ACC ~ John 18 v33 - 38A

OVERVIEW:

Pilate’s inquiry of Jesus shows he was worried that Caesar’s rule in the region could become endangered if he did not find a satisfactory solution (CYRIL). Jesus’ kingdom, however, is not of this world, as he rejects the kind of dignity and power the world seeks (TERTULLIAN, EUSEBIUS) in favor of where real strength lies (CHRYSOSTOM). In the same way, he calls on us to be in the world but not of it (AUGUSTINE). The inadvertent title of “king” that Jesus receives (GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS) is a title Jesus neither confirms nor denies (AUGUSTINE). But his kingdom is surely not limited by earthly rule as it extends through the whole world enlightening souls through his divine and heavenly teaching (EUSEBIUS). Christ bears witness to the truth, which is himself (AUGUSTINE). The Psalms speak of truth springing from the earth, which is what the Truth, the Son of God, did when he took on our flesh, which was made out of the dust of the earth (AUGUSTINE). Truth, by its nature, is not derivative (MELITO). Those who are not of the truth are handed over to the governor of death, who is also the father of lies (AUGUSTINE). Pilate, the governor of Judea, had himself lost any perception of truth, which is why he asks Jesus, “What is truth?” (CYRIL).

18:33-35 | The King of the Jews

PILATE WORRIED THAT CAESAR’S RULE IS ENDANGERED

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Having nothing at all of which to accuse him, and none of those crimes to allege against him that normally bring with them just punishment—and Pilate persisting in inquiring why they had brought him—they assert that Jesus had sinned against Caesar in assuming the dominion that Caesar had acquired over the Jews and in changing the glory of his kingdom to suit his personal aspirations. Great was the malice that suggested this device and caused the false accusation to assume this shape. For they knew that Pilate, however reluctant he might be, would think first about his own safety and would swiftly and precipitously punish the man against whom any such outcry was raised. For, as the inhabitants of Judea were always moved to riots and civil strife and were easily provoked to revolt, Caesar’s officers were proportionally vigilant in this respect and were more careful guardians of order. To this end, they inflicted the most summary penalties on people who had this charge brought against them, sometimes groundlessly. The Jews, therefore, make it a charge against Christ that he ruled over Israel. … Pilate, then, speaks out plainly what he heard the Jews muttering and bids Jesus answer him, whether he was in truth the King of the Jews. Pilate was full of anxiety, it would appear, and thought Caesar’s rule was endangered. Therefore he was anxious to learn the truth in order to meet what had been done with appropriate retribution and acquit of blame the office entrusted to him by the Romans. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12. [1]

[1] LF 48:597-98**.

18:36 | My Kingdom Is Not of This World

JESUS REJECTS DIGNITY AND POWER

TERTULLIAN: If he exercised no right of power even over his own followers, to whom he discharged menial tasks—if, in short, though conscious of his own kingdom, he shrank back from being made a king—he in the fullest way possible gave his own an example for turning coldly from all the pride and outward trappings, as well of dignity as of power. ON IDOLATRY 18. [1]

[1] CCL 2:1119-20; ANF 3:73*.

CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: And when they were asked about Christ and his kingdom, of what nature it was, and where and when it would appear, they answered that it was neither of the world, nor earthly, but heavenly and angelic, and would appear at the end of the world when he would come in glory to judge the living and the dead and to give to every one according to his works. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 3.20.3-4. [1]

[1] FC 19:167.

WHERE REAL STRENGTH LIES

CHRYSOSTOM: Here Jesus shows the weakness of kingship among us. He demonstrates that its strength lies in servants. But that which is above is sufficient of itself. It needs nothing. … And so, he also says that his kingdom is not from this world—not depriving the world of his providence and governance but rather showing, as I said, that his power was not human or perishable. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 83.4. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:311**.

IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF IT

AUGUSTINE: Listen, everyone, Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings of the earth. I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, for “my kingdom is not of this world.” Banish the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death, [1] so that Christ would also die. But “my kingdom is not of this world,” says Christ. What further reassurance do you seek? Come to the kingdom that is not of this world. Do not be enraged by fear, but come by faith. In a prophecy Christ also said, “He,” that is, God the Father, “has made me king on Zion his holy mountain.” [2] But that Zion and that mountain are not of this world.

What in fact is Christ’s kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to whom he said, “You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.” He willed, nevertheless, that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed to the Father, “I ask you not to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.” [3] So here also he did not say, “My kingdom is not” in this world but “is not of this world.” And when he went on to prove this by declaring, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews,” he concluded by saying not “my kingdom is not here” but “my kingdom is not from here.”

Indeed, his kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will contain weeds. The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are the angels, will come and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin. [4] And this could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from here, for it is in exile in the world. Christ says to his kingdom, “You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” [5] They were indeed of the world when they belonged to the prince of this world, before they became his kingdom. Though created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed stock of Adam is of the world. [But] everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom that is no longer of the world. For God has snatched us from the powers of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. [6] This is that kingdom of which he said, “My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here.” TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.2. [7]

[1] See Mt 2:3, 16.

[2] Ps 2:6.

[3] Jn 17:15-16.

[4] See Mt 13:38-41.

[5] Jn 15:19.

[6] See Col 1:13.

[7] JFB 136-37*; CCL 36:644-45.

18:37a | Jesus Is Called a King

THE TITLE OF KING IS ONE OF JESUS’ MANY NAMES

GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: Who is the person who has never, by experience and contemplation, traversed the entire series of titles and powers of Christ, both those more lofty ones that originally were his and those more lowly ones that he later assumed for our sake: God, the Son, the Image, the Word, the Wisdom, the Truth, the Light, the Life, the Power … , the Maker, the King. … Who is the person who hears but pays no attention to these names so pregnant with reality and has never yet held communion with or been made partaker of the Word in any of the real relations signified by each of these names Christ bears? IN DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT TO PONTUS, ORATION 2.98. [1]

[1] NPNF 2 7:224.

JESUS NEITHER CONFESSES NOR DENIES KINGSHIP

AUGUSTINE: It was not that Jesus was afraid to confess himself a king, but the phrase “you say” is nuanced enough that he neither denies himself to be a king (for he is a king whose kingdom is not of this world), nor does he confess that he is such a king as to warrant the supposition that his kingdom is of this world. For, since this was the very idea in Pilate’s mind when he said, ’“Are you a king then?” the answer Pilate received was, “You say that I am a king.” For it was said, “You say,” as if it had been said, since you are worldly, you say it in a worldly way. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.3. [1]

[1] CCL 36:645; NPNF 1 7:424**.

JESUS’ RULE NOT LIMITED

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: His kingdom and throne were not human. They were not of this world. Therefore he said before Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” And when he was asked by him if he were a king, Jesus answered, “For this also I have been born.” So if he has been born for this, he will remain for this … for the kingdom of this world is not able to endure forever, nor is it endless as if extended indefinitely. COMMENTARY ON PSALM 88 [89]. 39-46. [1]

[1] PG 23:1112.

JESUS’ KINGDOM CONTINUES

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: The throne of the kingdom conferred on Jesus is nothing mortal or temporal. Rather, it truly extended throughout the whole world like light shining as the moon established forever, enlightening understanding souls through his divine and heavenly teaching. TO STEPHANUS 15.4. [1]

[1] PG 22:932.

18:37b | Born to Witness to the Truth

CHRIST BEARS WITNESS TO HIMSELF

AUGUSTINE: It is evident that Jesus here referred to his own birth in time when, by becoming incarnate, he came into the world. He is not referring to what had no beginning whereby he was God through whom the Father created the world. For this then, that is, because [he was referring to his birth in time], he declared that he was born, and to this end he came into the world, in other words, that by being born of the Virgin he might witness to the truth. But because not everyone has the truth [1] he further adds, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” One hears, that is to say, with the ears of the inward person, or, in other words, he obeys my voice, which is equivalent to saying, he believes me. When Christ, therefore, witnesses to the truth, he witnesses, of course, to himself. … For if our thoughts turn to the nature wherein we have been created—inasmuch as we were all created by the Truth—who is there that is not of the truth? But it is not given to everyone to hear, that is, to obey the truth and to believe in the truth. At any rate, in no case certainly is there any preceding of merit; otherwise grace should cease to be grace. For if he had said, “Everyone who hears my voice is of the truth,” then it would be supposed that someone was declared to be of the truth because that person conforms to the truth. This is not what he says however, but, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” And in this way no one is of the truth simply because he or she hears his voice. They only hear because they are of the truth, that is, because this is a gift of the truth bestowed on them. And what else is this, but that by Christ’s gracious bestowal they believe on Christ? TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.4. [2]

[1] 2 Thess 3:2.

[2] NPNF 1 7:424-25**; CCL 36:645-46.

TRUTH SPRINGS FROM THE EARTH

AUGUSTINE: “Truth has sprung up from the earth, and righteousness has looked down from heaven.” [1] Yes, “truth has sprung up from the earth” because Christ was born from a woman. “Truth has sprung up from the earth” because the Son of God has come forth from the flesh. What is Truth? The Son of God. What is the earth? Our flesh. Inquire where Christ was born, and you will see that “truth has sprung up from the earth.” Yet this Truth that has sprung up from the earth existed before the earth, for heaven and earth were made through him. But in order that righteousness might look down from heaven, that is, that human beings might be made righteous through divine grace, Truth was born from the Virgin Mary, that he might be in a position to offer sacrifice for those who needed justification, the sacrifice of his passion, the sacrifice of the cross. How could he offer his sacrifice for our sins, except by dying? But how could he die, unless he took from us what could die? Had he not taken mortal flesh from us, Christ could not have died, for the Word does not die, the Godhead does not die, the Power and Wisdom of God [2] does not die. How could he offer himself as a saving victim, if he did not die? But how could he die without clothing himself in flesh? And how could he put on flesh unless Truth sprang up from the earth? EXPLANATION OF PSALM 84.13. [3]

[1] Ps 85:11 (84:12 LXX).

[2] See 1 Cor 1:24.

[3] WSA 3 18:216**; CCL 39:1173.

18:38a | What Is Truth?

TRUTH IS NOT DERIVATIVE

MELITO OF SARDIS: Who is this God? It is he who is himself truth and whose word is truth. And what is truth? That which is not fashioned or made or represented by art, that is, that has never been brought into existence and is on that account called truth. [1] If, therefore, someone worships that which is made with hands, it is not the truth that he worships or yet the word of truth. A DISCOURSE WITH ANTONINUS CAESAR. [2]

[1] Or “that which is fixed and invariable.”

[2] ANF 8:753**.

THE GOVERNOR OF DEATH IS OUTSIDE THE TRUTH

AUGUSTINE: You are righteous, O Lord, but we have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly. [1] Your hand has grown heavy on us, and it is only right that we are handed over to that ancient sinner, the governor of death. For he has persuaded our wills to be like his will because he does not remain in your truth. [2] What will wretched people like us do? “Who shall deliver us from the body of this death?” [3] It is only your grace through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was begotten co-eternal by you and was created in the beginning of your ways. [4] The prince of this world found nothing worthy of death in him. Yet he killed him, and the handwriting of the decree against us was blotted out. CONFESSIONS 7.21.27. [5]

[1] The Song of the Three Children 4ff.

[2] Jn 8:44.

[3] Rom 7:24.

[4] Prov 8:22. Augustine understood this passage of the incarnation, not that Christ was a creature.

[5] NPNF 1 1:114-15**; CCL 27:111.

IT IS DIFFICULT FOR TRUTH TO PENETRATE WARPED MINDS

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: In order that he might show that the difficulty in Pilate’s perception came from his stubborn heart and from his reluctance to admit the truth, Christ appropriately adds, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” For the word of truth is readily accepted by those who have already learned and love it. But it is not the same for everyone. In fact, the prophet Isaiah said to some, “If you will not believe, neither shall you understand.” [1] Pilate showed at once how true this was when he said, “What is truth?” For there are those whose sight has been injured or who have entirely lost the use of their eyes and their sense of color has been entirely annihilated. They would not even be able to tell if someone placed gold before them or a brilliant precious stone. In fact, even the very light of the sun’s rays does not engage them in any kind of wonder since they have lost all perception and can gain no profit from any of these things. In the same way, to people whose minds have become warped, truth seems a foul and ugly thing even as it instills a spiritual and divine brilliance into the minds of those who behold it. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12. [2]

[1] Is 7:9 LXX.

[2] LF 48:601-2**.