishes. While this
admonition ought to be observedin all causes andaffairs, it is peculiarly

necessarywhen the question relates to the heavenly doctrine; for there is
nothing to which we are more prone than to dislike that doctrine on account
of the hatred or contempt of men.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/john-7.html. 1840-
57.
Ver. 24. "Judge not according to the appearance;but pronounce the
judgment which is in accordancewith righteousness."
῎οψις, sight, hence appearance, designateshere the external and purely formal
side of things. It was only from this defective point of view that the healing of
the impotent man could be made the subject of accusation. There is no
question here of the humble appearance ofJesus which had perverted the
judgment of the Jews (Waitz). Righteous judgment is that which estimates the
acts according to the spirit of the law. The article before the word κρίσιν,
judgment, may denote either the judgment in this definite case, or, in general,
the judgment in eachcase where there is occasionto pass judgment. In the
first clause, whichis negative, the present κρίνετε is very appropriate: for the
question is of the judgment pronounced in this case onthe act of Jesus. But in
the second, the present is probably a correctionin accordance withthe first.
The aorist, κρίνατε, is perfectly suitable: Judge righteously in every case
(without reference to time).

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Godet, Frédéric Louis. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Frédéric Louis Godet -
Commentary on SelectedBooks".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsc/john-7.html.
Scofield's ReferenceNotes
righteous
(See Scofield"1 John 3:7").
Copyright Statement
These files are consideredpublic domain and are a derivative of an electronic
edition that is available in the Online Bible Software Library.
Bibliography
Scofield, C. I. "ScofieldReferenceNoteson John 7:24". "ScofieldReference
Notes (1917 Edition)".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/srn/john-7.html. 1917.

John Trapp Complete Commentary
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Ver. 24. Judege not according to the appearance]Nothing is more ordinary
with many than to precipitate a censure, to exercise their critics, and to
reprehend that which they do not comprehend. Arbitror saith Augustine (de
Trim i. 3), nonnullos opinaturos me sensisse quod non sensi, aut non sensisse
quod sensi, I suppose that severalin reading some places in my books will
think that I thought that which never came into my mind to think, and the
contrary. This was his fear, and this befell him, as Baronius witnesseth.
Compertum est, saith Erasmus. It is wellknown that many points are
condemned as hereticalin Luther’s books, whichin Augustine’s and
Bernard’s books are read and receivedfor goodand orthodox. {a} Hill, in his
Quartern of Reasons, saith, the Catholics follow the Bible, but the Protestants
force the Bible to follow them. And the author of the Gag for the New Gospel
assures his Catholics, that our condemnation is so expresslyset down in our
own Bibles, and is so clearto all the world, that nothing more needs hereto
than that they know to read, and to have their eyes in their heads, at the
opening of our Bible. This is their judgment of us. But what among
themselves!He that tastes an egg, saithErasmus, at an undue time, is castinto
prison, and made to answerfor his heresy; but he that spends all the Lord’s
day in drinking, drabbing, dicing, is calleda good fellow, and passeth
unpunished. Qui totam diem Dominicam vacattemulentiae scortis et aleae
audit bellus homo, &c.
{a} Erasm. epist, ad Cardinal. Maguntin.

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Trapp, John. "Commentary on John 7:24". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/john-7.html.
1865-1868.
Sermon Bible Commentary
John 7:24
I. Are we to judge men according to the appearance oftheir life? There is a
generalsocialjudgment which we must give. We look upon a man's outer life,
and pass a sentence onit, either of praise or blame; and, so far as appearance
goes, thatsentence may be just, as long as the matters it judges are within the
sphere of the broad lines of right and wrong. But in other matters it may be
quite unjust. The human heart is hidden from us, and out of that alone canbe
drawn the materials for a righteous judgment of the lives of men.
II. Again, you are forbidden to judge the whole of a man's life from the results
of his acts upon his own life. That is the way in which the world, while the
man is alive, usually judges;and it is almost always wrong. We thank God
that in the life of the Son of God, in the central life of history, a divine and
eternal contradictionhas been given to the world's lie—that obloquy and

slander, and suffering and poverty, and shame and death, are any proof that a
man's life is base or foolish or degraded. It is emblazoned on the walls of
heaven and earth by the death of Christ, that the prosperous are not always
right, and the sufferer not always wrong.
III. Again, you cannot judge a man's characteraccording to the appearance of
any single act. You must know the man before you can blame or praise him
for the act. You must know the circumstances whichprecededit, the many
motives which entered into every act—the sum of which impelled it—before
you cantruly judge the man from the action.
On the whole, we have scarcelyany right to judge at all, just because we know
nothing but the appearance. Whenwe know more, then we may with
diffidence judge; but, for the most part, we have no business to make the
judgment openly, unless it happen to be a judgment of love. Still, after long
experience, a long labour towards certain qualities, we may attain some power
of judging righteously. (1) The first of these qualities is to love men as Christ
loved them, through utter loss of self; the other qualities are securedby love.
With love comes (2) patience;(3) freedom from prejudice. These qualities are
modes of love; and, in truth, love includes all we need for judging righteously
of men.
S. A. Brooke,The Spirit of the Christian Life, p. 42.
References:John 7:24, Clergyman's Magazine, vol. iii., p. 18;Homilist, 3rd
series, vol. viii., p. 223.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Nicoll, William R. "Commentary on John 7:24". "SermonBible
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/sbc/john-
7.html.
Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
John 7:24. Judege not according to the appearance,— There may be many
wrong judgments of the same matter; but the right can be but one: therefore
the latter clause should be rendered, But make the right judgment.—"Judege
impartially—divest yourselves of your prejudices, and conceive not an ill
opinion of me, on accountof the meanness of my birth, appearance, &c."
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Coke, Thomas. "Commentaryon John 7:24". Thomas Coke Commentaryon
the Holy Bible. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/john-
7.html. 1801-1803.

Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament
From the foregoing argument, Christ draws an inference or conclusion, That
there is no making a judgment according to the first appearance ofthings:
and that suddenness or rashness, prejudice or partiality, in judging,
overthrows righteous judgment. This is the generalapplication of what Christ
had said before:and the particular application of it, as to himself, comes to
this, Judege not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment; as if
Christ had said, "Lay aside your prejudices againstmy person, and compare
these cases attentivelyand impartially with one another; and then see whether
you canjustly condemn me as a sabbath-breaker, and acquit yourselves."
Such was the perfect innocency of our Saviour's actions, that he could and did
submit them to the reasonand judgment of his very enemies.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Burkitt, William. "Commentary on John 7:24". Expository Notes with
PracticalObservations onthe New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wbc/john-7.html. 1700-1703.
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
24.]No stress must be laid on the article ( τήν) with κρίνετε: it is merely
expressive of habit,—Let your judgment ( ἡ κρ. ὑμῶν) be a just one.

κρίνετε implies habit—in all your judgments: whereas the aorist(see var.
readd.) would enjoin right judgment on the presentoccasion, directing the
attention on what had just happened.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on John 7:24". Greek TestamentCritical
ExegeticalCommentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/john-7.html. 1863-1878.
Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
John 7:24. This closing admonition is general, applicable to every case that
might arise, but drawn by way of deduction from the specialone in point.
According to the outward appearance, thatact was certainly, in the Jewish
judgment, a breach of the Sabbath; but the righteous judgment was that to
which Jesus had now conducted them. Upon ὄψις, id quod sub visum cadit,
res in conspicuo posita, see Lobeck, Paralip. p. 512. It does not here mean
visage, as in John 11:44, and as Hengstenberg makes it, who introduces the
contrastbetweenChrist “without form or comeliness,”and the shining
countenance ofMoses. Onκρίνειν κρίσιν δικαίαν, comp. Tobit 3:2; Susannah
53; Zechariah7:9.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Meyer, Heinrich. "Commentary on John 7:24". Heinrich Meyer's Critical
and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hmc/john-7.html. 1832.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
John 7:24. ΄ὴ κρίνετε κατʼὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίανκρίσιν κρίνατε, judge not
according to the appearance, but judge true judgment) On that Sabbath,
which fell among the days of the FeastofTabernacles (the Sabbath moreover
had fallen this year on the fifth day of the feast), there used to be read the
book Ecclesiastes, a greatportion of which is this very precept as to avoiding
superficial judgment and holding to right judgment. [It is also judging
according to appearance, or(what is the same)according to the flesh; ch.
John 8:15, “Ye judge after the flesh,” when the letter is taken independently
of the (spiritual) sense. Christ Himself judges according to truth. Isaiah11:3-
4, “He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the
hearing of His ears, But with righteousness shallHe judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”—V. g.]— τήν) The judgment
that is true, is one.(186)This is the force of the article.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on John 7:24". Johann Albrecht
Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/john-7.html. 1897.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Do not judge persons, and condemn me for what I have done, merely out of
your hatred, prejudice, and malice againstme. Or, do not judge according to
the first appearance of this fact. It lookethto you as a violation of the sabbath;
it is not indeed so, but the performance of a duty greaterthan that of
sanctifying the sabbath is. Judge righteously, and do not condemn in me what
you yourselves do in other causes, because ofyour hatred to and prejudice
againstme; nor condemn an actionwhich is in itself a righteous action, and
not deserving condemnation.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon John 7:24". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/john-7.html. 1685.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament

According to the appearance;according to the outward letter of an act. He
still refers to the charge of breaking the Sabbath. Judged by the outward
letter, the circumcising or healing of a man on the Sabbath might seemto be
Sabbath-breaking. But judged according to truth, neither act was such.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Edwards, Justin. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Family Bible New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/john-7.html.
American Tract Society. 1851.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
24. κατ'ὄψιν. According to appearance Christ’s actwas a breach of the
Sabbath. ὄψις may mean ‘face,’as in John 11:44 (see note there); but there is
no reference to Christ’s having ‘no form nor comeliness,’as if He meant
‘Judge not by My mean appearance.’
τὴν δικ. κρ. The righteous judgment: there is only one.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
"Commentary on John 7:24". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools and
Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/john-7.html.
1896.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
24. According to the appearance—Bythe mere external act, as if that settled
in all casesits right or wrong.
Righteous judgment—Applying the principles of conscience to the nature of
the deed and motive. True religion has this proof of its genuineness namely,
that it agrees withand truly quickens and strengthens our conscience.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Whedon, Daniel. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Whedon's Commentary on
the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/john-7.html.
1874-1909.

PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
‘Do not judge by appearances,but judge righteous judgment’.
Jesus acknowledgedtheir right to judge, but stressedthat it was incumbent on
them to ensure that their judgment was righteous, and not superficial. Those
who claimed the right to judge had a specialresponsibility to ensure that they
judged fairly. But they had overlookedthe principles of compassionand
mercy. As He says in Matthew 23:23, ‘You tithe (give a tenth to God of) even
such trifles as mint and cummin, yet you have neglectedthe weightier matters
of the law, justice and mercy and faith’.
Perhaps we could paraphrase this verse as, ‘Do not judge by what appears to
you to be right, but by what is truly right’. Their judgment was superficial.
They constantly failed to considerthe deeper implications. He was now taking
the battle to the enemy.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Pett, Peter. "Commentary on John 7:24". "PeterPett's Commentary on the
Bible ". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/john-7.html. 2013.

Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
Jesus concludedby warning His hearers againstjudging superficially (cf.
Deuteronomy 16:18-19;Isaiah11:3-4; Zechariah 7:9). Their superficial
judgment about what was legitimate activity for the Sabbath had resulted in
superficial judgment about Jesus" work and person. He told them to stop
doing that. They needed to judge on the basis of righteous criteria, what was
truly right.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Constable, Thomas. DD. "Commentaryon John 7:24". "ExpositoryNotes of
Dr. Thomas Constable".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/john-7.html. 2012.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John 7:24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous
judgment. Righteouslyhad they judged in regardto themselves. So let them
judge His work, and they will see that, where they had suspectedonly the
presence ofiniquity, there was the highest righteousness.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Schaff, Philip. "Commentary on John 7:24". "Schaff's PopularCommentary
on the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/scn/john-7.html. 1879-90.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
Judge. See note on John 5:22 and App-122.
not. Greek. me. App-105. according to. Greek. kata. App-104.
appearance = sight; i.e. objective or outward appearance.
judge . . . judgment. Figure of speechPolyptoton. App-6.
righteous = the righteous.
judgment. App-177.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on John 7:24". "E.W. Bullinger's
Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/john-7.html. 1909-1922.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment - `Rise
above the letter into the spirit of the law.'
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
7:24". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -
Unabridged". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/john-
7.html. 1871-8.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(24) Judge not according to the appearance.—He has put the case before them
in its true light, I and from their own point of view. There was another
Positive Preceptof Moses whichthese judges were forgetting, though it, too,
formed part of the first sectionof the Law read at Tabernacles(Deuteronomy
1:16-17). (Comp. Note on John 7:19.)Let them who profess to judge Him by
the Law obey it, and form a just and honestopinion, and not be biasedby the
appearance ofa mere technicality. Even if His work did fall under the
condemnation of what they held to be the letter of the Mosaic law (comp. Note
on John 5:10), they knew perfectly well—andtheir own practice as to
circumcisionproved this—that it did so in appearance only.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
WILLIAM BARCLAY
A WISE ARGUMENT (John 7:19-24)
7:19-24 "Did not Mosesgive you the law--and not one of you really keeps it?
Why do you try to kill me?" The crowdanswered:"You are mad! Who is
trying to kill you?" Jesus answeredthem: "I have done only one deed and you
are all astonishedby it. Moses gave youthe rite of circumcision (not that it
had its origin in Moses--itcame downfrom your fathers) and you circumcise a
man on the Sabbath. If a man canbe circumcisedon the Sabbath, without
breaking the law of Moses,are you angry at me for making the entire body of

a man whole on the Sabbath? Stop judging by appearances,and make your
judgment just."
Before we begin to look at this passage indetail, we must note one point. We
must picture this scene as a debate betweenJesus and the leaders of the Jews,
with the crowdstanding all around. The crowdIs listening as the debate goes
on. Jesus is aiming to justify his action in healing the man on the Sabbath day
and thereby technicallybreaking the Sabbath law. He begins by saying that
Moses gave them the Sabbath law, and yet none of them keeps it absolutely.
(What he meant by that we shall shortly see.) If he then breaks the law to heal
a man, why do they, who themselves break the law, seek to kill him?
At this point the crowdbreak in with the exclamation: "You are mad!" and
the question: "Who is trying to kill you?" The crowdhave not yet realized the
malignant hatred of their leaders;they are not yet aware of the plots to
eliminate him. They think that Jesus has a persecutionmania, that his
imagination is disordered and his mind upset; and they think in this fashion
because they do not know the facts. Jesus does notanswerthe question of the
crowdwhich was not really a question so much as a kind of bystanders'
interjection; but goes onwith his argument.
Jesus'argument is this. It was the law that a child should be circumcised on
the eighth day after his birth. "And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin
shall be circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3). Obviously that day would often fall on
a Sabbath; and the law was quite clearthat "everything necessaryfor
circumcisionmay be done on the Sabbath day." So Jesus'argument runs like
this. "You saythat you fully observe the law which came to you through
Moses whichlays it down that there must be no work done on the Sabbath
day, and under work you have included every kind of medical attention which
is not necessaryactuallyto save life. And yet you have allowedcircumcisionto
be carried out on the Sabbath day.

