Thomas Aquinas

Having set forth the incarnation of the Word, here the Evangelist accordingly introduces the manifest evidence of the incarnate Word. And concerning this he does two things. For first he shows the mode of the manifestation of the incarnate Word; second he sets forth both modes, there: "Of his fullness we have all received." Now the incarnate Word became known to the apostles in two ways. First indeed they received knowledge of him through sight; second through hearing, from the testimony of John the Baptist. First, therefore, he manifests what they saw of the Word; second, what they heard from John, there: "John bears testimony of him." Now he says three things about the Word. First, the manifestation of his glory; whence he says: "and we saw his glory"; second, the singularity of his glory, when he adds: "as it were of the only begotten"; third, the determination of this glory, because it is "full of grace and truth." Now this that he says, "we saw his glory," can be connected to what precedes in three ways. First, so that it is an argument for what he had said, "the Word was made flesh": as if to say: from this I have and know that the Word of God is incarnate, because I and the other apostles saw his glory. Below, John 3:11: "what we know, we speak; and what we have seen, we testify." And 1 John 1:1: "what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes," and so on. Second, it is connected, according to Chrysostom, so that it is expressive of a manifold benefit. As if to say: not only has this benefit been conferred upon us through the incarnation of the Word, namely that we are made sons of God, but also that we should see his glory. For weak and infirm eyes cannot see the light of the sun; but they are able to see it when it shines back in a cloud or in some opaque body. For before the incarnation of the Word human minds were too feeble to see in itself the divine light, which illuminates every rational nature; and therefore, that it might be more easily discerned and contemplated by us, it veiled itself with the cloud of our flesh, according to that of Exodus 16:10: "they looked toward the wilderness, and saw the glory of the Lord in the cloud," that is, the Word of God in the flesh.

According to Augustine, however, it is connected in such a way that it refers to the benefit of grace. For the spiritual eyes of men were failing not only naturally from the contemplation of the divine light, but also from the defect of sin, according to that of Psalm 57:9: "fire fell upon them," namely of concupiscence, "and they did not see the sun," namely of justice. Therefore, that the divine light itself might be seen by us, he healed the eyes of men, making of his flesh a saving eye-salve, so that the Word might cure with the eye-salve of his flesh the eyes corrupted by the concupiscence of the flesh. And hence it is that immediately when the Word was made flesh, they said "and we saw his glory." To signify this, the Lord made clay from spittle, and anointed the eyes of the man born blind, below, John 9:6. The clay indeed is from the earth, but the spittle is derived from the head. So in the person of Christ, the human nature indeed was assumed from the earth; but the incarnate Word is from the head, namely from God the Father. Therefore this clay, immediately when it was applied to the eyes of men, "we saw his glory." Now this glory of the Word Moses desired to see, saying: "show me thy glory" (Exodus 33:18). But he did not merit to see it: rather it was said to him by the Lord: "thou shalt see my back parts," that is, shadows and figures. But the apostles saw the very brightness itself; 2 Corinthians 3:18: "but we, beholding the glory of God with unveiled face, are transformed into the same image from brightness to brightness." For Moses and the other prophets beheld the glory of the Word, to be manifested to the world at the end of times, in enigmas and figures; whence the apostle says, below, chapter 12: "these things Isaiah said, when he saw his glory." But the apostles saw the very brightness of the Word through his bodily presence. 2 Corinthians 3:18: "but we, with unveiled face," etc.; and Luke 10:23: "blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For many kings and prophets wished to see what you see, and did not see it."

Accordingly, when he says "the glory as it were of the only begotten," he shows the singularity of his glory. For since it is found concerning certain men that they were glorious, as it is read of Moses in Exodus 34:29: "and his face was made shining," or "horned," according to another reading, someone might say that from the fact that they saw him glorious, it ought not to be said that the Word of God was made flesh. But the Evangelist excludes this, saying: "the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father." As if to say: his glory is not like the glory of an Angel, or of Moses, and Elijah, or of Elisha, or of any other, but "as it were of the only begotten"; because, as it is said in Hebrews 3:3: "this one has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses." Psalm 88:7: "who is like to God among the sons of God?" Now this that he says "as it were" is expressive of truth, according to Gregory, and is a manner of speaking, as Chrysostom says. Just as if someone had seen a king proceeding in manifold glory, and, being asked by someone how he had seen the king, wishing to be brief, should express that manifold glory in one word, saying that he was proceeding "as a king," that is, as befitted a king; so here the Evangelist, as if he were asked by someone what the glory of the Word which he had seen was like, not being able to express it fully, says that it was "as it were of the only begotten of the Father," that is, such as befitted the only begotten of God. Now the singularity of the glory of the Word is regarded with respect to four things. First, with respect to the testimony of the Father, which he rendered to the Son. For John was one of the three who had seen Christ transfigured on the mountain, and heard the voice of the Father saying: "this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"; and of this glory it is said in 2 Peter 1:17: "he received from God the Father honor and glory, a voice coming down to him of this kind from the magnificent glory: this is my beloved Son." Second, with respect to the ministry of the Angels. For before the incarnation of Christ men were subject to the Angels; but afterwards, subject to Christ, they ministered, Matthew 4:11: "then the Angels came and ministered to him." Third, with respect to the obedience of nature. For all nature, obeying Christ, was subservient to him at his beck, as being instituted by himself, because "all things were made through him": which indeed was granted neither to the Angels, nor to any other creature, but to the incarnate Word alone. And this is what is said in Matthew 8:27: "what manner of man is this, that the sea and the winds obey him?" Fourth, with respect to the manner of teaching, or of working. For Moses and the other prophets did not give precepts and instruct men by their own authority, but by God's; whence they said: "thus says the Lord," etc.; and: "the Lord spoke to Moses," and so on. But Christ speaks as Lord and having power, that is, by his own power: whence he said, Matthew 5:22: "I say to you," etc.; on account of which, at the end of his sermon on the mountain it is said that "he was teaching as one having power," and so on. Likewise, other holy ones worked miracles by a power not their own; but Christ by his own power; whence it is said in Mark 1:27: "what is this new doctrine, that with power he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him?" So therefore the glory of the Word is singular.

