ACC ~ John 16 v10

GOING TO THE FATHER VINDICATES CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

CHRYSOSTOM: Jesus is saying here, “My going to the Father will prove that I have led an irreproachable life.” For since they continually accused him of not being from God because he was a sinner and transgressor, the Spirit will take away from them this accusation as well. … Again when he says that the Spirit will convict the world, “of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged,” he makes their argument concerning righteousness moot as well, inasmuch as he conquered the devil. If he had been a sinner, he could not have overthrown the devil. Not even a righteous person would have been strong enough to do that. “But those who trample on him afterward shall know that he has been condemned through me. And my resurrection, which is the mark of [my Father] who condemned the devil, will clearly show that the devil was not able to detain me. And so they can no longer say that I had a devil or that I was a deceiver.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 78.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:287**.

OUR JUSTIFICATION IS COMPLETE

AUGUSTINE: And therefore we ought not to think of ourselves as having no part in that justice that the Lord himself is referring to, when he speaks “about justice, because I am going to the Father.” After all, we too have risen again with Christ, and with our head we are Christ, for the time being in faith and hope. But our hope will be fulfilled in the final resurrection of the dead. But when our hope is fulfilled or completed, that is when our justification will be completed too. [1] It is the Lord who is going to complete it, and he showed us what we should hope for in his own flesh (that is, in our head), in which he rose again and ascended to the Father. Because this is what Scripture says: “He was handed over for our transgressions and rose again for our justification.” [2] So the world is challenged about sin, in those who do not believe in Christ, and about justice, in those who rise again among the members of Christ. SERMON 144.6. [3]

[1] Lat complebitur. Our justification is complete now, but its full effects will not be seen until our resurrection.

[2] Rom 4:25.

[3] WSA 3 4:433; PL 38:790.

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF DISCIPLES, BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS

BEDE: The righteousness of Christ’s disciples consisted in this, that they believed that the Lord, whom they discerned was a true human being, was also the true Son of God, and that they worshiped always with a definite love the one whom they knew had been taken away bodily from them. The righteousness of the believers, that is, of those who have not seen the Lord in his human body, consists in this, that with their hearts they believe and love him whom they have never seen with their bodily vision as true God and man. Unbelievers are convicted of this righteousness, [which arises from] faith because, when they hear the word of life in the same way [as believers], they are unwilling to believe [in a way that leads] to righteousness. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.11. [1]

[1] CS 111:101*.

OUR FAITH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, CONVICTS AN UNBELIEVING WORLD

AUGUSTINE: By what means, then, is the world to be reproved of righteousness, if not by the righteousness of believers? Accordingly, it is convinced of sin because it does not believe on Christ, and it is convinced of the righteousness of those who do believe. For the very comparison with believers is itself a reproving of unbelievers. … And since the cry of unbelievers usually is, “How can we believe what we do not see?” the righteousness of believers lies in this very definition [of faith]: “Because I go to the Father you will see me no more.” For blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. [1] Those who saw Christ were not commended for what they saw, namely, the Son of man, but for believing what they did not see, namely, the Son of God. But after his servant form was itself also withdrawn from their view, then in every respect was the word truly fulfilled, “The just shall live by faith.” [2] … This, then, he says, will be your righteousness by which the world shall be reproved … seeing that you shall believe in me as in one whom you shall not see. … In the future you will see me, not in my humility but in my exaltation; not in my mortality but in my eternity; not at the bar of justice but on the throne of judgment. And by this faith of yours, in other words, your righteousness, the Holy Spirit will reprove an unbelieving world. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 95.2-3. [3]

[1] Jn 20:29.

[2] Rom 1:17; Hab 2:4.

[3] NPNF 1 7:369-70**.