Homilies on the Gospel of John 41

'If I bear witness concerning Myself, My witness is not true.'

'There is Another who bears witness concerning Me, and I know that His witness concerning Me is true.'

If someone should undertake to dig up a mining ground, being inexperienced in this craft, he will produce no gold, but confusedly mingling everything together, will endure toil

that is useless and harmful.

So too, those who do not know the sequence of the divine Scriptures, nor examine their peculiar properties and laws, but go over everything simply and in one manner, mingling gold with earth, will never find the treasure laid up within it.

And I have said these things now, since the passage set before us contains indeed much gold, yet not manifestly, but buried beneath much obscurity from above.

Wherefore we must, by digging through and cleansing away, come to the genuine sense of the meanings.

For who would not at once be thrown into confusion on hearing Christ saying:

'If I bear witness concerning Myself, My witness is not true'? For in many places He is seen to have borne witness to Himself;

at any rate, conversing with the Samaritan woman, He said, 'I that speak to you am He;'

and to the blind man likewise, 'He that talks with you, it is He;'

and rebuking the Jews, 'You say that I blaspheme, because I said, I am the Son of God.'

And in many other places besides He does this.

If, then, all these things be false, what hope of salvation shall we have? And whence shall we find the truth, when Truth Itself says that 'My witness is not true'? Yet this does not seem to be the only contradiction, but there is also another no less than this.

'And if I bear witness concerning Myself, My witness is true.'

Which then, tell me, am I to accept? And which am I to consider false? For if we take it simply as it stands, without inquiring closely into the person, or the occasion, or anything else of the kind, both statements will be false.

For if His testimony is not true, then this very statement itself is not true;

not only the latter, but also the former.

What then is the meaning of what was said? We have great need of watchfulness, or rather of the grace of God, that we may not rest merely in the bare words.

For it is thus that the heretics also go astray, because they examine neither the aim of the speaker nor the disposition of the hearers.

If then we do not add these considerations, and others besides—such as the occasions, the places, and the mind of the hearer—many absurdities will follow.

What then is the meaning of what was said? The Jews were about to raise this objection against Him:

'If You bear witness concerning Yourself, Your witness is not true.'

For this reason He anticipated them and said these things, as though He were saying:

'You will assuredly say to Me, We do not believe You;

for no one who bears witness to himself is worthy of credit among men.'

Therefore the phrase 'is not true' must not be read simply, but with reference to their supposition—as if to say, 'To you it is not true.'

It was not therefore with regard to His own worth, but with regard to their supposition, that He uttered these words.

And when He says, 'My witness is not true,' He is refuting their opinion and the objection they were going to bring against Him.

But when He says, 'Even if I bear witness concerning Myself, My witness is true,' He is declaring the very nature of the matter—namely, that as being God, worthy of credit, He ought to be believed even when speaking concerning Himself.

For since He had spoken of the resurrection of the dead and of judgment, and that he who believes on Him is not judged but comes into life, and that He will sit demanding an account from all, and that He has the same authority and power as the Father—

being about again to establish all these things in yet another way, He necessarily set down their objection first.

'I said,' He means, 'that as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wills;

I said that the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son;

I said that men must honor the Son even as they honor the Father;

I said that he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father either;

I said that he who hears My words and believes shall not see death, but has passed from death into life;

I said that My voice shall raise the dead, some now, and others hereafter;

I said that I will demand an account of their transgressions from all;

I said that I will judge righteously and will reward those who do rightly.'

Since then all these were assertions, and the things spoken were great, yet no clear demonstration had as yet been given to them, but only a rather obscure one—

He first sets down the objection, being about to proceed to the proof of what He had said, speaking somewhat in this manner, even if not exactly so:

'But perhaps you will say, All these things You Yourself declare, yet You are not a credible witness in bearing witness to Yourself.'

By this means, then, He first dissolves their contentiousness—by setting down beforehand the very thing they were about to say, and by showing that He knows the hidden things of their mind, thus furnishing this as a first proof of His own power. Afterward, following the objection, He furnishes yet other proofs, clear and irrefutable, bringing forward three witnesses of the things spoken: the works done by Him, the testimony of the Father, and the preaching of John.

