Commentaries on John (in catenae) 1 Jo 1, 1 In the beginning was the Word, without beginning, he says, according to time, and the Word was with God, a

 time, the impassible, that from such a father, this is of the same substance. The Father was God with whom the Son was, and the Word who was with the

 by an artistic work, as providing in that which is provided for. 9 Jo 1, 11 How did he who is always everywhere and present in the world come to his o

 Jo 1, 15 He was always first, for he is by nature God and Son of God, but I am his slave and herald. This one was indeed always first, but he comes af

 gestures of honor and great words, or rather where there is a profit of a little money, the temple or the law is nothing but where there is the great

 and little by little she progressed, so that she not only confessed [him as] Messiah and Christ, but also preached to the city and her homeland and in

 for the Father judges no one, would have given the suspicion that he himself abdicated his authority. But for this reason he places the gave, so t

 according to human opinion and judgment, his testimony is not true. Therefore the Lord also, indicating this in response to their opinion, said: 'If I

 to be instructed and to be benefited. 42 Jo 6, 6 Or testing is said instead of exercising him, stirring up his thoughts and leading him toward the

 leading us up to the teaching of the Father, you send us back again to yourself, if indeed you have seen and you are about to unfold the Father’s teac

 Declaring the multitude and magnitude of the gifts, he calls them rivers. Therefore, no one, neither of the ancient prophets nor of the disciples then

 of cities, in which he also had relatives, he did not rise up for the destruction of the angels he saw typically and iconically as they were proceedin

 For that one, he says, was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. And who else, he says, is s

 the clay was used for another reason than what has been said, in order to demonstrate very clearly that He Himself also formed Adam from clay. Moreove

 something humble and human about him, so that the weak hearer may not fall away or the evildoer find an occasion for wickedness, he runs back again to

 He said to the disciples concerning the Greeks who wanted to see him: that the hour has come, that the Son of Man might be glorified. 74 Jo 12, 27 To

 I did not expect that anyone would ever come to such madness and ingratitude and foulness, so as to repay his benefactor with murder and betrayal afte

 but the Jews, ending their life, were sent away to death and punishment. Therefore He says: And where I go, you cannot come. But to them He speaks thu

 you sought to see with bodily eyes, but looking at the flesh, which I willingly took up on your behalf, you have seen nothing lofty nor worthy of my d

 the discourses already being about to cease. 90 Jo 15, 9-11 I have spoken these things to you which things are these? that as the Father has loved me

 A tribunal had its beginning in that city in which the audacious act of murder was also committed. And the refutation came not through words, but thro

 to the Son. And this the blessed Paul also proclaimed, saying: according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages with this glory t

 in the Father, that is, consubstantial. Why then did He not say, 'as You, Father, are to Me and I to You,' but with the preposition? Most of all, He a

 take and kill? He said, take and judge. But were they not prepared for the murder of the Master, and were they not intoxicated with rage and envy, so

 he was about to show, leading them again through this to a higher estimation. 114 Jo 21, 17 Since he asked him a third time, making the question equal

