Fragments on the Gospel of John (in the catenae) 1 Positing him as the Creator of all things, he predicates the name of the Word of him. For since, in

 but by the good pleasure of God, he willed that creation should exist. This wisdom, therefore, willed to assume a creative relation to the things that

 again overtakes the light. And that I might change the theorem to something clearer, the light is the truth but when falsehood and all deceit, that i

 but having come to him with scientific proof and articulated understanding, they believe in him and call upon him. Whence Jesus, after the great progr

 But First must be understood instead of Before. However, what he says is something like this: Jesus, being before me and prior to me, came behind

 it is accomplished by choice, then that which is from God comes to pass, and this is the giving of grace for grace from God. 12 But the law was given

 he sees by applying his own mind, just as we are said to see visible things by a glance of the eyes. But God is also seen by those to whom He judges t

 and hiding his power for proceeding toward the dispensation. Since, therefore, it is not possible for any human to show a demonstration of the manner

 a more solid body. But if this were so, the opening of the heavens would not <have> come under sight, for neither is the Holy Spirit which descended f

 he says confidently, from Nazareth is indeed the one who was found and truly he is good. To whom Philip said: “Come and see” the found Jesus, wishing

 having been cast upon it, it seemed to be thought that all things came from water〛. 30 They believed is said instead of They were confirmed. For h

 For to know certain people from their actions and words is possible even for a mere man. But Jesus, not being a mere man, but God become man, knows al

 is grieved at the loss of pleasant things, does not cling with steadfastness to the agreeable things that are present. He wants us, therefore, to be s

 saying we may signify it through the ones being ruled, declaring it either from the place † when of the earth [of him] or of the inhabited world we an

 of wild beasts, having disbelieved God, who promised them the land, thus will they be saved by gazing at the uplifted serpent because of God who comma

 that the one who has done evil should depart from evil † but look to the good and that the one who professes to rejoice in the truth should at some t

 of the only sower of good things. He is none other than Jesus, of whom you have said you baptize, who has been testified to by me, to whom you say all

 by the prophets, in the last «of the days has spoken to us, who live during the visitation

 John. He came for a witness, to bear witness «of the Light».〛 For if the prophets before John also spoke from the earth, how do they bear witness conc

 to come to a woman. 53 But perhaps someone might inquire into the reason why Jews do not associate with Samaritans, which it is possible to find in th

 it must be said, from which Jacob along with his sons was drinking spiritually, and from it were drinking also

 and being lovers of the word, they considered that it was then the time for food and supposed that perhaps just as to Daniel in Babylon by the command

 human nature is not able. But since such a discourse does not come to men bare of matter and bodily examples, for this reason Jesus spits on the groun

 For since there are differences of signs, so that, as the apostle says, both the one in the law and the lawless one, whom the lord consumes with the b

 God, being asked for things by sinners on the basis of works, does not listen. 71 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him, he sai

 of the sensible it is no longer possible to hear about the bodily... when “Jesus answered and said to her: If you knew the gift of God and who it is

 Aenon, near Salem. Aenon is interpreted as Eye of torment and Salem He who is ascending. Therefore, those who receive the second ransom are now mo

 Jesus to the one who had died. For your sakes, he says, I am glad, those of you believing from learning that he died when I was not with him, and so t

 waits at home to receive him, as one capable of his visit. And she would not have gone out of her own house, unless she had heard her sister saying: “

 outcome is uncertain. But for an allegorical interpretation, it must be said that 〚Jesus formerly walked openly among the Jews through the prophets, b

 to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance so from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from

 able to believe 〚because their eyes had been blinded by the evil one〛 it was not impossible for them to believe by approaching Jesus 〚and saying: Son

 the sun, the light that does not set and is without evening, having come to the world and through wonders both befitting God and beyond reason having

 you see that I have.”〛 And concerning how it is said to him, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing,” and concerning the name of Thomas, such things mi

 emphatic. For one who proclaims great doctrines, according to the meaning, as is fitting, utters them with a great voice. 116 And has become should

 named it from the reigning God. For indeed among us in common usage, his kingdom is sometimes signified from the one who reigns, and sometimes from th

 and the mere sight of the one envied casts no small spark into the envious.] 130 [For this reason he would have mingled with us .... and becoming for

 risen from the dead. We acknowledge him as head according to the prefiguration of his resurrection, of whom we are members in part and a body through