And He sets first the lesser, that of John.

For having said, 'There is another who bears witness concerning Me, and I know that his witness which he witnesses concerning Me is true,' He added:

'You sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth.'

And yet, if Your witness is not true, how do You say, 'I know that John's witness is true,' and that 'He bore witness to the truth'? Do you see how from this too it is plain that the words, 'My witness is not true,' were spoken with reference to their supposition? (2)

'What then,' someone says, 'if he bore witness out of favor?'

For lest they should say this, see how He removed this suspicion also.

For He did not say, 'John bore witness to Me;'

but rather first, 'You sent to John;'

and you would not have sent, unless you had considered him worthy of credit.

For they did not send to question him concerning Christ, but concerning himself;

and since they considered him worthy of credit in matters concerning himself, much more would they in matters concerning another.

For we are all, so to speak, naturally disposed as men not to believe those who speak concerning themselves as we believe those who speak concerning others.

But him they considered so worthy of credit that even in matters concerning himself he needed no other witness.

For those who were sent did not say, 'What do you say concerning Christ?' but, 'Who are you? What do you say concerning yourself?' So great was the wonder they had for the man.

All this, then, He hinted at by saying, 'You sent to John.'

For this reason the Evangelist too did not merely say that they sent, but speaks precisely also concerning those who were sent—that they were both priests and of the Pharisees, not just any chance persons, nor cast-offs, nor such as could be corrupted or deceived, but men competent to learn accurately what was said by him.

'But I do not receive testimony from man.'

For what reason then did You bring forward the testimony of John? And yet neither was his testimony that of a man.

'For He who sent me to baptize with water,' he says, 'He told me.'

So that even John's testimony was the testimony of God;

for having learned from Him, he said the things he said.

But lest they should say, 'Whence is it clear that he learned it from God?' and should busy themselves about this, He stops their mouths from what remained over, still discoursing with reference to their supposition.

For it was not likely that many knew these things; but as to one who spoke from his own resources, they gave heed for the time to John.

'I do not receive testimony from man.'

And if You were not going to receive testimony from man, nor to rely on it, for what reason did You bring forward his testimony? Lest then they should say this, hear how He corrected such an objection also by what He added.

For having said, 'I do not receive testimony from man,' He added:

'But I say these things that you may be saved.'

And what He says is of this kind:

'I indeed had no need of his testimony, being God, no need of that which is human;

but since you rather gave heed to him and considered him more worthy of credit than all, and ran to him as to a prophet (for indeed the city poured itself out to the Jordan), yet believed not in Me even when I worked wonders—

for this reason I remind you of that testimony.'

'He was the burning and shining lamp,' He says;

'and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.'

For lest they should say, 'What then, if he indeed spoke, but we did not receive it?' He shows that they did indeed accept what was said.

For indeed they did not send just any persons, but priests and Pharisees.

So greatly did they admire the man, and they had nothing then to say in reply to what was spoken.

And the phrase 'for a season' belongs to one who shows their fickleness, and that they quickly turned away from him.

'But I have testimony greater than that of John.'

'For if you had been willing to receive the faith according to the natural order of things, I would rather have led you on from the works.

But since you are not willing, I lead you to John—not as needing his testimony, but because I do all things for this end, that you may be saved.

For I have indeed testimony greater than John's, that which comes from the works.'

But this is not my only aim, that I might be favorably received by you on the strength of trustworthy witnesses, but also that I might be so received on the strength of those who are known to you and admired among you.

Having thus rebuked them by saying, 'For a season you were willing to rejoice in his light,' and having moreover shown that zeal of theirs to have been temporary and unstable by calling him a lamp, he made it clear that John did not possess the light of himself, but from the grace of the Spirit.

But by way of contrast with him he did not yet add this—that it is He Himself who is the Sun of righteousness—but for the present, merely hinting at it, he rebuked them sharply and shows that from the very disposition by which they despised him they were unable even to believe in Christ.

For even the one who was admired among them they admired only for a season;

whereas, had they not done this, he would speedily have led them by the hand to Jesus.

Having therefore shown them to be on every side unworthy of pardon, he went on to say:

'But I have a witness greater than that of John.'

What sort, then, is this? The witness that comes from His works.

'For the works,' He says, 'which the Father has given Me to accomplish, these very works bear witness concerning Me, that the Father has sent Me.'

Here He reminded them of the paralytic who had been made straight, and of many others besides;

for as to the words, perhaps one of them might have said that they were mere boasting, and were spoken for the sake of friendship with John;

and yet not even this could they say concerning John, a man who knew how to reason with exactness, and who was on that account so admired among them;

but as for the deeds, not even among those who were exceedingly mad could this suspicion be entertained.

For this reason He brought forward this second witness, saying:

'The works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, these very works which I do bear witness concerning Me, that the Father has sent Me.'

Here too He takes His stand against the accusation of breaking the Sabbath.

For since those men were saying:

'How can He be from God, seeing that He does not keep the Sabbath?'—for this reason He said, 'Which the Father has given Me.'

And yet He acted by His own authority;

but showing with great abundance that He does nothing contrary to the Father, He therefore set down even that which was far the lesser thing.

And why, one may ask, did He not say, 'The works which the Father has given Me bear witness that I am equal to the Father?' For from the works both things could be learned—both that He does nothing contrary, and that He is equal to Him who begat Him.

This is what He was establishing elsewhere when He said:

'If you do not believe Me, believe My works, that you may know and believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me.'

Both things, therefore, they bore witness to concerning Him—both that He was equal to the Father, and that He did nothing contrary to Him.

For what reason, then, did He not speak thus, but, letting the greater point go, set down this? Because this was the first thing that was being pressed for.

For although it is a far lesser thing to be believed that He came from God than to be believed that He is God equal to Him—

for the former even the prophets declared, but the latter they did not—

yet He Himself lays much zeal upon the lesser point, knowing that when this is accepted, the other too would thereafter be readily received.

And making no mention at all of the greater witness, He sets down its lesser work, that through this they might accept that greater one also.

Having established this, He again adds:

'The Father who sent Me, He Himself has borne witness concerning Me.'

And where did He bear witness concerning Him? At the Jordan, saying, 'This is My beloved Son.'

But this too required demonstration.

The witness of John, indeed, was plain;

for they themselves had sent to him, and could not deny it.

And that from the signs was likewise plain.

For they saw the things done, and heard from the one who had been healed, and believed—whence indeed they also brought their charge.

It remained, then, further to prove the matter concerning the witness of the Father.

Being about to establish it, He added:

'You have neither heard His voice at any time.'

And how is it that Moses says, 'God was speaking, and Moses answered'? And how does David say, 'He heard a tongue which he knew not'? And again Moses: 'If there is a nation such as this, which has heard the voice of God?' 'Neither have you seen His form.'

And yet both Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and many others are said to have seen Him.

What, then, is it that Christ now says? He is leading them on to a lofty doctrine, showing little by little that neither voice nor form belongs to God, but that He is higher than such shapes and utterances.

For just as, when He said, 'You have not heard His voice,' He does not mean that He does utter a voice, only one not to be heard;

so, when He said, 'You have not seen His form,' He does not mean that He does have a form, only one not to be seen;

but rather that none of these things pertains to God.

For lest they should say, 'You are boasting in vain,'

'God spoke to Moses alone' (this indeed was what they were also saying:

'We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where He is from')—

for this reason He spoke thus, showing that neither voice nor form pertains to God.

'Not only have you neither heard His voice nor seen His form, but not even in that wherein you especially glory, and wherein you are all especially assured—that you received and hold fast His commandments—not even this are you able to say.'

Wherefore, making this clear also, He added:

'Nor do you have His word abiding in you;'

that is, the ordinances, the commandments, the Law, the prophets.

