Thomas Aquinas

After the Evangelist has shown Christ teaching, he here consequently shows, first, the illuminative power of his teaching; second, he sets forth what is said concerning it, at the place, "The Pharisees therefore said to him: Thou givest testimony of thyself." Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the privilege of spiritual light; second, its effect, at the place, "he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness"; third, its fruit, at the place, "but shall have the light of life." Now the privilege of spiritual light is set down with respect to Christ, who is light; and as to this he says, "Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world." This can be connected in one way to what was said immediately before. For because he had said, "Neither will I condemn thee," and so on, absolving her of the crime, therefore, lest anyone should doubt whether he himself could absolve and forgive sins, he deigns to show more openly the power of his divinity, saying that he is the light which drives away the darkness of sin. In another way it can be connected to what he said above in chapter 7:52, "Search the Scriptures, and see that a prophet doth not rise up out of Galilee." For because they reckoned him a Galilean, and as it were dependent on a particular place, they were rejecting his teaching; therefore the Lord shows that he is the universal light of the whole world, saying, "I am the light of the world," not of Galilee, nor of Palestine, nor of Judea.

The Manichees, however, as Augustine says, understood this falsely. For because their imagination was concerned only with sensible things, they were unable to extend themselves to intellectual and spiritual things; they believed that above corporeal things nothing existed in the nature of things, and hence they said that God was a body, and a certain infinite light, and they thought that this sun visible to the eyes of the flesh was the Lord Christ; and on this account they held that he himself had said, "I am the light of the world." But this cannot stand, and the Catholic Church condemns such a fiction. For this corporeal sun is a light which the sense can attain; and therefore it is not the supreme light, which the intellect alone attains, which is the intelligible light proper to the rational creature. Of this light Christ speaks here, "I am the light of the world." Of this it is said above, in 1:9, "That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." Now this sensible light is a certain image of that intelligible light: for every sensible thing is, as it were, something particular, whereas intellectual things are, as it were, something total. Just as this particular light has an effect upon the thing seen, inasmuch as it makes colors actually visible, and also upon the one seeing, because through it the eye is strengthened to see, so that intelligible light makes the intellect knowing. For whatever light there is in the rational creature is wholly derived from that supreme light; above, 1:9, "enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." Likewise it makes all things actually intelligible, inasmuch as all forms are derived from it, through which things have that whereby they are known, just as all the forms of artifacts are derived from the art and reason of the artisan; Psalm 103:24, "How great are thy works, O Lord! Thou hast made all things in wisdom." And therefore he rightly says, "I am the light of the world": not the sun made, but he through whom the sun was made. Yet, as Augustine says, the light which made the sun was itself made under the sun, and is covered with the cloud of flesh, not that it might be obscured, but that it might be tempered.

By this is also excluded the heresy of Nestorius, who said that the Son of God was united to man only by indwelling. For it is agreed that he who uttered these words, namely "I am the light of the world," was a man. Unless, therefore, he who was speaking and was seen to be a man were personally the Son of God, he would not have said "I am the light of the world," but rather "in me dwells the light of the world."

Now the effect of this light is to expel darkness; hence he says, "he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness." And because this light is universal, it therefore universally expels all darkness. Now darkness is threefold, namely, of ignorance; Psalm 81:5, "They have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness." And this is a darkness of reason in itself, insofar as it is beclouded by itself. Likewise, darkness of guilt; Ephesians 5:8, "You were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord." And this is a darkness of human reason not from itself, but from appetite, inasmuch as, being ill-disposed through the passions or a habit, it desires something as good which nevertheless is not truly good. Likewise, the darkness of eternal damnation; Matthew 25:30, "And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness." But the first two are in this present life; the third belongs to the end of the way. He, therefore, who follows me, "walketh not in darkness," of ignorance, because "I am the truth"; nor of guilt, because "I am the way"; nor of eternal damnation, because "I am the life." And therefore he consequently adds the fruit of the teaching, namely, "but shall have the light of life": for he who has this light is outside the darkness of damnation.

