Again in the Temple (absolving an advoutress after his merciful manner, and yet withal declaring against his enemies that he is not a favourer of sin, no more than Moyses) (12) he teacheth openly, and is not for all that apprehended: telling them both of his Godhead, (21) and of their reprobation, (28) of his exaltation also by their Crucifying of him: (31) exhorting the believers to persevere, (33) and showing them that seek his death, that they are neither free, (39) nor of Abraham, (41) nor of God, (44) but of the Devil. (45) But that himself is of God, (52) and greater and ancienter than Abraham. (59) For the which they go about to stone him, but in vain.
AND Jesus went into the Mount-olivet: 2and early in the morning again he came into the Temple, and the people came to him, and sitting he taught them.
3And the Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman taken in advoutry: and they did set her in the midst, 4and said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in advoutry. 5And * in the law Moyses commanded us to stone such. What sayest thou therefore? 6And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, with his finger wrote in the earth. 7When they therefore continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: [a] He that is without sin of you, let him first throw the stone at her. 8And again bowing himself, he wrote in the earth. 9And they hearing, went out one by one, beginning at the Seniors: and Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. 10And Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: Woman, where are they that accused thee? hath no man condemned thee? 11Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus said: [b] Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.
12Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world; he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13The Pharisees therefore said to him: Thou givest testimony of thyself; thy testimony is not true. 14Jesus answered, and said to them: Although I do give testimony of myself, my testimony is true: because I know whence I came, and whither I go; but you know not whence I come, or whither I go. 15You judge according to the flesh; I do not judge any man. 16And if I do judge, my judgement is true; because I am not alone, but I and he that sent me, the Father. 17And in your law it is written, that * the testimony of two men is true. 18I am he that give testimony of myself; and he that sent me, the Father, giveth testimony of me. 19They said therefore to him: Where is thy Father? Jesus answered: Neither me do you know, nor my Father. If you did know me, perhaps you might know my Father also. 20These words Jesus spoke in the Treasury, teaching in the Temple, and no man apprehended him, because his hour was not yet come.
21Again therefore Jesus said to them: I go, and you shall seek me, and shall die in your sin. Whither I go, you can not come. 22The Jews therefore said: Why, will he kill himself, because he saith, Whither I go, you can not come? 23And he said to them: You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. 24Therefore I said to you that you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sin. 25They said therefore to him: Who art thou? Jesus said to them: [c] The beginning who also speak to you. 26Many things I have to speak and judge of you. But he that sent me, is true; and what I have heard of him, these things I speak in the world. 27And they knew not that he said to them that his Father was God. 28Jesus therefore said to them: When you shall have exalted the Son of man, then you shall know that I am he, and of myself I do nothing, but as the Father hath taught me, these things I speak; 29and he that sent me, is with me: and he hath not left me alone, because the things that please him I do always. 30When he spoke these things, many believed in him.
31Jesus therefore said to them that believed him, the Jews: If you [d] abide in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed. 32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we never served any man; how sayest thou, You shall be free? 34Jesus answered them: • Amen, amen I say to you; that * everyone which committeth sin, is the servant of sin. 35And the servant abideth not in the house for ever; the son abideth for ever. 36If therefore the Son make you free, you shall be [e] free indeed. 37I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word taketh not in you. 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father; and you do the things that you have seen with your Father. 39They answered, and said to him: Our Father is Abraham. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, [f] do the works of Abraham. 40But now, you seek to kill me, a man that has spoken the truth to you, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. 41You do the works of your Father. They said therefore to him: We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God. 42Jesus therefore said to them: If God were your Father; verily you would love me. For from God I proceeded, and came; for I came not of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do you not know my speech? Because you can not hear my word. 44You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a [g] man-killer from the beginning, and he stood not in the verity; because verity is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, because he is a liar, and the father thereof. 45But because I say the verity, you believe me not. 46Which of you shall argue me of sin? If I say the verity, why do you not believe me? 47He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear not, because you are not of God. 48The Jews therefore answered, and said to him: Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a Devil? 49Jesus answered: [h] I have no Devil; but I do honour my Father, and you have dishonoured me. 50But I seek not mine own glory. There is that seeketh and judgeth.
51Amen, amen I say to you; If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. 52The Jews therefore said: Now we have known that thou hast a Devil. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets; and thou sayest, If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever. 53Why, art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the Prophets are dead. Whom doest thou make thy self? 54Jesus answered: If I do glorify my self, my glory is nothing. It is my father that glorifieth me, whom you say that he is your God. 55And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep his word. 56Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: and he saw, and was glad. 57The Jews therefore said to him: Thou hast not yet fifty years, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before that Abraham was made I am. 59They took stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Footnotes
- ↑ We can not conveniently reprehend or condemn other men’s faults, if ourselves be guilty of the same or other greater. Cyril in Joh. See Anno. Mt. 7, 1.
- ↑ St. Augustine by this example of our Master proveth the Clergy men specially should be given much to mercy and that they ought often, as the cause and time required to get pardon of the secular Magistrates for offenders that be penitent. Ep. 54.
- ↑ So read St. Cyril, and St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine: expounding it of Christ’s Person, that he is the beginning of all creatures.
- ↑ Only faith is not sufficient without perseverance or abiding in the keeping of his commandments.
- ↑ Man was never without free will: but having the grace of Christ, his will is truly made free (as St. Augustine saith) from servitude of sin also. tract 41. in Evang Joan.
- ↑ Not only faith but good works also make men the children of Abraham according as St. James also speaketh of Abraham’s works. c. 2.
- ↑ St. Augustin compareth Heretics in their spiritual murder by driving Christian men out of the Church to the devil that drove our parents out of Paradise. Cont lit. Petil. lib. 2. c. 13.
- ↑ He denieth not that he is a Samaritan, because he is our keeper or protector, as the word signifieth; and because he is indeed that merciful Samaritan in the parable of the wounded man. Luc. 10, 33. Augu. tract. 43 in Joan.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. VIII.
↑ 34. Amen, amen.) What is it (saith St. Augustine upon this place) when our Lord said, Amen, amen? He doth much commend and urge the thing that he so uttereth, doubling it. It is a certain oath of his, if a man may so say: for Amen in Hebrew signifieth verum, a truth. Yet is it not translated, whereas it might have been said, verum, verum dico vobis, but neither the * Greek interpreter durst do it, nor the Latin, the Hebrew word hath remained still, that so it might be the more esteemed. Tract. 41 in Joan. By which words and the like * recorded in other places of this new Testament, the Reader may see great reason, why we also say, Amen, amen, and durst not translate it and such like words into our English tongue.
Margin Notes
- 1–11. The Ghospel upon Saturday the 3. week of Lent.
- 12–20. The Ghospel upon Saturday the 4. week in Lent.
- 21–29. The Ghospel upon Monday the 2. week of Lent.
- 51–59. The Ghospel upon Passion Sunday.
- annot. 34. Amen, amen.
- Why Amen, amen is not translated.
- * See the preface, and the annotation in Apoc. c. 19, 4.
Margin References
- 5. Lev. 20, 10.
- 17. Deu. 17, 6. 19, 15.
- 34. Rom. 6, 16. 2. Pet. 2, 19.
- annot. 34. Amen, amen. * Αμην, αμην.
