Chapter Sixteen

¹ These things have I spoken to you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time comes, that whoever kills you will think that he does God service. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. “I have spoken to you,” He says, “these things before they come to pass, that you be not offended afterward, when you see many disobeying, and yourselves suffering terrible things; but, reckoning that even before these things came to pass I told you of them, you may henceforth receive also the consolation that is from me, as one who will not deceive you in this either, even as neither in the foretelling of the terrors. For they shall both put you out of the synagogues, and shall set you apart from their councils, and from their assemblies of honour, and altogether from their fellowship. For they had already agreed that if any should confess Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. And not only this, your being put out of the synagogues, but expect also death, and a death of reproach; for as pests and enemies of God shall they kill you. And every one that murders you will so be in earnest about your slaughter as to think he is offering worship to God”—that is, he will reckon that he is doing a deed well-pleasing to God and pious. And He adds also a sufficient consolation. “For these things,” He says, “will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me. For my sake,” He says, “and the Father’s, are you about to suffer these things; therefore endure. For blessed are you, when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Let this beatitude be a consolation to you, when you call these things to mind. And these things have I spoken to you, that when you see the gloomy things come to pass, you may believe also concerning the rest. For you shall not be able to say that I foretold you the joyful things, wishing to deceive you; but even as, foretelling the painful things, I lied not, so neither, having spoken the joyful things, am I worthy of disbelief; and at the same time, that you be not unprepared, but ready, remembering that I told you these things, and for this cause standing nobly against the painful things.”

² But these things I said not to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asks me, Where do you go? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you. Exceedingly were the apostles weighed down with grief, hearing such things about to befall them. Wherefore also the Lord says, “These things, so painful, I told you not at the beginning, not as being ignorant of them, but because I was with you, and you had me as a sufficient refuge, and all the war was kindled against me, while you yourselves were in all safety. There was no need, then, of such words at that time, words preparing you beforehand and securing you; but now, going to my Father, and being about to leave you, I foretell these things, that you may secure yourselves. And none of you asks me, ‘Where do you go?’ but by grief you are confounded, and have suffered amazement, your hearts being shaken by the expectation of the terrors. Nevertheless I tell you the truth.” See how He consoles them. “Though you grieve ten thousand times,” He says, “I tell you that which is expedient for you. For you indeed wish me to be ever present with you; but this is not expedient. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you. So that even though you wish my presence, I will not yield to you, but will rather choose what is expedient for you than the will that is hurtful to you.” So also we ought to do everywhere, to consider what is expedient both for ourselves and for the brethren, and not what is pleasant. “For if I die not for the world, and go to the Father, having given myself a sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the world, the Comforter will not come. For how should he come, unless the enmity be loosed, sin being put to death, unless the Father be reconciled to human nature?” But here what can they say who follow Macedonius, belittling the glory of the Spirit, and calling Him a servant of the Son? How is it expedient that the Master depart, and a servant come? So that, even though you grieve, O disciples, because of my absence, yet rejoice because of the presence of the Spirit, who will benefit you in more and greater things. But how did the Lord say, “These things I said not to you at the beginning”? For indeed it is written that, having called the twelve, He said to them, “You shall be brought before governors and kings.” He said indeed, “You shall be brought before governors,” but not, “They shall so kill you, as impious men, and pests, and enemies of God.” And otherwise: there He spoke of the things to be brought upon them by the heathen, but now of the things from the Jews also. For the “They shall put you out of the synagogues” the Jews assuredly will do. And observe to me here at once both the self-determination of the Spirit and the good pleasure of the Son. For the “The Comforter will come” is of the authority of the Spirit; but the “if I depart, I will send him” [is of the Son’s good pleasure that the Comforter should come].

³ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. The Comforter will come; and what is the gain? “He will reprove,” He says, “the world of sin,” and will show them to be sinners, because they believe not. For when they see, through the hands of the disciples, in the Spirit, signs extraordinary and wonders wrought, and not even so believe, they are worthy of condemnation, and liable to a very great sin. For now they can say, “I am the son of a carpenter, of a lowly mother,” although I work wonders also; but then their unbelief will be without excuse, the Spirit in my name accomplishing such things. Of sin, then, He will reprove them—that is, He will show them to have sinned unpardonably. “And of righteousness will he reprove, because I go to my Father”—that is, “He will show them that, being righteous, and having furnished a blameless life, I was unjustly slain by them; and a proof of this is my going to the Father; for I should not have gone up to the Father unless I were righteous. For since they slew me as a rival of God and a transgressor, the Spirit will show them,” He says, “that I am not such. For one who was a rival of God and a transgressor would not have been counted worthy of honour with God the lawgiver, and that not temporary, but eternal honour. For the ‘You see me no more’ signifies the eternity of His abiding with the Father.” “And of judgment will he reprove them, because the prince of this world is judged”—that is, “Herein again the Spirit will prove me righteous and sinless, from the world-ruler’s being condemned by me and overthrown. For since they said, ‘He has a devil,’ and ‘By Beelzebul he works wonders,’ and ‘He is a deceiver’—all these things,” He says, “shall be shown vain, the devil appearing condemned, and shown to all to have been conquered by me; which I could not have done, unless I were stronger than he, and a stranger to all sin.” And how was this shown? By the presence of the Spirit all that believe in Christ made the world-ruler a thing trodden under foot and insulted. Therefore it was shown from these things also that he had long before been condemned by Christ. The Spirit, then, reproved them that believed not, as sinners; for faith looses sins through the remission of baptism. And in them that believed the manifest energies of the Spirit appeared, but in the unbelievers they were not seen. Whence they were proved to be wicked vessels, and accursed, and unworthy of the indwelling of the Spirit. And otherwise: the Spirit reproves the unbelieving world of righteousness—that is, that he is deprived of righteousness who believes not in the righteous Jesus, who because of righteousness was taken up into the heavens. And it reproves and condemns him also as slothful, because, when Satan was crushed, not even so would he overcome him.

⁴ I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you. All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it to you. Having said above, “It is expedient for you that I go away,” He now enlarges upon this, and says, “Now indeed you cannot bear them; but when he is come, then indeed, having enjoyed his graces, you shall be guided into all truth.” And what truth does He mean, but the knowledge concerning all things? For the Lord Himself uttered nothing great concerning Himself, partly giving patterns of humility, partly also because of the weakness of the hearers, and the ill-disposition of the Jews. Nor did He openly introduce the dissolution of the legal observances, lest He should seem to all a rival of God. But when the Comforter had come, both the dignity of the Son was made clear, and the true knowledge concerning all things shone forth; and, the legal types being taken out of the midst and abolished, we were guided into the true and spiritual worship, the faith being confirmed through the signs wrought in the Spirit. Then, since He had said certain great things concerning the Spirit, lest any should suppose that the Spirit is greater than He, seeing that it will guide them into the truth, and make them capable and receptive of the many and great things which, while Christ was present, they could not bear—that this might not be supposed, He adds, “For he shall not speak of himself”—that is, “He will say nothing of his own beside my things.” For the “whatever he shall hear” signifies this, the teaching of nothing outside the things of Christ. As, then, the Lord Himself, saying concerning Himself, “Whatever I have heard of my Father I speak,” does not introduce Himself as being taught, like some infant, but means that He neither knows nor teaches anything outside the Father’s; so also concerning the Spirit. For that the Spirit needs no teaching, hear what Paul says: “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.” Do you see that the Holy Spirit is self-taught, even as our own spirit is? And from what follows you shall learn also, if you are well-disposed, the Godhead of the Spirit. “For the things to come,” He says, “will he show you”—that is, the things to come; which is most especially proper to God, the knowledge of things to come. For since nothing else is so longed for by human nature as the knowledge of things to come, He consoles the apostles from this also. “For so greatly,” He says, “will he benefit you, that he will give you even the greatest of all things, the foreknowledge of things to come.” And at the same time, since they were about to strip for the contests, “He,” He says, “will prepare you for the things about to befall you, that you fall not unguardedly, out of ignorance. And he will glorify me too; for in my name will he both speak all things and do all things, and will say nothing contrary; so that I shall, through the wonders wrought by him, be believed to be God, abundant grace being poured out upon you my disciples, and, after my death, my name shining the more; which is a great and indisputable glory, when he that was put to death and dishonoured shines the more after these things.” Then, since they had heard the Lord say, “One is your Master, even Christ,” lest they should suppose, “Since you yourself are the one teacher, how do you say to us that the Spirit also shall be another teacher?” He adds, “He shall receive of mine”—that is, “Out of the things which I myself know, out of my knowledge.” Or also otherwise: the “of mine”—that is, “Out of my treasure, which is the Father’s.” For since all things that the Father has are mine, and my riches, and the Comforter also shall speak from the Father, I reasonably say, “He shall receive of mine”—that is, of the treasure, and the riches, and the knowledge. And why has the Spirit given us such good things, and not the Son? First, then, we say this, that the Son made the way for the gifts of the Spirit, and is Himself the cause of such great goods. For unless He had loosed sin, how should we have been counted worthy of the Spirit? For the Spirit will not dwell in a body that is in debt to sins. So that, if the Spirit has given anything great, it had its occasions from Christ. And next, since the heretics were about to belittle the dignity of the Spirit because of his coming later, for this cause He yields to him to work the greater things in the apostles, that even against their will they may recognize the dignity of the Spirit, [equal to that] of the Son.

