On John (frag.) 1 part 3/5

for God's foreknowledge is unerring, not compelling the impious to unbelief, but only foreseeing and knowing their coming disobedience that springs from their own choice.

It was not God himself who blinded or hardened them, but he permitted them to go further in what they willed to do, since their preceding lawlessness made them worthy of hardening, as did their present unbelief.

Isaiah, then, prophetically seeing what would be, foretold it to them, ascribing the cause of the hardening; and the evangelist says that it was impossible for what was foreknown by God not to come to pass;

for God's foreknowledge is unerring, yet it does not compel the impious to disbelieve, but only foreseeing the unbelief that would be, the prophecy came to be.

For being hardened by unbelief, they no longer paid heed even to the greatness of the signs.

Concerning this, then, the prophet foretold.

From what the evangelist says, Isaiah saw the Son.

Just as, indeed, Nicodemus too, although he seemed genuinely disposed concerning the Lord's affairs, at first was eager to escape the notice of the rulers and came to him by night, hiding himself out of fear and, as it were, like one stealing in the night, came to him; and he confessed indeed that he believed, yet for the time did not dare to speak openly, lest he should be put out of the synagogue—so also these.

For though they seemed to accept him in their mind and to believe, they could in no way endure to speak openly.

Wherefore, not daring, they could derive no benefit from this;

for the assent of faith, unless it also takes on the open confession of the word, is by itself unable to perfect anyone.

[...] to offer the assent.

And Nicodemus, by the fact that he came to him by night, signified that he did this out of fear—believing indeed, yet not daring to come to him openly, lest he should be put out of the synagogue and lose the glory of men, for the sake of which they also fell from the hope laid up with God;

for one must not only believe in the mind, but also confess this openly.

He directs the disposition of those who believe, through faith in himself, toward the Father;

for "by those things in which one honors me," he says, "one honors the one who sent me."

And being the image of God, he truthfully said, "He who beholds me beholds the Father."

For having come into the world as light, he bestowed on us the illumination of knowledge and did not leave us in the darkness of unbelief.

For the aim of his present coming was not in order to judge, but in order to save those who believe.

But if some did not believe nor were saved, let them ascribe it to themselves, as those who were unwilling to be saved and were not persuaded by him who came to save.

And that he might not give them an occasion for unbelief, he refers to the Father the cause of unbelief in himself—they being condemned at the time of his second coming without any defense;

for the word of his humility will judge them.

He names the Father and says that he was sent from him and speaks his words, that he might shame them into being persuaded at least thus by his words.

And since the commandment from the Father causes those who keep it to enjoy eternal life, he called it itself "life."

And having said, "What things I have said, the Father also speaks," he shames not only the Jews but also the Sabellians;

for he intimates to us two persons: that of the one who commands and that of the one who received the commandment.

And in many places he names "the hour" as the feast of the Passover, in which he had to fulfill the dispensation of the Passion and, having offered himself as a ransom on our behalf, to pass from this world to the Father—not making the passage locally, as God;

for neither the Father nor the Son is in a place—for these are properties of bodies—but according to the dispensation which he carried out for our sake.

In many places he calls the feast of the Passover "the hour," in which, having suffered and risen, he ascended to the Father.

Having loved his own, he showed forth toward them every kind of love: in that he became man, in that he gave them the dignity of adoption as sons, in that he did and said all things that were profitable, in that he was slain on their behalf, and then in that he did not disdain to minister to the disciples.

Wherefore each one must be on guard;

for behold, into what an evil the devil caused Judas to come, that he betrayed his own teacher and God to death.

And the evangelist, having said that the Son had all things under his hand and yet with his own hands washed the disciples' feet, shows that, having washed the disciples' feet, he assumed the utmost of humility.

And knowing that not long after he was about to ascend to the Father into the heavens, he was not ashamed to do this in the role of a servant.

Peter forbade him as out of reverent caution.

And it is likely that for this reason Jesus washed their feet: through the touch fitting their feet for the preparation of the gospel, imparting to them an ineffable power.

But Peter, being ignorant of this, forbade him, seeing his own Master clothing himself in so servile and lowly a guise.

Jesus stops his mouth by means of a threat.

Just as at first he seemed to refuse out of humility, so now, having heard this, out of excess of reverence he asks that both his hands and his head be washed.

He testified to Peter and the others a cleanness, since they had been sanctified through the regeneration of the word.

