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

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 after me in the time of his birth according to the flesh and in the estimation and opinion of many of you, but already to those worthy to perceive him. and he has become before and even more and more, and the majesty of his divinity will be incomparably revealed to all. 13 Jo 1, 17 Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. "grace and truth," he says; for even the things of Moses, although they were a grace, yet were in types and shadow. But now grace is not in a type, but grace-itself and truth-itself, so that he rightly says: "the law was through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." 14 Jo 1, 18 Since he spoke of God the Father, God the Son, their beginninglessness, their ineffable and suprarational relationship to one another, and that in the beginning the Word was with the Father, since he let himself down to this lofty and wonderful theology, lest anyone should say: "Man, what you say is lofty and wonderful; but from where did you come to know these things? Did you see God? But no one has seen him. From where did you learn these secrets? Who was your teacher?" Therefore, lest anyone thinking such things should be conflicted in his thoughts, he himself, anticipating, says: "No one has ever seen God naked and without flesh." Then from where did you learn these things you say? "The only-begotten," he says, "of whom I spoke before, that he is God, that he is light, that he was in the beginning, that he was with the Father, that he enlightens every man, he has explained, he has taught. For we beheld him with the flesh, we saw his glory, glory as of a true only-begotten. That only-begotten, who never departs from the paternal kinship and intimacy, but is always in the bosom of the Father, he revealed these things to us, and for this reason we too preach these things with confidence. 15 Jo 2, 6-8 And to show that he is the creator of the elements and that he is the one who, whenever he wishes, changes water into blood, at other times into wine, and at other times <calls it forth> from stones, and that as the master and lord of all, all things yield to him and are more easily transmuted according to his will. 16 Jo 2, 9-11 The master of the feast calls the bridegroom, as one admiring the quality of the wine and not having recognized the sign, but thinking that he had brought that fragrant wine. for which reason he also says: "Every man serves the good wine," and so on. Thus the Lord performed the signs unostentatiously, so that when so great a miracle was performed, which could astound the whole world, he did not hasten to be shown even to those dwelling in the same house. Nevertheless, however, it was not hidden; for, it says, "his glory was manifested, and his disciples believed in him." The proof, then, of his concealing himself and not working miracles for show is that neither the master of the feast nor the bridegroom himself had recognized it; for he would have answered something, if he had noticed, to the master of the feast's complaint, but he himself also kept silent as hearing something new and marveled at the statement, but of the greatness and brilliance of the sign that, even being done in this way, it was not hidden; for it says: "This beginning of signs he did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory," not through what he showed off, but rather through what he miraculously worked unostentatiously. 17 Jo 2, 14-16 And he has done this so that he might always have a memorable deed, even in silence, to convict the Jews, that they are vainly proud of keeping the law and honoring the temple; for they made it a marketplace and a place of commerce, and showed it to be a workshop of oaths and perjury and injustice and much other absurdity; (for these are the proofs of the marketplace no less than the goods for sale). What other honor did they practice, or what other care for its decency would they have been entrusted to undertake with desire? But where there was profit, you see them having made their famous temple a marketplace and a place of commerce, and there is no concern or rebuke about this; but where it was necessary only to be haughty with empty words, avengers of the temple, zealots for the traditions of the fathers and