"Now circumcisionis two things. It is medical attention to one part of a man's
body; and the body has actually two hundred and forty-eight parts. (That was
the Jewishreckoning.)Further, circumcision is a kind of mutilation; it is
actually taking something from the body. How canyou in reasonblame me
for making a man's body whole when you allow yourselves to mutilate it on
the Sabbath day?" That is an extremely clever argument.
Jesus finishes by telling them to try to see below the surface of things and to
judge fairly. If they do, they will not be able any longer to accuse him of
breaking the law. A passage like this may sound remote to us; but when we
read it we can see the keen, clear, logicalmind of Jesus in operation, we can
see him meeting the wisestand most subtle men of his day with their own
weapons and on their own terms, and we can see him defeating them.
ALBERT BARNES
Verse 24

KEN BOA
John 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous
judgment.” Jesus is saying that He is using the very Law of Mosesto refute
His accusers. He knew that they wouldn’t listen because they’re going to use
the wrong standard of judgment. It always comes downto this. People, by our
nature, judge on the basis of outward appearances.Do we not? We judge in
accordancewith appearances. We cannotalways know the hearts and motives
of people. We think we know. In fact, we think we know it real well. I’m guilty
of this as well as anyone else. I’m often in dangerof attributing bad motives to
people that they may not really have. I don’t even know my own motives. Paul
says in I Corinthians 4, “How can I judge the motives of another?” He’s right.
The fact is only Jesus knows ourfull motives and that will be revealedon the
day of Christ. It would be well for us to realize though that we canjudge and
make wrong conclusions basedonsurface appearance, Godknows the heart.
That’s why what appears to be secularwork becomes spiritual if the focus of
your heart is the eternal. Consider what your work might be- an architect, a
teacher, an accountant, engagedin some specific craft, whatever your activity,
your arena of influence-if you’re doing it to be serving and pleasing to God
then it is as pleasing to Him as if a sermon or teacherdoes a goodjob before
God. Do you see my point? That’s as spiritual as going to church is. So it’s not
your work that’s the issue, it’s the focus of you heart and the audience to
whom you play. That’s the issue.
Now by contrastwhat appears to be spiritual can be secularwhen the focus of
your heart is the temporal. For example, if a person is ambitious and wants to
let’s saybecome the biggestin his arena of influence- whether that be
education, his denomination, his missionorganization-guess whatjust
happened? He appeared to be doing spiritual work didn’t he? After all, he’s

in the ministry and yet actually what appeared to be spiritual just became
secularbecause the focus of his heart was the temporal.
Now here’s the problem. You and I don’t see that. You see this guy and he’s a
man of the cloth, he’s one who is in ministry- then here’s another personwho
is a person working in a factory and we naturally suppose- Oh, this one’s
spiritual and this one is secular. Guess what? That has nothing to do with it.
It’s the focus of your heart that makes the difference. We judge on the wrong
appearances.Similarly, we hear a person say some things and we sometimes
say, you know, I don’t believe I would’ve said that or we feel like this guy
needs to grow and become more mature but the real issue before God is where
he is with what he knows, not how much he knows. God’s more interestedthat
you respond to what you know than He is in how much you do know. You see
the difference again. So one person who knows a greatdeal may be less
obedient than a person who knows a lot less but is goodin application.
That’s why Rahab, the harlot, was included in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11.
I promise you, Rahab didn’t know a lot but what little she knew she applied.
The Pharisees,they knew a lot but they weren’t goodby the way of
application. Here’s another example of how this woman, Rahab, this Gentile
woman, who had formerly been a harlot actually is more pleasing to the heart
of God than a person who is a religious leaderwho knows 10 times as much
spiritually. The issue is what are you doing with what you know rather than
how much you know. Appearances canbe deceptive.
CALVIN
Verse 24

24.Judegenot according to the appearance. Having concluded his defense, he
likewise administers a reproof on this ground, that they are carriedaway by
wickeddispositions, and do not form a judgment according to the fact and the
matter in hand. Circumcisionwas properly held by them in reverence;and
when it was performed on the Sabbath-day, they knew that the Law was not
violated by it, because the works ofGod agree wellwith eachother. Why do
they not arrive at the same conclusionas to the work of Christ, but because
their minds are preoccupiedby a prejudice which they have formed against
his person? Judegment, therefore, will never be right, unless it be regulatedby
the truth of the fact;for as soonas persons appearin public, they turn their
eyes and sensesonthem, so that the truth immediately vanishes. While this
admonition ought to be observedin all causes andaffairs, it is peculiarly
necessarywhen the question relates to the heavenly doctrine; for there is
nothing to which we are more prone than to dislike that doctrine on account
of the hatred or contempt of men.
STEVEN COLE
E. People rejectJesus in spite of who He is because they judge according to
outward appearances (7:24).
Jesus exhorts these scoffers (7:24), “Do not judge according to appearance,
but judge with righteous judgment.” The Greek here may be translated, “Stop
judging according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” They
were judging Jesus becauseHe healeda man and told him to carry his mat on
the Sabbath, which was a violation of their legalistic additions to the Sabbath
commandment. But at the same time, they were rejecting the true and
righteous one and seeking to kill Him!

