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1 <html>
2 <head>
3 </head>
4 <body style=text-align:justify><blockquote>
5 <p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 60pt">3</span></p>
6 <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 1</span></p>
7 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>1 There was a certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin. 2 He came to
8 Jesus at night and said to him, &#8220;Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no
9 one could perform the signs you perform, unless he had God with him.&#8221; 3 Jesus responded
10 and said to him,</p>
11 <p style="margin-left: 0.5in">&#8220;Amen, amen, I say to you,<BR>
12 unless one is born again,<BR>
13 he cannot see the kingdom of God.&#8221;</p>
14 <p>4 Nicodemus said to him, &#8220;How can a man be born again when he is already an old man? Is it
15 possible for him to return to his mother&#8217;s womb and be born all over again?&#8221; 5 Jesus replied,</p>
16 <p style="margin-left: 0.5in">&#8220;Amen, amen, I say to you,<BR>
17 unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit,<BR>
18 he cannot enter the kingdom of God.<BR>
19 6 What is born of flesh is itself flesh;<BR>
20 and what is born of Spirit is itself spirit.&#8221;</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
21 <p>423 Above, the Evangelist showed Christ&#8217;s power in relation to changes affecting nature;
22 here he shows it in relation to our reformation by grace, which is his principal subject.
23 Reformation by grace comes about through spiritual generation and by the conferring of
24 benefits on those regenerated. First, then, he treats of spiritual generation. Secondly, of the
25 spiritual benefits divinely conferred on the regenerated, and this in chapter five.</p>
26 <p>As to the first he does two things. First, he treats of spiritual regeneration in relation to the
27 Jews. Secondly, of the spreading of the fruits of this regeneration even to foreign peoples, and
28 this in chapter four. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he explains spiritual
29 regeneration with words. Secondly, he completes it with deeds (3:22).</p>
30 <p>As to the first he does three things. First, he shows the need for a spiritual regeneration.
31 Secondly, its quality (3:4). Thirdly, its mode and nature (3:9). As to the first he does two
32 things. First, he mentions the occasion for showing this need. Secondly, the need itself for
33 this regeneration (3:3).</p>
34 <p>The occasion was presented by Nicodemus; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">There was a certain Pharisee
35 named Nicodemus. </span>And he describes him as to his person, from the time, and from his
36 statements.</p>
37 <p>424 he describes his person in three ways. First, as to his religion, because he was a Pharisee,
38 hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">There was a certain Pharisee. </span>For there were two sects aniong the Jews: the
39 Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were closer to us in their beliefs, for they
40 believed in the resurrection, and admitted the existence of spiritual creatures. The Sadducees,
41 on the other hand, disagree more with us, for they believed neither in the resurrection to come
42 nor in the existence of spirits. The former were called Pharisees, as being separated from the
43 others. And because their opinion was the more credible and nearer to the truth, it was easier
44 for Nicodemus to be converted to Christ. &#8220;I lived as a Pharisee, according to the strictest sect
45 of our religion&#8221; (Acts 26:5).</p>
46 <p>425 As to his name he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">named Nicodemus, </span>which means &#8220;victor,&#8221; or &#8220;the victory of the
47 people.&#8221; This signifies those who overcame the world through faith by being converted to
48 Christ from Judaism. &#8220;This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith&#8221; (1 Jn 5:4).</p>
49 <p>426 Thirdly, as to his rank he says, a <span style="font-weight: bold">member of the Sanhedrin. </span>For although our Lord did
50 not choose the wise or powerful or those of high birth at the beginning, lest the power of the
51 faith be attributed to human widsom and power&#8212;&#8220;Not many of you are learned in the worldly
52 sense, not many powerful, not many of high birth. But God chose the simple ones of the
53 world&#8221; (1 Cor 1:26)&#8212;still he willed to convert some of the wise and powerful to himself at
54 the very beginning. And he did this so that his doctrine would not be held in contempt, as
55 being accepted exclusively by the lowly and uneducated, and so that the number of believers
56 would not be attributed to the rusticity and ignorance of the converts rather than to the power
57 of the faith. However, he did not will that a large number of those converted to him be
58 powerful and of high birth, lest, as has been said, it should be ascribed to human power and
59 wisdom. And so it says, &#8220;many of those in authority believed in him&#8221; (below 12:42), among
60 whom was this Nicodemus. &#8220;The rulers of the people have come together&#8221; (Ps 46:10).</p>
61 <p>427 Then he describes him as to the time, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">he came to Jesus at night. </span>In regard to
62 this, it might be noted that in Scripture the quality of the time is mentioned as to certain
63 persons in order to indicate their knowledge or the condition of their actions. Here an obscure
64 time is mentioned, <span style="font-weight: bold">at night. </span>For the night is obscure and suited to the state of mind of
65 Nicodemus, who did not come to Jesus free of care and anxiety, but in fear; for he was one of
66 those of whom it is said that they &#8220;believed in him; but they did not admit it because of the
67 Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue&#8221; (below 12:42). For their
68 love was not perfect, so it continues, &#8220;For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of&#8217;
69 God.&#8221;</p>
70 <p>Further, night was appropriate to his ignorance and the imperfect understanding he had of
71 Christ: &#8220;The night has passed, and day is at hand. So let us cast-off the works of darkness&#8221;
72 (Rom 13:12); &#8220;They have not known or understood; they are walking in darkness&#8221; (Ps 81:5).</p>
73 <p>428 Then he is described from his statements, when he says that Nicodemus said to Jesus:
74 <span style="font-weight: bold">Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God. </span>Here he affirms Christ&#8217;s office as
75 teacher when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Rabbi, </span>and his power of acting, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">for no one could perform the
76 signs you perform, unles he had God with him. </span>And in both remarks he says what is true,
77 but he does not affirm enough.</p>
78 <p>He is right is calling Jesus <span style="font-weight: bold">Rabbi, </span>i.e., Teacher, because, &#8220;You call me Teacher and Lord; and
79 you do well, for so I am,&#8221; as we read below (13:13). For Nicodemus had read what was
80 written in Joel (2:23): &#8220;Children of Sion, rejoice, and be joyful in the Lord your God, because
81 he has given you a teacher of justice.&#8221; But he says too little, because he says that Jesus came
82 as a teacher from God, but is silent on whether he is God. For to come as a teacher from God
83 is common to all good prelates: &#8220;I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will
84 feed you with knowledge and doctrine,&#8221; as it says in Jeremiah (3:15). Therefore, this is not
85 unique to Christ even though Christ taught in a manner unlike other men. For some teachers
86 teach only from without, but Christ also instructs within, because &#8220;He was the true light,
87 which enlightens every man&#8221; (above 1:9); thus he alone gives wisdom: &#8220;I will give you an
88 eloquence and a wisdom&#8221; (Lk 21:15), and this is something that no mere man can say.</p>
89 <p>429 He affirms his power because of the signs he saw. As if to say: I believe that you have
90 come as a teacher from God, <span style="font-weight: bold">for no one could perform the signs you perform. </span>And he is
91 speaking the truth, because the signs which Christ did cannot be worked except by God, and
92 because God was with him: &#8220;He who sent me is with me&#8221; (below 8:29). But he says too little,
93 because he believed that Christ did not perform these signs through his own power, but as
94 relying on the power of another; as though God were not with him by a unity of essence but
95 merely by an infusion of grace. But this is false, because Christ performed these signs not by
96 an exterior power but by his own; for the power of God and of Christ is one and the same. It
97 is similar to what the woman says to Elijah: &#8220;Because of this I know that you are a man of
98 God&#8221; (1 Kgs 17:24).</p>
99 <p>430 Then when he says that Jesus answered, <span style="font-weight: bold">Amen, amen, I say to you</span>, he sets down the
100 necessity for spiritual regeneration, because of the ignorance of Nicodemus. And so he says,
101 <span style="font-weight: bold">Amen, amen</span>. Here we should note that this word, <span style="font-weight: bold">amen</span>, is a Hebrew word frequently
102 employed by Christ; hence out of reverence for him no Greek or Latin translator wanted to
103 translate it. Sometimes it means the same as &#8220;true&#8221; or &#8220;truly&#8221;; and sometimes the same as &#8220;so
104 be it.&#8221; Thus is the Psalms 71 (v 19), 88 (v 53), and 106, where we have, &#8220;So be it, so be it,&#8221;
105 the Hebrew has &#8220;Amen, amen.&#8221; But John is the only Evangelist who duplicates or makes a
106 twin use of this word. The reason for this is that the other Evangelists are concerned mainly
107 with matters pertaining to the humanity of Christ, which, since they are easier to believe, need
108 less reinforcement; but John deals chiefly with things pertaining to the divinity of Christ, and
109 these, since they are hidden and remote from men&#8217;s knowledge and experience, require
110 greater formal declaration.</p>
111 <p>431 Next we should point out that at first glance this answer of Christ seems to be entirely
112 foreign to Nicodemus&#8217; statement. For what connection is there between Nicodemus&#8217;
113 statement, <span style="font-weight: bold">Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, </span>and the Lord&#8217;s reply,
114 <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.</span></p>
115 <p>But we should note, as has already been stated, that Nicodemus, having an imperfect opinion
116 about Christ, affirmed that he was a teacher and performed these signs as a mere man. And so
117 the Lord wishes to show Nicodemus how he might arrive at a deeper understanding of him.
118 And as a matter of fact, the Lord might have done so with an argument, but because this
119 might have resulted in a quarrel&#8212;the opposite of which was prophesied about him: &#8220;He will
120 not quarrel&#8221; (Is 42:2)&#8212;he wished to lead him to a true understanding with gentleness. As if to
121 say: It is not strange that you regard me as a mere man, because one cannot know these
122 secrets of the divinity unless he has achieved a spiritual regeneration. And this is what he
123 says: <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.</span></p>
124 <p>432 Here we should point out that since vision is an act of life, then according to the diverse
125 kinds of life there will be diversity of vision. For there is a sentient life which some living
126 things share in common, and this life has a sentient vision or knowledge. And there is also a
127 spiritual life, by which man is made like God and other holy spirits; and this life enjoys a
128 spiritual vision. Now spiritual things cannot be seen by the sentient: &#8220;The sensual man does
129 not perceive those things that pertain to the Spirit of God&#8221; (1 Cor 2:14), but they are
130 perceived by the spiritual vision: &#8220;No one knows the things of God but the Spirit of God&#8221; (1
131 Cor 2:11). So the apostle says: &#8220;You did not receive the spirit of slavery, putting you in fear
132 again, but the spirit of adoption&#8221; (Rom 8:15). And we receive this spirit through a spiritual
133 regenaration: &#8220;He saved us by the cleansing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit&#8221; (Ti 3:3).
134 Therefore, if spiritual vision comes only through the Holy Spirit, and if the Holy Spirit is
135 given through a cleansing of spiritual regeneration, then it is only by a cleansing of
136 regeneration that we can see the kingdom of God. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again of
137 water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. </span>As if to say: It is not
138 surprising if you do not see the kingdom of God, because no one can see it unless he receives
139 the Holy Spirit, through whom one is reborn a son of God.</p>
140 <p>433 It is not only the royal throne that pertains to a kingdom, but also the things needed for
141 governing the kingdom, such as the royal dignity, royal favors, and the way of justice by
142 which the kingdom is consolidated. Hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">he cannot see the kingdom of God, </span>i.e.,
143 the glory and dignity of God, i.e., the mysteries of eternal salvation which are seen through
144 the justice of faith: &#8220;The kingdom of God is not food and drink&#8221; (Rom 14:17).</p>
145 <p>Now in the Old Law there was a spiritual regeneration; but it was imperfect and symbolic:
146 &#8220;All were baptized into Moses, in the cloud and in the sea&#8221; (1 Cor 10:2), i.e., they received
147 baptism in symbol. Accordingly, they did see the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but only
148 symbolically: &#8220;seeing from afar&#8221; (Heb 11:13). But in the New Law there is an evident
149 spiritual regeneration, although imperfect, because we are renewed only inwardly by grace,
150 but not outwardly by incorruption: &#8220;Although our outward nature is wasting away, yet our
151 inward nature is being renewed day by day&#8221; (2 Cor 4:16). And so we do see the kingdom of
152 God and the mysteries of eternal salvation, but imperfectly, for as it says, &#8220;Now we see in a
153 mirror, in an obscure manner&#8221; (1 Cor 13:12). But there is perfect regeneration in heaven,
154 because we will be renewed both inwardly and outwardly. And therefore we shall see the
155 kingdom of God in a most perfect way: &#8220;But then we will see face to face,&#8221; as is said in 1
156 Corinthians (13:12); and &#8220;When he appears we will be like him, because we will see him as
157 he is&#8221; (1 Jn 3:2).</p>
158 <p>434 It is clear, therefore, that just as one does not have bodily vision unless he is born, so one
159 cannot have spiritual vision unless he is reborn. And according to the threefold regeneration,
160 there is a threefold kind of vision.</p>
161 <p>435 Note that the Greek reading is not &#8220;again,&#8221; but <i>anothe, </i>i.e., &#8220;from above,&#8221; which Jerome
162 translated as &#8220;again,&#8221; in order to suggest addition. And this is the way Jerome understood the
163 saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again. </span>It is as if he were saying: Unless one is reborn once more
164 through a fraternal generation.</p>
165 <p>Chrysostoin, however, says that to be &#8220;born from above&#8221; is peculiar to the Son of God,
166 because he alone is born from above: &#8220;The one who came from above is above all things&#8221;
167 (below 3:31). And Christ is said to be born from above both as to time (if we may speak
168 thus), because he was begotten from eternity: &#8220;Before the daystar I begot you&#8221; (Ps 109:3), and
169 as to the principle of his generation, because he proceeds from the heavenly Father: &#8220;I came
170 down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me&#8221; (below 6:38).
