They answered, and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham.

“After the Lord showed that the Jews had some spiritual origin, here he excludes from them the origins which they presumptuously attributed to themselves, and first he excludes the origin which they said they derived from Abraham; second, the origin which they thought they had from God, at the place, "They said therefore to him: We are not born of fornication." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the opinion of the Jews about their origin; second he excludes it, at the place, "If you are the sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham." Now it should be known concerning the first, that because the Lord had said to them, "what you have seen with your father, you do," therefore, glorying in their carnal generation, they transfer themselves to Abraham. Hence they say, "Abraham is our father," as if to say: if we have a spiritual origin, we are good, because Abraham our father is good; Psalm 104:6: "the seed of Abraham, his servants." And, as Augustine says, they were striving to provoke him to say something evil about Abraham, so that it might be an occasion for them to do what they were planning, namely, to kill Christ. But the Lord, consequently, when he says, "If you are the sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham," excludes this opinion of theirs as falsely put forward, and he sets forth first the sign owed to sonship of Abraham; second he shows that this sign is not in the Jews, at the place, "but now you seek to kill me"; third he concludes his proposition, at the place, "you do the works of your father." Now the sign of someone's sonship is that he be made like him whose son he is: for just as carnal children, for the most part, are made like their carnal parents, so also spiritual children (if they are truly children) ought to imitate their spiritual parents; Ephesians 5:1: "Be imitators of God, as most dear children." And as to this he says, "If you are the sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham"; as if to say: this would be the sign that you were sons of Abraham, if you imitated him; Isaiah 51:2: "Look unto Abraham your father, and to Sara that bore you." But here a doubt arises, because he seems indeed to deny that they are sons of Abraham, speaking doubtfully, "if you are the sons of Abraham," whereas he had affirmed above, saying: "I know that you are the sons of Abraham." To this a twofold answer is given. In one way, according to Augustine, that above he affirmed them to be sons of Abraham according to the flesh; but here he denies that they are his sons according to the imitation of works, and especially of faith. Their flesh, then, was from him, but their life was not; Galatians 3: "they who are of faith, these are reckoned in the seed." In another way, according to Origen, that both refer to spiritual origin. But where we have: "I know that you are the sons of Abraham," in the Greek it is had: "I know that you are the seed of Abraham"; but here he says, "If you are the sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham"; because the Jews indeed, spiritually speaking, were the seed of Abraham, but not his sons. There is a difference between seed and son: for seed is something unformed, and yet it has in itself the natures of that of which it is the seed; but a son, once the seed has been transformed by the informative power, from the agent into the matter supplied to it by the woman, with nourishment superadded, has the likeness of the one who generated him. In the same way the Jews indeed were the seed of Abraham inasmuch as in them some trace of those things which God had infused into Abraham appeared; but because they had not arrived at the perfection of Abraham, therefore they were not his sons; and on account of this he says to them, "If you are the sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham"; that is, strive toward the perfect imitation of his works. Now from the fact that he says, "do the works of Abraham," it seems that whatever he did, we too ought to do. Therefore we ought to take several wives, and go in to a handmaid, as Abraham did. I respond. It must be said that the chief work of Abraham is faith, by which he was justified before God; Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice." And therefore "do the works of Abraham" must be understood as: believe after the likeness of Abraham. But against this is the fact that faith does not seem able to be called a work, since it is distinguished as against works; James 2:26: "faith without works is dead." I respond. It must be said that faith can be called a work, according to that above, 6:29: "this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." But an interior work is not manifest to men, but to God alone, according to that in 1 Kings 16:7: "men see the things that appear, but God looks upon the heart." Hence it is that we are more commonly accustomed to call "works" those things which are exterior. Faith, therefore, is distinguished not from all works, but only from exterior ones. But must we do all the works of Abraham? To this it must be said that a work can be considered in two ways: either according to the species of the work itself, and in this way not all his works are to be imitated; or according to their root, and in this way the works of Abraham are to be imitated, because whatever he did, he did out of charity. Hence Augustine says that the celibacy of John is not preferred to the marriage of Abraham, since the root of both was the same. Or it must be said that all the works of Abraham are to be imitated as to their signification, because "all these things happened to them in figure," as is said in 1 Corinthians 10:11. Consequently, when he says, "but now you seek to kill me," he shows that the aforesaid sign of sonship is not in them, and first the works of the Jews are set down; second he shows these to be unlike the works of Abraham, at the place, "this Abraham did not do." Now the wicked and perverse works of the Jews are shown, because they were murderers; hence he says, "but now you seek to kill me"; Isaiah 1:21: "How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? Justice dwelt in it, but now murderers." But this murder was an inestimable sin against the person of the Son of God. Hence, because, as is said in 1 Corinthians 2:8, "if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory," therefore the Lord does not say that they seek to kill the Son of God, but a man: because although the Son of God is said to have suffered and died on account of the unity of the suppositum, this is not insofar as he is the Son of God, but on account of human weakness, because, as is said in 2 Corinthians, last chapter, 4: "if he was crucified through our weakness, yet he lives by the power of God." And in order the more to aggravate their murder, he shows that they had no cause of death against him; hence he adds, "who have spoken to you the truth, which I have heard from God." This truth is that he said he was equal to God; above, 5:18: "the Jews sought to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath, but also said that God was his father, making himself equal to God." He heard this truth from God inasmuch as from eternity, through eternal generation, he received from the Father the same nature which he himself has; above, 5:26: "as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself." Now he excludes two causes on account of which prophets were commanded to be killed in the law. First indeed on account of falsehood, Deuteronomy 13:5, where it is commanded that if any prophet should arise speaking falsehood, or a deviser of dreams, he should be killed: and this the Lord excludes from himself, saying, "who have spoken to you the truth"; Proverbs 8:7: "my throat shall meditate truth." Second, if any prophet should have spoken in the name of false gods, or in the name of God something