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misapplied verses in the New
Testamentis Jesus’command (Matt. 7:1), “Do not judge so that you will not
be judged.” If people would bother to read just a few verses further, Jesus
commands not to throw your pearls before swine (He was talking about
people who are swine, not pigs!). He goes onto warn about wolves in sheep’s
clothing. Obviously, to obey those commands you have to make some
judgments! The Bible commands us to be discerning with regard to false
teaching and demonic activity (PastoralEpistles;1 John 4:1).
The point here is that if you judge who Jesus is superficially, you’ll end up
rejecting Him as He really is. There are many who think that Jesus was
always gentle, kind, and nice. I’m not sure how that myth ever gotstarted!
Readthe Gospels andyou’ll see Jesus stronglyconfront sin, as He is doing
here. You can’t trust in Him and walk with Him without Him confronting
your sin. He always does it in love, because sin destroys us. But He does
confront it. If you truly believe in Jesus, youwill let His Word confront your
sin regularly.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 24
Jesus concludedby warning His hearers againstjudging superficially (cf.
Deuteronomy 16:18-19;Isaiah11:3-4; Zechariah 7:9). Their superficial
judgment about what was legitimate activity for the Sabbath had resulted in
superficial judgment about Jesus" work and person. He told them to stop
doing that. They needed to judge on the basis of righteous criteria, what was
truly right.

Our Lord’s Defense of Himself
John 7:14-24
Dr. S. Lewis Johnsoncomments on Jesus'first exchange in John's Gospelwith
the Jewishleaders in opposition to him.
SLJ Institute > Gospelof John > Our Lord’s Defense ofHimself
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[Audio begins]We’re turning to John chapter 7 and reading for the Scripture
reading verse 14 through verse 24. John chapter 7 verse 14 through verse 24.
In the messagelastweek, in which we began the 7th and 8th chapters of the
Gospelof John, reference was made to the fact first, that these two chapters
belong togetherand second, that they gather around the ministry of the Lord
which had to do with the feastof tabernacles.And we divided up the two
chapters very simply according to that, pointing out that in verse 2 of chapter
7 John writes, “Now the Jews feastoftabernacles was athand.” In other
words, that was a sectionthat had to do with things that transpired before the

feast. Then in verse 14 through verse 36 we have things that transpired during
the feast. Verse 14 begins now about the midst of the feast. And the final part
of chapter 7 and chapter 8, have to do with things that occurred on the last
day of the feast. Verse 37 says, “In the lastday that greatday of the feast
Jesus stoodand cried saying,” so we’re dealing then with a part of the Gospel
of John that has to do with things that transpired at the feastof tabernacles.
This division that we’re looking at now, from verse 14 through verse 36, is a
division that contains three themes. First of all, our Lord justifies his ministry,
that’s what we’ll look at this morning. Following that, he gives a declaration
of his origin. And finally, he discusses briefly his departure from this world.
So now let’s turn to verse 14 and we read verse 14 through verse 24 in which
our Lord provides us with a defense of himself and his ministry,
“Now about the midst of the feastJesus went up into the temple, and began to
teach. And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweththis man letters, having
never learned? Jesus answeredthem, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but
his that sent me. If any man will do his will, (this by the way, more accurately
rendered is if any man wills to do his will) he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak ofmyself. He that speakethof
himself seekethhis own glory: but he that seekethhis glory that sent him, the
same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the
law, and yet none of you keepeththe law? Why go ye about to kill me? The
people answered”
Now this word in the Authorized Version translated“people” is a word that
really means multitude, and you can see from this that there are several
groups of people here. There are people, and then there is a multitude, there
are Jews, there are disciples. Now this group, the multitude, evidently are
those who also had come up to the feastof tabernacles from various parts of
the country, and consequentlythey did not know about the plotting of the