by an artistic work, as providing in that which is provided for. 9 Jo 1, 11 How did he who is always everywhere and present in the world come to his own? As having appeared in the flesh, as having lived bodily with us and been truly known as a man. And the world is his own as a work and creation and as governed and provided for by him, and now even more so as more beloved, because he deigned to become man for its sake, that is, for the sake of the man in it. 10 Jo 1, 12 He gave them authority and so forth. What then? Did those before the coming of Christ who lived by the law not have the authority to become children of God? Not so much, not by a long shot. Hear Paul saying: "but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died." "And the law entered." "And somehow the trespass also increased," he says. "And I did not know sin, except the law had said: 'You shall not covet.'" "For apart from the law sin is dead," so that the law was a teacher of virtue and a deterrent from evil, but it did not give grace and help for fulfilling the commandments, so that they did not have such great authority, except that which comes from free will, to become children of God. On the contrary, then, the law even hindered by circumstance; "for sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness," he says. And again, that salvation through the law was by works alone, but now, while works are needed, the whole thing is of grace; for freely through baptism we are adopted as sons and we become children of God by merely willing it, so that our authority to become children of God is unspeakable and great. But under the law it was not so, but "the man who does them, he alone will live by them." But now everyone who wishes has received all authority to become children of God. However, after becoming so, one must not shame the father nor dishonor the one who adopted us freely and as a gift and not, as the law does, through works, but one must also contribute something in thanksgiving for so great a benefit: a pure and blameless life, and this when the practice is not even difficult, since grace assists and supports us in the greatest things and in the working of the virtues. So that in two ways the authority to be called and to become children of God was lavished upon us: both by being adopted freely and as a gift and not by works, but by merely wishing it, and by finding <power> from grace after the adoption and for the very working of the virtues. But those under the law were neither deemed worthy of any gift or adoption without works, nor did they enjoy any alliance or cooperation from the law in the works themselves. On the contrary, then, they found sin from that source even more revived and attacking them more violently, so that they had been allotted only the authority that comes from free will, and no other besides this. But we have this one freed and the one from grace many times greater and higher than this one, so that wisely and reasonably he says, "He gave them authority to become children of God." But if, having received such great authority to be sons of God, we still serve the passions, what defense will be left for us, or rather, what punishment will not deservedly be brought upon those who have established themselves in such laziness and neglect, so as to choose to be called slaves of passions instead of being children of God. 11 Jo 1, 12-14 And how is it possible, he says, for men to become children of God? Do not be amazed, he says; for the Word himself for this very reason deigned to become flesh and dwelt among us, so that he, having become man through the economy, might make us sons of God by grace and love for mankind. He became flesh, so that he was not seen in appearance, but truly became flesh and dwelt among us, so that he was not turned into flesh and became one nature, but having truly become flesh he preserved both that which he became and that which he was before, both the unchangeable nature and the property. And we beheld the glory. Of whom? Of him, of that one, he says, not of them; for he is one and the same according to the hypostasis, even if the difference of the natures is not done away with. 12

