John 6:64

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(64) There are some of you that believe not.—Later, the word “disciple” became synonymous with the word “believer,” but there are those now following Him just as they would follow any Rabbi, and, regarding Him as a merely human teacher, they fall short of the faith which was the first qualification for true discipleship. They had heard, it may be, the Sermon on the Mount, and such teaching as that of Matthew 13. In part they could understand this, and therefore in part believed; but when faith was really needed, it was found not really to exist: for faith is accepting what is not demonstrable to the mere reason, and seeing what is invisible.

From the beginning.—This is a relative term, and is to be interpreted from the context. It means here the beginning of their discipleship. He saw in their hearts the varying kinds of ground on which the good seed fell, and in their acts and words the varying effects. There were hearts like the hardened wayside, but it may have been ploughed; like the stony places, but that shelving rock may have been broken through; like the thorns, but they may have been rooted up; and all may have become, as some were, like the good and fruit-bearing ground.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:60-65 The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spirit of God all forms of religion are dead and worthless. He who made this provision for our souls, alone can teach us these things, and draw us unto Christ, that we may live by faith in him. Let us apply to Christ, thankful that it is declared that every one who is willing to come unto him shall be made welcome.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jesus knew from the beginning ... - As this implied a knowledge of the heart, and of the secret principles and motives of men, it shows that he must have been omniscient.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

64. But there are some, &c.—that is, "But it matters little to some of you in what sense I speak, for ye believe not." This was said, adds the Evangelist, not merely of the outer but of the inner circle of His disciples; for He knew the traitor, though it was not yet time to expose him.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I may say what I will to you; the Spirit quickeneth, but it doth not quicken all; it only quickeneth whomsoever it pleaseth. You understand not these things, but have most gross conceptions of sublime spiritual things; the reason is, because you believe not: though some of them, questionless, did truly believe, yet the most did not; for we read, John 6:66, that many of them went back, and walked no more with him. And though faith be an inward, secret act of the soul, yet Christ knew, and from the beginning, who were believers, and who were not; nay, he had a particular knowledge of that disciple who was to betray him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But there are some of you that believe not,.... Notwithstanding the ministry they sat under, and the words they heard; for though they professed to believe in Jesus, as the Messiah, yet they did not truly believe in him; their faith was not a living faith, or of a spiritual kind, but a mere historical and temporary one, and was feigned and hypocritical:

for Jesus knew from the beginning; of his ministry, and of their profession of him, being God omniscient, and the searcher of hearts:

who they were that believed not; i.e. in him, as the Arabic version reads: notwithstanding their following him, and professing to believe in him, and the great outward respect and esteem they showed to him, he could see through all those masks they put on, and knew they had no true faith of him in them; and the same knowledge he has of every professor of his name: he knows whether their faith is of the right kind or not; whether they have obtained the like precious faith with God's elect; or whether their profession is only a verbal one. In some copies it is read, "who they were that believed"; who were true believers, as well as who were hypocrites.

And who should betray him: he not only knew how it was with the multitude of the disciples that professed love to him, and faith in him; but he also particularly knew the case of the twelve apostles, and that one of them should betray him, and who he was. This was determined in the decrees of God, and was foretold in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and was predicted by Christ; and the person was pointed at by him before it was done.

Geneva Study Bible

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 6:64. But τινὲς οὐ πιστεύουσιν, and therefore do not receive the life. This Jesus said ἤδει γὰρ … αὐτόν, for Jesus knew from the first who they were that believed not, and who it was who should betray Him. “Hoc ideo addidit Evangelista, ne quis putet temere judicasse Christum de suis auditoribus,” Calvin. Euthymius says it illustrates His forbearance. ἐξ ἀρχῆς, from the beginning of His connection with individuals. Weiss supposes it means from the beginning of their not believing. He gave utterance to this knowledge in John 6:26. He even knew who it was who should betray Him. This is said in anticipation of John 6:70-71. This declaration raises the question, Why then did Jesus call Judas to the Apostolate? Holtzmann indeed supposes that this intimation is purely apologetic and intended to show that Jesus was not deceived in appointing Judas. It is unnecessary to increase the difficulty by supposing the ἐξ ἀρχῆς to refer to the time previous to his call. Jesus saw in Judas qualities fitting him to be an Apostle; but seeing him among the others He recognised that he was an unfaithful man. To suppose that He called him in the clear knowledge that he would betray Him is to introduce an unintelligible or artificial element into the action of Christ. [Neither Calvin nor Beza makes any remark on the clause. Bruce, Training of the Twelve; and Reith, in loc., should be consulted.] Jesus already recognised in what manner His death would be compassed: by treachery. The fact stated in John 6:64, that some of His own disciples could yet not believe in Him, illustrates the truth of what He had said, John 6:44, that no one can come to Him except the Father draw him.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