Jews againstourLord’s life. That accounts for their answerin verse 20, “The
people answeredand said, Thou hast a demon: who goethabout to kill thee?
Jesus answeredandsaid unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.”
Now remember in chapter 5 we had an accountof the healing of the impotent
man when Jesus was in Jerusalem, and there it was saidthat he had
committed a sin because he had healed someone onthe Sabbath day. The man
had takenup his bed and had begun to walk and others had seenhim. It was
contrary to Sabbath tradition to carry one’s bed on the Sabbath day and so
consequentlyhe was regardedas having done something that had broken the
Law of Moses. OurLord refers back to that here,
“I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Mosestherefore gave unto you
circumcision; (not because it is of Moses,but of the fathers;) and ye on the
Sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the Sabbath day receive
circumcision, that the law of Moses shouldnot be broken; are ye angry at me,
because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? (literally, a
whole man whole) Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous
judgment.”
A passagethat reminds us of the famous passagein 1 Samuel chapter 16 and
verse 7 when the Lord said unto Samuel as he was making selectionofa king,
“Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have
refused him, for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man lookethon the
outward appearance but the Lord lookethon the heart.” Judge not according
to appearance, but judge righteous judgment, Jesus said.
The subject for this morning is “Our Lord’s Defense ofHimself.” Except
among New Testamentscholars,there is very little question concerning the
divine claims of the Lord Jesus Christ. One reads the New Testament, notices
the things that are said by him, and comes very quickly to the conclusionthat
the Lord Jesus claimedto be very God of very God, as well as acknowledging

and claiming to be very man of very man. And yet at the same time, our Lord
had to defend himself constantly. There are many indications that Jesus made
divine claims for himself. True, he did not say, “I am God.” But then he said
things that are equally as strong, and in fact are much more vivid. He told
parables for example, about which there could be no question whatsoever.
For example, in the 12th chapter in the Gospelof Mark, this parable is also
recordedin the Gospelof Matthew, he tells the story of, “A certain man who
planted a vineyard, who seta hedge about it, who digged a place for the
winefat, who built a tower, who let it out to husbandmen, who went into a far
country” expecting that they would tend for his vineyard and that he would
obtain grapes in due season. Whenthe time came for the grapes to come he
sent to the husbandmen who were supposedto be caring for the vineyard a
servant in order that he might receive the benefits from his vineyard. They
took the servantand beat him and senthim awaywith nothing. He sent
another servant to them, “athim they caststones, they wounded him in the
head, they senthim back shamefully handled” so the Lord said. “And then he
sent another; and this one they killed. And man others; beating some and
killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved,” the ownerof the
vineyard “senthim also at last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us
kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.” Now anyone listening to that
particular parable would gatherthat the Lord Jesus is claiming to be the one
beloved Son of the Father. And furthermore, that he claims to be the heir and
that all other men who were sent were simply slaves. He stands higher than
other men as a son does to a slave, and furthermore is an heir.
Later on in that same gospel, also recordedin the Gospelof Matthew, the
Lord Jesus in the context of the secondcoming makes the statement that as
far as the secondcoming is concernedhe does not know the precise time of the
day that the Lord shall come. He says, “Butof that day and that hour
knowethno man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but

the Father.” Now if you examine those statements that he makes there very
carefully you will that it is a remarkable statementof the preeminence of the
Lord Jesus overall other men. He says, “Ofthat day and hour no man
knows.” Jesus is not a man “nor the angels” but the Son, not even the Son,
only the Father. So here we have a picture of something like a ladder; on the
lowerlevel, on the lowerrung man, then angels, then the Son. Someone might
say, “But at leasthe makes himself subordinate to the Father.” Yes he does,
for a time, because he was the mediator. And being the mediator, he
relinquished the voluntary use of his divine attributes for a time, and did the
will of the Fatherin order to carry out the mediatorial work. But lestthere be
any question about whether the Son is equal to the Father, later on in that
same Matthean gospel, whenthe disciples are sent out, the Lord Jesus said
that they are to go into all the four corners of the earth and they are to baptize
men, after teaching them, in the name, singular, of the Father, of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit. And so the Sonis greaterthan men. He is greaterthan
angels. And he makes it very plain that he stands upon the same plain as the
Father. In spite of this, men wonder about the Lord Jesus Christ’s claims for
himself. Sometimes modern scholarshipwill make the claim that Jesus never
claimed to be God. Well the facts are quite different.
In Matthew chapter11 and verse 27 the Lord Jesus said, “All things are
delivered unto me of my Father:and no man knoweththe Son, but the
Father; neither knowethany man the Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoeverthe Son will reveal him.” This may be the most important
Christologicalpassagein the whole of the New Testament, and some of the
most amazing of our Lord’s sayings are found right here.
ProfessorKarl von Hauser, the German professorof church history at the
University of Yanna many years ago, and one of the ancestorsofDietrich
Bonhoeffer, once saidconcerning this text that it is a thunder bolt from the
Johannine blue. British scholars have said it’s a thunder bolt from the
Johannine sky. But notice what Jesus says. He said, “All things are delivered

