John Chrysostom, On John

they came to another question; but they would have been indignant, as if he had answered discordantly, and not to the question, and they would have said: For did we suspect this? For did we come to ask this? But as if caught and found red-handed, 59.104 they come to another point, and say: What then? Are you Elijah? And he says, I am not. For they were expecting him to come, just as Christ also says. For when the disciples asked, How then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? He himself said, Elijah indeed comes, and will restore all things. Then they ask, Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No. And yet he was a prophet. For what reason then does he deny it? Again, looking to the intention of those who were asking. For they were expecting a certain extraordinary prophet to come, because Moses said: The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet from your brothers, like me; you shall listen to him. And this was Christ. For this reason they do not say, Are you a prophet? alluding to one of the many; but with the article, Are you the Prophet? that one, it means, who was fore-proclaimed by Moses. For this reason he denied it, not that he was a prophet, but that he was that Prophet. Therefore they said to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? Do you see how they press on more vehemently and urge and ask again, and do not desist; but how he with gentleness first removes the suspicions which were not, and then puts forward the one that is? For I, he says, am a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said. For since he uttered something great and lofty about Christ, in relation to their suspicion, he immediately took refuge in the Prophet, making his word trustworthy from this also. And those who were sent were from the Pharisees, it says; and they asked him, and said to him, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? Do you see how I was not speaking in vain, that they wanted to bring him to this point? And from the beginning they did not say it, so that they might not be found out by all. Then since he said, I am not the Christ, they, wishing to obscure what they were devising within, come to Elijah and the prophet. But when he said that he was none of them either, being at a loss at last, and casting off the mask, with bare head they show their deceitful mind, saying, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ? Then again, wishing to obscure it, they add the others, I mean Elijah and the prophet. For since they were not strong enough to trip him up by flattery, they expected to be able to compel him by accusation to say what he was not; but they were not strong enough. O the folly! O the arrogance and the untimely meddling! were you sent to learn from him who he was and whence, not also to lay down laws for him? For this was again the act of those compelling him to confess himself Christ. But nevertheless, not even now is he indignant, nor does he say anything of the sort to them as would be expected: Do you give orders and make laws for me? but again shows much gentleness. For I, he says, baptize in water; but in your midst stands one whom you do not know. This is he who comes after me, who has become before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. 59.105 3. What then could the Jews have to say to these things? For from here also the accusation against them is inexorable, the condemnation unpardonable; they themselves have passed the vote against themselves. How and in what way? They considered John to be trustworthy, and so truthful, as to believe him not only when he testified about others, but also when he spoke about himself. For if they had not been so disposed, they would not have sent to find out from him the things concerning himself. For you know that we especially believe those persons speaking about themselves, whom we consider to be more truthful than all. And it is not only this that shuts their mouths, but also the mind with which they approached him. For they went out to him with much eagerness, even if they later changed. Christ, showing both these things, said: He was the lamp that

ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἦλθον ἐρώτησιν, ἀλλ' ἠγανάκτησαν ἂν ὡς ἀπᾴδοντα ἀποκριναμένου, καὶ οὐ πρὸς τὴν πεῦσιν, καὶ εἶπον ἄν· Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ὑπωπτεύσαμεν; μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο παραγεγόναμεν ἐρησόμενοι; Ἀλλ' ὡς ἁλόντες καὶ κα 59.104 τάφωροι γενόμενοι, ἐφ' ἕτερον ἔρχονται, καὶ λέγουσι· Τί οὖν; Ἠλίας εἶ σύ; Καὶ λέγει· Οὐκ εἰμί. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτον προσεδόκων ἥξειν, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστός φησιν. Ἐρομένων γὰρ τῶν μαθητῶν· Πῶς οὖν οἱ γραμματεῖς λέγουσιν, ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον; αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἠλίας μὲν ἔρχεται, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα. Εἶτα ἐρωτῶσιν· Ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ; Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη, Οὔ. Καὶ μὴν προφήτης ἦν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀρνεῖται; Πάλιν πρὸς τὴν διάνοιαν βλέπων τῶν ἐρωτώντων. Προσεδόκων γάρ τινα προφήτην ἐξαίρετον ἥξειν, διὰ τὸ λέγειν Μωϋσέα· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐμέ· αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε. Οὗτος δὲ ἦν ὁ Χριστός. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐ λέγουσι, Προφήτης εἶ σύ; ἕνα τῶν πολλῶν αἰνιττόμενοι· ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου, Ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ; ἐκεῖνος, φησὶν, ὁ παρὰ Μωϋσέως προανακηρυχθείς. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος ἠρνήσατο, οὐ τὸ προφήτης εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ, ἐκεῖνος ὁ προφήτης. Εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Τίς εἶ; ἵνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς πέμψασιν ἡμᾶς. Τί λέγεις περὶ σεαυτοῦ; Ὁρᾷς τοὺς μὲν σφοδρότερον ἐπικειμένους καὶ ἐπείγοντας καὶ ἐρωτῶντας πάλιν, καὶ οὐκ ἀφισταμένους· τὸν δὲ μετ' ἐπιεικείας πρότερον τὰς οὐκ οὔσας ὑπονοίας ἀναιροῦντα, καὶ τότε τὴν οὖσαν τιθέντα; Ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶ, φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Εὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, καθὼς εἶπεν Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφήτης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέγα τι καὶ ὑψηλὸν ἐφθέγξατο περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπόνοιαν, ἐπὶ τὸν Προφήτην εὐθέως κατέφυγεν, ἀξιόπιστον καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τὸν λόγον ποιῶν. Καὶ οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι ἦσαν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, φησί· καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Τί οὖν βαπτίζεις, εἰ σὺ οὐκ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὔτε Ἠλίας, οὔτε ὁ προφήτης; Ὁρᾷς ὡς οὐ μάτην ἔλεγον, ὅτι εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐναγαγεῖν ἠβούλοντο; Καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔλεγον, ἵνα μὴ κατάφωροι γένωνται ἅπασιν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, πάλιν ἐκεῖνοι συσκιάσαι βουλόμενοι, ἅπερ ἔνδον ἐτύρευον, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν ἔρχονται καὶ τὸν προφήτην. Ὡς δὲ ἔφησε μηδὲ ἐκείνων τις εἶναι, ἀπορούμενοι λοιπὸν, καὶ τὸ προσωπεῖον ῥίψαντες, γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ τὴν δολερὰν αὑτῶν ἐμφαίνουσι γνώμην, λέγοντες· Τί οὖν βαπτίζεις, εἰ σὺ οὐκ εἶ ὁ Χριστός; Εἶτα πάλιν συσκιάσαι βουλόμενοι, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους προστιθέασι, τὸν Ἠλίαν λέγω καὶ τὸν προφήτην. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κολακείᾳ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ὑποσκελίσαι, ἐγκλήματι προσεδόκησαν αὐτὸν δύνασθαι ἀναγκάζειν ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν εἰπεῖν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. Ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας! ὢ τῆς ἀλαζονείας καὶ τῆς ἀκαίρου περιεργίας! ἀπεστάλητε μαθησόμενοι παρ' αὐτοῦ τίς εἴη καὶ πόθεν, οὐχὶ καὶ νόμους αὐτῷ θήσετε; Τοῦτο γὰρ πάλιν ἀναγκαζόντων ἦν ὁμολογῆσαι ἑαυτὸν Χριστόν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ νῦν ἀγανακτεῖ, οὐδὲ λέγει τι τοιοῦτον πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἷον εἰκός· ὑμεῖς ἐμοὶ διατάττεσθε καὶ νομοθετεῖτε; ἀλλὰ πολλὴν πάλιν τὴν ἐπιείκειαν ἐπιδείκνυται. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· μέσος δὲ ὑμῶν ἕστηκεν, ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἵνα λύσω τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑποδήματος. 59.105 γʹ. Τί πρὸς ταῦτα λοιπὸν ἂν ἔχοιεν εἰπεῖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι; Ἀπαραίτητος γὰρ κἀντεῦθεν ἡ κατ' αὐτῶν κατηγορία, ἀσύγγνωστος ἡ κατάκρισις· αὐτοὶ καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκαν. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ἀξιόπιστον ἡγήσαντο εἶναι τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ οὕτως ἀληθῆ, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἑτέροις μαρτυροῦντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγοντι πιστεῦσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ οὕτω διέκειντο, ἔπεμψαν ἂν εἰσόμενοι παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι μόνοις ἐκείνοις μάλιστα περὶ ἑαυτῶν λέγουσι πιστεύομεν, οὓς ἂν ἁπάντων ἀληθεστέρους εἶναι νομίζωμεν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ ἀποφράττον αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ γνώμη μεθ' ἧς πρὸς αὐτὸν παρέβαλον. Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐξῆλθον τῆς προθυμίας πρὸς αὐτὸν, εἰ καὶ ὕστερον μετεβάλοντο. Ἅπερ ἀμφότερα δηλῶν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