Commentary on John, Book 19
Apparent clash: “You know me” and “You know neither me nor my Father”§1
1If the same hearers were addressed both by “You know me, and you know where I am from” and by “You know neither me nor my Father”, the saying would look like a flat contradiction.
As it is, “You know me” is reported to certain Jerusalemites, while “You know neither me” is spoken to the Pharisees. The letter sharpens the knot: “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.”
Greek · §1
Εἰ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοὺς ὁ λόγος ἦν ὁ λέγων· Κἀμὲ οἴδατε καὶ πόθεν εἰμί, καὶ ὁ φάσκων· Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μου, ἀντικρὺς ἂν ἔδοξεν ἐναντίον εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον.
νυνὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν Κἀμὲ οἴδατε πρός τινας τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν ἀπαγγέλλεται, τὸ δὲ Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους. προσεπιτείνει δὲ τὴν ἀπορίαν καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ· Πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει.
Sometimes as man, sometimes as divine nature one with the Father§2
2Reply: the Savior sometimes speaks of himself as a man, and sometimes as of a more divine nature united with the Father’s unbegotten nature.
“You know me and know where I am from” concerns his humanity; “You know neither me nor my Father” concerns his deity.
Greek · §2
Λεκτέον δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι ὁ σωτὴρ ὁτὲ μὲν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ὡς περὶ ἀνθρώπου διαλέγεται, ὁτὲ δὲ ὡς περὶ θειοτέρας φύσεως καὶ ἡνωμένης τῇ ἀγενήτῳ τοῦ πατρὸς φύσει.
τὸ μὲν Κἀμὲ οἴδατε καὶ οἴδατε πόθεν εἰμί περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἑαυτοῦ διαλέγεται· τὸ δὲ Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μου περὶ τῆς θεότητος.
Heterodox misuse: not the demiurge’s Father?§3
3One must know that the heterodox think this passage clearly proves that the God whom the Jews worshiped is not Christ’s Father.
They say so because they have not read the divine Scriptures or watched their idiom. Even Eli’s sons “did not know the Lord” — through wickedness, not because they missed some other god.
Greek · §3
Χρὴ μέντοι γε εἰδέναι ὅτι οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι νομίζουσιν σαφῶς ἐντεῦθεν παρίστασθαι τὸ μὴ τὸν θεόν, ᾧ ἐλάτρευον Ἰουδαῖοι, πατέρα εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
ταῦτα δὲ λέγουσιν ἅτε μὴ ἀνεγνωκότες τὰς θείας γραφάς, μηδὲ τὴν συνήθειαν τῆς ἐν αὐταῖς λέξεως τετηρηκότες· καὶ γὰρ οἱ υἱοὶ Ἠλεὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὸν κύριον διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν, οὐχ ὅτι ἄλλον τινὰ θεὸν ἠγνόουν.
Knowing God is not the same as bare believing§4
4So much to show that being known of God is other than being merely believed on.
Knowing added to believing differs greatly: to one is given a word of wisdom, to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit.
Greek · §4
Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ παραστῆσαι ἕτερον εἶναι τὸ γινώσκεσθαι τὸν θεὸν τοῦ πιστεύεσθαι.
πολὺ δὲ διαφέρει τὸ πρὸς τῷ πιστεύειν ἐγνωκέναι· καὶ ἄλλῳ μὲν δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι.
To know is to be united; Adam ‘knew’ Eve only after joining§5
5See whether Scripture also calls those blended and united to something “knowing” that with which they were mixed. Before such union, even if they grasp words about it, they do not know it.
Adam saying “This at last is bone of my bones” did not yet “know” the woman; when he clung to her, “Adam knew Eve his wife.” And “he who clings to the Lord is one spirit.”
Greek · §5
Ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ καὶ ἄλλως ἡ γραφὴ τοὺς ἀνακεκραμένους τινὶ καὶ ἑνωθέντας γινώσκειν ἐκεῖνό φησιν ᾧ ἀνεράθησαν· πρὸ δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης ἑνώσεως κἂν τοὺς λόγους καταλαμβάνωσιν περί τινος, οὐ γινώσκουσιν ἐκεῖνο.
ὁ γοῦν Ἀδὰμ λέγων· Τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου οὐκ ᾔδει τὴν γυναῖκα· ὅτε δὲ αὐτῇ ἐκολλήθη, τότε· Ἔγνω δὲ Ἀδὰμ Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν.
Can one know God and not know the Father? Same Creator is Christ’s Father§6
6Next ask whether someone can know God and not know the Father. If “Father” and “God” are different aspects, perhaps one may know him as God without knowing him as Father.
Yet we have clearly learned that the Creator and God of the prophets, Father of Christ, is also God and Father of us — as Paul writes concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh.
Greek · §6
Μετὰ ταῦτα ζητήσεις εἰ ἔστιν γινώσκοντά τινα τὸν θεὸν μὴ γινώσκειν τὸν πατέρα· εἰ γὰρ ἑτέρα αὐτοῦ ἐπίνοιά ἐστιν καθὸ πατήρ, καὶ ἑτέρα καθὸ θεός, τάχα ἔστιν τινὰ γινώσκειν μὲν τὸν θεόν, μὴ γινώσκειν δὲ τὸν πατέρα.
σαφῶς δὲ μεμαθήκαμεν ὅτι ὁ δημιουργὸς καὶ θεὸς τῶν προφητῶν καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεός τε καὶ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν, ὡς καὶ Παῦλος· περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα.
Pharisees lacked both knowledge and faith toward Father and Christ§7
7So the Pharisees not only lacked knowledge of the lawgiver — neither as Father nor as God, the Father of Christ — they did not even believe him.
Nor did they know the Christ; the Savior rightly convicts them: “You know neither me nor my Father.”
Greek · §7
Φαρισαῖοι τοίνυν οὐ μόνον γνῶσιν οὐκ εἶχον, οὔτε καθὸ πατὴρ οὔτε καθὸ θεός, τοῦ δεδωκότος τὸν νόμον πατρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἐπίστευον αὐτῷ.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ᾔδεισαν, καὶ καλῶς ἐλέγχει αὐτοὺς ὁ σωτήρ· Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μου.
From knowledge of the Son one ascends to the Father§8
8I ask whether “If you knew me, you would know my Father also” is equivalent to the converse, “If you knew my Father, you would know me,” or not.
I think they are not equivalent. One ascends from knowledge of the Son to knowledge of the Father: “Whoever has seen me has seen the one who sent me.” It is impossible to behold God except by way of the Word.
Greek · §8
Ζητῶ πότερον ἴσον δύναται τῷ Εἰ ἐμὲ ᾔδειτε καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου ἂν ᾔδειτε τὸ Εἰ τὸν πατέρα μου ᾔδειτε καὶ ἐμὲ ἂν ᾔδειτε, ἢ οὔ.
ἡγοῦμαι μὴ ἴσον ταῦτα δύνασθαι· ἀναβαίνειν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ πατρός· Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν πέμψαντά με· ἀμήχανον δὲ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου θεωρῆσαι τὸν θεόν.
These words spoken in the treasury; offerings as intelligible gift§9
9These words he spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple; and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
Since the common good is helped in two ways — by words and by the deeds the righteous do — those deeds too are well referred to the intelligible treasury.
Greek · §9
Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ διδάσκων ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπίασεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὔπω ἐληλύθει ἡ ὥρα αὐτοῦ.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔστιν ὠφεληθῆναι τὸ κοινὸν διχῶς, ἀπό τε λόγων καὶ ἀπὸ πράξεων ὧν ὁ δίκαιος πράττει, καλῶς καὶ αὐταὶ ἀναφέρονται εἰς τὸ νοητὸν γαζοφυλάκιον.
The poor widow’s two mites; God looks on the heart§10
10But Jesus, according to Luke, looking up at the rich casting their gifts into the treasury, also sees the poor widow casting in two mites.
Calling the disciples, he teaches them to look not as a human looks but as God looks: a human looks on the face, but God looks on the heart.
Greek · §10
Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ μὲν τὸν Λουκᾶν, ἀναβλέπων εἰς τοὺς βάλλοντας εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον πλουσίους τὰ δῶρα αὐτῶν, ὁρᾷ καὶ τὴν πενιχρὰν χήραν βάλλουσαν λεπτὰ δύο.
προσκαλούμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς διδάσκει βλέπειν οὐχ ὡς ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ὄψεται ὁ θεός· ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ὄψεται εἰς πρόσωπον, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ὄψεται εἰς καρδίαν.
Why John notes the treasury setting§11
11These words he spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple; and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
If there were nothing useful to learn from the Savior’s having spoken the foregoing in the treasury, the evangelist would not have added that note.
Greek · §11
Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ διδάσκων ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπίασεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὔπω ἐληλύθει ἡ ὥρα αὐτοῦ.
Εἰ μή τι χρήσιμον ἦν μαθεῖν ἐκ τοῦ τὰ προειρημένα ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος λελαλῆσθαι ἐν τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ, οὐκ ἂν προσέθηκεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής.
Temple treasury as intelligible place of God’s coin§12
12If we elevate the temple to the spiritual Word, then accordingly we should understand the treasury in the temple as a place of coins offered for God’s honor.
And what would the coins be but the divine words, stamped with the image of the great King, tested by approved bankers?
Greek · §12
Εἰ τὸ ἱερὸν ἀνάγομεν εἰς τὸν πνευματικὸν λόγον, τούτῳ ἀκολούθως καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ γαζοφυλάκιον κατανοήσωμεν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν τόπος νομισμάτων εἰς τιμὴν θεοῦ προσφερομένων.
Τὰ δὲ νομίσματα τίνα ἂν εἴη ἢ οἱ θεῖοι λόγοι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως ἐντετυπωμένην ἔχοντες, ὑπὸ δοκίμων τραπεζιτῶν θεωρούμενοι;
Casting into the treasury according to each one’s power§13
13So let each contribute to the church’s building, bringing to the intelligible treasury what he can for God’s honor and the common benefit.
Since the householder gave five talents to one, two to another, and one to another, he accepts gifts not by quantity alone but by the givers’ power.
