Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Lord consoled the apostles by the promise of the Holy Spirit; here he shows the benefit which the Holy Spirit, upon coming, will bring to them. And he sets down a threefold benefit: one on the part of the world, another on the part of the disciples, and a third on the part of Christ. On the part of the world, indeed, because the Holy Spirit, upon coming, will convict the world; on the part of the disciples, because he will instruct them, at the place "I have yet many things to say to you," etc.; on the part of Christ, because he will glorify him, at the place "he shall glorify me," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the benefit of the coming of the Holy Spirit as regards the world; second he expounds it, at the place "of sin indeed, because they have not believed in me." He says therefore: it is expedient for you that I go, because I will send the Holy Spirit to you, and, when he has come, he will convict the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. This is read in two ways: in one way according to Augustine, in another way according to Chrysostom.

According to Augustine indeed in this way: "when he has come," namely the Holy Spirit, "he will convict," that is, reprove, the world; Proverbs 9:8: "Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you." But does not Christ also convict the world? He does indeed convict it, above, 8:41: "you are of your father the devil," and Matthew 23, saying many things against the Pharisees and Scribes. Why then does he say "he will convict," as though he himself had not convicted? But perhaps someone would say that Christ convicted only the Jews, while the Holy Spirit, in the disciples and through the disciples, convicts the whole world. But this is contradicted by the fact that Christ speaks in the apostles and through the apostles just as the Holy Spirit does; 2 Corinthians (last chapter), 13:3: "you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me." And therefore it must be said that he said "he will convict the world" of him who, invisibly penetrating your hearts, will pour out charity in them, by which, fear being driven out, you will have the power of convicting. For as long as the disciples were carnally attached to Christ, the Holy Spirit was not in them, as has been said, in the manner in which he was afterward; and therefore they were not as bold as they were after his coming; Psalm 32:6: "by the spirit of his mouth was all the power of them," namely of the apostles; 2 Chronicles 24:20: "the spirit of the Lord clothed Zechariah." He also will convict the world, because, filling the hearts which before had been worldly, he brought it about that they reproved themselves; Job 13:15: "I will argue my ways in his sight," etc. And this the Holy Spirit does; Psalm 50:12: "renew a right spirit within my bowels."

But of what will he convict? Of three things. Of the sin which they committed; Isaiah 58:1: "announce to my people their wicked deeds," etc. And this the apostles did; Psalm 18:5: "their sound has gone out into all the earth." Likewise of the justice which they neglected; Isaiah 29: "they have not done justice," etc. And this the apostles did: Romans 3:10: "there is not one that is just." Likewise of the judgment which they despised: for as it is said in Proverbs 18:3, "the wicked man, when he has come into the depth of sins, despises"; Ezekiel 5:6: "she has despised my judgments," etc.

Here he expounds. And first, what he says concerning sin, namely "because they have not believed in me." He convicts only of the sin of unbelief, because through faith all other sins are forgiven, Matthew 25:35ff. The Lord imputes to the damned only the lack of mercy, because through mercy all sins are purged; Proverbs 15:27: "by mercy and faith sins are purged." So therefore here too: because while unbelief remains, the other sins are retained, and when it departs the others are forgiven. Now he says "because they have not believed in me," and he does not say "believed me" or "believed him," because the demons believe that Christ exists, and tremble; James 2:19. But "in me," through faith formed by hoping and loving.

Second, concerning justice, namely "because I go to the Father," etc. This indeed can be expounded in two ways: either concerning the justice of Christ, or concerning the justice of the apostles. Concerning the justice of the apostles thus: he convicts the world of our justice, which they have not imitated. I mean the justice not from the law, but from faith; Romans 3:22: "but the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ." But faith concerns things unseen: Hebrews 11:1. Now the disciples saw one thing, namely his humanity, and did not see another, namely his divinity; but this he promises them as a reward; above, 14:21: "I will manifest myself to them." The disciples, therefore, had faith concerning Christ only as regards the divinity; but when the humanity of Christ was withdrawn from them, then their faith concerned both; and therefore, according to Augustine on John, he says "because I go to the Father, and now you shall not see me," as if he were to say: you believe in me as regards the divinity, and, because I go to the Father, you will believe in me also as regards the humanity — which justice of faith indeed the world does not imitate. But he says "and now you shall not see me": not that they were never to see him, but because they were not going to see him in this mortal flesh. They saw him at the resurrection, but existing as immortal; and they will see him at the judgment, but coming in majesty.

