Explanation of John 4
By Rev. John Clowes M.A.
Explaining the Inner Meaning of John 4
Verses 4:1, 2, 3, 4. That the Lord perceived from his Divine principle in what manner the perverted church was offended at his teaching internal truths, and their prevalence over external, and that thus purification was effected by the truths derived from good, therefore he again applies himself to plant the church amongst the Gentiles.
Verses 4:5, 6. And first amongst those who are principled in interior truths, in connection with interior spiritual good, thus with the Word, from which instruction is given in the things of love and charity, after a state of spiritual labour.
Verses 4:7, 8. That on this occasion, they who are principled in the affection of good in that church seek instruction in truth, and this from divine dictate, to the intent that from the doctrine of truth they might appropriate good.
Verses 4:9, 10. They are therefore inquisitive concerning the divine dictate and its requirements, not being aware of the operation of such a dictate, and are accordingly instructed that it is from the Divine Humanity of the Lord, who is the source of every truth of good, and who imparts such truth to those who apply to him for it.
Verses 4:11, 12. This however appears incredible to those, who believe only in the letter of the Word, and who therefore do not see that all the Jewish patriarchs were representative of the Lord, and that all the instruction they received from the Word was in consequence of its connection with his Divine Humanity.
Verse 4:14. Therefore they are further instructed, that the truths of the Word can never become full and living and eternal truths in man, until they are seen and received as one with the divine truth, which is the same thing as the Lord's Divine Humanity.
Verse 4:15. And in consequence of this instruction, they are led earnestly to desire the knowledge of the interior truths of the Word.
Verses 4:16, 17, 18. But are further taught that such interior truths cannot be apprehended, until conjunction of good and truth be formed in the intellectual principle, which conjunction was at present not genuine or legitimate.
Verses 4:19, 20, 21, 22. 23. Hence they perceive that the Lord in his Divine Humanity is the source of all truth, and hence they are further instructed that representative worship is to cease, because it is a worship unattended with intellectual light, and that it is to be supplanted by a worship grounded in love, and enlightened by wisdom, which worship leads to conjunction with the Supreme Good.
Verse 4:24. Because God is divine love and wisdom in a human form, or in a Divine Humanity, and therefore none can worship him acceptably but from that love and according to that wisdom.
Verses 4:25, 26. That it is revealed to those of the church who are in the affection of good, that divine truth will be manifested on earth in a bodily form, to impart instruction, and they are further taught from the Word, that the Lord in his Divine Humanity is that truth, in union with the Divine Good.
Verse 4:27. That with those who are principled in truth, the establishment of the church amongst the Gentiles appears strange, and they are afraid to inquire into the purpose intended by it, or the manner of its accomplishment.
Verses 4:28, 29. But they who are in the affection of good, when they have received instruction in truth, form their lives accordingly, and testify by doctrine that the divine truth is manifested as a man, who is thus omniscient, and acquainted with all the purposes and thoughts of man.
Verse 4:30. Which testimony is received in the church, and thus the Lord is approached in his Divine Humanity.
Verses 4:31, 32, 33, 34. For to the end that he might be so approached, he from divine love glorified his Humanity, or made it divine, by submitting it to the government of the divine good in himself, until divine truth in himself became divine good.
Verses 4:35, 36. And thus a spiritual church was established which was in the affection of truth, and by virtue of that affection, in heaven, and thus conjoined with the Lord in his joy.
Verse 4:37. For the Lord dispenses truth and its affection, to the intent that the church may thereby attain to the heavenly good of love and charity.
Verse 4:38. And may thus appropriate to itself all the good things of heaven and of the Lord, himself.
Verses 4:39, 40. They therefore, who are principled in spiritual good, acknowledge the Lord in his Divine Humanity, from a belief in his omniscience, and Seek and attain conjunction of life with him.
Verses 4:41, 42. And are thus taught, not by external teaching only, but by the testimony of the divine good and truth in their own minds, that the Lord in his Divine Humanity was the predicted Redeemer and Saviour of mankind.
Verses 4:43, 44, 45. That the Gentiles are again instructed in the truth, which is rejected by those of the perverted church; and that they receive instruction, and become a church, being convinced of the omnipotence of truth.
Verse 4:46. And that thus their natural ideas of truth become spiritual, but as yet not fully conjoined with good.
Verse 4:47. Therefore supplication is made to the Lord in his Divine Humanity for assistance, and that they may be preserved from the influence of evil love.
Verses 4:48, 49, 50. This supplication, however, does not proceed from a genuine but from a miraculous faith, nevertheless it is granted, and thus a genuine faith is implanted.
Verses 4:51, 52, 53. And its conjunction with charity is acknowledged in all the lower principles of life, and seen to be the effect of the reception of the divine truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Humanity, which is the source of genuine faith.
Verse 4:54. Thus the church amongst the Gentiles was confirmed in the faith, not only by observing that their natural ideas of truth were become spiritual, but by experiencing also the conjunction of truth with good, or of faith with charity, resulting from their belief in the Lord's Divine Humanity.
John 4
1
Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2
(although Jesus himself didn't baptize, but his disciples),
3
he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.
4
He needed to pass through Samaria.
5
So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.
6
Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
8
For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
11
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?
12
Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?"
13
Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,
14
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
15
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I don't get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw."
16
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17
The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,'
18
for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly."
19
The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20
Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
21
Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.
22
You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
23
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.
24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25
The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all things."
26
Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you."
27
At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why do you speak with her?"
28
So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,
29
"Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?"
30
They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31
In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32
But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you don't know about."
33
The disciples therefore said one to another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"
34
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
35
Don't you say, 'There are yet four months until the harvest?' Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.
36
He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
37
For in this the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.'
38
I sent you to reap that for which you haven't labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
39
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me everything that I did."
40
So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.
41
Many more believed because of his word.
42
They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
43
After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.
44
For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
45
So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
46
Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47
When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48
Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe."
49
The nobleman said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50
Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
51
As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying "Your child lives!"
52
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him."
53
So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." He believed, as did his whole house.
54
This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.