Greek · §13
Ἕκαστος δὴ συνεισφερέτω εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας φέρων ἐπὶ τὸ νοητὸν γαζοφυλάκιον ἃ δύναται εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὠφέλειαν τοῦ κοινοῦ.
Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδωκεν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης τῷ μὲν πέντε τάλαντα τῷ δὲ δύο τῷ δὲ ἕν, ἀποδέχεται οὐ τῇ ποσότητι μόνῃ ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τῶν βαλλόντων.
Whole-power mites preferred to surplus wealth§14
14He accepts those who with their whole power have done the lesser things more than those who brought more from a capacity able to bear many times as much.
So Jesus looked up at the rich casting gifts and, seeing the poor widow casting two mites, said she cast more than all.
Greek · §14
Ἀποδέχεται τοὺς ὅλῃ δυνάμει τὰ ἐλάττονα πεποιηκότας παρὰ τοὺς πλείονα συνεισενεγκόντας ἐκ δυνάμεως πολλαπλασίονα φέρειν δυναμένης.
Ἀνέβλεψεν οὖν εἰς τοὺς βάλλοντας πλουσίους ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν πενιχρὰν χήραν λεπτὰ βάλλουσαν δύο εἶπεν πλεῖον πάντων ἔβαλεν.
I am going away; you will seek me§15
15Jesus said again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin; where I am going you cannot come.”
Ask how unbelievers seek him, and how those who do not come where the Word goes die in their sin.
Greek · §15
Εἶπεν οὖν πάλιν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐγὼ ὑπάγω καὶ ζητήσετέ με, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε· ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν.
Ζητητέον πῶς οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες ζητοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ πῶς ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθνήσκουσιν οἱ μὴ ἐρχόμενοι ὅπου ὑπάγει ὁ λόγος.
You are from below; I am from above§16
16And he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”
“From below” and “from above” signify not place alone but choice and way of life.
Greek · §16
Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ, ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί· ὑμεῖς ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστέ, ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου.
Οὐ τὸν τόπον μόνον ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν σημαίνει τὸ ἐκ τῶν κάτω καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἶναι.
Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins§17
17They said, “Who are you?” Jesus said, “What I have told you from the beginning. For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
The “I am” is uttered in a God-befitting way, leading up to “I am the one who is.”
Greek · §17
Εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Σὺ τίς εἶ; εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅ τι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν. ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀποθανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν.
Τὸ Ἐγώ εἰμι θεοπρεπῶς ἐκφωνεῖται, ἀνάγον εἰς τὸ ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν.
When you have lifted up the Son of Man§18
18Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing of myself.”
The lifting up signifies the cross; then they will know through the signs after the passion.
Greek · §18
Εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ποιῶ οὐδέν.
Ἡ ὕψωσις δηλοῖ τὸν σταυρόν· τότε γνώσονται διὰ τῶν μετὰ τὸ πάθος σημείων.
If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples§19
19Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will free you.”
Remaining in the word and knowing the truth differs greatly from bare believing.
Greek · §19
Ἔλεγεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους· Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε, καὶ γνώσεσθε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς.
Πολὺ διαφέρει τὸ πρὸς τῷ πιστεύειν μεῖναι ἐν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ γνῶναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
Slave of sin versus son who remains forever§20
20They answered, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been enslaved to anyone.” He answered, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin; the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.”
It is not enough to be of Abraham’s seed according to flesh unless one does Abraham’s works.
Greek · §20
Ἀπεκρίθησαν· Σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ ἐσμεν καὶ οὐδενὶ δεδουλεύκαμεν πώποτε. ἀπεκρίθη· Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ὁ δὲ δοῦλος οὐ μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὁ υἱὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ εἶναι ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ σαρκικῶς, εἰ μὴ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ποιῇ τις.
If God were your Father you would love me§21
21Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here.”
Love of the world cannot coexist with love of God: if anyone loves the world, the Father’s love is not in him.
Greek · §21
Εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Εἰ ὁ θεὸς πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἦν, ἠγαπᾶτε ἂν ἐμέ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω.
Οὐ συνυπάρχειν δύναται ἡ πρὸς τὸν κόσμον ἀγάπη τῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ.
Why you do not hear: you are not of God§22
22“Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do your father’s desires.”
Greek · §22
Διὰ τί τὴν λαλιὰν τὴν ἐμὴν οὐ γινώσκετε; ὅτι οὐ δύνασθε ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν. ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν.
Ὁ ὢν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀκούει· διὰ τοῦτο ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἀκούετε, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἐστέ.
Close of Book 19; promise of the twentieth tome§23
23Let these things stand written in the nineteenth tome as far as the present lemma.
As we dictate the twentieth tome on the Gospel according to John, God granting, we will examine what follows.
Greek · §23
Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς τὸν ἐννεακαιδέκατον τόμον ἀναγεγράφθω μέχρι τῆς προκειμένης λέξεως.
Εἰκοστὸν δὲ ὑπαγορεύοντες εἰς τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγέλιον τόμον, θεοῦ διδόντος, τὰ ἑξῆς ἐξετάσομεν.