Jo 1, 15 Ἦν ἀεὶ πρῶτος, αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ φύσει θεὸς καὶ υἱὸς θεοῦ, ἐγὼ δὲ δοῦλος καὶ κῆρυξ αὐτοῦ. ἦν μὲν ἀεὶ οὗτος πρῶτος, ὀπίσω δέ μου ἔρχεται τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως καὶ τῇ τῶν πολλῶν ὑμῶν ὑπολήψει καὶ δόξῃ, ἤδη δὲ τοῖς ἀξίοις αὐτὸν συνιδεῖν. καὶ ἔμπροσθεν γέγονεν καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον καὶ μᾶλλον καὶ ἀσυγκρίτως πᾶσιν τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον ἀποκαλυφθήσεται τῆς θεότητος. 13 Jo 1, 17 Ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ ἸηΣοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά φησιν· καὶ γὰρ τὰ Μωυσέως, εἰ καὶ χάρις ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐν τύποις καὶ σκιᾷ. νῦν δὲ ἡ χάρις οὐκ ἐν τύπῳ, ἀλλ' αὐτόχαρις καὶ αὐτοαλήθεια, ὥστε καλῶς φησιν· ὁ μὲν νόμος διὰ Μωυσέως, ἡ χάρις δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ ἸηΣοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. 14 Jo 1, 18 Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν θεὸν τὸν πατέρα, θεὸν τὸν υἱόν, τὸ ἄναρχον αὐτῶν, τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἄφατον καὶ ὑπὲρ νοῦν σχέσιν καὶ ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὴν ὑψηλὴν καὶ θαυμασίαν ταύτην θεολογίαν ἑαυτὸν καθῆκεν, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ· ἄνθρωπε, ὑψηλὰ μὲν καὶ θαυμάσια ἃ λέγεις· ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἔσχες γνῶναι ταῦτα; εἶδες τὸν θεόν; ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς εἶδεν. πόθεν ἔμαθες τὰ ἀπόρρητα ταῦτα; τίς ὁ διδάξας; ἵνα οὖν μηδεὶς τοιαῦτα ἐννοῶν στασιάζῃ τοῖς λογισμοῖς, αὐτὸς προφθάσας φησίν· θεὸν μὲν γυμνὸν καὶ χωρὶς σαρκὸς οὐδεὶς οὐδέποτε ἑώρακεν. εἶτα σὺ δὲ πόθεν μαθὼν λέγεις ταῦτα; ὁ μονογενής, φησίν, ὃν προεῖπον, ὅτι θεός, ὅτι φῶς, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὅτι πάντα ἄνθρωπον φωτίζει, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο, ἐκεῖνος ἐδίδαξεν· ἐκεῖνον γὰρ ἐθεασάμεθα μετὰ σαρκός, ἐκείνου εἴδομεν τὴν δόξαν, δόξαν ὡς ἀληθοῦς μονογενοῦς. ἐκεῖνος ὁ μονογενής, ὁ τῆς πατρικῆς συγγενείας καὶ οἰκειότητος μηδέποτε ἀφιστάμενος, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ὢν τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἡμῖν ταῦτα ἀπεκάλυψεν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς θαρροῦντες ταῦτα κηρύσΣομεν. 15 Jo 2, 6-8 Καὶ ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν στοιχείων δημιουργὸς καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁπότε μὲν βουλόμενος εἰς αἷμα τὸ ὕδωρ μεταβάλλειν, ἄλλοτε δ' εἰς οἶνον, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἀπὸ λίθων αὐτὸ <ἐκκαλεῖν> καὶ ὅτι ὡς ἐξουσιαστῇ καὶ δεσπότῃ τοῦ παντὸς πάντα εἴκει αὐτῷ καὶ πρὸς τὸ βούλημα ῥᾷον μεταστοιχειοῦται. 16 Jo 2, 9-11 Φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος ὡς θαυμάζων τὴν καλλονὴν τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τὸ σημεῖον μὲν μὴ συνεγνωκώς, οἰόμενος δ' αὐτὸν παρενεγκεῖν τὸν ἀνθοσμίας οἶνον ἐκεῖνον. διὸ καί φησιν· πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησι καὶ ἑξῆς. οὕτως ὁ δεσπότης ἀνεπιδείκτως ἐποίει τὰ σημεῖα, ὥστε τηλικούτου θαύματος τελουμένου ἐπιπλῆξαι δυναμένου πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ οἰκίᾳ διατρίβουσιν ἐσπούδασεν ἐπιδειχθῆναι. ὅμως μέντοι οὐκ ἔλαθεν· ἐφανερώθη γάρ, φησίν, ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. τοῦ μὲν οὖν περιστέλλειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ μὴ κατ' ἐπίδειξιν τερατουργεῖν ἀπόδειξις τὸ μηδὲ τὸν ἀρχιτρίκλινον μηδ' αὐτὸν τὸν νυμφίον συνεγνωκέναι· ἀπεκρίθη γὰρ ἄν τι, εἴπερ συνεωράκει, ἐγκαλοῦντι τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς καινόν τι ἀκούων ἐσιώπα καὶ πρὸς τὸν λόγον ἐθαύμαζεν, τοῦ δὲ μεγέθους καὶ τῆς τοῦ σημείου λαμπρότητος τὸ καὶ οὕτω πραττόμενον μὴ λαθεῖν· καὶ γάρ φησιν· ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ἐποίησεν ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, οὐ δι' ὧν ἐπεδείξατο, ἀλλὰ δι' ὧν μᾶλλον ἀνεπιδείκτως ἐθαυματούργησεν. 17 Jo 2, 14-16 Τοῦτο δὲ πεποίηκεν, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους δι' ἔργου ἀξιομνημονεύτου καὶ σιγῶν ἐλέγχειν ἀεὶ ἔχῃ, ὅτι μάτην ἐπὶ τῷ νομοφυλακεῖν καὶ γεραίρειν σεμνύνονται τὸν ναόν· οἱ γὰρ ἀγορὰν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐμπορείαν ἀπεργασάμενοι καὶ ὅρκων καὶ ἐπιορκίας καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ πολλῆς ἄλλης ἀτοπίας ἐργαστήριον ἀποδείξαντες· (ταῦτα γὰρ τῆς ἀγορᾶς οὐδὲν ἧττον τῶν ὠνίων τὰ τεκμήρια). τίνα ἄλλην τιμὴν ἐπετήδευον ἢ ποίαν ἄλλην φροντίδα ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ κοσμιότητος μετὰ πόθου ἐπιστεύοντο ἂν καταβαλεῖν; ἀλλ' ἔνθα μὲν κέρδος ἦν, ὁρᾷς αὐτοὺς ἀγορὰν καὶ ἐμπορεῖον τὸν περιβόητον αὐτοῖς ναὸν ἀποδεδειγμένους καὶ οὐδεμία περὶ τούτου φροντὶς ἢ ἐπιτίμησις· ἔνθα δὲ λόγοις μόνον ἔδει Σοβαρευθῆναι διακένοις, ἐκδικηταὶ τοῦ ναοῦ, ζηλωταὶ τῶν πατρῴων καὶ