The calling therefore of the simple, namely of Philip, is described as first made by the Lord, because he was called by the Lord Himself from Galilee. For this reason he says:
90. (Vers. 43.). On the next day, namely after the conversion of Andrew and Peter, he wanted to go out into Galilee and found Philip, not by chance, but by design is that which was lost found. Thus the Lord found his disciples who were previously lost, because he snatched them from perdition: Luke 15: "The woman who lost one drachma searches diligently until she finds it." And he says to him: Follow me, as a servant follows his lord, as a disciple follows his master, so that you may attain; Philippians 3: "But I follow on, if by any means I may apprehend, wherein I also am apprehended." And the Evangelist indicates the place from which Philip originated, for greater manifestation. Therefore he says:
91. (Vers. 44.). Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. And therefore it should be understood that he was moved to follow because he saw those ones following. For one curtain draws another curtain, according to what is signified in Exodus 26 in the construction of the tabernacle. Morally, indeed, Philip is interpreted as "mouth of the lamp," Bethsaida as "house of hunters." By mouth is denoted the wisdom of eloquence, concerning which Luke 21: "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and contradict." By lamp, the uprightness of conduct, Matthew 5: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see" etc. By hunters, preachers; Jeremiah 16: "I will send them many hunters, and they shall hunt them." In the calling therefore of Philip from Bethsaida it is signified that he who assumes the office of preaching must have wisdom of eloquence and uprightness of life, "because when one's life is despised, it follows that his preaching is held in contempt."
92. (Vers. 45.). Philip found etc. Here the second is touched upon, namely the calling of the wise man, which was made through the mediation of the simple. Therefore he says: Philip found Nathanael. Just as he himself had been found by Christ, so also he found Nathanael; Bede: "See this hunter, how intent he was on capturing souls." Whence it also follows: And he says to him: Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the Prophets; supply: wrote; some books have and in the Prophets, and the text should be supplied as: Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and in the Prophets: it is written. We have found Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. This was Christ, who was foretold by the Law and the Prophets; Deuteronomy 18: "The Lord will raise up for you a prophet from your nation" etc.; Isaiah 7: "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son" etc. He called him the son of Joseph, by repute; Luke 3: "Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being as was supposed the son of Joseph." And indeed he said this to Nathanael, as to one who was skilled in the Law and the Prophets. And this is evident from his response.
93. (Vers. 46.). And Nathanael said to him: From Nazareth can anything good be. Philip said to him: Come and see. This text is read affirmatively, so that the sense is that something good can be from Nazareth, on account of what is written in Matthew 2: "What was written through the Prophet, that he shall be called a Nazarene," and this is taken from Isaiah 11, according to the Hebrew truth; where we have: "A flower shall ascend from his root," they have: "Nazarene." Therefore Nathanael, understanding this as one skilled in Scripture, affirmed it. Otherwise it is read interrogatively, as though doubting he asks: From Nazareth can anything good be? namely so great a good, because
as is written in Micah 5: "And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, little one" etc.
Christ was to be born from Bethlehem. Therefore the Jews said below in chapter 7: "Does Christ come from Galilee?" Whether it is read affirmatively or interrogatively, Philip here asserts and exhorts that he should come. On account of which there follows: Philip said to him: Come and see: Chrysostom: "Philip, unable to demonstrate through words the riches which he found, leads his brother to the discovered treasure." And it should be understood that he followed Philip.
94. (Vers. 47.). Jesus saw Nathanael etc. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the attraction of the one called. He attracts through commendation and through revelation of secrets. Through commendation: whence he says: Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, namely through the admonition of the simple Philip: and he says of him: Behold, truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile. Therefore there is no guile, because, although he is wise, he was not ashamed to follow a simple man; because what he believed in his heart, this he brought forth with his mouth; because he came not with the will of testing, but with the zeal of making progress; against which Proverbs 12: "Guile is in the heart of those who devise evil." But Nathanael does not believe his commendation unless he hears certainty about this, because a man ought not be inclined to believe good things about himself. Therefore
95. (Vers. 48.). Nathanael said to him: Whence do you know me? Why do you commend me thus? And the Lord attracts through revelation of secrets: therefore there follows: Jesus answered and said to him: Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Literally: he was in a secret place, as in a garden, whence Philip called him. Or: the fig tree is said to be the habit of sinning, as the first parents covered themselves under fig leaves, Genesis 3; where he was first seen by the Lord and sought before he himself would seek the Lord. By this revelation Nathanael was attracted: whence there follows his faithful confession.
96. (Vers. 49.). Nathanael answered and said to him: Rabbi, you are the Son of God, with respect to the Divinity, because you know the secrets of the heart; Jeremiah 17: "I am the Lord, searching hearts and reins." You are the King of Israel, with respect to the humanity. Likewise the crowd confessed, below in chapter 12: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel."
97. (Vers. 50.). Jesus answered etc. The fourth point is touched upon here, namely the confirmation of one already attracted: for he confirms him through the promise of a greater manifestation; on account of which he says: Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said to you: I saw you under the fig tree, you believe: and thus for a small thing you have been drawn to faith. You will see greater things than these: below in chapter five: "He will show him greater works, that you may marvel." And he specifies that greater thing.
98. (Vers. 51.). And he says to him: Amen, amen I say to you, that you will see heaven opened, according to what is said in Matthew chapter three, that John saw that the heavens were opened over him. And the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. Literally, Angels descended to him, according to what is said in Matthew chapter four: "Angels came and ministered to him"; spiritually however, as Augustine says, what was said to Nathanael is now fulfilled in Christians, because after God-made-man ascended, the entrance to heaven is opened to those believing in him, and they see Angels, that is, preachers, ascending, while they contemplate the secrets of the Divinity; and descending, while they preach human things about him. This vision was prefigured in Genesis chapter twenty-eight, where it is said that Jacob saw the Lord leaning upon the ladder and Angels ascending and descending.
Questions.
99. Question I. But it is asked here concerning the coming of the Lord into Galilee: why is it said here that on the next day, after the testimony of John, he came into Galilee?
Against: 1. The other Evangelists say that immediately he was led into the desert by the Spirit, Matthew chapter four and Mark chapter one.
2. Likewise it is said there that Jesus came into Galilee after John was handed over: but it is established that he had not yet been handed over, as is said below in chapter three, that John baptized for a long time afterward.
To this Augustine responds in book two of On the Harmony of the Evangelists, that there was a twofold coming of the Lord into Galilee. The first was after the testimony of John, before he was sent into prison: and about this all the other Evangelists are silent. The second, however, was after John was sent into prison, and about this is spoken below in chapter four. In the first coming he performed the miracle of the changing of water into wine at the wedding; in the second coming, the miracle concerning the official's son.
1. Therefore, what is said, that he was led into the desert: it should be understood that that testimony was given after the return of the Lord from the desert.
100. Question II. Likewise it is asked concerning the calling of the disciples, because there is a similar doubt.
1. For it is said here that they were called before John was handed over. But Matthew says that they were called after the handing over of John.
2. Likewise Matthew says that he called Peter and Andrew from the boat, as is said in Matthew chapter four; here it was said that at the testimony of John they came to him, first Andrew, then Peter.
I respond: It must be said, as Augustine says, that John preserves the historical order regarding the time of the calling, but Matthew states that by way of recapitulation.
2. As to what is objected regarding the manner of the calling, it must be said to this that the disciples of the Lord were called in two ways: in one way to faith, in another way to perfection. In the first way, Peter and Andrew were called so that they might know the Lord and believe in him through the testimony of John. In the second way, they were called from their boats, so that they might leave all things and follow Christ. John speaks here of the first, while Matthew speaks of the second.
101. Question III. Likewise, regarding the place of the calling: because the Lord called his disciples from Galilee, Chrysostom asks, since the Jews were more skilled in the Law: why is it that he did not choose from Jerusalem?
And in connection with this it is asked: why did he call Nathanael through Philip as intermediary?