John Chrysostom, On John

we may run more profitably, that we may also obtain the good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.123 HOMILY 20. The next day he wanted to go out into Galilee, and he finds Philip, and says to him, Follow me. Now Philip was

from Bethsaida, from the city of Andrew and Peter. a. To every one who is anxious, there is something superfluous, the proverbial saying goes. But Christ hinted at something more, saying, He who seeks, finds. Whence it now occurs to me to marvel, from where Philip followed Christ. For Andrew followed after hearing from John, and Peter from Andrew; but this man, having learned nothing from anyone, but only hearing Christ say this to him, Follow me, was immediately persuaded and did not withdraw, but even became a preacher to others. For running to Nathanael, he says, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, wrote. Do you see how he had a mind full of care, and was constantly studying the writings of Moses, and was expecting the coming? For the word, We have found, always belongs to those who are seeking. The next day Jesus went out into Galilee. For before anyone attached himself to him, he calls no one. And he does this not simply, but according to his own wisdom and understanding. For if, when no one had come of their own accord, he himself had drawn them, they might perhaps have leaped away; but now, having chosen this for themselves, they remained firm thereafter. But he calls Philip, as being more known to him; for since he was 59.124 born and raised in Galilee, he knew him better. Having therefore taken the disciples, he then comes to the hunt for the rest, and draws Philip and Nathanael. But in his case it was not so wonderful, because the report of Jesus had gone out into all Syria; but what was wonderful was the case of Peter and James and Philip, not only that they were persuaded before the signs, but also that they were from Galilee, from which no prophet arises, nor can any good thing come. For they were somehow more rustic and wild and dull. But Christ from here also showed his strength, selecting the choicest of the disciples from a land that bore no fruit. It is likely, then, that Philip, having seen Peter and his companions, and having heard from John, followed; and it is also likely that the voice of Christ worked something in him. For he knows those who are going to be suitable. But the evangelist summarizes all these things. That Christ was to come, then, he knew; but that this was the Christ, he did not know; which I say he heard either from Peter or from John. And John also mentions his village, that you may learn that God has chosen the weak things of the world. Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. And he says these things, making the proclamation trustworthy, since it is from Moses and the 59.125 prophets, and persuading the hearer from this. For since Nathanael was exact, and had examined all things with truth, as Christ also testified, and the deed showed, he reasonably referred him to Moses and the prophets, that he might thus receive him who was proclaimed. But if he calls him the son of Joseph, do not be troubled; for he was still thought to be his child. And whence is it clear, O Philip, that this is he? What proof do you give us? For it is not enough just to make a declaration. What sign did you see? What wonder? It is not without risk to believe simply in such matters. What proof, then, do you have? The same as Andrew, he says. For he too to present

κερδαλεώτερα τρέχωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.123 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Κʹ. Τῇ ἐπαύριον ἠθέλησεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀκολούθει μοι. Ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος

ἀπὸ Βηθ σαϊδᾶ, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Ἀνδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. αʹ. Παντὶ τῷ μεριμνῶντι ἔνεστι τι περισσὸν, ὁ παροιμιώδης λόγος φησί. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς καί τι πλέον ᾐνίξατο εἰπών· Ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει. Ὅθεν καὶ ἔπεισί μοι λοιπὸν θαυμάζειν, πόθεν ὁ Φίλιππος ἠκολούθησε τῷ Χριστῷ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἀνδρέας ἀκούσας παρὰ Ἰωάννου, καὶ ὁ Πέτρος παρὰ Ἀνδρέου· οὗτος δὲ παρ' οὐδενὸς οὐδὲν μαθὼν, ἢ τοῦτο μόνον εἰπόντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ἀκολούθει μοι, ἐπείσθη τε εὐθέως καὶ οὐκ ἀνεχώρησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κήρυξ ἑτέροις γίνεται. ∆ραμὼν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν Ναθαναὴλ, Ὃν ἔγραψε, φησὶ, Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς μεμεριμνημένην διάνοιαν εἶχε, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐμελέτα τὰ Μωϋσέως, καὶ προσεδόκα τὴν παρουσίαν; Καὶ γὰρ τὸ, Εὑρήκαμεν, ζητούντων πώς ἐστιν ἀεί. Τῇ ἐπαύριον ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. Πρὶν ἢ γὰρ αὐτῷ τινα· κολληθῆναι, οὐδένα καλεῖ. Ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ, μηδενὸς αὐτομάτου προσελθόντος, αὐτὸς αὐτοὺς ἐφειλκύσατο, κἂν ἀπεπήδησαν ἴσως· νῦν δὲ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν ἑλόμενοι τοῦτο, βέβαιοι λοιπὸν ἔμενον. Τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον καλεῖ, μᾶλλον αὐτῷ γνώριμον ὄντα· ἅτε γὰρ ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ 59.124 γεννηθεὶς καὶ τραφεὶς, μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐπεγίνωσκε. Λαβὼν τοίνυν τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἔρχεται λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγραν τῶν λοιπῶν, καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐπισπᾶται. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τούτου οὐκ ἦν οὕτω θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι καὶ ἡ ἀκοὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπεληλύθει εἰς τὴν Συρίαν ἅπασαν· τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν, τὸ τῶν περὶ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Φίλιππον ἦν, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον πρὸ τῶν σημείων ἐπείσθησαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ὄντες, ὅθεν οὐδὲ προφήτης ἐγείρεται, οὐδὲ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι. Ἀγροικότερον γάρ πως καὶ ἀγριώτερον καὶ παχύτερον οὗτοι διέκειντο. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς κἀντεῦθεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐνέφηνεν, ἀπὸ τῆς οὐδένα φερούσης καρπὸν γῆς τοὺς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐκκρίτους ἐκλέγων. Εἰκὸς μὲν οὖν τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ τοὺς περὶ Πέτρον ἰδόντα, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἀκηκοότα, ἀκολουθῆσαι· εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐργάσασθαί τι ἐν αὐτῷ. Οἶδε γὰρ τοὺς μέλλοντας ἔσεσθαι ἐπιτηδείους. Ὁ δὲ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἅπαντα ἐπιτέμνεται ταῦτα. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔμελλεν ἥξειν, ἠπίστατο· ὅτι δὲ οὗτος ὁ Χριστὸς ἦν ἠγνόει· ὅπερ αὐτὸν ἢ παρὰ Πέτρου, ἢ παρὰ Ἰωάννου ἀκηκοέναι φημί. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν κώμην αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός. Εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα ἀξιόπιστον ποιῶν τὸ κήρυγμα εἴ γε ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶ καὶ τῶν 59.125 προφητῶν, καὶ δυσωπῶν τὸν ἀκροατὴν ἐντεῦθεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Ναθαναὴλ ἀκριβὴς ἦν, καὶ πάντα διεσκεμμένος μετὰ ἀληθείας, ὡς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐμαρτύρησε, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἔδειξεν, εἰκότως αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας παρέπεμψεν, ἵνα οὕτω παραδέξηται τὸν κηρυττόμενον. Εἰ δὲ υἱὸν Ἰωσὴφ αὐτὸν λέγει, μὴ θορυβηθῇς· ἔτι γὰρ τούτου παῖς ἐνομίζετο εἶναι. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον, ὦ Φίλιππε, ὅτι οὗτος ἐκεῖνός ἐστι; τί λέγεις ἡμῖν τεκμήριον; Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μόνον τὸ ἀποφήνασθαι. Ποῖον σημεῖον εἶδες; ποῖον θαῦμα; Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀκίνδυνον πιστεύειν ἁπλῶς ὑπὲρ τοιούτων πραγμάτων. Ποίαν οὖν ἔχεις ἀπόδειξιν; Τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ Ἀνδρέᾳ, φησί. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος παραστῆσαι