THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO JOHN. T HIS is the title in the Greek and Latin codices. In the Syriac it is as follows, _The Holy Gospel, the Preaching of Jouchanon_ (John), _which he spake and preached in Ionic_ (Greek) _at Ephesus._ The Arabic has, _The Gospel of the holy and gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_ Was made_ : not that the Word was changed into flesh, or flesh into the Word, for, as S. Chrysostom says, "far from that immortal nature is transmutation." For how could flesh become God, that is, how could the creature become the Creator? Neither does it mean that _the Word was made flesh_, that... [ Continue Reading ]
_John bears witness_, &c. He proves what he had said concerning the Word Incarnate, and that He was full of grace and truth, by the irrefragable testimony of John the Baptist. For him the Jews accounted as a prophet and divine. It is as if he said, "Not only have we seen Jesus Christ full of grace a... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the law was given by Moses_, &c. He gives the reason why through Christ we have received _grace for grace_. It is because Moses, who was the Jews' greatest prophet and lawgiver, could only give a law which taught and commanded the precepts of God, but could not bestow grace to keep those comman... [ Continue Reading ]
_No man hath seen God_, &c. He gives the reason why neither Moses, nor any one else, but Christ alone, hath taught us the perfect truth concerning God and Divine things _because_ He alone hath seen God. It is as though he said, those things of which thus far I have been speaking, concerning God and... [ Continue Reading ]
_And this is the witness of John_, &c. John the Baptist often bare witness to Jesus, that He was the Messias, or the Christ, both before and after His baptism. John the Evangelist therefore, omitting in this place the testimony which the Baptist bore to Jesus before His baptism, which had been relat... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he confessed_, &c. That is, publicly, plainly, and fully that he was not the Christ. For when the Hebrews wished very strongly to assert anything, they doubled the affirmative, and trebled the negative. Observe the great humility of S. John: how firmly he refused the name of Christ when it was... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they asked him_, &c. When John denied that he was the Christ, the messengers asked him if he were Elias. For him God took away, that he might be the forerunner of Christ. And of him they were then in expectation, according to the words of Malachi (Mal 4:5), "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophe... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am the Voice_, &c. (Isa 40:3), where I have expounded the meaning. Listen to what the Fathers say about it. "I am a servant, and prepare paths, your hearts, for the Lord," says Theophylact. "I come, he says, to say that He is at the doors who is expected, that you may be prepared to go whithersoe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they that were sent_, &c. John adds this, to suggest the occasion why they examined John the Baptist concerning baptism. These messengers who were sent to John were Pharisees, and therefore were well versed in the Scriptures. Consequently they knew that Messiah would baptize for the remission o... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they asked him_, &c. "These Pharisees," says S. Cyril, in their arrogancy insult John, as though they said, Neither Elias, nor Eliseus, nor any of the other prophets dared to take upon themselves the office of baptizing. With what face then, or boldness, dost thou, who art not a prophet, arroga... [ Continue Reading ]
_John answered them_, &c. As though he had said, "God hath sent me to baptize with water, that I might stir you up to repentance and tears, so as to fit you for Christ's baptism. For He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, for the remission of sins," as the remaining three Evangelists declare. The... [ Continue Reading ]
_He it is who, coming after me_, &c. After me Christ shall come to baptize you, that by His baptism He may perfect mine, and may wash and justify them that are penitent. As S. Cyril paraphrases, "I in preparation wash with water those who are polluted with sins as a beginning of repentance, and by t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I knew Him not_, &c. As though he said, "Think not, 0 ye Jews, that I affirm Jesus to be the Messiah for the sake of friendship, or relationship, as though I were His friend and companion; for I declare unto you that _I knew Him not_, that I never saw Him, or spoke to Him, before His baptism. B... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I knew Him not,_ &c _With water._ Nonnus, "in the laver without fire and the Holy Ghost." A second time S. John declares that he knew not Jesus was the Christ by sight and converse, but by revelation from God, that no one might dare to dispute his testimony. So S. Cyril. Note the expression _a... [ Continue Reading ]
_The next day_, &c. The Evangelist says that John bare witness to Jesus in three consecutive days that He was the Christ. He did this to make his witness the more sure and solid. The first testimony that he gave was judicial, when he was asked by the messengers of the Jews. This was in the first day... [ Continue Reading ]
_And seeing Jesus as he walked,_ &c. As though he said, "Behold Christ like a spotless Lamb, destined for a victim, that He may be offered to God upon the cross, for the sins of the whole world." When John spoke thus it was as though he said to his disciples, "Why do you follow me? follow Him who is... [ Continue Reading ]
_And two of his disciples_, &c. S. Chrysostom says, "There were indeed others of S. John's disciples, but they not only did not follow Christ, but were jealous of John's, their master's, honour, and preferred him to Christ, as is plain from John 3:26. _Two_ : one of those was Andrew, as appears from... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jesus turning,_ &c. _What seek ye?_ It is the voice not of one who is ignorant, but of one who invites, and deals gently with their bashfulness. As S. Cyril says, "He asks what they sought, not as ignorant, for He knew all things as God, but that His question might afford the beginning of conversat... [ Continue Reading ]
_He said unto them, Come and see_, &c. _The tenth hour, i.e._, four o'clock in the afternoon, or about two hours before sunset. S. John adds these words, to show both the zeal of Christ, who though night was nigh, would not put them off to the following day, but entered immediately upon the things p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now one of the two_, &c. John inserts this to show in what way Peter, who was to be the prince of the Apostles, and the head of the whole Church, was led to Christ. It was because Andrew, being glad at finding and hearing Christ, brought his own brother Peter, for whom he had a singular love, to Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_He first findeth_, &c.... _the Christ_, that is, _the Anointed_, not indued with corporeal anointing, but with spiritual grace, both that of the Hypostatic Union, as well as that grace which was habitual and specially excellent. This last was the grace by which as man He was created by God, and, as... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he brought him to Jesus._ "It is probable," says S. Chrysostom, "that Andrew related many other things calculated to persuade. The other disciple was also present to confirm what he said. But Andrew, since it was not his office, and because he was not sufficient to tell of so great a light, bri... [ Continue Reading ]
_On the morrow_, &c. That out of Galilee He might call untutored fishermen, to create them His Apostles, and the preachers of His Gospel, lest the Christian faith should be supposed to be the work of man, not of God. For the Apostles were Galileans. For the Galileans were poor and ignoble in compari... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now Philip was of Bethsaida, _... [ Continue Reading ]