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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom44to many hearers, another comes to testify of Him. And besides this the many 332 are in a mannerwont to run more readily to a voice which is more familiar and natural to them, as recognizing itmore than other voices; and therefore the voice from heaven was uttered 333 once or twice, but thatof John oftentimes and continually. For those 334 of the people who had surmounted the infirmityof their nature, and had been released from all the things of sense, could hear the Voice from heaven,and had no great need of that of man, but in all things obeyed 335 that other, and were led by it; butthey who yet moved below, and were wrapt in many veils, needed that meaner (voice). In the sameway John, because he had snipped himself in every way of the 336 things of sense, needed no otherinstructors, 337 but was taught from heaven. “He that sent me,” saith he, “to baptize with water, theSame said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit” of God “descending, the same is He.” (c. i. 33 ) But the Jews who still were children, and could not as yet reach to that height, had a manfor their teacher, a man who did not speak to them words of his own, but brought them a messagefrom above.What then saith he? He “beareth witness concerning Him, and crieth, saying” What means thatword “crieth”? Boldly, he means, and freely, without any reserve, 338 he proclaims. What does heproclaim? to what does he “bear witness,” and “cry”? “This is He of whom I said, He that comethafter me is preferred before me; for He was before me.” The testimony is dark, 339 and containsbesides much that is lowly. For he does not say, “This is the Son of God, the Only-begotten, thetrue Son ”; but what? “He that cometh after me, is preferred before me; for He was before me.” Asthe mother birds do not teach their young all at once how to fly, nor finish their teaching in a singleday, but at first lead them forth so as to be just outside the nest, then after first allowing them torest, set them again to flying, 340 and on the next day continue a flight much farther, and so gently,by little and little, bring them to the proper height; just so the blessed John did not immediatelybring the Jews to high things, but taught them for a while to fly up a little above the earth saying,that Christ was greater than he. And yet this, even this was for the time no small thing, to have beenable to persuade 341 the hearers that one who had not yet appeared nor worked any wonders wasgreater than a man, (John, I mean,) so marvelous, so famous, to whom all ran, and whom theythought to be an angel. For a while therefore he labored to establish this in the minds of his hearers,that He to whom testimony was borne was greater than he who bore it; He that came after, than hethat came before, He who had not yet appeared, than he that was manifest and famous. And observehow prudently he introduces his testimony; for he does not only point Him out when He hasappeared, but even before He appears, proclaims Him. For the expression, “This is He of whom Ispake,” is the expression of one declaring this. As also Matthew says, that when all came to him,he said, “I indeed baptize you with water, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, the latchet332 al. “because the many.”333γέγονεν .334 al. “those therefore.”335 Morel. “as obeying it in all things: but they who yet moved below, needed also many other (things), because of theirgroveling on the ground, and being wrapt.”336 al. “all the.”337 al. “men for inst.”338ὑ ποστολὴ .339 Lit. “shaded over.”340Morel. and ms. Savile reads προστιθέασι τῇ πτήσει πάλιν καὶ … πλείονα συνάπτουσιν .341 al. “make believe.”72