The Bible

 

John 20:26

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26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Commentary

 

Explanation of John 20

By Rev. John Clowes M.A.

Explaining the Inner Meaning of John 20

Verses 20:1, 2. That at the commencement of a new church, they who are in the affection of good, but not yet in the light of truth, are earnest about regeneration through the removal of false and evil principles, and therefore consult with those, who are in faith and love, about the Lord's glorification.

Verses 20:3, 4. Thus exciting attention, so that the principle of love is exalted above that of faith.

Verses 20:5, 6, 7, 8. Nevertheless the principle of love cannot enter into the regeneration without the principle of faith, since it is the office of this latter principle to discern and discriminate truths, by distinguishing between those which are exterior and those which are interior, in which case love and faith are united and become one.

Verses 20:9, 10. And are admitted to the knowledge of the glorification of the Lord's humanity, as it is taught in the Word, with which knowledge they are fully satisfied.

Verses 20:11, 12. But they who are in the affection of good, yet not in the light of truth, remain in an external state, until through humiliation it is given them to discover divine truth, both in its first and in its ultimate principles, proceeding from the Lord.

Verses 20:13, 14, 15, 16. 17. By which discovery they are led to a state of conversion, and thus to a view of the Lord, first as the giver of spiritual intelligence, and next as the source of all divine truth, and lastly as one with the divine good.

Verses 20:18, 19, 20. Which view they impart to those who are principled in truth, so that to them also the Lord is made manifest as the divine source of all good and truth, and as the giver of those heavenly principles to man.

Verses 20:21, 22, 23. And they are required to communicate to others what has been communicated to them, so that through the divine truth and divine good, proceeding from the Lord, all may be brought to the knowledge of their own natural evils, and to deliverance from their power.

Verses 20:24, 25. That they who are in sensual truth, are with difficulty persuaded to believe in the Lord's glorification.

Verses 20:26, 27. 28. Therefore the Lord in his mercy accommodates himself to their apprehension by the glorification of his body even to its ultimates, so that they confess him to be the only source of all divine good and divine truth.

Verse 20:29. Yet they are instructed that faith insinuated by an internal way is more blessed than that which is insinuated by an external way.

Verses 20:30, 31. For all that was said and done by the Lord, during his abode here on earth, was for this purpose, that he may be acknowledged by faith and love as the Supreme God of heaven and earth, and that through that acknowledgement mankind may attain conjunction of life with him.

The Bible

 

John 20:7

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7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.