52. (Vers. 29.). He who has the bride etc. Here he shows secondly that Christ is set before him in the power of baptizing. For it belongs to him to baptize whose it is to regenerate; and it belongs to him to regenerate who has the bride, from whom he may beget. Therefore he says: He who has the bride is the bridegroom, and from her he can beget and baptize: Ephesians 5: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of water in the word of life." Bede: "Christ is the bridegroom, the bride is the Church gathered from the nations: 2 Corinthians 11: I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. His therefore it is to regenerate; but mine it is not to regenerate nor to envy, but rather to rejoice as a friend." Therefore he adds: But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands, by grace, and hears him, by internal inspiration, rejoices with joy because of the voice of the bridegroom. Rejoices with joy, that is, rejoices fully, because he wishes to rejoice with him. Friend: below in chapter fifteen: "You are my friends" etc. Stands: Romans 14: "To his own Lord he stands or falls." Hears: Psalm: "I will hear what the Lord God speaks in me" etc. Rejoices with joy: Philippians, the last chapter: "Rejoice in the Lord always" etc. And in this way John rejoiced as a friend, not grieving as one envious. Therefore he says: In this therefore my joy is fulfilled, that is, perfected, namely joy is then fulfilled when it has what it desires: below in chapter sixteen: "Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full."
53. (Vers. 30.). He must increase, but I must decrease. This is the best sign, when someone rejoices at another's exaltation together with his own diminishment. He must increase, in death, because he was exalted on the cross; but I must decrease, in having my head cut off. Or: he must increase, in fame, so that he may be believed to be Christ; but I must decrease, so that I who am believed to be Christ may be believed to be his forerunner. Or: he must increase, in baptizing and in the number of disciples; I must decrease, because his baptism and his discipleship were about to cease shortly, but Christ's on the contrary to be enlarged. The Apostle rejoiced at this enlargement, Philippians 1: "Whether by occasion or by truth Christ is proclaimed, in this I rejoice, and indeed I shall rejoice." But he gives the reason why Christ must increase, because he comes from above; on account of which he says:
54. (Vers. 31.). He who comes from above is above all: the Gloss: "Therefore he rightly increases," and on account of this he is raised above all; Psalm: "You have subjected all things under his feet" etc.
He who is of the earth speaks of the earth. Here thirdly he places Christ above himself in wisdom of preaching, because John as an earthly one could speak of earthly things, but Christ of heavenly things. Therefore he says: He who is of the earth speaks of the earth ; such is John, who was conceived in sins. He who comes from heaven is above all, in the dignity of teaching: Christ came from heaven: First Corinthians fifteen: "The first man is of the earth, earthly; the second is from heaven, heavenly"; therefore from heaven, because he is spiritual, because he is sublime in Deity: below in chapter eight: "You are from below, I am from above." And because he is from above, he speaks of things above with certitude. On account of which he says:
55. (Vers. 32.). And what he has seen and heard, this he testifies, as one who is certain. He saw, as the Wisdom of God, because he saw by himself: he heard, as the Son receiving from the Father; below in chapter fifteen: "All things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you." And although his doctrine is most excellent, nevertheless it is despised by the carnal. Therefore he adds: And no one receives his testimony, that is, no worldly man: below in chapter fifteen: "And they have both seen and hated both me and my Father": but the spiritual, who do receive it, become certain of his doctrine. Therefore he says:
56. (Vers. 33.). But he who has received his testimony has set his seal that God is truthful, that is, he will imprint it with certitude as a seal upon the heart.
57. (Vers. 34.). For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: and thus he is truthful, just as God; below in chapter seven: "If anyone wills to do the will of God, he will know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak of myself."
For not by measure etc. Here fourthly he places Christ above himself in excellence of grace, because he excels all in grace, and this excellence is the reason for the foregoing. Therefore he says: For not by measure. Truly I have said that he himself is the bridegroom, he himself speaks heavenly things, and he is above all: For God does not give the Spirit by measure, namely to Christ: not according to a fixed measure, as to others. And he adds the reason:
58. (Vers. 35.). For the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand: Matthew eleven: "All things have been delivered to me by my Father." And therefore no one is saved except through the Son. Therefore he adds:
59. (Vers. 36.). He who believes in the Son has eternal life, in merit, namely: but he who is unbelieving toward the Son shall not see life, he shall not have glory, but punishment. Whence he says: But the wrath of God remains upon him: below in chapter twelve: "He who despises me and does not receive my words has one who judges him"; wrath, namely of vengeance, concerning which Proverbs six: "The jealousy and fury of a man will not spare in the day of vengeance," etc.; or wrath, that is, original guilt, through which one is a child of wrath; Ephesians two: "We were by nature children of wrath."
QUESTIONS.
60. Question I. But Chrysostom here first inquires about this, that John calls himself the friend of the bridegroom, when above he had not dared to call himself a worthy servant: above, in chapter one: Whose [latchet] I am not worthy etc.
Chrysostom responds that answers are fitted to questions: and above John was being incited to ambition; and therefore he humbled himself and called himself an unworthy servant. Here he is being incited to jealousy: and therefore he calls himself a friend and says that he rejoices at his good.
61. Question II. It is asked concerning what John says: He who is of the earth speaks of the earth. — He said this of himself, and it seems that he spoke unfittingly: because he himself was not speaking earthly things, but heavenly things.
Chrysostom responds to this that he did not say this absolutely, but comparatively: not because they were earthly, but because they were earthly compared to the teaching of Christ. — Augustine responds that that proposition is to be understood in itself or with reduplication: He who is of the earth, insofar as he is earthly, speaks of the earth: but if he speaks of heavenly things, this is insofar as he is imbued with the Spirit, which comes from above.
62. Question III. It is asked concerning what he says: He comes from heaven etc.
It seems from this that Christ did not assume human flesh, but heavenly flesh; or if human flesh, why is he not said to come from the earth like other men?
Augustine responds: " From heaven or from above, that is, from the height of human nature before the sin of the first parent."
But this seems to agree with that heresy that some particle remained in Adam uncorrupted, which was transmitted through successive generations all the way to the Virgin, and from it the flesh of Christ was made.
On account of this, the word is to be soundly understood as said by a certain likeness: because, just as the flesh in Adam before sin was pure and without stain, so Christ assumed immaculate flesh. And it should be noted that he does not here call earth the passible nature, but the corrupted nature generated through sinful corruption, according to which Christ was not begotten, but was conceived through the divine power of the Holy Spirit: therefore from above.
63. Question IV. Likewise it is asked concerning what he says: God does not give the Spirit by measure.
Either he understands this of Christ according to the divine nature, or according to the human: according to the divine nature it cannot be, because he himself does not receive the Spirit, but rather the Spirit proceeds from him. If according to the human: to the contrary: The grace of Christ as man is created; but God creates all things in a certain weight, number, and measure, whence nothing created is infinite: therefore by measure.
I respond: It must be said that there is a measure of limitation, and there is a measure of division. I call a measure of limitation that by which each created thing is finite in its substance and power and limited. I call a measure of division the determination of someone to some act, according to that text of 1 Corinthians 12: There are divisions of graces, but the same Spirit, namely when grace is given to someone for some determinate effect, as the Apostle says. Christ had grace according to measure in the first way, because his grace was not infinite; in the second way he had it not according to measure, because it was not in him narrowed to some particular operation, but to every operation, just as the head has all the senses. Hence Chrysostom: " Spirit here he means the action of the Spirit; for it is this which is divided." Hence it is clear that he speaks of measure through the division of graces.
64. Question V. Likewise concerning what he says: He who believes has eternal life: because, if he has it, he does not believe.
I respond: To have spiritual things is through love; and then they are perfectly had when they are perfectly loved.