Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

“(vi. de Tr. c. 9) Dismissing then the Arians, let us see if we are forced to confess, that by the words, That they may know Thee to be the only true God, He means us to understand that the Father only is the true God, in such sense as that only the Three together, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are to be called God? Does our Lord’s testimony authorize us to say that the Father is the only true God, the Son the only true God, and the Holy Ghost the only true God, and at the same time, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost together, i. e. the Trinity, are not three Gods, but onea true God?”

“Above, the Lord strengthened the disciples by example and by exhortation; in this part he strengthens them by prayer, and in this prayer he does three things. First he prays for himself; second, for the company of the disciples, at the place "I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world"; third, for the whole faithful people, at the place "I do not pray for these only, but for those also who shall believe." Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the petition; second, the fruit of the petition, at "that your Son may glorify you," etc.; third, the merit for the petition's being heard, at "I have glorified you," etc. Concerning the first, first the order of praying is set down; second, the manner of praying; third, the words of the prayer. The order of praying is fitting, because it comes after the exhortation; hence he says, "These things Jesus spoke." In this an example is given to us, that those whom we instruct by word we should also help by the support of prayers, because divine discourse has its greatest effect in the hearts of its hearers when it is sustained by prayer, through which divine help is implored; 2 Thessalonians, last chapter, 1: "praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word." Hence also the end of our discourse ought to terminate in prayer; Ecclesiasticus 43:29: "he himself is the consummation of all words." The manner is fitting, because "with eyes lifted up to heaven." For there is a difference between the prayer of Christ and our prayer: our prayer is only for necessity, but the prayer of Christ is rather for instruction. For there was no necessity in him for praying, since he hears together with the Father. But he instructed us in this, both by word and by deed. By deed indeed, in lifting up his eyes, that we too might in our prayer lift our eyes to heaven; Psalm 122:1: "To you have I lifted up my eyes, who dwell in the heavens." And not only our eyes, but also our operations, by referring them to God; according to that saying of Lamentations 3:41: "Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens." By word, however, because he clearly uttered the prayer; hence he says "and he said," namely so that those whom he had instructed by teaching, he might also instruct by praying. For not only the word of Christ, but also his deeds, are our instruction. But his words are efficacious; hence he says "Father, the hour has come": and this efficacy is caused from three things. Namely, from the affection of the one praying: for the Son prays to the Father, and it belongs to him to seek the Father out of love, and to ask out of love; hence he says "Father," that by this he may give us to understand that we should pray to God with filial affection; Jeremiah 3:19: "You shall call me Father, and shall not cease to walk after me." Second, from the necessity of praying; hence he says "the hour has come," namely of the Passion, concerning which above, 2:4: "my hour has not yet come." The hour, I say, not the time, not the day, because he was immediately to be seized, etc. Nor the hour of fatal necessity, but of his own ordination and good pleasure. And fittingly, being about to ask, he interposes tribulations, because it is in tribulations that God hears most; Psalm 119:1: "To the Lord, when I was in trouble, I cried, and he heard me"; 2 Chronicles 20:12: "since we know not what we ought to do, this only remains to us, that we direct our eyes to you." Third, from the tenor of the petition; hence he says "glorify your Son." But since the Son of God is Wisdom itself, 1 Corinthians 1; and this Wisdom has the greatest brightness, Wisdom 6:13: "Wisdom is bright, and never fades away": how then is a brightness said to be glorified, especially since he himself is the splendor of the Father? Hebrews 1:3. But it must be said that Christ sought to be glorified by the Father in three ways. Namely, in the Passion: and this through the many miracles which were then shown, when the sun was darkened, the veil of the temple was torn, and the tombs were opened. And of this it is said above, 12:28: "and I have glorified," namely by miracles before the Passion, "and again I will glorify," in the Passion. Hence he says, according to this, "glorify," in the Passion, by showing me to be your Son. Hence the centurion, having seen the miracles, said: "truly this was the Son of God." Second, in the resurrection. For that holy soul was always joined to God, having glory from the vision of God; above, 1:14: "we saw his glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." For from the beginning of his conception, as to his soul, he had brightness, but in the resurrection he had the brightness of the body, concerning which Philippians 3:21: "he will reform the body of our lowliness, configured to the body of his glory." Third, in the knowledge of all peoples; Wisdom 8:10: "through her I shall have glory among the multitudes, and honor among the elders." And thus he says "glorify," that is, manifest to the whole world that I am your Son, namely your own Son, and this by nativity, not by creation — against Arius, who said that the Son of God is a creature; in truth, not merely in name — against Sabellius, who said that he who is called Father is the same as he who is called Son; by origin, not by adoption — against Nestorius, who said that Christ is an adoptive son. Here the fruit of the glorification is set down, and first he sets forth the fruit; second he expounds it, at "as you have given him power over all flesh." But the fruit of the glorification of the Son is the glorification of the Father, hence he says, "that your Son may glorify you." And it must be known that Arius, hearing the Lord say "glorify your Son," supposed the Father to be greater than the Son: which indeed is true according to his humanity. Above, 14:28: "the Father is greater than I." And therefore, to show his equality to the Father according to divinity, he adds, "that your Son may glorify you," namely in the knowledge of men. For glory is bright knowledge joined with praise. But God formerly was glorious among the Jews, because "God is known in Judea," Psalm 75:2, but afterward, through the Son, he became known throughout the whole world. But holy men also, by good works, make the knowledge of God glorious. Matthew 5:16: "let them see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Hence above, 8:50: "I seek not my own glory: there is one who seeks and judges." Here he sets down the fruit of the petition, and first he sets down the benefit conferred by Christ on men; second he shows that this benefit pertains to the glory of the Father, at "and this is eternal life." He says, therefore, "that your Son may glorify you"; and this "as you have given him power over all flesh." For it must be known that the intention of any agent that acts from another is to lead its effect back to the manifestation of its cause: for from the action of a principle that is itself from a principle, the principle itself is manifested. But whatever the Son has, he has from the Father, and therefore it is fitting that through the things he does he should manifest the Father, and therefore he says, "you have given him power," over all men. But the Son ought also, through this power, to lead them to the knowledge of you, which is eternal life. And so the sense is: "may the Son glorify you, as you have given him power over all flesh," that is, over every man, Luke 3:6: "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." "You have given," I say, according to Hilary, by giving through eternal generation the divine nature, through which he has the power of containing all things; Matthew 11:27: "all things have been delivered to me by my Father." And above, 5:20: "the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does." Or, "you have given him," namely Christ as man, on account of his personal fellowship with your Son, so that thus flesh might have power over flesh; Matthew, last chapter, 18: "all power is given to me in heaven and on earth." Daniel 7:14: "he gave him," namely the Son of Man, "power and honor and kingship." "To this end," he says, "you have given," namely so that, just as you have the power not to receive anything from man, but to confer yourself upon him, so also to Christ as man, that everything you have given him, through eternal predestination, he might give to them, to those given to him, eternal life. Above, 10:27: "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them." But does eternal life, given to men, pertain to the glory of the Father? Indeed it does, because "this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent"; that is, that the Father may be glorified in the knowledge of men. But here two things must be expounded. First indeed, what this means, which he says: "this is eternal life, that they may know." Concerning which it must be known that we properly say those things live which move themselves to operation; but whatever things are moved only by others are not called living, but dead: and therefore all the operations to which the operator moves itself are called works of life, such as to will, to understand, to sense, to grow, and to move. But something is said to live in two ways: either because it has the works of life in potency, and thus one who is sleeping is said to live with sensitive life, because he has the power of moving himself, although he is not actually moved; or because he already exercises the works of life in act, and then a thing is said to live perfectly: hence sleep is called the half of life. But among the works of life, the higher work is that of understanding, which is to understand; and therefore the operation of the intellect is life in the highest degree. But just as the sense in act and the sensible thing in act are the same, so too the one understanding in act and the thing understood in act are the same. Since, therefore, understanding is life and to understand is to live, it follows that to understand an eternal thing is to live with eternal life; but God is an eternal thing, therefore to understand and to see God is eternal life. And therefore the Lord says that eternal life consists in vision, namely principally, according to its whole substance. But love is what moves toward this, and is a certain complement of it: for from the delight which is in divine enjoyment, which charity produces, comes the complement and adornment of beatitude; but its substance consists in vision; 1 John 3:2: "we shall see him as he is." Second, this must be expounded, which he says: "you, the only true God." For it is manifest that Christ was speaking to the Father; since, then, he says "you, the only true God," it seems that God the Father alone is the true God. This indeed the Arians grant, saying that the Son differs from the Father in essence, since he is a created substance — yet participating more and more perfectly than all creatures in the Father's divinity, to such an extent that he is called God, but not truly, because he is not God by nature, but only the Father is. But Hilary argues against this. For it is established that when we