unto to me of my Father. No man knows the Son, but the Father; nor does any
man know the Fatherexcept the Son, and he to whomsoeverthe Son will
revealhim.” In other words, the Lord Jesus makes the claim that he alone
truly knows the Father. And furthermore, he says that all men who know
something of the Father truly are indebted to him, because, “Noman knows
the Fatherexcept the Son, and he to whomsoeverthe Son wills to revealhim.”
In other words, you can never know the Father exceptit should be the direct
will of God the Son.
Now it’s amazing in the light of these magnificent sayings that Jesus makes of
himself, both directly and indirectly, that he had to defend himself constantly.
Downthrough the years, others taking the place of the Lord Jesus as disciples
of him, have had to defend the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now this is one of the defenses that the Lord makes of himself that we are to
look at this morning. I guess that if we were looking for some passagein the
Gospelof John in which we have an illustration of John 1:11, this would be
one of the passagesto which we turn. Remember in John chapter1 and verse
11 it states, “He came unto his own, and his own receivedhim not.” It was
preeminently fulfilled here. We don’t know the outline of our Lord’s teaching
that he gave in the city of Jerusalemat the feastof the tabernacles. We do
howeverknow its outcome, for later on in this same chapter, when men are
sent out after him, they report, “Neverman spake like this man.”
One of the things that has always interestedme through the years is Bible
teaching. And I’ve always been interested in Bible teachers, particularly those
of the past that I did not have an opportunity to hear. If I have ever through
the course ofthe years come into contactwith someone who heard some well
known or outstanding Bible teacherwho was someone that I had never heard,
it’s always ofinterest of me to ask them, “Whatdid you think of his teaching
and his ministry?” One man, some years ago, who told me that he had heard

G. Campbell Morganinterested me and so I askedhim, “Wellwhat was your
impression of G. Campbell Morgan?” I remember his comment. He thought
for a few moments and he saidvery quietly, “He spoke as one having
authority.” Using the words that were used of the multitude after they had
heard him give the Sermonon the Mount, “He spoke as one having authority
and not as the scribes.” He did not sayRabbi Shemi says this, Rabbi Hilial
says this, but he spoke out of an experience of the Lord God that was unique.
Now we read here, later on, that “Nevera man spoke like this man.” One of
the reasons thatwe don’t have much interest in Bible teaching today is
because we don’t have many Bible teachers who teachsomething like that. I
don’t want to make any indirect claims for doing that either. I remember a
story about Billy Sunday, the eccentric evangelistwho lived in Winona Lake.
Just a few weeksago I againsaw his home there. He used to relate a story
about a man who was a well known village atheist who was seenrunning
vigorously to a burning church building intent on helping those who were
trying to put out the fire. A neighbor observedhim and knowing his atheism
said somewhatfacetiously, “Wellthis is something knew for you; I’ve never
seenyou going to church.” And he said, “Wellthis is the first time I’ve ever
seena church on fire.” [Laughter] Well perhaps that’s part of the difficulty
with us today. We don’t really have individuals who love Bible teaching and
who love to teachthe Word and the result it we don’t have much interest in
the things of the Lord along those lines.
Well, our Lord we read went up to the feastof tabernacles and he beganto
teach. I saywe don’t know precisely what he taught. We know how he
defended himself, but we don’t know what he was teaching when he went up
and taught in the temple, “the Jews however, marveledand said, How
knoweththis man letters never having learned?” Now one might getthe
wrong impressionfrom the Authorized Version rendering “how knoweththis
man letters” as if he really didn’t know the alphabet, but that of course is not
what is meant. This term grammata, which is used here, is a term that refers

to simple writings, and usually it refers to Scriptural writings and surely in
this case must refer to them. Earlierin the Gospelof John, in the 47th verse,
Jesus has said, “But if ye believe not Moses’writings how shall ye believe my
words?” “Moses’writings.” “How knoweththis man writings, never having
been taught?” How does he know the Scriptures as he does, he has not, it’s
clear, satat the feet of the rabbis. This is the word that is used of the Apostle
Paul when Festus says to him, “All your study is driving you mad Paul.” So,
how does this man understand the things that he understands when he has
never been taught by our rabbis? Now putting it in modern language it would
be, “How is this fellow able to teachand understand the truth of God so well
when he doesn’thave a degree from one of our accreditedinstitutions?” Now
they spoke it very contemptuously, because that’s the meaning of this
expression“this man.” “How knoweththis fellow letters, having never
learned?”
Arthur Pink said in one of his books, “Educationis an altar which is now
thronged by a multitude of idolatrous worshipers.” Thatis true, and that is
true in our evangelicalcirclesas well. If we devoted as much time to the
mastery of Scripture as we have to the mastery of literature about the
Scriptures we would be much better off.
Dr. Chafer, at Dallas Seminary, used to speak aboutthe doctor’s degree along
this line. He’d say there were “three kinds of people.” He said there were
“those who didn’t need any doctor’s degree, they getalong very well without
one.” He didn’t saythis because this was before the days of Billy Graham, but
he’s a goodillustration of it. He doesn’t have any degree from any theological
seminary, but he manages to get along fairly well. Then Dr. Chafer would say,
“There are some men who are helped by a doctor’s degree.” And then with a
smile he would say, “There are many who cannotget along without one.”
[Laughter] Then he occasionallywould say, “You know, I hear that there are
some evangelists going aboutwho don’t have a doctor’s degree.” Some ofyou
don’t even understand what he meant by that. [Laughter] Doctor’s degrees

