50. (Verse 35.). The Jews therefore said etc. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the consequent doubt of the Jews, arising from the fact that they did not understand him; whence they say: Where is this man about to go, that we will not find him? And conversing among themselves, they ask about the place: Is he perhaps about to go to the dispersion of the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? "Here by doubting, as Augustine says, they prophesied. For he was about to go to the Gentiles, not through the presence of his body, but through the Apostles: Psalm: 'The people whom I had not known served me; at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.'" And because they doubted greatly, therefore they repeat the doubt.
51. (Verse 36.). What is this saying that he said: You will seek me and will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come? Therefore they do not deserve to understand, because they were unwilling to humble themselves to believe.
52. (Verse 37.). On the last day etc. The fourth point is touched upon, namely the invitation to faith, by whose merit wisdom and understanding are given. Therefore he says: On the last day of the great feast — this was the eighth and final day, which was solemn — Jesus stood and cried out. He stood, through immutability: Malachi 3: "I am the Lord and I do not change"; he cried out, through charity: Psalm: "I have labored crying out," in order to rouse them to come: Let him come and drink, according to my bounty. If anyone thirsts, let him come and drink: Isaiah 55: "All you who thirst, come to the waters; come, buy without money and without any exchange, wine and milk." And the manner of coming is described, because it is through faith; whence he says:
53. (Verse 38.). He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water shall flow from his belly.
54. Chrysostom asks where he says this, and he says that "nowhere does he say this" literally, but according to the sense; Isaiah fifty-eight: "You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of waters, whose waters shall not fail"; Proverbs five, according to another translation: "Let your springs flow outward, and in the streets divide your waters." And he says rivers, because river signifies abundance and force, and he speaks in the plural. Hence Chrysostom: "You will see clearly fulfilled what is said, if you look to Stephen's wisdom, if to Peter's tongue, if you have examined Paul's course: for nothing resisted them, neither the fury of the people nor the uprising of tyrants nor the snares of demons nor daily deaths; but like rivers carrying all things with them, they went forth." And because this was said spiritually, not carnally, therefore the Evangelist explains:
55. (V. 39.). But this he said of the Spirit, whom those believing in him were to receive: concerning which, Acts two: "There came suddenly from heaven a sound as of a mighty rushing spirit." They were to receive him, but had not yet received him. Therefore he says: For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified: below, in the sixteenth chapter: "If I go away, I will send him to you."
QUESTIONS.
56. Question I. But it is asked concerning what is said here, that rivers of living water shall flow from the belly of those who believe. For he says that this is understood of the Holy Spirit.
1. But the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father and the Son: therefore he does not flow from the belly of those who believe. 2. Likewise, a holy man who has the Spirit cannot give the Holy Spirit, but he is given by God alone: therefore he does not flow from the belly, etc.
3. Likewise, what is understood by the name belly, on account of which he says that they shall flow from the belly?
Chrysostom responds that the rivers of the Holy Spirit are called his gifts and graces. Now grace is rightly called a flowing river, not because it flows from one person into another, but because, when it has entered the mind, it flows forth more than any spring and neither fails nor stands still, but flows and flows back. It flows from God and makes man flow back to God, according to the property of water, which ascends in its flow as much as it descends. Therefore it is written above in the fourth chapter: It shall become in him a spring of water springing up to eternal life; hence Ecclesiastes one: To the place whence the rivers go out, they return, that they may flow again.
3. As to what is asked, what is understood by belly, Chrysostom responds that belly means the heart, according to that word of the Psalm: Your law in the midst of my belly. Yet he said belly rather to signify the abundance of graces.
The Gloss, however, explains this of the flow of doctrine and counsel from the belly of a good and pious conscience, according to that word: My belly shall sound like a harp for Moab.
57. Question II. Likewise it is asked concerning what he says, that the Holy Spirit was not yet given.
To the contrary: 1. The prophets prophesied true things, but only through the Holy Spirit: therefore they had the Holy Spirit; whence David says: Take not your Holy Spirit from me.
2. Likewise, the Apostles performed miracles: but Jerome says that "they could not perform miracles without the grace of the Holy Spirit."
I respond: It must be said that the giving of the Holy Spirit is threefold: manifest, more manifest, most manifest . Manifest it was in those prophesying and performing miracles before the Passion: more manifest it was in the breathing after the Resurrection, because he was given in a visible sign, namely a breath: but most manifest after the Ascension, because in a sign both visible and audible; and insofar as he was given more manifestly, so also more abundantly.
Therefore, what is said, that he was not yet given, is to be understood: in evidence and abundance.
58. Now from that crowd. He has treated of the confutation of the persecutors through the teaching of Christ; here he treats of the dispersion of the persecutors; and this indeed he does in this order. First is intimated the dissension of the crowds who heard; second, the rebuke of the officers who returned; third, the rebuke of the Pharisees persisting in malice, which was made by Nicodemus.
(Verse 40.) First, then, is intimated the dissension of the multitude on account of the teaching of Christ: wherefore he says: From that crowd, when they had heard these words of his, some, enlightened on account of hearing the teaching of Christ, were saying: This is truly the Prophet, because he spoke so wisely.
59. (Verse 41.) But others were saying: This is the Christ; and these were more enlightened, whence they were divinely inspired: Matthew 16: "Whom do men say that the Son of man is? And they said: Some John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. Jesus says to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But some were saying to the contrary, namely those blinded by the light of Scripture: Does the Christ come from Galilee? As if to say: no; whence also Nathanael said above in chapter one: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" And they were moved by Scripture:
60. (Verse 42.) Does not the Scripture say: That he is of the seed of David? 2 Kings 7: "I will raise up your seed after you, which shall proceed from your womb, and I will establish his kingdom, and I will make firm the throne of his kingdom forever"; and the Psalm: "Of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne." And from Bethlehem the town where David was, does the Christ come? Micah 5: "And you Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little among the thousands of Judah: for out of you shall come forth he who is to be ruler in Israel." And thus they were contending with one another: whence:
61. (Vers. 43.). There arose therefore a division among the crowd on account of him. He himself was not the cause, but their malice was. Chrysostom: "They were divided, not moved to compunction, for malice is willing to yield to no one." On account of this division, some wished to seize him as an evildoer, while others wished to release him as a good man; and from this contention the machination of the Pharisees was frustrated, because the officers did not extend their hands to seize him, although some wished to do so. Therefore he says:
62. (Vers. 44.). But certain ones from among them, namely the officers, wished to apprehend him, according, that is, to the command given to them; above in the same chapter: "The Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to apprehend Jesus." But no one laid hands on him , because God sent his hand; the Psalm: "Send forth your hand from on high"; and thus they were frustrated in their intention. And the reason for this is that "the thoughts of men are vain," but "the counsel of the Lord stands forever," which had not yet decreed that Jesus Christ should be apprehended; the Psalm: "The Lord scatters the counsels of the nations, and reproves the thoughts of the peoples and reproves the counsels of the princes."
63. (Vers. 45.). The officers therefore came. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the rebuke of the returning officers, because they had done nothing of what they had been sent to do; therefore the Pharisees demand the reason from them, so as to reproach them. Therefore he says: The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, yet they did not bring him along: and they said to them: Why have you not brought him? For you were sent for this purpose: thus you have failed.