Commentary on the Gospel of John

Above, the Lord dealt with spiritual regeneration; here he consequently deals with the benefits which are conferred by God on those who are spiritually regenerated. Now to those who are generated according to the flesh, three things are conferred by their carnal parents: namely life, nourishment, and teaching or discipline; and these same three things those who are spiritually regenerated also receive from Christ. First, indeed, spiritual life; second, spiritual nourishment; third, spiritual teaching. According to this, then, three things are treated here. First, the conferring of spiritual life; second, the conferring of spiritual food, and this below, at John 6, where it says, "After these things Jesus went away," etc.; third, spiritual teaching, below, at John 7, "After these things Jesus walked," etc.

Concerning the first, he does three things. First he sets forth a visible sign, in which the power of Christ that produces and restores life is made manifest, according to the custom of this Gospel, in which some visible deed pertaining to the matter of the teaching is always joined to Christ's teaching, so that from visible things invisible things might become known. Second, the occasion for setting forth the teaching is given, where it says, "Now it was the sabbath," etc. Third, the teaching itself is set forth, where it says, "Jesus therefore answered: Amen, amen I say to you," etc.

Concerning the first, he does three things. First the place of the miracle performed is described; second, the infirmity, where it says, "Now there was a certain man there," etc.; third, the restoration of health, where it says, "Jesus said to him: Rise, take up your pallet, and walk."

Now the place of the miracle is described in two ways, namely general and special. The general place is Jerusalem; and so he says: "After these things," that is, after the miracle worked in Galilee, "there was a feast day of the Jews"; namely Pentecost, according to Chrysostom: for above mention is made of the feast of the Passover, when he had gone to Jerusalem. Now, therefore, at the following feast of Pentecost, Jesus went up to Jerusalem again: for, as is read in Exodus 23:17, it had been commanded by the Lord that every male of the race of the Jews should present himself in the temple three times a year, namely on the feast day of the Passover, of Pentecost, and of Tabernacles. And at these feasts the Lord went up to Jerusalem for two reasons: namely, lest he should seem to be contrary to the law, as he himself had said, Matthew 5:17, "I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it"; and in order to draw to God, through signs and teaching, the multitude of the people gathering there on feast days, according to that word of Psalm 108:30, "In the midst of many I will praise him," and elsewhere, "I will proclaim your righteousness in the great Church." Whence he himself also says, below, John 18:20, "I have spoken openly to the world."

Now the special place of the miracle was the sheep pool; and so he says: "At Jerusalem there is the sheep pool," etc., which indeed is described by four things: namely by its name, by its layout, by its inhabitants, and by its power.

By its name indeed, when he says "sheep pool" (probatica piscina): for "probaton" in Greek means "sheep." The "probatica" pool, then, is called as it were the pool of sheep, or of cattle, from the fact that the priests washed there the carcasses of beasts, and especially of sheep, which for the most part were offered in sacrifices; and therefore in Hebrew it was named Bethsaida, that is, "house of sheep." For it was near the temple, gathered from rain waters.

Mystically, however, according to Chrysostom, this pool prefigured Baptism: for the Lord, wishing to prefigure baptismal grace in various ways, first gave water that purged the filth of the body, which arose from the touch of things unclean according to the law, concerning which we have Numbers 19. Second, he gave a power to this pool which represents the power of Baptism more expressly than that former water did, not only by healing from the uncleannesses of the flesh, but also by saving from the infirmities of the body: for the closer the figures were to the truth, the more expressive they were. It signified, then, the power of Baptism: because, just as that water, in that it washed bodies, had the power of healing infirmity from an Angel and not from its own nature, so the water of Baptism has the power of healing and washing the soul from sins; Revelation 1:5, "He loved us, and washed us from our sins." And hence it is that the passion of Christ, prefigured through the sacrifices of the old law, is represented in Baptism; Romans 6:3, "Whoever have been baptized in Christ Jesus, have been baptized in his death," etc.

According to Augustine, however, the water of that pool signified the condition of the people of the Jews, according to that word of Revelation 17:15, "Many waters, many peoples." For the people of the Gentiles was not enclosed within the boundary of the divine law, but each one walked according to the vanity of his own heart, according to that word of Ephesians 4:17. But the people of the Jews was enclosed under the worship of the one God, according to that word of Galatians 3:23, "Enclosed under that faith which was to be revealed." And therefore this people was signified by the water enclosed in the pool. And it is called "probatica," because they themselves were the special sheep of God, according to that word of Psalm 94:7, "For we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

By its layout it is described, because it "had five porches," namely around its circuit, so that many priests, without hindrance, could conveniently stand there to wash the carcasses of beasts. By these five porches are mystically signified, according to Chrysostom, the five wounds of the body of Christ, concerning which it is said below, John 20:27, "Put your hand into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believing." According to Augustine, however, they signify the five books of Moses.

By its inhabitants it is described, because in these, namely the porches, "there lay a great multitude of the sick, of the blind, of the lame, of the withered," etc. The literal reason for this is the concourse of all the infirm toward the power of the water: which, because it did not heal continually, nor many at once, it was necessary that many should remain there waiting. By this, however, it is mystically signified, according to Augustine, that the law could not heal sins, according to that word of Hebrews 10:4, "It is impossible that sins be purged away by the blood of goats or of bulls." But it only showed them, according to that word of Romans 3:20, "For through the law comes the knowledge of sin." And therefore the infirm lay there with various infirmities, unable to be cured.

These are indeed described with respect to four things. First, with respect to their position, because they lay prostrate, namely by clinging to earthly things through sins: for he who lies down clings wholly to the earth; Matthew 9:36, "He had compassion on them, because they were troubled and lying, like sheep having no shepherd." The righteous, however, do not lie down, but stand upright toward the things of heaven; Psalm 19:9, "They," namely sinners, "are bound, and have fallen; but we," namely the righteous, "have risen, and are set upright."

Second, with respect to number, because they were many, whence he says, "a great multitude"; Ecclesiastes 1:15, "The perverse are corrected with difficulty, and the number of fools is infinite." And Matthew 7:13, "Wide is the way that leads to perdition, and many go in by it."

Third, with respect to the condition or state of the infirm. And he sets down four things which a man incurs through sin.

For first, a man, from the fact that he is subjected to the passions of sins dominating over him, becomes sick: and with respect to this he says "of the sick." Whence also by Tully the passions of the soul, such as anger and concupiscence and the like, are called certain sicknesses of the soul. Whence Psalm 6:3 said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak."

Second, from the dominion of the passions and their victory in a man, reason is blinded through consent: and with respect to this he says "of the blind," namely through sins, according to that word of Wisdom 2:21, "Their own malice blinded them"; Psalm 57:9, "Fire," namely of anger and concupiscence, "fell upon them, and they did not see the sun."

Third, a man who is sick and blind becomes unstable in his works, and is as it were lame; whence it is said, Proverbs 11:18, "The wicked does an unstable work." And with respect to this he says "of the lame"; 1 Kings 18:21, "How long do you halt between two sides?"

Fourth, a man thus sick, blind in intellect, lame in action, becomes withered in affection, insofar as all the fatness of devotion is dried up in him, which the Psalm sought, Psalm 62:6, saying, "Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness." And with respect to this he says "of the withered"; Psalm 21:16, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd."

But there are some so affected with the sickness of sin who do not wait for the moving of the water, resting in their own sins, according to that word of Wisdom 14:22, "Living in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace." Of whom it is said, Proverbs 2:14, "They rejoice when they have done evil, and exult in most wicked things." The reason for this is that they do not abhor sins; nor do they sin out of ignorance, or infirmity, but out of settled malice. These, however, inasmuch as they were not sinning out of malice, did not rest in their sins, but through desire awaited the moving of the water. Whence he says "and of those waiting"; Job 14:14, "All the days in which I am now in warfare, I wait until my change comes." So too those who were in the Old Testament awaited Christ, according to that word of Genesis, next to last chapter, verse 18, "I will wait for your salvation, O Lord."

By its power, however, the pool is described, because it healed from every bodily infirmity, by the power of an Angel descending; and therefore he says, "Now an Angel of the Lord descended at a certain time into the pool."

And indeed the power of the pool agrees with Baptism in some respect, and differs in some respect. It agrees, indeed, in two things. First, indeed, in the hiddenness of the power: for the power of the water of this pool was not from its own nature — otherwise it would always have healed — but from some hidden power, namely from the Angel; whence it is said that the Angel of the Lord descended at a certain time into the pool. And likewise the water of Baptism, from the fact that water does not of itself have the purgative power over souls, but from the hidden power of the Holy Spirit, according to that word above, John 3:5, "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Second, it agrees in effect, because just as the water of Baptism heals, so too this pool healed: and therefore he says that whoever descended first was made whole. Now the reason God conferred upon the water of this pool the power of healing bodies was that men, by being washed, might, through bodily health, grow accustomed to seek spiritual health.

It differs, however, with respect to three things. First, with respect to that by whose power this was done: because the water of the pool conferred health by the power of an Angel; but the water of Baptism by an uncreated power, not only of the Holy Spirit, but also of the Trinity. Whence also, Matthew 3:16 and following, over the Lord as he was baptized the whole Trinity was present: the Father in the voice, the Son in person, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. And hence it is that in our Baptism an invocation of the Trinity is made. Second, it differs with respect to efficacy: because the water of the pool did not have a healing power continually, but "at a certain time," that is, at a determined time; but the water of Baptism has a continual power of washing, according to that word of Zechariah 13:1, "There shall be a fountain open to the house of Jacob, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing away of the sinner and of the unclean woman." Third, with respect to the multitude of those to be healed: because at the moving of the water of that pool, only one was healed; but at the moving of the water of Baptism, all are healed. Nor is this strange, because the power of that water, since it is created, is finite, and has a finite effect; but in this water the power is infinite, for the washing of infinite souls, if there were such; Ezekiel 36:25, "I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness."

According to Augustine, however, by this Angel is understood Christ, according to that word of Isaiah 9:6, according to another reading, "He shall be called the Angel of great counsel." Just as that Angel descended into the pool at a certain time, so too Christ, at a determined time, descended from the Father into the world; Isaiah 14:1, "The time is near that his time may come, and his days shall not be prolonged"; Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Likewise, just as that Angel was not seen except by the moving of the water, so too Christ was not known according to his divinity: for "if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory," 1 Corinthians 2:8. For Isaiah 45:15 says, "Truly you are a hidden God." And therefore the water was seen to be troubled, but by whom it was troubled was not seen, because, seeing the infirmity of Christ, they did not know his divinity. And just as he who descended into the pool was made whole, so too he who humbly believes in God is healed by his passion; Romans 3:24, "Justified by faith, through the redemption that is in Christ, whom God proposed as a propitiation, through faith in his blood." Only one, however, was healed, because no one can be healed except in ecclesiastical unity; Ephesians 4:5, "One God, one faith, one Baptism." Woe, therefore, to those who hate unity, and make for themselves factions among men.

Consequently, when he says, "Now there was a certain man there, having an infirmity of thirty-eight years," he sets down the infirmity; and first the long-standing infirmity is set down; second, the cause of the long-standing infirmity is shown, where it says, "Jesus, therefore, having seen him," etc.

The infirmity was long-standing, because the man had thirty-eight years in his infirmity. This is quite fittingly introduced: a man who could not be cured by the pool, yet to be cured by Christ; because those whom the law could not heal, Christ heals perfectly, according to that word of Romans 8:3, "For what was impossible to the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh because of sin, that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us." Ecclesiasticus 36:6, "Renew signs, and repeat miracles."

Now this number fits the infirmity, pertaining more to sickness than to health: for, according to Augustine, the number forty is consecrated to designate the perfection of righteousness, which consists in the observance of the law. Now the law was given in ten precepts, and was to be preached in the four parts of the world, or fulfilled through the four Gospels, according to that word of Romans 10:4, "Christ is the end of the law." Since, then, ten multiplied by four arrives at forty, the perfection of righteousness is rightly designated thereby: subtracting, then, two from the number forty makes thirty-eight. Now these two are the two precepts of charity, by which all perfect righteousness is fulfilled. And therefore this man was sick, because out of forty he lacked two, that is, he had an imperfect righteousness: for, as it is said, Matthew 22:40, "On these two depend the law and the prophets."

Consequently, when he says, "Jesus, having seen him," the cause of the long-standing infirmity is inquired into. And first the Lord's question is set down; second, the sick man's response, where it says, "The sick man answered him."

He says, then: "this one," namely the man, when Jesus had seen him lying, not only with the eye of the body, but also of compassion — the way David asked to be seen, saying, "Look upon me, O Lord, and have mercy on me" — and had known that he had been a long time in his infirmity; which weighs upon the heart of Christ, and of the sick man, according to that word of Ecclesiasticus 10:11, "A too-lengthy sickness is grievous to the physician."

He said to him: "Do you wish to be made whole?" Not as one ignorant, for it could be quite evident that he wished to be made whole, but in order to arouse the desire of the sick man, and to show the patience of one who for so many years had awaited being delivered from his sickness, not giving up, and that from this he might be recognized as more worthy to be healed; Psalm 30:25, "Do manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all you that hope in God." Now he arouses desire: because what is received with desire is held more firmly, and is more easily acquired by us; Matthew 7:7, "Knock," through desire, "and it shall be opened to you."

But it should be noted that the Lord requires faith from others; Matthew 9:28, "Do you believe that I can do this for you?" But in this man's case he does nothing of the sort: because those others had indeed heard something of the miracles of Jesus, but this man had not yet; and therefore he does not require faith from him, except after the miracle has been done.