it is accomplished by choice, then that which is from God comes to pass, and this is the giving of grace for grace from God. 12 But the law was given through Moses, but not by him, but by God. For the law is of God, according to what is written: «The law of the Lord is perfect, converting souls». Yet even if the law is given through Moses, nevertheless «Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ», with grace, through the remission of sins, preventing the punishment from the law against sinners; and with truth surpassing the shadows and the types. But pay attention also to what will be said. Since both the law and the prophets extended until John, so that he became the end of the old scripture, after which the coming of the Savior happened, very harmoniously was it said, «He who comes after me has become before me». For since the descent of the Savior was proclaimed beforehand by the law and the prophets, He is said to have come after. But even if He did come after, nevertheless, having fulfilled the law and the prophets by revealing their divine nature, He has become before, and being shown to be the cause of all that God-breathed scripture, which extended until John the Baptist. 13 Since contemplation is twofold, both of the senses and of the intellect, the one is perceptive of bodies, the other of incorporeal things. Wherefore we also say that the things subject to the mind and contemplated by it are invisible, not because they are not seen, but because they are not by nature able to be seen. For nothing of a bodily nature is invisible, even if at some time, being outside of vision, it is not seen. For not being seen does not signify the invisible, but not being naturally disposed to it. Wherefore ‘not being seen’ and ‘invisible’ are not convertible terms. For not being seen follows from being invisible. For many bodies, although being visible, are not seen, either being covered or by not being where one happens to be. This distinction being correct, one must understand what has been said as concerning the invisible. For not even the highest powers see God, not because of their own weakness, but because of the incorporeality of God. But neither is He visible to the mind simply, but to that which has been freed from all ignorance and evil and matter. «Blessed, for He says, are the pure in heart, «for they shall see God». And by heart He means the mind. Whoever, having become pure in the aforesaid manner and perfected in virtue, approaches God in so far as is possible. These things being so, the mind that is still subject to generation, and for this reason also to time, does not see God as it ought. Wherefore he did not say simply: «No one has seen God», but with the addition of «at any time», signifying something temporal, so that what is said is of this sort: As long as «at any time» can be said, as signifying something subject [to time], the mind is engaged in the life of matter. Therefore it is not able to see God by an application of thought. And we, from the theological concepts concerning Him and from what we have, dimly understand Him as much as is possible; but God Himself, not through any such thing, but by intimacy with Himself has understanding of Himself, being Himself both the understanding and that which is understood. Wherefore only the Son knows Him, being understood by the Father and understanding the Father. 14 Suitably to His being the only-begotten God and Son of the Father, bosoms were named. For since all things concerning the Godhead are unnameable, these are declared to us, being human, through human words, the evangelist has fittingly written of intimacy with the Father to be signified by things we know: «who is in the bosom of the Father». For just as it is written concerning all those who are saved and who receive the promises of God, that they will be in the bosoms of Abraham, meaning nothing else than that he is called the father of the faithful; so also the Son of God is said to be in the bosoms of the one who begot Him. And just as faithful men are in the bosoms of the faithful Abraham, so also the Son is in the bosoms. But one must understand the bosom of the Father just as the other things spoken humanly concerning God. But if it is said concerning the prophets or patriarchs or angels that they have seen God, the divine scripture does not say things contrary to itself. For no one

προαιρετικῶς κατορθωθῇ αὐτή, τηνικαῦτα τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ παραγίνεται, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δίδοσθαι παρὰ θεοῦ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος. 12 ∆ιὰ Μωσέως δὲ ὁ νόμος ἐδόθη ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. θεοῦ γὰρ ὁ νόμος κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· «Ὁ νόμος Κυ «ρίου ἄμωμος, ἐπιστρέφων ψυχάς». πλὴν εἰ καὶ διὰ Μωσέως ὁ νόμος δίδοται, ἀλλά γε «Ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ «ἐγένετο», τῆς χάριτος δι' ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων κωλυούσης τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κόλασιν· καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ὑπερβαινούσης τὰς σκιὰς καὶ τοὺς τύπους. ἐπίστησον δὲ καὶ τοῖς λεχθησομένοις. ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται μέχρις Ἰωάννου παρείλκυσαν, ὡς αὐτὸν πέρας γεγονέναι τῆς παλαιᾶς γραφῆς, μεθ' ἣν ἡ ἐπιδημία τοῦ σωτῆρος γέγονε, πάνυ συνᾳδόντως τὸ «Ὁ ὀπίσω «μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν» εἴρηται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ προ ανεφωνεῖτο ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος κάθοδος ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προ φητῶν, ἐλθὼν ὀπίσω ἐληλυθέναι λέγεται. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ὀπίσω ἐλή λυθεν, ἀλλ' οὖν πληρώσας νόμον καὶ προφήτας τῷ τὸ ἔνθεον αὐτῶν πεφανερωκέναι ἔμπροσθεν γέγονε, καὶ δηλωθεὶς αἴτιος εἶναι πάσης ἐκείνης τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς, παρελκυσάσης ἕως τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου. 13 ∆ιττοῦ τοῦ θεωρεῖν ὄντος, αἰσθητικοῦ τε καὶ νοητικοῦ, τὸ μὲν τῶν σωμάτων τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ἐστὶν ἀντιληπτικόν. διὸ καὶ τὰ ὑποκείμενα τῷ νῷ καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τούτου θεωρούμενα ἀόρατά φαμεν, οὐ τῷ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι ἀλλὰ τῷ μὴ πεφυκέναι βλέπεσθαι. οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων ἀόρατον, κἂν ἔξω ποτὲ τυγχάνον τῆς ὄψεως μὴ ὁρᾶται. οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι σημαίνει τὸ ἀόρατον, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ πεφυκέναι πρὸς τοῦτο. διὸ οὐδὲ ἀντιστρέφει πρὸς ἑαυτὸ τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ τὸ ἀόρατον. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἀοράτῳ ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ ἀόρατον. πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων, καίτοι ὄντα ὁρατά, οὐχ ὁρᾶται, ἤτοι σκεπαζόμενα ἢ τῷ μὴ εἶναι ἔνθα ταῦτα τυγχάνει. ταύτης τῆς διαστολῆς ὀρθῶς ἐχούσης ἐκλαμβάνειν δεῖ τὸ εἰρημένον ὡς περὶ ἀοράτου. οὐδὲ γὰρ αἱ ἀνωτάτω δυνάμεις θεὸν ὁρῶσιν, οὐ διὰ τὴν σφῶν ἀσθένειαν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀσωματότητα. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νῷ ὁρατός ἐστιν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τῷ πάσης ἀγνοίας καὶ κακίας καὶ ὕλης ἀπηλλαγμένῳ. «Μακάριοι, γάρ φησιν, οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, «ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται». καρδίαν δὲ τὸν νοῦν ὀνομάζει. ὅστις καθαρὸς τῷ εἰρημένῳ τρόπῳ γεγονὼς τελειωθεὶς κατ' ἀρετὴν προσβάλλει θεῷ καθ' ὃ ἐφικτόν. τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἔτι ὑποκείμενος γενέσει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ χρόνῳ, οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὸν θεὸν ὡς δεῖ. διὸ οὐ καθάπαξ εἴρηκεν· «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν», ἀλλὰ μετὰ προσθήκης τῆς «Πώποτε», σημαινούσης χρονικόν τι, ἵν' ᾖ τὸ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον· ὅσον χρόνον τὸ «Πώποτε» δύναται λέγεσθαι, ὡς σημαῖνόν τι ὑποκείμενον, ὁ νοῦς ἐμπέπραται τῇ ἐνύλῳ ζωῇ. διὸ ἰδεῖν τὸν θεὸν οὐ δύναται κατὰ προσβολὴν νοήσεως. καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐκ τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ θεολογουμένων ἐννοιῶν καὶ ὧν ἔχομεν ἀμυδρῶς αὐτὸν νοοῦμεν ὡς οἷόν τε· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ θεὸς οὐ διά τινος τοιούτου ἀλλ' οἰκειότητι τῇ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν νόησιν ἔχει περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, αὐτὸς ὢν καὶ ἡ νόησις καὶ τὸ νοούμενον. διὸ μόνος ἐπίσταται αὐτὸν ὁ υἱὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς νοούμενος καὶ νοῶν τὸν πατέρα. 14 Καταλλήλως δὲ τῷ μονογενῆ θεὸν καὶ υἱὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι πατρὸς ὠνομάσθησαν κόλποι. ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὰ περὶ τῆς θεότητος πάντα ἀκατ ονόμαστα δηλοῦται ἡμῖν ταῦτα ἀνθρώποις οὖσι διὰ λέξεων ἀν θρωπίνων, εἰκότως ἀφ' ὧν ἴσμεν σημαίνεσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα οἰκειότητα γέγραφεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· «Ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ «πατρός». ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν σωζομένων πάντων καὶ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ θεοῦ λαμβανόντων γράφεται ὅτι γενήσονται εἰς τοὺς κόλπους τοῦ Ἀβραάμ, οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἢ ὅτι πατὴρ πιστῶν χρηματίζει· οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεοῦ υἱὸς ὢν ἐν κόλποις τοῦ γεννήσαντος λέγεται. καὶ ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι πιστοὶ ἐν κόλποις πιστοῦ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γίνονται, οὕτως καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὢν ἐν κόλποις. κόλπον δὲ πατρὸς ἀκούειν δεῖ ὡς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ λεγόμενα ἀνθρωπίνως περὶ θεοῦ. εἰ δὲ περὶ τῶν προ φητῶν ἢ πατριαρχῶν ἢ ἀγγέλων λέγεται ὡς θεὸν ἑωρακότων, οὐκ ἀντικείμενα ἑαυτῇ φησιν ἡ θεία γραφή. θεὸν γὰρ οὐδεὶς