The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 19. — This is the judgment, &c. (Vulg.) Judgment, i.e., cause of judgment, or condemnation. This is the cause why those are already condemned who believe not on Me, because they have preferred darkness, and ignorance of God, and of what they ought to do, and their own pleasures and lusts and sins upon the earth, rather than light, that is, Christ, who hath brought the knowledge of God and salvation into the world. For light and darkness are the symbols of these things. Wherefore Bede says, He calls Himself the Light ; sins He calls darkness . Moreover, light came into the world to arouse men, says the Gloss: to admonish them to know their evils, says S. Chrysostom. “ For they themselves would not admit the light of truth and holiness, which He preached by His word and example.” In like manner many at the present day become heretics that they may follow their carnal will, which heresy permits , but the faith forbids. Therefore to convert a heretic make use of this method: first persuade him to lead an honest life, moral, chaste, and holy. Thus will you the more easily bring him to the true faith.
2. Judgment might be taken thus, as signifying the condemnation and rejection of unbelievers, or the judgment wherewith they condemn themselves, in that they prefer darkness to light, that is, cupidity to sanctity, ignorance to knowledge, the devil to God. Wherefore Christ as it were says to such, “ It is not I who judge thee, but thine own conscience which judges and condemns thee.”
Ver. 20. — For every one that doeth evil, Greek, φαῦλα, depraved and perverse things , & c. “Every one who does wickedly,” says S. Cyril, “refuses the illumination of the light, not because he is ashamed of his wickedness, and repents, for if he did he would be saved, but because he prefers to be in ignorance of the better way, lest in his daily sins he should feel the stings of conscience.”
“For,” as S. Chrysostom observes, “it marks those who still persevere in their wickedness, and are zealous to do evil to their last ; who persevere in evil deeds, and always wallow in the mire of vice.”
Ver. 21 . — But he that doeth . . . in God, i.e., according to God’s will and law, and by His guidance, light, and help. The truth , i.e., practically by doing what is right and just, and pleasing to God. For as there is truth of the heart and mouth, so is there of deed, it comes to pass that an honest and holy work corresponds to the practical rule of reason and prudence, or virtue, and the will of God. Thus (viii. 43), it is said of Lucifer, he abode not in the truth , i.e., in equity, justice, and sanctity. So also the Apostle exhorts us to do the truth , i.e., what is truly good, and holy, and pleasing to God.
The meaning is, he who does , i.e., who by the light and grace of God proposes and determines to do the truth, i.e., what is truly good and holy, cometh to the light, i.e., embraces My doctrine, and the Christian faith, that his works may be manifest that they are done in God, that they please God because they are done by His leading and guidance. And if they be otherwise, He will correct them, and amend them in accordance with the will of God. “ He shows,” says S. Chrysostom, “that none of those who are in error will submit to the truth, unless a man will first persuade himself to lead a correct life ; and that no one will persist in unbelief unless he be wholly given up to wickedness.”
Thus far are the words of Christ to Nicodemus.
Ver. 22 . — After this, &c. This means that Jesus went from Jerusalem , a citizen of which Nicodemus appears to have been, to some other part of the land of Judea, because He would avoid the sects and enmities of the chief men of Jerusalem. So S. Chrysostom and others. As the former saith, “He was accustomed to come into the city at the solemn feasts, that He might publicly make known the doctrine of God : from thence He often retired to the river Jordan.”
Baptized, not so much by Himself as by His disciples, as is said in iv. 2. Yet He first Himself baptized there. He baptized by others for several reasons — 1. To show that His baptism was different from that of John. For the latter was conferred by John alone; but Christ's baptism was conferred by others also, His disciples, Christ in them and by them working mightily. 2. To show that the authority, power, and continuance of His baptism were to extend through all succeeding ages. So SS. Augustine and Cyril. 3. Because He Himself was occupied in the greater works of teaching, healing the sick, and working miracles. Moreover , when the disciples of Christ baptized, they were not yet apostles. For they were made apostles after John’s imprisonment. But those things happened before it, as is evident from verse 24. These disciples therefore were not yet apostles, nor even priests, for they were afterwards created priests by Christ at His Last Supper.