The sick man's response is given when he says, "Sir, I have no man." And he intimates two things which were the cause of the long-standing infirmity: namely, poverty and weakness. For because he was poor, he could not have a man to put him into the pool; whence he says, "Sir, I have no man," etc. And perhaps, according to Chrysostom, he supposed that Christ might be of use to him in putting him into the water. But because he was weak, and could not go quickly, he was forestalled by another; whence he says, "For while I am coming, another goes down before me." And thus he could say, with Job 6:13, "Behold, there is no help for me in myself." By this it is signified that there was no mere man who could save the human race, since all had sinned and were in need of the grace of God, until Christ, God and man, should come, by whom it might be healed.

Consequently, when he says, "Rise, take up your pallet," the restoration of health, or the accomplishment of the miracle, is set down. And first the Lord's command is set down; second, the man's obedience, where it says, "And immediately the man was made whole," etc.

Now the Lord gives commands to nature, and to the will of the man; for these two are under his power. He commands nature when he says, "Rise": for this is not commanded to the will, since this was not in the man's power, but to nature, which the Lord by commanding changed, giving it the power by which it could rise. But to the will he commands two things, namely, "take up your pallet," and "walk." And indeed, as to the letter, he commanded these two things in order to show that perfect health was restored to the man. For in all miracles, according to the best of that nature, the Lord did a perfect work; Deuteronomy 32:4, it is said, "The works of God are perfect." Now this man had failed in two respects: namely, in his own strength, being unable to sustain himself, whence the Lord found him lying down; and in the support of others, whence he said, "I have no man." In order, then, that his perfect health might become known, to him who was unable to sustain himself he commands that he take up his bed; and to him who was unable to walk, he commands that he walk.

Nonetheless, the Lord also commands these three things in justification. First, that one rise by withdrawing from sin; Ephesians 5:14, "Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead." Second, it is commanded, "take up your pallet," by making satisfaction for sins committed. For by the pallet, in which a man rests, sin is signified. A man, then, takes up his pallet when he bears the burden of penance imposed on him for sin; Micah 7:9, "I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Third, that he walk by advancing in good, according to that word of Psalm 83:8, "They shall go from strength to strength."

According to Augustine, two things were lacking in this sick man, namely the precepts of the twin charity; and therefore to the will, which is perfected by charity, he commands two things, namely to take up the pallet, and to walk. The first pertains to the love of neighbor, which is prior in the order of doing; the second to the love of God, which is prior in the order of commanding. He says, then, with respect to the first, "take up your pallet," as if to say: when you are infirm, your neighbor sustains you, and patiently cherishes you as a pallet does the infirm one; Romans 15:1, "We who are stronger ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves." When, therefore, you have been made whole, "take up your pallet," that is, sustain and support your neighbor, who was carrying you when you were infirm; Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens." But with respect to the second, he says "walk," by drawing near to God. Whence in Psalm 83:8 it is said, "They shall go from strength to strength"; and it follows, "The God of gods shall be seen in Zion"; below, John 12:35, "Walk while you have the light."

Consequently, when he says, "And immediately that man was made whole," obedience is set down: and first, indeed, that the man was immediately made whole. Nor is this strange, since he himself is the Word through which heaven and earth were made; Psalm 148:5, "He spoke, and they were made." And elsewhere, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established." Second, the obedience of the will: first, because he took up his pallet; second, because he walked; Exodus 24:7, "All things whatsoever the Lord has commanded, we will do, and we will be obedient."

Having set forth the visible miracle by which the power of Christ to repair spiritual life is shown, here is set forth the occasion of Christ's teaching; and this occasion is taken from the persecution stirred up by the Jews against Christ. Now the cause of this persecution was twofold on the part of the Jews who envied Christ. The first was a work of piety; the second was the teaching of truth, at the place: "But Jesus answered them: My Father worketh until now, and I work," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth beforehand the occasion of the persecution; second he sets forth the calumny brought against the man who was healed, at the place: "The Jews therefore said to him that was healed," etc.; third he sets forth the calumny brought against Christ, at the place: "They asked him: Who is that man?" and so on.

Now the occasion of the persecution brought against Christ is taken from the fact that he healed on the Sabbath; and therefore the Evangelist says: "Now it was the Sabbath on that day," when Jesus worked the miracle, when he commanded the pallet to be taken up. Now a threefold reason is assigned why the Lord began to work on the Sabbath.

One is given by Ambrose on Luke: Christ came for this purpose, that he might repair the work of creation, namely man, which had been deformed. Now he ought to begin from the point at which the Author had created the completed work of creation: and this was on the day of the Sabbath, as is said in Genesis 1; and therefore, that Christ might show himself the restorer of the whole creature, he began on the Sabbath.

Another reason is that the day of the Sabbath is celebrated by the Jews in memory of the first creation. But Christ came in order, as it were, to make a new creature, according to that saying of Galatians (last chapter), 15: "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth anything, but a new creature" — through grace, which comes about through the Holy Spirit, according to that saying of Psalm 103:30: "Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth." Wanting, therefore, to show that a re-creation comes about through him, Christ works on the Sabbath; James 1:18: "that we might be some beginning of his creature."

The third reason is, that he might show that he would do what the law could not do; Romans 8:3: "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh." And further on: "that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us."

Now the Jews did no work on the Sabbath, as a figure that certain things belonging to the Sabbath were to be brought to completion, which could not be brought about through the law. And this is evident in four things which God ordained concerning the day of the Sabbath. For he sanctified the day of the Sabbath, he blessed the day of the Sabbath, on it he completed his works, and on it he rested. But the law could not do these things, for it could not sanctify. Whence Psalm 11:1 said: "Save me, O Lord, for the holy one hath failed." Nor could it bless either; rather, "as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse," as is said in Galatians 3:10. Nor could it complete and perfect: for "the law brought no one to perfection," Hebrews 7:19. Nor even could it grant perfect rest: for as is said in Hebrews 4:8: "For if Jesus had given them rest, he would never have spoken of another."

These things, therefore, which the law could not do, Christ did: for he sanctified the people itself through his Passion. Hebrews 13:12: "Jesus, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate." He himself blessed through the infusion of grace; Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." He himself completed through the instruction of perfect justice; Matthew 5:48: "Be ye perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect." He himself brought us into true rest; Hebrews 4:3: "We who have believed shall enter into rest, as he said: As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest." It belongs, therefore, to him to work on the day of the Sabbath, who is able to bring to perfection those things that pertain to the Sabbath, from which the law, being powerless, fell short.

Next he sets forth the calumny brought against the man who was healed, when he says: "The Jews therefore said to him that was healed," etc. And first is set forth the bringing of the calumny against the healed man; second is subjoined the excuse of the healed man, at the place: "He answered them: He that made me whole," etc. Now they bring the calumny against this man on the ground that he carries his pallet on the Sabbath, but not concerning the healing; whence they say: "It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed."

A manifold reason for this can be assigned. One is that the Jews, frequently bringing against Christ a calumny about healing on the day of the Sabbath, had been refuted by Christ by the fact that they themselves also drew out and saved beasts of burden from a pit on the day of the Sabbath, as is recorded in Luke 14:15. And therefore concerning the healing, as being a useful and necessary thing, they are silent; but concerning the carrying of the bed, which seemed not necessary, they bring calumny — as if they were saying: if the healing was not to be deferred, what need was there to carry the bed, or to command that it be carried?

Another reason is that the Lord had said, concluding against them, that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. And therefore, since to be healed is not to do good but to undergo good, they bring calumny against the one healed rather than against the one who healed.

The third reason is that this seems to be prohibited to the Jews in the law, that they should do nothing on the day of the Sabbath; but especially the carrying of burdens on the day of the Sabbath is prohibited. Jeremiah 17:21: "Carry no burdens on the Sabbath day." And therefore they especially brought calumny against the carrying on the day of the Sabbath, as being contrary to the saying of the prophet. But this command of the prophet is nonetheless mystical: for by the burdens not to be carried he intended to lead them to rest on the day of the Sabbath from the burdens of sins; of which it is said in Psalm 37:5: "My iniquities... are grown heavy upon me like a heavy burden." Whence, because it was now the time for resolving the hidden figures, Christ commands this man to take up his pallet, that is, to sustain his neighbor in weakness, according to that saying of Galatians 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ."

Next is set forth the excuse of the healed man, when it is subjoined: "He answered them: He that made me whole, he said to me," etc. And indeed he excuses himself prudently: for teaching is never so well proved to be from God as through the showing of miracles, which can be done only by divine power. Mark, last chapter, 20: "But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed." And therefore this man, to those bringing calumny, set forth the author of his health, saying "He that made me whole, he said to me" — as if he were saying: you say that it is forbidden that a burden be carried on the Sabbath, and this by divine authority; but by that same authority it was laid upon me that I should take up my pallet: for he who made me whole, and who through the health restored showed that he has divine power, said to me: "Take up thy bed and walk." And therefore I am rightly bound to obey the commands of him who is of such great power, and who conferred on me such a benefit. Psalm 118:93: "Thy justifications I will never forget: for by them thou hast given me life."

Next he says: "They asked him therefore," etc. Because they could not bring calumny against the man who was healed, they strive to bring calumny against Christ's act of healing: for by this the man had excused himself. And because he had not stated determinately who it was, they maliciously asked him who it was. And therefore concerning this, first there is treated the seeking after Christ; second his being found, at the place: "Afterwards Jesus findeth him"; third his being persecuted, at the place: "Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus." Concerning the first, three things are set forth: namely, the inquiry of the Jews, the ignorance of the healed man, and the cause of the ignorance.

As to the first, it is said: "The Jews therefore asked him" — not, that is, with a good intention, that they might profit, but with a malicious mind, that they might persecute and destroy. Below, 8:21: "You shall seek me, and shall die in your sin." And their own words manifest this malice of theirs. For although the Lord had commanded both that the sick man be healed and that the pallet be taken up, they pass over in silence the first — the sign that shows forth the divine power and is irrefutable — and they bring up again the other, which seems contrary to the law, saying: "Who is that man who said to thee, Take up thy bed and walk?" Ecclesiasticus 11:33: "turning good into evil, he lieth in wait, and upon the elect he imposes" — that is, he strives to impose a blemish.

As to the second he says: "But he who was healed knew not who it was." This healed man signifies the faithful who have been healed through the grace of Christ. Ephesians 2:8: "By grace you are saved." These indeed do not know who Christ is, but know only his effect. 2 Corinthians 5:6: "As long as we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord: for we walk by faith, and not by sight." But then we shall know who Christ is, when we shall see him as he is: 1 John 3:2.

Now he assigns the cause of this ignorance as to three things, when he says: "But Jesus had withdrawn from the crowd gathered in the place." And this indeed has a literal and a mystical cause.

The literal cause, as to two things. First, that he might give us an example of hiding our good works and not seeking in them the favor of men, according to that saying of Matthew 6:1: "Take heed that you do not your justice before men." Second, that we might turn away and flee the eyes of the envious from all our works, lest their envy grow from this; Ecclesiasticus 8:14: "Stand not against the face of an injurious person, lest he sit as a spy on thy mouth."

The mystical cause, as to two things. First, that he might give us to understand that Christ is not easily found in the multitude of men and in the whirl of temporal cares, but in spiritual secrecy. Hosea 2:14: "I will lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart." For "the words of the wise are heard in silence," as is said in Ecclesiastes 9:17. Second, that he might suggest that Christ was to turn away from the Jews to the Gentiles; Isaiah 8:17: "He hath hid his face for a while from Jacob" — that is, he withdrew the knowledge of his truth from the people of the Jews.

Next there is treated the finding of Christ, when he says: "Afterwards Jesus findeth him in the temple." And first he says that he is found; second he suggests that, having been found, he teaches; third that after the teaching he is made manifest. As to the finding he sets forth two things, namely the manner of finding, and the place.

The manner indeed is marvelous, because he is not found unless he first finds — whence he says "afterwards," namely, after the things that have been said, "Jesus findeth him": for man cannot find Christ by his own power, unless Christ presents himself to him. Whence also Psalm 118:176 said: "Seek thy servant." Wisdom 6:14: "She preventeth them that covet her." Now the place in which Christ is found is venerable, because it is in the temple, according to that saying of Psalm 10:5: "The Lord is in his holy temple." For his mother too found him in the temple, Luke 2:46, and this because it behooved him to be about the things that are his Father's. In which we are given to understand that this healed man, turned not to vanity but to the pursuit of religion, frequenting the temple, comes to know Christ in it: for if we wish to come to the knowledge of our Maker, the crowd of depraved affections must be fled, and the gatherings of evil men must be shunned, and we must flee to the temple of our heart, which God deigns to visit and to dwell in.

Next, having been found, he teaches; whence he also said to him: "Behold thou art made whole: sin no more." Where first he calls to mind the benefit bestowed; second he proposes wholesome counsel; third he shows an imminent danger. But the benefit is admirable, because of the sudden restoration of health. Whence it is said: "Behold thou art made whole already." And therefore it must always be kept in memory, according to that saying of Isaiah 63:7: "I will remember the tender mercies of the Lord." The counsel indeed is useful, because "sin no more henceforth"; Ecclesiasticus 21:1: "Son, hast thou sinned? do so no more."