He said this wishing to teach them the meaning of what had been done and leading them to imitate his humility.

"I have given you an example," furnishing an example of perfect humility not only by word but also by deed.

For that it is not possible for you, being servants and my apostles, to be greater than the Master who sent you is clear, since the servant, so long as he is a servant, stands far inferior to the lord, and the one sent, so long as he holds the rank of one sent, can in no way be of equal honor with the one who sent him.

That they may not be ashamed to do what the Lord has done, he both calls this a blessedness and exhorts them to the deed, which is the goal of all teaching.

For he himself knew who were worthy or not of his promise, and yet he bore with the traitor, that the Scripture might be fulfilled;

for the betrayal came to pass according to the traitor's own choice, while the Scripture, having long ago proclaimed this, was now fulfilled through the deed of the betrayal.

But if indeed someone should say, "Why did he allow him to become a traitor?"—it must be said that it is God's custom to allow man to act as he wills, since he has given him free will;

for so too he did in the case of Adam, and likewise in the case of Saul, and he did not force him to the better, but allowed him to do in himself what he willed.

And this one too, then, he allowed, so that the one might be punished, while the other disciples might be crowned as those who had accomplished virtue by their own choice.

The betrayal and the plot against the Lord came to pass according to the Iscariot's own choice, while the Scripture, having prophesied the deed of the betrayal long before, was being fulfilled through its outcome.

And the one disciple's voluntary lawlessness establishes the freedom of soul of the other apostles, who were brought to godliness not by necessity but accomplished their manner of life by choice.

He foretold these things, that no one might say that he was betrayed in ignorance of Judas's intent, but that all might believe that he clearly knew what was to come.

For those who genuinely receive the one sent show their ready obedience toward the one who sent him, and it reaches to the one who sent the one sent.

Such a prediction was necessary, being spoken for the security of the hearers;

for if it had happened that he was betrayed by Judas without having foretold anything, someone might have suspected that he underwent the plot through ignorance of that man's wickedness.

But having foretold what would happen and clearly instructed beforehand concerning this, he both turned aside the suspicion of ignorance and exposed the wickedness of the traitor.

Being indignant at the traitor's lawlessness, he was troubled.

They were perplexed, reasoning who it might be that was about to dare this against the Lord.

Out of the boldness of love, John asked Jesus who it was;

for each one was greatly distressed, both for himself and for his neighbor, and Jesus showed him by means of a token.

The giving of the bread became a reproof of his impiety, but not the cause of his apostasy.

When therefore, having been exposed, he was not changed but persisted in his own wickedness, then Satan entered into him, making him a servant of his own wickedness.

As to one now a manifest enemy, the Savior urges the traitor on to do what seemed good to him.

Having become evident to all, he immediately went out in that very night, wishing to do his own will.

The Son, by putting death to death through the Passion, was glorified; and the Father, by raising him from the dead, was glorified in him.

Through the Son, then, the Father was glorified, since the Son made manifest among men the name of the Father; and he himself in turn was glorified by way of dispensation, being so addressed;

for not long after he was about to be delivered up to the Passion.

For after he was taken up into the heavens, they longed to be with him and were not yet able to be there.

[This is] the nature of this commandment, since it requires each one to love his neighbor more than himself.

Being unable to bear being separated from him even for a little while, he said this.

Then Christ says that he could neither follow him into Hades for the present, because of cowardice, nor at once ascend together with him into heaven after the resurrection;

for the world had need of them for the sake of the gospel teaching.

Nevertheless he promises a certain manner by which, he says, they would later be borne up into the heavens.

Since it was exceedingly grievous to Peter to be separated from the Teacher even for a little while (for he was ardent), he promised not only to die with him but even to die for him.

Knowing as God Peter's weakness, he says the opposite to him, and experience showed which one spoke truly.

He shows that no one is a perfect believer except the one who believes in the Father and the Son.

Since the gloomy things that had been said were enough to trouble them, for this reason he said this, all but saying that the brief denial would be at once wiped away by the repentance and confession that would come to Peter immediately.

Since the manner of life of men seems to be varied and manifold—for the life of men is not one, nor is the conduct of all single and alike, but one is better or lesser than another, surpassing and falling short according to the practice of righteousness—it was fitting that not one, but many dwellings were prepared for the saints, so that, each receiving his abode in the kingdom of Christ according to the worth of the things he has lived out, the righteousness of the Lord might be made manifest.