Wherefore it is an error to say, as S. Chrysostom and Tertullian do ( de Bapt., c. 2), that Christ did not baptize, because before His death baptism had not the power of remitting sins, and conferring the Holy Ghost; therefore that the disciples of Christ thus baptized with John’s baptism, not Christ’s. S. Chrysostom says, “Both baptisms, viz., that of John and that of the disciples of Christ, were devoid of the Spirit. They both had the same object in view, which was to gain disciples to Christ” That there was no excellence in either the baptism of the one or the other, he argues from the words in the 7th chapter, The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. But I will show that this is not the meaning in the proper place.
Let us add S. Leo (Epist 4, ad Episc . Sicil., c. 2). “Properly, in the death of the Crucified, and in His resurrection from the dead, the virtue of baptism makes a new creature out of the old, that both the death and the life of Christ should be wrought in them that are born again, as the blessed Apostle Paul says, ‘ Know ye not that as many of us as are baptized into Christ, have been baptized into his death ? ’ ”
But S. Paul’s meaning is different, as I have said on the passage, and so, as I think, is S. Leo’s. For before His death Christ remitted sins to the paralytic, and also to Mary Magdalene, and filled her with the spirit of charity : and that by His word only, without a sacrament. For this forgiveness derived its justifying power from the merits of Christ both present and to come : and especially from His death, which He had already undertaken to suffer, and had offered Himself to God the Father to be a victim for the salvation of men. Wherefore, as the Eucharist instituted before the death of Christ sanctified the apostles, so also did baptism. Thus at length S. Augustine in this passage (Tract. 15).
In like manner it is not very probable what D. Soto thinks, that the disciples here used as the form in baptism, I baptize thee in the name of Jesus Christ , whereas after His resurrection they said, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. This is improbable, because in so doing Christ would have changed the form of baptism, and in so doing He would have instituted two baptisms. Besides, it is not probable that Christ baptized in His own name when He Himself baptized His apostles.
Moreover, Euthymius says that the belief of the most ancient Fathers was, that Christ Himself baptized the Blessed Virgin and S. Peter. Evodius, S. Peter’s successor in the see of Antioch, says in his treatise called Lumen , or The Light , that Christ with His own hands baptized Andrew, John, and James, and that they baptized the rest of the apostles.
Ver. 23. — Now John , &c. Ænon, or Ennon , was a town on the banks of the Jordan, eight miles from Bethshan, which was afterwards, from its occupation by the Scythians, called Scythopolis. Ænon is derived from the Hebrew ain, or an , a well or fountain , because, as it is said, there was much water there.
Near to Salim. There were two Salims, or Salems ; one which was afterwards called Jerusalem, the other near Scythopolis, which was called, in S. Jerome’s time, Salumius , as he tells us in his Locis . Salem means in Hebrew, healthy peace, perfection. For these penitents received from John, being transmitted to Christ, who baptized not far from John. There was much water there. From this we may gather that John baptized so as not only to lave the head, for which only a moderate quantity of water was needed, but the whole body.
Ver. 24 . — For John had not yet been sent (Vulg. missus , Greek βεβλημένος) into prison. This implies, says S. Chrysostom, that John baptized up to the time of his being cast into prison. For until his death he persevered in the office for which God hath sent him, namely, that by baptizing and preaching he might prepare the way for Christ.
And when he had done this superabundantly, God allowed him to be cast into prison, that he might give way to Christ, and send all his disciples to Christ, as in fact he did.
The Evangelist adds this verse to show that he was supplying the history of all the preceding events, and adding them to the narratives of the other Evangelists, who began from the imprisonment of John.