Why does the Lord make mention of sins to this paralytic and certain others healed by him, and not to others? For this reason, namely, that he might show by this that in some, infirmities arise from prior sins, according to that saying of 1 Corinthians 11:30: "Therefore are there many weak and infirm, and many sleep." By which he also shows himself to be God, revealing sins and the hidden things of hearts. Proverbs 15:11: "Hell and destruction are before him: how much more the hearts of the children of men?" To these alone, therefore, does he make mention of sins, and not to others healed by him, because not all infirmities arise on account of prior sins; but some arise from natural disposition, some for the sake of testing, as in the case of Job. Or he made mention only concerning these, because they were more prepared for correction. Proverbs 9:8: "Rebuke not a scorner, lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." Or, in these, he gave this command intending it for all the others as well.

Now the imminent danger was terrible, whence he says: "lest some worse thing happen to thee." This indeed can be understood in two ways, according to two things that had gone before in this man's case. For first he had been punished by a prolonged illness; second he had obtained a great benefit. And therefore what is said can be referred to each of the two.

As to the first: because when someone is punished for a sin and is not drawn back from sin by that very punishment, it is just that he be punished more severely. And therefore he says, "sin no more," because if you sin, a worse thing will happen to you. Jeremiah 2:30: "In vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction."

As to the second: because he who, after benefits received, slips back into sins, becomes guilty of a heavier punishment on account of ingratitude, according to that saying of 2 Peter 2:20: "It had been better for them not to have known the way of truth, than after they have known it, to turn back." Likewise also, because after a man has once returned to sin, he sins more easily; according to that saying of Matthew 12:45: "the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." Jeremiah 2:20: "Of old time thou hast broken the yoke, thou hast burst the bond, and thou saidst: I will not serve."

Next is set forth the manifestation made by the one found, when it is subjoined: "That man went his way, and told," etc. And according to some it could be understood, as Chrysostom says, that he had made him known out of malice; but this does not seem probable, namely that after so great a benefit he would be so ungrateful. He announced, therefore, to the Jews, that it was Jesus who had made him whole, in order to make manifest Christ's power to heal. Psalm 65:16: "Come and I will tell... how great things the Lord hath done for my soul." And this is evident, because they had asked him who had commanded him to take up his pallet. But he announced to them that Jesus had made him whole.

Next, when he says: "Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus," the persecution against Christ is set forth, which is on account of a certain work of piety shown on the Sabbath; whence he says: "Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the Sabbath." Psalm 118:161: "Princes have persecuted me without cause."

Next, when he says: "But Jesus answered them," etc., the second cause of the persecution is set forth, which is taken from his teaching. And first the teaching of truth is set forth; second the persecution of Jewish wickedness, at the place: "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him." Now the Lord sets forth the teaching of truth by excusing himself concerning the breaking of the Sabbath.

But it must be noted that the Lord, concerning the breaking of this, sometimes excused himself, and sometimes his disciples. And his disciples indeed, since they were mere men, he excused by comparison with men, namely, by the example of the priests, who worked in the temple on the day of the Sabbath and did not break the Sabbath. And David, who, fleeing from the face of Saul on the day of the Sabbath under the priest Achimelech, took the loaves of proposition from the temple, as is recorded in 1 Kings 21:1ff. But himself, since he was both man and God, he sometimes excused from the breaking of the Sabbath by comparison with men. Luke 14:5: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him out on the Sabbath day?" But sometimes, and especially in this place, he excuses himself by comparison with God, saying: "My Father worketh until now, and I work" — as if he were saying: do not think that my Father so rested on the Sabbath that from that time he does not work; but just as he himself even now works without labor, so also do I work. In which he excludes the false understanding of the Jews, who, wishing to conform themselves to God, do nothing on the day of the Sabbath, as if God had entirely ceased to work on that very day. And indeed, although he rested on the Sabbath from establishing new creatures, nonetheless he always and continually works even until now, preserving creatures in being.

Whence Moses also used the word of resting, notably, after the works of God, from establishing which he rested, in order to signify the spiritual rest which God, by the example of his own rest, was promising, in a hidden signification, to the faithful who would afterward do good works. Whence it can be said that that command was enjoined in the shadow of what was to come. Now he says notably "worketh until now," and not "hath worked," in order to designate the continuation of the divine work. For one might imagine that God is the cause of the world just as a craftsman is the cause of a house, only as regards its coming-to-be: so that, just as the house remains even when the craftsman's operation ceases, so too the world could continue to subsist, the divine influence ceasing. But according to Augustine, God is the cause of all creatures in such a way that he is also the cause of their subsisting; for if his power should cease even for a moment, all their species too, which nature contains, would at once cease — just as if I should say that the air is illuminated only so long as the light of the sun remains in it. The reason for this indeed is that those things which have a cause only as regards their coming-to-be can subsist when the cause ceases; but those things which have a cause not only of their coming-to-be but also of their subsisting need the continual preservation of the cause.

He also excludes, by what he says — "My Father worketh until now" — the opinion of certain ones saying that God produces things by means of second causes; which is against that saying of Isaiah 26:12: "Thou hast wrought all our works in us, O Lord." Just as, therefore, my Father, having in the beginning established nature, worketh until now, by that same operation containing and preserving it, so also I work, because I am the Word of the Father, through whom he works all things; Genesis 1:3: "God said: Be light made." Whence, just as he wrought the first establishment of things through the Word, so also their preservation. And thus, if he himself worketh until now, I too work, because I am the Word of the Father, through whom all things are made and preserved.

Next, when he says: "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him," the persecution arising from this teaching is set forth: because on account of this very teaching the Jews sought the more — that is, with a more avid mind, with a more fervent zeal — to kill him. For two crimes were punished with death in the law: namely, the crime of breaking the Sabbath, whence he who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was stoned, Numbers 15:32, and the crime of blasphemy, whence it is said in Leviticus 24:14: "Bring forth the blasphemer without the camp... and let all the multitude of the children of Israel stone him." Now these men reckoned it blasphemy that a man should say he was God; below, 10:33: "For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." And they imputed these two crimes to Christ: the one, namely, because he broke the Sabbath; the other, because he said he was equal to God. Whence he says that they sought to kill him for this reason, that he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father.

But because other righteous men also call God their Father — Jeremiah 3:19: "Thou shalt call me father" — therefore they say not only that he called God his own Father, but they add what pertains to blasphemy, "making himself equal to God," which they gather from this, that he said: "My Father worketh, and I work." He calls God his own Father in order to give the understanding that he is his Father by nature, but the Father of others by adoption: according to which manner of speaking he says below, 20:17: "I go to my Father," namely by nature, "and your Father," namely by grace. Likewise he says that he works in likeness to him, resolving by this the calumny of the Jews concerning the breaking of the Sabbath: which would not be a fitting excuse, unless he had equal authority with God in working. And therefore they say that he makes himself equal to God.

And indeed great is the blindness of the Arians, who in the words of the Lord cannot understand what the Jews understood, saying that Christ is less than God the Father. But the Arians say that Christ did not make himself equal to God, but that the Jews only suspected this. But through the things that have been said in the text itself, it is manifest otherwise as well. For the Evangelist says that the Jews persecuted Christ because he broke the Sabbath, and because he called God his Father, and because he made himself equal to God. Therefore either Christ is a liar, or he is equal to God. But if he is equal to God, then Christ is God by nature.

Now the Evangelist says "making himself equal to God," not because he himself made himself equal to God — for through eternal generation he was equal to God — but speaking according to the intention of the Jews, who, not believing Christ to be the Son of God by nature, understood from his words that he called himself the Son of God, as though wishing to make himself equal to God, while nonetheless not believing that he was this; below, chapter 10:33: "Thou, being a man, makest thyself God" — that is, thou sayest that thou art God: which is interpreted as if thou thyself wert making thyself God.

Here he hands down the teaching concerning the life-giving power. And first the teaching itself is set forth; second, its confirmation, at the place, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth his teaching about the life-giving power in general; second, in particular, at the place, "and greater works than these will he show him." Concerning the first he does three things. First he intimates the origin of his power; second, the greatness of that same power, at the place, "for whatever things he shall have done, these the Son also does in like manner"; third, he assigns the reason for both, at the place, "for the Father loves the Son."

Now it must be considered, concerning the first point, that the Arians strive to confirm their error from these words which the Lord here speaks, "the Son cannot do anything of himself," etc. — namely, that the Son is less than the Father — because, according to what the Evangelist said, the Jews were persecuting Christ because he was making himself equal to God. The Lord, seeing that the Jews were moved by this, wishing to exclude this (so the Arians say), added such words in order to show that he was not equal to the Father, saying: "Amen, amen I say to you, the Son cannot do anything of himself, but what he shall have seen the Father doing"; as if he were saying: do not understand me, by what I said, "my Father works, and I work," to work in such a way as though I were equal to him, since I can do nothing of myself. Since therefore the Son cannot do anything except what he shall have seen the Father doing, he is indeed less than the Father, as they themselves say.

But this understanding is false and erroneous: because if the Son were not equal to the Father, then the Son would not be the same as the Father, which is against that word below, John 10:30: "I and the Father are one." For equality is considered according to magnitude, which in divine things is the very essence. Hence if he were unequal to the Father, he would differ from him according to essence.

But for the true understanding of this, it must be known that, concerning those things which seem to import a lessening in the Son, it could be said by some that these things are said of Christ according to the assumed nature, just as it is said below, John 14:28: "the Father is greater than I." Hence according to this they would want to say that what the Lord says, "the Son cannot do anything of himself," must be understood of the Son according to the assumed nature. This indeed cannot stand, because according to this it would be necessary to say that all the things which the Son of God did in the assumed nature, the Father had done before him — for instance, that he had walked upon the sea with dry feet, just as Christ walked, otherwise it would not be said "except what he shall have seen the Father doing."

But if it be said that whatever things Christ did in the flesh, God the Father also did, insofar as the Father works in him, according to that word below, John 14:10: "but the Father abiding in me, he himself does the works"; so that the sense would be: "the Son cannot do anything of himself, except what he shall have seen the Father doing" — in himself, namely in the Son — but neither can this stand, because according to this the words that follow could not be adapted to it, namely, "whatever things he shall have done, these the Son also does in like manner." For the Son never, according to the assumed nature, created the world, as the Father created it. Therefore what is said is not to be referred to the assumed nature.

According to Augustine, however, there is another way of understanding those things which seem to import a lessening in the Son, although they do not: namely, that they be referred to the origin of the Son from the Father. For although the Son is equal to the Father in all things, nevertheless he has this very thing from the Father through eternal generation; but the Father has it from no one, since he is unbegotten. Hence according to this it continues thus: Why are you scandalized, because I have called my Father God, and because I have made myself equal to God? Amen, amen I say to you, the Son cannot do anything of himself; as if he were saying: I am indeed equal to the Father, in such a way that I am from him, not he from me; and whatever I have, so that I may do it, is mine from the Father.

According to this manner, then, mention is made in these words of the power of the Son, through this word "can," and of his operation through this word "do." And therefore both can be understood here: namely, so that first the derivation of the Son's power from the Father may be shown; and second, so that the conformity of the Son's operation to the operation of the Father may be shown.

As to the first, Hilary explains it in this way. Above, the Lord said that he was equal to the Father. But certain heretics, on account of the authorities of Scripture which speak of the unity and equality of the Son with the Father, attribute to the Son that he is unbegotten — as the Sabellians, saying that the Son is the same as the Father in person. Lest, then, you should understand it thus, he says: "the Son cannot do anything of himself," for the power of the Son is the same as his nature. From him, therefore, the Son has his power from whom he has his being; but he has his being from the Father — below, John 16:28: "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world" — from whom also he has his nature, because he is God from God; therefore from him he has his power. Thus, then, what he says: "the Son cannot do anything, except what he shall have seen the Father doing," amounts to as much as if it were said: the Son, just as he does not have being except from the Father, so too he does not have the power to do anything except from the Father. For in natural things, a thing receives its power to operate from the same source from which it receives its being, just as fire receives its capacity to ascend upward from that from which it receives its form and being. Nor, however, is inequality implied by his saying, "the Son cannot do anything of himself"; for this pertains to relation, whereas the question of equality and inequality pertains to quantity.

But by his saying, "except what he shall have seen the Father doing," a false understanding might creep in for someone, so that he would believe the Son to act in this way because he saw the Father doing it — namely, that the Father did it first, and having seen this, the Son afterward began to do it, after the manner of two craftsmen, namely a master and a disciple, where the disciple makes a chest according to the manner in which he has seen the master make it. But this indeed is not true of the Word; for above it is said: "all things were made through him." Therefore the Father did not make anything in such a way that the Son would see it being made and learn it thereby. But this is said in order to designate the communication of fatherhood to the Son through generation, which is fittingly designated by this word "shall have seen," because through sight and hearing knowledge is poured into us from another. For indeed through sight we receive knowledge from things, but through hearing from words. But the Son is nothing other than Wisdom, according to that word, Ecclesiasticus 24:5: "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before every creature." And thus the derivation of the Son from the Father is nothing other than the derivation of divine wisdom. Since, therefore, vision designates the derivation of knowledge and wisdom from another, the generation of the Son from the Father is rightly designated through vision, so that thus for the Son to see the Father doing is nothing other than to proceed by an intelligible procession from the Father who operates.

But another reason can also be assigned concerning this matter, according to Hilary; namely, that by his saying "shall have seen," every imperfection may be excluded from the generation of the Son or the Word. For in material generation, that which is generated is led little by little, through increments of time, from the imperfect to the perfect; for a thing is not yet perfect when it begins to be generated. But this has no place in the eternal generation, since it is the generation of a perfect one from a perfect one. And therefore he says, "except what the Son shall have seen the Father doing." For since to see is the act of one who is perfect, it is manifest that the Son was begotten perfect at once, as one seeing at once, and is not led to perfection through increments of time.

