Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom70easily deceived; and by not rejecting him who brought the tidings, the great desire which he feltfor the coming of Christ. For he thought within himself that Philip was probably mistaken aboutthe place.[2.] And observe, I pray you, his manner of declining, how gentle he has made it, and in theform of a question. For he said not, “Galilee produces no good”; but how said he? “Can any goodthing come out of Nazareth?” Philip also was very prudent; for he is not as one perplexed, angry,and annoyed, but perseveres, wishing to bring over the 526 man, and manifesting to us from the firstof his preaching 527 the firmness 528 which becomes an Apostle. Wherefore also Christ saith, “Beholdan Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” So that there is such a person as a false Israelite; but thisis not such an one; for his judgment, Christ saith, is impartial, he speaks nothing from favor, orfrom ill-feeling. Yet the Jews, when they were asked where Christ should be born, replied, “InBethlehem” ( Matt. ii. 5 ), and produced the evidence, saying, “And thou, Bethlehem, art by nomeans the least among the princes of Judah.” ( Mic. v. 2 .) Before they had seen Him they borethis witness, but when they saw Him in their malice they concealed the testimony, saying, “But asfor this fellow, we know not whence He is.” ( c. ix. 29 .) Nathanael did not so, but continued toretain the opinion which he had from the beginning, that He was not “of Nazareth.”How then do the prophets call Him a Nazarene? From His being brought up and abiding there.And He omits to say, “I am not ‘of Nazareth,’ as Philip hath told thee, but of Bethlehem,” that Hemay not at once make the account seem questionable; and besides this, because, even if He hadgained belief, He would not have given sufficient proof that He was the Christ. For what hinderedHim without being Christ, from being of Bethlehem, like the others who were born there? Thisthen He omits; but He does that which has most power to bring him over, for He shows that Hewas present when they were conversing. For when Nathanael had said,Ver. 48 . “Whence knowest Thou me?” He replies, “Before that Philip called thee, when thouwast under the fig-tree, I saw thee.”Observe a man firm and steady. 529 When Christ had said, “Behold an Israelite indeed,” he wasnot made vain by this approbation, he ran not after this open praise, but continues seeking andsearching more exactly, and desires to learn something certain. He still enquired as of a man, 530but Jesus answered as God. For He said, “I have known thee from the first,” 531 (him and the candor532of his character, 533 this He knew not as a man, from having closely followed him, but as Godfrom the first,) “and but now I saw thee by the fig-tree”; when there was no one present there butonly Philip and Nathanael who said all these things in private. It is mentioned, that having seenhim afar off, He said, “Behold an Israelite indeed”; to show, 534 that before Philip came near, Christspoke these words, that the testimony might not be suspected. For this reason also He named the526 al. “this.”527προοιμίων .528εὐτονίαν .529βεβήκοτα .530ὡ ς ἄνθρωπον ἐξήταζεν . So Morel. and mss. in Bodleian. Savile and the Bened. read ὡ ς ἄνθρωπος , “he enquired as aman.”531ἄ νωθεν .532ἐ πιεικείαν .533One ms. reads, οὐ γὰρ εἴπεν, ἄνωθέν σε οἶδα, καὶ τὸν τρόπον, καὶ τὴν ἐπ .534ἵ να μάθῃ . Savile conjectures ἵ να μάθῃς , but without authority.110