Since righteousness according to virtue is varied, fittingly he speaks also of varied honors given to them, that the righteousness of God might be made manifest.

And he says these things, promising them the ascent from earth into the heavens.

And he confirms it through what follows;

for after the resurrection, having ascended into heaven, he came again to them, appearing to them at various times, so that, according to the promise, he might lead them up to himself into the kingdom of the heavens.

To the one who was ignorant and sought to learn the way, he shows that he himself is the one who leads up from earth to heaven and will bring the worthy to the Father.

And he calls himself truth on account of the unerring nature of his promises, and life on account of his giving to all the eternal life as a fountain.

And he says that through himself the saints will come to the Father, since through faith in the Son one recognizes the Father.

For through the Son the saints will also receive the knowledge of the Father.

And he says that they then came to know him, when through the teaching they learned the truth concerning him.

Supposing the Father to be something other beside the Son, he said this.

For the eye, in seeing, does not need much time for the sight of the one it meets, but he who wishes to know intellectually needs no little time and much careful consideration for the comprehension of the incorporeal.

It was fitting, then, surely, that Philip too, having beheld the Lord's mighty works over much past time, should already be in a state of comprehension and have clearly come to know the Godhead of the Lord.

Having therefore taught beforehand that he seeks the knowledge of the soul, he consequently appended concerning sight that it could no longer be suspected of seeking bodily sight when he said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father."

From which it is established that he was speaking of intellectual sight.

He does not say this, that he himself was the Father, but that through the image it is possible to behold the archetype with the mind;

for the Son had the whole substance of the Father in himself, not able to be seen with the bodily eye, but by the knowledge of contemplation, as far as is attainable.

For sight through the eyes occurs in a short time, but the knowledge of invisible things in a long interval.

Since therefore there is need of intellectual knowledge in order that one may know my substance, he who knows me knows also the Father;

for not even the Jews, having beheld me with the eye as a man, thereby already saw the Father through me;

it is therefore clear that he is speaking of intellectual sight.

For how is it permissible to suppose that one who is in another and has another in himself is alone? The Son, then, being substantially contained by the Father, no less also himself has the Father in himself.

Not as one of the saints did the Son have the Father indwelling, but as life by nature he had in himself the life that is by nature, and again he had him wholly about himself.

Wherefore both what he spoke and what he did—inasmuch as the whole Father was in him—he himself spoke and worked the things which the Son did.

As being of one substance with the Father, he has the Father in himself and is contained by him.

These words do not lie at all in what follows.

And Theodore of Thrace interprets them thus, saying:

the Son is not related to the Father as we are in Christ;

for we are in Christ in these respects—not insofar as we make heavens or earth or the other things which he makes and made upon earth, but insofar as we imitate his forbearance, his gentleness, his lovingness, and the like—not being of one substance with him;

for how should those who have come into being from him be? But this Son is in the Father as one doing all things, as many as the Father does.

Since he is of one substance and nature with him, and is wholly in the Father naturally, and has the whole of him in himself, in nothing diminished, except only in that he subsists in his own distinct hypostasis;

for he is Son and not Father.

The apostles also performed greater signs than those which Jesus did while on earth, in which their very shadow worked healings; and [the difference is] that Christ worked wonders only for the benefit of men, whereas they also worked them for punishment, as when Ananias perished, and when Paul delivered the Corinthian over to punishment.

Through these things was shown the power of Christ, that he had not only the beneficent but also the punitive power, yet he deferred the avenging power to the fitting time.

Nevertheless, even from the fact that Jesus worked most of his wonders in Judea alone, while they worked them in the whole inhabited world—with Christ invisibly present with them and operating—they again seemed to have done greater things.

And he says he goes to the Father as one about to be taken up, when also he at once promises to give them their requests, that the Father might be glorified through the Son, who gives such operation to the disciples.

For besides the other powers which the apostles performed, they also healed people by means of the shadow.

And not only in this was the greater shown, but most of all in that—while he used the power of the Godhead only for benefaction—the disciples operated for both purposes through the authority given them, both for the benefit of believers and for the punishment of those who were exceedingly wicked; and for both purposes they displayed the surpassing greatness of the Teacher's power, who was able to punish the impious more greatly, yet held back and reserved for the time his punitive power until the suitable time of judgment.

