The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 69. — Simon Peter therefore answered , &c. Peter, as greater in rank (ordine major), says S. Cyril, firmer in faith, more loving to Jesus, more fervent in spirit, answered in the name of the rest of the Apostles, thinking that this was the mind and feeling of all. For that which he himself thought of Jesus he believed his colleagues thought likewise.
To whom shall we go? Meaning, says S. Augustine, “ Do you send us from Thee ? Give us another such as Thou art. To whom shall we go, if we leave Thee?” Wherefore S. Chrysostom says, “ This is an answer of great affection. For Christ was preferable to both father and mother.”
Thou hast the words of eternal life. First, as it were said, “ Thy words, O Jesus, are sweet and life-giving, because they promise the very eternal life. Who therefore, save a fool, would leave them, and go elsewhere ? ” S. Cyril saith, “ Not hard are the words, as those Capharnaites say, but Thou hast the words of eternal life, which are able to lead those who believe to the incorruptible life.” Wherefore what Thou hast said concerning Thy flesh to be eaten, that by It we may obtain eternal life, although I do not as yet well understand it, yet am I not scandalized, nor offended by Thy words, but I firmly believe them to be true, not doubting that in due time I shall understand them better, and silently asking and beseeching Thee to cause me to do this.
(2.) By Thy words, O Jesus, Thou dost promise us eternal life, if we eat Thy Flesh. These words draw us and unite us to Thee, rather than drive us away. For who would not wish for eternal life, and such a means of obtaining it ? Wherefore the Arabic renders, To whom shall we go, since the words of eternal life are with Thee? “Hence we learn,” says Cyril, “ that one only Christ who is able to bring us to everlasting life, must be followed as our Master.”
(3.) Thou hast the words, &c. Because Thou art Life eternal. Therefore in Thy Flesh and Blood Thou only givest what Thou art, says S. Augustine. Thou art the Word of the Father: and therefore Thou hast in Thee eternal life, because Thou art Life eternal Itself. What wonder then if Thou bestowest on those who eat Thee, life eternal ? For Thou dost bestow that very self-same thing which Thou art.
Ver. 70 . — And we believe, &c. The Greek has the article to both Christ and Son : ὁ Χριστός, the Christ promised by God, and expected for so many ages : ὁ υἱός, i.e., the Son of God by nature and substance , not adopted by grace. “Diligently consider this,” says Cyril, “that everywhere, especially with the prefix of the article, they say, Thou art the very Christ, the very Son of the Living God, truly and naturally separating (this) Son from other sons of God, who being called, are adopted by grace. And we being conjoined to Him, are called sons.”
We know, from the testimony of John the Baptist, our prophet and master, from the many and great miracles which Thou hast wrought, from Thy heavenly doctrine, and the holiness of Thy life, which we who are in constant intercourse with Thee, know to be heavenly and Divine.
Son of God: the Greek adds τοῦ ζῶντος, the living, so also the
Syriac and Arabic read. The meaning is, We believe that Thou art the Son of God. Wherefore, we also believe that all Thy sayings are Divine and most true, even when we do not understand them, and therefore that they are life-giving, and confer salvation and eternal life. For Thou art the Son of the Living God, who in His Essence is Life, which He communicates to Thee : therefore nothing can proceed from Thee but what is vital and life-giving : neither do we expect anything else from Thee.
Ver. 71 .—Jesus answered , Thou, O Peter, answerest in the name of all the Apostles, as if all believed in Me, and were My faithful friends. But know that thou art deceived, for one of them is a devil, unbelieving, and faithless to Me, who also will betray Me.
