SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:16
No me elegisteis vosotros a mí , mas yo os elegí a vosotros; y os he puesto para que vayis y llevis fruto, y vuestro fruto permanezca; para que todo lo que pidiereis del Padre en mi nombre, l os lo d.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 15:16
Verse 16. Ye have not chosen me] Ye have not elected me as your Teacher: I have called you to be my disciples; witnesses and depositories of the truth. It was customary among the Jews for every person to choose his own teacher. And ordained you] Rather, I have appointed you: the word is eqhka, I have PUT or placed you, i.e. in the vine.
Theodourus Mopsuensis, as quoted by Wetstein, observes that eqhka is here used for efuteusa; (I have planted;) "and, in saying this, our Lord still makes use of the metaphor of the vine; as if he had said: I have not only planted you, but I have given you the greatest benefits, causing your branches to extend every where through the habitable world." The first ministers of the Gospel were the choice of Jesus Christ; no wonder, then, that they were so successful. Those whom men have since sent, without the appointment of God, have done no good. The choice should still continue with God, who, knowing the heart, knows best who is most proper for the Gospel ministry.
To be a genuine preacher of the Gospel, a man must-1. Be chosen of God to the work. 2. He must be placed in the true vine-united to Christ by faith. 3. He must not think to lead an idle life, but labour. 4. He must not wait till work be brought to him, but he must go and seek it. 5. He must labour so as to bring forth fruit, i.e. to get souls converted to the Lord. 6. He must refer all his fruit to God, who gave him the power to labour, and blessed him in his work. 7. He must take care to water what he has planted, that his fruit may remain-that the souls whom he has gathered in be not scattered from the flock. 8. He must continue instant in prayer, that his labours may be accompanied with the presence and blessing of God-Whatsoever ye shall ASK. 9. He must consider Jesus Christ as the great Mediator between God and man, proclaim his salvation, and pray in his name.-Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, &c. See Quesnel.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you , etc.] Not but that they had made choice of him as their Lord and Master, Saviour and Redeemer; but not first, he was before hand with them; he chose them, before they chose him; so that his choice of them was entirely free, did not arise from any character, motive, or condition in them: the allusion is to a custom of the Jews, the reverse of which Christ acted; with whom it was usual for disciples to choose their own masters, and not masters their disciples: hence that advice of R. Joshuah ben Perachiah, said to be the master of Jesus of Nazareth, br l h[ f621 , make, provide, or chose thyself a master, and get thyself a companion.
Those words in ( Song of Solomon 2:16); my beloved is mine, and I am his, are thus paraphrased by the Jews f622 ; he hath chosen me, and I have chosen him: which is not amiss, provided the latter choice is thought to be by virtue, and in consequence of the former; if not, our Lord directly opposes the words and sense. This may be understood both of election to salvation, and of choice to the office of apostleship; in both which Christ was first, or chose them before they chose him, that good part, which shall never be taken away; for as they were chosen in him, so by him, before the foundation of the world; being as early loved by him, as by his Father; and in consequence thereof, were chosen by him, for his people and peculiar treasure; he first chose and called them to be his disciples and apostles, to follow him, preach his Gospel, and become fishers of men; and clothed them with full power and authority to exercise their high office: and ordained you ; which may design either ordination to eternal life, or apostleship, before the world began; as Jeremiah was ordained to be a prophet, before he was born; or else the investiture of them with that office, and with all gifts and graces necessary for the discharge of it; for when he called and sent forth his disciples to preach the Gospel, he is said to ordain them, ( Mark 3:14); and the rather this may be meant here, because the former is designed by his choosing them; or he set them, or planted them in himself, a fruitful soil, that they might shoot up and bear much fruit, as it follows: that ye should go and bring forth fruit ; go first into Judea, and then into all the world; and brings forth the fruits of righteousness and holiness in themselves, and be the happy means of the conversion, and so of bringing in a large harvest of souls to Jesus Christ: and that your fruit should remain ; as it has done; for they not only persevered themselves in faith and holiness, in preaching the Gospel, and living according to it, but the persons whose conversion they were instruments of, continued steadfastly in their doctrine, and in the fellowship of the saints; and the Gospel which was preached by them, has remained, though not always in the same place, yet in the world ever since: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you .
This is added, to encourage their perseverance in the work he chose and called them to, which would be attended with many difficulties and discouragements; wherefore as they would stand in need of divine assistance, they might assure themselves of it; for be it what it would they should ask of his Father, making mention of his name and righteousness; whether for a sufficiency of gifts and grace in the discharge of their duty; or for success in it; or for the confirmation of the truths delivered by them; or for liberty and boldness to speak in vindication of themselves, when called to it before kings and governors, it should be given them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-17 - Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continu in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to his by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroa the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, ye names this only; it includes many duties.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουχ 3756 PRT-N υμεις 5210 P-2NP με 3165 P-1AS εξελεξασθε 1586 5668 V-AMI-2P αλλ 235 CONJ εγω 1473 P-1NS εξελεξαμην 1586 5668 V-AMI-1S υμας 5209 P-2AP και 2532 CONJ εθηκα 5087 5656 V-AAI-1S υμας 5209 P-2AP ινα 2443 CONJ υμεις 5210 P-2NP υπαγητε 5217 5725 V-PAS-2P και 2532 CONJ καρπον 2590 N-ASM φερητε 5342 5725 V-PAS-2P και 2532 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM καρπος 2590 N-NSM υμων 5216 P-2GP μενη 3306 5725 V-PAS-3S ινα 2443 CONJ ο 3739 R-ASN τι 5100 X-ASN αν 302 PRT αιτησητε 154 5661 V-AAS-2P τον 3588 T-ASM πατερα 3962 N-ASM εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSN ονοματι 3686 N-DSN μου 3450 P-1GS δω 1325 5632 V-2AAS-3S υμιν 5213 P-2DP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Ye - chosen. The pronoun is emphatic: "It was not ye that chose me."Ordained (eqhka). Rev., appointed is better, because it divests the word of its conventional meaning. Ordain is from the Latin ordinare, and means to set in order. Thus, Robert of Gloucester's "Chronicle:" "He began to ordain his folk," i.e., set his people in order. Hakluyt, "Voyages:" "He ordained a boat made of one tree." The Greek verb means to set, put, or place. Hence of appointing one to service. See 1 Tim. i. 12. Wyc., Matt. xxiv. 47: "Upon all his goods he shall ordain him."
Should go (upaghte). Withdraw from His personal society and go out into the world.
That whatsoever, etc. (ina). Coordinated with the preceding ina, that, as marking another result of their choice and appointment by Christ. He has appointed them that they should bring forth fruit, and that they should obtain such answers to their prayer as would make them fruitful.