171 Therefore, because our regeneration is in the likeness of the Son of God, inasmuch as &#8220;Those
172 whom he foreknew he predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son&#8221; (Rom
173 8:29), and because that generation is from above, our generation also is from above: both as
174 to the time, because of our eternal predestination, &#8220;He chose us in him before the foundation
175 of the world&#8221; (Eph 1:4), and as to its being a gift of God, as we read below (6:44), &#8220;No one
176 can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him&#8221;; and &#8220;You have been saved by
177 the grace of God&#8221; (Eph 2:5).</p>
178 <p>436 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Nicodemus said to him, </span>he gives the manner of and the reason for
179 this spiritual regeneration. First, the doubt of Nicodemus is set forth. Secondly, Christ&#8217;s
180 response (v 5).</p>
181 <p>437 As to the first we should note that as stated in 1 Corinthians (2:14): &#8220;The sensual man
182 does not perceive those things that pertain to the Spirit of God.&#8221; And so because Nicodemus
183 was yet carnal and sensual, he was unable to grasp, except in a carnal manner, the things that
184 were said to him. Consequently, what the Lord said ,to him about spiritual regeneration, he
185 understood of carnal generation. And this is what he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">How can a man be born again
186 when he is already an old man?</span></p>
187 <p>We should note here, according to Chrysostom, that Nicodemus wanted to object to what was
188 said by the Savior. But his objection is foolish, because Christ was speaking of spiritual
189 regeneration, and he is objecting in terms of carnal regeneration. In like manner, all the
190 reasons brought forth to attack the things of faith are foolish, since they are not according to
191 the meaning of Sacred Scripture.</p>
192 <p>438 Nicodemus objected to the Lord&#8217;s statement that a man must be born again according to
193 the two ways in which this seemed impossible. In one way, on account of the irreversibility of
194 human life; for a man cannot return to infancy from old age. Hence we read, &#8220;I am walking
195 on a path,&#8221; namely, this present life, &#8220;by which I will not return&#8221; (Jb 16:23). And it is from
196 this point of view that he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">How can a man be born again when he is already an old
197 man? </span>As if to say: Shall he become a child once more so that he can be reborn? &#8220;He will not
198 return again to his home, and his place will not know him any more&#8221; (Jb 7:10). In the second
199 way, regeneration seemed impossible because of the mode of carnal generation. Forin the
200 beginning, when a man is generated, he is small in size, so that his mother&#8217;s womb can
201 contain him; but later, after he is born, he continues to grow and reaches such a size that he
202 cannot be contained within his mother&#8217;s womb. And so Nicodemus says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Is it possible for
203 him to return to his mother&#8217;s womb and be born all over again? </span>As if to say: He cannot,
204 because the womb cannot contain him.</p>
205 <p>439 But this does not apply to spiritual generation. For no matter how spiritually old a man
206 might become through sin, accordto the Psalm (31:3): &#8220;Because I kept silent, all my bones
207 grew old,&#8221; he can, with the help of divine grace, become new, according to the Psalm (102:5):
208 &#8220;Your youth will be renewed like the eagle&#8217;s.&#8221; And no matter how enormous he is, he can
209 enter the spiritual womb of the Church by the sacrament of baptism. And it is clear what that
210 spiritual womb is; otherwise it would never have been said: &#8220;From the womb, before the
211 daystar, I begot you&#8221; (Ps 109:3). Yet there is a sense in which his objection applies. For just
212 as a man, once he is born according to nature, cannot be reborn, so once he is born in a
213 spiritual way through baptism, he cannot be reborn, because he cannot be baptized again:
214 &#8220;One Lord, one faith, one baptism,&#8221; as we read in Ephesians (4:5).</p>
215 <p>440 Then we have the answer of Christ. Concerning this he does three things. First, he
216 answers the arguments of Nicodemus by showing the nature of regeneration. Secondly, he
217 explains this answer with a reason (v 6). Thirdly, he explains it with an example.</p>
218 <p>441 He answers the objections by showing that he is speaking of a spiritual regeneration, not
219 a carnal one. And this is what he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again of water and the Holy
220 Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. </span>As if to say: You are thinking of a carnal
221 generation, but I am speaking of a spiritual generation.</p>
222 <p>Note that above he had said, <span style="font-weight: bold">he cannot see the kingdom of God, </span>while here he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">he
223 cannot enter the kingdom of God, </span>which is the same thing. For no one can see the things of
224 the kingdom of God unless he enters it; and to the extent that he enters, he sees. &#8220;I will give
225 him a white stone upon which is written a new name, which no one knows but he who
226 receives it&#8221; (Rv 5:5).</p>
227 <p>442 Now there is a reason why spiritual generation comes from the Spirit. It is necessary that
228 the one generated be generated in the likeness of the one generating; but we are regenerated
229 as sons of God, in the likeness of his true Son. Therefore, it is necessary that our spiritual
230 regeneration come about through that by which we are made like the true Son. and this conies
231 about by Our having his Spirit: &#8220;If any one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his&#8221;
232 (Rom 8:9); &#8220;By this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given us of
233 his Spirit&#8221; (1 Jn 4:13). Thus spiritual regeneration must come from the Holy Spirit. &#8220;You did
234 not receive the spirit of slavery, putting you in fear again, but the spirit of adoption&#8221; (Rom
235 8:15); &#8220;It is the Spirit that gives life&#8221; (below 6:63).</p>
236 <p>443 Water, too, is necessary for this regeneration, and for three reasons. First, because of the
237 condition of human nature. For man consists of soul and body, and if the Spirit alone were
238 involved in his regeneration, this would indicate that only the spiritual part of man is
239 regenerated. Hence in order that the flesh also be regenerated, it is necessary that, in addition
240 to the Spirit through whom the soul is regenerated, something bodily be involved, through
241 which the body is regenerated; and this,is water.</p>
242 <p>Secondly, water is necessary for the sake of human knowledge. For, as Dionysius says, divine
243 wisdom so disposes all things that it provides for each thing according to its nature. Now it is
244 natural for man to know; and so it is fitting that spiritual things be conferred on men in such a
245 way that he may know them: &#8220;so that we may know what God has given us&#8221; (1 Cor 2:12). But
246 the natural manner of this knowledge is that man know spiritual things by means of sensible
247 things, since all our knowledge begins in sense knowledge. Therefore, in order that we might
248 understand what is spiritual in our regeneration, it was fitting that there be in it something
249 sensible and material, that is, water, through which we understand that just as water washes
250 and cleanses the exterior in a bodily way, so through baptism a man is washed and cleansed
251 inwardly in a spiritual way.</p>
252 <p>Thirdly, water was necessary so that there might be a correspondence of causes. For the cause
253 of our regeneration is the incarnate Word: &#8220;He gave them power to become the sons of God,&#8221;
254 as we saw above (1:12). Therefore it was fitting that in the sacraments, which have their
255 efficacy from the power of the incarnate Word, there be something corresponding to the
256 Word, and something corresponding to the flesh, or body. And spiritually speaking, this is
257 water when the sacrament is baptism, so that through it we may be conformed to the death of
258 Christ, since we are submerged in it during baptism as Christ was in the womb of the earth
259 for three days: &#8220;We are buried with him by baptism&#8221; (Rom 6:4).</p>
260 <p>Further, this mystery was suggested in the first production of things, when the Spirit of God
261 hovered over the waters (Gn 1:2). But a greater power was conferred on water by contact with
262 the most pure flesh of Christ; because in the beginning water brought forth crawling creatures
263 with living souls, but since Christ was baptized in the Jordan, water has yielded spiritual
264 souls.</p>
265 <p>444 It is clear that the Holy Spirit is God, since he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again of water
266 and the Holy Spirit </span>(<i>ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto</i>).<i> </i>For above (1:13) he says: &#8220;who are born not
267 from blood, nor from the desires of the flesh, nor from man&#8217;s willing it, but from God (<i>ex
268 Deo</i>).&#8221; From this we can form the following argument: He from whom men are spiritually
269 reborn is God; but men are spiritually reborn through the Holy Spirit, as it is stated here;
270 therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.</p>
271 <p>445 Two questions arise here. First, if no one enters the kingdom of God unless he is born
272 again of water, and if the fathers of old were not born again of water (for they were not
273 baptized), then they have not entered the kingdom of God. Secondly, since baptism is of three
274 kinds, that is, of water, of desire, and of blood, and many have been baptized in the latter two
275 ways (who we say have entered the kingdom of God immediately, even though they were not
276 born again of water), it does not seem to be true to say that <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again of
277 water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.</span></p>
278 <p>The answer to the first is that rebirth or regeneration from water and the Holy Spirit takes
279 place in two ways: in truth and in symbol. Now the fathers of old, although they were not
280 reborn with a true rebirth, were nevertheless reborn with a symbolic rebirth, because they
281 always had a sense perceptible sign in which true rebirth was prefigured. So according to this,
282 thus reborn, they did enter the kingdom of God, after the ransom was paid.</p>
283 <p>The answer to the second is that those who are reborn by a baptism of blood and fire,
284 although they do not have regeneration in deed, they do have it in desire. Otherwise neither
285 would the baptism of blood mean anything nor could there be a baptism of the Spirit.
286 Consequently, in order that man may enter the kingdom of heaven, it is necessary that there
287 be a baptism of water in deed, as in the case of all baptized persons, or in desire, as in the case
288 of the martyrs and catechumens, who are prevented by death from fulfilling their desire, or in
289 symbol, as in the case of the fathers of old.</p>
290 <p>446 It might be remarked that it was from this statement, <span style="font-weight: bold">unless one is born again of water
291 and the Holy Spirit, </span>that the Pelagians derived their error that children are baptized not in
292 order to be cleansed from sin, since they have none, but in order to be able to enter the
293 kingdom of God. But this is false, because as Augustine says in his book, <i>The Baptism of
294 Children, </i>it is not fitting for an image of God, namely, man, to be excluded from the kingdom
295 of God except for some obstacle, which can be nothing but sin. Therefore, there must be
296 some sin, namely, original sin, in children who are excluded from the kingdom.</p>
297 <p>447 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">What is born of flesh is itself flesh, </span>he proves by reason that it is
298 necessary to be born of water and the Holy Spirit. And the reasoning is this: No one can reach
299 the kingdom unless he is made spiritual; but no one is made spiritual except by the Holy
300 Spirit; therefore, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again of the Holy
301 Spirit.</p>
302 <p>So he says, what is born of flesh (<i>ex carne</i>) is itself flesh, i.e., birth according to the flesh
303 makes one be born into the life of the flesh: &#8220;The first man was from the earth, earthly&#8221; (1
304 Cor 15:47); <span style="font-weight: bold">and what is born of Spirit </span>(<i>ex Spiritu</i>) , i.e., from the power of the Holy Spirit,
305 <span style="font-weight: bold">is itself spirit, </span>i.e., spiritual.</p>
306 <p>448 Note, however, that this preposition <i>ex </i>(from, of, by) sometines designates a material
307 cause, as when I say: &#8220;A knife is made of (<i>ex</i>)<i> </i>iron&#8221;; sometimes it designates an efficient
308 cause, as when I say: &#8220;The house was built by (<i>ex</i>)<i> </i>a carpenter.&#8221; Accordingly, the phrase,
309 <span style="font-weight: bold">what is born of </span>(<i>ex</i>)<i> </i>flesh is itself flesh, can be understood according to either efficient or
310 material causality. As efficient cause, indeed, because a power existing in flesh is productive
311 of generation; and as material cause, because some camal element in animals makes up the
312 animal generated. But nothing is said to be made out of spirit (<i>ex spiritu</i>)<i> </i>in a material sense,
313 since spirit is unchangeable, whereas matter is the subject of change; but it is said in the sense
314 of efficient causality.</p>
315 <p>According to this, we can discern a threefold generation. One is materially and effectively
316 from (<i>ex</i>)<i> </i>the flesh, and is common to all who exist according to the flesh. Another is
317 according to the Spirit effectively, and according to it we are reborn as sons of God through
318 the grace of the Holy Spirit, and are made spiritual. The third is midway, that is, only
319 materially from the flesh but effectively from the Holy Spirit. And this is true in the singular
320 case of Christ: because he was born deriving his flesh materially from the flesh of his mother,
321 but effectively from the Holy Spirit: &#8220;What she has conceived is of the Holy Spirit&#8221; (Mt
322 1:20). Therefore, he was born holy: &#8220;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
323 the Most High will overshadow you. And so the Holy One who will be born from you, will be
324 called the Son of God&#8221; (Lk 1:35).</p>
325 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
326 <CENTER><p><B>LECTURE 2</B></p></CENTER>
327 <BLOCKQUOTE><p style="margin-left: 0.5in">7 &#8220;Do not be surprised that I said to you,<BR>
328 you must be born again.<BR>
329 8 The wind blows where it wills,<BR>
330 and you hear its sound, but you do not know<BR>
331 where it comes from or where it goes.<BR>
332 So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.&#8221;</p>
333 <p>9 &#8220;How can all this happen?&#8221; asked Nicodemus. 10 Jesus replied: &#8220;You are a teacher in Israel
334 and you do not know these things?
335 <P style="margin-left: 0.5in">11 &#8220;Amen, amen I say to you,<BR>
336 that we know of what we speak,<BR>
337 and we bear witness of what we see;<BR>
338 but you do not accept our testimony.<BR>
339 12 If I spoke of earthly things,<BR>
340 and you did not believe me,<BR>
341 how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?<BR>
342 13 No one has gone up to heaven<BR>
343 except the One who came down from heaven,<BR>
344 the Son of Man, who lives in heaven.<BR>
345 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,<BR>
346 so must the Son of Man be lifted up,<BR>
347 15 so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost,<BR>
348 but have eternal life.&#8221;</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
349 <p>449 Above, in his instruction on spiritual generation, the Lord presented a reason; here he
350 gives an example. For we are led to see that Nicodemus was troubled when he heard that
351 <span style="font-weight: bold">what is born of Spirit is itself spirit. </span>And so the Lord says to him, <span style="font-weight: bold">Do not be surprised that
352 I said to you, you must be born again.</span></p>
353 <p>Here we should note that there are two kinds of surprise or astonishment. One is the
354 astonishment of devotion in the sense that someone, considering the great things of God, sees
355 that they are incomprehensible to him; and so he is full of astonishment: &#8220;The Lord on high is
356 wonderful&#8221; (Ps 92:4), &#8220;Your testimonies are wonderful&#8221; (Ps 118:129). Men are to be
357 encouraged, not discouraged, to this kind of astonishment The other is the astonishment of
358 disbelief, when someone does not believe what is said. So Matthew (13:54) says: &#8220;They were
359 astonished,&#8221; and further on adds that &#8220;They did not accept him.&#8221; It is from this kind of
360 astonishment that the Lord diverts Nicodeintis wheii he proposes an example and says: <span style="font-weight: bold">The
361 wind</span> (<i>spiritus</i>, wind, spirit)<span style="font-weight: bold"> blows where it wills. </span>In the literal sense, the same words can he
362 explained in two ways.</p>
363 <p>450 In the first way, according to Chrysostom, spiritus is taken for the wind, as in Psalm 148
364 (v 8): &#8220;The winds of the storm that fulfill his word.&#8221; According to this interpretation, he says
365 four things about the wind. First, the power of the wind, when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the wind blows
366 where it wills. </span>And if you say that the wind has no will, one may answer that &#8220;will&#8221; is taken
367 for a natural appetite, which is nothing more than a natural inclination, about which it is said:
368 &#8220;He created the weight of the wind&#8221; (Jb 28:25). Secondly, he tells the evidence for the wind,
369 when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">and you hear its sound, </span>where &#8220;sound&#8221; (<i>vox</i>, voice, sound) refers to the sound
370 the wind makes when it strikes a body. Of this we read: &#8220;The sound (<i>vox</i>) of your thunder was
371 in the whirlwind&#8221; (Ps 76:19).</p>
372 <p>Thirdly, he mentions the origin of the wind, which is unknown; so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">but you do not
373 know where it comes from, </span>i.e., from where it starts: &#8220;He brings forth the winds out of his
374 storehouse&#8221; (Ps 134:7). Fourthly, he mentions the wind&#8217;s destination, which is also unknown;
375 so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">or where it goes</span> you do not know, i.e., where it remains.</p>
376 <p>And he applies this similarity to the subject under discussion, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">So it is with everyone
377 who is born of the Spirit. </span>As if to say: If the wind, which is corporeal, has an origin which is
378 hidden and a course that is unknown, why are you surprised if you cannot understand the
379 course of spiritual regeneration.</p>
380 <p>451 Augustine objects to this explanation and says that the Lord was not speaking here about
381 the wind, for we know where each of the winds comes from and where it goes. For &#8220;Auster&#8221;
382 comes from the south and goes to the north; &#8220;Boreas&#8221; comes from the north and goes to the
383 south. Why, then, does the Lord say of this wind, you do not know where it comes from or
384 where it goes?</p>
385 <p>One may answer that there are two ways in which the source of the wind might be unknown.
386 In one way, in general: and in this way it is possible to know where it comes from, i.e., from
387 which direction of the world, for example, that Auster comes from the south, and where it
388 goes, that is, to the north. In another way, in particular: and in this sense it is not known
389 where the wind comes from, i.e., at which precise place it originated, or where it goes, i.e.,
390 exactly where it stops. And almost all the Greek doctors agree with this exposition of
391 Chrysostom.</p>
392 <p>452 In another way, <i>spiritus</i> is taken for the Holy Spirit. And according to this, he mentions
393 four things about the Holy Spirit. First, his power, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">The Spirit blows where it wills,
394 </span>because it is by the free use of his power that he breathes where he wills and when he wills,
395 by instructing hearts: &#8220;One and the same Spirit does all these things, distributing to each as he
396 wills&#8221; (1 Cor 12:11). This refutes the error of Macedonius who thought that the Holy Spirit
397 was the minister of the Father and the Son. But then he would not be breathing where he
398 willed, but where he was commanded.</p>
399 <p>453 Secondly, he mentions the evidence for the Holy Spirit, when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">and you hear its
400 voice: </span>&#8220;Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts&#8221; (Ps 94:8).</p>
401 <p>Chrysostom objects to this and says that this cannot pertain to the Holy Spirit. For the Lord
402 was speaking to Nicodemus, who was still an unbeliever, and thus not fit to hear the voice of
403 the Holy Spirit. We may answer to this, with Augustine, that there is a twofold voice of the
404 Holy Spirit. One is that by which he speaks inwardly in man&#8217;s heart; and only believers and
405 the saints hear this voice, about which the Psalm (84:9) says: &#8220;I will hear what the Lord God
406 says within me.&#8221; The other voice is that by which the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures or
407 through those who preach, according to Matthew (10:20): &#8220;For it is not you who speak, but
408 the Holy Splirit who is speaking through you.&#8221; And this voice is heard by unbelievers and
409 sinners.</p>
410 <p>454 Thirdly, he refers to the origin of the Holy Spirit, which is hidden; thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">but you
411 do not know where it comes from, </span>although you may hear its voice. And this is because the
412 Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son: &#8220;When the Paraclete comes, whom I will
413 send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father&#8221; (below 15:26).
414 But the Father and the Son &#8220;dwell in inaccessible light, whom no man has seen or is able to
415 see&#8221; (1 Tim 6:16).</p>
416 <p>455 Fourthly, he gives the destination of the Holy Spirit, which is also hidden; and so he says,
417 you do not know where it goes, because the Spirit leads one to a hidden end, that is, eternal
418 happiness. Thus it says in Ephesians (1:14) that the Holy Spirit is &#8220;the pledge of our
419 inheritance.&#8221; And again, &#8220;The eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, nor has the heart of
420 man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him&#8221; (1 Cor 2:9).</p>
421 <p>Or, <span style="font-weight: bold">you do not know where it comes from, </span>i.e., how the Spirit enters into a person, <span style="font-weight: bold">or
422 where it goes, </span>i.e., to what perfection he may lead him: &#8220;If he comes toward me, I will not
423 see him&#8221; (Jb 9:11).</p>
424 <p>456 <span style="font-weight: bold">So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit, </span>i.e., they are like the Holy Spirit. And
425 no wonder: for as he had said before, &#8220;What is born of Spirit is itself spirit,&#8221; because the
426 qualities of the Holy Spirit are present in the spiritual man, just as the qualities of fire are
427 present in burning coal.</p>
428 <p>Therefore, the above four qualities of the Holy Spirit are found in one who has been born of
429 the Holy Spirit. First of all, he has freedom: &#8220;Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
430 freedom&#8221; (2 Cor 3:17), for the Holy Spirit leads us to what is right: &#8220;Your good Spirit will
431 lead me to the right path&#8221; (Ps 142:10); and he frees us from the slavery of sin and of the law:
432 &#8220;The law of the Spirit, of life in Christ, has set me free&#8221; (Rom 8:2). Secondly, we get an
433 indication of him through the sound of his words; and when we hear them we know his
434 spirituality, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.</p>
435 <p>Thirdly, he has an origin and an end that are hidden, because no one can judge one who is
436 spiritual: &#8220;The spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one&#8221; (1 Cor
437 2:15). Or, we do not know where such a person comes from, i.e., the source of his spiritual
438 birth, which is baptismal grace; or where he goes, i.e., of what he is made worthy, that is, of
439 eternal life, which remains concealed from us.</p>
440 <p>457 Then the cause and reason for spiritual regeneration are set forth. First, a question is
441 asked by Nicodemus; secondly, the Lord&#8217;s answer is given (v 10).</p>
442 <p>458 It is apparent from the first that Nicodemus, as yet dull, and remaining a Jew on the level
443 of sense, was unable to understand the mysteries of Christ in spite of the examples and
444 explanations that were given. And so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">How can all this happen?</span></p>
445 <p>There are two reasons why one may question about something. Some question because of
446 disbelief, as did Zechariah, saying: &#8220;How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife
447 is advanced in age&#8221; (Lk 1:18); &#8220;He confounds those who search into mysteries&#8221; (Is 40:23).
448 Others, on the other hand, question because of a desire to know, as the Blessed Virgin did
449 when she said to the angel: &#8220;How shall this be, since I do not know man?&#8221; (Lk 1:34). It is the
450 latter who are instructed. And so, because Nicodemus asked from a desire to learn, he
451 deserved to be instructed.</p>
452 <p>459 And this is what follows: <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus replied. </span>First the Lord chides him for his slowness.
453 Secondly, he answers his question (v 13).</p>
454 <p>460 He chides him for his slowness, basing himself on three things. First, the condition of the
455 person to whom he is speaking, when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You are a teacher in Israel. </span>And here the
456 Lord did not chide him to insult him. Rather, because Nicodemus, presuming on his own
457 knowledge, was still relying on his status as a teacher, the Lord wished to make him a temple
458 of the Holy Spirit by humbling him: &#8220;For whom will I have regard? For he who is humble and
459 of contrite spirit&#8221; (Is 66:2). And he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You are a teacher, </span>because it is tolerable if a simple
460 person cannot grasp profound truths, but in a teacher, it deserves rebuke. And so he says, You
461 are a teacher, i.e., of the letter that kills (2 Cor 3:6), <span style="font-weight: bold">and you do not know these things? </span>i.e.,
462 spiritual things. &#8220;For although you ought to be teachers by now, you yourselves need to be
463 taught again&#8221; (Heb 5:12).</p>
464 <p>461 You might say that the Lord would have rebuked Nicodemus justly if he had spoken to
465 him about matters of the Old Law and he did not understand them; but he spoke to him about
466 the New Law. I answer that the things which the Lord says of spiritual generation are
467 contained in the Old Law, although under a figure, as is said in 1 Corinthians (10:2): &#8220;All
468 were baptized into Moses, in the cloud and in the sea.&#8221; And the prophets also said this: &#8220;I will
469 pour clean water upon you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness&#8221; (Ez 36:25).</p>
470 <p>462 Secondly, he rebukes him for his slowness on account of the character of the person who
471 is speaking. For it is tolerable if one does not acquiesce to the statements of an ignorant
472 person; but it is reprehensible to reject the statements of a man who is wise and who
473 possesses great authority. And so he says, Amen, amen I say to you, that we <span style="font-weight: bold">know of what
474 we speak, and we bear witness of what we see. </span>For a qualified witness must base his
475 testimony on hearing or sight: &#8220;What we have seen and heard&#8221; (1 Jn 1:3). And so the Lord
476 mentions both: <span style="font-weight: bold">we know of what we speak, and we bear witness of what </span>we see. Indeed,
477 the Lord as man knows all things: &#8220;Lord, you know all things&#8221; (below 21:17); &#8220;The Lord,
478 whose knowledge is holy, knows clearly&#8221; (2 Mc 6:30). Further, he sees all things by his
479 divine knowledge: &#8220;I speak of what I have seen with my Father,&#8221; as we read below (8:38).</p>
480 <p>He speaks in the plural, we know, we see, in order to suggest the mystery of the Trinity: &#8220;The
481 Father, who dwells in me, he does the works&#8221; (below 14:10). Or, we know, i.e., I, and others
482 who have been made spiritual, because &#8220;No one knows the Father but the Son, and he to
483 whom the Son wishes to reveal him&#8221; (Mt 11:27).</p>
484 <p><span style="font-weight: bold">But you do not accept our testimony, </span>so approved, so solid. &#8220;And his testimony no one
485 accepts (below 3:32).</p>
486 <p>463 Thirdly, he rebukes him for his slowness because of the quality of the things under
487 discussion. For it is not unusual when someone does not grasp difficult matters, but it is
488 inexcusable not to grasp easy things. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">If I spoke of earthly things, and you did
489 not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? </span>As if to say: If you do not
490 grasp these easy things, how will you be able to understand the progress of the Holy Spirit?
491 &#8220;What is on earth we find difficult, and who will search Out the things in heaven,&#8221; as is said
492 in Wisdom (9:10).</p>
493 <p>464 But one might object that the above does not show that the Lord spoke of earthly things
494 to Nicodemus. I answer, according to Chrysostom, that the Lord&#8217;s statement, <span style="font-weight: bold">If I spoke of
495 earthly things, </span>refers to the example of the wind. For the wind, being something which is
496 generable and corruptible, is regarded as an earthly thing. Or one might say, again according
497 to Chrysostom, that the spiritual generation which is given in baptism is heavenly as to its
498 source, which sanctifies and regenerates; but it is earthly as to its subject, for the one
499 regenerated, man, is of the earth.</p>
500 <p>Or one might answer, according to Augustine, that we must understand this in reference to
501 what Christ said earlier: &#8220;Destroy this temple,&#8221; which is earthly, because he said this about
502 the temple of his body, which he had taken from the earth.</p>
503 <p><span style="font-weight: bold">If I spoke of earthly things, and you did not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of
504 heavenly things? </span>As if to say: If you do not believe in a spiritual generation occurring in
505 time, how will you believe in the eternal generation of the Son? Or, if you do not believe
506 what I tell you about the power of my body, how will you believe what I tell you about the
507 power of my divinity and about the power of the Holy Spirit?</p>
508 <p>465 <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus replied. </span>Here he answers the question. First, he lays down the causes of spiritual
509 regeneration. Secondly, he explains what he says (3:16). Now there are two causes of spiritual
510 regeneration, namely, the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, and his passion. So first, he
511 treats of the incarnation; secondly, of the passion (3:14).</p>
512 <p>466 Here we should consider, first of all, how this answer of Christ is an adequa~,e reply to
513 the question of Nicodemus. For above, when the Lord was speaking of the Spirit, he said: <span style="font-weight: bold">you
514 do not know where it comes from or where it </span>goes. We understand by this that spiritual
515 regeneration has a hidden source and a hidden end. Now the things in heaven are hidden from
516 us: &#8220;Who will search out the things in heaven?&#8221; (Wis 9:16). Therefore, the sense of
517 Nicodemus&#8217; question, <span style="font-weight: bold">How can all this happen? </span>is this: How can something come from the
518 secret things of heaven or go to the secret things of heaven? So before answering, the Lord
519 expressed this interpretation of the question, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">how will you believe if I tell you of
520 heavenly things?</span></p>
521 <p>And immediately he begins to show whose prerogative it is to ascend into heaven, namely,
522 anyone who came down from heaven, according to the statement of Ephesians (4:10): &#8220;He
523 who descended is he who ascended.&#8221; This is verified even in natural things, namely, that each
524 body tends to a place according to its origin or nature. And so in this way it can come about
525 that someone, through the Spirit, may go to a place which carnal persons do not know, i.e., by
526 ascending into heaven, if this is done through the power of one who descended from heaven:
527 because he descended in order that, in ascending, he might open a way for us: &#8220;He ascends,
528 opening the way before them&#8221; (Mi 2:13).</p>
529 <p>467 Some have fallen into error because of his saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">the One who came down from
530 heaven, the Son of Man. </span>For since Son of Man designates human nature, which is composed
531 of soul and body, then because he says that the Son descended from heaven, Valentinus
532 wanted to maintain that he even took his body from heaven and thus passed through the
533 Virgin without receiving anything from her, as water passes through a pipe; so that his body
534 was neither of an earthly substance nor taken from the Virgin. But this is contrary to the
535 statement of the Apostle, writing to the Romans (1:3): &#8220;who was made from the seed of
536 David according to the flesh.&#8221;</p>
537 <p>On the other hand, Origen said that he descended from heaven as to his soul, which, he says,
538 had been created along with the angels from the very beginning, and that later this soul
539 descended from heaven and took flesh from the Virgin. But this also conflicts with the
540 Catholic faith, which teaches that souls do not exist before their bodies.</p>
541 <p>468 Therefore, we should not understand that the Son of Man descended from heaven
542 according to his human nature, but only according to his divine nature. For since in Christ
543 there is one <i>suppositum</i>, or hypostasis, or person of the two natures, the divine and human
544 natures, then no matter from which of these two natures this <i>suppositum</i> is named, divine and
545 human things can be attributed to him. For we can say that the Son of Man created the stars
546 and that the Son of God was crucified. But the Son of God was crucified, not according to his
547 divine nature, but according to his human nature; and the Son of Man created the stars
548 according to his divine nature. And so in things that are said of Christ, the distinction is not to
549 be taken with respect to that about which they are said, because divine and human things are
550 said of God and man indifferently; but a distinction must be made with respect to that
551 according to which they are said, because divine things are said of Christ according to his
552 divine nature, but human things according to his human nature. Thus, to descend from heaven
553 is said of the Son of Man, not according to his human nature, but according to his divine
554 nature, according to which it was appropriate to him to have been from heaven before the
555 incarnation, as is said, &#8220;Heaven belongs to the Lord&#8221; (Ps 113:16).</p>
556 <p>469 he is said to have come down, but not by local motion, becatise then he Would not have
557 remained in heaven; for nothing which moves locally remains in the place from which it
558 comes down. And so to exclude local motion, he adds, <span style="font-weight: bold">who lives in heaven. </span>As if to say: He
559 descended from heaven in such a way as yet to be in heaven. For he came down from heaven
560 without ceasing to be above, yet assuming a nature which is from below. And because he is
561 not enclosed or held fast by his body which exists on earth, he was, according to his divinity,
562 in heaven and everywhere. And therefore to indicate that he is said to have come down in this
563 way, because he assumed a [human] nature, he said, <span style="font-weight: bold">the Son of Man </span>came down, i.e., insofar
564 as he became Son of Man.</p>
565 <p>470 Or it can be said, as Hilary does, that he came down from heaven as to his body: not that
566 the material of Christ&#8217;s body came down from heaven, but that the power which formed it
567 was from heaven.</p>
568 <p>471 But why does he say, <span style="font-weight: bold">No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who lives
569 in heaven? </span>For have not Paul and Peter and the other saints gone up, according to 2
570 Corinthians (5:1): &#8220;We have a house in the heavens.&#8221; I answer that no one goes up into
571 heaven except Christ and his members, i.e., those believers who are just. Accordingly, the
572 Son of God came down from heaven in order that, by making us his members, he might
573 prepare us to ascend into heaven: now, indeed, in hope, but later in reality. &#8220;He has raised us
574 up, and has given us a place in heaven in Christ Jesus&#8221; (Eph 2:6).</p>
575 <p>472 Here he mentions the mystery of the passion, in virtue of which baptism has its efficacy:
576 &#8220;We who have been baptized into Christ Jesus, have been baptized into his death&#8221; (Rom 6:3).