I think it just to inquire also of those from Phrygia, whether the apostles loved the Lord and kept his commandments, just as he said to them:

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

And if they should dare foolishly to say that the apostles did not love nor keep his commandments, their impiety will be refuted on the very spot, since all men know accurately that the Lord's disciples showed their genuine love toward the Teacher not only by their works and the rest of their conduct, but indeed even by their own blood in martyrdom;

for what love could be greater than this, on account of which, counting death as nothing, they readily gave up their own souls for the Master?

Since they loved him and kept his commandments, how is it not consequent for them to confess that he too at once fulfilled the promise which he pledged to them, having asked the Father and sent them another Paraclete?

For if, while they not only loved but even chose to die for him, he himself did not send them the Paraclete as he promised—according to the Phrygian impiety—he will be found false in his promises;

but if, being truth, he sent them the Holy Spirit, those who imagine in vain are deluded who assert that the Paraclete was sent through Montanus and Priscilla some two hundred and thirty years after the apostolic grace had come to be.

From the fact that the apostles did all the wills of God and died for him, it is clear that they kept his commandments.

Therefore they were deemed worthy also of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at once; and the heresy of those who follow the Phrygian are convicted of falsehood, saying that after 230 years the Paraclete was sent through Montanus and Priscilla and Maximilla.

And from the fact that he says he asks the Father to send another Paraclete, he clearly establishes the three persons of the one Trinity;

for no one says that someone asks himself and sends himself, which is what those who confound the hypostases assert.

He here calls "world" the worldly men who believe nothing to exist beyond the things that are seen.

Wherefore they could not receive the Spirit of truth, which is by nature incorporeal and unable to be beheld by them.

But as though they had already been baptized in the Holy Spirit and had within themselves the sanctification, he said, "He abides with you and shall be in you";

for having received the gift through baptism, they were also about to receive the gift through the Paraclete not long after.

For he never left them bereft of his own providence, seeing that even after the resurrection he was found with them very many times.

For after the resurrection he was about to appear to the disciples alone, giving to the faithful a pledge of the everlasting life to come.

Then, he says, having beheld my glory, you are about to be fully assured, when we shall all be united by the bond of love, each hypostasis remaining within its own bounds.

The token of love toward Christ is the keeping of his commandments.

Judas wished that, as a friend, he might deem the whole world worthy of such a good as the vision of God in him.

That one wished, on account of the love for mankind present in him, that not only the disciples but, together with them, if it were possible, the whole world should have the benefit from the manifestation;

but the Lord, wishing to show that it is not for all to be deemed worthy of such things, establishes by his answer that only those who keep his commandments are shown worthy both of his manifestation and of the Father's love.

But he who does not believe nor keep his words stands altogether estranged from his love.

And by saying that the word of the teaching is not his own but belongs to the Father who sent him, he clearly indicated also from this the distinction of the persons.

By what he says, he signifies that not all are deemed worthy of the things spoken, but those who keep his commandments, which he delivered by teaching through himself.

And he promises the indwelling in the faithful, speaking in the plural, "We will come," in order to do away with the heresy of Sabellius, which says that the Father and the Son are one.

He who disbelieves his words is estranged from his love.

And by ascribing the whole of the teaching to the Father, he establishes the distinct subsistence of the hypostases, through what he says of the one who sent and the one who was sent.

It was possible for those who came into being at any later time to be taught by the Paraclete; but for those who had not previously learned from the Lord to be reminded by him is utterly impossible.

Such a promise is fitting for those who are reminded by the Paraclete—those things being said a second time of which they had already learned;

for he is reminded, not who learns now for the first time, but who hears a second time those things which he had already previously learned.

It is therefore impossible that these things were spoken concerning Montanus and Priscilla and Maximilla, who neither saw the Lord nor heard anything from him, so that, having heard, they might seem to be reminded.

No one can come to remembrance except of the things he has already heard, which is what the Spirit promises to do.

How, then, is it possible to say that Montanus and Priscilla, who neither saw Christ nor heard anything from him, first received the Spirit? For of what could the Spirit remind them, of which they had heard nothing at all? "My peace I give to you."

This peace joins to the Father those who come to be in possession of it, and works in the saints one single mind.

And it not only joins all in common to one another, but also makes each one individually in harmony with himself;

for since, I think, human nature, by the plotting of the adversary, was formerly divided against itself and received as it were a civil war within itself—the evil one having stirred up the worse against the better and set the flesh as a rampart against the spirit—it had need of the peace from the Lord, so that the soul, recovering the flesh as docile again and the body as obedient, might be able to be delivered from the civil strife.

