John 12:11

went away, and believed Better, were going away and believing. It is best to leave -going away" quite indefinite: the notion of falling away from the hierarchy lies in the context but not in the word. The imperfects denote a continual process.

S. Augustine comments on the folly of the priests as if Christ could not raise Lazarus a second time! But this ignores the -also": the hierarchy meant to put bothto death. Their folly consisted in failing to see, not that He could raise Lazarus again, but that He could raise Himself (John 2:19). Note that it is the unscrupulous hierarchy, who attempt this crime. Comp. John 18:35; John 19:6; John 19:15; John 19:21.