Now note that sometimes we call Christ "only begotten" in Scripture, as here, and below: "the only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him." But sometimes we call him "firstborn"; Hebrews 1:6: "and when again he brings the firstborn into the world, he says: and let all the Angels of God adore him." Which is so because, just as it is proper to the whole holy Trinity to be God, so it is proper to the Word of God to be God begotten: and sometimes indeed we name God, according as he is in himself, and thus he alone singularly is God through his own essence. Whence in this way we say that there is only one God, according to that of Deuteronomy 6:4: "hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one." Sometimes we derive the name of deity also to others, according as some likeness of divinity is derived to men: and thus we say many gods, according to that of 1 Corinthians 8:5: "for indeed there are many gods, and many lords." In the same way therefore, if we consider the property of the Son by which he is begotten, with respect to the mode by which this sonship is attributed to him, namely by nature, we call him the only begotten of God: because since he alone is naturally begotten of the Father, there is only one begotten of God. But if we consider the Son himself, according as through likeness to him sonship is derived to others, thus there are many sons of God by participation. And because through his likeness they are called sons of God, therefore he is called the firstborn of all. Romans 8:29: "whom he foreknew to be made conformable to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." So therefore Christ is called the only begotten of God by nature, but the firstborn inasmuch as from his natural sonship, through a certain likeness and participation, sonship is derived to many.

Accordingly, when he says "full of grace and truth," he determines the glory itself of the Word, as if to say: such is his glory that he is full of grace and divinity. Now these words can be expounded of Christ in three ways. First according to the union. For grace is given to someone for this, that through it he may be united to God. He therefore is full of grace who is most perfectly united to God. And others indeed are joined to God through participation in a natural likeness, Genesis 1:26: "let us make man to our image and likeness"; others through faith, Ephesians 3:17: "that Christ may dwell through faith," etc.; others through charity, because "he who abides in charity, abides in God," as it is said in 1 John 4:16. But all these modes are partial: because neither is anyone perfectly joined to God through participation in a natural likeness, nor is God seen through faith as he is, nor is he loved through charity as much as he is lovable: for because he himself is infinite good, therefore his lovableness is infinite, to loving which infinitely the love of any creature cannot attain; and therefore there cannot be a full conjunction. But in Christ, in whom the human nature is united to the divinity in the unity of the supposit, there is to be found a full and perfect conjunction to God, because such was that union, that all the acts both of the divine and of the human nature were acts of the supposit. He was therefore full of grace, inasmuch as he did not receive from God some special gratuitous gift, but that he should be God himself; Philippians 2:9: "he gave him a name," namely God the Father to the Son, "which is above every name"; Romans 1:4: "who was predestined the Son of God in power." He was also full of truth, because the human nature in Christ attained to the very divine truth, namely that that man was the very divine truth itself: for in other men there are many participated truths, according as the first truth itself shines back through many likenesses in their minds, but Christ is the very truth itself. Whence it is said in Colossians 2:3 that "in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom."

Second, they can be expounded according to the perfection of the soul, according to which he is said to be full of grace and truth, according as in his soul there was a fullness of all graces without any measure; John 3:34: "for the Spirit is not given by measure," which nevertheless is given by measure to all rational creatures, both Angels and men. For, according to Augustine, just as in the individual members of the body there is one common sense, namely the sense of touch, but in the head are all the senses, so in Christ, who is the head of every rational nature, and especially of the saints, who are united to him through faith and charity, all the powers, and graces, and gifts are found superabundantly: but in the other saints there are participations of the gifts and graces, although the common gift of all the saints is charity. Of the fullness of the grace of Christ it is said in Isaiah 11:1: "there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him." Christ was also full of truth, because his precious and blessed soul knew all truth, both divine and human, from the instant of his conception; whence Peter says to him: "thou knowest all things," and in Psalm 88:25: "my truth," that is, the knowledge of all truth, "and my mercy," that is, the fullness of all graces, "with him."

In the third way, they can be expounded according to the dignity of the head, namely inasmuch as Christ is the head of the Church. And thus it belongs to him to communicate grace to others, both by working power in the minds of men through the infusion of grace, and by meriting, through his teaching and works and the passions of his death, superabundant grace for infinite worlds, if there were such. Inasmuch therefore as he has bestowed on us perfect justice, which we could not have through the law, which was weak, which could justify no one, nor bring to perfection, to that extent he is full of grace, as it is said in Romans 8:3: "what was impossible to the law, in that it was weakened through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, of sin condemned sin in the flesh." Likewise he was full of truth, inasmuch as he fulfilled the figures of the old law and the promises made to the fathers; Romans 15:8: "I say that Christ Jesus was a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises of the fathers"; 2 Corinthians 1:20: "as many as are the promises of God, they are in him." Likewise he is said to be full of grace, because his teaching and manner of life were most gracious; Psalm 44:3: "grace is poured out on thy lips." Whence it is said in Luke 21:38 that "all in the morning went," that is, they were eager to go in the morning. But full of truth, because he did not teach in enigmas and figures, nor did he flatter the vices of men, but preached the truth openly to all without any deceit; below, John 16:29: "behold, thou speakest plainly," and so on.