ACC ~ John 5 v44

ANTICHRIST PROMISES EASE

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Since I, he says, lead you to God without promising anything magnificent in this life, you run away from me because my words are difficult. But the other one shows all his glory in this life by promising great security and dignity to those who believe in him. And so you, enticed by the greed of this life, take refuge in him. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 2.5.44. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:129.

HUNTING FOR HONOR AMONG PEOPLE COMES UP SHORT

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He accuses the Pharisees of a love for power and of prizing honors from people. He is covertly hinting that it is exceedingly inadvisable to put the diseases of their own soul [1] on God, who can by no means have anything to do with disease. He goes on to say that they, held fast by an empty kind of glory, thereby lose the fairest prize, meaning faith in him. Paul speaks clearly of this too when he says, “For if I were yet pleasing people, I should not be Christ’s servant.” [2] It is almost always necessarily the case that those who hunt for honors from people fail when it comes to the glory that comes from above and from the only God. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 3.2. [3]

[1] Pride.

[2] Gal 1:10.

[3] LF 43:303-4**.