577 And with regard to this he does three things. First, he gives a symbol for the passion.
578 Secondly, the manner of the passion. Thirdly, the fruit of the passion.</p>
579 <p>473 He takes the symbol from the old law, in order to adapt to the understanding of
580 Nicodemus; so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert. </span>This refers to
581 Numbers (21:5) when the Lord, faced with the Jewish people saying, &#8220;We are sick of this
582 useless food,&#8221; sent serpents to punish them; and when the people came to Moses and he
583 interceded with the Lord, the Lord commanded that for a remedy they make a serpent of
584 bronze; and this was to serve both as a remedy against those serpents and as a symbol of the
585 Lord&#8217;s passion. Hence it says that this bronze serpent was lifted up as a sign (Nm 21:9).</p>
586 <p>Now it is characteristic of serpents that they are poisonous, but not so the serpent of bronze,
587 although it was a symbol of a poisonous serpent. So, too, Christ did not have sin, which is
588 also a poison: &#8220;Sin, when it is fully developed, brings forth death&#8221; (Jas 1:15); but he had the
589 likeness of sin: &#8220;God sent his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh&#8221; (Rom 8:3). And thus
590 Christ had the effect of the serpent against the insurgence of inflamed concupiscences.</p>
591 <p>474 He shows the manner of the passion when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">so must the Son of Man be lifted
592 up: </span>and this refers to the lifting up of the cross. So below (12:34) when it says, &#8220;The Son of
593 Man must be lifted up,&#8221; it also has, &#8220;He said this to indicate the manner of his death.&#8221;</p>
594 <p>He willed to die lifted up, first of all, to cleanse the heavens: for since he had cleansed the
595 things on earth by the sanctity of his life, the things of the air were left to be cleansed by his
596 death: &#8220;through him he should reconcile all things to himself, whether on earth or in the
597 heavens, making peace through his blood&#8221; (Col 1:20). Secondly, to triumph over the demons
598 who prepare for war in the air: &#8220;the prince of the power of the air&#8221; (Eph 2:2). Thirdly, he
599 wished to die lifted up to draw our hearts to himself: &#8220;I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will
600 draw all to myself&#8221; (below 12:32). And fourthly, because in the death of the cross he was
601 lifted up in the sense that there he triumphed over his enemies; so it is not called a death, but
602 a lifting up: &#8220;He will drink from the stream on the way, therefore he will lift up his head&#8221; (Ps
603 109:7). Fifthly, he willed to die lifted up because the cross was the reason for his being lifted
604 up, i.e., exalted: &#8220;He became obedient to the Father even to death, the death of the cross; on
605 account of which God has exalted him&#8221; (Phil 2:8).</p>
606 <p>475 Now the fruit of Christ&#8217;s passion is eternal life; hence he says, so <span style="font-weight: bold">that everyone who
607 believes in him, </span>performing good works, <span style="font-weight: bold">may not be lost, but have eternal life. </span>And this
608 fruit corresponds to the fruit of the symbolic serpent. For whoever looked upon the serpent of
609 bronze was freed from poison and his life was preserved. But he who looks upon the lifted up
610 Son of Man, and believes in the crucified Christ, he is freed from poison and sin: &#8220;Whoever
611 believes in me will never die&#8221; (below 11:26), and is preserved for eternal life. &#8220;These things
612 are written that you may believe ... and that believing you may have life in his name&#8221; (below
613 20:3 1).</p>
614 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
615 <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 3</span></p>
616 <BLOCKQUOTE><p style="margin-left: 0.5in">16 &#8220;For God so loved the world
617 <BR>that he gave his Only Begotten Son,
618 <BR>so that whoever believes in him should not perish,
619 <BR>but have eternal life.
620 <BR>17 God did not send his Son into the world
621 <br>to judge the world,
622 <br>but that the world might he saved through him.
623 <br>18 Whoever believes in him is not judged;
624 <br>but whoever does not believe is already judged,
625 <br>since he does not believe in the name of the
626 <br>Only Begotten Son of God.
627 <br>19 The judgment of condemnation is this:
628 <br>the light came into the world,
629 <br>and men loved darkness more than the light,
630 <br>because their deeds were evil.
631 <br>20 Everyone who practices evil hates the light,
632 <br>and does not approach the light
633 <br>for fear that his deeds might be exposed.
634 <br>21 But everyone who practices the truth
635 <br>comes to the light,
636 <BR>to make clear that his deeds are done in God.&#8221;</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
637 <p>476 Above, the Lord assigned as the cause of spiritual regeneration the coming down of the
638 Son and the lifting up of the Son of Man; and he set forth its fruit, which is eternal life. But
639 this fruit seemed unbelievable to men laboring under the necessity of dying. And so now the
640 Lord explains this. First, he proves the greatness of the fruit from the greatness of God&#8217;s love.
641 Secondly, he rejects a certain reply (v 17).</p>
642 <p>477 Here we should note that the cause of all our good is the Lord and divine love. For to
643 love is, properly speaking, to will good to someone. Therefore, since the will of God is the
644 cause of things, good comes to us because God loves us. And God&#8217;s love is the cause of the
645 good of nature: &#8220;You love everything which exists&#8221; (Wis 11:2 5). It is also the cause of the
646 good which is grace: &#8220;I have loved you with an. everlasting love, and so I have drawn you&#8221;
647 i.e., through grace (Jer 3 1:3). But it is because of his great love that he gives us the good of
648 glory. So he shows us here, from four standpoints, that this love of God is the greatest.</p>
649 <p>First, from the person of the one loving, because it is God who loves, and immeasurably. So
650 he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">For God so loved: </span>&#8220;He has loved the people; all the holy ones are in his hand&#8221; (Dt
651 33:3). Secondly, from the condition of the one who is loved, because it is man, a bodily
652 creature of the world, i.e., existing in sin: &#8220;God shows his love for us, because while we were
653 still his enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son&#8221; (Rom 5:8). Thus he
654 says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the world. </span>Thirdly, from the greatness of his gifts, for love is shown by a gift; as
655 Gregory says: &#8220;The proof of love is given by action.&#8221; But God has given us the greatest of
656 gifts, his Only Begotten Son, and so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">that he gave his Only Begotten Son. </span>&#8220;God did
657 not spare his own Soil, but delivered him up for all of us&#8221; (Rom 8:32).</p>
658 <p>He says his Son, i.e., his natural Son, consubstantial, not an adopted son, i.e., not those sons
659 of which the Psalmist says: &#8220;I said: You are gods&#8221; (Ps 81:6). This shows that the opinion of
660 Arius is false: for if the Son of God were a creature, as he said, the immensity of God&#8217;s love
661 through the taking on of infinite goodness, which no creature can receive, could not have
662 been revealed in him. He further says <span style="font-weight: bold">Only Begotten, </span>to show that God does not have a love
663 divided among many sons, but all of it is for that Son whom he gave to prove the immensity
664 of his love: &#8220;For the Father loves the Son, and shows him everything that he does&#8221; (below
665 5:20).</p>
666 <p>Fourthly, from the greatness of its fruit, because through him we have eternal life. Hence he
667 says, <span style="font-weight: bold">so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life, </span>which he
668 obtained for us through the death of the cross.</p>
669 <p>478 But did God give his Son with the intention that he should die on the cross? He did
670 indeed give him for the death of the cross inasmuch as he gave him the will to suffer on it.
671 And he did this in two ways. First, because as the Son of God he willed from eternity to
672 assume flesh and to suffer for us; and this will he had from the Father. Secondly, because the
673 will to suffer was infused into the soul of Christ by God.</p>
674 <p>479 Note that above, when the Lord was speaking about the coming down which belongs to
675 Christ according to his divinity, he called him the Son of God; and this because of the one
676 <i>suppositum</i> of the two natures, as was explained above. And so divine things can be said
677 about the <i>suppositum</i> of the human nature, and human things can be said about the
678 <i>suppositum</i> of the divine nature, but not with reference to the same nature. Rather, divine
679 things are said with reference to the divine nature, and human things with reference to the
680 human nature. Now the specific reason why he here calls him the Son of God is that he set
681 forth that gift as a sign of the divine love, through which the fruit of eternal life comes to us.
682 And so, he should have been called by that name which indicates the power that produces
683 eternal life; and this power is not in Christ as Son of Man but as Son of God: &#8220;This is the true
684 God and eternal life,&#8221; as we read in 1 John (5:20); &#8220;In him was life&#8221; (above 1:4).</p>
685 <p>480 Note also that he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">should not perish. </span>Someone is said to be perishing when he is
686 hindered from arriving at the end to which he is ordained. But the end to which man is
687 ordained is eternal life, and as long as he sins, he turns himself from that end. And although
688 while he is living he cannot entirely perish in the sense that he cannot be restored, yet when
689 he dies in sin, then he entirely perishes: &#8220;The way of the wicked will perish&#8221; (Ps 1:7).</p>
690 <p>He indicates the immensity of God&#8217;s love in saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">have eternal life: </span>for by giving eternal
691 life, he gives himself. For eternal life is nothing else than enjoying God. But to give oneself is
692 a sign of great love: &#8220;But God, who is rich in mercy, has brought us to life in Christ&#8221; (Eph
693 2:5), i.e., he gave us eternal life.</p>
694 <p>481 Here the Lord excludes an objection that might be made. For in the old law it was
695 promised that the Lord would come to judge: &#8220;The Lord will come to judge&#8221; (Is 3:14). So
696 someone might say that the Son of God had not come to give eternal life but in order to judge
697 the world. The Lord rejects this. First, he shows that he has not come to judge. Secondly, he
698 proves it (v 18).</p>
699 <p>482 So he says: The Son of God has not come to judge, because <span style="font-weight: bold">God did not send his Son,
700 </span>referring to his first coming, <span style="font-weight: bold">into the world to judge the world, but that the world might
701 be saved through him. </span>The same thing is found below (12:47): &#8220;I did not come to judge the
702 world, but to save the world.&#8221;</p>
703 <p>Now man&#8217;s salvation is to attain to God: &#8220;My salvation is in God&#8221; (Ps 61:8). And to attain to
704 God is to obtain eternal life; hence to be saved is the same as to have eternal life. However,
705 because the Lord says, &#8220;I did not come to judge the world,&#8221; men should not be lazy or abuse
706 God&#8217;s mercy, or give themselves over to sin: because although in his first coming he did not
707 come to judge but to forgive, yet in his second coming, as Chrysostom says, he will come to
708 judge but not to forgive. &#8220;At the appointed time I will judge with rigor&#8221; (Ps 74:3).</p>
709 <p>483 However, this seems to conflict with what is said below (9:39): &#8220;1 came into this world
710 to judge.&#8221; I answer that there are two kinds of judgment. One is the judgment of distinction,
711 and the Son has come for this in his first coming; because with his coming men are
712 distinguished, some by blindness and some by the light of grace. The other is the judgment of
713 condemnation; and he did not come for this as such.</p>
714 <p>484 Now he proves what he had said, as though by a process of elimination, in the following
715 way: Whoever will be judged will be either a believer or an unbeliever. But I have not come
716 to judge unbelievers, because they are already judged. Therefore, from the outset, God did not
717 send his Son to judge the world. So first he shows that believers are not judged. Secondly,
718 that unbelievers are notjudged (v 18).</p>
719 <p>485 He says therefore: I have not come to judge the world: because he did not come to judge
720 believers, for <span style="font-weight: bold">Whoever believes in him is not judged, </span>with the judgment of condemnation,
721 with which no one who believes in him with faith informed by love is judged: &#8220;Whoever
722 believes ... will not encounter judgment, but will pass from death to life&#8221; (below 5:24). But he
723 is judged with the judgment of reward and approval, of which the Apostle says: &#8220;It is the Lord
724 who judges me&#8221; (1 Cor 4:4).</p>
725 <p>486 But will there be many believing sinners who will not be damned? I reply that some
726 heretics [e.g., Origen] have said that no believer, however great a sinner he may be, will be
727 damned, but he will be saved by reason of his foundation of salvation, namely, his faith,
728 although he may suffer some [temporary] punishment. They take as the basis of their error the
729 statement of the Apostle: &#8220;No one can lay a foundation other that the one that has been laid,
730 that is, Jesus Christ&#8221; (1 Cor 3:11); and further on: &#8220;If a man&#8217;s building burns ... he himself
731 will be saved as one fleeing through fire&#8221; (3:15).</p>
732 <p>But this view is clearly contrary to what the Apostle says in Galatians (5:1): &#8220;It is obvious
733 what proceeds from the flesh: lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness ... Those who do such
734 things will not inherit the kingdom of God.&#8221; Therefore we must say that the foundation of
735 salvation is not faith without charity (unformed faith), but faith informed by charity.
