ACC ~ John 8 v28

JESUS FORETELLS CONVERSION OF HIS KILLERS

AUGUSTINE: What does this mean? For it looks as if all he said was that they would know who he was after his passion. Without doubt, therefore, he saw that there were some there, whom he himself knew, who would believe after his passion…. We are here speaking of those three thousand and those five thousand Jews whom now he saw there, [1] when he said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am.” It was as if he had said, I am not allowing you to recognize what happened until I have completed my passion. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 40.2. [2]

“LIFTING UP” IS HIS SUFFERING, NOT GLORIFICATION

AUGUSTINE: When it is appropriate, you shall know who I am. Not that all who heard him were only then to believe, that is, after the Lord’s passion. For a little after it is said, “As he spoke these words, many believed on him,” and the Son of man was not yet lifted up. But the lifting up he is speaking of is that of his passion, not of his glorification, of the cross, not of heaven. For he was exalted there also when he hung on the tree. But that exaltation was his humiliation, for then he became obedient even to the death of the cross. [3] This required it to be accomplished by the hands of those who should afterwards believe and to whom he says, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am.” And why so, except that no one might despair, however guilty his conscience, when he saw those forgiven their homicide who had slain the Christ? TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 40.2. [4]

[1] Acts 2:41; 4:4.

[2] NPNF 1 7:225*.

[3] Phil 2:8.

[4] NPNF 1 7:225*.

THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION WILL REVEAL JESUS’ DIVINITY

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Here Jesus is saying, “Since you are looking only to the flesh, you believe that I am merely a man, and you suppose that I am just like you. But the dignity and the glory of the Godhead does not even enter your mind. However, you shall know that I am God of true God and Light of light through your dreadful and lawless act—my death on the cross. For when you see your mad foolishness come to nothing and the snare of death crushed in pieces—for I shall surely rise from the dead—ultimately you will be forced, even against your will, to agree with what I said, and you shall confess that I am God by nature. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 5.4. [1]

[1] LF 43:604**.

HOW THE SON IS TAUGHT BY THE FATHER

AUGUSTINE: Already the Sabellian, i.e., the Patripassian, [1] was beginning to rejoice over the discovery of a ground for his error, but immediately … he is confounded by the light of the following sentence. You thought that he was the Father, because he said, “I am.” Hear now that he is the Son: “And I do nothing of myself.” What does this mean, “I do nothing of myself”? I am not of myself. For the Son is God of the Father, but the Father is God yet not of the Son. The Son is God of God, and the Father is God but not of God. The Son is Light of light; and the Father is light but not of light. The Son is, but there is [one] of whom he is; and the Father is, but there is none of whom he is.

Do not then let what follows, “As the Father has taught me, I speak these things,” suggest a carnal thought to any of you…. Do not place as it were two men before your eyes, a Father speaking to his son, as you do when you speak to your sons…. How did the Father speak to the Son, seeing that the Son says, “As the Father taught me, I speak these things”? Did he speak to him? When the Father taught the Son, did he use words, as you do when you teach your son? For what words could be spoken to the only Word?… If the Father speaks in your hearts without sound, how does he speak to the Son?… The Father speaks to the Son incorporeally because he begat the Son incorporeally. He did not teach him, as though having begotten him untaught. Rather, the “teaching him” is the “begetting him” knowledge. [2] … For if the nature of truth is simple, to be, as regards the Son, is the same as to know…. As then the Father gave the Son existence by begetting, so he gave him knowledge also. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 40.3-5. [3]

[1] Those who taught that the Father also suffered on the cross.

[2] Or”knowing.”

[3] NPNF 1 7:225-27**.

Jn