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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom303This again is a sign of His being of one mind with the Father, of a higher character than thoseformer, for He saith, “Before 2366 the foundation of the world,” yet hath it also a certaincondescension; for, “Thou hast given Me,” He saith. Now if this be not the case, I would gladlyask the gainsayers a question. He that giveth, giveth to one subsisting; 2367 did the Father then,having first begotten the Son, afterwards give Him glory, having before allowed Him to be withoutglory? And how could this be reasonable? Seest that the “He gave,” is, “He begot”?[3.] But why said He not, “That they may share My glory,” instead of, “That they may be holdMy glory”? Here He implieth, that all that rest is, the looking on the Son of God. This certainly itis which causes them to be glorified; as Paul saith, “With open face mirroring the glory of theLord.” ( 2 Cor. iii. 18 .) For as they who look on the sunbeams, and enjoy a very clear atmosphere,draw their enjoyment from their sight, so then also, and in much greater degree, this will cause uspleasure. 2368 At the same time also He showeth, that what they should behold was not the bodythen seen, but some awful Substance.Ver. 25 . “O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee.” 2369What meaneth this? What connection hath it? He here showeth that no man knoweth God, savethose only who have come to know the Son. And what He saith is of this kind: “I wished all to beso, 2370 yet they have not known Thee, although they had no complaint against Thee.” For this isthe meaning of, “O righteous Father.” And here He seemeth to me to speak these words, as vexedthat they would not know One so just and good. For since the Jews had said that they knew God,but that He knew Him not, at this He aimeth, saying, “For Thou lovedst Me before the foundationof the world”; thus putting together a defense against the accusations of the Jews. For how couldHe who had received glory, who was loved before the foundation of the world, who desired to havethem as witnesses of that glory, how could He be opposed to the Father? “This then is not truewhich the Jews say, that they know Thee, and that I know Thee not; on the contrary, I know Thee,and they have not known Thee.”“And these have known that Thou hast sent Me.”Seest thou that He alludeth to those, who said that He was not from God, and all is finallysummed up to meet this argument?Ver. 26 . “And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it.”“Yet thou sayest that perfect knowledge is from the Spirit.” “But the things of the Spirit areMine.”“That the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may remain 2371 in them, and I in them.”“For if they learn who Thou art, then they shall know that I am not separated from Thee, butone of the greatly beloved, and a true Son, and closely knit to Thee. And those who are rightlypersuaded of this, will keep both the faith which is on Me and perfect love; and while they love asthey ought, I remain in them.” Seest thou how He hath arrived 2372 at a good end, finishing off thediscourse with love, the mother of all blessings?2366“ For Thou lovedst Me before, ” &c., N.T.2367ὑ φεστῶτι2368al. “ will cause us greater pleasure. ”2369“ known Thee; but I know Thee, ” N.T.2370i.e. knowing the Father.2371“ may be, ” N.T.2372ἀ πήντησεν , according to Sav. conject. and some mss. for ἀ πήρτησεν456