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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom193Gently and by little doth He expel them from that relationship, teaching them not to behigh-minded because of it. For as freedom and bondage depend on men’s actions, so also dothrelationship. He said not directly, “Ye are not the seed of Abraham, ye the murderers of therighteous”; but for a while He even goeth along with them, and saith, “I know that ye are Abraham’sseed.” Yet this is not the matter in question, and during the remainder of this speech He useth greatervehemence. For we may for the most part observe, that when He is about to work any great thing,after He hath wrought it, He useth greater boldness of speech, as though the testimony from Hisworks shut men’s mouths. “But ye seek to kill Me.” “What of that,” saith some one, “if they soughtto do so justly.” But this was not so either; wherefore also He puts the reason;“Because My word hath no place in you.”“How then was it,” saith some one, “that they believed on Him?” As I before said, they changedagain. On which account He touched them sharply. “If ye boast the relationship of Abraham yeought also to show forth his life.” And He said not, “Ye do not contain 1474 my words,” but, “Myword hath no place in you,” thus declaring the sublimity of His doctrines. Yet not for this oughtthey to have slain, but rather to have honored and waited on Him so as to learn. “But what,” saithsome one, “if thou speakest these things of thyself?” On this account He added,Ver. 38 . “I speak that which I have seen with My Father, and ye do that which ye have heardfrom 1475 your father.”“As,” He saith, “I both by My words and by the truth declare the Father, so also do ye by youractions (declare yours). For I have not only the same Substance, but also the same Truth with theFather.”Ver. 39, 40 . “They said unto Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye hadAbraham to your father, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill Me.”He here repeatedly handleth their murderous intention, and maketh mention of Abraham. Andthis He doth desiring to draw off their attention from this relationship, and to take away theirexcessive boasting, and also to persuade them no longer to rest their hopes of salvation in Abraham,nor in the relationship which is according to nature, but in that which is according to the will. 1476For what hindered their coming to Christ was this, their deeming that relationship to be sufficientfor them to salvation. But what is the “truth” of which He speaketh? That He is equal with theFather. For it was on this account that the Jews sought to slay Him; and He saith,“Ye seek to kill Me because I have 1477 told you the truth, which I have heard of My Father.”1478To show that these things are not opposed to the Father, He again betaketh Himself to Him.They say unto Him,Ver. 41 . “We be not born of fornication, we have one Father, even God.”[3.] “What sayest thou? Ye have God for your Father, and do ye blame Christ for assertingthis?” Seest thou that He said that God was His Father in a special manner? When therefore He1474χωρεῖτε1475“ seen with, ” N.T.1476κατὰ προαίρεσιν1477“ a man that hath, ” N.T.1478“ of God, ” N. T294