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

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 of the union, it is fitting that the one who has more than a prophet, than whom no one is greater among those born of women, confesses not to be worthy to loose the strap of his sandal. 19 It is well also to say: "The one who takes away the sin," not "the one who took away" or "the one who is about to take away." For he is always active in the taking away of the sin of those who flee to him. We therefore establish from this that he both took away and takes away and will take away, the taking away being applied at each time. 20 And I did not know him. I, the teacher, he says, did not say these things about Christ according to nature nor according to the common understanding of men; for I did not know him, but I spoke the testimonies about him because the Holy Spirit and the Father revealed them to me. For I was sent to bear witness to the light, then receiving the beginning of the knowledge of the one being witnessed to when I was sent. But one must attempt to solve the question in another way also. It is possible for him to know in one respect but not to know in another. Therefore, even if he says concerning the Savior, "And I did not know him," he does not say things contrary to what was testified by him, but it is made clear through the expression that formerly he was ignorant, but now he knows this very one, since God revealed him to him. This is established from the things that will be said immediately. For again John himself says that he saw the Spirit descending in the form of a dove upon the Lord. "And I did not know him," he says, "but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending upon him, this is my Son.' And I have seen and have testified." If, therefore, even before the descent of the Spirit he knew him to be the Lamb and a man and the prophet and the Christ and the true light, yet he was lacking the knowledge concerning the Son of God, and that he is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, which he received when the given sign appeared. Therefore, these things being so, it must be investigated how John says he saw the Spirit; for it is not right to think that the Spirit, having an intelligible existence, is seen by the senses. With the present issue <therefore> will be examined together, since the problem is a general one, the things said in a similar way in the prophecies. For many of the prophets and, simply, of the holy men have been recorded as having beheld visions and sights that they had seen. For since also in other cases "to see" and "to behold" were divided in two ways, into both sensation and understanding, it is impossible for holy men to have seen God with the senses, and in general the Trinity or the things under it that have an intelligible existence; it remains <but> that they beheld the visions according to the intellect, not as they are in their substance, but as they are able to see through a certain analogy. Assuredly, then, since the Holy Spirit has no shape or form or, in general, appearance, he receives the conception as of a dove, and of the Holy Spirit, which is not moved transitively, he sees a descent happening upon the baptized Jesus from heaven. And that the perception of none of these things is of the senses, the following shows: "For upon whom you see," he says, "descending and remaining upon him." For it is possible to see the descent of something with the senses, when it happens to be a body. † It is not, however, by sight but also by the intellect that what has descended is seen upon him on whom it has descended; but sensation is not perceptive of things that remain, so as to confirm this vision. And by another proof it must be said that the other evangelists say that the descent of the Spirit upon the Son was seen by John, who saw the heavens also opened or rent. But it is not possible to see an opening or a rending of the heavens with the senses, since not even of the denser bodies, I mean of water and air, and let it be also of aether, if indeed it is something other than the heavens. For things that pass through continuous bodies, when they are not hard, pass through them, their opening and passage not coming from elsewhere. For the things passing through open them themselves, uniting after the passage of the things that have passed through. At any rate, it is not possible to see divisions of water without something having been inserted

καὶ κρύπτων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν πορευτικὴν δύναμιν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὐδενὶ ἀνθρώπων δυνατὸν τὸ δεῖξαι ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἑνώσεως τὸν τρόπον, εἰκότως ὁ περισσότερον προφήτου ἔχων, οὗ μηδεὶς μείζων ἐν γεννη τοῖς γυναικῶν, ὁμολογεῖ μὴ ἱκανὸς εἶναι λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑπο δήματος αὐτοῦ. 19 Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὰ φάναι· «Ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν» οὐχ «ὁ ἄρας» ἢ «μέλλων αἴρειν». ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐνεργεῖ τὸ αἴρεσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῶν προσφευγόντων αὐτῷ. παρίσταμεν οὖν ἐκ τούτου ὅτι καὶ ᾖρεν καὶ αἴρει καὶ ἀρεῖ, καθ' ἕκαστον καιρὸν ἐφαρμοττομένου τοῦ αἴρειν. 20 Κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν . Ὁ διδάσκων, φησίν, ἐγὼ οὐ κατὰ φύσιν οὐδὲ κατὰ κοινὴν ἀνθρώπων ἔννοιαν ταῦτα περὶ Χριστοῦ εἶπον· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς φανερώσαντός μοι τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίας εἶπον. ἀπε στάλην γὰρ μαρτυρῆσαι περὶ τοῦ φωτός, τότε ἀρχὴν τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ μαρτυρουμένου λαβὼν ὅτε ἀπεστάλην. ἐπιχειρητέον δὲ καὶ ἄλλως λῦσαι τὸ ζητούμενον. ἔστιν αὐτὸν κατά τι μὲν ἐπίστασθαι κατά τι δὲ μὴ εἰδέναι. κἂν λέγῃ οὖν περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος· «Κἀγὼ «οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτὸν» οὐκ ἀντικείμενα τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μαρτυρηθεῖσι λέγει, δηλοῦται δὲ διὰ τῆς λέξεως τὸ πρότερον μὲν ἀγνοεῖν, νῦν δὲ εἰδέναι αὐτὸν τοῦτον, τοῦ θεοῦ φανερώσαντος αὐτῷ. τοῦτο δὲ παρίσταται ἐκ τῶν εὐθέως λεχθησομένων. πάλιν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰωάννης τεθεᾶσθαι λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς κατελθὸν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον. «Κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, φησίν, ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με «βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν· Ἐφ' ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα «καταβαῖνον ἐπ' αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου. κἀγὼ ἑώρακα καὶ «μεμαρτύρηκα». εἰ τοίνυν καὶ πρὸ τῆς καθόδου τοῦ πνεύματος ἀμνὸν καὶ ἄνδρα καὶ τὸν προφήτην καὶ τὸν χριστὸν καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν αὐτὸν ᾔδει, ἀλλ' οὖν ἔλειπεν αὐτῷ ἡ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσις, καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐστὶν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἥντινα ἔσχεν ὀφθέντος τοῦ δοθέντος σημείου. τούτων οὖν οὕτως ἐχόντων ζητητέον πῶς λέγει τεθεᾶσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα ὁ Ἰωάννης· οὐ γὰρ θεμιτὸν νομίζειν αἰσθητῶς ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα νοητὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχον. τῷ προκειμένῳ <οὖν> συνεξετασθήσεται, καθόλου τοῦ προβλήμα τος γινομένου, τὰ ἐν ταῖς προφητείαις ὁμοιοτρόπως λεχθέντα. πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν ὀπτασίας καὶ ὁράσεις ἑωρακότες ἀνεγράφησαν τεθεωρηκέναι. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τὸ ἰδεῖν καὶ ὁρᾶν διχῶς ἐτμήθη, εἴς τε τὴν αἴσθησιν καὶ τὴν νόησιν, τὸ μὲν αἰσθητῶς ἑωρακέναι θεὸν τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας ἀδύνατόν ἐστι καὶ συνόλως τὴν τριάδα ἢ τὰ ὑπὸ ταύτην νοητὴν ὕπαρ ξιν ἔχοντα· λείπεται <δὲ> κατὰ τὴν νόησιν τεθεωρηκέναι αὐτοὺς τὰς ὀπτασίας οὐχ ὡς ἔχουσιν ὑποστάσεως, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁρᾶν δύνανται δι' ἀναλόγου τινός. ἀμέλει γοῦν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος σχῆμα ἢ μορφὴν ἢ συνόλως εἶδος οὐκ ἔχοντος, ὡς περιστερᾶς νόησιν δέχεται, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, μεταβατικῶς οὐ κινουμένου, κάθοδον βλέπει γινομένην ἐπὶ τὸν βαπτιζόμενον Ἰησοῦν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. καὶ ὅτι οὐδενὸς τούτων αἰσθητικὴ ἡ ἀντίληψις τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον δηλοῖ· «Ἐφ' ὃν γὰρ ἂν ἴδῃς, φησί, καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ' αὐτόν». κατάβασιν μὲν γάρ τινος καὶ αἰσθητικῶς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὅτε σῶμα τυγχάνει. † οὐ μὴν καὶ δι' ὄψεως ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ νοήσεως ὁρᾶται τὸ κατεληλυθὸς μὲν ἐφ' ὃν κατελήλυθεν· οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ μενόντων ἀν τιληπτικὴ ἡ αἴσθησις πρὸς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην. καὶ δι' ἑτέρας δὲ ἀποδείξεως ῥητέον ὡς οἱ ἕτεροι εὐαγγελισταὶ τὴν κατάβασιν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἑωρᾶσθαι τῷ Ἰωάννῃ λέ γουσιν, ἰδόντι καὶ ἀνοιχθέντας ἢ σχισθέντας τοὺς οὐρανούς. ἄνοιξιν δὲ ἢ σχίσιν οὐρανῶν αἰσθητικῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὁπότε οὐδὲ τῶν παχυτέρων σωμάτων, ὕδατος καὶ ἀέρος λέγω, ἔστω δὲ καὶ αἰθέρος, εἴ γε ἄλλο παρὰ τοὺς οὐρανούς ἐστι. τὰ γὰρ διερχόμενα διὰ τῶν συνεχῶν σωμάτων, ὅτε μὴ σκληρά ἐστι, διαβαίνει διὰ τούτων, οὐκ ἄλλοθεν αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀνοίξεως καὶ διόδου γινομένης. αὐτὰ γὰρ τὰ διαβαίνοντα ἀνοίγουσιν αὐτὰ ἑνούμενα μετὰ τὴν δίοδον τῶν διαβεβη κότων. διαιρέσεις γοῦν ὕδατος οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἄνευ τοῦ παρεμβεβλῆ σθαι