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ACC ~ John 1 v49

NATHANAEL’S KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST STILL IMPERFECT

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Therefore Nathanael, convinced by those deeds, said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel,” that is, you are the Messiah who was already announced. The Messiah was certainly expected by them as God to appear before everybody, as a king of Israel, even though they conceived him in a more obscure and material way. It was not possible then that the Jews knew how he was the Son of God or the king of Israel. Evidently also Nathanael did not say he was the Son of God by divine generation but by familiarity, as those people who came to God through his virtue were called sons of God. It was not possible that Nathanael immediately knew what we see and that the apostles themselves came to know after a long time. Those things that were said to him by the Lord could not be sufficient to demonstrate his other nature. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 1.1.49. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:53.

NATHANAEL’S CONFESSION COMPARED WITH PETER’S LATER CONFESSION

CHRYSOSTOM: Many, when they read this passage, are perplexed at finding that Peter was pronounced blessed for having, after our Lord’s miracles and teaching, confessed him to be the Son of God. Nathanael, who makes the same confession before Peter, receives no such blessing. The reason is this: Peter and Nathanael both used the same words but not in the same way. Peter confessed our Lord to be the Son of God, in the sense of him being very God. Nathanael confessed him to be the Son of God only as a mere man. For after saying, “You are the Son of God,” he adds, “You are the King of Israel.” But the Son of God was not only the King of Israel but of the whole world.

This is clear from what follows. For in the case of Peter, Christ added nothing, but, as if his faith were already perfect, told him that he would build the church on his confession. In the case of Nathanael, he treats his confession as deficient and needing to progress further upwards. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 21.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:72-73**.

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