φιλοτεχνήματι, ὡς προνοῶν ἐν τῷ προνοουμένῳ. 9 Jo 1, 11 Πῶς ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ὁ ἀεὶ πανταχοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ παρών; ὡς ἐπιφανεὶς σαρκί, ὡς σὺν ἡμῖν σωματικῶς συνδιαιτηθεὶς καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἀληθῶς ἐπιγνωσθείς. ἴδιος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ κόσμος ὡς ποίημα καὶ δημιούργημα καὶ ὡς διακυβερνώμενος καὶ προνοούμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἔτι δὲ νῦν καὶ ὡς μᾶλλον ἀγαπηθείς, ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενέσθαι δι' αὐτὸν ἤτοι διὰ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπον κατηξίωσεν. 10 Jo 1, 12 Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. τί οὖν οἱ πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας οἱ τῷ νόμῳ ζήσαντες οὐκ εἶχον ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι; οὐ μὲν οὖν τοσαύτην οὐδὲ πολλοῦ δεῖ. ἄκουΣον Παύλου λέγοντος· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον. καὶ νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν. καί τι καὶ ἐπλεόνασεν τὸ ἁμάρτημα, φησίν. καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν, εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν· οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις. καὶ χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά, ὥστε ὁ νόμος διδάσκαλος μὲν ἦν ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας ἀποτροπή, οὐ μὴν δὲ ἐδίδου χάριν καὶ συνεργίαν εἰς τὸ πληρῶσαι τὰς ἐντολάς, ὥστε οὐδὲ ἐξουσίαν εἶχον τοσαύτην πλὴν ὅΣον τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου γενέσθαι τέκνα θεοῦ. τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν ἐκ περιστάσεως καὶ ἐνεπόδιζεν ὁ νόμος· ἀφορμὴν γὰρ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, φησίν. καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι καὶ ἐξ ἔργων μόνων ἦν ἡ διὰ νόμου σωτηρία, νῦν δὲ δεῖ μὲν καὶ ἔργων, τὸ δὲ ὅλον χάριτός ἐστιν· δωρεὰν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος υἱοθετούμεθα καὶ τέκνα θεοῦ ἐκ μόνου τοῦ θελῆσαι γινόμεθα, ὥστε ἄφατος ἡμῖν καὶ πολλὴ ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ γενέσθαι τέκνα θεοῦ. ἐν δὲ τῷ νόμῳ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος μόνος ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς. νῦν δὲ πᾶς ὁ βουλόμενος πᾶσαν ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν γενέσθαι τέκνα θεοῦ. μετὰ μέντοι τὸ γενέσθαι οὐ δεῖ καταισχύνειν τὸν πατέρα οὐδὲ ἀτιμάζειν τὸν προῖκα καὶ δωρεὰν καὶ οὐχ ὡς ὁ νόμος δι' ἔργων υἱοποιησάμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτόν τι δεῖ συνεισενεγκεῖν εἰς εὐχαριστίαν τῆς τηλικαύτης εὐεργεσίας βίον καθαρὸν καὶ ἀνεπίληπτον καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ χαλεποῦ ὄντος τοῦ ἐπιτηδεύματος, ἅτε τῆς χάριτος τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐργασίᾳ συνεφαπτομένης καὶ συνεπισχούσης. ὥστε διχῶς ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ τέκνα θεοῦ κληθῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι ἐπεδαψιλεύθη ἔκ τε τοῦ προῖκα καὶ δωρεὰν καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων υἱοθετεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐκ μόνου τοῦ βούλεσθαι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μετὰ τὴν υἱοθεσίαν καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐργασίαν παρὰ τῆς χάριτος <δύναμιν> ἐφευρίσκειν. οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ οὔτε χωρὶς ἔργων τινὸς δωρεᾶς ἢ υἱοθεσίας ἠξιοῦντο οὔτε ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἔργοις συμμαχίας τινὸς ἢ συνεργασίας ἀπέλαυον τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου. τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκεῖθεν ηὕρισκον μᾶλλον ἀνεζωοποιημένην καὶ σφοδρότερον αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιθεμένην, ὥστε τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου μόνην ἐκεῖνοι διεκεκλήρωντο ἐξουσίαν, ἄλλην δὲ παρὰ ταύτην οὐδεμίαν. ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἔχομεν ἠλευθερωμένην καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος πολλαπλασίονα καὶ ὑψηλοτέραν ταύτης, ὥστε Σοφῶς ἅμα καὶ εὐλόγως φησὶν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι. εἰ δὲ τοσαύτην ἐξουσίαν εἰληφότες υἱοὶ θεοῦ εἶναι, ἔτι τοῖς πάθεσιν δουλεύομεν, τίς ἡμῖν ἀπολογία ὑπολείψεται, μᾶλλον δέ, τίς κόλασις οὐκ ἀξία ἐπενεχθήσεται τοῖς εἰς τοσαύτην ἑαυτοὺς ῥᾳθυμίαν καὶ ἀμέλειαν καταστήσασιν, ὥστε ἀντὶ τοῦ τέκνα θεοῦ εἶναι δούλους ἑλέσθαι χρηματίζειν παθῶν. 11 Jo 1, 12-14 Καὶ πῶς ἔνι γενέσθαι, φησίν, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τέκνα θεοῦ; μὴ θαυμάσῃς φησίν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ λόγος δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο σὰρξ γενέσθαι κατηξίωσε καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἵνα ἐκεῖνος γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος δι' οἰκονομίαν ἡμᾶς υἱοὺς θεοῦ ποιήσῃ χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ. σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ὥστε οὐκ ἐν φαντασίᾳ ὤφθη, ἀλλ' ἀληθῶς γέγονεν σὰρξ καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ὥστε οὐκ εἰς σάρκα ἐτράπη καὶ μία γέγονεν φύσις, ἀλλὰ σὰρξ ἀληθῶς γεγονὼς ἐφύλαξεν καὶ τοῦ γεγονότος καὶ τοῦ πρὶν γέγονεν καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἄτρεπτον καὶ τὸ ἰδίωμα. καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν. τίνος; αὐτοῦ, ἐκείνου φησίν, οὐκ αὐτῶν· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ αὐτὸς κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν, εἰ καὶ ἡ τῶν φύσεων διαφορὰ οὐκ ἀναιρεῖται. 12