64. some of you that believe not] There were some of those who followed Him and called themselves His disciples, who still did not believe on Him. The better order is, there are of you some.

knew from the beginning] It is impossible to fix the exact limits of this; the meaning of ‘the beginning’ must depend on the context (see on John 1:1). Here the most natural limit is ‘knew from the beginning of their discipleship,’ when they first became His followers. Comp. John 2:24-25.

who should betray him] Or, who it was that should betray Him. To ask, ‘Why then did Jesus choose Judas as an Apostle?’ is to ask in a special instance for an answer to the insoluble enigma ‘Why does Omniscience allow wicked persons to be born? Why does Omnipotence allow evil to exist?’ The tares once sown among the wheat, both must ‘grow together till the harvest,’ and share sunshine and rain alike.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 6:64. Ἀλλʼ εἰσίν, but there are) With yourselves rests the blame.—τινές, some) who also disturb the faith of others.—οὐ πιστεύουσιν, do not believe) and so therefore distort into a carnal sense what has been spoken in a spiritual sense.—ἐξ ἀρχῆς, from the beginning) The very time of this discourse is marked, although Jesus, even before that time, had always known what was about to be. This discourse was delivered a year before His passion; but the choice of the twelve apostles did not precede this discourse by a whole year. Therefore it was at that time a beginning.—τίνες, who in particular) out of the larger number of His disciples.—καὶ τίς, and who) out of the twelve disciples. Judas therefore was then already cherishing that unnatural feeling, from which subsequently his treachery took its rise. Even then he did not believe, and, along with many other disciples, took offence at the discourse of Jesus. The bad are soon bad; the good are soon good.[152] John has diligently marked the successive steps in the deadly wickedness of Judas, ch. John 12:4 [His covetous objection made to the pouring out of the ointment on the Lord by Mary]; John 13:2; John 13:27, “Satan entered into him;” John 14:22; and entertained an especial antipathy towards him.

[152] i.e. Good and evil soon develop themselves in their respective characters.—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 64. - But, he adds, there are some of you that believe not. "Some," not many, who were following him yet felt that they could not trust - could not accept his greatest revelations, these Divine assumptions, this spiritual position of his. The Divine humanity, the offered life, the cruel death, of the Son of God, the victory over death, the return to the Father, when put into words or when taught in metaphors even, were grounds of offence. The evangelist adds: For (the γάρ introduces the explanatory clause of the disciple who testified of these things) Jesus knew (knew absolutely, rather than came to know) from the beginning - referring to the commencement of his public ministry, when men began to close round him (John 1:43, 48; John 2:24), not from the beginning of time, or the beginning of their unbelief (Kling); he knew by his Divine penetration into their character, by their manner and spirit, and the nakedness and openness of all hearts before him - who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him. Westcott here reminds us that the first indication of the sin of Judas occurs in close association with predictions of the approaching Passion. This foreknowledge of issues is no interference with free self-consciousness in itself. It may imply that the natures thus known contained in themselves the seeds of the future growth. He knew what would be, but he did not compel it. There was possibly some fresh manifestation of feeling, of failing sympathy, even of enmity, which led the evangelist to notice the manner and interpret the mind of the Lord. John 6:64

Vincent's Word Studies

Should betray (παραδώσων)

See on Matthew 4:12; see on Mark 4:29. Judas is once in the New Testament designated by the noun προδότης, traitor, Luke 6:16.