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Joh_16:13. Τὸ πν . τ . ἀλ .] See on Joh_14:17.
ὁδηγ . ὑμ . εἰς τ . ἀλ . πᾶσαν ] He will be to you a guide into all the truth. Comp. Joh_16:23; πᾶσαν , according to its position after τ . ἀλ . (see critical notes), does not belong to the verb, as if it expressed the complete introduction (Lücke), but describes, as in Joh_5:22, divine truth in its entirety, according to its collective contents. Comp. Joh_5:22 : τ . κρίσιν πᾶσαν , Plat. Theaet. p. 147 E, τὸν ἀριθμὸν πάντα δίχα διελάβομεν ; Krüger, § 50. 11. 11. As to the thing, πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν , Mar_5:33 (Krüger on Thuc. vi. 87. 1), would not be different; only in the present passage, ἀλήθεια is the idea immediately prominent.
οὐ γὰρ , κ . τ . λ .] Reason, from the origin and compass of His communications.
ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ] αὐτοκέλευστος , ἀνήκοος , Nonnus. This negative definition is, indeed, the denial of anything conceived of after a human manner, which absolutely cannot be (“spiritus enim, qui a semet ipso loquitur, non spiritus veritatis, sed spiritus est mendacii,” Ruperti; comp. already Ignatius, ad Eph. interpol. 9), but serves completely to set forth the unity of the Spirit’s teaching with that of the Lord.[177] Comp. Joh_5:19.
ὅσα ἂν ἁκούσῃ ] All, whatsoever He shall have heard from God, so that He will withhold from you nothing of that which has been divinely heard by Him.[178] The Spirit, however, hears from God not externally as a Subject separated from God, but (comp. 1Co_2:11) through an interna acceptio; for He is in God, and proceeds from Him, Joh_15:26. That the hearing from God, not from Christ (Olshausen, Kling, B. Crusius, Luthardt, Hengstenberg, Godet: from both), is meant, is to be already assumed on account of the absolute ἀκούσῃ , and Joh_16:15 renders it certain. On ἀκούσῃ itself, comp. also Luther: “The faith must make its way universally over all creatures, and not cleave to thoughts of listening to bodily preaching, but lay hold of a preaching, word, and hearing in essence.”
τὰ ἐρχόμενα ] So that you, through the ἀποκάλυψις of the Spirit, will also become acquainted with the future ( ἁ δʼ ἐρχομένα μοῖρα , Soph. Trach. 846), the knowledge of which belongs to the whole ἀλήθεια (particularly the eschatological developments). Comp. Isa_41:22-23; Isa_44:7; Isa_45:11 : τὰ ἐπερχόμενα . Further, τὰ ἐρχόμενα belongs also to that denoted by ὅσα ἂν ἀκούσῃ and is related to it as species to genus, so that καί brings into relief from that which is general, something further that is particular.
[177] “Consequently He sets, for the Holy Spirit Himself, a goal and measure of His preaching, that He shall preach nothing new nor different from that which Christ and His word is, so that we may have a certain mark of truth and touchstone, to judge of false spirits,” Luther.
[178] When Godet says, on ver. 13 : “The word in Joh_14:26 included the formula of the inspiration of our Gospels; ver. 13 gives that of the inspiration of the Epistles and of the Apocalypse,” the simple addition must be made, “in so far as and to the extent in which these writings are actually apostolic.”