Commentary on John 1 part 79/94

How then did He ascend into heaven itself? How did the Father receive as sharer of His throne—while the angels lifted up for Him the gates on high—one who, according to you, acted against His own decrees and made his teaching unwelcome to the King of all? Was He taken up secretly? Was there not a great crowd, to whom the divine and heavenly angel said: 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you beheld Him going into heaven'? Then what do you say, O Jew, again? Will you not honour even the voice of an angel with obedience? Will you not accept witnesses, and those many, who beheld it? And yet the Law plainly says: 'By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.'

To Him then who returns with authority to the Father in the heavens, how could the reproach of false prophecy still fittingly be attached? And will there not rather follow at length—as by a manifest demonstration of the fact—that it is believed by us without any doubt that He is from God, plainly from the Father, and no other beside Him whom the Law itself and the prophets proclaimed to us? He says that He has come into this world, and again that He passes back out of the world to the Father, neither having been left behind by the Father when He became man, nor having left behind those upon the earth when with the flesh He departed to the Father;

for He is true God, filling all things by ineffable power, and left wanting by none of existing things.

His disciples say to Him: 'Behold, now You speak plainly, and speak no figure of speech;

now we know that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should ask You;

by this we believe that You came forth from God.'

They marvel at the demonstration as most manifest, and are astonished at the clarity of the word;

they rejoice therefore at having received a demonstration freed from all difficulty, and they say that what has been said has nothing intricate about it, but that the utterance concerning this very matter is so easy to behold that not even a slight spark of a figure seems to be present.

And besides this, they gain that other thing as well:

'Since,' he says, 'You knew what was secretly whispered, and anticipated the question which perhaps we ourselves would have put forward, asking to learn what You were just now saying, we have believed that You also came forth from God.'

'For to know,' he says, 'the things in the hidden corner and the concealed things, would belong to the God of all, and to no other.'

We shall therefore accept the 'Now we believe' not as the beginning of believing, but as the firm confirming unto the understanding already honoured by their assent.

Jesus answered them: 'Do you now believe? Behold, the hour comes, and now has come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone;

and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.'

Most gracefully again the Saviour showed that the season of firm establishment in all good things was not yet present;

and this was that which would bring to them the descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven, and the power from on high, as it is written.

For then, having bidden a pure farewell to human faint-heartedness, they were distinguished by unconquerable acts of courage, fearing neither the risings-up of the Jews, nor the unbridled wrath of the Pharisees, nor any other of the terrors, but standing forth openly at the head of the divine proclamation, and saying outright: 'We must obey God rather than men;

for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.' At the same time, therefore, He showed that they were not yet settled unto perfect faith, because they had not yet tasted of the communion of the Spirit; and, setting before them as a reproof the cowardice that was all but present, and foretelling that it was about to come to pass, He is seen to have benefited them not a little.

For they will be disposed all the more firmly and steadfastly, since they apprehend that He is God by nature, being ignorant of nothing of the things to come.

'Behold, therefore,' He says, 'the season will be present—not far off, but rather has come within the doors—when, leaving Me alone, you will depart to your own.'

And this is to say, discreetly, that when you are mastered by unmanly cowardice, you will take thought only for your own life, and, placing the love owed to your teacher behind your own salvation, you will make off to whatever places you may find.

How then do you 'now believe,' seeing you have not yet thrust off the blame of the tests concerning manliness, because you have not yet partaken of the boldness that comes through the Spirit? And that the blessed disciples turned to flight, not enduring the onset of the Jews when the betrayer was at hand, bringing with him the unholy band of soldiers and the officers of the rulers, is in no way open to dispute.

And they then left Christ alone;

but we say 'alone' only insofar as concerns the presence of none of those accustomed to follow and attend upon Him;

for He was not alone, inasmuch as He is God from God and in God, naturally and without separation;

when danger calls—I mean the danger endured for piety's sake—it is consistent not to fall away from the hope of being able to escape, even if perhaps none of the brethren of like soul with us should run alongside us, aiding as far as possible and, by their concord, all but dividing with us the danger hanging over us.

For even if they should turn to a grievous flight, and, having wrought within themselves the unbearable excess that springs from cowardice, we ought to be disposed thus: that God will not on this account be weakened.

