The Divinity of the Word and the Error of Locality
Having left the opinion of the multitude, they decided to seize him through the servants. But no one began against all, being prevented by the divine grace. Being one himself among those who believed, and having been led along with the accusers, he thunders at them, calmly rebuking, showing how they had judged before knowing, if they believed irrationally (John 7:50).
Because they were asking as if he were contained in a human place: 'Where is your father?' (John 8:19), he marvelously said that their not knowing the Father is something they suffer because they also think the Son is nothing other than flesh, the one being seen in a place. And if you know, he says, that even though the Son has borne flesh, he is nothing inferior to the flesh, you would also recognize the Father as not being held by any local containment, but carrying all things in himself.
The evangelist, marveling, appears upon such boldness of speech and such reproofs, with no one being able to lay hold of the Lord, even though they were prepared and ready for this. But nevertheless, teaching in their midst in the temple near the treasury, he was speaking with boldness, providing proofs of divinity, rebuking their ignorance regarding these things, and no one laid hold of him.
To those who will enjoy nothing of his presence, he threatens a painful destruction (John 8:21), and most appropriately; for those from the physician being present only heal, if not receiving the medicine, those who are dying from their sufferings. And even if it seemed he was refuting himself according to their impious suspicion (John 8:22-23), they were able at any time, being mortals themselves, to go to him; for there is one exit for all, even if the path may seem different and the place receiving all is one before the resurrection of the Lord, even if after these things the order of the saints is transferred into paradise. What then is the Lord? He shows it even at their feet, having stated the reason and refuting their suspicion: 'You are of the world' (John 8:22-23). The Word has such a power, that he will be transferred toward himself and toward the heavenly things; therefore this is not death as it is toward a truth, as it would be for a man being of the earth and according to the transfer from the body being drawn under the earth.
Much is, he says, what even God has spoken through the prophets, rebuking your hard-heartedness and disobedience (John 8:26). And I, whatever I speak concerning you, is not from another, but I speak from the Father. And he spoke in a more human and clearer way, reasoning with those listening.
For if they had understood that the Lord was speaking concerning God, they would not have asked, “Where is your father?” (John 8:27); therefore he rightly spoke to them not saying, “You do not know my father.”
He has seen, and while speaking with the Father, he revealed not a sight of the eyes, but a natural knowledge (John 8:38); since he says that even those whom he calls having seen with their Father will not see from anywhere, but rather they are made to belong to the schemes of the evil one by the evilness dwelling in them.
Having foretold that “he who is from God hears the words of God” (John 8:51), he now shows himself to be God by nature; this one keeps the divine commandment, sinning in no way and transgressing the divine acts; this one also hears the divine words. He says that death here is not the fleshly death, which all undergo, but he names as death that which is to come, the punishment for eternity, which is Gehenna and “the worm”; for indeed life is an unending enjoyment for the age, for he says, “the age to come” (John 8:53). Then they say to him, “Do you make yourself greater than Abraham and the prophets, promising to make others greater than them? What are you making of yourself, promising to give less of the zeal from God?”
Greek
αὐτῶν γνώμην τοῦ πλήθους ἀφέντες ἐβουλεύθησαν μὲν αὐτὸν συλλαβέσθαι διὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν. ἥψατο δὲ οὐδεὶς πάντων ὑπὸ τῆς θείας κωλυομένων χάριτος. 38 Jο 7,50 Εἷς ὢν καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν πεπιστευκότων καὶ σὺν τοῖς ἐπαράτοις ταγεὶς ἀνθυβρίζει αὐτοὺς ἠρέμα ἐπαράτους δεικνὺς ὡς καταψηφισαμένους τῶν πιστευ σάντων πρὸ τοῦ γνῶναι, εἰ ἀλόγως ἐπίστευσαν. 39 Jο 8,19 Ἐπειδὴ ἠρώτων ὡς περὶ ἀνθρώπου τόπῳ περιεχομένου· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ πατήρ σου, θαυμασίως εἴρηκεν τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς τὸν πατέρα τοῦτο πάσχοντας διὰ τὸ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν μηδὲν ἕτερον ἢ σάρκα νομίζειν τὴν ἐν τόπῳ θεωρουμένην. εἰ δ' ἐπίστασθε, φησίν, ὅτι καὶ ὁ υἱὸς εἰ καὶ σάρκα πεφόρηκεν, οὐδὲν ἧττόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ σάρκα, ἐπεγινώσκετε ἂν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μηδεμίᾳ τοπικῇ περιοχῇ κατεχόμενον, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ φέροντα. 40 Jο 8, Θαυμάζων ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς φαίνεται ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ παρρησίᾳ λόγων καὶ ἐλέγχοις τοιούτοις, μηδένα δὲ δύνασθαι κατασχεῖν τὸν κύριον, καίτοι γε μεμη νότων ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ παρεσκευασμένων ἁπάντων. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐν μέσοις αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ πρὸς τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ διδάσκων ἔλεγεν, ἐπαρρησιάζετο, θεότητος παρεῖχε τεκμήρια, τὴν ἐκείνων ἄγνοιαν ἤλεγχε ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ προσαψάμενος. 41 Jο 8,21 Τοῖς οὐδὲν ἀπολαύσασι τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀνιαρὸν ὄλεθρον ἀπειλεῖ καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· οἱ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἰατροῦ παρόντος μόνην ἴασιν μὴ 5 ® δεξάμενοι τοῖς πάθεσιν ἐναποθνῄσκουσιν. 42 Jο 8,22 23 Καίτοι εἰ ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν κατὰ τὴν δυσσεβῆ αὐτῶν ὑπόνοιαν, ἐδύναντο ὁτεδήποτε καὶ αὐτοὶ θνητοὶ ὄντες ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· μία γὰρ πάντων ἔξοδος, κἂν ὁ τρόπος διάφορος εἶναι δοκῇ καὶ ἓν τὸ ὑποδεχόμενον πάντας χωρίον πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ κυρίου, κἂν μετὰ ταῦτα τὸ τάγμα τῶν ἁγίων εἰς παράδεισον μετατεθῇ. τί οὖν ὁ κύριος; παρὰ πόδας δείκνυσι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν φήσας ἀναιρῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑποψίαν· ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ ® κόσμου ἐστέ.43 Jο 8,22 23 Τοιαύτην πως ἔχει δύναμιν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι πρὸς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὰ οὐράνια μεταστήσεται· διόπερ τοῦτο οὐδὲ θάνατός ἐστιν ὡς πρὸς ἀλήθειαν καθάπερ ἂν ἐπ' ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ἐκ γῆς ὄντος καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος μετάστασιν ὑπὸ γῆν ἑλκομένου. 44 Jο 8,26 Ἱκανά, φησίν, ἔστιν, ἃ καὶ ὁ θεὸς διὰ προφητῶν εἴρηκεν ἐλέγχων τὸ σκληροκάρδιον ὑμῶν καὶ δυσπειθές. κἀγὼ δὲ ὅσα λέγω περὶ ὑμῶν, οὐχ ἑτέ ρωθεν, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ πατρὸς λέγω. ἀκούειν δὲ εἶπεν ἀνθρωπινώτερον, σαφέστερον τοῖς ἀκούουσι διαλεγόμενος. 45 Jο 8,27 Εἰ γὰρ συνίεσαν, ὅτι περὶ θεοῦ ἔλεγεν ὁ κύριος, οὐκ ἂν ἠρώτων “ ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ πατήρ σου” διόπερ καὶ δεόντως εἴρηκε πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ οὐκ “οἴδατε τὸν πατέρα μου” . 46 Jο 8,38 Ἑωρακέναι καὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ λέγων οὐκ ὀφθαλμῶν τινα ὅρασιν ἐδή λωσεν, ἀλλὰ γνῶσιν φυσικήν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐκείνους φάσκων ἑωρακέναι παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῶν οὐκ ὄψει δήπουθεν ἑωρακέναι λέγει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐνοικούσῃ πονηρίᾳ ταῖς τοῦ πονηροῦ βουλαῖς οἰκείους ® καθίστασθαι. 47 Jο 8,51 53 Προειρηκώς, ὅτι « ὁ ὢν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀκούει « νῦν φησι δεικνὺς ἑαυτὸν κατὰ φύσιν ὄντα θεόν· οὗτος δὲ τηρεῖ τὴν θείαν ἐντολήν, ὁ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἁμαρτάνων καὶ παραβαίνων τὰς θείας πράξεις· οὗτος καὶ ἀκούει τῶν θείων λόγων. θάνατον δέ φησιν ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸν σαρκικόν, ὃν ὑπομένουσι πάντες, ἀλλὰ θάνατον ὀνομάζει τὸν μέλλοντα, τὸ δι' αἰῶνος κο λάζεσθαι, ὅστις ἐστὶν ἡ γέεννα καὶ “ὁ σκώληξ” · καὶ γὰρ καὶ ζωή ἐστιν ἀκατά παυστος ἀπόλαυσις εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· αἰῶνα γάρ φησι τὸν μέλλοντα. εἶτα εἰπὲ οὖν ἡμῖν, φασίν, μείζων εἶ αὐτὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὁ μείζους ἐκείνων ἑτέρους ποιεῖν ὑπισχνούμενος; τίνα σεαυτὸν ποιεῖς ὁ καὶ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ φιλοτιμίας τὰ ἀμείνω δώσειν ἐπαγγελλόμενος; 48 Jο 8,56 Ζητητέον τίνα λέγει ἡμέραν· ἐπεὶ φῶς ἀληθινὸν καὶ “δικαιοσύνης ἥλιός” ἐστιν ὁ σωτήρ, ἡμέραν κατασκευάζει, ἐὰν ἀνατείλῃ δι' ἀρετῆς καὶ θείας γνώσεως. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὤφθη καταυγάσας αὐτὸν πίστει εἰς δικαιοσύνην λελογισμένῃ, μετὰ χαρᾶς ἠγαλλιάσατο ἰδὼν τὴν νοητὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμέραν. ἐντεῦθεν οἱ δύο θεοὺς λέγοντες τὸν κοσμοποιὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα Χριστοῦ ἐλέγχονται ἀσεβῶς φρονοῦντες· εἰ γὰρ ὁ Ἀβραάμ, ὅν φασιν ἑτέρου θεοῦ εἶναι, τὸν σωτῆρα εἶδεν καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὸν πατέρα, ὁ ὀφθεὶς αὐτῷ θεὸς ὁ κοσμοποιός ἐστιν, ὁ αὐτὸς τῷ πατρὶ Χριστοῦ. ® 49 Jο 9,2 3 Ἦν τις ἐν τοῖς πάλαι λόγος ἐξ ἁμαρτίας εἶναι τὰ κακὰ διὰ τὸ
About this text
Apollinaris of Laodicea on John (catena fragments).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.