were a dime a dozen, there’s hardly a one who doesn’t have one, but
knowledge ofScripture how different that is.
Now I don’t want to say anything againstsound education, but it’s
insufficient. It’s goodso far as it goes, but it’s insufficient. The Lord Jesus is
the perfectillustration of the fact that the significant thing, the most
important thing, the thing that should have our priority, is the knowledge of
the Word of God if we are to be an effective minister of its truth.
Billy Sunday, at his ordination, was askeda question which he could not
answer. It was a question regarding one of the church fathers. Well Mr.
Sunday had been a baseballplayer and consequentlyhis training was very,
very shallow. He didn’t know anything about this church father, and after
awhile he replied with a twinkle in his eye, when it was obvious that he was
stumped, he said, “Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve never heard of him, he
never played on my team.” [Laughter] And they smiled, they gave him some
other difficult questions, but finally one of the men said, “Let’s go aheadand
recommend this fellow for ordination, he’s already won more souls than the
whole bunch of us put together.” “How knoweththis man letters, having
never been taught?” why it’s clearif one reads Isaiahchapter 50 how he did
know. He knew because he had aloud himself to be taught by the Father, and
he was taught the Word of God.
When the apostles begantheir preaching after the death and resurrectionof
the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s very interesting to read the accounts in the Book of
Acts of the impressions that they made. The writer of the Book of Acts says,
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peterand John and perceivedthat they
were unlearned and ignorant men” or better uneducated and untrained men,
“they marveled and they took knowledge ofthem that they had been with
Jesus.” Unlearned, untaught, untrained, but nevertheless they were possessed
of a boldness which men recognizedas having come ultimately from the Lord

Jesus himself. The Apostle Paul who was trained by the rabbis, sitting at the
feet of Gamaliel, nevertheless found it important to say to the Galatians that
the gospelthat he proclaimed was one that he had not learned from men, that
he had not been taught, but he had receivedby divine revelationfrom the
Lord God himself. I like the statementthat the psalmist makes in Psalm 119
and verse 99 and verse 100, “I have more understanding than all my teachers:
for thy testimonies are my mediation. I understand more than the ancients,
because I keepthy precepts.” Let us not forget that.
When they lookedat the Lord Jesus Christ and observed him they said, “How
does this man understand Scriptural learning when he has never been
taught?” Well of course they didn’t know, but he had been taught, but his
teacherwas a better teacherthan the teacherby whom we are taught in
theologicalseminaries. He was taught by God the Holy Spirit. Now he makes
his reply to that. He says first of all, “My doctrine is not mine, but it belongs
to him that sent me.” The Jews had the idea that teaching could come from
only two sources;it caneither come from the school, andso they would ask,
“What rabbi has he studied under?” like we would say today, “Is he a Dallas
man, or is he a Trinity man, or is he a Grace man” or in other words, “From
what seminary does he come?” orit comes from oneself, but there was
another alternative. And the other alternative was that the teaching came
from God. Now our teachers could learn a whole lot about by this. How does
this man know Scriptural learning, having never learned? “My doctrine is not
mine, but it belongs to him that sent me.” It comes from God.
That reminds me of an old story about an individual who was a well known
unbeliever. And he attended a service just like this, and in the service he was
converted. Word came to the preacher and he was overjoyed. The edge of his
joy however, was somewhatdulled when he askedthe individual what it was
in his sermon that finally came home to him. He said, “Wellit wasn’t your
sermon it was your text.”

I sometimes have people say to me after I finish, “That was a greatsermon.”
Well I know better than to believe that. I used to play in golf tournaments.
And when I would win a match people would come around and say, “Boythat
was great.” WhenI lost one I couldn’t find my friends. [Laughter] The same
thing is true about life. When you do something great, well you’re great.
You’re the same fellow, but when you don’t do it nobody pays any attention to
you whatsoever. Whenpeople come up to me often and say, “Thatwas a great
sermon” I frequently reply, “It’s a greattext.” And that accounts for great
sermons most of the time. Great texts, texts that strike home to people, those
are the texts that make for greatsermons. Now some preachers like to go and
take the great texts and preach only the greattexts. Mr. Pryor makes us here
in Believers Chapelpreach all of the texts; greatand not so great. And so we
must do that in order to be systematic. Now I’m just kidding, he doesn’t really
make us do that at all, but that’s what we try to do. It is the text that’s the
important thing, not the preacher, not the way that he says things, it’s the
text. It’s the truth, as the Holy Spirit takes ofthe things of Christ and shows
them unto us. The Word and the Spirit, these things make for spiritual
results.
There’s also a story of an Indian. I like this one too. He was a Christian man.
He attended a service in a particular church and the sermon didn’t have very
much spiritual goodin it at all, but it was very loud. And so someone asked
him what he thought of the sermon. He said, “Well, high wind, big thunder,
no rain.” [Laughter] If you’d like to hearsermons high wind, big thunder, no
rain, turn on the TV, 700 Club, or some of the others who speak overour TV
screenconstantly, high wind, big thunder, very little rain. There are some
exceptions of course, but nevertheless that characterizes so much of the
preaching of our time.
Jesus saidthe reasonthat men listened to him and they thought that it was the
knowledge ofScripture that they were hearing, but he had never been taught,
was it wasn’this own doctrine. It did not come from himself; it came from the

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