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

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 breath of his mouth, in all power, with signs and wonders of falsehood, and God through the prophets, perform them, the phrase “Such things” is said as it surpasses the things that happened through Christ by being both true and great on earth. But if someone, objecting to the statement “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” as not being soundly stated, ** while reading the deeds of Samson, should say that the things done by Samson were not even sins, such as the things concerning women, but were revelations of dispensations; for it is not added that “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” 66 But the evangelist’s person must be observed, that he says both that the blind man’s eyes were opened <and> that he had seen; that they were opened, through the phrase “Now it was the sabbath on the day he made the clay and opened his eyes”; but that he had seen, through the phrase “And he washed and came seeing.” And we will adduce the difference in the expressions from Tobit, concerning whom, since white films had formed on his eyes, it is not written that his eyes were opened, but that he saw again. And throughout the whole passage about the blind man you will observe both, some saying this and others that, and a division having occurred. And you will observe also in Isaiah prophesying about Christ’s coming that he comes to open the eyes of the blind. Next it is possible to see also how the one who answered replies to the first group and how to the second, to the first more precisely, as they were neighbors and had previously seen that he was a beggar, but to the Pharisees he neither recounted the things concerning Siloam, nor that the Savior made the clay, nor that he commanded him anything. And perhaps the healed man, seeing that the questioning of the first group partook of a love of learning, but that of the second of malevolence, so answers each. 67 In addition to having lied, they sinned in another way, involving their own son in a foreseeable evil. And I think this too has a reason, that when Christ opened the eyes of a blind man, he opened them not for a child but for one of age, so that he might see as a man. Such also were the other blind men who regained their sight. And it is true that being of age he can speak for himself, and especially when Jesus makes him see again. For he does not need another to speak on his behalf. 68 Now “You did not hear” is equivalent to “You did not accept, you did not want what was said.” And “Why then do you want to hear again?” is equivalent to “What, O you people, do you then want to hear now?” For you wish to hear in vain, if you do not believe me speaking the truth, I who invited everyone who learns what has happened to me to be his disciple, as one who has taught something more divine than any human teaching. 69 The phrase “In this is a marvelous thing” has a certain noteworthy underlying meaning. For it is marvelous if where Jesus is from is known by ordinary people; for they do not see his root and his source, the Father. 70 But if so great a dogma were true, that a sinner is not heard by God, it would not have been passed over in silence, but would have been spoken by someone worthy of belief, say for instance by the servant or one of the prophets. And how, if God did not hear a sinner, were sinners taught to say: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive our debtors”? Whom then does God hear? Those inclining towards repentance, even if they have not yet ceased to be sinners. If God did not hear sinners, our Savior would not have eaten with tax collectors and sinners and

drunk. But if those needing physicians on account of being sick were not heard, 〚he would not have healed them.〛 Therefore, since the prayer of those who have sinned but who are not yet altogether unbelieving is effective, it is said “If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” But perhaps he is not speaking about any random thing in the prayer of the sinner, but about such great works, as were the works of Jesus. For concerning such things

ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σημείων διαφοραί εἰσιν, ὥστε ποιεῖν, καθ' ἅ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ τὸν ἐν νόμῳ καὶ τὸν ἄνομον, ὃν ὁ κύριος ἀναλοῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει, σημείοις καὶ τέρασι ψεύδους, καὶ τὸν θεὸν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, τῷ «Τὰ «τοιαῦτα» εἴρηται ὡς ὑπερβαίνει τὰ διὰ Χριστοῦ γενόμενα τῷ καὶ ἀληθῆ εἶναι καὶ μεγάλα ἐπὶ γῆς. εἰ δέ τις ὡς οὐχ ὑγιῶς λεγομένῳ τῷ «Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖν;» ** ἀναγινώσκων τὰς τοῦ Σαμψὼν πράξεις ἐρεῖ μηδὲ ἁμαρτήματα εἶναι τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαμψὼν γενόμενα, οἷον τὰ περὶ γυναῖκας, ἀλλ' οἰκο νομίας δηλουμένας· οὐ γὰρ πρόσκειται τὸ «Ἐποίησε τὸ πονηρὸν «ἐνώπιον Κυρίου». 66 Παρατηρητέον δὲ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ ὅτι φησὶ καὶ ἀνεῷχθαι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ <καὶ> βεβλεφέναι αὐτόν· ἀνεῴχθαι μὲν διὰ τοῦ «Ἦν δὲ σάββατον ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ τὸν πηλὸν «ἐποίησε καὶ ἤνοιξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς»· βεβλεφέναι δὲ διὰ τοῦ «Καὶ ἐνίψατο καὶ ἦλθε βλέπων». τῶν δὲ λεγομένων τὴν διαφορὰν παραθησόμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ Τωβήθ, περὶ οὗ, ἐπείπερ λευκώματα ἐγεγόνει ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἀναγέγραφεν ὅτι ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐνέβλεψε. δι' ὅλου δὲ τοῦ περὶ τοῦ τυφλοῦ τόπου τηρήσεις ἀμφότερα, τῶν μὲν τοῦτο λεγόντων τῶν δὲ ἐκεῖνο, καὶ σχίσματος γενομένου. τηρήσεις δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαίᾳ προφη τεύοντι περὶ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ὅτι ἔρχεται ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν ἀνοῖξαι. ἑξῆς δὲ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ τὸν ἀποκρινάμενον πῶς μὲν τοῖς προτέροις πῶς δὲ τοῖς δευτέροις ἀποκρίνεται, τοῖς μὲν προτέροις ἀκριβέστερον, ὡς γείτοσι καὶ θεωροῦσιν αὐτὸν τὸ πρότερον ὅτι προσαίτης ἦν, τοῖς δὲ Φαρισαίοις οὔτε τὰ περὶ τοῦ Σιλωὰμ διη γήσατο, οὔθ' ὅτι ὁ σωτὴρ τὸν πηλὸν ἐποίησεν, οὔθ' ὅτι προσέ ταξέ τι αὐτῷ. καὶ τάχα ὁρῶν ὁ θεραπευθεὶς τῶν μὲν προτέρων ἐχομένην τὴν πεῦσιν φιλομαθίας, τῶν δὲ δευτέρων κακοηθείας, οὕτως ἑκατέροις ἀποκρίνεται. 67 Πρὸς τῷ διεψεῦσθαι καὶ ἄλλο ἥμαρτον εἰς προὖπτον κακὸν περιβάλλοντες ἑαυτῶν τὸν υἱόν. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λόγον ἔχειν, ὅτι τυφλοῦ ἀνοίγων ὁ χριστὸς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς οὐ παιδίου ἀνέῳξεν ἀλλ' ἡλικίαν ἔχοντος, ἵνα βλέπῃ ὡς ἀνήρ. τοιοῦτοι δὲ ἦσαν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀναβλέψαντες τυφλοί. ἀληθὲς δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἡλικίαν ἔχων αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λαλῆσαι δύναται, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸν ἀναβλέψαι ποιεῖ. οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖται οὗτος ἑτέρου πρεσβεύοντος ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ. 68 Νῦν τὸ μὲν «Οὐκ ἠκούσατε» ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ «Οὐ παρεδέξασθε, οὐκ ἠθελήσατε τὸ λεγόμενον». τὸ δὲ «Τί οὖν πάλιν θέλετε ἀκούειν;» ἰσοδυναμεῖ τῷ «Τί δέ, ὦ οὗτοι, ἄρα νῦν ἀκούειν θέλετε;» μάτην γὰρ θέλετε ἀκούειν, εἰ μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι ἀληθεύοντι, προσκαλεσα μένῳ πάντα τὸν μανθάνοντα τὸ ἐμοὶ συμβεβηκὸς ἐπὶ τὸ μαθη τευθῆναι αὐτῷ, ὡς θειότερον πάσης διδασκαλίας ἀνθρωπίνης δι δάξαντι. 69 Ἔχεταί τινος ἀξιολόγου ὑπονοίας τὸ «Ἐν τούτῳ θαυμαστόν «ἐστι». θαυμαστὸν γάρ ἐστιν εἰ Ἰησοῦς πόθεν ἐστὶν ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων γινώσκεται· οὐ γὰρ ὁρῶσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ῥίζαν καὶ τὴν πη γήν, τὸν πατέρα. 70 Οὐκ ἂν δὲ τηλικοῦτο δόγμα τι εἰ ἦν ἀληθές, τὸ μὴ ἀκούεσθαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀποσεσιώπητο, ἀλλ' εἴρητο ἂν ὑπό τινος ἀξίου πιστεύεσθαι, φέρε εἰπεῖν ἢ τοῦ θεράποντος ἤ τινος τῶν προφητῶν. πῶς δέ, εἰ ἁμαρτωλὸν οὐκ ἤκουσεν ὁ θεός, ἐδι δάσκοντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ λέγειν· «Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν, «ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν»; τίνων οὖν ἀκούει θεός; τῶν νευόντων εἰς μετάνοιαν, κἂν μήπω ἐπαύσαντο τοῦ εἶναι ἁμαρτωλοί. εἰ μὴ ἤκουεν ὁ θεὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν, οὐκ ἂν μετὰ τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἤσθιεν καὶ

ἔπινεν. ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐπα κουομένων τῶν διὰ τὸ κακῶς ἔχειν χρῃζόντων ἰατρῶν, 〚οὐκ ἂν ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς.〛 διόπερ ὡς ἀνυούσης τῆς εὐχῆς τῶν ἡμαρτη κότων μὲν οὐ πάντως δὲ ἀπιστούντων ἔτι λέγεται τὸ «Ἐὰν ἀνομίας «παρατηρήσῃς, Κύριε, Κύριε τίς ὑποστήσεται;» ἴσως δὲ οὐ περὶ οὗ ἔτυχεν ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν τηλικούτων ἔργων φησίν, ὁποῖα ἦν τὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἔργα. περὶ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων