The Light and the Spirit

As he cleanses from human and evil impurities, and by the energy of the Spirit sanctifies the soul and fills it with divinity—of which having now dwelt in us like a kind of earnest and firstfruits, the kingdom of God will arrive at perfection, being the fullness of divinity in us.

The light came from itself without anyone harming it in order to find it (John 3:19). Those who loved the darkness rather than the light are without defense (John 3:19); for it is not through ignorance that they do not believe in Christ, but because they want to do base things, which the teaching of Christ does not accept. Therefore, when we hear that 'they were not able to believe' (John 3:19), let us not understand a power of nature or some other dominance, but the self-tyrannical thought that enslaves itself to shameful passions and does not want to depart from the worst habit; for these indeed recognize the light, but they do not come to it, so that their hypocrisy might not be exposed—those who say they know God but deny him by their works.

Since therefore he speaks the things of both the one believing and the one unbelieving, he both believes and disbelieves for that one. And he sealed instead of having shown.

This, he says, the perceptible water will heal the thirst for a little while (John 4:13-16), but the invisible, just as it delivers from thirst, no longer leaves men in need of life; for it springs forth incorruption for them. This, that the Holy Spirit is promised as a gift through the following, is evident.

Therefore, there is an examination of the so-called spiritual water against material water, and also of the gift of the Spirit against the teaching of the law. For one was learning through letters, which man always needs because of forgetfulness, but the Spirit of wisdom provides a continuous supply. Having heard these things, the Samaritan woman remained upon the material concept and, passing over the small things as great, remained unfeeling toward the great things.

But the Lord, at least until these things, spoke toward the woman, desiring to lead the Samaritan nation to faith by joining to the call toward her the call toward the man. In this it is shown toward the knowledge of the word that the nature of a better man is more suitable than that of the woman, who was not reaching the spiritual teachings of the Lord. 18 John 4:33 They show that he accepted the services of those offering food, even though he was able to feed and not to be fed; for to feed on Christ is a greatest blessing, of which he is not envious toward those willing. Therefore he also ordered the same for the disciples.

19 John 5:5 The thirty-eighth year of the lying paralytic signifies a time of punishment already being fulfilled, that just as the people for forty years tested the judgments in the wilderness, and forty days the destruction fell, and the law punished the sinners for forty years, so the Lord, sparing the fullness of the punishment, heals the sick man in the thirty-eighth year, just as he also spared the legal punishments through grace, the cosmic time having been fulfilled.

22 John 5:44 Then, because he says, 'You seek the glory from one another and do not seek the glory from God, you are not able to come to me.'