For He alone will suffice to be able to save the one who cleaves to Him.

But we are not alone, even if no one be seen present, as I said just now, since we have as fellow-defender and helper and comrade-in-arms the God who is mighty in all things, walling us round with certain unfailing succours, according to the psalmist who says: 'O Lord, You have crowned us as with a shield of good pleasure.' And these things we now say concerning this, not as though marvelling at love of life as a fine thing, when it is possible for us gloriously to bring to an end the life in the body, campaigning and contending together with those who are in danger for God's sake;

but rather that we may all the more believe this: that even if there be none who are willing and eager to do this together with us, we ought not to despair;

for we shall not be alone, since God is present with us.

'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace;

in the world you have tribulation;

but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'

In these words, so to speak, Christ profitably recapitulates the whole discourse that had been made to them, and, gathering up in few words the force of what had been said, He has set before them a most concise knowledge of His own will.

'For I have now,' He says, 'made such words to you, exhorting you to have peace in Me, and moreover that you may plainly know that grievous things in the world shall befall you, and you shall meet with many tribulations for My sake;

yet you shall not be overcome by the terrors;

for I have overcome the world.'

But that I may make as clear to you as possible what has been said, come, let us first say what it is to have peace in Christ.

For the world—that is, the lovers of the affairs that are in the world—do at times practise peace toward one another, yet by no means in Christ.

For example, to put it thus, those who are dissolute toward the pleasures that come from the body are on this account most beloved and exceedingly agreeable to those of like manners;

he who covets money that in no way belongs to him, and is on this account a grasping man or a most thievish one, will be altogether agreeable to him who practises the same vice as himself.

For 'every living thing loves that which is like itself,' as it is written, 'and a man shall cleave to his like.' But in all these the venerable name of peace is trafficked and made a matter of merchandise;

but in the case of the saints it is not so.

For it is not sin that is the bond of peace, but faith, hope, love, and the power of godliness toward God.

And this is in Christ.

The peace that is in Christ has therefore shown itself to us as the sum of all good things, bringing in with it, as it were, a sister — love toward one another.

And Paul says that love holds the fulfilment of the whole divine law.

But that upon those who love one another there will assuredly follow also the loving of God Himself above all things, is beyond dispute, since John says that if anyone should love his brother, he will surely and altogether love God as well.

But be of good courage: I have overcome the world.

For if one should choose to understand it more simply, he will surely say: Christ has been declared both superior to and mightier than every sin and every worldly circumstance;

and since He has conquered, He will also bestow the power of conquering upon those who are tempted for His sake.

But if one should wish to understand something more profound in what has been said, he will surely ponder this:

the force of the matter is this: since He who conquered was of us, in that He appeared as man, and as we prevail over sin which has been utterly slain in Christ as its firstfruits — He plainly transmitting the good even to us as to His own kindred —

so also we ought to be of good courage, that we too shall prevail over the world;

for Christ has conquered as man for our sake, becoming in this also the beginning and the door and the way for human nature.

For we who of old were falling and being overcome have now prevailed and conquered through Him who, being of us and for our sake, conquered.

For if He conquered as God, it is nothing to us; but if as man, then we in Him have conquered.

For a second Adam has appeared to us from heaven, according to the Scriptures.

As therefore we have borne the image of the earthy, having fallen after his likeness under the yoke of sin, so shall we surely also bear the form of the heavenly, that is, of Christ, conquering the tyranny of sin and triumphing over every worldly affliction.

That one would in no way regard the Son as lacking in the glory befitting God, even though He is found saying: Father, glorify Thy Son.

These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up His eyes to heaven He said: Father, the hour has come;

glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.

Having bestowed upon the disciples in sufficient measure the provisions for salvation, and having sharpened them by fitting reasonings and words to a more exact grasp of the doctrines, and having rendered them exceedingly stout in warriors against temptations, and having well rooted a youthful vigour of mind in each, He usefully changes at once the form of His discourse and transforms it into the manner of prayer;

allowing no interval of time to pass between His converse with them and His converse with God and Father;

in this too again showing forth the things concerning Himself as a pattern of surpassing conduct for us.