Have chosen Twelve, as to the Apostleship according to their present state apt and meet. Whence it seems that Judas the traitor, even when he was first chosen by Christ, was good and honest. For prudence and charity forbid the choice of one who is dishonest. So S. Cyril, Maldonatus and others. Also S. Jerome (lib. 3, cont. Pelag.), Tertullian (lib. de praescrip. haeret. c. 3). Some, however, think that Judas, when he was bad, as Christ knew, was yet chosen by Him to be an Apostle, with this object, that it might be one of His own who should betray Him, and so afford the occasion and the way for His passion and death, and from them the redemption of men. This opinion is attributed to SS. Bede and Augustine, yet neither says so expressly. Indeed, both rather intimate that Judas was chosen by Christ when he was good, even though he was known to be about to become bad by his own fault. Hear S. Augustine : “ Their number of Twelve was consecrated, who through the four quarters of the world were to proclaim the Trinity. And because one of them perished, not on that account was the honour of that number taken away from them. For in the room of him who perished another was chosen.” And after a while he says, “ He was chosen, from whom, albeit unwilling, and knowing it not, a great good was to proceed. For as wicked men wickedly use the good works of God, so, on the contrary, God for good uses the wicked works of men. The Lord used for good the wicked Judas, and delivered Himself to be betrayed that He might redeem us.” Hear also Bede : “ To one end He chose eleven, to another end one.
These He chose that they should persevere in the dignity of the apostolate, him, that by the office of his treachery He might work out the salvation of the human race.”
A devil: Syriac, Satan: Nonnus, he who is called by posterity another new devil. Christ would not name Judas that He might spare his reputation. “ He neither openly pointed him out,” says S. Chrysostom, “ nor wished him to lie concealed. The former was that he might not contend too impudently ; the latter, lest supposing he was concealed, he should act too unguardedly.” He did it also that he might impress the Apostles with fear, that they like Judas might not apostatize, nor presume proudly upon their own constancy . Listen to Cyril : “ He confirms them by sharper words, and makes them diligent by the peril before their eyes. For it is thus He seems to speak, Ye have need, O ye disciples, of great watchfulness, and great care for your safety : for the way of perdition is very slippery.” After a while, “ He makes all more watchful, because He does not say openly who would betray Him, but affirming that the charge of such heinous impiety hung over one, He makes them all anxious, and by the dread of such a thing He arouses them to greater vigilance.”
You will ask why Judas is called a devil? I answer (1.) because he was διάβολος (diabolus), i.e., a false accuser. For he spoke evil of the works and miracles of Christ to the Scribes and chief priests.
(2.) He was a diabolus, Hebrew and Syriac, a Satan, i.e., an adversary , because he opposed himself to Christ.
(3.) He was a diabolus because he did not believe in Christ, because he was a thief and a liar. For the devil is “ a liar and the father of a lie ” (cap. viii.) Wherefore Christ saith, he is a devil, in the present tense, not will be in the future.
(4.) He was a devil, that is a minister of the devil, an instrument and organ of the devil. For at the instigation of the devil he betrayed Christ his Lord and his God, as though he had been possessed of a devil. Whence John says (xiii. 2), that “ Satan entered into him.” So S. Chrysostom and others. So in common speech a very wicked man is called a devil.
(5.) He was a diabolus, i.e., betrayer of Christ. For in this sense diabolus is used for a traitor in Ecclus. xxvi. 6, in the Greek, though the Vulgate has betrayal. So the devil is the traitor angel, because by his malice he betrayed and ruined the angelic state. For from the angelic choirs and from heaven Lucifer, the traitor, by his perfidy dragged down with himself to hell the third part of the stars (Apoc. xii. 4). He betrayed therefore heaven and its inhabitants to hell and destruction.
Christ is alluding to the fall of Lucifer, who being chosen by God prince of the angels, by his pride made himself a devil and the prince of the demons. In like manner Judas chosen by Christ to the angelic office of the Apostolate, by his own fault fell from it, and made himself a companion of the devil, and a diabolus , that we may learn to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and to fear a fall, although we stand in the most holy places. For the higher the place the greater is the fall, and the ruin the more profound.
Ver. 72 .—But he spake , &c. Christ forewarns the Apostles, so that when they should afterwards behold the treachery of Judas, they might know that He had foreseen and foretold it, and therefore that it was not against His will, but by the permission of His certain counsel that this was done to bring about His death, by which He might redeem the human race.
Here John finishes the acts of the second year of Christ's preaching, up to the third year, or from the second Passover to the third. He proceeds with the acts of the third year in the following chapter. He passes over therefore many acts of Christ's second year, because they had been given at length by the other three Evangelists. He concludes Christ’s second year with the multiplication of the loaves, which He wrought about the time of the Passover, and which furnished the occasion of Christ’s long argument with the Jews concerning the spiritual bread and His Flesh to be partaken in the