wish to know concerning any thing whether it is true, we can know it from two things: namely from its nature and from its power. For true gold is that which has the appearance of true gold; and this indeed we know if it produces the operation of true gold. If, therefore, we have it concerning the Son that he has the true nature of God, and this through the true operation of divinity which he exercises, it is manifest that he is true God. But that the Son exercises the true works of divinity is clear above, 5:19: "whatever things the Father does, these the Son also does likewise." And again he says: "as the Father has life in himself," not indeed participated, "so also he has given the Son to have life in himself"; 1 John, last chapter, 20: "that we may be in his true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." But he says "you, the only God," according to Hilary, not excluding anything. Hence he does not say absolutely "you alone," but adds "and Jesus Christ whom you have sent"; as if he were saying, that they may know that you, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent, are one only and true God: according to that manner of speaking, "you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit." Nor does he make mention of the Holy Spirit, because wherever the Father and the Son are set down, and especially in those things which pertain to the majesty of the divinity, the Holy Spirit is understood together with them, who is the bond of both. Or, according to Augustine in On the Trinity, he says this to exclude the error of certain ones saying that this is false: "the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God"; but this is true: "the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God." And the reasoning of these was, because, as is said by the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. But it is manifest that no one can call anyone God unless he has divine power and wisdom. Since, therefore, these wished that the Father be the wisdom which is the Son, they said further that the Father, considered without the Son, would not be God, and likewise the Son and the Holy Spirit considered without the others. And because in the sending is signified the incarnation of the Son of God, therefore by his saying "and Jesus Christ whom you have sent," it is given to be understood that in eternal life we shall rejoice also in the humanity of Christ; Isaiah 33:17: "the king," that is Christ, "they shall see in his beauty." Above, 10:9: "he shall go in and shall find pastures." Here is set down the merit for the petition's being heard, and first he calls to mind the merit; second he asks for the reward, at "and now glorify me, you, Father." But he calls to mind a twofold merit. Namely, of teaching, saying "I have glorified you," namely in the knowledge of men, by manifesting through teaching; Isaiah 24:15: "in the teachings glorify God." Likewise of obedience: hence he adds, "I have finished the work." He uses the past tense for the future, namely "I have glorified," that is, "I will glorify"; and "I have finished," that is, "I will finish": and this because it had already been begun, and again because the hour of the Passion was imminent, when this work was completed. "Which you have given me" — not "commanded": for it is not enough that it be divinely commanded to Christ and to us; because whatever Christ, according as he is man, did, and whatever we can do, is from the gift of God; Wisdom 8:21: "I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God gave it." "You have given," I say, "me," through the gift of grace, "to do," that is, to complete; Ecclesiasticus 38:31: "he will give his heart to the completion." But because the reward of Christ's obedience and teaching is glory; Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; for which cause God also exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name": therefore he asks for the reward, saying, "and now glorify me, you, Father." This is not to be understood, as some have thought, as Augustine says, that the human nature in Christ, taken up by the Word, should at some point be converted into the Word, and man be changed into God; because this would be nothing other than that nature itself being annihilated. For everything that is so converted into another thing that the thing into which it is converted is not increased, seems to be annihilated: but nothing can be added to the divine Word of God. And therefore, according to Augustine, "and now glorify me, you, Father," must be understood of the predestination of Christ the man. For we have something both in divine predestination and in the effect of the thing. But the man Christ Jesus, like other men, was predestined by God the Father; Romans 1:4: "who was predestined the Son of God," etc. And according to this he says "and now," that is, after I have glorified you, and finished the work which you gave me to do, "glorify me, you, Father, with yourself"; that is, make me sit at your right hand; and this with the glory which I had before the world was made, "with you," that is, in your predestination; Mark, last chapter, 19: "the Lord Jesus indeed was taken up into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God." Or otherwise, according to Hilary. For the glory of men is a certain conformity to the glory of God, although unequal; but Christ, according as he is God, had glory from eternity with the Father, namely divine glory, and equal to the Father. He asks, therefore, here that he be glorified in his humanity, namely that that which in time was flesh, and transformed in corruption, might receive the glory of that brightness which is without time. Not, however, equal, but similar: namely, that just as from eternity he was immortal with the Father and seated at his right hand, so also, according as he is man, he might be made immortal, and be exalted to the right hand of God.”

“Bui this is life eternal , to know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent This saying agrees exactly with what precedes. Christ gives the reason for seeking to be glorified. Because this glorification is the knowledge of God and of Christ, which is the only way to eternal life. His argument is this, “ Glorify Me, that I may glorify Thee, so that by this glorifying or manifestation they may attain eternal life.” For life eternal consists in knowing Thee, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent, in order that they who bdieve in Him may be saved. For no one can be saved, except by Faith in Christ. This is life eternal (1.) S. Thomas (Par. i. Qucest. xiL 4 and 6, and par. iii. Qucest . iii. art. 4, and Contra Gentes iii. cap. 61, and elsewhere ), understands these words in their formal sense, and hence proves that the essence of beatitude consists in an act of the intellect, not of the will. And he thus explains it, “ Glorify Me, that thus the faithful may obtain eternal life, which consists in knowledge, i.e. in the vision of the Father and the Son.” (2.) Cajetan and Jansen think that " knowledge ” in this place, is the knowledge both of the way and of the country. It therefore does not mean to “ see Thee,” which is the portion of the Blessed, but to know Thee, which belongs to those who are but on the way. For eternal life begins here by faith, and will afterwards be consummated in sight. (3.) These words must be explained literally in a causal sense. “ This is life eternal, i.e. this is the cause of, the way to life eternal, to believe in Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” See John iii. 16, vi. 47. The effect here is put for the cause, as in John xi. 25 : I am the Resurrection and the Life, i.e. I am the causes or the author of life, and also xii. Digitized by v^iOOQLe FAITH THE BEGINNING OF TIIE BEATIFIC VISION. I93 50 ; I know that His commandment is eternal life, i.e. the cause of it, and 1 John v. 4 and S. Cyril (xi. 16) affirm that faith and the practice of true piety are the root and origin of eternal life. Faith is in truth the beginning of the Beatific Vision. For it produces hope, hope charity, charity good works, by which we obtain eternal life. Lastly, S. Augustine thus combines these three meanings, “ If the knowledge of God is life eternal, the more we advance in this knowledge, the more do we advance in eternal life. But this will be perfect, when there is no more death. There will then be the highest glorifying of God, because there will be the highest glory. But glory is defined thus, as the frequent speaking of a man with praise. But if a man is praised, when credit is given to what is commonly said of him, how shall not God be praised, when He is beheld ? ‘ Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house : they will for ever praise Thee * ” (Ps. lxxxiv. 4). That they may know Thee, the only true God. Hence the Arians infer that Christ is not true God. In reply, (1.) S. Augustine (in loc.), Bede, and others, connect together Jesus Christ and the Father under the one term H Deity, ” and interpret thus, As the Father is true God, so is the Son also true God. ( See S. Hil. lib. ix. de Isaiah.) The statement would otherwise be imperfect, for if we believed that the Father alone was true God, we could not have anything else to say about Jesus Christ, unless we understood that He was true God also. The Fathers, in fact, infer from this Christ’s Godhead. (2.) S. Chrysostom, Cyril, and others reply that the word “ only ” does not exclude the Son and the Holy Spirit, but merely idols and false gods. And the meaning is that they may believe in Thee, who art that God, who only is the true God, as is also the Son and the Holy Spirit That the Son is true God is sufficiently indicated, when it is said that eternal life consists in the knowledge of Him and of the Father alike. For eternal life necessarily consists in (the knowledge of) the one supreme and true God. (See S Ambrose de Fide , v. 2.) Christ therefore through modesty does not call Himself God, but one sent by the Father, as the Redeemer of the world. For such He was when Incarnate, and VOL. V. N Digitized by LnOOTLe 194 made man. And hence we infer that faith in the Incarnation and the Trinity is required in order to salvation. For the Father cannot be fully believed in, apart from the Son and the Holy Spirit, for the Paternity of the Father requires also the breathing forth of the Holy Spirit And Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. Thou wilt say the Holy Spirit is here omitted, and accordingly He is not God. But the word “only” merely excludes the gods of the heathen, who have another nature, and not the Holy Spirit, Who has the same nature as the Father. But why is the Son alone mentioned, and not the Holy Spirit ? (i.) Euthymius replies, Because the time for speaking about Him had not arrived. But Christ had already promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, and said a great deal about Him. (2.) Ribera thinks that it was in order to maintain the greatness of His origin, and just as the Son attributes everything to the Father, as proceeding from Him, so likewise eternal life is ascribed to our knowing the Father and the Son. And though the Holy Spirit is understood, yet He is not named, because the Father and the Son are the source of His being, whereas He is not the source of any Divine Person, but derived everything from the Father and the Son. See above, chap. xv. 26. (3.) Christ does not mention the Holy Spirit, because He was wholly engaged in enforcing faith in Himself, as God and man. And this specially needed to be inculcated, both because it was a new doctrine, and difficult of belief, and also because it was the basis of all other articles of belief, and moreover because in that belief was involved belief in the Holy Spirit, of whom Christ had already spoken. The Holy Spirit is therefore here understood, because, as S. Augustine says, “ He is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son,” being the consubstantial Love of them Both”

“And this is life eternal,.... That is, the beginning and pledge of it, the way unto it, and means of it, and what will certainly issue in it: that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. The knowledge of God here spoken of, is not the knowledge of him by the light of nature, and works of creation; for a man may know God in this sense, and not know him in Christ, nor anything of Christ; yea, may know God and profess him in words, and in works deny him, as the Heathens did; nor is eternal life known hereby, nor connected with it: nor is it such a knowledge of God as is to be obtained by the law of Moses, in which God is represented as a righteous and incensed Being; nor is there in it any discovery of God, as a God of love, grace, and mercy in Christ; nor any revelation of a Mediator, Saviour and Redeemer; nor can it either show, or give to persons eternal life; and yet what is here said of the knowledge of God and Christ, the Jews say of the law (d), "one man said to his friend, let us dash them against that wall and kill them, because they have left , "eternal life"; (the gloss upon it is, "the law";) and employ themselves in a temporary life, the gloss says of this world, which is merchandise.'' More truly does Philo the Jew say (e), that "fleeing to the Divine Being, "is eternal life"; and running front him is death.'' But this is to be understood of an evangelic knowledge of God, as the God and Father of Christ, as the God of all grace, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin, and of Christ Mediator; not a general, notional, and speculative knowledge; but a practical and experimental one; a knowledge of approbation and appropriation; a fiducial one, whereby a soul believes in Christ, and trusts in his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice for salvation; and which, though imperfect, is progressive. The Arians and Unitarians urge this text, against the true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus, and his equality with the Father, but without success; since the Father is called the only true God, in opposition to the many false gods of the Heathens, but not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit; for Christ is also styled the one Lord, and only Lord God, but not to the exclusion of the Father; yea the true God and eternal life; was he not, he would never, as here, join himself with the only true God; and besides, eternal life is made to depend as much upon the knowledge of him, as of the Father. The reason of this different mode of expression, is owing to the character of Christ as Mediator, who is said to be sent by the only true God, about the business of man's salvation. Nor is it of any moment what the Jew (f) objects, that Jesus here confesses, that the true God is only one God; nor does he call himself God, only the Messiah sent by God; and that the Apostle Paul also asserts the unity of God, Ti1 1:17; and therefore Jesus cannot be God: for Christ and his Father, the only true God, are one; and that he is the one true God with his Father, he tacitly suggests here by joining himself with him; and what the Apostle Paul says of the one and only wise God, may as well be understood of Christ, the Son of God, as of the Father; since all the characters in the text agree with him, and of him he had been speaking in the context. (d) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 21. 1. (e) De profugis, p. 461. (f) R. Isaac Chizzuk Emuna, par. 2. c. 55. p. 445.”

“This is life eternal - The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe, is called life: 1. Because the life of man was forfeited to Divine justice; and the sacrifice of Christ redeemed him from that death to which he was exposed. 2. Because the souls of men were dead in trespasses and sins; and Christ quickens them by his word and Spirit. 3. Because men who are not saved by the grace of Christ do not live, they only exist, no good purpose of life being answered by them. But when they receive this salvation they live - answer all the Divine purposes, are happy in themselves, useful to each other, and bring glory to God. 4. It is called eternal life to show that it reaches beyond the limits of time, and that it necessarily implies - 1. The immortality of the soul; 2. the resurrection of the body; and 3. that it is never to end, hence called αιωνιος ζωη, a life ever living; from αει, always, and ων, being or existence. And indeed no words can more forcibly convey the idea of eternity than these. It is called ἡ αιωνιος ζωη, That eternal life, by way of eminence. There may be an eternal existence without blessedness; but this is that eternal life with which infinite happiness is inseparably connected. The only true God - The way to attain this eternal life is to acknowledge, worship, and obey, the one only true God, and to accept as teacher, sacrifice, and Savior, the Lord Jesus, the one and only true Messiah. Bishop Pearce's remark here is well worthy the reader's attention: - "What is said here of the only true God seems said in opposition to the gods whom the heathens worshipped; not in opposition to Jesus Christ himself, who is called the true God by John, in Jo1 5:20." The words in this verse have been variously translated: 1. That they might acknowledge thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God. 2. That they might acknowledge thee, the only true God, and Jesus, whom thou hast sent, to be the Christ or Messiah. 3. That they might acknowledge thee to be the only true God, and Jesus Christ to be him whom thou hast sent. And all these translations the original will bear. From all this we learn that the only way in which eternal life is to be attained is by acknowledging the true God, and the Divine mission of Jesus Christ, he being sent of God to redeem men by his blood, being the author of eternal salvation to all them that thus believe, and conscientiously keep his commandments. A saying similar to this is found in the Institutes of Menu. Brigoo, the first emanated being who was produced from the mind of the supreme God, and who revealed the knowledge of his will to mankind, is represented as addressing the human race and saying: "Of all duties, the principal is to acquire from the Upanishads (their sacred writings) a true knowledge of one supreme God; that is the most exalted of sciences, because it ensures eternal life. For in the knowledge and adoration of one God all the rules of good conduct are fully comprised." See Institutes of Menu, chap. xii. Inst. 85, 87.”

“This is life everlasting; that is, the way to life everlasting, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent [2]. The Arians, from these words, pretended that the Father only is the true God. St. Augustine and divers others answer, that the sense and construction is, that they may know thee, and also Jesus Christ thy Son, whom thou hast sent to be the only true God. We may also expound them with St. Chrysostom and others, so that the Father is here called the only true God, not to exclude the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who are the same one true God with the Father; but only to exclude the false gods of the Gentiles. Let the Socinians take notice, that (1 John v. 20.) the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is expressly called the true God, even with the Greek article, upon which they commonly lay so much stress. (Witham) — Life everlasting. Both the life of glory in heaven, and of grace here, consisteth in the knowledge of God; the former in perfect vision, the latter in faith working by charity. For knowledge of God, without keeping his commandments, is not true knowledge, but unprofitable knowledge. (1 John xi.[ii.?])”

“As distinguished from heathen deities. St. Chrysostom and St. Au- gustin among the ancients, and Heinsius among moderns, think that there is here an inversion, so that the text should read : " This is eternal life, that they know Thee, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent, the only true God." Such inversions are not unusual with this evangelist : ex. g. ;”

“this is--that. life eternal, that they might--may. know, &c.--This life eternal, then, is not mere conscious and unending existence, but a life of acquaintance with God in Christ (Job 22:21). thee, the only true God--the sole personal living God; in glorious contrast equally with heathen polytheism, philosophic naturalism, and mystic pantheism. and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent--This is the only place where our Lord gives Himself this compound name, afterwards so current in apostolic preaching and writing. Here the terms are used in their strict signification--"JESUS," because He "saves His people from their sins"; "CHRIST," as anointed with the measureless fulness of the Holy Ghost for the exercise of His saving offices (see on Mat 1:16); "WHOM THOU HAST SENT," in the plenitude of Divine Authority and Power, to save. "The very juxtaposition here of Jesus Christ with the Father is a proof, by implication, of our Lord's Godhead. The knowledge of God and a creature could not be eternal life, and such an association of the one with the other would be inconceivable" [ALFORD].”