For I think that one whose aim is toward godliness ought not to be ignorant that it is altogether fitting either to love to speak to the brethren of things profitable and necessary, or, if perchance he should not be doing this, to hasten to spend the use of speech upon supplications to God, so that from this no entry for idle babbling may be seen;

for thus the seemliness of the tongue would proceed according to fitting reason.

For to whom is it not exceedingly plain that in idle chatter above all the incurring of things not free from blame is very easy? And indeed a certain wise man said: Out of much speaking thou shalt not escape sin, but sparing thy lips thou shalt be prudent. And you will marvel besides at yet another thing that brings us no small profit.

For He makes the firstfruit of His prayer on behalf of His own glory and that of the Father;

and after this He interweaves and straightway brings in also that which is on our behalf.

And what is the occasion? He persuades again the man who is equitable and most God-loving, and truly fashions him into a craftsman for prayer.

For just as it is necessary for us to do good and to perform all things, not diverting our zeal for this toward our own glory, but toward that of the Father of all, I mean of God;

for He says: Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven; so also, when the occasion rouses us to prayer, it is most fitting to ask for the things that are for the glory of God before our own, just as indeed Christ Himself also says: Thus pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth;

give us this day our daily bread. This action, then, is a pattern of prayer for us.

For it was needful, indeed needful, that the leader and instructor of every good thing for us, and of the way that leads up to God, should appear as no elder, no angel, but Christ Himself.

It would be fitting to discern most sensibly.

For I think that we must, with a keen watchfulness, apply ourselves to the contemplation of what is said, and eagerly hunt out the exactness of the doctrines.

'Father,' then He says, 'the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.'

And so far as concerns the surface arrangement of the words, one might perhaps suppose that He who says such things is lacking in glory;

yet having considered the dignity of the Only-begotten, he would, I think, easily leap away from such wretched reasonings.

For it is utterly foolish to suppose that the Son is lacking in any glory and deprived of the honour befitting Him, though He is the Lord of glory;

for so the divinely inspired Scriptures call Him.

Besides, one might behold Him elsewhere saying to the Father: Father, glorify Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. Then to whom, henceforth, is it a matter of dispute; and who is so stricken in mind and so hostile to all truth as not to understand and confess that the Only-begotten is not deprived of the glory befitting God so far as concerns His own nature?

But since, being in the form and in all equality of God and the Father, He counted it not a thing to be grasped to be equal with God, but came down into our lowliness and emptied Himself, having borne this most inglorious body and, out of love, having put on the likeness of human littleness — inasmuch as the fitting time was now present and at hand, in which He must again, having fulfilled the need of the mystery, be reclothed with His ancient and essential glory, having wholly saved the inhabited world, and having saved unto life and the knowledge of God those within it, showing forth in this too the Father as one who consents and wills together with Him —

He makes His address to Him, saying that He must altogether be restored to the dignity of His own nature. And how does He ascend? Namely, in that He is shown to accomplish the works of Godhead even with the flesh, not as a minister of another's operation perchance, but as being the Wisdom and Power of God and the Father.

For we shall thus, and not otherwise, hold that He accomplishes the works of Godhead with authority.

For all things are from the Father, yet not apart from the Son.

For how could God and the Father accomplish anything befitting Him, unless His Wisdom and His Power — I mean the Son — were present with Him and jointly accomplishing the things in which the movement of operation might be conceived to consist? Therefore also the wise Evangelist, who composed the writing of this book, says in the beginning of his discourse that: All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Since, then, the doctrine of consubstantiality persuades us consistently to hold that all things are from the Father, but through the Son, wholly in the Spirit;

and having put to death death and corruption, and having taken away the tyranny of the devil, He was about to make bright all that is beneath the sun with the illuminations that come through the Spirit, and thereafter to be shown forth through this as God truly and really by nature — He necessarily says: Father, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.

And no one who has understanding will say that the Son asks glory from the Father as one man perchance from another, and that He too promises to give it as by way of exchange;

for it is exceedingly mean, or rather utterly senseless, to hold such a notion concerning God.

But showing to the Father His own glory as most necessary, in order that He may be known also as consubstantial, the Saviour has spoken these things.

For just as it will be a cause of dishonour to God and the Father not to have such a Son, sprung and begotten from Himself, as it would befit the God who is by nature God from God to be, so also, I think, it will procure Him glory and a boast to have His own Son existing in those very things in which He too is both conceived and said to exist.

Therefore the Father is glorified in the [glory of the Son].

The boast of glory will therefore pass, in an essential and natural manner, from the Father into the Son, and from the Son toward the Father.

But if one should grant, perchance, that on account of the lowliness of the incarnation the Lord here too speaks in some way as less than befits Himself;

for this too has become customary to Him;

he will in no way be lacking in fitting reasoning, yet he will not very closely touch upon the observations that come from exactness.

For if He were asking for Himself alone the glory from the Father, it would be nothing unlikely to charge the request to the measures of the humanity;

That in no manner does it wrong the glory of the Son to be said to have received something from God and the Father, the matter having a pious explanation.

As Thou hast given Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom Thou hast given Him He should give eternal life.

Christ again through these words expounds to us the manner of glory, whereby God and the Father will show forth His own Son as glorious and most illustrious, and He too will be glorified in return by His own Offspring.

And He extends the discourse and makes the contemplation transparent for our edification and profit.

For to God and the Father, who knows all things, what need is there of being taught the manner of the request? He calls, therefore, the goodwill from the Father toward us.

For since He is High Priest of our souls, in that He appeared as man — though being God by nature together with the Father — He most fittingly makes His pleadings on our behalf, persuading us to believe that even now He is a propitiation for our sins, and a righteous Advocate, according to the word of John.

Wherefore also Paul, wishing us to be disposed in this manner, writes: For we have not a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, inasmuch as He is High Priest, in that He appeared as man, and at the same time offered up Himself also as a spotless sacrifice, a ransom for the life of all, to God and the Father, as it were a certain firstfruits of humanity, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence, as Paul says;

He also presents again on the earth the race that had leaped away, having shown it clean by His own blood, and having transformed it unto newness of life through the Holy Spirit.

But since, as we have often said, all things are accomplished by the Father through the Son in the Spirit, He fashions the request for good things unto us, as mediator and high priest, though being the joint-giver and joint-bestower, together with His own Begetter, of the divine and spiritual gifts.

For Christ divides the Spirit to whomsoever He wills, according to His own will and authority.

And these things are so in these matters;

but what the form of the request means to show forth, let the discourse again examine.

'Father,' then, He says, 'glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.' How then, or in what manner, will what I have said be accomplished? 'I will,' He says, 'that just as Thou hast given Me authority over all flesh, so also everything that Thou hast given Me may have eternal life.'

For the Father glorified His own Son, having subjected all that is beneath the sun to His sceptres, and He too was glorified in return through Him.

For the Son was glorified by the Father, being believed by all to be the offspring and fruit of Him who is all-powerful and who without toil subjects all things to the yokes of His kingdom; and the Father in turn was glorified, as it were, by His own offspring.

For since the offspring was known to accomplish all things with ease, the grace of that glory passed over also to Him who begat Him.

As therefore, He says, You both glorified and were glorified, having given Him authority and lordship over all, according to the manner already stated,

so I will that nothing of what has been given may perish.

For it was necessary—yes, necessary—that what had been made wholly subject and brought under the hand of the all-powerful God the Word, having once been preserved, should also abide in unending blessings, so as no longer to be tyrannized by death, nor mastered by corruption and sins, that is, no longer to be subject to the ancient evils.

For the Lord will most fittingly say this too with reference to the form He assumed—I mean the form of abasement and the measures of humanity.

For if we blush to hear that He was called a servant for our sake, though being Lord of all things together with the Father, and that He was appointed king upon Zion, His holy mountain, though possessing the power to rule over all things in His own nature and not as something acquired—then it would follow that we should blush if He should say that He receives anything again as man.

But if in those things we marvel at the voluntary subjection, not being ignorant of the dignity that is essentially inherent in Him, why should not this too be marveled at along with those? For having all things as God, He says that He receives as man that kingship which is not essential to Him but given.

For 'What have you that you did not receive?' will befit the measures of created beings.

