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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom26this place is not significative of his coming into existence, but refers to his office of messenger; for“‘there was’ a man sent from God,” is used instead of “a man ‘was sent’ from God.”How then do some say, 139 that the expression, “being in the form of God” ( Philip. ii. 6 ) isnot used of His invariable likeness 140 to the Father, because no article is added? 141 For observe,that the article is nowhere added here. Are these words then not spoken of the Father? What thenshall we say to the prophet who says, that, “Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, whoshall prepare Thy way” ( Mal. iii. 1, as found in Mark i. 2 )? for the expressions “My” and “Thy”declare two Persons.Ver. 7 . “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of that Light.”What is this, perhaps one may say, the servant bear witness to his Master? When then you seeHim not only witnessed to by His servant, but even coming to him, and with Jews baptized by him,will you not be still more astonished and perplexed? Yet you ought not to be troubled nor confused,but amazed at such unspeakable goodness. Though if any still continue bewildered 142 and confused,He will say to such an one what He said to John, “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh usto fulfill all righteousness” ( Matt. iii. 15 ); and, if any be still further troubled, again He will sayto him too 143 what he said to the Jews, “But I receive not testimony from man.” ( c. v. 34 .) If nowhe needs not this witness, why was John sent from God? Not as though He required histestimony—this were extremest blasphemy. Why then? John himself informs us, when he says,“That all men through him might believe.”And Christ also, after having said that “I receive not testimony from man” ( c. v. 34 ), in orderthat He may not seem to the foolish to clash with 144 Himself, by declaring at one time “There isanother that beareth witness of Me and I know that his 145 witness is true” ( c. v. 32 ) (for Hepointed to John;) and at another, “I receive not testimony from man” ( c. v. 34 ); He immediatelyadds the solution of the doubt, “But these things I say” for your own sake, 146 “that ye might besaved.” As though He had said, that “I am God, and the really-Begotten 147 Son of God, and am ofthat Simple and Blessed Essence, I need none to witness to Me; and even though none would doso, yet am not I by this anything diminished in My Essence; but because I care for the salvation ofthe many, 148 I have descended to such humility as to commit the witness of Me to a man.” For byreason of the groveling nature and infirmity of the Jews, the faith in Him would in this way be moreeasily received, and more palatable. 149 As then He clothed Himself with flesh, that he might not,by encountering men with the unveiled Godhead, destroy them all; so He sent forth a man for Hisherald, that those who heard might at the hearing of a kindred voice approach more readily. For(to prove) that He had no need of that (herald’s) testimony, it would have sufficed that He should139 Vid. supra, Hom. iv. 3.140ἀ παραλλαξία vid. supra, Hom. iii. 4 ad fin.141i.e. to Θεοῦ .142ἰ λιγγιῶν , “dizzy.”143[ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ], perhaps “and with reference to him (the Baptist), Sav. al. καὶ πρὸς σέ .144περιπίπτειν .145αὐτοῦ ἣν μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ G. T.146δἰ ὑμᾶς (not in G. T.)147γνήσιος , “genuine.”148τῶν πολλῶν .149εὐκολωτέρα .44