which he himself had not commanded, he was to be killed, as is had in Deuteronomy 13:5. And this the Lord excludes from himself, when he says, "which I have heard from God." Consequently, when he says, "this Abraham did not do," he shows that their works are unlike the works of Abraham, as if to say: in this you prove yourselves not to be sons of Abraham, because you do works contrary to his works: for of him it is read, Ecclesiasticus 44:20, that "he kept the law of the most High, and was in testimony with him." But some object superfluously, that Christ did not yet exist before Abraham, and therefore Abraham did not do this: for he could not have killed one who did not exist. But it must be said that Abraham is not commended from the fact that he did not do this to Christ, but from the fact that he did not do it to a like person, that is, to those who at that time spoke the truth. Or it must be said that if Christ had not yet come in the flesh in the time of Abraham, he had nonetheless come into his mind, according to that in Wisdom 7:27: "through nations she conveys herself into holy souls"; and this one Abraham did not kill by sinning mortally: of which it is said in Hebrews 6:6: "crucifying again the Son of God, and making him a mockery." Consequently, when he says, "you do the works of your father," he concludes his proposition; as if to say: since you do not do the works of Abraham, therefore you have some other father, whose works you do. Something similar is had in Matthew 23:32: "fill up then the measure of your fathers." Consequently, when he says, "They said therefore to him: We are not born of fornication," he shows that they do not have their origin from God: for because they already knew from the Lord's words that he was not speaking of carnal generation, therefore they transfer themselves to spiritual generation, saying, "we are not born of fornication," and so on. Here first they set forth their opinion; second the Lord excludes it, at the place, "Jesus therefore said to them," and so on. Now in their opinion the Jews deny one thing and assert another. They deny that they were born of fornication: which indeed, according to Origen, they put forward to Christ as it were by way of reproach, covertly signifying that he had been produced from adultery; as if they said, "we are not born of fornication, as you are." But it can better be said that the spouse of the soul, spiritually, is God, Hosea 2:19: "I will espouse you to me." Now just as a bride commits fornication when, besides her carnal spouse, she admits another man; so, in the Scriptures, Judea was said to commit fornication when, deserting the true God, she clung to idols; Hosea 1:2: "the land committing fornication shall go a-whoring from the Lord." The Jews say therefore, "we are not born of fornication"; as if they said: if at some time our mother the synagogue, departing from God, committed fornication with idols, we nonetheless did not depart, nor did we commit fornication with idols; Psalm 43:18: "neither have we forgotten you, and we have not done wickedly in your covenant, and our heart has not turned back"; Isaiah 57:3: "come up hither, you sons of the fornicatress, the seed of the adulterer and of the harlot." They affirm, however, that they are sons of God: which seemed to follow from the fact that they did not believe themselves born of fornication; hence they say, "we have one Father, God"; Malachi 2:10: "is there not one Father of us all?" Jeremiah 3: "you shall call me Father." Consequently, when he says, "Jesus therefore said to them," etc., their opinion is refuted by the Lord, and first he sets forth the sign of divine sonship; second he assigns the reason for the sign, at the place, "for I proceeded and came from God," etc.; third he shows that they fall short of the aforesaid sign, at the place, "why do you not know my speech?" Now it should be known concerning the first, that above he said the sign of carnal sonship to be exterior works, which men perform outwardly; but here he sets down interior affection as the sign of divine sonship. For we are made sons of God through the communication of the Holy Spirit; Romans 8:15: "you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but the spirit of adoption." Now the Holy Spirit is the cause of the love of God, because "the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us": Romans 5:5. The special sign, therefore, of divine sonship is love; Ephesians 5:1: "be imitators of God as most dear children, and walk in love." And therefore he says, "If God were your father, you would indeed love me"; Psalm 24:21: "the innocent and the upright," who are the sons of God, "have stuck close to me." Now he assigns the reason for the sign, saying, "for I proceeded and came forth from God," and first he sets down the truth; second he excludes error, at the place, "for neither did I come of myself." Now the truth which he sets forth is that he proceeded and came from God. But it should be known that every friendship is founded in a conjunction; hence brothers also love one another inasmuch as they take their origin from the same parents. The Lord therefore says: you say that you are sons of God; but if this were so, you would love me, because I proceeded and came from God. Whoever, therefore, does not love me, is not a son of God. "I proceeded," I say, "from God," as the Only-begotten from eternity, from the substance of the Father; Psalm 109:3: "before the day-star I begot you"; above, 1: "in the beginning was the Word." But "I came," as the Word made flesh and sent by God through the incarnation; below, 16:28: "I came out from the Father," as the Word from eternity, "and am come into the world," as flesh, made in time. He excludes the error, however, when he says, "for neither did I come of myself": and first he excludes the error of Sabellius, who said that Christ did not have his origin from another, but imagined the Father and the Son to be the same in person. And as to this he says, "for neither did I come of myself"; that is, according to Hilary, I came not existing of myself, but as it were sent by another, namely by the Father; hence he adds, "but he sent me"; Galatians 4:4: "God sent his Son, born of a woman, made under the law." Second, the error of the Jews, who said that Christ was not sent by God, but was a false prophet: of whom it is said: "I did not send them, but they ran of themselves." And as to this he says, according to Origen, "for neither did I come of myself, but he sent me." This one Moses was asking for: "I beseech you, Lord, send whom you will send." Now he shows that they fall short of this sign, when he says, "why do you not know my speech?" For, as was said above, love of Christ is the sign of divine sonship; but these men did not love Christ: hence it is manifest that they fall short of this sign. Now that they do not love, they show through its effect: for an effect of someone's love is that the one who loves gladly hears the words of the one loved. Hence Song of Songs 2:14: "let your voice sound in my ears, for your voice is sweet." And Song of Songs, last chapter, 13: "make me hear your voice: the friends hearken to you." Because, therefore, these men did not love Christ, it seemed hard to them even to hear his voice; above, 6:61: "this saying is hard: who can hear it?" Wisdom 2:15: "he is grievous to us, even to behold." Now it happens that someone does not gladly hear the words of another, because he cannot examine them and consequently cannot know them, and therefore they contradict them; Job 6:29: "answer, I beseech you, without contention... and you shall not find iniquity in my tongue." And therefore he says, "why do you not know my speech?" — saying and asking, "what is this that he said: where I go you cannot come?" And this, I say, you do not know for this reason, because you cannot hear my word; that is, you have so hard a heart toward me, that you do not even wish to hear my word.”