As to the second point, Chrysostom explains it — namely, in order to show the conformity of the Father to the Son as regards operation — in this way. I say that it is lawful for me to work on the Sabbath, because my Father too works continually, to whom I cannot work contrary; and this because "the Son cannot do anything of himself," etc. For then does someone do a thing of himself, when in doing it he does not conform himself to another. But whoever is from another, if he is at variance with him, sins — below, John 7:18: "he who speaks of himself, seeks his own glory." Whoever, therefore, existing from another, works of himself, sins; but the Son is from the Father; therefore if he works of himself, he sins — which is impossible. By this, then, that the Lord says, "the Son cannot do anything of himself," etc., he intimates nothing other than that the Son cannot sin. As if he were saying: you unjustly persecute me for the breaking of the Sabbath, because I cannot sin, since I do not work contrary things to my Father. Now Augustine gives both explanations, namely that of Hilary and that of Chrysostom, though in different places.

Next, when he says, "for whatever things he shall have done, these the Son also does in like manner," the greatness of Christ's power is set forth, and he excludes in these words three things concerning his power: namely, particularity, diversity, and imperfection.

Particularity: because, since there are diverse agents in the world, and the first universal agent has power over all agents, while the other agents, which are from it, are of a power the more particular, the more they are lower in the order of causality, someone might believe from this that, since the Son is not of himself, he has a particular power with respect to certain existing things, and not a universal power with respect to all things, as the Father has. And therefore, excluding this, he says, "for whatever things he" — that is, the Father — "shall have done" — that is, to all things to which the power of the Father extends, the power of the Son also extends. Above, John 1:3: "all things were made through him."

Diversity, however: because sometimes one thing, existing from another, can indeed do whatever that from which it is does, and yet nonetheless the things which it does are not the same as those which the one from whom it is does. As if one fire, existing from another, can do whatever the other does, for instance to burn — yet this one burns certain things, and that one others, although the burning of each is the same according to species. Lest, therefore, you understand the operation of the Son to be thus diverse from the operation of the Father, he says "these" — that is, not diverse, but the same.

Imperfection, however: because sometimes it happens that one and the same thing comes about from two agents, but from one indeed as from a principal and perfect agent, and from the other as from an instrument and an imperfect agent; but not in like manner, because the principal agent acts in one way, and the instrument in another, since the instrument acts imperfectly, inasmuch as it acts in the power of another. Lest, therefore, you understand in this way that the Son does whatever the Father does, he adds "in like manner" — that is, by the same power by which the Father acts, the Son also acts; because there is the same power and the same perfection in the Father and the Son; Proverbs 8:30: "I was with him forming all things."

Next, when he says, "for the Father loves the Son," he assigns the reason for both — namely, of the origin and of the greatness of the power of the Son; and this reason indeed is assigned from the love of the Father, who loves the Son; hence he says: "for the Father loves the Son." But in order to know how the love of the Father for the Son is the reason for the origin, or for the communication of the power of the Son, it must be attended to that a thing is loved in two ways. For since only the good is lovable, some good can be related to love in two ways: namely, either as the cause of love, or as caused by love. In us, however, the good causes love; for the cause of our love toward someone is his goodness. For he is not good because we love him; rather we love him because he is good; hence in us love is caused by the good. But in God it is otherwise, because the very love of God is the cause of goodness in the things loved; for because God loves us, therefore we are good, for to love is nothing other than to will good to someone. Since, therefore, the will of God is the cause of things — because "whatever the Lord willed, he has done," as Psalm 113:3 says — it is manifest that the love of God is the cause of goodness in things. Hence Dionysius says, chapter 6 of On the Divine Names, that the divine love did not permit him to be without offspring. Therefore, if we consider the origin of the Son, let us see whether the love with which the Father loves the Son is the principle of that origin, or proceeds from it.

Now love in divine things is taken in two ways: namely, essentially, according as the Father loves, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and notionally, or personally, according as the Holy Spirit proceeds as love. But in neither of these two ways can love, so called, be the principle of the origin of the Son. For insofar as it is taken essentially, it imports thus an act of the will. If, then, it were the principle of the origin of the Son, it would follow that the Father had begotten the Son by will, not by nature — which is erroneous. Likewise also not love taken notionally, insofar as it pertains to the Holy Spirit, because then it would follow that the Holy Spirit was the principle of the Son — which is erroneous; indeed no heretic has ever said this. For although love taken notionally is the principle of all the gifts which are given to us by God, nevertheless it is not the principle of the Son; rather it itself proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Thus, then, it must be said that this reason is not taken from love as from a principle, but as from a sign. For since likeness is the cause of love (for every animal loves its like), where the perfect likeness of God is found, there also the perfect love of God is found. Now the perfect likeness of the Father is in the Son, according to that word, Colossians 1:15: "who is the image of the invisible God"; Hebrews 1:3: "who, since he is the brightness, glory, and figure of his substance." Perfectly, therefore, is the Son loved by the Father; and therefore, because he loves him perfectly, it is a sign that the Father has shown him all things and has communicated to him his power and nature. And of this love it is said above, John 2:35: "the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand." And Matthew 3:17: "this is my beloved son."

Concerning, however, what follows, "and he shows him all things which he himself does," it must be known that someone can show his works to another in two ways. Either as to sight, as a craftsman shows to his disciple the things which he makes; or as to hearing, as when he instructs him by word. In whichever of these two ways, then, "shows" is taken, a twofold unfitting consequence can follow — which, however, is not present in that showing by which the Father shows the Son.

For if the Father is said to show the Son as to sight, first indeed it follows, in these lower things, that he first works something which he shows to another; and second, that he works it apart from the one to whom he shows it. But the Father does not show the Son things which he made beforehand, because the Son himself says, Proverbs 8:22: "the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything." Nor, likewise, things which he makes apart from the Son; because the Father works all things through the Son — above, John 1:3: "all things were made through him."

But if the showing be taken as to hearing, two things seem to follow: for he who teaches by word first shows to one who is ignorant; and second, the word stands between the one showing and the one to whom the showing is made. But the Father shows the Son in neither of these ways: not indeed as to one ignorant, since the Son is the wisdom of the Father — 1 Corinthians 1:24: "Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God"; nor by some other word as intermediary, because the Son himself is the Word of the Father — above, John 1: "the Word was with God."

The Father, therefore, is said to show the Son all things that he does, insofar as he communicates to him the knowledge of all his works; for thus a master is said to show his disciple, insofar as he gives him knowledge of the things which he does. Hence, according to Augustine, for the Father to show the Son is nothing other than for the Father to beget the Son. And for the Son to see what the Father does is nothing other than for the Son to be and to receive his nature from the Father.

That showing, however, can be said to be similar to the visual kind, inasmuch as the Son himself is the brightness of the Father's vision, as it is said, Hebrews 1:3: for the Father, seeing and understanding himself, conceives the Son, who is the concept of this vision. It can also be similar to that which comes about through hearing, inasmuch as the Son proceeds from the Father as the Word. So that it might be said that the Father shows the Son all things, insofar as he produces him as the brightness, and the concept of his wisdom, and the Word.

This, then, that he says "shows," is referred to what he said above: "the Son cannot do anything of himself, except what he shall have seen the Father doing." But this, that he says "all things," is referred to what he said: "for whatever things he shall have done, these the Son also does in like manner."

Having shown the power of the Son in general, he here consequently shows it in particular, and first the Lord manifests his life-giving power; secondly he manifests certain things said before, which seemed obscure, at the point "for as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son also to have life in himself." Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows that the Son has life-giving power; secondly he teaches the manner of receiving life from the Son, at the point "amen, amen I say to you, that he who heareth my word," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the life-giving power of the Son; secondly he assigns the reason for what was said, at the point "for neither doth the Father judge any man"; thirdly he shows the effect that follows from it, at the point "that all men may honor the Son," and so on. And concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the life-giving power in general; secondly he expresses it, at the point "for as the Father," and so on.

As to the first he says "greater than these will he show him." As if to say: you marvel and are troubled about the power of the Son in the healing of the sick man; but the Father will yet show him greater works than these, namely in the raising up of the dead, so that you may marvel. But from these words a doubt arises concerning two points: first indeed as to what he says, "will show," for what was said above, that the Father shows all things to the Son, refers to the eternal generation; how then does he here say "will show," since the Son is co-eternal with him, and in eternity there is no receiving of something future? Secondly indeed as to what he says, "so that you may marvel." For if he is going to show it for the purpose that the Jews may marvel, then he is going to show it to the Son and to them at the same time, otherwise they would not marvel unless they saw it; whereas the Son from eternity has seen all things with the Father. And therefore it must be said that this is expounded in three ways.

In one way, according to Augustine, so that this showing be understood as to be done to the disciples. For it is Christ's customary manner of speaking sometimes to attribute to himself what is done to his members, according to that saying in Matthew 25:40: "what you have done to one of the least of mine, you have done to me." And then the sense is: you have seen the Son doing great things in the curing of the sick man, and you marvel; but the Father will yet show him greater things than these in his members, namely the disciples; below, John 14:12: "and greater than these shall he do." He says therefore "so that you may marvel," because from the miracles of the disciples the Jews marveled so greatly that the greatest multitude of them was converted to the faith, as is found in Acts 1. In another way, according to Augustine, thus: namely that it be referred to Christ according to the nature assumed. For in Christ there is both the divine nature and the human nature; and according to each he has from the Father life-giving power, but in one way and in another, because according to his divinity he has the power of giving life to souls, but according to the nature assumed he gives life to bodies; whence Augustine: the Word gives life to souls, but the Word made flesh gives life to bodies. For the resurrection of Christ, and the mysteries which Christ fulfilled in the flesh, are the cause of the future resurrection of bodies; Ephesians 2:5: "he hath quickened us together in Christ"; 1 Corinthians 15:12: "now if Christ be preached, that he arose again from the dead, how do some among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead?" But the first he has from eternity, and this he showed when he said above: "and he showeth him all things which himself doth," which indeed he shows wholly to the flesh; but other things in time, and as to this he says: "and greater than these will he show him," that is, his power is shown in this, that he will do greater things, by raising up the dead: some indeed here, as Lazarus, the maiden, and the widow's only son; all finally on the day of judgment. In the third way, that it be referred to Christ according to the divine nature, according to that manner in which it is customary to say in Scripture that something happens then when it becomes known; as that saying in Matthew, last chapter, 18: "all power is given to me in heaven and in earth." For since Christ from eternity has had the fullest power, because "whatsoever things the Father doth, the same also the Son doth in like manner," yet it is said that after the resurrection of the Lord power was given to him: not because he then only received it, but because through the glory of the resurrection it then became most known. According to this, then, he says power is given to him, according as he carries it out in work, so that it may be said: "and greater works will he show him"; that is, he will show through their execution what was given to him; and this while you marvel, namely when he who appears to you as only a man will appear of divine power and God. But the word "showing" is to be taken as the word "seeing," according as was expounded above.

Consequently, when he says "for as the Father raiseth up the dead (...) so the Son also," he explains in particular the life-giving power of the Son, showing what those greater things are which the Father will show the Son. Here it must be known that the divine power in the Old Testament is commended chiefly from this, that God is the author of life; 1 Kings 2:6: "the Lord killeth and maketh alive." And Deuteronomy 32:39: "I will kill and I will make to live." Which power indeed, as the Father has it, so also the Son has it, and therefore he says "as the Father raiseth up the dead and giveth life, so the Son also giveth life to whom he will"; as if to say: these are the greater things that the Father will show the Son, namely that he may give life to the dead. Clearly these things are indeed far greater, because it is more that a dead man should rise again than that a sick man should recover. Thus therefore "the Son giveth life to whom he will," both by giving the first life to the living, and by raising up the dead. Nor yet let us think that some are raised up by the Father and others by the Son, but that the same ones whom the Father raises up and gives life to, the Son raises up and gives life to; because the Father, just as he operates all things through the Son, who is his power, so also gives life to all through the Son, who is life, as he says below, John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life." Yet he does not through the Son raise up and give life to the dead as through an instrument, because according to this the Son would not be constituted in the free judgment of his own power. And therefore, so as to exclude this, he says: "the Son giveth life to whom he will"; that is, it is in the free judgment of his own power to give life to whom he wills. For the Son does not will anything other than the Father; for as they have one substance, so they have one will; whence in Matthew 20:15 he says: "is it not lawful for me to do what I will?"

Consequently, when he says "for neither doth the Father judge any man," he assigns the reason for what was said, manifesting his power. But it must be attended to that from this passage to the end there are two expositions: one is Augustine's, the other is that of Hilary and Chrysostom. According to Augustine indeed it is expounded thus. The Lord had said above that as the Father raiseth up the dead, so also the Son. But lest you understand that raising up of the dead only as that by which he raised some to this life for the showing of a miracle, and not that by which he raises to eternal life, therefore he leads them to the higher consideration of the other resurrection, namely that which will be in the future judgment. Whence he specially makes mention of judgment, saying "for neither doth the Father judge any man." It can also, according to the same author, be continued in another way under the same sense, so that according to what he said, "as the Father raiseth up the dead, so also the Son," etc., be referred to the resurrection of souls, which the Son effects insofar as he is the Word; but what he says, "for neither doth the Father judge any man," be referred to the resurrection of bodies, which he effects insofar as the Word was made flesh. For the resurrection of souls happens through the person of the Father and the Son; whence he also names the Father and the Son together, saying "as the Father raiseth up (...) so also the Son." But the resurrection of bodies happens through the dispensation of the humanity, which is not co-eternal with the Father; and therefore he attributes judgment to the Son alone. But note the wonderful variety of the words: for first there is set before us the Father working and the Son at leisure, namely when it is said: "the Son cannot of himself do anything, but what he seeth the Father doing"; but here conversely there is set forth the Son working and the Father at leisure: "for neither doth the Father judge any man; but hath given all judgment to the Son," and so on. In which it is given to understand that he speaks in one way here and in another way there. For there he speaks of the operation which belongs to the Father and the Son, whence he says that he does nothing of himself, except what he sees the Father doing; but here he speaks of the operation by which the Son judges according as he is man, and not the Father; whence he says that "he hath given all judgment to the Son." For the Father will not appear in the judgment; because according to justice God cannot appear in his own nature to all who are to be judged; for since the divine vision is our beatitude, if the wicked were to see God in his own nature, they would already be blessed. Therefore the Son alone will appear, who alone has the assumed nature. He therefore alone judges, who alone will appear to all; yet by the authority of the Father; Acts 10:42: "this is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead." And in Psalm 71:1: "give to the king thy judgment, O God."