He says, however, "he that followeth," because just as whoever does not wish to err in darkness must follow him who carries the light, so whoever wishes to be saved must follow Christ, who is the light, by believing and loving; and thus the apostles followed him, Matthew 4:20. Now because bodily light can fail through its setting, it happens that he who follows it falls into darkness. But this light, which knows no setting, never fails; and therefore he who follows it has an unfailing light, namely, of life. For visible light does not give life, but assists from without the operations of bodily life; but this light gives life, because we live inasmuch as we have intellect, which is a certain participation of that light. But when that light shall shine forth perfectly, then we shall have perfect life; Psalm 35:10, "For with thee is the fountain of life; and in thy light we shall see light"; as if to say: then we shall have life itself perfectly when we shall see that very light through its species. Hence it is said, John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." But it must be noted that what he says, "he that followeth me," pertains to merit; but what he says, "shall have the light of life," pertains to reward.

Consequently, when he says, "The Pharisees therefore said to him," and so on, he shows these three things which he said of himself, and first the first; second the second, at the place, "Again therefore Jesus said to them"; third the third, at the place, "Amen, amen I say to you, if any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever." Now the first thing he said was "I am the light of the world," which troubled the Jews; and therefore he first sets down the contradiction of the Jews; second, their refutation, by manifesting the truth of his own saying, at the place, "Jesus answered, and said to them," and so on. Now it is manifest concerning the first that what he said in the temple he said in the sight of the crowds, but here in the presence of the Pharisees. And therefore the Pharisees themselves said to him: "Thou givest testimony of thyself, thy testimony is not true"; as if they were to say: from this very fact, that thou bearest witness of thyself, thy testimony is not true. For among men it is neither acceptable nor fitting that a man should praise himself; Proverbs 27:2, "Let another praise thee, and not thy own mouth": because a man is not made commendable by this, but if he is commended by God; 2 Corinthians 10:18, "For not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he whom God commendeth": because God alone knows him perfectly. But no one can sufficiently commend God, except himself; and therefore it is necessary that he bear witness of himself, and also concerning men; Job 16:20, "Behold my witness is in heaven." And so the Jews were being deceived.

Consequently, when he says, "Jesus answered, and said to them," and so on, the Lord repels their contradiction, and first by the authority of the Father; second he removes the contradiction that arose concerning the Father, at the place, "They said therefore to him: Where is thy father?" Now the contradiction of the Jews proceeded by a certain consequence, and therefore he first shows their consequence does not hold; second he proves that his own testimony is true, at the place, "I judge not any man," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows the falsity of their consequence; second he adds the cause of their deception, at the place, "But you know not whence I come, or whither I go." Now their consequence was that from this very fact, that Christ bore witness of himself, his testimony was not true. But the Lord says the contrary, namely that from this it is true. Hence he answered, and said to them: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is true": and this because "I know whence I come, and whither I go"; as if to say, according to Chrysostom, because I am from God, and am God, and the Son of God. Now God is "true": Romans 3:4. He says, however, "I know whence I come," that is, I know my own origin, "and whither I go," namely, to the Father, whom no one can know perfectly except the Son of God; Matthew 11:27, "Neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him." Now whoever knows by affection and by intellect whence he comes and whither he goes cannot but speak the truth, for he comes from God and goes to God; and God is truth: how much more, then, does the Son of God, who perfectly knows whence he comes and whither he goes, speak the truth?

Consequently, when he says, "But you know not whence I come, or whither I go," he shows the cause of their error, which is ignorance of the divinity of Christ; for because they were ignorant of it, they judged of him according to his humanity. Thus there was a twofold cause of error in them. One, that they were ignorant of his divinity; the other, that they judged of him according to his humanity alone. And therefore as to the first he says, "You know not whence I come," that is, my eternal procession from the Father, "or whither I go." Above: "he is true that sent me, and the things I have heard of him, these same I speak in the world"; Job 28:20, "Whence then cometh wisdom?"; Isaiah 53:8, "Who shall declare his generation?" As to the second he says, "You judge according to the flesh," namely concerning me, thinking me to be only flesh, and not God. Or "according to the flesh," that is, wickedly and unjustly. For just as to live according to the flesh is to live wickedly, so too to judge according to the flesh is to judge wickedly.