“They answered &c Because Christ seemed to imply that they had another father, they wished to learn from Him who he was. We own Abraham, and none other as our father. Jesus saith unto them. If ye are the children of Abraham , do the works of Abraham. It is so in the Vulgate. But some Greek MSS. read as in the English version. He does not deny their extraction, but condemns their doings. Says S. Augustine, “Your flesh may be from Abraham, but not so your life.””

“Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father,.... By adoption; and this was discovered by the grace of regeneration; or in other words, if they had been born of God, ye would love me; for in regeneration love to Christ is always implanted: it is a fruit of the Spirit, which always comes along with the superabounding grace of God in conversion; whoever are begotten again, according to abundant mercy, love an unseen Jesus; and where there is no love to Christ, there can be no regeneration: such persons are not born again; nor is God their Father, at least manifestatively: for I proceeded forth; and came from God; the former of these phrases is observed by many learned men to be used by the Septuagint, of a proper natural birth, as in Gen 15:4; and here designs the eternal generation of Christ, as the Son of God, being the only begotten of the Father, and the Son of the Father in truth and love; and the other is to be understood of his mission from him, as Mediator: neither came I of myself; or did not take the office to himself, without being called unto it, and invested with it, by his Father: but he sent me; not by force, or against the will of Christ, or by change of place, but by assumption of nature; he sent him at the time agreed upon, in human nature, to obtain eternal redemption for his people: and upon both these accounts Christ is to be loved by all regenerate persons, or who have God for their Father; both on account of his being the Son of God, of the same nature and essence with him, see Jo1 5:1; and on account of his mission into this world, as Mediator, since he was sent, and came to be the Saviour of lost sinners.”

“If ye were Abraham's children - Griesbach reads εϚε, ye are, instead of ητε, ye were, on the authority of BDL, Vulgate, four copies of the Itala; Origen and Augustin. Ye would do the works of Abraham - As the son has the nature of his father in him, and naturally imitates him, so, if ye were the children of Abraham, ye would imitate him in his faith, obedience, and uprightness; but this ye do not, for ye seek to kill me - ye are watching for an opportunity to destroy me, merely because I tell you the truth: Abraham never did any thing like this; therefore, you have no spiritual relationship to him.”

“G. P. " If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." Griesbach adopts the present tense, conformably to three uncial manuscripts, and to the quotation of Origen. Schott objects that the imperative mood in the latter member of the sentence is not support- ed by authority. Our Lord here speaks of Himself in His humblest character, as a divinely commissioned teacher.”