Consequently, when he says "that all men may honor the Son," he sets forth the effect which follows from the power of the Son, and first he sets forth the fruit of the consequence; secondly he excludes a contradiction, at the point "he who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent him." He says therefore: the Father has given all judgment to the Son, according to the human nature, because in the incarnation the Son emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, in which he was dishonored by men, according to that saying below, John 8:49: "I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me." Therefore in that very assumed nature judgment was given to him, so that all may honor the Son, as they honor the Father. For then they will see the Son of man coming with great power and majesty: Luke 21:27. And Apocalypse 7:11: "they fell on their faces, and adored, saying: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, power and strength to our God." But someone might say: I wish to honor the Father, and not to care about the Son. But this cannot be, because "he who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent him." For it is one thing to honor God by reason of what God is, another to honor the Father. For someone can well honor God insofar as creator, omnipotent and unchangeable, without honoring the Son also. But no one can honor God as Father without honoring the Son; for he cannot be called Father if he does not have a Son. But if you dishonor the Son by dividing his power, you also dishonor the Father; for there you take away power from the Father, where you give less to the Son. Or otherwise, according to the same author: a twofold honor is owed to Christ: namely according to his divinity, according to which an honor equal to the Father is owed to him; and as to this he says "that all may honor the Son, as they honor the Father"; another is owed to him according to his humanity, but not equal to the Father; and about this he says "he who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent him." Whence there it is said pointedly "as"; but here he does not say "as," but simply says the Son is to be honored; Luke 10:16: "he who despiseth you, despiseth me; and he who despiseth me, despiseth him who sent me."

According to Hilary and Chrysostom, however, it is expounded more according to the letter, although with little change, in this manner. The Lord said above: "the Son giveth life to whom he will." Whoever does something by the free judgment of his will acts from his own judgment. Now it was said above that "all whatsoever things the Father doth, the Son also doth in like manner." Therefore the Son has, concerning all things, the free judgment of his will, because it proceeds from his own judgment. And therefore he immediately makes mention of judgment, saying "neither doth the Father judge any man," namely apart from the Son. And the Lord used this manner of speaking below, John 12:47: "I do not judge you," namely alone, but the word which I have spoken, that shall judge you in the last day. But "he hath given all judgment to the Son," just as he has also given him all things. For just as he gave him life, and begot him living, so he gave him all judgment, that is, he begot him a judge; below in the same chapter, verse 30: "as I hear, I judge"; that is, as I have being from the Father, so also judgment. The reason for this is that the Son is nothing else, as was said above, than the concept of the paternal wisdom; and each one judges through the concept of his wisdom; whence as the Father does all things through the Son, so also he judges all things through him. And the fruit of this is "that all may honor the Son, as they honor the Father"; that is, that they show him the worship of latria, as to the Father. But the rest is not changed.

But it must be attended to, according to Hilary, that there is a wonderful connection of words, so that errors against the eternal generation may be refuted. For two heresies arose against that eternal generation. One is that of Arius, saying the Son is less than the Father; which is against equality and unity. The other is that of Sabellius, saying there is no distinction of persons in the Godhead; which is against origin. And therefore wherever he makes mention of unity and equality, he immediately adds also the distinction of persons according to origin, and conversely. Whence, because he hints at the origin of the persons, saying "the Son cannot of himself do anything, but what he seeth the Father doing," lest you should believe there is inequality, he immediately adds: "for whatsoever things he doth, these the Son also doth in like manner." And, conversely, when he hints at equality, saying "as the Father raiseth up the dead and giveth life, so the Son also giveth life to whom he will," lest you should disbelieve the origin and that the Son is begotten, he adds "for neither doth the Father judge any man; but hath given all judgment to the Son." In the same way, when he insinuates the equality of the persons, saying "that all may honor the Son, as they honor the Father," he immediately adds concerning the sending, in which the origin is shown, saying "he who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who sent him," not by separation from himself. Hear of the sending, below, John 8:29: "he who sent me, is with me, and hath not left me alone."

Above the Lord showed that he has life-giving power; here he shows the manner in which someone can share in life from him, and first he sets forth the manner, how someone may share in life through him; secondly he foretells the fulfillment of this kind, at the point "amen, amen I say to you, that the hour cometh." Concerning the first it must be considered that there are four degrees of life. One indeed is found in plants, which are nourished, grow, and are generated and generate; another in animals, which only feel; another indeed in those which move, which are the perfect animals; further still there is another kind of life in those which understand. There being, then, so many degrees of life, it is impossible that either the life which is in plants, or that which is in sense, or that which is from motion, should be the first life. For the first life ought to be life through itself, not participated. But no life can be such except the intellectual life alone; the other three are common to the bodily and spiritual creature; but the body which lives is not itself life, but participates in life; and therefore the intellectual life is the first life, which is the spiritual life, which is received immediately from the first principle of life, whence it is called the life of wisdom. And on account of this, in the Scriptures life is attributed to wisdom. Proverbs 8:35: "he who shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord." Thus therefore we share in life from Christ, who is the wisdom of God, insofar as our soul receives wisdom from him. But this intellectual life is perfected in the true knowledge of the divine wisdom, which is eternal life. Below, John 17:3: "this is eternal life, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." But man can arrive at no wisdom except through faith; whence in the sciences no one arrives at wisdom, unless he first gives faith to the things said by the teacher. If therefore we wish to arrive at that life of wisdom, it is necessary for us to believe through faith the things that are proposed to us by it. Hebrews 11:6: "he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him." Isaiah 28:16, according to another text: "unless you believe, you shall not understand." And therefore the Lord fittingly shows the manner of arriving at life to be through faith, saying "he who heareth my word, and believeth him who sent me, hath life everlasting." And first he sets forth the merit of faith; secondly he adds its reward, at the point "hath life everlasting."

Concerning the merit of faith, first he sets forth that through which faith is introduced; secondly, that on which faith rests. Faith indeed is introduced through the word of man; Romans 10:17: "faith then cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." But faith rests not on the word of man but on God himself; Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice"; Ecclesiasticus 2:8: "you that fear God, believe him." Thus he introduces us through the word of man to believing, not the man himself who speaks, but God whose words he speaks; 1 Thessalonians 2:13: "when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it, not as the word of men, but, as it is indeed, the word of God." And the Lord sets forth these two things. First that through which faith is introduced; whence he says "he who heareth my word," which introduces to faith. Secondly that on which it rests, when he says "and believeth him who sent me," not me, but him in whose power I speak. These words indeed can apply to Christ according as he is man, insofar as through his human word men were converted to faith; and according as he is God, insofar as Christ is the Word of God. For since Christ is the Word of God, it is manifest that those hearing Christ were hearing the word of God, and consequently were believing God. And this is what he says: "he who heareth my word," that is, me, the Word of God, "and believeth him," that is, the Father whose Word I am.

The reward of faith he sets forth when he adds "hath life everlasting." And he sets forth three things which we shall have in glory, but in reverse order. For first we shall obtain the resurrection from the dead; secondly liberation from the future judgment; thirdly life everlasting: because, as is said in Matthew 25:46, after the judgment the just shall go into life everlasting. And he sets forth these three things as pertaining to the reward of faith: and first the third, as being more desired. Whence he says "he who believeth," namely through faith, "hath life everlasting," which consists in the full vision of God. And it is fitting that he who believes, on account of God, the things which he does not see, should be led to the full vision of them; below, John 20:31: "these things are written, that you may believe (...) and that believing, you may have life in his name." Secondly he sets forth the second, when he says "and cometh not into judgment." But against this is what the Apostle says, 2 Corinthians 5:10: "we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ," even the apostles themselves: therefore he who believes will come into judgment. But it must be said that judgment is twofold. Namely of condemnation, and into this those who believe in God with formed faith will not come: of which the Psalm said, 142:2: "enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight no man living shall be justified"; above, John 3:18: "he who believeth is not judged." There is also the judgment of discretion or examination, and to this we must all present ourselves before the judgment seat of Christ, as the Apostle says; and of this it is said in Psalm 42: "judge me, O God, and discern my cause."

Thirdly he sets forth the reward, when he says "but is passed from death to life," or "shall pass," according to another text. This indeed can be expounded in two ways. First, so that it be referred to the resurrection of the soul, and thus the sense is plain, as if he said: not only does one obtain eternal life through faith and is freed from judgment, but also obtains the remission of sins. Whence he says "he passes" from unbelief to faith, from injustice to justice; 1 John 3:14: "we know that we have passed from death to life." Secondly, so that it be referred to the resurrection of bodies; and then it is explanatory of what he said, "hath life everlasting." For from this someone could believe that he who believes in God would never die, but would live forever; which cannot be, because all men must pay the debt of the first transgression, according to that saying, Psalm 88:49: "who is the man that shall live, and not see death?" And therefore it is not to be understood that he who believes has eternal life thus, as though he were never going to die; but that from this life he shall pass through death into life, that is, through the death of the body he will be restored to eternal life. Or "shall pass" as to its cause: because when a man believes, he already has the merit of the glorious resurrection; Isaiah 26:19: "thy dead men shall live, thy slain shall rise again." And then, loosed from the death of the old man, we shall receive the life of the new man, namely Christ.

"Amen, amen I say to you," and so on. Because some might doubt whether any would pass from death to life, therefore the Lord foretells the fulfillment of this kind, saying: I say that "he shall pass from death to life," and this is already fulfilled beforehand. And this is what he says: "amen, amen I say to you, that the hour cometh," not subject to fatal necessity, but preordained by God; 1 John 2:18: "it is the last hour." And lest it be believed to be distant he adds "and now is" (Romans 13:11: "it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep"), the hour, namely, is now, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." Which can be expounded in two ways. In one way, so that it be referred to the resurrection of the body and it be said "the hour cometh, and now is," etc., as if he said: it is true that all will finally rise again, but even now is the hour, when some, whom the Lord was going to raise up, will hear his voice. Thus Lazarus heard when it was said to him, "come forth," as is said below, John 11:43; thus the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue heard, as is said in Matthew 9:18, and the widow's son, as is found in Luke 7:12. And therefore he says pointedly "and now is," because through me the dead are already beginning to be raised up. In another way, according to Augustine, so that what he says, "now is," be referred to the resurrection of the soul. For, as was said above, resurrection is twofold: namely that of bodies, which will be; and this is not yet, but will be in the future judgment; the other is that of souls, from the death of unbelief to the life of faith, and from injustice to justice; and this is already now. And therefore he says "the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead," namely the unbelieving and sinners, "shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live," according to true faith.

But two marvelous things seem to be implied in these words. One, when he says the dead hear; the other when he adds that they revive through hearing, as if hearing were prior to life, whereas hearing is itself a certain act of life. But if we refer this to the resurrection, it is true that the dead will hear, that is, will obey the voice of the Son of God. For the voice is expressive of the interior concept. But the whole of nature obeys the divine will at a nod; Romans 4:17: "calleth those things that are not, as those that are." According to this, then, wood, stones and all things, not only the dry bones, but even the ashes of dead bodies will hear the voice of the Son of God, insofar as they will obey him at a nod. And this does not belong to Christ insofar as he is the son of man but insofar as he is the Son of God, because all things obey the word of God. And therefore he says pointedly "of the Son of God"; Matthew 8:27: "what manner of man is this, that the sea and the winds obey him?" But if it be referred to the resurrection of souls, what is said has its own reason: for the voice of the Son of God, by which interiorly through inspiration or exteriorly through his own preaching and that of others, he moves the hearts of the faithful, has a life-giving force; below, John 6:64: "the words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life," and thus it gives life to the dead, while it justifies the impious. And because hearing is the way to life, either of nature through obedience, namely for the restoration of nature, or the hearing of faith for the restoration of life and justice, therefore he says "and they that hear," through obedience as to the resurrection of bodies, or through faith as to the resurrection of souls, "shall live," in the body in eternal life and in justice in the life of grace, and so on.

Above, the Lord showed that he has life-giving power and judiciary power, and he explained each through its effect; here he makes manifest how each power belongs to him, and first he shows this concerning the life-giving power; second, concerning the judiciary power, at the place and he gave him power to execute judgment. He says therefore first: I say that just as the Father raises the dead, so also do I, and he who hears my word has eternal life; and I have this because, just as the Father has life in himself, so too he has given the Son to have life in himself.