Consequently, when he says, "I judge not any man," he shows that his testimony is true, and that it is false that he alone bears witness of himself. And because mention has been made of judgment, he shows first that he is not alone in judging; second, that he is not alone in bearing witness, at the place, "and in your law it is written," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the deferral of judgment; second the truth of judgment; and third the reason for that truth. He sets down the deferral of judgment indeed when he says, "I judge not any man"; as if to say: you judge wickedly, but "I judge not any man"; above, 3:17, "For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him." Or, "I judge not any man," namely according to the flesh, as you judge; Isaiah 11:3, "He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears." But yet at some time I shall judge; because "the Father hath given all judgment to the Son"; above, chapter 5:22. And then "my judgment is true," that is, just; Psalm 95, "he shall judge the world with equity"; Romans 2:2, "we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that do such things." In this the truth of the judgment is shown. He shows the reason for the truth when he says, "because I am not alone." Now what he said above, 5:22, "the Father judgeth not any man," is to be understood as apart from the Son, or because the Father will not appear visibly to all in the judgment; and therefore he says, "I am not alone," because I am not forsaken by him, but am together with him; below, 14:10, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me." Now this saying excludes the error of Sabellius, who said that the person of the Father and of the Son is one, and that they differ only according to names. For if this were so, he would not have said, "I am not alone," but rather "I, and he who sent me," but he would have said: I am the Father, and I myself am the Son. Distinguish, therefore, the persons, and know that the Son is other than the Father.

Consequently, when he says, "and in your law it is written," and so on, he shows that he is not alone in bearing witness; nor does testimony, however, differ as judgment does: hence he does not say, I do not bear witness. First, therefore, he introduces the law; second he concludes the proposition, at the place, "I am one that give testimony of myself." He says, therefore, "in your law," and given to you, Ecclesiasticus 24:23, "Moses commanded a law"; "it is written," Deuteronomy 19, "that the testimony of two men is true": for it stands thus there, "In the mouth of two or three shall every word stand." But, according to Augustine, this saying, "the testimony of two men is true," raises a great question. For it can happen that two should lie. For chaste Susanna was pressed hard by two false witnesses, as is found in Daniel 13:5ff. Even the whole people lied against Christ. The answer is this: this saying, "the testimony of two men is true," is to be understood as meaning that it is to be held as true in judgment. The reason for this is that in human acts true certitude cannot be had; and therefore that is taken which can be had more certainly, which is through a multitude of witnesses: for it is more probable that one should lie than that many should; Ecclesiastes 4:12, "a threefold cord is not easily broken." Nevertheless, by this saying, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand," he leads us back, according to Augustine, to a consideration of the Trinity, in which there is a perpetual stability of truth, from which all truths are derived. He says, however, "of two or three," because in Sacred Scripture sometimes three persons are named, sometimes two, with whom also the Holy Spirit is understood, who is the bond of the two. If, therefore, the testimony of two or three men is true, my testimony is true, because both I bear witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me; above, 5:36, "I have a greater testimony than that of John."

But this does not seem to pertain to the matter proposed. First, indeed, because the Father of the Son of God is not a man; whereas he himself says, "the testimony of two men is true." Second, because there are two witnesses of something when they bear witness concerning some third thing; but if one bears witness concerning one, there are not two witnesses. Since, therefore, Christ bears witness of himself, and likewise the Father of Christ, it seems that there are not two witnesses. But it must be said that Christ here argues from the lesser. For it is manifest that the truth of God is greater than the truth of man. If, therefore, they believe the testimony of men, much more should the testimony of God be believed. 1 John 5:9, "If you receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater." Likewise he says this in order to show that he is consubstantial with the Father, and does not need testimony from another, as Chrysostom says.

