'Many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
Him….'—JOHN viii. 30,31.
The Revised Version accurately represents the original by varying the
expression in these two clauses, retaining 'believed on Him' in the
former, and substituting the simple 'believed Him' in the latter. The
variation in two contiguous clauses can scarcely be accidental in so
careful a writer as the Apostle John. And the reason and meaning of it
are obvious enough on the face of the narrative. His purpose is to
distinguish between more and less perfect acceptance of Jesus Christ.
The more perfect is the former, 'they believed on Him'; the less
perfect is the latter, the simple acceptance of His word on His claim
of Messiahship, which is stigmatised as shallow, and proved to be
transient by the context.
They were 'Jews' which believed, and they continued to be so whilst
they were believing. Now, the word 'Jew' in this Gospel always connotes
antagonism to Jesus Christ; and as for these persons, how slight and
unreliable their adhesion to the Lord is, comes out in the course of
the next few verses; and by the end of the chapter they are taking up
stones to stone Him. So John would show us that there is a kind of
acceptance which may be real, and may be the basis of something much
better hereafter, but which, if it does not grow, rots and disappears;
and he would draw a broad line of distinction between that and the
other mental act, far deeper, more wholesome, more lasting and vital,
which he designates as 'believing _on_ Him.' I take these words, then,
for consideration, not so much to deal with other thoughts suggested by
them, as because they afford me a starting-point for the consideration
of the various phases of the act of believing, its blessings and its
nature, and its relation to its objects, which are expressed in the New
Testament by the various grammatical connections and constructions of
this word.
Now, the facts with which I wish to deal may be very briefly stated.
There are three ways in which the New Testament represents the act of
believing, and its relation to its Object, Christ. These three are,
first, the simple one which appears in the text as 'believed Him.' Then
there is a second, which appears in two forms, slightly different, but
which, for our purpose, may be treated as substantially the
same—'believing on Him.' And then there is a third, which, literally
and accurately translated is, 'believing unto' or 'into Him.' That
phrase is John's favourite one, and rather unfortunately, though
perhaps necessarily, it has been generally rendered by our translators
by the less forcible 'believing in,' which gives the idea of repose in,
but does not give the idea of motion towards. These three, then, I
think, do set forth, if we will ponder them, very large lessons as to
the essence of this act of believing, as to the Object upon which it
fastens, and as to the blessings which flow from it, which it will be
worth our while to consider now. I may cast the whole into the shape of
three exhortations: believe Him, believe on Him, believe unto Him.