24. In the end of verse 23 and in this verse Christ goes on to give the reasons why this worship, which is primarily spiritual, is to exist in the new and more perfect dispensation—(1). It is the Father’s will. (2) It is meet that such should be the worship paid to Him who is Himself a Spirit. It is hardly necessary to point out that Calvin’s interpretation of adoration by faith alone cannot be admitted. Were that sufficient, the devils themselves would be true adorers, for “the devils also believe and tremble” (James ii. 19). Neither does Christ here imply that all _external_ worship, external rites and ceremonies, were to cease, but only that they were to cease to be _merely external_; else (1) His acts would contradict His words, Luke xxii. 41; xxiv. 50; (2) His Apostles would distinctly disobey Him: see Acts xvi. 25; ix. 40: Eph. iii. 14; (3) His Church _in every age_ has misunderstood Him. 25. Dicit ei mulier: Scio quia 25. The woman saith to him: I Messias venit (qui dicitur know that the Messias cometh Christus): cum ergo venerit (who is called Christ), ille, nobis annuntiabit omnia. therefore when he is come, he will tell us all things. 25. The poor woman, apparently bewildered by what Christ had just said, is satisfied to wait in confidence till Messias (here without the article, used as a proper name) shall come, who, she believes, will make known all that it is necessary to know regarding the place and character of the worship of the true God. As the Samaritans admitted only the Pentateuch, where the term Messias is not used (though His coming is foretold, Deut. xviii. 18); as, moreover, she could not have gathered from the Pentateuch the _time_ of His coming, she must have learned by rumour that the Jews were _at this time_ expecting the Messias; her words, “He will tell _us_ all things,” showed that she hoped for His coming in her own day. It is difficult to say whether the words explanatory of Messias, *who is called Christ*, are the woman’s or our Evangelist’s. That the Evangelist explained the term before (i. 41), is not a proof that he does not do so again, for see John xi. 16; xx. 24; xxi. 2. 26. Dicit ei Iesus: Ego sum, 26. Jesus saith to her: I am qui loquor tecum. he who am speaking with thee. 27. Et continuo venerunt 27. And immediately his discipuli eius: et mirabantur, disciples came: and they quia cum muliere loquebatur. wondered that he talked with Nemo tamen dixit: Quid the woman. Yet no man said: quaeris, aut quid loqueris cum What seekest thou, or why ea? talkest thou with her? 26, 27. At length Christ reveals Himself; and now that He has excited her interest and awakened her faith, the disciples return from Sichar, and are astonished to find Him speaking publicly with a woman—a thing not usually done by Jewish doctors.