'For even though God ordained these things, yet nevertheless they are not with you, since you do not believe Me.'

'For if the Scriptures declare this up and down, that one ought to believe in Me, but you do not believe—

it is quite plain that His word too has departed from you.'

'For Him whom He sent, Him you do not believe.'

Then, lest they should say, 'How then, if we ourselves did not hear His voice, did He bear witness to You?' He says:

'for it is they that bear witness concerning Me;'

showing that through these He bore witness.

For indeed both at the Jordan He bore witness, and on the mountain.

But He does not bring forward that voice into the midst.

For perhaps it would even have been disbelieved on that account.

For the one voice, that on the mountain, they had not even heard;

the other they had heard, indeed, but had not heeded.

For this reason He refers them to the Scriptures, showing that the witness of the Father also comes from thence;

having first, however, done away with the old things in which they used to boast—as though they had seen God, or heard His voice.

For since it was likely that they would disbelieve His voice, and would conjure up in fancy the things that happened on Mount Sinai, He first corrected their misconception concerning those things, and having shown that what took place there was a condescension, He then referred them to the witness of the Scriptures.

And so let us too, whenever we contend against heretics and arm ourselves, take our strength and our stand from thence.

For 'all Scripture is God-breathed,' he says, 'and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.'

Not that he should have some things and lack others; for such a one is not complete.

For such a man is not complete.

For what benefit is there, tell me, when a man prays fervently but does not give alms generously? Or when he gives alms generously, yet is grasping and does violence to others? Or when he neither grasps nor does violence, yet acts for display before men and for the applause of onlookers? Or when he gives alms with all exactness and to please God, yet is puffed up over this very thing and thinks highly of himself? Or when he is humble and attentive to fasting, yet is a lover of money and given to trafficking and nailed to the earth, and thus brings the mother of all evils into his soul? For the love of money is the root of all evils.

Let us therefore shudder at the thing, and let us flee from sin.

This has thrown the whole world into upheaval, this has confounded all things, this leads us away from that most blessed servitude of Christ.

For it is not possible, he says, to serve God and mammon.

For it enjoins the very opposite of what Christ commands.

For the one says, 'Give to those in need;'

but the other says, 'Snatch from those in need.'

Christ says, 'Give even to those who plot against you and wrong you;'

this one, on the contrary, says, 'Set snares against those who do you no wrong.'

Christ says, 'Be kind and gentle;'

this one, to the contrary, says, 'Be cruel and harsh, and reckon the tears of the poor as nothing;'

so that on that Day it may render the Judge severe toward us.

For then all our deeds will stand before our eyes, and those whom we have wronged and stripped bare will shut off from us every defense.

For if Lazarus, though wronged in nothing by the rich man and merely not partaking of what was his, stood then as a bitter accuser and allowed him to obtain no pardon;

what defense, tell me, will those obtain who, besides not showing mercy from their own resources, seize what belongs to others and overturn the houses of orphans? If those who did not feed Christ when he was hungry drew down such a fire upon their own heads,

those who plunder what in no way belongs to them, contrive countless lawsuits, and unjustly encircle everyone's possessions—what consolation will they obtain? Let us therefore cast out this passion.

And we shall cast it out if we consider those who wronged us, who took advantage of us and then departed this life.

Do not others enjoy their money and their toils, while they themselves are in punishment and torment and irremediable evils? How then is it not the utmost folly to beat ourselves and wear ourselves out, so that both while living we are strained by our toils, and after departing we endure unbearable punishments and torments—when we ought both here to live in delight (for nothing so produces pleasure as almsgiving and a cleansed conscience), and after departing thither, to be freed from all evils and to attain countless good things? For just as vice is wont, even before hell, to punish those who pursue it here;

so also virtue, even before the kingdom, prepares those who work it here to live in delight, causing them to live together with good hopes and continual pleasure.

In order, then, that we may attain this both here and in the life to come, let us lay hold of good works.

For thus we shall also obtain the crowns that are to come;

which may it be granted to us all to attain, by the grace and love toward mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.