And Christ too is a created being, insofar as He became man, though being by nature uncreated, insofar as He has shone forth from God.

For all good things are conceived of and truly exist in God naturally and properly, but in us they are adventitious and supplied through divine grace.

When therefore, as man appointed to rule over us, He says that authority over all flesh has been given Him by the Father, one must in no way be scandalized;

for one must consider the economy.

But if it seems good to you to understand what is said in a manner more befitting God as well, consider again what the Lord once said to the Jews: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, no one can come to Me except the Father who sent Me draw him.' For whomever the Father wills to make alive, these He brings to His own offspring as to His life-giving power; and again He empowers and makes wise through Him.

But also, if He wishes again to bring any under the yoke of His own rule, He calls them to this by no other means than through the living and all-working power by which He rules over all things—I mean His own offspring.

For men, being able of themselves to accomplish nothing that is above them, borrow from God the power to prevail over others;

for 'through Him kings reign,' according to that which is written, 'and tyrants through Him hold the earth.'

But the God of all, when the race that had spurned love toward Him and had shaken off the yoke of His kingdom, receiving the power from no other, subjects all things to Himself, granting as it were by His own power the authority over them, and by it subduing whatever He may will to take.

For God and Father subjects things to the Son as to His own power;

and altogether through Him and not otherwise does everything that is willing to fall under Him through subjection come.

For just as He makes all things wise and gives them life through Him, so also He rules over all things through Him.

It is indeed to be noted that the grace of the heavenly loving-kindness was no longer confined to Israel alone, but was extended over all flesh.

For whatever comes wholly under the authority of the Savior will altogether partake also of the life and grace that come from Him.

That the Son is not excluded from being true God, even though He names the Father alone and true God.

And this is life eternal, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

He defined faith to be the mother of eternal life, and says that the power of true knowledge of God will be the cause of abiding unto the age—that is, in incorruption and blessedness and sanctification.

For some have served the creature rather than the Creator, and have dared to say to the wood, 'You are my father,' and to the stone, 'You have begotten me.' For to so great a measure of ignorance did the wretched ones slide down, that they bestowed the divine appellation simply upon materials devoid of sense-perception, and clothed with the unspeakable glory that which belongs to the Substance transcending all things.

He therefore names the Father alone and true God, setting Him over against those falsely so named, and putting forward the true God as against those wrongly called gods.

And very usefully, having said the Father is one and alone, He is also mindful of His own glory, saying, 'And Jesus Christ whom You have sent.'

For no one could otherwise obtain the perfect knowledge of the Father, unless there ran together with it, closely and conjointly, also the knowledge concerning the offspring—that is, the Son.

For as soon as one has known what the Father is, he has assuredly known also the Son.

Therefore, having called the Father one and true and God, He has not placed Himself outside.

For being in Him and from Him by nature, He too will be true, and alone in the alone;

for beside Him there will be no other true and only God.

For 'the gods of the nations are demons'; and creation too is a servant, which some—I know not how—worship, being dragged down into a reprobate and greatly passion-ridden mind.

Against the many, therefore, that in this world have been reckoned through deceit to be gods, and have obtained a spurious appellation, there stands opposed the only and true God, the Son who is in Him and from Him by nature—distinctly and yet connaturally, according to natural unity.

Distinctly, because He is conceived of as existing in His own subsistence;

for the Son is Son and not Father;

and connaturally again, because He who is from Him by nature will altogether accompany the existence of the One who begat.

For Father and Son are together, if indeed He is and is called Father for this reason, because He is conceived of as having begotten.

This therefore, He says, is life eternal, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

One of those fond of listening will say—those who have made it their earnest concern not to converse carelessly with the divine doctrines:

We say that knowledge is eternal life; but will it suffice for some merely to know Him who truly and by nature is truly God, so as to have all the security of hope, and will they need nothing else? Then how is faith without works dead? But when we say 'faith,' we signify the true knowledge concerning God and nothing else;

for knowledge comes through believing.

And the prophet Isaiah bears witness, saying to certain ones, 'For unless you believe, neither shall you understand.' And that the knowledge which consists in bare speculations is a thing altogether unprofitable, the writings of the saints declare to us; and I think one will understand this from what follows.