Concerning the justice of Christ, he expounds it in the work On the Words of the Lord. For the Jews were unwilling to acknowledge that Christ was just; above, 9:24: "we know that this man is a sinner." He will convict them of this justice, saying "because I go to the Father": because this very fact, that I go to the Father, belongs to my justice. For that Christ descended was of mercy; but that he ascended was owed to his justice; Philippians 2:9: "for which cause God also has exalted him," etc.

Third, he convicts the world of judgment; and this because "the prince of this world" — that is, the devil, who is the prince of the world, that is, of worldly men, not by creation, but by suggestion and imitation; Wisdom 2:25: "they imitate him who are of his side"; Job 41:25: "he is king over all the children of pride" — this prince, therefore, "has already been judged," that is, cast out; above, 12:31: "now is the judgment of the world," that is, on behalf of the world, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out." And he says this in order to remove the excuse of men, who excuse themselves of their sins on account of the temptation of the devil; as if he were to say: they cannot be excused, because the devil has been expelled, through the grace and faith of Christ and the Holy Spirit, from the hearts of the faithful, so that he no longer tempts from within as before, but is permitted to tempt only from without, through trial; and therefore those who wish to cling to Christ can resist him. And hence it is that weak women have conquered the devil, by whom nevertheless the strongest men have been overcome. Of this judgment, therefore, the world is convicted, because, unwilling to resist, it is conquered by the devil, and brings back, through consent to sin, him whom it had expelled from itself; Romans 6:12: "sin does not reign in your mortal body."

Or otherwise, according to the same Augustine in the book On the Words of the Lord, what he says, "has already been judged," is to be understood of the judgment of condemnation; that is, he himself has already been condemned, and consequently all who cling to him; Matthew 25:41: "depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels." The world is also convicted concerning judgment: because, knowing that the prince of this world has been condemned, it does not itself escape this judgment either; but it is judged along with its prince, since it imitates one who is proud and impious.

According to Chrysostom, it is expounded differently from the very beginning: "when he has come," namely the Holy Spirit, "he will convict," that is, prove against, "the world of sin"; as if he were to say: the Holy Spirit himself will be a kind of proof against the world; Hebrews 2:4: "God also bearing witness by signs and wonders," etc. And concerning this sin he will show that they sinned gravely "because they have not believed in me," when they see that the Holy Spirit is given in my name to the faithful; Acts 5:32: "we are witnesses of this thing, and the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey him." Concerning justice, namely which I have, which nevertheless the world did not reckon me to have: and this, because I go to the Father, and will send you the Spirit, namely who will show that I have led a just and blameless life; above, 15:26: "whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth." Because this is said in Psalm 67:19: after Christ ascended on high, he gave gifts to men. Concerning judgment: because "the prince of this world has already been judged"; that is, from this very fact that he is judged, that is, expelled, through the Holy Spirit, from the hearts of the faithful; Zechariah 13:2: "I will cast out the unclean spirit"; 1 Corinthians 2:12: "we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God." And concerning this judgment he will convict them, because they themselves wrongly judged that he had a devil, and that he cast out devils by Beelzebub: of which they will be convicted, because the Holy Spirit whom I will send will condemn and cast out the devil himself.