Concerning this it must be known that some live, but do not have life in themselves, as Paul says in Galatians 2:20: "but that I now live, I live in the faith of the Son of God." And again: "I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me." He was living, therefore, but not in himself, but in another through whom he lived; just as the body also lives, but does not have life in itself, but in the soul through which it lives. That therefore has life in itself, which has essential, unparticipated life, that is, which is itself life. In any genus of things whatsoever, that which is by essence is the cause of those things which are by participation, just as fire is the cause of all things ignited. That which, therefore, is life by essence, is the cause and principle of all life in living things. And therefore, for something to be a principle of life, it is required that it be life by essence. And therefore the Lord fittingly makes manifest that he is the principle of all life, saying that he has life in himself, that is, by essence, when he says just as the Father has life in himself, that is, just as he is living by essence, so also is the Son. Therefore, just as the Father is the cause of life, so too is his Son.

He shows, however, the equality of the Son to the Father, when he says just as the Father has life in himself; and the distinction, when he says he gave to the Son. For the Father and the Son are equal in life; but they are distinguished, because the Father gives, the Son receives. Nor is it to be understood that the Son receives life from the Father giving it, as though he pre-existed without having it, as in these lower things prime matter, already existing, receives form, and a subject underlies an accident: for nothing in the Son pre-exists the reception of life. For, as Hilary says, the Son has nothing except what is born, that is, what he received through his birth. And since he is life itself, it is therefore to be understood that he gave the Son life, that is, he produced the Son as life. As if it were said: the mind gives life to the word, not as though the word pre-existed and afterward received life, but because it produced the word in the same life by which it itself lives.

Now by these words three errors are destroyed, according to Hilary. First, that of the Arians, who, saying that the Son is lesser than the Father, were compelled by what was said above — whatever things the Father does, these the Son also does — to say that the Son is equal to the Father in power; but nevertheless they still deny that he is equal to him in nature. But behold, they are refuted even in this, by what is said: just as the Father has life in himself, so he has given the Son also to have life in himself. For since life pertains to nature, if the Son has life in himself just as the Father does, it is manifest that he holds in himself, from his origin, a nature indivisible and equal to the Father's.

Their second error, as to their denying the Son's co-eternity with the Father, saying that the Son began in time — this is destroyed insofar as he says the Son has life in himself. For in all living things whose generation is in time, one can always find something that at some point was not living; but in the Son, whatever he is, is life itself, and therefore he received life itself in such a way that he has life in himself, so that he has always been living. Third, by what he says — gave — the error of Sabellius, who denied the distinction of persons, is destroyed. For if the Father gave life to the Son, it is manifest that the Father who gave is one, and the Son who received is another.

Next, when he says and he gave him power to execute judgment, he makes manifest that he has judiciary power; and first he makes manifest his judiciary power; second he assigns the reason for what has been said, at the place I cannot do anything of myself. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the origin of the judiciary power; second he shows the equity of the judgment, at the place and those who have done good will go forth unto the resurrection of life.

Concerning the first it must be noted that what he says — he gave him power — can be read in two ways. In one way according to Chrysostom, in another way according to Augustine. If it is read according to Chrysostom, then this part is divided into two. First he sets forth the derivation of the judiciary power; second he excludes a doubt, at the place because he is the Son of man. It must be known, however, that this text is punctuated thus according to Chrysostom: he gave him power to execute judgment — afterward it resumes: because he is the Son of man, do not marvel at this. And the reason for this punctuation is that Paul of Samosata, a certain ancient heretic, who, like Photinus, said that Christ was a mere man and had taken his beginning from the Virgin, punctuated thus: he gave him power to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man, and afterward it resumes: do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming, etc., as though understanding by this that it was therefore necessary for judiciary power to be given to Christ because he is the Son of man, that is, a mere man, to whom it does not belong of himself to judge men. And therefore it is necessary that, if he judges others, the power of judging be given to him.

But this, according to Chrysostom, cannot stand, because what is said has no fittingness. For if he received judiciary power for the reason that he is a man, then by the same reasoning, since judiciary power belongs to any man whatsoever through human nature, it would belong to Christ no more than to other men. It must not, therefore, be read in this way; but it must be said that because he is the ineffable Son of God, for that reason he is also judge. And this is what he says: the Father not only gave him to give life; but he also gave him, through eternal generation, power to execute judgment, just as through it he gave him to have life in himself; Acts 10:42: "This is he who was appointed by God judge of the living and the dead."

He excludes the doubt when he says do not marvel at this: and first he raises it; second he excludes it, at the place because the hour is coming, and so on. Now the doubt arose in the hearts of the Jews, because, judging Christ to be nothing more than a mere man, while the things that were said of him were above man, and even above an angel, they marveled when they heard them. And therefore he says do not marvel at this, namely, at what I have said, that the Son gives life to the dead and has judiciary power, on account of the fact that he is the Son of man. And they marveled at this, because, judging him to be a mere man, they saw in him divine deeds; Matthew 8:27: "All marveled, saying: What manner of man is this, that the winds and the sea obey him?"

And he adds the reason why they should not marvel, namely, that the very same one who is the Son of man is the Son of God. And although, according to Chrysostom, this proposition is not expressed — namely, that the one who is the Son of man is the same as the one who is the Son of God — the Lord nevertheless sets down that from which that proposition necessarily follows: just as we see that those reasoning syllogistically in teaching frequently do not put forward the principal intended conclusion, but that from which it necessarily follows. And therefore the Lord does not say that he himself is the Son of God, but that the Son of man is such that at his voice all the dead are raised: from which it necessarily follows that he is the Son of God, for to raise the dead is the proper work of God. And therefore he says do not marvel, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God. But he does not say and now is, as he said above; nor is it because that hour is not now. Likewise here he says all, which he had not said above: because in the first resurrection he raised only some, namely Lazarus, the widow's son, and the girl; but then, in the future resurrection, which will be at the time of judgment, all will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will rise again; Ezekiel 37:12: "I will open your graves, and bring you out of your sepulchers."

According to Augustine, however, he speaks by punctuating thus: he gave him power to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man, and afterward is added do not marvel at this. And according to this it is divided into two parts. For in the first, the conferring of judiciary power made to the Son of man is touched upon; second, it is made manifest through the conferring of a greater power, at the place do not marvel at this.

Concerning the first it must be known, according to Augustine, that above he spoke of the resurrection of souls, which occurs through the Son of God; here, however, he speaks of the resurrection of bodies, which occurs through the Son of man. And because the universal resurrection of bodies will be at the time of judgment, therefore here he prefaces it with a statement about judgment, saying: he gave him, namely Christ, power to execute judgment, and this because he is the Son of man, that is, according to human nature. Whence also after the resurrection he says, Matthew, the last chapter, 18: "All power is given to me in heaven and on earth."

Now judiciary power was given to Christ according as he is man, on account of three things. First, so that he might be seen by all: for it is necessary that the judge be seen by those to be judged. Now both the good and the wicked will be judged, and the good indeed will see Christ according to divinity and humanity; but the wicked will not be able to see him according to divinity, because this vision is the beatitude of the saints, and it is not seen except by the clean of heart, as it is said in Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." And therefore, so that he may be seen in judgment not only by the good but also by the wicked, he will judge in human form; Apocalypse 1:7: "Every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him."

Second, because through the humility of the Passion he merited the glory of exaltation. Whence, just as he who died has risen, so that form will judge which was judged, and he who stood under a human judge will sit as judge in the judgment of men; he who was made a defendant falsely will truly condemn the guilty, as Augustine says in the book On the Words of the Lord. Job 36:17: "Your cause has been judged as that of the wicked; but you shall receive judgment and your cause."

Third, to intimate the clemency of the judge. That man should be judged by God seems exceedingly terrible: for "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," as it is said in Hebrews 10:31; but that man should have man as judge affords confidence: and therefore, that you may experience the clemency of the judge, you will have a man as judge; Hebrews 4:15: "We have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities."

Thus, therefore, he gave power to Christ to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. But do not marvel at this indeed, because he conferred upon him a greater power, namely that of raising the dead; whence he says: because the hour is coming, namely the last hour, which will be at the end of the world; Ezekiel 7:7: "The time is come, the day of slaughter is near"; in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God.

Above, however, he did not say all, because there he was speaking of the spiritual resurrection, according to which not all rose again at the first coming; because in 2 Thessalonians 3:2 it is said: "For all men have not faith." Here, however, he speaks of the resurrection of bodies, according to which we shall all rise again, 1 Corinthians 15:20 ff., but he adds who are in the tombs, which he had not said above: because souls are not in tombs, but bodies, whose resurrection will then take place. All, therefore, who are in the tombs, will hear the voice of the Son of God. This voice will be a sensible sign of the Son of God, at which all will be raised up; 1 Thessalonians 4:15: "The Lord will come at the command of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God." And something similar is found in 1 Corinthians 15:52, Matthew 25:6: "At midnight there was a cry made." This voice indeed will have power from the divinity of Christ; Psalm 67:34: "He will give to his voice the voice of power."

Since, therefore, Augustine says that the resurrection of bodies takes place through the Word made flesh, and the resurrection of souls through the Word, as was said above, it must therefore be inquired how this is to be understood. For it is understood either of the first cause, or of the meritorious cause. If indeed it be understood of the first cause, it is clear that the divinity of Christ is the cause of the bodily and spiritual resurrection, that is, of bodies and of souls, according to Deuteronomy 32:39: "I will kill, and I will make to live." But if it be understood of the meritorious cause, then the humanity of Christ is the cause of both resurrections: because through the mysteries which were accomplished in the flesh of Christ, we are restored not only as to our bodies to incorruptible life, but also as to our souls to spiritual life; Romans 4:25: "He was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification." It does not, therefore, seem true, what Augustine says.

But it must be said that Augustine is speaking of the exemplary cause, and of the cause by which that which is given life is conformed to that which gives life: for everything that lives through another is conformed to that through which it lives. Now the resurrection of souls does not take place through souls being conformed to the humanity of Christ, but to the Word, because the life of the soul is through the Word alone; and therefore he says that the resurrection of souls comes about through the Word. The resurrection of bodies, however, will take place through our bodies being conformed to the body of Christ by the life of glory, namely by the radiance of bodies; according to Philippians 3:21: "He will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory." And according to this he says that the resurrection of bodies comes about through the Word made flesh.

Next, when he says and those who have done good will go forth unto the resurrection of life, he shows the equity of judgment, because the good will be rewarded, whence he says those who have done good will go forth unto the resurrection of life, that is, to this end, that they may live in eternal glory; the wicked, however, will be condemned; whence he says but those who have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment; that is, they will rise again unto condemnation; Matthew 25:46: "these shall go into everlasting punishment," namely the wicked, "but the just, into life everlasting"; Daniel 12:2: "...some unto life, and others unto everlasting reproach...."

And note that above, speaking of the resurrection of souls, he says: those who have heard will live; here, however, he says that they will go forth; and this is on account of the wicked, who go into condemnation: for their life is not to be called life, but rather eternal death. Likewise also above he made mention of faith alone, saying: he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment; here, lest you believe that faith alone without works suffices for salvation, he makes mention of works in general, saying those who have done good will go forth unto the resurrection of life; as if he were to say: not he who merely believes, but he who works good together with faith, goes forth unto the resurrection of life; James 2:26: "Faith without works is dead."

Next, when he says I cannot do anything of myself, he assigns the reason for what has gone before. Now he had prefaced two things, namely the origin of the power, and the equity of the judgment; and therefore he assigns the cause of each. First, of the first. Second, of the second, at the place and my judgment is just.

Now it must be known concerning the first, that what he says — I cannot do anything of myself — can be read in two ways, even according to Augustine. First, so that it be referred to the Son of man in this way: you say that you have the power of raising the dead, because you are the Son of man; but is this so for you insofar as you are the Son of man? No, because I cannot do anything of myself; but as I hear, I judge. He does not say as I see, according to what he had said above: the Son cannot do anything of himself, except what he has seen the Father doing; but he says as I hear: for to hear, in this place, is the same as to obey. Now to obey belongs to him upon whom a command is laid. But to command belongs to a superior. And therefore, because Christ, insofar as he is man, is lesser than the Father, he says as I hear; that is, according as it is inspired by God in my soul. Concerning this very hearing, Psalm 84:9 says: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me." Above, however, because he was speaking of himself according as he is the Word of God, he said has seen.

Next, when he says and my judgment is just, he makes manifest the equity of the judgment. For he had said: and those who have done good will go forth unto the resurrection of life; but someone could say: will he not perhaps show favor to some by punishing less, and rewarding more? Therefore he answers that he will not, saying: because my judgment is true. The reason for this is because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

For in the Lord Jesus Christ there are two wills. One divine, which he has the same as the Father; the other human, which is proper to him, just as it is proper to him to be man. The human will is borne toward its own good; but in Christ it was ruled and regulated through the rectitude of reason, so that it might always be conformed in all things to the divine will; and therefore he says: I do not seek to fulfill my own will, which, as far as it is in itself, is inclined toward its own good, but the will of him who sent me, the Father; Psalm 39:9: "That I should do your will, O my God, I have desired it"; Matthew 26:39: "Not as I will, but as you will." And if indeed it is attended to carefully, the Lord assigns the true reason for a just judgment, saying because I do not seek my own will: for the judgment of anyone is not unjust when it proceeds from him according to the rule of the law; but the divine will is the rule and law of the created will: and therefore the created will, and the reason which is regulated according to the rule of the divine will, is just, and its judgment just.

