Homilies on the Gospel of John

“You sent unto John, and he bore witness unto the truth.”

Yet if Your witness be not true, how sayest Thou, “I know that the testimony of John is true, and that he has borne witness to the truth”? And do you see (O man) how clear it hence is, that the expression, “My witness is not true,” was addressed to their secret thoughts?

2. “What then,” says some one, “if John bore witness partially.” That the Jews might not assert this, see how He removes this suspicion. For He said not, “John testified of Me,” but, “You first sent to John, and you would not have sent had ye not deemed him trustworthy.” Nay, what is more, they had sent not to ask him about Christ, but about himself, and the man whom they deemed trustworthy in what related to himself they would much more deem so in what related to another. For it is, so to speak, the nature of us all not to give so much credit to those who speak of themselves as to those who speak of others; yet him they deemed so trustworthy as not to require even concerning himself any other testimony. For they who were sent said not, “What do you say concerning Christ?” but, “Who are you? What do you say of yourself?” So great admiration felt they for the man. Now to all this Christ made allusion by saying, “You sent unto John.” And on this account the Evangelist has not merely related that they sent, but is exact as to the persons sent that they were Priests and of the Pharisees, not common or abject persons, nor such as might be corrupted or cheated, but men able to understand exactly what he said.