Here he sets down the benefit of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the part of the disciples, which is their instruction; and first he sets down the necessity of instruction; second he promises the instruction, at the place "but when that Spirit of truth has come, he will teach you all truth"; third he excludes a doubt, at the place "for he shall not speak of himself." He says therefore: the coming of the Holy Spirit will be useful to the world, because he will convict it. But it will also be useful to you for instruction; of which instruction indeed you stand in need, "because I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now": as if he were to say, I have instructed you, but you are not filled up; Job 26:14: "behold, these things are said in part of his works: and seeing we have heard scarcely a little drop of his word, who shall be able to behold the thunder of his greatness?"

But to ask what these many things are which they were not able to bear is foolish, as Augustine says. For if they themselves were not able to bear them, much more are we also unable. Yet this saying, "you cannot bear them now," various heretics take up as a covering for their own error, in that to those who cling to them they say in secret certain most shameful things, which they would not dare to say openly — as though these very things were what the disciples could not then bear, and the Holy Spirit taught things which the spirit of man is ashamed to teach and preach openly. It is not, therefore, to be understood that certain secrets of doctrine are kept silent from the little ones among the faithful, to be taught separately to those who are greater, but the things which belong to the faith are set forth to all the faithful; Matthew 10:27: "that which you have heard in the ear, preach upon the housetops." But they must be set forth to the unlearned in one way, and to the experienced in another; just as the subtle points concerning the mystery of the incarnation, and other such things, are not to be set forth to the unlearned, because, being unable to understand them, they would be scandalized. All the things, therefore, which belonged to the faith, the Lord set forth to them, but not in the manner in which he afterward revealed them, and especially not as in eternal life. So, therefore, the things which they could not bear are the full knowledge of divine things, which they did not have then — for instance, the equality of the Son to the Father, and things of this kind. Whence Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:4: "I heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter," which were not concerning any truth other than that of faith, but in a higher manner. Likewise the spiritual understanding of all the Scriptures, which they did not have then, but when "he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures": Luke, last chapter, 24:45. Likewise the sufferings and dangers which they were to undergo, which they could not bear then, because their minds were weak; Ecclesiasticus 6:26: "put your shoulder under her, and bear her." So, therefore, instruction was necessary for them.

Here he promises them the instruction which they will obtain at the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will teach them all truth. For since he is from the truth, it belongs to him to teach the truth, and to make them like to his principle. And he says "all truth," namely of the faith, which he will teach through a certain elevated understanding in this life, and the same fully in eternal life, where "we shall know even as we are known": 1 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 John 2:27: "the anointing will teach you," etc. Or "all truth" of the figures of the Law, which the disciples obtained through the Holy Spirit. Whence Daniel 1:17, it is said that the Lord gave to those children wisdom and understanding.

Here he excludes a doubt which could arise: if the Holy Spirit will teach them, it seems that he would be greater than Christ; which is not so, because he will teach them by the power of the Father and the Son, for "he shall not speak of himself," but from me, because it will be from me. For just as the Son does not operate of himself but from the Father, so the Holy Spirit, because he is from another, namely from the Father and the Son, will not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear — receiving knowledge, as also essence, from eternity — this he will speak, not bodily, but by illuminating inwardly in the mind; Hosea 2:14: "I will lead her into solitude, and will speak to her heart"; Psalm 84:9: "I will hear what the Lord God speaks in me." But since he has heard from eternity, what is this, that it says "he shall hear," in the future tense? But it must be said that eternity includes every time; and therefore the Holy Spirit, who hears from eternity, can be said to hear in the present, in the past, and in the future. Yet nevertheless he is sometimes said to hear in the future because those things of which he has knowledge are future. He will speak, therefore, whatever he shall hear, because he will teach not only eternal things, but future things; and therefore he adds: "and the things that are to come, he will declare to you," which is proper to the divinity; Wisdom 8:8: "she knows signs and wonders before they are done"; Isaiah 41:23: "declare to us the things that are to come; and we shall know that you are gods." For this is proper to the Holy Spirit; Joel 2:28: "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." Now the apostles had the spirit of prophecy. Or, "he will teach all truth," namely of the figures. But lest they should doubt how they would know about the future tribulations which he had foretold to them, therefore he adds "and the things that are to come," namely upon you, "he will declare to you."