The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 41. — These things said Esaias , when he saw His glory , and spake of Him, The glory of Christ the Incarnate Son of God, who is spoken of in what preceded, and what follows. So SS. Augustine, Cyril, and all the Fathers, as against the Arians. It is therefore quite clear that Christ the Son of God is “ of one substance ” with the Father, having the same substance, majesty, and glory with Him. For the Jews deny not that these words and that Divine glory pertain to God the Father, nor can there be any doubt on the matter. But here it is said that the same glory belongs to the Son. And it is plain that the same is the glory of the Holy Ghost (Acts xxviii. 25). And therefore when the Holy Trinity thus appeared to Isaiah, the Seraphim thrice exclaimed, Holy, Holy, Holy, &c.
This glory then which Isaiah saw, was that glorious vision in which the Essential Nature of the Holy Trinity and the Three Persons severally were represented in some ineffable manner by some outward symbol addressed to the imagination. But yet it was a kind of human appearance ; for God appeared to Isaiah as a king seated on a lofty throne, and the prophet describes His countenance and His feet. And this appearance was most glorious, bright, and majestic. And accordingly, S. John terms it “glory.” Therefore Ribera, Maldonatus, Toletus, and others say that Isaiah in that vision most clearly discerned (as far as man can discern in this mortal state) the Three Persons in Unity of Essence. And this too both from the words of the Seraphim, as also from that most exalted revelation which was made to him. And therefore he says, “ When he saw His glory,” when there was shown to him by revelation the Person of the Son as co-equal and consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Ghost. (See more on Is. vi. 1).
Ver. 42. — Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him, &c. By the chief rulers are not meant the chief priests and the magistrates, for they shortly afterwards took Jesus and put Him to death. But the chief persons, those who were pre-eminent for their wisdom, their authority, and their means, both among the priests and the common people. S. Rupertus. They therefore were convinced by the truth of Christ’s doctrine, by His holiness and miracles, but yet did not dare to confess Him openly, for the reason mentioned above, chap. ix. 22.
Ver. 43. — For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. “ Glory ” may here be taken in an active sense. They loved to give glory to men — to the Jews, e.g., and the Pharisees — by saying that they were wise and sound teachers of the Law, rather than to Jesus Christ, by acknowledging Him to be the Messiah.
Secondly, in the passive sense (and this is the best meaning), they preferred to be glorified by men rather than by God, to hear the Pharisees say, “Ye are the true Israelites, who abide in the faith of your fathers, and prefer Moses to this innovator Jesus, and the ancient religion of the Israelites to the novelties of this sect of Christians.” So Augustine, Cyril, Bede, Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others. “They therefore had the faith of Christ, but not charity. For if they had had it they would have loved the glory of God, rather than that of men, and would have professed with their lips the faith of Christ which they held in their heart.” See Rom. x. 10.
Many such are found at the present time in England, Germany, and Poland, who cherish in their minds faith and piety, but who dare not profess them outwardly, for fear of incurring the derision and scoffs of worldlings or heretics. Against these Christ thunders forth, “ Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of my words,” &c.
The Gloss says wisely (quoting S. Augustine in loc.), “ The Cross is marked on the forehead, which is the seat of shame, to keep us from blushing at the Name of Christ, and seeking the praise of men rather than the praise of God.”
