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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom103seen”? Since by these senses we gain correct knowledge of everything, and are deemed worthy ofcredit when we teach on matters which our eyes have embraced and our ears have taken in, as notin such cases inventing or speaking falsehoods, John desiring here to establish this point, 760 said,“What He hath heard and seen”: that is, “nothing that cometh from Him is false, but all is true.”Thus we when we are making curious enquiry into anything, often ask, “Didst thou hear it?” “Didstthou see it?” And if this be proved, the testimony is indubitable, and so when Christ Himself saith,“As I hear, I judge” ( c. v. 30 ); and, “What I have heard from My Father, that I speak” 761 ( c. xv.15 ); and, “We speak 762 that We have seen” ( c. iii. 11 ); and whatsoever other sayings He utterethof the kind, are uttered not that we might imagine that He saith what He doth being taught of any,(it were extreme folly to think this,) but in order that nothing of what is said may be suspected bythe shameless Jews. For because they had not yet a right opinion concerning Him, He continuallybetakes Himself to His Father, and hence makes His sayings credible.[2.] And why wonderest thou if He betake Himself to the Father, when He often resorts to theProphets and the Scriptures? as when He saith, “They are they that testify of Me.” ( c. v. 39 .)Shall we then say that He is inferior to the Prophets, because He draws testimonies from them?Away with the thought. It is because of the infirmity of His hearers that He so orders His discourse,and saith that He spake what He spake having heard it from the Father, not because He needed ateacher, but that they might believe that nothing that He said was false. John’s meaning is of thiskind: “I desire to hear what He saith, for He cometh from above, bringing thence those tidingswhich none but life knoweth rightly; for ‘what He hath seen and heard,’ is the expression of onewho declareth this.”“And no man receiveth His testimony.” Yet He had disciples, and many besides gave heed toHis words. How then saith John, “No man”? He saith “no man,” instead of “few men,” for had hemeant “no man at all,” how could he have added,Ver. 33 . “He that hath received His testimony, hath set to his seal that God is true.”Here he touches his own disciples, as not being likely for a time to be firm believers. And thatthey did not even after this believe in Him, is clear from what is said afterwards; for John evenwhen dwelling in prison sent them thence to Christ, that he might the more bind them to Him. Yeteven then they scarcely believed, to which Christ alluded when He said, “And blessed is hewhosoever shall not be offended in Me.” ( Matt. xi. 6 .) And therefore now he said, “And no manreceiveth His testimony,” to make sure his own disciples; all but saying, “Do not, because for atime few shall believe on Him, therefore deem that His words are false; for, ‘He speaketh that Hehath seen.’” Moreover he saith this to touch also the insensibility of the Jews. A charge which theEvangelist at commencing 763 brought against them, saying, “He came unto His own, and His ownreceived Him not.” For this is no reproach against Him, but an accusation of those who receivedHim not. ( c. i. 11 .)“He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.” Here he terrifiesthem also by showing that he who believeth not on Him, disbelieveth not Him alone, but the Fatheralso; wherefore he adds:760i.e. the credibility of Christ.761ἐ γνώρισα ὑμῖν , G. T.762μαρτυροῦμεν , G. T.763or, “ at the comm. of the Gospel. ”159