first in their interrogation. For since they did not understand what he was saying, namely that the Father bore witness concerning Christ himself, therefore they ask: Where is your Father? They do not ask who he is, but where he is; and they inquire unfittingly, because he is everywhere: Jeremiah twenty-three: "I fill heaven and earth"; therefore they deserve reproof rather than a satisfactory answer; and therefore it is added: Jesus answered them. Their ignorance is made manifest in Christ's response, by which he reproves them and shows that they foolishly inquire about the Father, because, being ignorant of the Son himself, they cannot know the Father. Therefore he says: You know neither me nor my Father. And the reason for this is that I am the way of knowing the Father; whence he says: If you knew me, perhaps you would know my Father also: for in Matthew eleven: "No one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and him to whom the Son wills to reveal him"; whence First John two: "Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; but he who confesses the Son has the Father also".
26. (Verse 20.). These words Jesus spoke. Here is touched upon the marvelous escape from Jewish unbelief, because he thus reproved them and was in their hands, and they did not seize him; therefore he says: These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, teaching in the temple: for the treasury was on the right side of the temple; and no one seized him, and this by divine miracle, not by human counsel; because his hour had not yet come: the Evangelist often repeats that word, to show that Christ was seized and suffered by his own will, as is said below in chapter ten.
It should be noted that the treasury was the name given to the place where offerings were made; and there was a threefold place appointed for this: one was called the treasury,
where offerings were brought in for the upkeep of the temple; and it is called gazophylacium from gaza, which means riches, and from phylaxe, which means to guard. Concerning this, Luke twenty-one: "Looking up, Jesus saw those who were casting their gifts into the treasury." Another place or repository was called corban or corbona, which was appointed for the offerings that pertained to the priests; concerning which, Matthew twenty-seven: "It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood." The third repository was called musach, where the tributes of kings were stored; Fourth Kings sixteen: "The musach of the Sabbath." Or alternatively: musach for the offerings of solemnities, corban for votive offerings, the treasury for spontaneous offerings.
Questions.
27. Question I. But it is asked here first concerning what the Lord says: If I bear witness concerning myself, my testimony is true.
On the contrary: Proverbs twenty-seven: Let another praise you, not your own mouth; a stranger, not your own lips.
Likewise, no one's testimony is accepted on his own behalf, and the Lord said above in the fifth chapter: If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true: therefore he contradicts himself.
Likewise, there is a question about the fact that the Lord endeavors to confirm his testimony through the Law: because the witness of two is true.
But 1. this argument seems to have no force, because in the Law, when someone testifies about himself and another testifies about him, they are not reckoned as more than one testimony: therefore the Son according to this had only a single testimony.
2. Likewise, his Father was a most closely related person; and such a person according to the laws is not admitted to testimony.
3. Likewise, below in the tenth chapter: I and the Father are one, therefore they were one: therefore not two witnesses: or if two witnesses, the Father and the Son are not one.
I respond: It must be said that the Son of God himself is light, but every creature is darkness and can, as far as lies in itself, be obscured. Because therefore it belongs to light to manifest itself and other things, the light itself can bear witness of itself; but a creature, because it is darkness, needs another to manifest it. Likewise, because he is light, he cannot be obscured nor bent aside, and therefore he can simultaneously judge and testify, and simultaneously both praise and be praised. But because a creature can be bent aside, it neither can nor ought to hold these two simultaneously.
That passage from Proverbs, therefore, is spoken to frail men who are prone to vain praise.
That which was said above in the fifth chapter is understood of Christ according to his human nature.
To that objection, however, which is raised about testimony according to the laws, the response is similar: because no one can testify on his own behalf; but if it were the case that someone could testify on his own behalf, then one other testimony would suffice. But Christ was able to bear witness of himself: and given this supposition, his argument is valid.
2. Similarly concerning a closely related person: because such a person can incline toward falsehood, the testimony is not accepted: but the heavenly Father, who is truthful, cannot incline toward falsehood.
3. But as to the objection that the Father and the Son are one: it must be said that they are one in essence and are distinguished in persons. Because therefore in true witnesses there is a distinction of persons and an agreement of testimony, and this is found there, the testimony is therefore most authoritative.
28. Question II. There is a question about what he says: Neither do you know me etc.: because above in the seventh chapter: You both know me, and you know whence I am.
And the response is that the former was said according to his humanity: but this was said according to his Divinity: because he who sees the Son sees the Father also.
29. Question III. But concerning this there is a question: If you knew me, you would perhaps know my Father also; because if in God no opinion has place, then neither does doubt; what then is the meaning of his saying perhaps?
I respond: It must be said that by this adverb perhaps "unbelief is here reproved, not that the Divinity holds an opinion"; there is also intimated to us the freedom of human choice.
30. Jesus therefore said to them again. It was shown above that the doctrine of Christ liberates from the blindness of error; here it is shown and commended that it liberates from the servitude of sin. And this part is divided: because first it is shown that without knowledge of Christ servitude is perpetuated: second, that through the doctrine and word of Christ man is liberated from servitude, at the passage: Jesus therefore said to those who believed.
The first, therefore, is shown in this order: first is set forth the threat of perpetual servitude: second, on account of the Jews' doubt, the exposition of the threat: third, the explanation of the things to be believed: fourth, the multiplication of believers.
(Verse 21). First, therefore, is set forth the threat of perpetual servitude; and this is when a man dies in sin: and He threatens them with final impenitence. Therefore He says: