And concerning this sin, the Holy Spirit convicts the world: while He shows it its own unbelief, He convicts of sin. And the text agrees with this, saying: Of sin, because they did not believe.
Christ truly redeemed the world by His justice. For because He was just and did not deserve to suffer, by suffering for the world He saved it; and in attestation of this justice He was exalted to the right hand of the Father. And the text agrees with this: Of justice, namely mine, because I go to the Father, through exaltation, and this by the merit of justice; Philippians 2: "He humbled Himself, being made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also exalted Him and gave Him a name which is above every name."
The devil, however, unjustly held the world and unjustly fought against Christ; therefore he was judged, because he lost dominion over the human race. And the following text agrees with this: Of judgment indeed, because the prince of this world is already judged, that is, in the cause of the Savior he was found guilty. Let the text therefore be read thus: He will convict the world of sin, namely its own, Because they did not believe, etc.; of justice, namely mine, because I go to the Father, in testimony of this; of judgment, namely of the devil, because the prince of this world is already judged.
Thus He determined His office toward the worldly; then He adds His office toward the disciples, and this is to teach, because they could not be fully taught in the presence of Christ; therefore He says:
19. (Vers. 12.). I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now: and the reason for this was that they were still carnal: whence 1 Corinthians 3: "I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal. For you were not yet able, nor indeed are you yet able." But this carnality was to be removed through the coming of the Holy Spirit; therefore He adds:
20. (Vers. 13.). But when that Spirit of truth shall come, He will teach you all truth: whence 1 John 2: "The anointing will teach you concerning all things." And that He teaches truth, He shows by this, that He speaks not from Himself, but from another: therefore He says: For He does not speak from Himself, as does the devil, who "is a liar and the father thereof," above in chapter eight: "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own." But whatever He shall hear, He shall speak, therefore He will speak true things; above in chapter eight: "He who sent Me is truthful, and the things I have heard from Him, these I speak." Nor will He teach truth only concerning past things, but also concerning future things: whence: And the things that are to come He will announce to you: whence 1 Timothy 4: "The Spirit manifestly says that in the last days some will depart from the faith."
21. (Vers. 14.). He will glorify me. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely the principle of the Holy Spirit: and this indeed is not only the Father, but also the Son; and therefore, just as the Son, because He proceeds from the Father, glorifies the Father in His works, from whom He is, so also the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son. For this reason He says: He will glorify me: and the reason is given: Because He will receive of mine and will announce it to you. Since the Holy Spirit is supremely simple, He is whatever He has; therefore if He receives anything from the Son, He receives the whole, and thus it follows that He proceeds from the Son. But lest you believe from this that He proceeds from Him alone, or from Him principally: therefore He shows that He proceeds from Him, together with proceeding from the Father. For this reason He adds:
22. (Vers. 15.). All things that the Father has are mine: below in chapter seventeen: "All mine are yours, and yours are mine." Therefore I said: Because He will receive of mine and will announce it to you: of mine, which nevertheless I received from the Father. Thus the Holy Spirit declares the Son, from whom He proceeds, just as the Son also declares the Father; above in chapter one: "The Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
QUESTIONS.
23. Question I. But the question is raised here first concerning what He says: None of you asks me: Where are you going?
To the contrary: Above in chapter thirteen: Peter says to Him: Lord, where are you going?
I respond: It must be said that the Lord was going to the ignominy of the Passion, and He was going to the glory of the Resurrection; and when He previously spoke of going to the Passion, Peter asked: Where are you going? But now He wishes to tell them that He is going to the glory of the Resurrection; whence: I go to Him who sent me. And they were so troubled about the journey to the Passion that they thought nothing of the glory. Therefore they did not ask about this; but the Lord wished that they would ask, so that He might console them.
24. Question II. Likewise the question is raised concerning what He says: If I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you.
It seems from this that Christ was not omnipotent, because He could not give the Spirit unless He personally went away.
If you say that this was not on account of Christ's lack of power, but on account of the disciples' unfitness, against this is the fact that Christ's presence rather disposed toward grace than impeded it, which is evident because before the coming of Christ there was not the time of grace, but after. It is answered that they were impeded because they loved Him carnally; but this is of no avail, because in that love they did not sin; therefore it was not repugnant to grace, whence it remained together with charity. If you say that it is not repugnant as incompatible, but nevertheless as impeding, this is of no avail, because when someone loves another both sensibly and spiritually, he loves more fervently, since natural love intensifies spiritual love.
I respond: It must be said that for a threefold reason the Holy Spirit was not given before the ascension of Christ. One reason is on the part of the recipients, because, consoled sensibly by the bodily presence of Christ, they did not desire another consolation. But God does not will His gifts to be despised, and therefore He does not give except to those who merit them: therefore it was necessary for Christ to be separated from them. Another reason is on the part of the sender, because it is not fitting for a wretched one to endow his servants unless he himself appears glorious: therefore it is said above in the seventh chapter: The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The third reason is on the part of both, because enmities still remained between us and God; and therefore it was first necessary for reconciliation to take place before the gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore it was necessary for Christ to suffer before the Holy Spirit could be sent.
25. Question III. Likewise there is a question about what he says, that when the Spirit comes, he will teach you all truth.
1. First, it seems incorrect to say he will teach: because to teach is an act of wisdom, and wisdom is appropriated to the Son, not to the Holy Spirit.
2. Likewise, how will he teach all truth? According to this it would seem that the Apostles knew geometry and all the arts: and that is false, because they even had poor knowledge of grammar: whence the Apostle said: Even if I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge, Second Corinthians chapter eleven.
I respond: It must be said that to teach belongs to the whole Trinity, yet it is sometimes attributed to the Son, sometimes to the Holy Spirit: because knowledge is twofold, namely of speculation, and this is attributed to the Son; and of experience and devotion, and this is attributed to the anointing of the Holy Spirit: and it is of this that he speaks here.
2. And through this the solution to what follows is clear. For he does not mean all truth without qualification, but according to piety ; and this is the truth necessary for salvation, which the Apostles fully knew.
Or it must be said that he does not understand this according as all distributes for individuals of the kinds, but for kinds of individuals ; for there is the truth of doctrine, of life, and of justice, and these he taught. Concerning the truth of doctrine; Matthew chapter twenty-two: Master, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth. Concerning the truth of life; Isaiah chapter thirty-eight: Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth.
Concerning the truth of justice; Proverbs chapter eighteen: To show partiality in judgment is not good, so that you turn aside from the truth of judgment.
26. Question IV. There is a question about what he says: He will receive from what is mine.