63. (Vers. 35.). He was a burning lamp, through grace, and shining, through doctrine: or: burning, through interior charity, shining, through exterior uprightness of life. Bernard: "To burn only is too little; to shine only is vain; but to shine and to burn is perfect." Therefore John was most fittingly signified by Elijah: Ecclesiasticus 48: "Elijah arose like fire, and his word burned like a torch." To such a one, therefore, shining so perfectly, faith ought to have been given, which the Jews did not do: whence He says: But you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light, that is, that you might believe his teaching and testimony and imitate his life, which you observed for a short while: Matthew 11: "John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say: He has a demon"; Matthew 21: "John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and harlots believed him."
64. (Vers. 36.). But I have testimony. Here the second testimony is touched upon, namely that of works, which is greater than the aforesaid. Therefore He says: But I have testimony greater than John, because it is more persuasive for believing in Me. For the very works , which the Father has given Me, because from Him I received being and working: that I may accomplish them, that is, make them perfect: because "the works of God are perfect," Deuteronomy 32. The very works which I do, by My own power, bear witness concerning Me, that the Father has sent Me, as God His Son, because He communicated such great works to Him: below in chapter 15: "If I had not come and done among them the works which no other man has done, they would not have sin." These works are to be believed, that the Father sent Him; below in chapter 14: "The Father abiding in Me, He does the works"; and again: "If you do not believe Me, believe the works."
65. (Vers. 37.). And the Father who sent me etc. Here the third testimony is touched upon, namely the divine, which he also calls paternal; on account of which he says: And the Father who sent me, through the incarnation, has borne testimony concerning me, through internal inspiration: because, as is said below in the sixth chapter, "no one comes to me unless the Father draws him." Whence he reveals and testifies with an intelligible voice, which the carnal Jews could neither hear nor see him speaking. Therefore he says: You have never heard his voice, through revelation of the mind: as Peter heard, Matthew 16: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Nor have you seen his form, through open vision: Exodus 33: "No man shall see me and live"; and above in the first chapter: "No one has ever seen God."
66. (Vers. 38.). And you do not have his word abiding in you, namely through faith: whence the reason is also added: Because the one whom he sent, you do not believe in him. And the one whom he sent is the Word and abides in hearts through faith: Ephesians 3: "That Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts"; Isaiah 9: "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it fell upon Israel"; it did not abide in Jacob, because his own did not receive him.
67. (Vers. 39.). Search the Scriptures. Here the fourth testimony is touched upon, namely that of the Scriptures, to which the Lord exhorts and arouses to diligence and spiritual understanding; on account of which he says: Search the Scriptures, that is, discern the interior meaning, because, as the Apostle says in 2 Corinthians 3, "the letter kills, but the spirit gives life." And he adds the reason why they ought to search: In which you think you have eternal life, that is, through which you think to know, and through this to have eternal life, because through them you think to know God, who is eternal life: Wisdom 15: "To know you is consummate justice, and to know your justice and your power is the root of immortality." Christ says that these Scriptures testify of him: whence he also adds: They are the ones that bear testimony concerning me, namely all the Scriptures of the Old Testament: Luke, the last chapter: "It is necessary that all things be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me," said the Lord Jesus: Acts 18 says of Apollos that "he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ."
QUESTIONS.
68. Question I. It is asked concerning what he says: If I bear testimony concerning myself, my testimony is not true.
To the contrary: 1. Numbers 23: God is not as a man, that he should lie: therefore if Christ is God, therefore etc.
2. Likewise, below in the eighth chapter: If I bear testimony concerning myself, my testimony is true: and here he says that it is not true: therefore etc.
The response to this is threefold. The first response is by pressing upon the subject: if I according to human nature bear witness concerning myself, my testimony is not true; it is nevertheless true according to the divine. — But this does not resolve the matter, because just as he does not lie according to the divine nature, neither does he according to the human.
Therefore the response is given by pressing upon the predicate: my testimony is not true, that is, it is not efficacious nor will it be accepted as true; nevertheless it is true, because I speak the truth. And so it is understood such that it is called true according to the reality, but not true according to the Jews' acceptance.
Otherwise the response is that this word is to be understood precisely: if I bear witness concerning myself, supply: I alone, my testimony is not efficacious; but if I with another, it is efficacious; whence he says below: Because I am not alone. Therefore, since above he had commended himself by his own testimony, showing his power, to strengthen this he brings forward the testimonies of others.
69. Question II. Likewise there is a question concerning the testimony of works: The works, he says, which I do, bear witness concerning me.
But the Prophets did the same works, such as miracles, and the Apostles following him did the same and greater ones; therefore if through works it could be sufficiently known that he was the Christ, by the same reasoning this could be said of anyone.
I respond: It must be said that the miracles of the good and of the wicked can be distinguished, as Augustine says. They could therefore know that the miracles and works of Christ were those of a good and holy man; but Christ was saying that he was God; but no good man, remaining good, can make himself equal to God — rather, he is a thief; therefore if they could know Christ to be holy through his works, and through his words, that he was the Christ, the works were a sufficient testimony that Christ spoke the truth, and through this, that he was the Christ. Similarly concerning other good men, that they spoke the truth; but they did not speak about themselves, but about Christ, as the Apostles did.
Otherwise it is said that the works were not a compelling testimony, but a persuading one, and similarly the testimony of John and of Scripture; but the testimony of the Father through revelation is compelling.
70. Question III. There is a question concerning the testimony of the Father.
For he says that you have neither heard his voice nor seen his form; he says this to the Jews.
To the contrary: Were not many present when, in Luke chapter three, a voice was made from heaven in a sensible manner: You are my beloved Son?
Likewise, Deuteronomy chapter five: We heard his voice from the midst of the fire.
Likewise, Exodus chapter twenty: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
I respond: It must be said that God speaks in two ways and appears in two ways: in one way in himself and through himself, and thus he speaks through an internal revelation of the mind in a certain ineffable manner, yet nevertheless in a certain intelligible manner, and thus he does not speak to the wicked; in another way through a subject creature, and thus he spoke in the giving of the Law. In this second way they saw in the subject creature and heard sensibly, but not in the first way: and it is about this that he speaks here. Whence Augustine says on this: The Father bears witness: "He who outwardly displayed me as visible to the eyes of men, inwardly kindled the hearts of men to know me."
71. Question IV. It can also be asked about the sufficiency and order of these testimonies. — And it should be noted that the first testimony, namely that of John, was introductory; the second, namely that of works, advancing; the third, namely that of the Father, compelling; the fourth, namely that of Scripture, establishing in truth. And from these there results one complete and perfect testimony, and they are arranged in graduated order according to the stated conditions.
72. And you are not willing to come to me etc. The certainty of the testimonies having been set forth, here is set forth the rebuke of the unbelieving Jews. Now the Lord rebukes the Jews on four counts: first, namely for the lack of divine love; second, for the blindness of false love; third, for the appetite for vain honor; fourth, for the lack of faith.
(Vers. 40.). First, therefore, he rebukes them for the lack of divine love, the sign of which is that they do not come to him whom God sent; whence he says: And you are not willing to come to me, that you may have life. Thus I have sufficient testimonies, yet you are not willing to come to me; rather, hating me, you flee: below in chapter eight: "Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot hear my word." Nor does he accuse them of not coming on account of his own glory; whence he says: