The unbeliever is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the Only-begotten Son of God.
"But he that believeth not is condemned already." How? First, because unbelief itself is condemnation; for to be outside the light — this alone — is the greatest punishment. Then, although he is not yet cast into Gehenna here, He has joined together everything that leads to future punishment; just as a murderer, even if he has not been sentenced to punishment by a judge's verdict, is condemned by the very nature of the deed. And Adam died on the very day on which he tasted of the forbidden tree; although he was alive, by the sentence and by the nature of the deed he was dead. Thus, every unbeliever is already condemned here, as one who undoubtedly is subject to punishment and shall not come to judgment, according to what is said: "the ungodly shall not rise in the judgment" (Ps. 1:5). For no account will be required of the ungodly, just as none will be of the devil: they shall rise not for judgment, but for condemnation. So also in the Gospel the Lord says that the prince of this world is already judged (Jn. 16:11), both because he himself did not believe, and because he made Judas a traitor and prepared destruction for the rest. But if in the parables (Mt. 23:14–32; Lk. 19:11–27) the Lord presents those subject to punishment as giving an account, do not be surprised — first, because what is spoken is a parable, and what is said in parables need not all be taken as laws and rules. For on that day each person, having an unerring judge in his conscience, will need no other accuser, but will go away bound by his own self; and second, because the Lord presents as giving an account not unbelievers, but believers who are uncompassionate and unmerciful. We, however, are speaking about the ungodly and unbelievers; and it is one thing to be ungodly and unbelieving, and another to be unmerciful and sinful.
Jn. 3:19. The judgment consists in this, that the light has come into the world;
Here he shows the unbelievers to be deprived of every excuse. "The judgment," he says, "consists in this: that the light came to them, yet they did not hasten toward it." They sinned not only in that they themselves did not seek the light, but, what is worst of all, in that it came to them, and they nevertheless did not accept it. For this reason they are condemned. If the light had not come, people could have appealed to ignorance of the good. But when God the Word came and delivered His teaching in order to enlighten them, and they did not accept it, then they were deprived of every excuse.
But men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil;
Lest anyone should say that no one would prefer darkness to light, he sets forth the reason why men turned to the darkness: "Because," he says, "their deeds were evil." Since Christianity requires not only a right way of thinking but also an honest life, and they desired to wallow in the filth of sin, therefore those who do evil deeds did not wish to come to the light of Christianity and submit to My laws.
Jn. 3:20. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed, because they are evil.
Jn. 3:21. He who does what is right comes to the light, so that his deeds may be made manifest, because they have been done in God.
"But he who does the truth," that is, he who leads an honest and God-pleasing life, strives toward Christianity as toward the light, so that he may advance still more in goodness and that his deeds may be shown to be wrought in God. For such a person, believing rightly and leading an honest life, shines before all people, and God is glorified in him. Therefore the cause of the unbelief of the pagans was the impurity of their life.
Perhaps someone will say: "What then, are there not wicked Christians and praiseworthy pagans in their manner of life?" That there are wicked Christians, I myself will say; but that there are good pagans, I cannot say decisively. Some may be found to be gentle and good "by nature," but this is not virtue; yet good "by effort" and practice in goodness — no one. And if some appeared to be good, they did everything for the sake of glory; but he who acts for glory, and not for the sake of goodness itself, will willingly give himself over to evil desire when he finds the occasion for it. For if among us even the threat of hell, and every other care, and the examples of countless saints can scarcely keep people in virtue, then the nonsense and abominations of the pagans will even less keep them in goodness. It is already much if they do not make them completely wicked.
Jn. 3:22. After this, Jesus came with His disciples into the land of Judea, and there He stayed with them and baptized.
As long as the feast of Passover continued, Jesus was in Jerusalem. When it passed, Jesus went out from there into the land of Judea and lived near the Jordan, where many gathered. He sought crowded places not for vain honor or glory, but because He desired to bring benefit and good to a greater number of people. When He also went up to the feasts, He went for this very same reason, to bring benefit to a greater number of people both by teaching and by the manifestation of miracles.
Hearing that He baptized, do not think that He Himself baptized: His disciples baptized, but the evangelist attributes the work of the disciples to the Teacher. Further on, this same evangelist says that "Jesus did not baptize, but His disciples" (Jn. 4:2). Will you ask "why did He Himself not baptize"? Learn. John had previously said that "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mt. 3:11). But He had not yet given the Holy Spirit, because it was not yet time. Therefore, if He had baptized, He would either have baptized without the Spirit (and how then would He have differed from John?), or He would have given the Spirit before the proper time, and this is unworthy of God, who does everything in due time.
When was it time to give the Spirit? The time after the Ascension. For our nature in Christ Jesus needed to appear before the Father without sin, and after God was thus reconciled with us, for the Spirit to be sent down as a rich and generous gift.
Jn. 3:23. And John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was much water there; and they came and were baptized.
Jn. 3:24. For John had not yet been cast into prison.
So, the disciples of Jesus were baptizing, and John was still baptizing and did not cease, fulfilling two purposes at once: one — that he spoke to those coming to him about Christ and led them to Him; the other — that he gave the disciples no occasion for jealousy and great disputes. If he had stopped baptizing, what would his disciples not have done, given their envious disposition toward Christ? If he, crying out very frequently and always yielding precedence to Christ, did not persuade them to turn to Him, what jealousy would he have aroused in them had he stopped baptizing?
Therefore Christ especially began to preach at the time when John was imprisoned, on account of the jealousy of the Baptist's disciples. I think that John's death was also permitted to happen very soon so that all the devotion of the people would transfer to Christ, and the people would not be divided in their thoughts about both John and Christ.
The disciples of Christ baptize with a baptism having nothing greater than the baptism of John, for both are imperfect, as neither partakes of the Spirit, though the purpose of both is the same—to lead those being baptized to Christ.
Jn. 3:25. Then a dispute arose on the part of John's disciples with the Jews about purification.
A dispute arose between John's disciples and a certain Jew concerning baptism. The Jew held the baptism of Christ's disciples to be superior, while John's disciples held the baptism of their teacher to be superior.
Jn. 3:26. And they came to John and said to him: Rabbi! He who was with you beyond the Jordan, and of whom you bore witness, behold, He baptizes, and all are coming to Him.
Those who had disputed about purification, that is, baptism, come to their teacher and begin to incite him, saying: "Teacher! He Who was with you, Who held the rank of a disciple, has separated and is baptizing"; He about Whom you testified, that is, Whom you baptized, Whom you made famous, dares to do the same thing as you; moreover, some do not heed you, but all heed Him: "For all," it says, "are going to Him, and are leaving you."
Jn. 3:27. John said in answer: a man can receive nothing upon himself, unless it be given him from heaven.
John, wishing to frighten them and show that by hindering Christ and pushing Him away from glory they are warring against God, says: "A man can receive nothing of himself"; and further: "If," he says, "it had not been given from heaven, then He Whom you envy would not have increased. Therefore you sin twice at once: once in that you oppose the decree of God, and again in that you undertake the impossible."