38. (Vers. 17.). Because the Law was given through Moses, which only promised grace and truth and did not give them: because, Hebrews 7, "The Law brought no one to perfection." But what the Law promised, Christ furnished: therefore he says: Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, that is, were bestowed. Therefore the Apostle cries out at Romans 7: "Unhappy man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ," not the Mosaic law.
39. (Vers. 18.). No one has ever seen God. Here the third reason for knowing is touched upon, which is namely a singular teaching; because Christ alone was able to teach about God and did teach with certainty and openly, because he alone saw; therefore he says: No one has ever seen God; 1 Timothy last chapter: "He dwells in unapproachable light"; and Exodus 33: "No man shall see me and live."
40. Except the Only-Begotten. Some manuscripts have: but the Only-Begotten: both readings are good. No one has seen except the Only-Begotten should be construed with the preceding verb: if but is there, it should be construed with what follows: But the Only-Begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. In the bosom of the Father, because, begotten from him, he does not depart from him; below, chapter 3: "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven." He has declared him, because he saw; below, chapter 3: "What we know we speak, and what we have seen we testify"; Hebrews 1: "In these last days he has spoken to us in the Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also made the ages."
Questions.
41. Question I. But there is a question about what he says: Full of grace and truth: according to which nature is this said? Either according to the divine or according to the human. Not according to the divine, because grace is not in him in that way, but whatever he has is by nature. Nor does it seem to be according to his humanity, because he adds: Of his fullness we have received grace for grace: but grace is given by God alone, not by a man: therefore etc.
I respond: It must be said that in Christ there was a most great singular grace, the greatest that could exist in a man; just as also the grace of union, than which no greater can be conceived. By reason of both he is said to have been full of grace, and by reason of this twofold grace he was the head of the Church. And because the head overflows into all the members, therefore of his fullness we have all received.
As to what is therefore asked, whether according to the divine nature or the human, I say that Christ is called head according to the human nature united to the divine. Thus the fullness of overflowing is to be understood.
42. Question II. Likewise, it is asked concerning what he says: Of his fullness we have all received.
Against this is the fact that many preceded Christ: therefore many existed before the fullness of Christ: therefore not all received.
I respond: It must be said that all received, because Christ was the head of all the just from Abel to the last just person. To this head the members are united by the bond of faith and love. Because therefore no one was saved without faith in Christ, as blessed Augustine says, no one was saved who did not receive from the fullness of Christ.
As to the objection that he came after: it must be said that by faith he was always present to all, although bodily he came after.
43. Question III. Likewise, it is asked concerning what he says: No one has ever seen God.
Against: 1. Numbers twelve: "I speak to him mouth to mouth, and openly and not through figures and enigmas he sees the Lord"; this is said of Moses: therefore he saw the Lord.
2. Likewise, Isaiah six: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up."
The response to this is that there is knowing God in himself and in his effect. And to know God in his effect, this is to see through a mirror, and this in two ways: either through a bright mirror and eye, and thus the first man saw before the fall; or through a darkened mirror, and thus we see now, because on account of sin both our eyes have grown dim and all creatures have been obscured; whence we now see through a mirror in an enigma, First Corinthians thirteen.
In another way God is known in himself: and this in two ways: either clearly, and in this way by the Son alone and by the Blessed; in another way in darkness, as blessed Dionysius says concerning Mystical Theology; and thus Moses saw, and those contemplating sublimely, in whose vision no image of a creature is fixed. And then truly they experience more than they know. Whence Bernard says that he sometimes experienced something within himself, of which, when he wished to see it, he immediately lost it.
Second, concerning the manifestation of the incarnate Word in particular, in two ways.
44. And this is the testimony of John. He treated above the manifestation of the incarnate Word in general; here he treats in particular, and this part is divided, because he [the Word] is self- manifesting and is manifested through a voice: therefore this part has two parts. In the first he treats the manifestation made through John, who was the voice running before the Word. In the second, the manifestation made through the Word himself, below in the same chapter: On the next day he wished to go forth.
First, concerning the manifestation through John.
The first part has three parts according to the three testimonies of John, which are distinguished as follows. The first concerns the truth of the two natures: the second concerns the power of baptizing; the third, holiness.
Or they are also distinguished in another way: because the first was made to the Pharisees; the second, to the crowds: the third, to John's disciples.
In a third way thus: because the first testimony was given with Christ absent; the second, with Christ coming to him: the third, walking before him. The first testimony is noted here: And this is the testimony: the second there: The next day: the third there: Again the next day.
The first part, in which he sets forth the testimony with Christ absent, has two sections, because first he responds to the questioners with the truth about himself: second, about Christ, there: And those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
The truth, then, with which he responded to the questioners about himself, the Evangelist describes in this order: first, in the questioners he indicates authority: second, in John, steadfastness; third, in the questioners, insistence; fourth, in John, humble truth.
45. (Verse 19). He therefore indicates the authority of the questioners: because they were persons of authority and sent with authorization, to whom John bears testimony; therefore he says: And this is the testimony of John. Thus it was said above that "John bears testimony"; now he specifies: And this is the testimony of John, and he shows the testimony with its circumstances. This, the pronoun this, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem: behold the authority of the persons, because they were sent and they were honorable; below in chapter five: "You sent to John, and he bore testimony to the truth"; they sent, I say, to ask him: Who are you? namely in the person of all. In a similar way John sent his disciples to inquire in his person to Christ; Matthew 11: "John, sending two of his disciples, said to him: Are you he who is to come, or do we look for another?" This is what the Jews wished to inquire through the Levites.