736 Significantly therefore the Lord did not say, &#8220;whoever believes him,&#8221; but <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever believes
737 in him, </span>that is, whoever by believing tends toward him through love <span style="font-weight: bold">is not judged, </span>because
738 he does not sin mortally, thereby removing the foundation.</p>
739 <p>Or one could say, following Chrysostom, that everyone who acts sinfully is not a believer:
740 &#8220;They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions&#8221; (Ti 1:16); but only one who
741 acts worthily: &#8220;Show me your faith by your works&#8221; (Jas 2:18). It is only such a one who is not
742 judged and not condemned for unbelief.</p>
743 <p>487 Here [the Lord] shows that unbelievers are not judged. First he makes the statement;
744 secondly, he explains it (v 19).</p>
745 <p>488 Concerning the first we should note, according to Augustine, that Christ does not say,
746 &#8220;whoever does not believe is judged,&#8221; but rather <span style="font-weight: bold">is not judged. </span>This can be explained in three
747 ways. For, according to Augustine, whoever does not believe is not judged, because he is
748 already judged, not in fact, but in God&#8217;s foreknowledge, that is, it is already known to God
749 that he will be condemned: &#8220;The Lord knows who are his&#8221; (2 Tim 2:19). In another way:
750 according to Chrysostom, <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever does not believe is already judged, </span>that is, the very fact
751 that he does not believe is for him a condemnation: for not to believe is not to adhere to the
752 light&#8212;which is to live in darkness, and this is a momentous condemnation: &#8220;All were bound
753 with one chain of darkness&#8221; (Wis 17:17). &#8220;What kind ofjoy can I have, I who sit in darkness
754 and do not see the light of heaven?&#8221; (Tb 5:12). In a third way: also according to Chrysostom,
755 <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever does not believe is not judged, </span>that is, being already condemned, he displays the
756 obvious reason for his condemnation. This is like saying that a person who is proven guilty of
757 death is already dead, even before the sentence of death has been passed on him, because he
758 is as good as dead.</p>
759 <p>Hence Gregory says that in passing judgments there is a twofold order. Some will be
760 sentenced by a trial; such are the ones who have something not deserving of condemnation,
761 namely, the good of faith, that is, sinners who believe. But unbelievers, Whose reason for
762 condemnation is manifest, are sentenced without trial; and of these it is said, <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever does
763 not believe is already judged. </span>&#8220;In judgment the wicked will not stand&#8221; (Ps 1:6), that is, stand
764 in trial.</p>
765 <p>489 It should be noted that to be judged is the same as to be condemned; and to be
766 condemned is to be shut out from salvation, to which only one road leads, that is, the name of
767 the Son of God: &#8220;There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we are saved&#8221;
768 (Acts 4:12); &#8220;O&#8217;God, save me by your name&#8221; (Ps 53:3). Therefore, those who do not believe
769 in the Son of God are cut off from salvation, and the cause of their damnation is evident.</p>
770 <p>490 Here the Lord explains his statement that unbelievers have an evident cause for their
771 condemnation. First, he sets forth the sign which shows this. Secondly, the fittingness of this
772 sign (v 20).</p>
773 <p>491 In the sign he sets forth he does three things. First, he mentions the gift of God. Secondly,
774 the perversity of mind in unbelievers. Thirdly, the cause of this perversity.</p>
775 <p>So he says: It is abundantly clear that <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever does not believe is already judged, </span>because
776 <span style="font-weight: bold">the light came into the world. </span>For men were in the darkness of ignorance, and God
777 destroyed this darkness by sending a light into the world so that men might know the truth: &#8220;I
778 am the light of the world. He who follows me does not walk in darkness, but will have the
779 light of life&#8221; (below 8:12); &#8220;To enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of
780 death&#8221; (Lk 1:78). Now the light came into the world because men could not come to it: for
781 &#8220;He dwells in inaccessible light, whom no man has seen or is able to see&#8221; (1 Tim 6:16).</p>
782 <p>It is also clear from the perversity of mind in unbelievers who <span style="font-weight: bold">loved darkness more than the
783 light, </span>i.e., they preferred to remain in the darkness of ignorance rather than be instructed by
784 Christ: &#8220;They have rebelled against the light&#8221; (Jb 24:13); &#8220;Woe to you who substitute
785 darkness for light, and light for darkness&#8221; (Is 5:20).</p>
786 <p>And the cause of this perversity is that <span style="font-weight: bold">their deeds were evil: </span>and such deeds do not conform
787 to the light but seek the darkness: &#8220;Let us cast off the works of darkness&#8221; (Rom 13:12), i.e.,
788 sins, which seek the darkness; &#8220;Those who sleep, sleep at night&#8221; (1 Thes 5:7); &#8220;The eye of the
789 adulterer watches for the darkness,&#8221; as we read in Job (24:15). Now it is by withdrawing from
790 the light,which is unpleasant to him, that one does not believe the light.</p>
791 <p>492 But do all unbelievers produce evil works? It seems not: for many Gentiles have acted
792 with virtue; for example, Cato, and many others. I answer, with Chrysostom, that is it one
793 thing to work by reason of virtue, and another by reason of a natural aptitude or disposition.
794 For some act well because of their natural disposition, because their temperament is not
795 inclined in a contrary way. And even unbelievers can act well in this way. For example, one
796 may live chastely because he is not assailed by concupiscence; and the same for the other
797 virtues. But those who act well by reason of virtue do not depart from virute, in spite of
798 inclinations to the contrary vice, because of the rightness of their reason and the goodness of
799 their will; and this is proper to believers.</p>
800 <p>Or, one might answer that although unbelievers may have done good things, they do not do
801 them for love of virute but out of vainglory. Further, they did not do all things well; for they
802 failed to render to God the worship due him.</p>
803 <p>493 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Everyone who practices evil hates the light, </span>he shows the
804 appropriateness of the sign he used. First, with respect to those who are evil. Secondly, with
805 respect to the good.</p>
806 <p>494 So he says: The reason why they did not love the light is that their works were evil. And
807 this is plain because <span style="font-weight: bold">Everyone who practices evil hates the light. </span>He does not say,
808 &#8220;practiced,&#8221; but rather practices: because if someone has acted in an evil way, but has
809 repented and is sorry,seeing that he has done wrong, such a person does not hate the light but
810 comes to the light. But Everyone who practices evil, i.e., persists in evil, is not sorry, nor does
811 he come to the light, but he hates it; not because it reveals truth, but because it reveals a
812 person&#8217;s sins. For an evil person still wants to know the light and the truth; but he hates to be
813 unmasked by it. &#8220;If the dawn suddenly appears, they regard it as the shadow of death&#8221; Qb
814 24:17). And so he <span style="font-weight: bold">does not approach the light; </span>and this <span style="font-weight: bold">for fear that his deeds might be
815 exposed. </span>For no one who is unwilling to desert evil wants to be rebuked; this is fled from and
816 hated. &#8220;They hate the one who rebukes at the city gate&#8221; (Am 5:10); &#8220;A corrupt man does not
817 love the one who rebukes him&#8221; (Prv 15:12).</p>
818 <p>495 Now he shows the same things with respect to the good, who practice the truth, i.e.,
819 perform good works. For truth is found not only in thought and words. but also in deeds.
820 Everyone of these <span style="font-weight: bold">comes to the light.</span></p>
821 <p>But did anyone practice the truth before Christ? It seems not, for to practice the truth is not to
822 sin; and &#8220;before Christ all have sinned&#8221; (Rom 3:23). I answer, according to Augustine, that he
823 practices the truth in himself who is displeased at the evil he has done; and after leaving the
824 darkness, keeps himself from sin, and repenting of the past, <span style="font-weight: bold">comes to the light, </span>with the
825 special intention of making his actions known.</p>
826 <p>496 But this conflicts with the teaching that no one should make public the good he has done;
827 and this was a reason why the Lord rebuked the Pharisees. I answer that it is lawful to want
828 one&#8217;s works to be seen by God so that they may be approved: &#8220;It is not the one who
829 commends himself who is approved, but the one whom God commends&#8221; (2 Cor 10:18); &#8220;My
830 witness is in heaven,&#8221; as is said in Job (16:20). It is also lawful to want them to be seen by
831 one&#8217;s own conscience, so that one may rejoice: &#8220;Our glory is this: the testimony of our
832 conscience&#8221; (2 Cor 1:12). But it is reprehensible to want them to be seen by men in order to
833 be praised or for one&#8217;s own glory. Yet, holy persons desire that their good works be known to
834 men for the sake of God&#8217;s glory and for the good of the faith: &#8220;Let your light so shine before
835 men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven&#8221; (Mt 5:16). Such a
836 person <span style="font-weight: bold">comes to the light to make clear that his deeds are done in God, </span>that is, according
837 to God&#8217;s commandment or through the grace of God. For whatever good we do, whether it be
838 avoiding sin, repenting of what has been done, or doing good works, it is all from God: &#8220;You
839 have accomplished all our works&#8221; (Is 26:12).</p>
840 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
841 <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 4</span></p>
842 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>22 After this Jesus and his disciples came to Judean territory; he stayed there with his
843 disciples and was baptizing. 23 But John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where the
844 water was plentiful, and people kept coming and were baptized. 24 John, of course, had not
845 yet been thrown into prison. 25 A controversy arose between the disciples of John and the
846 Jews concerning purification. 26 They went to John and said to him, &#8220;Rabbi, the man who
847 was with you across the Jordan, the one of whom you have given testimony, he is here
848 baptizing, and all the people are flocking to him.&#8221;</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
849 <p>497 Above, the Lord gave us his teaching on spiritual regeneration in words, here he
850 completes his teaching through action, by baptizing. First, two kinds of baptism are
851 mentioned. Secondly, a question about their relationship is raised (v 25). As to the first, two
852 things are done. Mention is first made of the baptism of Christ. Secondly, of the baptism of
853 John.</p>
854 <p>498 He says first, <span style="font-weight: bold">After this, </span>i.e., the teaching on spiritual regeneration, <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus and his
855 disciples came to Judean territory. </span>There is a question here about the literal meaning. For
856 above, the Evangelist had said that the Lord had come from Galilee to Jerusalem, which is in
857 Judean territory, where he taught Nicodemus. So how, after teaching Nicodemus, can he
858 come into Judea, since he was already there?</p>
859 <p>Two answers are given to this. According to Bede, after his discussion with Nicodemus,
860 Christ went to Galilee, and after remaining there for a time, returned to Judea. And so <span style="font-weight: bold">After
861 this Jesus and his disciples came to Judean territory, </span>should not be understood to mean
862 that he came into Judea immediately after his talk with Nicodemus. Another explanation,
863 given by Chrysostom, is that he did come into the territory of Judea immediately after this
864 discussion: for Christ wanted to preach where the people gathered, so that many might be
865 converted: &#8220;I have declared your justice in the great assembly&#8221; (Ps 3 9:10); &#8220;1 have spoken
866 openly to the world&#8221; (below 18:20). Now there were two places in Judea where the Jewish
867 people gathered: Jerusalem, where they went for their feasts, and the Jordan, where they
868 gathered on account of John&#8217;s preaching and his baptism. And so the Lord used to visit both
869 places; and after the feast days were over in Jerusalem, which is in one part of Judea, he went
870 to another part, to the Jordan, where John was baptizing.</p>
871 <p>499 As for the moral sense, Judea means &#8220;confession,&#8221; to which Jesus came, for Christ visits
872 those who confess their sins or speak in praise of God: &#8220;Judea became his sanctuary&#8221; (Ps
873 113:2). He stayed there, because he did not make a merely temporary visit: &#8220;We will come to
874 him, and make our abode with him,&#8221; as it says below (14:23). <span style="font-weight: bold">And was baptizing, </span>i.e.,
875 cleansing from sin; because unless one confesses his sins he does not obtain forgiveness: &#8220;He
876 who hides his sins will not prosper&#8221; (Prv 28:13).</p>
877 <p>500 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">But John also was baptizing, </span>the Evangelist presents the baptism of
878 John. And in regard to this he does four things. First, he presents the person who is baptizing.
879 Secondly, the place of the baptism. Thirdly, its fruit. Fourthly, the time.</p>
880 <p>501 John is the person who is baptizing-, so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">John also was baptizing. </span>There is a
881 question about this: Since John&#8217;s baptism was ordained to the baptism of Christ, it seems that
882 John should have stopped baptizing when Christ started to baptize, just as the symbol does
883 not continue when the truth comes. Three reasons are given for this. The first is in relation to
884 Christ, for John baptized in order that Christ might be baptized by him. But it was not fitting
885 that John baptize just Christ; otherwise, on this point alone, it might seem that John&#8217;s baptism
886 was superior to Christ&#8217;s. Accordingly, it was expedient that John baptize others before Christ,
887 because before Christ&#8217;s teaching was to be made public it was necessary that men be prepared
888 for Christ by John&#8217;s baptism. In this way, the baptism of John is related to the baptism of
889 Christ as the catechesis or religious instruction given to prospects to teach and prepare them
890 for baptism is related to the true baptism. It was likewise important that John baptize others
891 after he had baptized Christ, so that John&#8217;s baptism would not seem to be worthless. For the
892 same reason, the practice of the ceremonies of the old law was not abolished as soon as the
893 truth came, but as Augustine says, the Jews could lawfully observe them for a time.</p>
894 <p>The second reason relates to John. For if John had stopped baptizing at once after Christ
895 began baptizing, it might have been thought that he stopped out of envy or anger. And
896 because, as the Apostle says, &#8220;We ought to look after what is good, not only before God, but
897 also before all men&#8221; (Rom 12:17), this is the reason why John did not stop at once.</p>
898 <p>The third reason relates to John&#8217;s disciples, who were already beginning to act like zealots
899 toward Christ and his disciples, because they were baptizing. So if John had entirely stopped
900 from baptizing, it would have provoked his disciples to an even greater zeal and opposition to
901 Christ and his disciples. For even while John continued baptizing, they were hostile to
902 Christ&#8217;s baptism, as later events showed. And so John did not stop at once: &#8220;Take care that
903 your freedom does not become a hindrance to those who are weak,&#8221; as is said in 1
904 Corinthians (8:9).</p>
905 <p>502 The place of his baptism was <span style="font-weight: bold">at Aenon near Salim, where the water was plentiful.
