He does not make mention of the Holy Spirit, because He had spoken of this above.
39. These things I have spoken to you etc. This is the third part of the chapter, in which, the exhortation now having been made, He foretells the hastening of His departure, so that when it has come to pass, they may believe. And lest they be grieved about this, it is not proposed immediately, but consolation is placed first and the hastening is joined after, at the words: Now I have told you etc.
And He offers them consolation in multiple ways: first, from the expectation of the Holy Spirit; second, from the gift of peace; third, from the promise of visitation; fourth, from the rejoicing in His exaltation.
(Verse 25). First, therefore, He sets forth the consolation from the expectation of the Holy Spirit; on account of which He says: These things I have spoken to you, abiding with you; Luke, last chapter: "These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you"; nor ought you to be troubled if you do not understand, because you will understand at the coming of the Holy Spirit; whence:
40. (Verse 26). But the Paraclete, the Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, that is, in faith in my name, because He was given only to those believing in Christ; above in chapter seven: "He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water shall flow from his belly"; Acts four: "For there is no other name under heaven given to men, in which we must be saved." That Spirit, I say, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever I shall have said to you; Wisdom seven: "Wisdom, the maker of all things, taught me: for in her there is a spirit of understanding, holy."
41. (Vers. 27.). Peace I leave to you. Second, he consoles through the giving or donation of peace, in which there is great consolation: on account of which he says: Peace I leave to you, my peace I give to you: he repeats peace, to indicate the peace of grace and the peace of glory; whence Augustine: "He leaves us his peace, in which remaining we conquer enemies: he gives us his peace, when we shall reign without an enemy"; Isaiah twenty-seven: "The Lord will make peace for me, he will make peace for me." This he gives to those who observe the commandments; Isaiah forty-eight: "Would that you had heeded my commandments: your peace would have been like a river." He explains what he says my; because my was said distinctively, namely not of the world; and therefore he adds: Not as the world gives, do I give to you: Because the world gives carnally, I give spiritually; the world gives temporally, but I eternally; the world outwardly, but I inwardly. Therefore it is written at Philippians last chapter: "The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The peace of the world guards bodies and possessions; of which Matthew ten: "I did not come to send peace, but the sword."
Let not your heart be troubled. Here now third he consoles through the promise of visitation, which he had also promised above: on account of which he says: Let not your heart be troubled nor let it fear: and behold the reason:
42. (Vers. 28.). You have heard that I said to you: I go and I come to you; above in the same chapter: "And if I go away" etc.; below in chapter sixteen: "Again I will see you, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."
If you loved me. Here now fourth he consoles through congratulation at his exaltation: for they ought to rejoice at his exaltation, if they love him: on account of which he says: If you loved me, you would indeed rejoice, because I go to the Father; because in this journey is my exaltation. Whence he adds: Because the Father is greater than I, and so, when I go to sit at the right hand of the Father, I am exalted: of which exaltation, Hebrews one: "He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the Angels" etc. And charity rejoices together over this exaltation; whence Romans twelve: "Rejoice with those who rejoice" etc.
43. And now I have told you. After the consolation has been set forth, there is here added the hastening of departure. And first is noted the reason for foretelling; second, the reason for hastening; third, the sign of the hastening.
(Verse 29.) There is noted, therefore, first the reason why he foretells, namely for the strengthening of faith; on account of which he says: Now I have told you before it comes to pass, that, when it shall come to pass, you may believe: because that strengthened their faith, since they saw it happen just as he had foretold. For if he had not foretold it, they would have doubted whether he had endured this voluntarily. Hence after the resurrection he brought these things back to memory; Luke, the last chapter: "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written concerning me." And: "Because it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer," etc.
44. (Verse 30.) I will not now speak many things. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the reason for hastening, and this is the assault of the devil and the divine will : on account of the assault of the devil, who was arming his minions to seize Christ, therefore he says: I will not now speak many things with you; for the prince of this world comes, that is, the devil hastens. The devil was coming in his minions, but nevertheless this does not constrain, because in me he has nothing: he had nothing that he might exact nor that he might find fault with, because he had no sin, and he holds dominion over sinners; hence Job forty-one: "He is king over all the children of pride." Hence he is the prince of darkness; Ephesians six: "Against the rulers of the world of this darkness"; and in Christ there was no darkness, because he "was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into this world."
But another reason, the divine will, drew him more; therefore he says:
45. (Verse 31.) But that the world may know that I love the Father, therefore I die at his command; hence: As the Father has given me commandment, so I do. Concerning this commandment, above, chapter ten: "This commandment I have received from my Father." God the Father gave him this commandment, not because he himself had merited it, but for our salvation; hence Second Corinthians five: "Him who knew no sin," God the Father "made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him." Moreover, he did this out of love for us: above, chapter three: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son."
Arise, let us go. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the sign of the hastening of departure, which consists in this, that he urges his disciples to depart from there; on account of which he says: Arise, let us go hence, in which he shows that he suffers voluntarily. A similar thing is said in Matthew twenty-six: "Arise, let us go: behold, he who will betray me draws near."
Questions.
46. Question I. But here it can first be asked concerning what he says, that the Holy Spirit will suggest all things that the Son had said; for to suggest is characteristic of an inferior.
To this Gregory responds: "That the Holy Spirit is said to suggest, not because he brings knowledge from below, but because from what is hidden."
47. Question II. Likewise it is asked concerning what he says: You would indeed rejoice, because I go to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.
1. From this Arius argues that the Son is less than the Father. If you say that this was said according to the human nature, then by equal reasoning he ought to say that I am greater than myself.
2. Likewise Hilary says that the Father is greater than the Son according to the divine nature; and then it is argued from relative terms that the Son is less than the Father: therefore not equal.
The response to this is through the rule of Augustine in the first book of On the Trinity, because all things said of the Son that show equality are referred to the divine nature, while those that show inequality are referred to the human nature; and so it is to be understood in the present case. Whence Augustine: "The human nature is to be congratulated, because it was so assumed by the only-begotten Word that it was established immortal in heaven, and thus earth was made sublime, so that incorruptible dust might sit at the right hand of the Father." Whence according to the determination it must be conceded that the Son, insofar as he is God, is greater than himself insofar as he is man.
2. But as to what is objected concerning Hilary, it must be said that Hilary takes the term greater not insofar as it denotes an excess of magnitude of power or virtue, but insofar as it denotes authority. And because the Father has authority with respect to the Son as principle, therefore he says that he is greater than the Son. Nevertheless the Son is not said to be lesser, because it is a term implying imperfection.
48. Question III. Likewise it is asked concerning what he says: Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it has happened, you may believe.
1. Therefore it seems that the Apostles did not yet have faith, because he foretold these things to them so that they might believe.