Chapter 22.—True Children of God are True Disciples of Christ.

Finally, the Saviour Himself says, “If ye continue in my word, ye are indeed my disciples.”84    John viii. 31. Is Judas, then, to be reckoned among them, since he did not continue in His word? Are they to be reckoned among them of whom the gospel speaks in such wise, where, when the Lord had commanded His flesh to be eaten and His blood to be drunk, the Evangelist says, “These things said He in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Many, therefore, of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were murmuring at it, said to them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascending where He was before? It is the Spirit that quickeneth, but the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the believing ones, and who should betray Him; and He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man cometh unto me except it were given of my Father. From this time many of His disciples went away back from Him, and no longer walked with Him.”85    John vi. 59 ff. Are not these even in the words of the gospel called disciples? And yet they were not truly disciples, because they did not continue in His word, according to what He says: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye indeed my disciples.”86    John viii. 31. Because, therefore, they possessed not perseverance, as not being truly disciples of Christ, so they were not truly children of God even when they appeared to be so, and were so called. We, then, call men elected, and Christ’s disciples, and God’s children, because they are to be so called whom, being regenerated, we see to live piously; but they are then truly what they are called if they shall abide in that on account of which they are so called. But if they have not perseverance,—that is, if they continue not in that which they have begun to be,—they are not truly called what they are called and are not; for they are not this in the sight of Him to whom it is known what they are going to be,—that is to say, from good men, bad men.

22. Denique ipse Salvator, Si manseritis, inquit, in verbo meo, vere discipuli mei estis (Joan. VIII, 31). Numquid in his computandus est Judas, qui non mansit in verbo ejus? Numquid in his computandi sunt illi, de quibus Evangelium sic loquitur, ubi Dominus cum commendasset manducandam carnem suam et bibendum sanguinem suum, ait evangelista, Haec dixit in synagoga docens, in Capharnaum. Multi ergo audientes ex discipulis ejus dixerunt, Durus est hic sermo, quis potest eum audire? Sciens autem Jesus apud semetipsum quia murmurarent de hoc discipuli ejus, dixit eis: Hoc vos scandalizat? Si ergo videritis Filium hominis ascendentem ubi erat prius? Spiritus est qui vivificat, caro autem non prodest quidquam. Verba quae ego locutus sum vobis, spiritus et vita sunt. Sed sunt quidam ex vobis qui non credunt. Sciebat enim ab initio Jesus, qui essent credentes, et quis traditurus esset eum; et dicebat: Propterea dixi vobis, Quia nemo venit ad me, nisi fuerit ei datum a Patre meo. Ex hoc multi discipulorum ejus abierunt retro, et jam non cum illo ambulabant (Id. VI, 60-67). Numquid non et isti discipuli appellati sunt, loquente Evangelio? Et tamen non erant vere discipuli, quia non manserunt in verbo ejus, secundum id quod ait, Si manseritis in verbo meo, vere discipuli mei estis. Quia ergo non habuerunt perseverantiam, sicut non vere discipuli Christi, ita nec vere filii Dei fuerunt, etiam quando esse videbantur et ita vocabantur. Appellamus ergo nos et electos, et Christi discipulos , et Dei filios, quia sic appellandi sunt, quos regeneratos pie vivere cernimus: sed tunc vere sunt quod appellantur, si manserint in eo propter quod sic appellantur. Si autem perseverantiam non habent, id est, in eo quod coeperunt esse non manent, non vere appellantur quod appellantur et non sunt: apud eum enim hoc non sunt, cui notum est quod futuri sunt, id est, ex bonis mali.