Consequently, when he says, "They said therefore to him: Where is thy father?" he removes the question that arose concerning the Father, and first he sets down the question of the Jews; second he sets down the response of Christ; third he indicates the assurance of the one responding. Now the question of the Jews proposed to Christ was about the Father, where he was: hence they said to him, "Where is thy father?" For they understood Christ to have a human father as they themselves had; and therefore, because they had heard him say, "I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me," and here they saw him alone, they say, "Where is thy father?" Or it must be said that they speak here with a certain irony and contempt; as if they were to say: why do you so often bring in your father to us? Is he of such great power that his testimony should be believed? For he is unknown and ignoble. They understood this of Joseph; nevertheless they were ignorant of the Father. Psalm 113:2, "Lest at any time the Gentiles should say: Where is their God?"

Now the response of Christ is hidden, at the place: "Jesus answered: You neither know me, nor my Father." For because they sought not out of a desire to learn but out of malice, therefore Christ does not open the truth to them; but he shows, first, their ignorance; second, how they might arrive at knowledge of the truth. He shows their ignorance indeed when he says, "you neither know me"; as if to say: do not ask about the Father, because you do not know me. For because you think me a man, therefore you seek my father as a man; but because you do not know me, neither can you know the Father. But against this: above, 7:28, he said, "You both know me, and you know whence I am." It must be said that they knew him according to his humanity, but not according to his divinity.

It must be known, however, according to Origen, that some, taking an occasion of error from this saying, said that the Father of Christ was not the God of the Old Testament; for the Jews knew him, according to that saying of Psalm 75:1, "In Judea God is known." But to this there is a fourfold response. First, that the Lord therefore says the Jews are ignorant of the Father because they conduct themselves after the manner of those who are ignorant, inasmuch as they do not keep his commandment. And this response pertains to act. Second, they are said to be ignorant of God because they do not cleave to him spiritually through love: for he who knows something cleaves to it. Third, because even if they knew him through faith, they did not have full knowledge of him. Above, 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Fourth, because in the Old Testament the Father became known under the aspect of the omnipotent God, Exodus 6:3, "I appeared to them in God almighty, and my name Adonai I did not show them," but not under the aspect of Father; hence, although they knew him as God, they did not know him as the Father of the consubstantial Son.

Now he says that he himself is the way of arriving at knowledge of the Father: hence he says, "if you knew me," as if to say: because I speak of my Father as hidden, it is necessary first that you should know me, and then perhaps you will know my Father. For the Son is the way to knowledge of the Father. Below, 14:7, "If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also." For, according to Augustine, what is "if you knew me" but "I and the Father are one"? It is a everyday manner of speaking, when you see someone resembling another, that you say: if you have seen this one, you have seen that one, not indeed that the Father is the Son, but that he is like the Father. He says, however, "perhaps," not in doubt, but by way of reproach, as if you were to be indignant with your servant, and say: do you scorn me? Consider that perhaps I am your lord.

Now the assurance of Christ in responding is shown by the Evangelist, when he says, "These words Jesus spoke in the treasury." And first indeed from the place where he was teaching, namely in the treasury and in the temple. For "gaza," in the Persian tongue, means riches, and "phylaxe" means to keep; hence "gazophylacium" is set down in Scripture for a chest where riches are kept; and it is taken in this way in 4 Kings 12:9, that "Joiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the top, and set it by the altar at the right hand of them that came into the house of the Lord: and the priests that kept the doors put therein all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord." But sometimes it stands for the house where riches are kept; and it is taken in this way here. Second, from the fact that those who had been sent to seize him could not do so, because he himself was unwilling: hence he says, "and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come," in which he should suffer; not a fated hour, but one predestined by his own will from eternity. Hence Augustine says, "his hour was not yet come," not the hour in which he would be compelled to die, but that in which he would deign to be slain.

But note, according to Origen, that whenever a place is designated in which the Lord did something, this happens on account of a mystery. In the treasury, therefore, which is the place of riches, Christ taught, so as to give it to be understood that the coins, that is, the words of his teaching, bear the image of the great King stamped upon them. Note also that when he was teaching, "no man laid hands on him," because his words were more powerful than those who wished to seize him: but when he willed to be crucified, he was silent.