Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, Homilies 1–47

Homily 40

HOMILIES 403 deserve, if, when so easy a road to life has been laid open to us, we are carried headlong down the precipice, as we walk the profitless way and deprive ourselves of everything both here and hereafter, though it is possible for us to enjoy the fruit of both with freedom? However, if we have not done so before, let us at least now return and, coming back to ourselves, let us dispense this world's goods as we ought, in order that we may readily receive those of the world to come, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom glory be to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. Homily 40 (John 5.31-38) 'If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. There is another who bears witness concerning me, and I know that his witness is true.'l If a person, even though inexperienced in mining, should undertake to dig a mine, he would not produce gold, but by his confused and disorderly efforts he would engage in the work fruitlessly and even harmfully. So those who do not know the sequence of holy Scripture and do not examine into its distinctive forms and laws, but merely peruse all of it in the same way, mix gold with earth and will by no means discover the treasure lying hidden within it. I am saying this here because the text lying before us at present holds much gold, not readily apparent, but shrouded in much obscurity from on high. Therefore, we must arrive at its true sense by digging and purifying. Who would not be at once perturbed on hearing Christ saying: 'If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true'? And I say this because He clearly bore witness to Himself on many occasions. For example, in conversing with the Samaritan 1 John 5.31-32. 404 SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM woman He said: '1 who speak with thee am he'; similarly, to the blind man: 'He it is who speaks with thee'; also to the Jews, in reproof: 'You say, Thou blasphemest, because 1 said, 1 am the Son of God.'2 And elsewhere, too, in many instances He did this. Therefore, if all these statements are lies, what hope of salvation have we in store? And where shall we discover the truth, when the Truth Itself says: 'My witness is not true.' Moreover, not only does this statement seem to be contradictory , but another one, likewise, not less than this. Further on, He says: 'Even if I bear witness to myself, my witness is true.'3 Which one, therefore, I ask, shall I accept? And which shall I consider a lie? If we excerpt them merely in their literal sense, without having sought to learn the person to whom they were spoken, or the reason, or anything else of that nature, both will be false. If His witness is not true, not even this statement itself is true; not the second one only, but the first as well. What, then, is the meaning? We need much watchfulness, or, rather, God's grace in abundance, lest we go no further than the bare words. It is in this way that the heretics go astray, because they seek to know neither the point of view of the speaker nor the attitude of his hearers. Accordingly, if we do not add this information and other items as well, such as times and places and opinion of the listeners, many ridiculous conclusions will follow. What, then, is the meaning here? The Jews were going to taunt Him as follows: 'If thou bearest witness to thyself, thy witness is not true.'4 For this reason He made the above statement in anticipation of this, as if to say: 'You will certainly say, "We do not believe you." For among men no one who bears witness to himself is ever considered trust2 John 4.26; 9.37; 10.36. 3 John 8.14. 4 John 8.13. HOMILIES 405 worthy.' Therefore, the words 'is not true' must not be read in their literal sense, but in the light of the suspicious attitude of the listeners; that is: 'is not true in your eyes.' He did not, then, say these words with His own proper dignity in vi~w, but in consideration of their suspicious...