Homilies on the Gospel of John

“The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after Him.”

Now this seems to me to be said by those who felt rightly, but had not courage to speak boldly, and who then would restrain the others by pointing to the result, as though they were attempting impossibilities. Here again they call the multitude “the world.” For Scripture is wont to call by the name “world” both the creation, and those who live in wickedness; the one, when It says, “Who brings out His world by number”; the other when It says, “The world hates not you, but Me it hates.” And these things it is necessary to know exactly, that we may not through the signification of words afford a handle to the heretics.