2. To the objection concerning honor, it must be said that the person of the Son seemed to have descended on account of the humiliation of the incarnation: therefore the Father willed that in the same humanity in which he appeared lowly, he should judge, so that no one would despise him incarnate, but would fear him as the Father, as one whose sentence remains inviolable: hence he makes judgment through his humanity to be feared through his divinity.
56. Question II. It is further asked whether it belongs to the Son alone to judge.
That it does, seems clear from the text: The Father has given all judgment to the Son; and Acts 10: He it is who was appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead; and 1 Corinthians 4: He who judges me is the Lord: therefore if he alone is our Lord, it belongs to him alone to judge.
To the contrary: 1. 1 Corinthians 11: If we judged ourselves, we would certainly not be judged: therefore it belongs to us to judge ourselves.
2. Likewise, regarding others, Matthew 19: You shall sit upon twelve thrones etc. was said to the Apostles: likewise, 1 Corinthians 6: Do you not know that we shall judge angels?
To this it must be said that in judgment there is examination, there is approbation, and there is also the passing of sentence or determination.
The first act, namely of examination, pertains to all, and on account of this the Apostle says that they ought to prove themselves, that is, to examine themselves.
The second, namely of approbation or reprobation, pertains to the perfect, because they will approve and reprove, and by comparison with them the wicked will be reproved: but this not in the present, but in the future: hence the Apostle says that such judgment in the present time is before the time: 1 Corinthians 4: Do not judge before the time.
The third act, namely of determination, belongs to the Son alone, because he himself will promulgate the sentence. No one exercises this act except by usurpation and rashly: hence the Lord forbids it in Matthew 7: Do not judge; and the Apostle in Romans 14: Who are you to judge another's servant? — I say therefore that when he says that the Father has given all judgment to the Son, this is understood of the judgment of determination, not of examination or approbation.
57. Question III. It is further asked concerning those to be judged, namely who will be judged. — That only the wicked, seems clear from the text: He does not come into judgment, but passes over; and above in chapter three: He who believes in him is not judged.
To the contrary: 2 Corinthians 5: We shall all stand before the tribunal of Christ.
I respond: It must be said that the judgment of determination is taken commonly, and thus it comprehends the sentence of salvation and of punishment, and thus all will be judged: it is taken properly for damnation, and thus it is taken here: Those who have done evil shall come forth to the resurrection of judgment, that is, of damnation: similarly above in chapter three.
58. Question IV. Likewise, concerning the manner of judging:
1. That he judges as he hears
Against: Isaiah 11: He shall not judge according to the hearing of the ears.
2. Likewise he says that not according to his own will, but God's: therefore his will is discordant from the will of God.
I respond to the first: He does not judge according to exterior hearing and report, but according to interior hearing and paternal illumination.
To the second it must be said that this has two grounds of truth: I do not seek my own singular will, either because he has it but does not seek it, or because he does not have it nor does he seek it: and he speaks in this latter sense, while the objector objects in the first sense.
59. If I bear witness etc. This is the fourth part of the chapter, in which is determined the corroboration of the aforesaid confutation, which was made by manifold testimony approving what the Lord said above. And this part has two sections: because first is adduced the certainty of the testimonies; second, the rebuke of the unbelieving Jews, at: And you will not come to me.
The first part has two sections: because first the Lord, although he could adduce his own testimony, declines; second, he adduces the testimonies of others, at: You sent etc.
(Vers. 31.). He therefore declines his own testimony, because they would not believe it, regarding it as uncertain: whence he says: If I bear witness of myself, my testimony is not true, that is, it is not efficacious for believing, especially if I alone bear witness; whence below in chapter eight: "The Pharisees said to him: You bear witness of yourself; your testimony is not true." Yet true testimonies are not lacking to me: whence he adds:
60. (Vers. 32.). There is another who bears witness of me, namely the Father, or also John, and concerning both is rightly understood what follows: And I know that the testimony which he bears of me is true: because he testifies as one who is certain. For the Father gives true testimony, because, as is said below in chapter eight, "he who sent me is truthful." John likewise is certain: whence above in chapter one, John said: "I saw and bore witness that this is the Son of God"; Proverbs 12: "He who speaks what he knows is a judge of justice, but he who lies is a fraudulent witness."
61. You sent etc. The Lord declined his own testimony; here secondly he adduces the testimony of another. And because in the mouth of many witnesses the testimony is firm, therefore this part has four parts according to the four testimonies which he adduces. The first is of John; the second is of works; the third, divine; and the fourth, of the Scriptures. And these testimonies are distinguished: because the first is pronounced, the second exhibited, the third inspired, and the fourth written.
(Vers. 33.). First, therefore, He adduces the testimony of John, which had been rendered to them at their own request: thus He says: You sent to John: he did not put himself forward, but responded at your request, above in chapter one: "And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him," etc. And he bore witness to the truth, as a faithful witness: Proverbs 14: "A faithful witness will not lie." And lest the Lord should seem to beg for human testimony, He adds:
62. (Vers. 34.). But I do not receive testimony from man, supply: on account of any need of My own: Psalm: "I said to the Lord: You are my God, for You have no need of my goods"; but I recall it for the sake of your salvation. Whence He also says: But these things I say, that you may be saved, namely by believing in Me through his testimony, because, as it is said in Mark 16, "he who believes and is baptized shall be saved." And truly they ought to have believed at John's testimony; whence He adds: