John 5:18 Commentary - The Apologists Bible Commentary
The Apologists Bible CommentaryJohn 5
18 For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Commentary This passage contains John's explanation of what the title "The Son of God" meant in 1st Century Judaism. Notice that John is not quoting the Jews - he is explaining what "calling God his own Father" meant in that context. "The Jews" do not see the underlying unity between the two issues: they speak in terms of "not only, but also." But they do understand where the radical break between them and Jesus is located. In their own words: he not only makes (the law of) the sabbath non-binding, thus "breaking" it, but also, by calling God his Father, makes "himself equal with God" - for them the most direct kind of blasphemy. Jesus' reply, which begins in v. 19, is a response to both charges (Ridderbos
Grammatical Analysis alla kai patera idion elegen ton qeon ison eauton poiwn tw qew ALLA KAI PATERA IDION ELEGEN TON THEON, ISON EAUTON POIФN TФi THEФi but also Father [his] own said {the}God, equal [to] himself making to {the}God The phrase ISON ...TÔi THEÔi is appositional to PATERA IDION ktl., and is thus a definition or clarification. John is defining PATERA IDION ("His own Father"), saying it meant "making Himself equal with God." ISON ?Pertaining to that which is equal, either in number, size, quality, or characteristics - 'equal, equivalent, same' (Louw & Nida
Other Views Considered Jehovah's Witnesses Objection: Jehovah's Witnesses argue that the equation of "His own Father" and "equal with God" is based on the misconceptions of the hypocritical religious leaders. The religious leaders had many misconceptions about Jesus, surely they cannot be trusted on this crucial point. Response: Why is John clarifying "His own Father" in the first place? John knows that his readers may not understand why the Jews sought to kill Jesus. If he thinks his readers may be confused about this point, it doesn't seem credible that he would not also state that the Jews were mistaken - John makes it clear elsewhere when the Jews were mistaken (cf., John 2:21). Why not here? Further, Witnesses posit that John's audience would readily understand John 1:1c
Consult other comments:
John 5:18 - The Greek Testament
John 5:18 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
John 5:18 - Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
John 5:18 - Calvin's Complete Commentary
John 5:18 - The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
John 5:18 - Adam Clarke's Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
John 5:18 - Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
John 5:18 - Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
John 5:18 - Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
John 5:18 - Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
John 5:18 - Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
John 5:18 - Geneva Bible Notes
John 5:18 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
John 5:18 - Gnomon of the New Testament
John 5:18 - Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
John 5:18 - Henry Alford's Greek Testament
John 5:18 - The Apologists Bible Commentary
John 5:18 - Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
John 5:18 - Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer's New Testament Commentary
John 5:18 - Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
John 5:18 - English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
John 5:18 - Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
John 5:18 - Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament
John 5:18 - A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John 5:18 - Scofield Reference Bible Notes
John 5:18 - John Trapp's Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
John 5:18 - The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
John 5:18 - Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament
John 5:18 - Whedon's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Apologists Bible Commentary

Author: Robert Hommel.