ACC ~ John 1 v16

JOHN THE BAPTIST CONTINUES HIS TESTIMONY

ORIGEN: This [continues] the recorded testimony of John the Baptist about Christ which begins with the statement “This was he who said, ‘He who comes after me’” and ends at the words “The only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.”…

It is very forced to suppose that the word of the Baptist is suddenly and unseasonably, as it were, broken off by the word of the disciple. The sequence of the text is clear to everyone who knows how just to listen for a while to the context of what is being said: “This was he who said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”

But by the statement “Because of his fullness we all have received,” the Baptist is teaching how Jesus ranks before him by being before him (since he was the firstborn of creation). [1] It is for this reason that he says, “He ranks before me, because he was before me.” And I think he existed before me and is more honored with the Father, because both I and the prophets before me have received the more divine and greater prophetic grace from his fullness for the grace we received from him in relation to our free choice.

In addition “he ranks because he was before me,” since, when we have received of his fullness, we have also understood that the law has been given “through Moses,” not “by Moses,” but that grace and truth have not only been given through Jesus Christ but also have come into existence through him, since his God and Father has both given the law through Moses and has produced through Jesus Christ the grace and the truth that have come to people.” COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.13, 34-36. [2]

[1] Col 1:15.

[2] FC 80:171,178*; SC 157:138, 154-56. Cyril makes a similar point that the original surpasses everything that has an origin; see Commentary on the Gospel of John 1.9.

THESE ARE JOHN’S WORDS AND OURS

CHRYSOSTOM: John [the Evangelist]… joins his own testimony to that of the Baptist, for the expression “of his fullness have we all received” belongs not to the forerunner but to the disciple; and its meaning is something like this: Do not think, he says, that we, who accompanied him for so long and ate of his food and sat at table with him—that we bear witness to him because we are favored…. All we—the Twelve, the three hundred, the three thousand, the five thousand, the many myriads of Jews, all the fullness of the faithful who then were and now are and hereafter shall be—“have received of his fullness.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 14.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:48**.

DIVINE GRACE SPRINGS FROM THE SON’S NATURE

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: For it is a truly excellent pronouncement of the Baptist when he appears to me to say of the Only Begotten, “For he was before me,” that is, far surpassing and superior. For all we too, who have been enrolled in the choir of the saints, enjoy the riches of his proper good, and the nature of humanity is ennobled with his rather than its own excellences, when it is found to have nothing that is noble. For from the fullness of the Son, as from a perennial fountain, the gift of the divine graces springing forth comes to each soul that is found worthy to receive it. But if the Son supplies as from his own natural fullness and the creature is supplied—how will he not be conceived of as having glory, not similar to the rest, but the kind of glory that would pertain to the only begotten of God? He then is shown to have the superiority over all as the fruit of his own nature, and to have the preeminence as the dignity of his Father’s being. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.9. [1]

[1] LF 43:116**.

HE POSSESSES GRACE BY NATURE, WE BY PARTICIPATION

CHRYSOSTOM: He does not possess, he says, the gift by participation [1] but is himself the very fountain and root of all good, the very life and light and truth, not retaining within himself the riches of his good things but overflowing with them into all others. And after the overflowing, he still remains full and undiminished, in spite of supplying others. On the contrary, he remains perfect as always, streaming forth as much as ever and imparting to others a share of these blessings. What I possess, on the other hand, is by participation (for I received it from another) and is only a small portion of the whole. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 14.1. [2]

[1] Gk methektēn dōrean.

[2] NPNF 1 14:47**.

GRACE REWARDS GRACE

AUGUSTINE: What then is “grace for grace”? By faith we first win God’s favor; and we who were not worthy to have our sins forgiven, from the very fact that, though unworthy, we received so great a gift, it is called grace….

But having acquired this grace of faith, you will be justified by faith. “For the just person lives by faith.” [1] And you will first win God’s favor from living by faith. When you have won God’s favor from living by faith, you will receive as a reward immortality and eternal life. And that is grace. Now for what merit do you receive eternal life? For grace. For if faith is grace, and if eternal life is, as it were, a reward for faith, God, indeed, seems to pay back eternal life as if it were owed—owed to whom? Owed to the person of faith because he won it by faith— always recalling that faith comes only by grace, and eternal life is a grace for grace. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 3.9.1-2. [2]

[1] See Rom 1:17, citing Hab 2:4.

[2] FC 78:83*.

THE GRACE IN JESUS’ NATURE

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: “From his fullness,” he says, “we have all received,” that is, the grace of the Spirit, which is given to us as a gift, we received from his abundance. About his human nature he says that every grace is in it; but at the same time this shows the dignity of the nature that is in him. Through the union with the divine Word, by means of the Spirit, he was made participant in the true relationship. We have taken a part from his spiritual grace, and through it we are made participant together with him in this adoptive affiliation, even though we are very far away from that dignity. And he fortunately added, “grace for grace,” indicating with the name of grace the law as well. He says, instead of that grace [of the law] this grace is given. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 1.1.16. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:37-38.

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