Having made them at peace with the Father, he firmly trains them to keep this.

And by what he adds, he shows that there is a certain special peace, the one from him, which compared with the peace of the world is firm and true and leads believers into one concord and one mind.

And not only does the peace from divine grace persuade us to be at peace with those outside, but also with ourselves;

for nature, having from the beginning been thrown into turmoil against itself by the devil, made war upon itself; but the Lord's peace makes the flesh obedient to the soul, by which the civil wars are lulled to rest.

It was fitting, then, if they had perfect love, not to disregard the things exceedingly profitable, but to rejoice if indeed he was separated from them;

but since, he says, you exceedingly thirst for my bodily presence, yet at least, because you have heard that I go to the Father, you ought to rejoice.

And he calls the Father greater by way of dispensation, since they did not yet have the fitting opinion concerning him—not even the disciples, having been previously instructed from the Law to worship one God and Father alone.

Having been separated from them for a little time, that of the Passion, and being about to appear to them after the resurrection, he fulfilled the promise concerning this.

By experience the Lord confirmed his own truthfulness.

Since the one plotting against him was near, the time no longer permitted him to speak more.

And he calls the devil "ruler of the world," as having ruled the world for a little while through deceit, by God's permission against God.

But he found nothing in him, since Christ sinned in nothing, neither in word nor in deed.

Nevertheless he says: "On account of obedience to the Father I endure those things which sinners endure, that I may become a ransom for the world according to the commandments of the Father."

Hastening to the Passion, he urged them to go thither, where Judas, having come, was about to betray him.

He named himself "vine" as having in himself and from himself the branches, that is, the faithful, whom in due season he says yield their fruits by the diligent care of the Spirit.

He here calls "pruning" of the rational branches the continual care of divine providence, through which both in the contests and in the rest of the godly conduct they are cleansed.

Since, he says, an upright life and faith cleanse, and you have followed my commandments, therefore you are clean, having been tested in tribulations like gold in a furnace.

Becoming estranged from it by his own choice.

From these things it is clear that each one by his own choice remains in the vine and departs from it.

Wherefore he does not draw by compulsion, but exhorts by way of free choice.

He, then, who is not in him, but by his own wickedness has cut himself off, remains for the rest fruitless, like the branch that has been cut off.

The Lord calls himself "vine" and the disciples "branches," teaching that they cannot accomplish anything approved without partaking of the sap that comes from the root.

And just as the approved branch, through its own virtue, bears fruit, being nourished from the root, so the idle one is cut off and, as no longer able to bear fruit, is delivered to the fire.

By what he promises to give, he shows that the way of godliness will not be without profit for the saints.

For in the disciples' bearing much fruit he says the Father is glorified;

for the fruit of the disciples is understood in various ways, sometimes being taken of the works of righteousness in their conduct, sometimes of the nations coming to the knowledge of God through their apostolic grace and teaching—both being accomplished by the disciples unto the glory of God.

By adding "as I have loved you," he signified the special character of gospel love and the increase of the commandment and its newness—namely, to love one's friends more than oneself.

Inasmuch as, on account of their progress in virtue, having surpassed the measure of servants, he names them friends.

Wherefore he says: "As loving you sincerely, I have hidden from you nothing of what was owed [to be told]."

By grace you have been called to the dignity of apostleship and have been appointed teachers of the whole inhabited world, that, as in a harvest, you might bear to the Master much fruit through the multitude of those who believe.

And in many places the evangelists likened those who obey the angelic word to the fruit-bearing of grain, just as now also he says this to the disciples;

for neither could they otherwise attain the goal and bear this fruit of fruitfulness in faith, unless the Father himself gave to them the heavenly gifts when they asked, and furnished the wondrous powers in the name of the Only-Begotten.

For by grace they were called to the dignity of apostleship, that, being shown forth as teachers of the inhabited world, they might bear much fruit to the Lord through the multitude of the faithful—which they were able to do by asking the Father in the name of the Son to strengthen them.

Knowing that they were about to be hated by all, he charges them to have love toward one another, that through this they might stand firm against Jews and Greeks, against whom too the gospel proclamation was directed for their overthrow.

Wishing to lead them to like-mindedness, he laid upon them the unbreakable bond of the security that comes from love, so that, fortified by such concord through their disposition toward one another, they might be able to withstand the hatred of the world;