⁵ A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he says to us, A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he says, A little while? we cannot tell what he says. Why does Christ again bring before them the things concerning His withdrawal and His death, although He ought rather to have hidden these? Exercising their understanding, and making it more proven; and for this cause He continually makes mention of the painful things, bringing them into a habituation to these, and into an expectation of them, that they might not be panic-stricken by the suddenness; and at the same time He interweaves with the painful things the things that lead the soul; even as here, having said the painful thing, “A little while, and you shall not see me,” He added also the joyful thing, “And again, a little while, and you shall see me; and that, I go to God”—who is able to help you, and I perish not, but am removed; and the separation is for a little while, but the abiding with you for the time to come is eternal. They, however, understood not; whence one might wonder how they did not recognize what He says. It seems, then, that their grief, possessing their understanding, cast out the memory of the things spoken; or that, from the obscurity of the words, the not understanding came upon them. Wherefore they think that Jesus utters certain things contrary to one another: “For if we shall see you, where do you go? But if you go, how shall we see you?” For these things seemed to them riddles.

⁶ Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said to them, Do you inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me? Truly, truly, I say to you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And you now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you. Since He saw the disciples in no way understanding the things spoken, because of the stupefaction from grief, He fixes in them more clearly the doctrine concerning His death, that, being habituated to the words and to the things, they might bear them nobly. And so He says, “You shall weep and lament,” which belongs to the death of the cross; “but the world shall rejoice”—that is, the Jews who mind the things of the world shall rejoice, as having destroyed me their enemy. “But your sorrow shall be turned into joy”; even as, on the other hand, the joy of the Jews shall come round to grief for them, when, after the resurrection, my name is glorified. And you can understand the “joy of the world” not as that of the Jews, wherein they rejoiced when the Lord was slain, but as the salvation of the world, so that what is said is of this kind: “You indeed shall grieve, but this my Passion, over which you grieve, shall be the joy and salvation of the whole world.” Then He adds also a common example, that of the woman and the birth-pang. And this comparison the prophets also used, by the sharpness of the birth-pangs setting forth the excess of dejection. And He says some such thing: “Pangs of dejection shall seize you, but the pang becomes the cause of the birth”; and at the same time confirming also the word concerning the resurrection, and showing that to die is like coming forth from the womb into the light. “Marvel not, then, that through such great grief you are about to walk to joy; since the mother too, through the grief that is in the pang, comes to become a mother.” And He hints here also something mystical, that He Himself loosed the pangs of death, and caused a new man to be born, no longer corruptible, no longer dying; which is the Lord Himself. For observe how He said not, “She remembers no more the anguish, because a child is born to her,” but, “Because a man is born into the world.” For this He said not in vain, but wishing emphatically and covertly to intimate that He Himself is the man born, not to the Hades that travailed of Him, but to the world. For to us was born from the resurrection the new and incorruptible man, Jesus Christ our God. The example, then, of the travailing woman seek not to fit throughout to the things that befell Christ, but only so far as to show that the grief is temporary, and that the gain of the pangs is great, and that the birth of the resurrection is to life and regeneration. All the other things of the example are discordant; and reasonably; for it is a parable; and the parable, if it be preserved in all points, is no longer a parable, but the very thing itself for which the parable was made. Here too, then, we take the pangs for the grief of the apostles, and the joy for the consolation after the resurrection; and again the loosing of the pangs for the dissolving of Hades, and the birth for the resurrection of the First-begotten from the dead; not, however, Hades for the mother. For Hades rejoiced not, but the apostles rejoiced, with a joy which no man took from them. For when they were insulted, then they rejoiced, when for the name of Christ they were dishonoured. And at the same time, by saying, “Your joy no man takes from you,” [He shows that He, no longer dying] but ever living, is to them the procurer of indissoluble joy.

⁷ And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. “When,” He says, “I shall have risen, then, the Comforter assuredly having visited you, and guided you into all truth, you shall ask me nothing,” such as before, “Where do you go?” and, “Show us the Father.” “For you shall know all things in the Spirit”; or, “you shall ask,” instead of, “you shall entreat, you shall make request. When, therefore, having risen from the dead, I shall send you the Comforter, then you shall no longer ask me”—that is, make request, so that I should become mediator—“but my name shall suffice you to receive your requests from the Father.” He shows, then, here the power of His name, seeing that, not even being entreated, but only being named, it does such things. “Hitherto,” He says, “you have asked nothing in my name; but from now ask, and you shall altogether receive. So that it is expedient that I die, if indeed you are henceforth to obtain greater boldness with my Father. For because I am separated from you, think not that you are forsaken by me; but my name shall give you greater boldness, and your joy shall then be most full, you receiving all your requests.” And consider that he receives who asks in the name of Christ. None, then, of those who ask worldly and soul-hurting things asks in the name of Christ; wherefore neither does he receive. For the name of Christ is divine and saving; but when one asks the things that lead to the destruction of the soul, how shall we say that this man asks in the saving name?