Ver. 44 .—Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me (“only” as the Arabic version adds) but (also) on Him that sent Me. It is uncertain whether Jesus said these words at the same time as those which precede them (ver. 35), as Maldonatus thinks, i.e. before he hid Himself and withdrew (as I said, ver. 36), being there mentioned by anticipation, when in the regular order it should be placed at the end of the chapter ; or at another time, as Theophylact supposes. It is in fact a question to be solved. For Christ in these last three days of His life, came back in the morning to the Temple. But when He saw that some believed not, and that others believed but did not dare to profess their faith, for shame, and for fear of the Pharisees, He cried with a loud voice, to drive away this shame and fear : “ He that believeth in Me ” believeth not in a mere poor and wretched man, but in a man who is also God, and he therefore “ believes in God who sent Me,” in God the Father with Whom I am consubstantial. Be not ashamed of my poverty and humility, for though I am outwardly poor and humble, yet in my inward nature I am rich and highly exalted. For I am God of God. And therefore he that believeth in Me believeth in God. But what is more noble and glorious than to believe in God ? What can he fear or be ashamed of who believes in God? S. Cyril adds, " Jesus cried out, to signify that He did not wish to be worshipped in a cowardly and stealthy way, but that He wished us boldly and clearly to profess and proclaim the faith.” “ Again He cried out,” says Rupertus, “ because He had but little time left Him to preach in. He then who wishes to hear Me, to believe and be saved, should do so at once, for after three days no one will be able to hear Me.” And so S. Chrysostom says, “ Why do ye fear to believe in Me ? Faith in God comes through Me. Just as he who drinks the water of the river, drinks he not of the source ? ” And S. Augustine, “ Because the manhood only appeared to men, and the Godhead was latent, lest they should think Him to be only that which they saw (a man), and He wished Himself to be believed in (as God) the same and as great as the Father ; He saith, ‘ He that believeth in Me, believeth not in Me,’ that is, in that which He seeth, ‘ but in Him who sent Me, that is, in the Father.’ ”
It is, however, quite plain that the Son is God, consubstantial with God the Father. The Arians denied this, and objected : He who believeth in the Apostles who were sent by God, believeth in God, and yet does not believe that the Apostles are gods. I reply by denying the conclusion. We believe the Apostles, but not in the Apostles. But Christ here says, “ He who believeth in Me, believeth in Him who sent Me.” But no one believes in any one, excepting in Him who is God. If, then, we believe in Christ, we believe that He is God : and since there is but one God, we believe that He is numerically the same God with God the Father. And therefore He says, “ He that believeth in Me, believeth in Him that sent Me ; ” He who believes in Me as God the Son, believes also in God My Father, for we have both one nature and one majesty. So SS. Augustine, Cyril, Theophylact, Euthymius, and others. Whence Christ adds, to make it clearer still, —
Ver. 45. — And he that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me . Because the nature of us both is one only. And just as through My manhood he sees the Godhead which is latent therein, so does he also see the Godhead of My Father, since it is one and the same. And so S. Augustine says, “ He shows that there is no difference whatever between Himself and the Father, insomuch that He who seeth Him seeth the Father.”
Hear S. Cyril in the Council of Ephesus (speaking in our Lord’s
name) : " Oh, my faithful hearers, do not think meanly and humbly of Me. But rather be most fully persuaded of this respecting Me, that if ye believe in Me, ye will believe in Him who is not merely one among many, but in the Father Himself through Me His Son, and that though I became man for your sakes, yet am I in every respect equal to the Father, and in no respect whatever severed or separated from Him, inasmuch as I am endowed with the same nature, power, and glory with Him.”
Ver. 46. — I am come a Light into the world , See. Christ calls Himself again and again the Light of the world, which sets forth the true faith in God, His worship, devotion towards Him, virtue, and all things which tend to our salvation, and also dispels the darkness of unbelief, idolatry, and all errors and vices, so that what the sun is in the material world, is He in the spiritual. “The word light,” says S. Cyril, “ indicates Godhead, for it is the property of God to be the Light of the world. For God in His Essence is spiritual, uncreate, boundless Light, from which every created light, whether spiritual or material, whether of angels or men, whether of the sun or stars or of the elements, is derived as a ray from the Sun.” But it is the peculiar property of the Son that He proceeds from God the Father after the manner of a ray, and of light, according to the Nicene Creed : “ Light of Light, Very God of Very God.” For He proceedeth from the Father by understanding and knowledge, as the verbal expression of the mind, which, like a mirror, represents all things. As the Book of Wisdom says (vii. 26), “It is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness.” And Heb. i. 3, “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the image of His substance.” And Ecclus. xxiv. 6
(Vulg.), “I made the never-failing Light to arise in the heavens.” These things are spoken of Christ as God. But as man He was sent by God the Father into the world, to enlighten it as the sun in the heavens, when overwhelmed with the darkness of ignorance, unbelief, and sin. See S. John, i. 6, 7.