Tractates on the Gospel of John 55–111

Tractate 109

TRACTATE 109 On John 17.20 he lord jesus, his Passion now approaching, when he had prayed for his disciples, whom he also named Apostles,1 with whom he had supped the Last Supper, from which his betrayer, made known by the morsel ,2 had gone forth, and with whom after his departure, before he prayed for them, he had spoken already many words, added also the others who would believe in him; and he said to the Father, “But not for these only do I pray,” that is, for the disciples who were there with him, “but also for those,” he says, “who through their word will believe in me.” And here he wanted all his own to be understood, not only those who were then in the flesh, but also those who were yet to be. For as many as afterwards believed in him, these, without doubt, through the word of the Apostles, believed and will believe until he comes. For he had said to them, “And you will give testimony because you are with me from the beginning .”3 And through these men the gospel was ministered even before it was written; and, of course, whoever believes in Christ believes the gospel. And so not only those are to be understood whom he says believe through their word, who heard the Apostles themselves when they were in the flesh, but also those after their death, and we, born long afterwards , we have believed in Christ through their word. For they who were then with him preached to others what they heard from him; and thus, that we too might believe, their word has come all the way to us, wherever his Church is, and 283 1. Perhaps he bases this on the use of the Greek word for send in Jn 17.18, but cf. Lk 6.13. See Tractate 59.1, note 1. 2. Cf. Jn 13.30. 3. Jn 15.27. it will come to men in future time, whoever, wherever, will believe in him hereafter. 2. And so it is possible for it to seem that Jesus in this prayer did not pray for some of his own unless we diligently scrutinize his words in the same prayer. For if he first prayed for those who were then with him, as we have shown already, but afterwards also for those who would believe in him through their word, it can be said that he did not pray for those who were neither with him then when he was saying these things, nor afterwards through their words, but had believed in him either through themselves or in whatever way you prefer, nevertheless earlier. (2) For, was Nathanael with him then?4 Was that Joseph from Arimathea, who asked for his body from Pilate, whom this very John the Evangelist attests was already his disciple?5 Was Mary, his mother, and the other women whom we have learned in the Gospel were already then his disciples?6 Were they then with him about whom the same John the EvangeST . AUGUSTINE 284 4. Cf. Jn 1.45–51; see Tractate 7.15–22. It is unclear whether this Nathanael is the same as the one named in Jn 21.2, or whether either Nathanael is the Apostle Bartholomew, as he was later identified. In Tractate 7.17, Augustine maintains that the Nathanael there was not only not one of the Apostles but not even a disciple because he was learned, and Paul, 1 Cor 1.26–28, is quoted to support the view that the learned were not chosen by Christ. But in Tractate 122.6, Augustine refers to the Nathanael of Jn 21.2 as a disciple, although not necessarily as an apostle because he is included in a group of four named apostles and two unnamed disciples. In En in Ps 65.4 (CCL 39.840–41), again quoting 1 Cor 1.26–28, he also asserts that the Nathanael of Jn 1.45–51 was not chosen by Christ because of his learning. See Browne, LFC 26.115–16; JBC 2.796 (section 165); and R. E. Brown, Anchor Bible 29.82 and 29A.1068. 5. Cf. Jn 19.38, Mt 27.57, Mk 15.43, Lk 23.50–52. 6. There are three groups of women besides Jesus’ mother in the four Gospels, from whom undoubtedly come disciples of Jesus even during his lifetime. First are those women named: Mary Magdalene; Mary, the...