Secondly, however, it is expounded so as to be referred to the Son of God, and the same division remains that was set down before. Christ therefore said, insofar as he is the Word, making manifest the origin of his power: I cannot do anything of myself, in the same way as he said above: the Son cannot do anything of himself; for his doing, and his being able, is his being; but his being is from another, namely from the Father: and therefore, just as he is not of himself, so of himself he can do nothing; below, John 8:28: "Of myself I do nothing." But what he says — but as I hear, I judge — is to be expounded in the same way as that above: except what he has seen the Father doing.

For we receive knowledge, or some cognition, through sight and through hearing (for these two senses especially serve learning); but because in us sight is one thing and hearing another, we therefore receive knowledge in one way through sight, namely by discovering, and in another way through hearing, namely by being taught. In the Son of God, however, hearing and sight are the same; and therefore whether it be said he hears, or he has seen, it signifies the same thing according to the reception of knowledge. And because judgment, in any intellectual nature whatsoever, proceeds from knowledge, he says pointedly as I hear, I judge; that is, just as I have received knowledge together with being from the Father, so I judge; below, John 15:15: "All things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you."

Making manifest, however, the equity of the judgment, he says and my judgment is true. The reason for this is, because I do not seek my own will. But is it not the case that the will of the Father and of the Son is the same? But it must be said that the will of both is indeed the same, but nevertheless the Father does not have his will from another, while the Son has it from another, namely from the Father. Thus, therefore, the Son fulfills his will as belonging to another, that is, having it from another; the Father, however, fulfills it as his own, that is, not having it from another: and therefore he says I do not seek my own will, which would be mine originally from myself, but that which is mine from another, namely from the Father.

Having set forth the teaching concerning the life-giving power of the Son, here he consequently confirms it; and first he confirms what he had said about the excellence of his power, by manifold testimony; secondly he rebukes their slowness to believe, at the place, "I do not receive glory from men," and so on. Regarding the first he does two things. First he sets down the necessity of adducing testimony; secondly he adduces the testimonies themselves, at the place, "There is another who bears witness of me." The necessity of adducing testimony arose on the part of the Jews who did not believe him; and for this reason he says, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."

But what is said furnishes matter for wonder. For as the Lord says of himself below, John 14:6, he himself is the truth: how then is his witness not true? If he is the truth, who will be believed if the truth is not believed? And therefore it must be said, according to Chrysostom, that the Lord here speaks of himself according to the opinion of others, so that the sense is: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true" — as far as your estimation goes, since you do not accept what I say of myself unless it is confirmed by another testimony; below, John 8:13: "You bear witness of yourself: your witness is not true."

Consequently, when he says, "There is another who bears witness of me," he adduces testimonies, and first the human testimony; secondly the divine testimony, at the place, "But I have a greater witness than John." Regarding the first he does two things. First he adduces the testimony of John; secondly he assigns the reason for the testimony, at the place, "But I do not receive testimony from man." Regarding the first he does two things. First he adduces the testimony; secondly he commends his testimony, at the place, "I know that his testimony is true."

He adduces the witness, saying, "There is another who bears witness of me." This other, according to Chrysostom, is John the Baptist, of whom it is said above, John 1:6: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John: this man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light." Now he commends the testification when he says, "And I know that his testimony is true." And this from two things: first from truth; secondly from authority, because it was sought from them, at the place, "You sent to John."

From truth indeed he commends his testimony, saying "and I know," that is, I experience for certain, "that his testimony is true," namely John's, which he bears of me. For thus his father Zechariah prophesied of him, Luke 1:76: "For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people." Now it is certain that a lying testimony is not salvific but deadly, since a lie is a cause of death; Wisdom 2:11: "the mouth that lies kills the soul." If therefore the testimony of John is for giving the knowledge of salvation to his people, his testimony is true.

But according to the Gloss, otherwise: "if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." Above, Christ spoke of himself according as he is God; here, however, he speaks according as he is man. And the sense is: "if I," namely as man, "bear witness of myself," namely without God, that is, such that God the Father does not bear witness; then it follows that "my witness is not true": for a human word, unless it is supported by God, has nothing of truth, according to that saying, Romans 3:4: "but God is true, and every man a liar." Hence if we understand Christ as a man separated from the deity and not conformed to it, a lie is found both in his essence and in his words; below, John 8:14: "if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true"; below: "because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me." And therefore, because he was not alone but with the Father, his testimony is true.

Hence, to show that his testimony does not have its truth from his humanity considered in itself, but insofar as it is joined to the divinity and to the Word of God, he says, "but there is another who bears witness of me" — not John, but the Father, according to this exposition: because if the testimony of Christ as man concerning himself is not true and effective, much less would the testimony of John be effective. Therefore it is not certified by the testimony of John, but by the testimony of the Father: hence this "other" who bears witness is understood to be the Father. "And I know that his testimony is true," for he himself is truth; 1 John 1:5: "God is light," that is, truth, "and in him there is no darkness" — of falsehood — "at all." But the first exposition, which is Chrysostom's, is more literal.

He also commends the testimony of John from authority, because it was sought by the Jews, when he says, "You sent to John"; as if he were saying: I know that his testimony is true, nor ought you to repudiate it, because on account of the great authority which John held among you, you sought testimony from him concerning me — which you would not have done, if you had not thought him worthy of faith. Above, John 1:19: "the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to John." And John then bore witness, not to himself, but to the truth, that is, to me. As a friend of the truth, he bore witness to Christ the truth; above, John 1:20: "he confessed, and did not deny; he confessed, I am not the Christ."

Consequently, when he says, "But I do not receive testimony from man," he assigns the reason for the testimony of John that was adduced, and first he excludes an opinion about the reason; secondly he asserts the true reason, at the place, "but this I say, that you may be saved." Now the reason for adducing the testimony could be believed by someone to be a certification concerning Christ on account of his insufficiency; and therefore he excludes this, saying, "But I do not receive testimony from man."

Here it must be known that in the sciences, sometimes something is proved through what is less known in itself, but more known to us; sometimes through something more known in itself and absolutely. As in this place, it indeed had to be proved that Christ was God: and although the truth of Christ was more known in itself and absolutely, nevertheless it is proved by the testimony of John, which was more known as far as the Jews were concerned. And therefore Christ in himself did not need the testimony of John, and this is what he means when he says, "I do not receive testimony from man."

But against this it seems, because Isaiah 43:10: "You are my witnesses, saith the Lord"; Acts 1:8: "you shall be witnesses to me in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth." How then does he say here, "I do not receive testimony from man"? But it must be said that this can be understood in two ways. In one way, so that the sense is "I do not receive testimony from man," as if I were content with that alone; rather I have a greater testimony, namely the divine; 1 Corinthians 4:3: "but to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you"; Jeremiah 17:16: "the day of man," that is, human glory, "he has not desired: thou knowest."

In another way, "I do not receive testimony from man" insofar as the one testifying is a man, but I receive it insofar as he is enlightened by God to testify; above, John 1:6: "there was a man sent from God, whose name was John"; 1 Thessalonians 2:6: "not seeking glory from men"; below, John 8:50: "I seek not my own glory." Thus, therefore, I receive the testimony of John, not insofar as he was a man, but insofar as he was sent and enlightened by God to testify. In a third way, and better, "I do not receive testimony from man," that is, from human testimony; as far as it depends on me, I do not receive authority from anyone, but from God, who shows me to be glorious.

Consequently, when he says, "but these things I say that you may be saved," he asserts the true reason, which was their own salvation; and first he states the reason; secondly he explains it. Now the reason for adducing the testimony was that the Jews, believing in Christ through the testimony of John, might be saved; and therefore he says: "I do not receive the testimony of John for my own sake, but I say these things that you may be saved"; 1 Timothy 2:4: "he wills all men to be saved"; and ibid. 1:15: "Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners." And he explains what he means by "that you may be saved": namely, because I adduce a testimony accepted by you.

And therefore when he says, "he was a burning and shining lamp," he sets forth the acceptance of John: and first he sets forth that John was a witness accepted in himself; secondly how he was accepted among them, at the place, "but you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." Now that John was in himself an accepted witness, he shows through three things that perfected him. The first pertains to the condition of nature, and this is when he says "he was a lamp"; the second pertains to the perfection of affection, because "burning"; the third to the perfection of intellect, because "shining."

He was, therefore, perfect in nature, because "a lamp," that is, enlightened by grace, and enlightened by the light of the Word of God. For a lamp differs from light: for light is that which shines through itself; a lamp, however, is that which does not shine through itself, but shines by participation. Now the true light is Christ, as it is said above, John 1:9: "that was the true light which enlightens every man." John, however, was not the light, as it is said in the same place, but a lamp, because he was enlightened, that he might bear witness of the light, leading to Christ: of which lamp it is said in Psalm 131:17: "I have prepared a lamp for my Christ."

But in him there was a burning and fervent affection, hence he says "burning." For some are lamps only as to office, but as to affection they are extinguished: for just as a lamp cannot shine unless it is kindled by fire, so a spiritual lamp does not shine unless it first burns and is inflamed by the fire of charity. And therefore burning is set before enlightenment, because through the ardor of charity the knowledge of truth is given; below, John 14:23: "if any one loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him"; below, John 15:15: "but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you." Ecclesiasticus 2:20: "You that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened."

For fire has two things: namely that it burns and that it shines. Now the burning of fire signifies love on account of three things. First indeed, because fire among all bodies is the most active: so also the ardor of charity, to such an extent that nothing can bear its impetus, according to that saying, 2 Corinthians 5:14: "the charity of Christ presses us." Secondly, because just as fire, in that it is most perceptible to sense, causes much heat, so also charity causes a heat until man attains what he intends; Song of Songs 8:6: "the lamps thereof are lamps of fire and flames." Thirdly, just as fire tends upward, so also charity, to such an extent that it joins us to God; 1 John 4:16: "he who abides in charity, abides in God, and God in him."

He was also shining in intellect. First indeed through the knowledge of truth inwardly; Isaiah 58:11: "he will fill with brightness," that is, he will make to shine. Secondly through preaching outwardly; Philippians 2:15: "among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life." Thirdly through the manifestation of good works; Matthew 5:16: "so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works." Because, therefore, John was thus acceptable in himself, since he was a lamp not extinguished, but burning, not dark, but shining, he is worthy to have been accepted among you as well.

This indeed was so, because "you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light." And fittingly he joins rejoicing to light: because man rejoices in that in which he is most delighted; and nothing among corporeal things is more delightful than light, according to that saying, Ecclesiastes 11:7: "it is a delightful thing for the eyes to see the sun." Now he says "you were willing to rejoice," by resting and placing your end in him, believing him to be the Christ; but nevertheless "for a time," because in this you were unstable: for seeing John leading men to another, not to himself, you turned away from him. Hence it is said, Matthew 21:32, that the Jews did not believe in John. For they are of those of whom it is said, Matthew 13, that they believe for a time.

Consequently, when he says, "but I have a greater testimony than John," he sets forth the divine testimony, and first he adduces its greatness; secondly he pursues it further, at the place, "the works which the Father has given me to accomplish" and so on. He says therefore first: I say that as far as it is from me, I do not receive testimony from man, but for your sake; for I have a testimony greater than John's, namely God's, which is a greater testimony than John's; 1 John 5:9: "if we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater." Greater, I say, on account of greater authority, greater knowledge, and more infallible truth: for God cannot lie. "God is not as man, that he should lie": Numbers 23:19.

Now he pursues the testimony when he says, "for the works which the Father has given me to accomplish" and so on. Now God bore witness of Christ in three ways: namely through works, through himself, and through the Scriptures; and therefore he first sets forth the manner of testifying as regards the works of miracles; secondly the manner of testifying through himself, at the place, "and the Father who sent me, he has borne witness"; thirdly through the Scriptures, at the place, "search the Scriptures" and so on.

He says therefore first: "I have another testimony greater than John's"; and this as regards works, because "the works of miracles which the Father has given me to accomplish." For it must be known that it is natural to man to know the power and natures of things from their actions: and therefore fittingly the Lord says that he can be known, of what sort he is, through the works which he himself does. Since therefore he was doing them by his own divine power, it had to be believed that there was in him a divine power; below, John 15:24: "if I had not done among them the works that no other has done, they would not have sin," namely of unbelief.

And therefore he leads to knowledge of himself through his own works, saying "the works which he gave me," in the Word, "the Father," by giving me, through eternal generation, a power equal to his own. Or, "he gave me," in the conception, giving that I should be one person of God and man, "that I should accomplish them," that is, that I should do them by my own power: which he says to distinguish from others who work miracles not by their own power, but by obtaining them from God. Hence Peter said, Acts 3:6: "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise." And therefore they themselves do not accomplish it, but God; Christ, however, accomplished them by his own power; below, John 11:43: "Lazarus, come forth." And therefore "the works that I do bear witness of me"; below, John 10:38: "if you do not believe me, at least believe the works." That the works of miracles are testimonies of God is stated, Mark 16:20: "the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed."

Consequently, when he says, "and the Father who sent me, he has borne witness of me," he sets forth the second manner of testifying, through God himself, and first he sets forth the manner itself; secondly he shows that they were not capable of this sort, at the place, "and you have never heard his voice" and so on. He says, therefore: not only do the works which the Father gave me bear witness of me, but he himself who sent me, the Father, has borne witness of me, at the Jordan, when he was baptized, as is found in Matthew 4:5, and on the mountain, when he was transfigured, as it is said, Matthew 17:5. For in both places the voice of the Father was heard: "this is my beloved Son." And therefore he must be believed, as the true and natural Son of God; 1 John 5:9: "this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he has testified of his Son." And thus, whoever does not believe him to be the Son of God does not believe the testimony of God.

