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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomsince for Cain also it had been better not to have 2125 brought his offering at all. Now if he whobrought too little angered God, when one gives what is another’s, how shall not he anger Him? “Icommanded thee,” He will say, “not to steal, and honorest thou Me from that thou hast stolen?What thinkest thou? That I am pleased with these things?” Then shall He say to thee, “Thouthoughtest wickedly that I am even such an one as thyself; I will rebuke thee, and set before thyface thy sins.” ( Ps. l. 21 , LXX.) But may it not come to pass that any one of us hear this voice,but having wrought pure alms-deeds, and having our lamps burning, so may we enter into thebride-chamber by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Fatherand the Holy Ghost 2126 be glory for ever and ever. Amen.269Homily LXXIV.John xiv. 8, 9“Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, HaveI been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He who hath seen Me,hath seen the Father.” 2127[1.] The Prophet said to the Jews, “Thou hadst the countenance of a harlot, thou wert shamelesstowards all men.” ( Jer. iii. 3 , LXX.) Now it seems fitting to use this expression not only againstthat city, 2128 but against all who shamelessly set their faces against the truth. For when Philip saidto Christ, “Show us the Father,” He replied, “Have I been so long time with you, and hast thou notknown Me, Philip?” And yet there are some Who even after these words separate the Father fromthe Son. What proximity dost thou require closer than this? Indeed from this very saying some havefallen into the malady of Sabellius. But let us, leaving both these and those as involved in directlyopposite error, consider the exact meaning of the words. “Have I been so long time with you, andhast thou not known Me, Philip?” He saith. What then? replieth Philip, “Art thou the Father afterwhom I enquire?” “No,” He saith. On this account He said not, “hast thou not known Him,” but,“hast thou not known Me,” declaring nothing else but this, that the Son is no other than what theFather is, yet continuing to be a Son. But how came Philip to ask this question? Christ had said,“If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also” ( c. xiv. 7 ), and He had often saidthe same to the Jews. Since then Peter and the Jews had often asked Him, “Who is the Father?”since Thomas had asked Him, and no one had learnt anything clear, but His words were still notunderstood; Philip, in order that He might not seem to be importunate and to trouble Him by askingin his turn after the Jews, “Show us the Father,” added, “and it sufficeth us,” “we seek no more.”2125al. “ Cain would have been better if he had not. ”2126Ben. omits, “ with the Father and the Holy Ghost. ”2127“ And how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? ” N.T.2128i.e. Jerusalem.406