John 5:23
That all men should honour the Son…
This is the end of
all judgment, and the exercise of all authority, and power being
committed to him; namely, that he might have the honour given him by
men that is due unto him:
even as they honour the Father;
that the same honour and glory may
be given to the one, as to the other, which must never have been
done was he not equal with him, since he gives not his glory to
another, (Isaiah 42:8) (48:11) . Indeed, all men do not honour the Father
as they should; the Gentiles, who had some knowledge of God,
glorified him not as God; and the Jews, who had an external
revelation of the one, true, and living God, which other nations had
not, yet were greatly deficient in honouring him, which made him
complaining say, "if then I be a father, where is mine honour?"
(Malachi 1:6) . And Christians, who are favoured with a clearer revelation
still of the Father of Christ, are much wanting in giving him his
due glory; but in common he is honoured, though in an imperfect
manner; nor is there so much danger of his losing his honour, as of
the Son's losing his; the reason is this, though the Son is in the
form of God, and equal with him, yet by taking upon him the form of
a servant, by becoming man, he has veiled the glory of his divine
person, and made himself of no reputation; and by reason of this was
reckoned by many, or most, as a mere man: wherefore, by agreement,
that judgment, power, and authority, which equally belonged to the
Father, and the Son, the exercise of it is put visibly and openly
into the Son's hands, that he might have his due honour and glory
from all men, whether they will or not: from true believers in him he
has it willingly, by their ascribing deity to him, by putting their
trust in him, by attributing the whole of their salvation to him,
and the glory of it, and by worshipping him: and he will be honoured
by all men at the last day; they will be obliged to do it; for all
judgment being committed to him, and he being Judge of all, every
knee shall bow to him, and every tongue shall confess that he is
Lord, to his own glory, and to the glory of God the Father; see
(Isaiah 45:23) (Philippians 2:10,11) .
He that honoureth not the Son;
that denies his divine sonship, or
his proper deity; that detracts from the dignity of his person or
office; that shows no regard to him in point of salvation, or of
obedience:
honoureth not the Father which hath sent him;
they are so the same
in nature and perfections, in power, will, affections, and
operations; and their interests and honours are so involved
together, that whatever dishonour is done to one, reflects on the
other: and indeed, whatever is done in a way of disrespect to the
Son, as incarnate, and in his office capacity, highly reflects on
his Father, that sent him in the fulness of time, in human nature,
to obtain eternal redemption for his people, according to a rule
often expressed by the Jews, "a man's messenger is as himself";
(See Gill on 10:40).
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