But someone might say that God also bore witness to others through himself, as to Moses on the mountain, with whom he spoke, all hearing; but we have never heard a testimony, and therefore the Lord says, that "you have never heard his voice" and so on. But against this it is said, Deuteronomy 4:33: "if ever such a thing was done, that a people should hear the voice of the Lord God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard and seen." What then is it that Christ now says, "and you have never heard his voice"?

I answer, according to Chrysostom, that the Lord, placing them in a philosophical consideration, wishes to show that God bears witness to someone in two ways, namely sensibly and intelligibly. Sensibly indeed, as through a sensible voice alone; and in this way he bore witness to Moses on Mount Sinai; Deuteronomy 4:12: "you heard his voice, but you saw no form at all." Likewise through a sensible appearance, as he appeared to Abraham, Genesis 26, and Isaiah 6:1: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated." But nevertheless in these visions neither the bodily voice nor the figure is of God as of some animal, but effectively, insofar as it is formed by God: for since God is spirit, he neither emits a sensible voice from himself, nor can he be figured. Intelligibly, however, he bears witness by inspiring in the hearts of some what they ought to believe and hold; Psalm 84:9: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me"; Hosea 2:4: "I will lead her into the wilderness, and there I will speak to her heart."

Of the first kind of testification, therefore, you were capable; nor is it a wonder, because those voices and appearances were of God only effectively, as has been said. But not of that intelligible voice. "And you have never heard his voice," etc., that is, you were not partakers of it; below, John 6:45: "every one who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me." But you do not come to me; therefore you have not heard his voice, nor seen his appearance; that is, you did not have this intelligible testimony, and therefore he adds, "and you have not his word abiding in you"; that is, you do not have the word inwardly inspired.

And this is the reason, because "him whom he sent," that is, the Father, "him you do not believe." For the word of God leads to Christ: for Christ himself is the natural Word of God. Now every word inspired by God is a certain participated likeness of that Word. Since therefore every participated likeness leads back to its principle, it is manifest that every word inspired by God leads to Christ. And therefore, because you are not led to me, you do not have the word of God, inspired, "abiding in you"; below: "he who does not believe in the Son of God does not have life abiding in himself." And he says "abiding," because although there is no one who does not have some truth from God, only those have the truth, and the word abiding in them, in whom knowledge advances so far that they are led to the knowledge of the true and natural Word.

Or, through what he says, "and you have never heard his voice," a threefold manner is shown by which something is revealed to someone by God. For either through a sensible voice, and thus he bore witness to Christ at the Jordan and on the mountain, as has been said; 2 Peter 1:16: "made eyewitnesses of his greatness, by a voice come down from heaven from the excellent glory." And this the Jews did not hear. Or through a vision of his essence; and this he reveals to the blessed. And this appearance they themselves did not see, because 2 Corinthians 5:6: "as long as we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord" and so on. Or by inspiring an interior word; and this too they themselves did not have.

Consequently, when he says, "search the Scriptures," he sets forth the third manner in which God bore witness to Christ through the Scriptures, and first he adduces the testimony of the Scriptures; secondly he shows that they were not capable of the fruit of this testimony, at the place, "and you will not come to me" and so on. He says, therefore, "search the Scriptures," as if he were saying: you do not have the word of God in your hearts, but in the Scriptures; and therefore you must seek it elsewhere. And therefore "search the Scriptures," namely of the Old Testament. For the faith of Christ was contained in the Old Testament, but not on the surface, because it lay hidden in the depths, shadowed by figure; 2 Corinthians 3:15: "even until this day, having the same veil."

And therefore he pointedly says "search," as if you should seek in the depths; Proverbs 2:4: "if thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God"; Psalm 118:69: "give me understanding, and I will search thy commandments." Now the reason for the searching is taken from your own opinion, because you think that "in them," namely the Scriptures, "you have eternal life," from what is said, Ezekiel 18:19: "he who has done my judgments, shall live in life."

But you are deceived; because although the precepts of the old law are life-giving, nevertheless they do not have life in themselves; but they are called life-giving only insofar as they lead to me, Christ; whereas you use them as though they had life in themselves — which has deceived you. For "these," namely the Scriptures, "are they which bear witness of me"; that is, they are life-giving only insofar as they lead to the knowledge of me.

Or through open prophecies, as Isaiah 7:14: "behold a virgin shall conceive," and again Deuteronomy 18:15: "the Lord thy God will raise up to thee a prophet" and so on. Hence it is said, Acts 10:43: "to him all the prophets give testimony." Or through the mystical operations of the prophets: hence it is said, Hosea 12:10: "I have been likened by the hands of the prophets." Or in sacraments and figures; such as the immolation of the lamb, and other figurative sacraments of the law; Hebrews 10:1: "having a shadow of the good things to come" and so on. And therefore, because the Scriptures of the Old Testament bear witness of Christ in many ways, the Apostle says, Romans 1:2: "which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh."

But the fruit which you think you have in the Scriptures, namely eternal life, you will not be able to obtain, because, not believing the testimonies of Scripture concerning me, "you will not come to me"; that is, you will not believe in me, in whom is the fruit of those Scriptures, "that you may have life in me," which I give to those who believe in me; below, John 10:28: "I give them eternal life"; Ecclesiasticus 4:12: "wisdom inspires life into her children"; Proverbs 8:35: "he that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord."

After God confirmed the excellence of his power by the testimonies of men, of God, and of the Scriptures, here he consequently rebukes their slowness to believe. Now on account of a twofold occasion the Jews persecuted Christ: on account of the breaking of the Sabbath, in which he seemed contrary to the law; and because he said he was the Son of God, in which he seemed contrary to God. Hence they persecuted him on account of the reverence which they had for God, and on account of the zeal which they had for the law of Moses. And therefore the Lord intends to show that they were not persecuting him for this reason, but for the contrary reason.

Hence, first he shows that their irreverence toward God is the cause of their unbelief; second, that the irreverence which they had toward Moses was the cause of their unbelief, at the place "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down their irreverence toward God; second he shows that this is the cause of their unbelief, at the place "how can you believe, who receive glory from one another?" Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth their lack of devotion toward God; second he manifests it by a sign, at the place "I have come in the name of my Father." Concerning the first he does two things. First he excludes a supposed intention, which could be taken from the words premised above; second he asserts the true one, at the place "but I have known you," and so on.

The supposed intention is that, since the Lord had above recalled so many testimonies about himself — namely that of John, of God, of his own works, and of the Scriptures — it could be supposed by the Jews that he did this as one seeking human glory. Against this he says, "I do not receive glory from men"; that is, I do not seek human praise. For I did not come to give an example of seeking the glory of men; 1 Thessalonians 2:6: "nor seeking glory from men: God is witness." Or, "I do not receive glory from men," that is, I do not need human glory, because from eternity I have glory with the Father; below, John 17:5: "Glorify me, Father, with the glory which I had before the world was made." For I did not come to be glorified by men, but rather to glorify them, since all glory proceeds from me. Wisdom 8:10: "I shall have glory by means of this wisdom." Now God is said to be glorified and praised by men, according to that verse of Ecclesiasticus 43:32: "Glorifying God as much as you can, he will still prevail" — not that he thereby becomes more glorious on that account, but insofar as he appears glorious in us.

This, then, is not the reason for the testimonies set forth, but there is another: "because I have known" — that is, I have made it known — "that you do not have the love of God in you," which you pretend to have; hence you do not persecute me on account of love of God. For then you would persecute me on account of God, if God and Scripture did not bear witness to me; but God himself bears witness to me both through works, and through the Scriptures, and through himself, as has been said; and therefore if you loved God, it would be necessary that, just as you cast me off, so instead you should come to me. Therefore you do not love God. Or otherwise, "but I have known you," as if to say: I did not adduce testimonies of this sort because I needed your glorification; but I know, and I grieve together with you in your erring, that you do not love God, and I wish to lead you back to the way of truth; below, John 15:24: "but now they have both seen and hated both me and the Father"; Psalm 73:23: "the pride of those who hate you ascends continually."

But it must be known that God in himself can be held in hatred by no one, nor according to all his effects, since every good that is in things is from God, and it is impossible that anyone should hate every good, without at least loving to be and to live. But nevertheless someone holds some effect of God in hatred, insofar as it is contrary to his own appetite, such as punishment, or something of this sort. And according to this he is said to hold God in hatred.

Now he sets down the sign that they do not have the love of God when he says, "I have come in the name of my Father, and you have not received me," and first he sets down one sign from the present; second another from the future, at the place "if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." The sign from the present is taken from his coming; and therefore he says "I have come in the name of my Father," as if to say: what I say appears manifestly, for if someone loves his lord, it is manifest that he honors and receives him who comes on his behalf, and seeks his honor; but I have come in the name of my Father, manifesting his name to the world; below, John 17:6: "Father, I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me," and you have not received me; therefore you do not love him. Now the Son is said to manifest his Father to men, because although the Father, insofar as he is God, was known, according to that verse of Psalm 75:1: "God is known in Judea," yet insofar as he is the natural father of the Son, he was not known before the coming of Christ; and therefore Solomon asked, Proverbs 30:4: "What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?"

The sign from the future is taken from the coming of Antichrist. Now the Jews could say: although you come in his name, nevertheless we do not receive you for this reason, because we do not wish to receive anyone except God the Father himself. But against this the Lord says that this cannot be, because you will receive another, who will not come in the name of the Father, but in his own name; and, what is more, he will come in a name, not the Father's, but his own: because he will not seek the glory of the Father, but his own; nor will he attribute to the Father what he does, but to himself, 2 Thessalonians 2:4: "who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped." "And him you will receive," hence it is added in the same place: "God will send them the working of error, that they may believe a lie." And this for the reason that they did not receive the teaching of truth, so that they might be saved; hence the Gloss says: because the Jews were unwilling to receive Christ, the fitting punishment for this sin will be that they receive Antichrist: so that those who were unwilling to believe the truth may believe a lie. But according to Augustine, this can be understood of heretics and false teachers, who bring forth their teaching from their own heart, and not from the mouth of God; who praise their own name, and hold in contempt the name of God: concerning whom it is said in 1 John 2:18: "You have heard that Antichrist is coming; and now there have been made many antichrists."

It is manifest, therefore, that the persecution by which you persecute me is not from the love of God, but proceeds from hatred and envy toward him; and from this their unbelief was caused. And therefore he concludes: "how can you believe, who receive glory from one another?" — that is, human glory, and do you not seek that which is from God alone? Which is the true glory. Now they could not believe in Christ for this reason: because since their proud mind sought after glory and praise, they reckoned it a glory to be raised up above others, and a disgrace to believe in Christ, who seemed abject and poor; and therefore they could not believe in him. But he can believe in him who, having a humble heart, seeks the glory of God alone, and desires to please him. And therefore, as it is said below, John 12:42: "many even of the rulers believed in him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue." From which it appears that vain glory is very dangerous. Hence Tully says: glory, which takes away all liberty — for the sake of which every contention ought to belong to great-souled men — is to be guarded against by man. And therefore the Gloss says: boastfulness is a great vice, and so is the ambition for human praise, which wishes to be esteemed for what it does not have of itself.

Next, when he says "do not think that I will accuse you," he shows that they do not have zeal for Moses, and first he shows how Moses was contrary to them; second he assigns the reason for this contrariety, at the place "for if you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me also." Concerning the first he does two things. First he removes the supposed zeal; second he asserts the true one, at the place "there is one who accuses you, Moses." As to the first he says, "do not think that I will accuse you before the Father." Now of this saying there is a threefold reason.

One is that the Son of God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it; and therefore he says, do not think that I have come to condemn, but to set free; above, John 3:17: "For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world" — that is, to condemn the world — "but that the world might be saved through him." And therefore the blood of Christ does not cry out accusation, but remission, Hebrews 12:24: "we have the blood of Christ crying out better than Abel," who cries out by accusing; Romans 8:33: "Who shall accuse against the elect of God? It is Christ who justifies, who is he that shall condemn?" In a second way, "do not think that I will accuse you before the Father," because I shall not be an accuser, but a judge. Above, in the same chapter: "the Father has given all judgment to the Son." In a third way, do not think that I alone will accuse you before the Father concerning what you do to me; but Moses also will accuse you concerning the fact that you do not believe him in the things which he said about me. And therefore he adds, "there is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you hope," because you believe that you are saved through his precepts.

Now Moses accuses them in two ways. Materially, because from the fact that they transgressed his commandments, they are to be accused; Romans 2:12: "whoever have sinned under the law will be judged through the law." Likewise he accuses them, because Moses and the other saints will have power in judgment; Psalm 49:6: "two-edged swords in their hands," and so on.

He sets down the reason for the contrariety, saying, "for if you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me also," as is plain from Deuteronomy 18:15: "God will raise up a prophet from your nation and from your brothers, like me: him you shall hear," and in all the sacrifices, which were a figure of Christ. And he says "perhaps," to designate the will of free choice: not that there is any doubt in God.

Next, when he says "but if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" he sets down a sign of this contrariety taken from the greater, denying it by comparison with respect to two things. First, of person to person: for although Christ was simply greater than Moses, nevertheless in the reputation of the Jews, Moses was greater, and therefore he says, "if you do not believe Moses, neither will you believe me." Second, by comparison with respect to the manner of transmitting: because Moses gave his precepts in writing, which can be meditated upon for a longer time, and are not easily given over to oblivion; and therefore they more oblige one to belief. Christ, however, transmitted his teaching by words; and as to this he says, "if you do not believe his writings, whose books you have with you, how will you believe my words?"