906 </span>Another name for Salim is Salem, which is the village from which the king Melchizedek
907 came. It is called Salim here because among the Jews a reader may use any vowel he chooses
908 in the middle of his words; hence it made no difference to the Jews whether it was
909 pronounced Salim or Salem. He added, <span style="font-weight: bold">where the water was plentiful, </span>to explain the name
910 of this place, i.e., <span style="font-weight: bold">Aenon, </span>which is the same as &#8220;water.&#8221;</p>
911 <p>503 The fruit of his baptism is the remission of sins; thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">people kept coming and
912 were baptized, </span>i.e., cleansed: for as is stated in Matthew (3:5) and in Luke (3:7), great
913 crowds came to John.</p>
914 <p>504 The time is indicated when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">John had not yet been thrown into prison. </span>He says
915 this so that we may know that he began his narrative of Christ&#8217;s life before the other
916 Evangelists. For the others began their account only from the time of John&#8217;s imprisonment.
917 So Matthew (4:12) says: &#8220;When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into
918 Galilee.&#8221; And so, because they had passed over the things that Christ did before John&#8217;s
919 imprisonment, John, who was the last to write a Gospel, supplied these omissions. He
920 suggests this when he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">John had not yet been thrown into prison.</span></p>
921 <p>505 Note that by divine arrangement it came about that when Christ began to baptize, John
922 did not continue his own baptizing and preaching for very long, in order not to create
923 disunion among the people. But he was granted a little time so that it would not seem that he
924 deserved to be repudiated, as was mentioned before. Again, by God&#8217;s arrangement, it came
925 about that after the faith had been preached and the faithful converted, the temple was utterly
926 destroyed, in order that all the devotion and hope of the faithful could be directed to Christ.</p>
927 <p>506 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">A controversy arose</span>, he brings in the issue of the two baptisms.
928 First, the issue is mentioned. Secondly, it is brought to John&#8217;s attention (v 26). Thirdly, the
929 issue is resolved.</p>
930 <p>507 Because both John and Christ were baptizing, the disciples of John, out of zeal for their
931 teacher, started a controversy over this. And this is what he says, A controversy arose, i.e., a
932 dispute, <span style="font-weight: bold">between the disciples of John, </span>who were the first to raise the issue, <span style="font-weight: bold">and the Jews,
933 </span>whom the disciples of John had rebuked for preferring Christ, because of the miracles he did,
934 to John, who did not do any miracles. The issue was <span style="font-weight: bold">concerning purification, </span>i.e., baptizing.
935 The cause of their envy and the reason why they started the controversy was the fact that John
936 sent those he baptized to Christ, but Christ did not send those he baptized to John. It seemed
937 from this, and perhaps the Jews even said so, that Christ was greater than John. Thus, the
938 disciples of John, having not yet become spiritual, quarreled with the Jews over the baptisms.
939 &#8220;While there is envy and fighting among you, are you not carnal?&#8221; (1 Cor 3:3).</p>
940 <p>508 They referred this issue to John; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">They went to John. </span>If we examine this
941 closely, we see that they were trying to incite John against Christ. Indeed, they are like the
942 gossip and the double-tongued: &#8220;Those who gossip and are double-tongued are accursed, for
943 they disturb many who are at peace&#8221; (Sir 28:15).</p>
944 <p>So they bring up four things calculated to set John against Christ. First, they recall the
945 previous unimportant status of Christ. Secondly, the good John did for him. Thirdly, the role
946 which Christ took on. Fourthly, the loss to John because of Christ&#8217;s new role.</p>
947 <p>509 They recall Christ&#8217;s unimportance when they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">the man who was with you, </span>as one of
948 your disciples; and not the one you were with as your teacher. For there is no good reason for
949 envy if honor is shown to one who is greater; rather, envy is aroused when honor is given to
950 an inferior: &#8220;I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves&#8221; (Ecc 10:7); &#8220;I
951 called my servant, and he did not answer me&#8221; (Jb 19:16). For a master is more disturbed at
952 the rebellion of a servant and a subject than of anyone else.</p>
953 <p>510 Secondly, they remind John of the good he did Christ. Thus they do not say, &#8220;the one
954 whom you baptized,&#8221; because they would then be admitting the greatness of Christ which was
955 shown during his baptism when the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove and in
956 the voice of the Father speaking to him. So they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">the one of whom you have given
957 testimony, </span>i.e., we are very angry that the one you made famous and admired dares to repay
958 you in this way: &#8220;The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me&#8221; (Ps 40:10). They
959 said this because those who seek their own glory and personal profit from their office become
960 dejected if their office is taken over by someone else</p>
961 <p>511 And so thirdly, they even add that Christ took over John&#8217;s office for himself, when they
962 say, <span style="font-weight: bold">he is here baptizing, </span>i.e., he is exercising your office; and this also distrubed them very
963 much. For we generally see that men of the same craft are envious and underhanded with
964 respect to one another; a potter envies another potter, but does not envy a carpenter. So, even
965 teachers, who are seeking their own honor, become sad if another teaches the truth. In
966 opposition to them, Gregory says: &#8220;The mind of a holy pastor wishes that others teach the
967 truth which he cannot teach all by himself.&#8221; So also Moses: &#8220;Would that all the people might
968 prophesy,&#8221; as we read in Numbers (11:29).</p>
969 <p>512 Yet they were not satisfied with merely disturbing John, rather they report something that
970 should really excite him, that is, the loss that John seemed to be having because of the office
971 Christ took over. They give this when they say: <span style="font-weight: bold">and all the people are flocking to him, </span>i.e.,
972 the ones who used to come to you. In other words, they have rejected and disowned you, and
973 now are all going to his baptism. It is clear from Matthew (11:7) that they used to go to John:
974 &#8220;What did you go into the desert to see?&#8221; The same envy affected the Pharisees against
975 Christ; so they said: &#8220;Look, the whole world has gone after him&#8221; (below 12:19). However, all
976 this did not set John againt Christ, for he was not a reed swaying in the wind, and this is clear
977 from John&#8217;s answer to their question.</p>
978 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
979 <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 5</span></p>
980 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>27 John replied and said:</p>
981 <p style="margin-left: 0.5in">&#8220;No one can lay hold of anything
982 <br>unless it is given to him from heaven.
983 <p>28 &#8220;You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said: I am not the Christ, but the one sent
984 before him.</p>
985 <p style="margin-left: 0.5in">>29 &#8220;It is the groom who has the bride.
986 <br>The groom&#8217;s friend waits there and listens to him,
987 <br>rejoicing at hearing his voice.
988 <br>Therefore in this case my joy is complete.
989 <br>30 He must increase,
990 <br>and I must decrease.
991 <br>31 The One who came from above
992 <br>is above all things.
993 <br>He who is of earth is earthly,
994 <br>and speaks of earthly things.
995 <br>32a The One who comes from heaven
996 <br>is above all things,
997 <br>and he testifies to what he sees,
998 <BR>and to what he hears.</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
999 <p>513 Here we have John&#8217;s answer to the question presented to him by his disciples. Their
1000 question contained two points: a complaint about the office Christ took on, and so they said,
1001 <span style="font-weight: bold">he is here baptizing; </span>and about Christ&#8217;s increasing fame and reputation among the people,
1002 and so they said, <span style="font-weight: bold">all the people are flocking to him. </span>Accordingly, John directs his answer to
1003 these two complaints. First he answers the complaint about the office Christ took on.
1004 Secondly, the complaint about Christ&#8217;s increasing reputation (v 30). As to the first he does
1005 two things. First, he shows the source of Christ&#8217;s office and of his own. Secondly, their
1006 difference (v 28). Thirdly, how Christ and he are related to these offices.</p>
1007 <p>514 As to the first, note that although John&#8217;s disciples broach their question maliciously, and
1008 so deserve to be rebuked, John nevertheless does not sharply reprove them; and this because
1009 of their imperfection. For he feared that they might be provoked by a rebuke, leave him, and,
1010 joining forces with the Pharisees, publicly harass Christ. In acting this way he was putting
1011 into practice what is said of the Lord: &#8220;The burised reed he will not break&#8221; (Is 42:3). Again,
1012 we should also note that he begins his answer not by telling them what is great and wonderful
1013 about Christ, but what is common and obvious; and he did this on account oftheir envy. For
1014 since the excellence of a person provokes others to envy, if John had stressed Christ&#8217;s
1015 excellence at once, he would have fed the fire of their envy.</p>
1016 <p>515 Thus he states something unpretentious, and says, <span style="font-weight: bold">No one can lay hold of anything
1017 unless it is given to him from heaven; </span>and he said this to them in order to inspire them with
1018 reverence. As if to say: If all men are going to him, it is God&#8217;s doing, because <span style="font-weight: bold">no one can lay
1019 hold of anything, </span>in the order of perfection and goodness, unless it is given to him from
1020 heaven. Therefore, if you oppose him, you oppose God. &#8220;If this plan or work is from men, it
1021 will fail,&#8221; as is said in Acts (5:38). This is the way Chrysostom explains it, applying these
1022 words to Christ.</p>
1023 <p>Augustine, on the other hand, does much better when he refers them to John. <span style="font-weight: bold">No one can lay
1024 hold of anything unless it is given to him from heaven: </span>as if to say: You are zealous on my
1025 behalf and you want me to be greater than Christ; but that has not been given to me, and I do
1026 not wish to usurp it: &#8220;No one takes this honor on himself&#8221; (Heb 5:4). This is the origin of
1027 their offices.</p>
1028 <p>516 Then follows the difference of their offices, when he says, You yourselves are witnesses.
1029 As if to say: From the testimony which I bore to him, you can know the office committed to
1030 me by Christ: for You yourselves are witnesses, i.e., you can testify, <span style="font-weight: bold">to the fact that I said: I
1031 am not the Christ</span>&#8212;&#8220;He declared openly and did not deny&#8221; (above 1:20)&#8212;<span style="font-weight: bold">but the one sent
1032 before him, </span>as a herald before a judge. And so from my own testimony you can know my
1033 office, which is to go before Christ and prepare the way for him: &#8220;There was a man sent by
1034 God, whose name was John&#8221; (above 1:6). But the office of Christ is to judge and to preside. If
1035 we look at this closely we can see that John, like a skilful disputant, answers them with their
1036 own arguments: &#8220;I judge you out of your own mouth,&#8221; as said in Luke (19:22).</p>
1037 <p>517 He shows how John is related to his own office when he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">It is the groom who has
1038 the bride. </span>First, he gives a simile. Secondly, he applies it to his own situation. With respect
1039 to the first he does two things. First, he gives a simile which applies to Christ; and secondly,
1040 to himself.</p>
1041 <p>518 As to the first, we should note that on the human level it is the groom who regulates,
1042 governs and has the bride. Hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">It is the groom who has the bride. </span>Now the
1043 groom is Christ: &#8220;Like a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber&#8221; (Ps 18:6). His bride is
1044 the Church, which is joined to him by faith: &#8220;I will espouse you to myself in faith&#8221; Mos 2:20).
1045 In keeping with this figure, Zipporah said to Moses: &#8220;You are a spouse of blood to me&#8221; (Ex
1046 4:25). We read of the marriage: &#8220;The marriage of the Lamb has come&#8221; (Rv 19:7). So, because
1047 Christ is the groom, he has the bride, that is, the Church; but my part is only to rejoice in the
1048 fact that he has the bride.</p>
1049 <p>519 Consequently he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The groom&#8217;s friend waits there and listens to him, rejoicing at
1050 hearing his voice. </span>Although John had said earlier that he was not worthy to unfasten the strap
1051 of Jesus&#8217; sandal, he here calls himself the friend of Jesus in order to bring out the faithfulness
1052 of his love for Christ. For a servant does not act in the spirit of love in regard to the things
1053 that pertain to his master, but in a spirit of servitude; while a friend, on the other hand, seeks
1054 his friend&#8217;s interests out of love and faithfulness. Hence a faithful servant is like a friend to
1055 his master: &#8220;If you have a faithful servant, treat him like yourself&#8221; (Sir 33:31). Indeed, it is
1056 proof of a servant&#8217;s faithfulness when he rejoices in the prosperity of his master, and when he
1057 obtains various goods, not for himself, but for his master. And so because John did not keep
1058 the bride entrusted to his care for himself, but for the groom, we can see that he was a faithful
1059 servant and a friend of the groom. It is to suggest this that he calls himself <span style="font-weight: bold">the groom&#8217;s
1060 friend.</span></p>
1061 <p>Those who are friends of the truth should act in the same way, not turning the bride entrusted
1062 to their care to their own advantage and glory, but treating her honorably for the honor and
1063 glory of the groom; otherwise they would not be friends of the groom but adulterers. This is
1064 why Gregory says that a servant who is sent by the groom with gifts for the bride is guilty of
1065 adulterous thoughts if he himself desires to please the bride. This is not what the Apostle did:
1066 &#8220;I espoused you to one husband in order to present you to Christ as a chaste virgin&#8221; (2 Cor
1067 11:2). And John did the same, because he did not keep the bride, i.e., the faithful, for himself,
1068 but brought them to the groom, that is, to Christ.</p>
1069 <p>520 And so by saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">the groom&#8217;s friend, </span>he suggests the faithfulness of his love. Further,
1070 he suggests his constancy when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">waits, </span>firm in friendship and faithfulness, not
1071 extolling himself above what he really is: &#8220;I will stand my watch&#8221; (Hb 2:1); &#8220;Be steadfast and
1072 unchanging&#8221; (1 Cor 15:58); &#8220;A faithful friend, if he is constant, is like another self&#8221; (Sir
1073 6:11).</p>
1074 <p>He suggests his attention when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">and listens to him, </span>i.e., attentively considers the way
1075 in which the groom is united to the bride. For according to Chrysostom, these words explain
1076 the manner of this marriage, for it is accomplished through faith, and &#8220;faith comes through
1077 hearing&#8221; (Rom 10:17). Or, he <span style="font-weight: bold">listens to him, </span>i.e., reverently obeys him, by caring for the
1078 bride according to the commands of the groom: &#8220;I will listen to him as my master,&#8221; as is said
1079 in Isaiah (50:4). This is in opposition to those evil prelates who do not follow Christ&#8217;s
1080 command in governing the Church.</p>
1081 <p>Likewise, he hints at his spiritual joy when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">rejoicing at hearing his voice, </span>that is,
1082 when the groom talks to his bride. And he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">rejoicing </span>(literally, &#8220;rejoicing with joy&#8221;), to
1083 show the truth and perfection of his joy. For one whose rejoicing is not over the good, does
1084 not rejoice with true joy. And so, if it made me sad that Christ, who is the true groom,
1085 preaches to the bride, i.e., the Church, I would not be a friend of the groom; but I am not sad.</p>
1086 <p>521 Therefore in this case my joy is complete, namely, in seeing what I have so long desired,
1087 that is, the groom speaking to his bride. Or, my joy is complete, i.e., brought to its perfect and
1088 due measure, when the bride. is united to the groom, because I now have my grace and I have
1089 completed my work: &#8220;I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in God, my Jesus&#8221; (Hb
1090 3:18).</p>
1091 <p>522 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He must increase, and I must decrease, </span>he answers their question
1092 as to their complaint about the increasing esteem given to Christ. First, he notes that such an
1093 increase is fitting. Secondly, he gives the reason for it (v 31).</p>
1094 <p>523 So he says: You say that all the people are flocking to him, i.e., to Christ, and therefore
1095 that he is growing in honor and esteem among the people. But I say that this is not
1096 unbecoming, because He must increase, not in himself, but in relation to others, in the sense
1097 that his power becoipe more and more known. <span style="font-weight: bold">And I must decrease, </span>in the reverence and
1098 esteem of the people: for esteem and reverence are not due to me as if I were a principal; but
1099 they are due to Christ. And therefore since he has come, the signs of honor are diminishing in
1100 my regard, but increasing in regard to Christ, just as with the coming of the prince, the office
1101 of the ambassador ceases: &#8220;When the perfect comes, what is imperfect will pass away&#8221; (1 Cor
1102 13:10). And just as in the heavens the morning star appears and gives light before the sun,
1103 only to cease giving light when the sun appears, so John went before Christ and is compared
1104 to the morning star: &#8220;Can you bring out the morning star?&#8221; (Jb 38:32).</p>
1105 <p>This is also signified in John&#8217;s birth and in his death. In his birth, because John was born at a
1106 time when the days are getting shorter; Christ, however, was born when the days are growing
1107 longer, on the twenty-fifth of December. In his death, because John dies shortened by
1108 decapitation; but Christ died raised up by the lifting up of the cross.</p>
1109 <p>524 In the moral sense, this should take place in each one of us. Christ must increase in you,
1110 i.e., you should grow in the knowledge and love of Christ, because the more you are able to
1111 grasp him by knowledge and love, the more Christ increases in you; just as the more one
1112 improves in seeing one and the same light, the more that light seems to increase.
1113 Consequently, as men advance in this way, their self-esteem decreases; because the more one
1114 knows of the divine greatness, the less he thinks of his human smallness. As we read in
1115 Proverbs (30:1): &#8220;The revelation spoken by the man close to God&#8221;; and then there follows: &#8220;I
1116 am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not in me.&#8221; &#8220;I have heard you, but now
1117 I see you, and so I reprove myself, and do penance in dust and ashes,&#8221; as we read in Job
1118 (42:5).</p>
1119 <p>525 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The One who came from above is above all things, </span>he gives the
1120 reason for what he has just said. And he does this in two ways. First, on the basis of Christ&#8217;s
1121 origin. And secondly, by considering Christ&#8217;s teaching.</p>
1122 <p>526 Regarding the first, we should note that in order for a thing to be perfect, it must reach
1123 the goal fixed for it by its origin; for example, if one is born from a king, he should continue
1124 to progress until he becomes a king. Now Christ has an origin that is most excellent and
1125 eternal; therefore he must increase by the manifestation of his power, in relation to others,
1126 until it is recognized that he is above all things. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The One who came from
1127 above, </span>that is, Christ, according to his divinity. &#8220;No one has gone up to heaven except the
1128 One who came down from heaven&#8221; (above 3:13); &#8220;You are from below, I am from above&#8221;
1129 (below 8:23).</p>
1130 <p>527 Or, he <span style="font-weight: bold">came from above, </span>as to his human nature, i.e., from the &#8220;highest&#8221; condition of
1131 human nature, by assuming it according to what was predominant in it in each of its states.
1132 For human nature is considered in three states. First, is the state of human nature before sin;
1133 and from this state he took his purity by assuming a flesh unmarked by the stain of original
1134 sin: &#8220;A lamb without blemish&#8221; (Ex 12:5). The second state is after sin; and from this he took
1135 his capability to suffer and die by assuming the likeness of sinful flesh as regards its
1136 punishment, but not in its guilt: &#8220;God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh&#8221; (Rom
1137 8:3). The third state is that of resurrection and glory; and from this he took his impossibility
1138 of sinning and his joy of soul.</p>
1139 <p>528 Here we must be on guard against the error of those who say that there was left in Adam
1140 something materially unmarked by the original stain, and this was passed on to his
1141 descendants; for example, to the Blessed Virgin, and that Christ&#8217;s body was formed from this.
1142 This is heretical, because whatever existed in Adam in a material way was marked by the
1143 stain of original sin. Further, the matter from which the body of Christ was formed was
1144 purified by the power of the Holy Spirit when he sanctified the Blessed Virgin.</p>
1145 <p>529 <span style="font-weight: bold">The One who came from above, </span>according to his divinity as well as his human nature,
1146 <span style="font-weight: bold">is above all things, </span>both by eminence of rank: &#8220;The Lord is high above all nations&#8221; (Ps
1147 112:4), and by his authority and power: &#8220;He has made him the head of the Church,&#8221; as is said
1148 in Ephesians (1:22).</p>
1149 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
1150 <p>530 Now he gives the reason for what he had said above (v 30), by considering the teaching
1151 of Christ. First, he describes the doctrine of Christ and its grandeur. Secondly, the difference
1152 in those who receive or reject this doctrine (v 32b). He does two things with respect to the
1153 first. First, he describes John&#8217;s doctrine. Secondly, he describes the doctrine of Christ (v 32).</p>
1154 <p>531 As to the first we should note that a man is known mainly by what he says: &#8220;Your accent
1155 gives you away&#8221; (Mt 26:73); &#8220;Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks&#8221; (Mt
1156 12:34). This is why the quality of a teaching or doctrine is considered according to the quality
1157 of its origin. Accordingly, in order to understand the quality of John&#8217;s doctrine, we should
1158 first consider his origin. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He who is of earth, </span>that is John, not only as to the matter
1159 from. which he was made, but also in his efficient cause: because the body of John was
1160 formed by a created power: &#8220;They dwell in houses of clay, and have a foundation of earth&#8221;
1161 (Jb 4:19). Secondly, we should consider the quality of John himself, which is earthly; and so
1162 he says, is earthly. Thirdly, the quality of his teaching is described: he <span style="font-weight: bold">speaks of earthly
1163 things. </span>&#8220;You will speak of the earth&#8221; (Is 29:4).</p>
1164 <p>532 But since John was full of the Holy Spirit while still in his mother&#8217;s womb, how can he
1165 be said to speak of earthly things? I answer that, according to Chrysostom, John says he
1166 speaks of earthly things by comparison with the teaching of Christ. As if to say: The things I
1167 speak of are slight and inferior as becomes one of an earthly nature, in comparison to him &#8220;in
1168 whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge&#8221; (Col 2:3); &#8220;As the heavens are
1169 high above the earth, so my ways are high above your ways&#8221; (Is 55:9).</p>
1170 <p>Or we could say according to Augustine, and this is a better explanation, that we can consider
1171 what any person has of himself and what he has received from another. Now John and every
1172 mere human of himself is of the earth. Therefore, from this standpoint, he has nothing to
1173 speak of except earthly things. And it&#8217; he does speak of divine things, it is due to a divine
1174 enlightenment: &#8220;Your heart has visions, but unless they come from the Almighty, ignore
1175 them&#8221; (Sir 34:6). So the Apostle says, &#8220;It is not 1, but the grace of God which is with me&#8221; (1
1176 Cor 15:10); &#8220;For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit who is speaking through you&#8221;
1177 (Mt 10:20). Accordingly, as regards John, he <span style="font-weight: bold">is earthly and speaks of earthly things. </span>And if
1178 there was anything divine in him, it did not come from him, as he was the recipient, but from
1179 the one enlightening him.</p>
1180 <p>533 Now he describes the doctrine of Christ. And he does three things. First, he shows its
1181 origin, which is heavenly; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The One who comes from heaven is above all
1182 things. </span>For although the body of Christ was of the earth as regards the matter of which it was
1183 made, yet it came from heaven as to its efficient cause, inasmuch as his body was formed by
1184 divine power. It also came from heaven because the eternal and uncreated person of the Son
1185 came from heaven by assuming a body. &#8220;No one has gone up to heaven except the One who
1186 came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who lives in heaven&#8221; (above 3:13).</p>
1187 <p>Secondly, he shows the dignity of Christ, which is very great; so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">is above all things.
1188 </span>This was explained above.</p>
1189 <p>Thirdly, he infers the dignity of Christ&#8217;s doctrine, which is most certain, because <span style="font-weight: bold">he testifies
1190 to what he sees and to what he hears. </span>For Christ, as God, is truth itself; but as man, he is its
1191 witness: &#8220;For this was I born, and for this I came into the world: to testify to the truth&#8221; (below
1192 18:37). Therefore, he gives testimony to himself: &#8220;You testify to yourself&#8221; (below 8:13). And
1193 he testifies to what is certain, because his testimony is about what he has heard with the
1194 Father: &#8220;I speak to the world what I have heard from my Father&#8221; (below 8:26); &#8220;What we
1195 have seen and heard&#8221; (1 Jn 1:3).</p>
1196 <p>534 Note that knowledge of a thing is acquired in through sight and in one way another way
1197 through hearing. For by sight, a knowledge of a thing in acquired by means of the very thing
1198 seen; but by hearing, a thing is not made known by the very voice that is heard, but by means
1199 of the understanding of the one speaking. And so, because the Lord has knowledge which he
1200 has received from the Father, he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">to what he sees, </span>insofar as he proceeds from the
1201 essence of the Father; <span style="font-weight: bold">and to what he hears, insofar </span>as he proceeds as the Word of the
1202 Father&#8217;s intellect. Now because among intellectual beings, their act of being is other than
1203 their act of understanding, their knowledge through sight is other than their knowledge
1204 through hearing. But in God the Father, the act of being (<i>esse</i>)<i> </i>and the act of understanding
1205 (<i>intelligere</i>) are the same. Thus in the Son, to see and hear are the same thing. Moreover,
1206 since even in one who sees there is not the essence of the thing seen in itself but only its
1207 similitude, as also in the hearer there is not the actual thought of the speaker but only an
1208 indication of it, so the one who sees is not the essence of the thing in itself, nor is the listener
1209 the very thought expressed. In the Son, however, the very essence of the Father is received by
1210 generation, and he himself is the Word; and so in him to see and to hear are the same.</p>
1211 <p>And so John concludes that since the doctrine of Christ has more grandeur and is more certain
1212 than his, one must listen to Christ rather than to him.</p>
1213 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
1214 <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 6</span></p>
1215 <BLOCKQUOTE><p style="margin-left: 0.5in">32b &#8220;And his testimony no one accepts.
1216 <br>33 But whoever accepts his testimony
1217 <br>has given a sign [or certifies] that God is true.
1218 <br>34 For the One whom God sends
1219 <br>speaks the words of God,
1220 <br>for God does not bestow the Spirit in fractions.
1221 <br>35 The Father loves the Son,
1222 <br>and has put everything into his hands.
1223 <br>36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.
1224 <br>But whoever is unbelieving in the Son
1225 <br>will not see life;
1226 <BR>rather, the anger of God rests on him.&#8221;</p></BLOCKQUOTE>
1227 <p>535 Above, John the Baptist commended the teaching of Christ; here, however, he considers
1228 the difference in those who receive it. Thus, he treats of the faith that must be given to this
1229 teaching. And he does three things. First, he shows the scarcity of those who believe.
1230 Secondly, the obligation to believe (v 33). Lastly, the reward for belief (v 36).</p>
1231 <p>536 He says therefore: I say that Christ has certain knowledge and that he speaks the truth.
1232 Yet although few accept his testimony, that is no reflection on his teaching, because it is not
1233 the fault of the teaching but of those who do not accept it: namely, the disciples of John, who
1234 did not yet believe, and the Pharisees, who slandered his teaching. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">And his
1235 testimony no one accepts.</span></p>
1236 <p>537 <span style="font-weight: bold">No one</span> can be explained in two ways. First, so that it implies a few; and so some did
1237 accept his testimony. He shows that some did accept it when he adds, &#8220;But whoever accepts
1238 his testimony.&#8221; The Evangelist used this way of speaking before when he said: &#8220;He came unto
1239 his own, and his own did not receive him&#8221; (above 1:11): because a few did receive him.</p>
1240 <p>In another way, to accept his testimony is understood as to believe in God. But no one can
1241 believe of himself, but only due to God: &#8220;You are saved by grace&#8221; (Eph 2:8). And so he says,
1242 his testimony no one accepts, i.e., of himself, but it is given to him by God.</p>
1243 <p>This can be explained in another way by realizing that Scripture refers to people in two ways.
1244 As long as we are in this world the wicked are mingled with the good; and so Scripture
1245 sometimes speaks of &#8220;the people,&#8221; or &#8220;they,&#8221; meaning those who are good; while at other
1246 times, the same words can refer to the wicked. We can see this in Jeremiah (26): for first it
1247 says that all the people and the priests sought to kill Jeremiah, and this referred to those who
1248 were evil; then at once it says that all the people sought to free him, and this referred to those
1249 who were good. In the same way, John the Baptist says, looking to the left, i.e., toward those
1250 who are evil, <span style="font-weight: bold">And his testimony no one accepts; </span>and later, referring to those on the right,
1251 i.e., to the good, he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">But whoever accepts his testimony.</span></p>
1252 <p>538 <span style="font-weight: bold">But whoever accepts his testimony. </span>Here he speaks of the obligation to believe, i.e., to
1253 submit oneself to divine truth. As to this he does four things. First, he presents the divine
1254 truth. Secondly, he speaks of the proclamation of the divine truth (v 34). Thirdly, of the
1255 ability to proclaim it ( v 34b). Fourthly, he gives the reason for this ability (v 35).</p>
1256 <p>539 Man&#8217;s obligation to the faith is to submit himself to divine truth, and so he says that if
1257 few accept his testimony that means that some do. Hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever accepts his
1258 testimony, </span>i.e., whoever he may be, <span style="font-weight: bold">has given a sign, </span>i.e., he ought to affix a certain sign or
1259 has in fact placed a seal in his own heart, that Christ is God. And he [Christ] is true, because
1260 he said that he is God. If he were not, he would not be true, but it is written: &#8220;God is true&#8221;
1261 (Rom 3:4). Concerning this seal it is said: &#8220;Set me as a seal on your heart&#8221; (Sg 8:6), and &#8220;The
1262 foundation of God stands firm, bearing a seal, etc.&#8221; as we read in 2 Timothy (2:19).</p>
1263 <p>Or, following Chrysostom, he has given a sign, i.e., he has shown <span style="font-weight: bold">that God, </span>that is, the
1264 Father, <span style="font-weight: bold">is true, </span>because he sent his Son whom he promised to send. The Fvangelist says this
1265 to show that those who do not believe Christ deny the truthfulness of the Father.</p>
1266 <p>540 Then immediately he adds a commendation of divine truth, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">For the One whom
1267 God sends speaks the words of God. </span>As if to say: He has given this as a sign, namely, that
1268 Christ, whose testimony he accepts, <span style="font-weight: bold">the One whom God sends speaks the words of God.
1269 </span>Consequently, one who believes Christ believes the Father: &#8220;I speak to the world what I have
1270 heard from the Father&#8221; (below 8:26). So he expressed verbally nothing but the Father and the
1271 words of the Father, because he has been sent by the Father, and because he is the Word of
1272 the Father. Hence, he says that he even bespeaks the Father.</p>
1273 <p>Or, if the statement <span style="font-weight: bold">God is true </span>refers to Christ, we understand the distinction of persons; for
1274 since the Father is true God, and Christ is true God, it follows that the true God sent the true
1275 God, who is distinct from him in person, but not in nature.</p>
1276 <p>541 The ability to proclaim divine truth is present in Christ in the highest degree, because he
1277 does not receive the Spirit in a partial way; and so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">for God does not bestow the
1278 Spirit in fractions.</span></p>
1279 <p>You might say that although God sent Christ, yet not all that Christ says is from God, but only
1280 some of the things; for even the prophets spoke at times from their own spirit, and at other
1281 times from the Spirit of God. For example, we read that the prophet Nathan (2 Sm 7:3),
1282 speaking out of his own spirit, advised David to build a temple, but that later, under the
1283 influence of the Spirit of God, he retracted this. However, the Baptist shows that such is not
1284 the case with Christ. For the prophets receive the Spirit of God only fractionally, i.e., in
1285 reference to some things, but not as to all things. Consequently, not all they say are the words
1286 of God. But Christ, who received the Spirit fully and in regards to all things, speaks the words
1287 of God as to all things.</p>
1288 <p>542 But how can the Holy Spirit be given in fractions, since he is immense or infinite,
1289 according to the Creed of Athanasius: &#8220;Immense is the Father, immense the Son, immense the
1290 Holy Spirit&#8221;? I answer that the Holy Spirit is given in fractions, not in respect to his essence
1291 or power, according to which he is infinite, but as to his gifts, which are given fractionally:
1292 &#8220;Grace has been given to each of us according to degree&#8221; (Eph 4:7).</p>
1293 <p>543 We should note that we can understand in two ways what is said here, namely, that God
1294 the Father did not give the Spirit to Christ in a partial way. We can understand it as applying
1295 to Christ as God, and, in another way, as applying to Christ as man. Something is given to
1296 someone in order that he may have it: and it is appropriate to Christ to have the Spirit, both as
1297 God and as man. And so he has the Holy Spirit with respect to both. As man, Christ has the
1298 Holy Spirit as Sanctifier: &#8220;The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed
1299 me&#8221; (Is 6 1:1), namely, as man. But as God, he has the Holy Spirit only as manifesting
1300 himself, inasmuch as the Spirit proceeds from him: &#8220;He will give glory to me,&#8221; that is, make
1301 known, &#8220;because he will have received from me,&#8221; as is said below (16:14).</p>
1302 <p>Therefore, both as God and as man, Christ has the Holy Spirit beyond measure. For God the
1303 Father is said to give the Holy Spirit without measure to Christ as God, because he gives to
1304 Christ the power and might to bring forth (<i>spirandi</i>)<i> </i>the Holy Spirit, who, since he is infinite,
1305 was infinitely given to him by the Father: for the Father gives it just as he himself has it, so
1306 that the Holy Spirit proceeds from him as much as from the Son. And he gave him this by an
1307 everlasting generation. Similarly, Christ as man has the Holy Spirit without measure, for the
1308 Holy Spirit is given to different men in differing degrees, because grace is given to each &#8220;by
1309 measure&#8221; [cf., e.g., Mk 4:24; Mt 7:2]. But Christ as man did not receive a certain amount of
1310 grace; and so he did not receive the Holy Spirit in any limited degree.</p>
1311 <p>544 It should be noted, however, that there are three kinds of grace in Christ: the grace of [the
1312 hypostatic] union, the grace of a singular person, which is habitual, and the grace of headship,
1313 which animates all the members. And Christ received each of these graces without measure.</p>
1314 <p>The grace of union, which is not habitual grace, but a certain gratuitous gift, is given to Christ
1315 in order that in his human nature he be the true Son of God, not by participation, but by
1316 nature, insofar as the human nature of Christ is united to the Son of God in person. This union
1317 is called a grace because he had it without any preceding merits. Now the divine nature is
1318 infinite; hence from that union he received an infinite gift. Thus it was not by degree or
1319 measure that he received the Holy Spirit, i.e., the gift and grace of union which, as gratuitous,
1320 is attributed to the Holy Spirit.</p>
1321 <p>His grace is termed habitual insofar as the soul of Christ was full of grace and wisdom: &#8220;the
1322 Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth&#8221; (above 1:14). We might wonder if Christ
1323 did receive this grace without measure. For since such grace is a created gift, we must admit
1324 that it has a finite essence. Therefore, as far as its essence is concerned, since it is something
1325 created, this habitual grace was finite. Yet Christ is not said to have received this in a limited
1326 degree for three reasons.</p>
1327 <p>First, becatise of the one who is receiving the grace. For it is plain that each thing&#8217;s nature has
1328 a finite capacity, because even though one might receive an infinite good by knowing, loving
1329 and enjoying it, nevertheless one receives it by enjoying it in a finite way. Further, each
1330 creature has, according to its species and nature, a finite amount of capacity. But this does not
1331 make it impossible for the divine power to make another creature possessing a greater
1332 capacity; but then such a creature would not be of a nature which is specifically the same, just
1333 as when one is added to three, there is another species of number. Therefore, when some
1334 nature is not given as much of the divine goodness as its natural capacity is able to contain,
1335 then it is seen to be given to it by measure; but when its total natural capacity is filled, it is not
1336 given to it by measure, because even though there is a measure on the part of the one
1337 receiving, there is none on the part of the one giving, who is prepared to give all. Thus, if
1338 someone takes a pail to a river, he sees water present without measure, although he takes the
1339 water by measure on account of the limited dimensions of the pail. Thus, the habitual grace of
1340 Christ is indeed finite according to its essence, but it is said to be given in an infinite way and
1341 not by measure or partially, because as much was given to him as created nature was able to
1342 hold.</p>
1343 <p>Secondly, Christ did not receive habitual grace in a limited way by considering the gift which
1344 is received. For every form or act, considered in its very nature, is not finite in the way in
1345 which it is made finite by the subject in which it is received. Nevertheless, there is nothing to
1346 prevent it from being finite in its essence, insofar as its existence (<i>esse</i>) is<i> </i>received in some
1347 subject. For that is infinite according to its essence which has the entire fulness of being
1348 (<i>essendi</i>): and this is true of God alone, who is the supreme <i>esse. </i>But if we consider some
1349 &#8220;spiritual&#8221; form as not existing in a subject, for example, whiteness or color, it would not be
1350 infinite in essence, because its essence would be confined to some genus or species;
1351 nevertheless it would still possess the entire fulness of that species. Thus, considering the
1352 nature of the species, it would be without limit or measure, since it would have everything
1353 that can pertain to that species. But if whiteness or color should be received into some
1354 subject, it does not always have everything that pertains necessarily and always to the nature
1355 of this form, but only when the subject has it as perfectly as it is capable of being possessed,
1356 i.e., when the way the subject possesses it is equivalent to the power of the thing possessed.
1357 Thus, Christ&#8217;s habitual grace was finite according to its essence; yet it is said to have been in
1358 him without a limit or measure because he received everything that could pertain to the nature
1359 of grace. Others, however, do not receive all this, but one receives in one way, and another in
1360 another way: &#8220;There are different graces&#8221;</p>
1361 <p>The third reason for saying that the habitual grace of Christ was not received in a limited way
1362 is based on its cause. For an effect is in some way present in its cause. Therefore, if someone
1363 has an infinite power to produce something, he is said to have what can be produced without
1364 measure and, in a way, infinitely. For example, if someone has a fountain which could
1365 produce an infinite amount of water, he would be said to have water in an infinite way and
1366 without measure. Thus, the soul of Christ has infinite grace and grace without measure from
1367 the fact that he has united to himself the Word, which is the infinite and unfailing source of
1368 the entire emanation of all created things.</p>
1369 <p>From what has been said, it is clear that the grace of Christ which is called capital grace,
1370 insofar as he is head of the Church, is infinite in its influence. For from the fact that he
1371 possessed that from which the gifts of the Spirit could flow out without measure, he received
1372 the power to pour them out without measure, so that the grace of Christ is sufficient not
1373 merely for the salvation of some men, but for all the people of the entire world: &#8220;He is the
1374 offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the entire world&#8221; ( 1 Jn 2:2),
1375 and even for many worlds, if they exsited.</p>
1376 <p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in">&#160;</p>
1377 <p>545 Christ also had the ability appropriate for declaring divine truth, because all things are in
1378 his power; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The Father loves the Son, and has put everything into his
1379 hands. </span>This can refer to Christ both as man and as God, but in different ways. If it refers to
1380 Christ according to his divine nature, then <span style="font-weight: bold">loves </span>does not indicate a principle but a sign: for
1381 we cannot say that the Father gives all things to the Son because he loves him. There are two
1382 reasons for this. First, because to love is an act of the will; but to give a nature to the Son is to
1383 generate him. Therefore, if the Father gave a nature to the Son by his will, the will of the
1384 Father would be the principle of the generation of the Son; and then it would follow that the
1385 Father generated the Son by will, and not by nature; and this is the Arian heresy.</p>
1386 <p>Secondly, because the love of the Father for the Son is the Holy Spirit. So, if the love of the
1387 Father for the Son were the reason why the Father put everything into his hands, it would
1388 follow that the Holy Spirit would be the principle of the generation of the Son; and this is not
1389 acceptable. Therefore, we should say that <span style="font-weight: bold">loves </span>implies only a sign. As if to say: The perfect
1390 love with which <span style="font-weight: bold">the Father loves the Son, </span>is a sign that the Father <span style="font-weight: bold">has put everything into
1391 his hands, </span>i.e., everything which the Father has: &#8220;All things have been given to me by my
1392 Father- (Mt 11:27); &#8220;Jesus, knowing that the Fallier had given all things into his hands&#8221;
1393 (below 13:3).</p>
1394 <p>But if loves refers to Christ as man, then it implies the notion of a principle, so that the Father
1395 is said to have put everything into the hands of the Son, everything, that is, that is in heaven
1396 and on earth: &#8220;All authority has been given to me, in heaven and on earth,&#8221; as he says in
1397 Matthew (28:18); &#8220;He has appointed him [the Son] the heir of all things&#8221; (Heb 1:2). And the
1398 reason why the Father gives to the Son is because he loves the Son; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The
1399 Father loves the Son, </span>for the Father&#8217;s love is the reason for creating each creature: &#8220;You love
1400 everything which exists, and hate nothing which you have made&#8221; (Wis 11:25). Concerning
1401 his love for the Son we read in Matthew (3:17): &#8220;This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
1402 pleased&#8221;; &#8220;He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,&#8221; that is, i.e., of his
1403 beloved Son (Col 1:13).</p>
1404 <p>546 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, </span>he shows the fruit of
1405 faith. First, he sets forth the reward for faith. Secondly, the penalty for unbelief (v 36b).</p>
1406 <p>547 The reward for faith is beyond our comprehension, because it is eternal life. Hence he
1407 says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. </span>And this is shown from what has already
1408 been said. For if the Father has given everything he has to the Son, and the Father has eternal
1409 life, then he has given to the Son to be eternal life: &#8220;Just as the Father possesses life in
1410 himself, so he has given it to the Son to have life in himself&#8221; (below 5:26): and this belongs
1411 to Christ insofar as he is the true and natural Son of God. &#8220;That you may be in his true Son,
1412 Christ. This is the true God and eternal life&#8221; (1 Jn 5:20). <span style="font-weight: bold">Whoever believes in the Son </span>has
1413 that toward which he tends, that is, the Son, in whom he believes. But the Son is eternal life;
1414 therefore, whoever believes in him has eternal life. As it says below (10:27): &#8220;My sheep hear
1415 my voice ... and I give them eternal life.&#8221;</p>
1416 <p>548 The penalty for unbelief is unendurable, both as to the punishment of loss and as to the
1417 punishment of sense. As to the punishment of loss, because it deprives one of life; hence he
1418 says, <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever is unbelieving in the Son will not see life. </span>He does not say, &#8220;will not have,&#8221;
1419 but will not see, because eternal life consists in the vision of the true life: &#8220;This is eternal life:
1420 that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent&#8221; (below
1421 17:3): and unbelievers will not have this vision and this knowledge: &#8220;Let him not see the
1422 brooks of honey&#8221; (Jb 4:19), that is, the sweetness of eternal life. And he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">will not see,
1423 </span>because to see life itself is the proper reward for faith united with love.</p>
1424 <p>The punishment of sense is unendurable because one is severely punished; so he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">the
1425 anger of God rests on him. </span>For in the Scriptures anger indicates the pain with which God
1426 punishes those who are evil. So when he says, the anger of God, the Father, rests on him, it is
1427 the same as saying: They will feel punishment from God the Father.</p>
1428 <p>Although the Father &#8220;has given all judgment to the Son,&#8221; as we read below (5:22), the Baptist
1429 refers this to the Father in order to lead the Jews to believe in the Son. It is written about this
1430 judgment: &#8220;It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God&#8221; (Heb 10:31). He says,
1431 <span style="font-weight: bold">rests on him</span>, because this punishment will never be absent from the unbelieving, and
1432 because all who are born into this mortal life are the objects of God&#8217;s anger, which was first
1433 felt by Adam: &#8220;We were by nature,&#8221; that is, through birth, &#8220;children of anger&#8221; (Eph 2:3). And
1434 we are freed from this anger only by faith in Christ; and so the anger of God rests on those
1435 who do not believe in Christ, the Son of God.</p>
1436 </body>
1437
1438 </html>