⁸ These things have I spoken to you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day you shall ask in my name: and I say not to you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. A proverb is a saying which obliquely, and covertly, and altogether parabolically, shows some underlying thing. Since, then, the Lord had said many things to them covertly, and the thing concerning the woman and the birth was parabolic, He says, “These things have I spoken to you in proverbs; but the time comes, when no longer in proverbs, but plainly I shall show you of the Father.” For after the resurrection, having presented Himself alive, for forty days He spoke to them the more mystical and exact things concerning the Father. For before, they so thought God to be His Father as He is ours also, by grace. And again, giving them courage, that they shall receive in the temptations help from above, “In my name,” He says, “ask, and you shall receive; and so far do I assure you that the Father is your friend, that you have henceforth no further need even of my mediation. For He Himself loves you.” Then, lest they should leap away from Christ, as having no further need of Him, but being loved by the Father immediately, He says, “Therefore the Father loves you, because you have loved me. When, then, you fall away from my friendship, straightway you shall fall away also from the Father’s.” And since it consoled them exceedingly to hear that He came forth from God, and again goes to God, for this cause He continually turns it about. Whence also, [as if] inspired, what say they?

⁹ His disciples said to him, Lo, now do you speak plainly, and speak no proverb. Now are we sure that you know all things, and need not that any man should ask you: by this we believe that you came forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? Behold, the hour comes, yea, is now come, that you shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. The disciples, hearing that God and the Father shall be their friend, and that they need not His mediation, as being made intimate with the Father, and that He came forth from God, say, “Now we are sure that you know all things”—that is, “You know the things that offend the heart of each, and have no need that you should learn them from any. And by this we believe that you came forth from God; for it is of God to know the hidden things of the heart.” But consider how imperfect they were, saying the “Now we are sure.” For they who had heard so many teachings say, “Now we are sure.” And Christ, showing them that they are still imperfect, and have as yet conceived nothing great concerning Him, but are still turned downward and about the earth, says, “Do you now believe?” For He, as it were, reproaches them, and upbraids the slowness of their faith. Lest they should seem to be doing Him a favour in conceiving such things concerning Him, He says, “The hour is come, that you shall be scattered, every man. For you,” He says, “think to have imagined some great thing concerning me; but I tell you that you are so imperfect, that you are about to forsake me to the enemies; and so great a cowardice shall master you, that you shall not even be able to withdraw with one another, but shall be scattered even from one another, and each shall provide for himself a refuge and safety. But I shall suffer no harm from this; for I am not alone, but have also the Father with me. So that not through weakness do I suffer, but willingly I yield to the crucifiers.” When, then, you hear the “Why have you forsaken me?” understand it not thus simply, that the Saviour was forsaken by the Father (for how does He here testify that “The Father is with me”?), but understand this to be spoken from the human nature, which was forsaken because of sins, and cast away, but in Christ reconciled and taken up to the Father.

¹⁰ These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. “These things,” He says, “have I spoken to you, that you cast me not out of your understanding, neither be shaken and troubled from the steadfastness that is in my love, but be at peace in me”—that is, “Abide unshaken, receiving as trustworthy all that I said to you.” And let Arius also hear, that all these lowly things, and things that seem unworthy of the glory of the Son, were spoken because of the hearers, not that we should use them toward the doctrines. For they were spoken to the apostles by way of consolation, as showing forth His love toward them. “In the world you shall have tribulation. Not up to the terrors already spoken,” He says, “will I set your trials, but so long as you are in the world, you shall have tribulation, not now only, when I am betrayed, but also after these things; but withstand it in your reasoning. For be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world; and I having overcome, you my disciples must not be despondent, but despise it as overcome.” And how has He overcome the world? By overthrowing in wrestling the prince of the world’s passions. But indeed it is plain also from the things that came after. For all things were made subject to Him, and yielded. As, then, when Adam was overcome, the whole nature was condemned, so, when Christ overcame, the victory passed over into the whole nature, and power was granted to us in Christ Jesus to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy. For by man came death, and by man life, and the might against the devil. For if a bare God had overcome, it would have been nothing toward us. [Heading of what follows:] Concerning the prayer of Jesus to the Father on behalf of the disciples given to Him.