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whence I come, and where I go; but you do not know whence I come. What He had said before, this they bring forward as having been said previously. What then does Christ do? Overturning it and showing that He was speaking those things to them and to their suspicion, who suspected Him of being a mere man, He says: And if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know whence I come. What is this? I am from God, and God, and the Son of God. And God is a trustworthy witness to Himself; But you do not know. You are willfully wicked, He says, and knowing, you pretend not to know; but you utter all things from a human mind, wishing to understand nothing more than what is apparent. You judge according to the flesh. Just as living according to the flesh is living wickedly; so judging according to the flesh is judging unjustly. I judge no one; and if I judge, my judgment is just. What He says is this: You judge unjustly. And if we judge unjustly, they say, why do you not accuse us? Why do you not punish us? Why do you not condemn us? Because I did not come for this, He says. For this is the meaning of, I judge no one; but if I do judge, my judgment is true. For if I wished to judge, you would be among the condemned. And I do not say these things to judge, He says. And I did not say, I speak not to judge, because I was not confident that if I judged, I would have convicted you (for if I judged, I would have justly condemned you); but now is not the time for judgment. And He hinted at the future judgment when He said, For I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. Here He hinted that not only He condemns them, but the Father also. Then He veiled it, leading into his 59.290 testimony: And it is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 3. What then would the heretics say here? What advantage does He have over men, if we take what was said in this simple way? For among men this has been determined for this reason, because no one is trustworthy on his own; but in the case of God, how could this make sense? How then is it said, Two? Is it because there are two, or because they are men that there are two? For if it is because there are two, why did He not have recourse to John, nor say, I bear witness of Myself, and John bears witness of Me? why to the angel? why to the prophets? For He could have found countless other testimonies. But He wishes to show not only that there are two, but also that they are of the same substance. They say to Him: Who is your Father? Then He says: You know neither Me, nor My Father. For since they spoke as if they did not know, though they did know, and as if testing Him, He does not even deem them worthy of an answer. For this reason, He then says everything more clearly and with greater boldness, having received testimony from the signs and the teaching of His followers, because the cross was near. For I know, He says, whence I come. This would not have greatly affected them; but to add, And where I am going, would have frightened them more, since He was not going to remain in death. Why did He not say, I know that I am God, but I know whence I come? He always mixes humble things with sublime things, and even these He restrains. For having said, I bear witness of Myself, and having shown this, He came to what was more humble, as if He said: I know from whom I have been sent, and to whom I am going. For thus they would have had nothing to say in reply, hearing that He was sent from Him, and is going to Him. For I would not say anything false, He says, having come from there, and going there, to the true God. But you do not know God; for this reason you judge according to the flesh. For having heard so much evidence and so many proofs, you still say, He is not true; and you consider Moses trustworthy, both concerning what he says about others, and concerning what he says about himself; but Christ no longer. This is to judge according to the flesh. But I judge no one. And yet He says, The Father judges no one. How then does He say here, And if I judge, my judgment is just, because I am not alone? Again He speaks with reference to their supposition; that is, My judgment is the Father's; not
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πόθεν ἔρχομαι, καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγω· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ οἴδατε πόθεν ἔρχομαι. Ὅπερ φθάσας εἶπε, τοῦτο οὗτοι προβάλλονται ὡς προηγουμένως λεχθέν. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Ἀνατρέπων αὐτὸ καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐκεῖνα ὡς πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν αὐτῶν διελέγετο, ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ὑποπτευόντων ψιλὸν φησί· Καὶ ἐὰν ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, ἀληθής ἐστιν μαρτυρία μου, ὅτι οἶδα πόθεν ἔρχομαι. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; Ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰμι, καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ Υἱὸς Θεοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ἀξιόπιστος μάρτυς· Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ οἴδατε. Ἐθελοκακεῖτε, φησὶ, καὶ εἰδότες προσποιεῖσθε μὴ εἰδέναι· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης διανοίας ἅπαντα φθέγγεσθε, οὐδὲν πλέον βουλόμενοι τοῦ φαινομένου νοεῖν. Ὑμεῖς κατὰ τὴν σάρκα κρίνετε. Ὥσπερ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ζῇν, τουτέστι, τὸ φαύλως ζῇν· οὕτω τὸ κατὰ σάρκα κρίνειν, ἀδίκως κρίνειν ἐστίν. Ἐγὼ οὐ κρίνω οὐδένα· καὶ ἐὰν κρίνω, ἡ ἐμὴ κρίσις δικαία ἐστίν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἀδίκως κρίνετε. Καὶ εἰ ἀδίκως κρίνομεν, φησὶ, διατί μὴ ἐγκαλεῖς; διατί μὴ κολάζεις; διατί μὴ κατακρίνεις; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἦλθον, φησί. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἐγὼ οὐ κρίνω οὐδένα· καὶ ἐὰν κρίνω δὲ ἐγὼ, ἡ κρίσις μου ἀληθής ἐστι. Ἐπεὶ εἰ ἐβουλήθην κρῖναι, ὑμεῖς ἂν τῶν καταδεδικασμένων ἦτε. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐχὶ κρίνων λέγω, φησίν. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ εἶπον, Οὐχὶ κρίνων λέγω, ὡς οὐ θαῤῥῶν, ὅτι εἰ ἔκρινον, εἷλον ἂν ὑμᾶς (καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἔκρινον, δικαίως ἂν ὑμᾶς κατεδίκασα)· ἀλλὰ νῦν καιρὸς κρίσεως οὐκ ἔστι. Καὶ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης μὲν κρίσεως ᾐνίξατο εἰπὼν, Ὅτι μόνος οὐκ εἰμὶ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πέμψας με Πατήρ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ᾐνίξατο, ὅτι οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος αὐτοὺς καταδικάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Πατήρ. Εἶτα αὐτὸ συνεσκίασεν, εἰς τὴν 59.290 αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν ἐνάγων· Καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται, ὅτι δύο ἀνθρώπων ἡ μαρτυρία ἀληθής ἐστι. γʹ. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποιεν ἐνταῦθα οἱ αἱρετικοί; Τί πλέον ἔχε τῶν ἀνθρώπων, εἰ ἁπλῶς οὕτως ἐκλάβοιμεν τὸ λεχθέν; Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διὰ τοῦτο ὥρισται τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ καθ' ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀξιόπιστός τις· ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; Πῶς οὖν εἴρηται τὸ ∆ύο; ἆρα ἐπειδὴ δύο, ἢ ἐπειδὴ ἄνθρωποι διὰ τοῦτο δύο; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ δύο εἰσὶ, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ κατέφυγεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην, οὐδὲ εἶπεν, Μαρτυρῶ ἐγὼ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ ὁ Ἰωάννης; τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τὸν ἄγγελον; τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας; καὶ γὰρ μυρίας ἂν εὗρεν ἄλλας μαρτυρίας. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο βούλεται δεῖξαι μόνον, ὅτι δύο, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς οὐσίας. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ Πατήρ σου; Εἶτά φησιν· Οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε, οὔτε τὸν Πατέρα μου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰδότες ὡς οὐκ εἰδότες ἔλεγον καὶ ὡς πειράζοντες αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως αὐτοὺς ἀξιοῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγει λοιπὸν τρανότερον ἅπαντα καὶ μετὰ πλείονος παῤῥησίας, ἀπό τε τῶν σημείων καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῶν ἀκολουθούντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν λαβὼν, τῷ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τὸν σταυρόν. Οἶδα γὰρ, φησὶ, πόθεν ἔρχομαι. Τοῦτο οὐ σφόδρα ἂν αὐτῶν καθήψατο· τὸ δὲ ἐπαγαγεῖν, Καὶ ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω, μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἐφόβησεν ἂν, ὡς οὐ μέλλοντος αὐτοῦ μένειν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ. ∆ιατί δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οἶδα, ὅτι Θεός εἰμι, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οἶδα πόθεν ἔρχομαι; Ἀεὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἀναμίγνυσι τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς, καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα περιστέλλει. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο δείξας, ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸ ταπεινότερον, ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν· Οἶδα παρὰ τίνος ἀπέσταλμαι, καὶ πρὸς τίνα ἀπέρχομαι. Οὕτω γὰρ οὐδὲν ἂν ἔσχον ἀντειπεῖν, ἀκούσαντες ὅτι παρ' ἐκείνου ἀπέσταλται, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἄπεισιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἶπον, φησὶ, τὶ ψεῦδος, ἐκεῖθέν τε ἥκων, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀπιὼν, πρὸς τὸν ἀληθῆ Θεόν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἴστε τὸν Θεόν· διὰ τοῦτο κατὰ τὴν σάρκα κρίνετε. Οἱ γὰρ τοσούτων ἀκούσαντες τεκμηρίων τε καὶ ἐλέγχων, ἔτι λέγετε, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής· καὶ Μωϋσέα ἀξιόπιστον ἡγεῖσθε, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν περὶ ἄλλων, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει· τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν οὐκέτι. Τοῦτο κατὰ σάρκα κρίνειν ἐστίν. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ κρίνω οὐδένα. Καὶ μήν φησιν, ὅτι Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ κρίνει οὐδένα. Πῶς οὖν ἐνταῦθά φησι, Καὶ ἐὰν κρίνω δὲ, ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστὶν, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ μόνος; Πάλιν πρὸς τὴν ὑπόληψιν τὴν ἐκείνων φθέγγεται· τουτέστιν, Ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν· οὐκ