The Pringle translation:
The Parker translation:
The Latin can be read here (click).
47. If any man hear my words. After having spoken concerning his grace, and exhorted his disciples to steady faith, he now begins to strike the rebellious, though even here he mitigates the severity due to the wickedness of those who deliberately—as it were—reject God; for he delays to pronounce judgment on them, because, on the contrary, he has come for the salvation of all. In the first place, we ought to understand that he does not speak here of all unbelievers without distinction, but of those who, knowingly and willingly, reject the doctrine of the Gospel which has been exhibited to them. Why then does Christ not choose to condemn them? It is because he lays aside for a time the office of a judge, and offers salvation to all without reserve, and stretches out his arms to embrace all, that all may be the more encouraged to repent. And yet there is a circumstance of no small moment, by which he points out the aggravation of the crime, if they reject an invitation so kind and gracious, for it is as if he had said, “Lo, I am here to invite all, and, forgetting the character of a judge, I have this as my single object, to persuade all, and to rescue from destruction those who are already twice ruined.” No man, therefore, is condemned on account of having despised the Gospel, except he who, disdaining the lovely message of salvation, has chosen of his own accord to draw down destruction on himself.John Calvin, “Commentary on the Gospel of John,” in Calvin’s Commentaries, 22 vols., trans. W. Pringle (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 18:50–51; emphasis original. Also in John Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, vol. 2, trans. W. Pringle (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 50–51.
The word judge, as is evident from the word save, which is contrasted with it, here signifies to condemn. Now this ought to be understood as referring to the office which properly and naturally belongs to Christ; for that unbelievers are not more severely condemned on account of the Gospel is accidental, and does not arise from its nature, as we have said on former occasions.
The Parker translation:
47. If any man hear my sayings. When He had spoken of His grace and exhorted His disciples to steadfast faith, He now began to pierce the rebels. Yet even here He softened the severity deserved by the ungodliness of those who, as it were, set themselves to reject God. For He delayed pronouncing judgment on them, because He had come rather for the salvation of all. We might understand that He was not speaking here of unbelievers in general but of those who wittingly or voluntarily reject the preaching of the Gospel exhibited to them. Why then did Christ not wish to condemn them? Because He had temporarily laid aside the office of judge and offers salvation to all indiscriminately and stretches out His arms to embrace all, that all may be the more encouraged to repent. And yet He heightens by an important detail the crime of rejecting an invitation so kind and gracious; for it is as if He had said: ‘See, I have come to call all; and forgetting the role of judge, my one aim is to attract and rescue from destruction those who already seem doubly ruined.’ Hence no man is condemned for despising the Gospel save he who spurns the lovely news of salvation and deliberately decides to bring destruction on himself.John Calvin, “The Gospel According to St John 11–21 and the First Epistle of John,” in Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries, 12 vols., ed. D. W. Torrance and T. F. Torrance, trans. T. H. L. Parker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 5:52–53.
The word judge, as is clear from its antithesis save, is here put for ‘condemn’. Now this should be referred to the proper and genuine office of Christ. For that unbelievers are the more severely condemned on account of the Gospel is accidental (accidentale) and does not spring from its nature, as we have said elsewhere.
The Latin can be read here (click).
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