Tractates on the Gospel of John 55–111

Tractate 110

TRACTATE 110 On John 17.21–23 hen the Lord Jesus had prayed for his disciples whom he then had with him and had added on his others, saying, “But not for these only do I pray, but also for them who through their word will believe in me,”1 as though we would ask for what or why he prayed for them, immediately he affixed the following, saying, “that they all may be one,2 as you, Father, in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us.” And earlier, when he was still praying for his disciples only, whom he had with him, “Holy Father,” he said, “keep them in your name whom you have given me that they may be one, as we also are.”3 Therefore, now also for us, too, he prayed for the same thing as then he prayed for them, that all, that is, both we and they, may be one. And here one ought to take careful note that the Lord did not4 say, “that we all may be one,” but “that they all may be one, as you, Father, in me, and I in you,” (with “we are one” understood—which is openly said afterwards)5 because he also before had said concerning the disciples who were with him, “that they may be one as we also are.” And therefore , the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father in such a way that they are one thing, because they are of one substance; we certainly can indeed be in them, yet we cannot be one thing with them, because we and they are not of one substance in so far as the Son is God with the Father. For in 289 1. Jn 17.20. 2. The Latin very literally, as in Jn 10.30, means “one thing,” a neuter singular substantive, a predicate noun to a plural verb. 3. Cf. Jn 17.11. Again “one” is literally “one thing.” 4. The CCL text erroneously reads nos for non. 5. In Jn 17.22. so far as he is man, he is of the same substance as we also are. (2) But now he wanted rather to bring to our notice that which he said in another place, “I and the Father, we are one thing,”6 where he signified that the Father’s nature and his is the same. And for this reason even when the Father and the Son, or also the Holy Spirit, are in us, we ought not to think that they are of one nature with us. And so they are in us, and we in them, in such a way that they are one thing in their nature, and we one thing in ours. For indeed, they are in us as God in his temple, but we in them as the creature in its Creator. 2. Then, when he had said, “that they also may be one in us,” he went on, “that the world may believe that you have sent me.” What is this? Is it really possible that the world will believe then, when we shall all be one in the Father and the Son? Is this not that unending peace and rather the reward for faith than faith? For we shall be one, not in order that we may believe, but because we have believed. But although in this life because of the common faith itself we all who believe in one are one, according to that saying of the Apostle, “For you are all one in Christ Jesus,”7 even so we are one, not in order that we may believe, but because we have believed . (2) Therefore, what is “all may be one that the world may believe”? For indeed, these “all” constitute the world believing . For they who will believe are not indeed one thing, and the world that will believe precisely because they will be one is another different thing, since without doubt he says “that all may be one” about these about whom he had said, “But not for these only do I pray, but also for them who through their word will believe in me,”8 immediately subjoining “that all may be one.” (3) But what is this “all” except the world, not hostile surely, but faithful? For look, he who said, “I do not pray for the world,”9 prays for the world that it may believe...