ACC ~ John 5 v28

JESUS’ OUTWARD APPEARANCE MAY CAUSE SKEPTICISM

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: But when he realized that such a lofty speech was quite above his visible nature, he added, “Do not be astonished at this.”… By considering this visible nature, he says, have no doubts about what I said, that is, about the hour that is coming, when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out. There will be division among them, and each will have his retribution according to his merit. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 2.5.28-29. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:119.

DO NOT LET OUTWARD APPEARANCES FOOL YOU

CHRYSOSTOM: Paul of Samosata reads it, “Has given him power to execute judgment because he is the Son of man.” But this connection has no meaning, for Jesus does not receive the power to judge because he was human (otherwise, on this supposition, what would prevent everyone from being judges), but because he is the ineffable Son of God. This is the reason he is called Judge. We must read it then, “Because he is the Son of man, do not marvel at this.” The fact that Christ’s hearers thought he was a mere man, coupled with the fact that what he asserted of himself was too lofty to be true of people (or even angels or of any being short of God himself), was a strong obstacle in the way of their believing. Our Lord notices this and removes this obstacle. “Do not marvel,” he says, “that he is the Son of man. For the hour is coming when all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 39.3. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:140**.

THE RESURRECTION WILL BE BODILY

TERTULLIAN: None will, after such words, be able to interpret the dead “that are in the graves” as any other than the bodies of the flesh, because the graves themselves are nothing but the resting place of corpses. It is incontestable that even those who partake of “the old man,” that is to say, sinful people— in other words, those who are dead through their ignorance of God (whom our heretics foolishly insist on understanding by the word graves)—are plainly here spoken of as having to come from their graves for judgment. But how are graves to come forth from graves?

After the Lord’s words, what are we to think of the purport of his actions when he raises dead persons from their biers and their graves? To what end did he do so? If it was only for the mere exhibition of his power or to afford the temporary favor of restoration to life, it was really no great matter for him to raise people to die over again. If, however, as was the truth, it was rather to put in secure keeping people’s belief in a future resurrection, then it must follow from the particular form of his own examples that the resurrection mentioned will be a bodily one. ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH 37-38. [1]

[1] ANF 3:572*.