Homilies on the Gospel of John

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him.”

1. We need everywhere works and actions, not a mere show of words. For to say and to promise is easy for any one, but to act is not equally easy. Why have I made these remarks? Because there are many at this time who say that they fear and love God, but in their works show the contrary; but God requires that love which is shown by works. Wherefore He said to the disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” For after He had told them, “Whatsoever you shall ask, I will do it,” that they might not deem the mere “asking” to be availing, He added, “If you love Me,” “then,” He says, “I will do it.” And since it was likely that they would be troubled when they heard that, “I go to the Father,” He tells them “to be troubled now is not to love, to love is to obey My words. I have given you a commandment that you love one another, that you do so to each other as I have done to you; this is love, to obey these My words, and to yield to Him who is the object of your love.”

“And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.” Again His speech is one of condescension. For since it was probable, that they not yet knowing Him would eagerly seek His society, His discourse, His presence in the flesh, and would admit of no consolation when He was absent, what says He? “I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,” that is, “Another like Me.” Let those be ashamed who have the disease of Sabellius, who hold not the fitting opinion concerning the Spirit. For the marvel of this discourse is this, that it has stricken down contradictory heresies with the same blow. For by saying “another,” He shows the difference of Person, and by “Paraclete,” the connection of Substance. But why said He, “I will ask the Father”? Because had He said, “I will send Him,” they would not have so much believed and now the object is that He should be believed. For afterwards He declares that He Himself sends Him, saying, “Receive the Holy Ghost”; but in this place He tells them that He asks the Father, so as to render His discourse credible to them. Since John says of Him, “Of His fullness have all we received”; but what He had, how receives He from another? And again, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” “But what had He more than the Apostles, if He was about to ask It of His Father in order to give It to others, when they often even without prayer appear to have done thus?” And how, if It is sent according to request from the Father, does It descend of Itself? And how is that which is everywhere present sent by Another, that which “divides to every man severally as He will”, and which says with authority, “Separate Me Paul and Barnabas”? Those ministers were ministering unto God, yet still It called them authoritatively to Its own work; not that It called them to any different work, but in order to show Its power. “What then,” says some one, “is, 'I will ask the Father?'?” (He says it) to show the time of Its coming. For when He had cleansed them by the sacrifice, then the Holy Ghost lighted upon them. “And why, while He was with them, came it not?” Because the sacrifice was not yet offered. But when afterwards sin had been loosed, and they were being sent forth to dangers, and were stripping themselves for the contest, then need was that the Anointer should come. “But why did not the Spirit come immediately after the Resurrection?” In order that being greatly desirous of It, they might receive It with great joy. For as long as Christ was with them, they were not in tribulation; but when He departed, being made defenseless and thrown into much fear, they would receive It with much readiness.

“He remains with you.” This shows that even after death It departs not. But lest when they heard of the “Paraclete,” they should imagine a second Incarnation, and expect to see It with their eyes, He sets them right by saying, “Whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not.” “He will not be with you as I have been, but will dwell in your very souls”; for this is the, “shall be in you.” He calls it the “Spirit of truth”; thus explaining the types in the Old Testament. “That He may be with you.” What is, “may be with you”? That which He says Himself, that “I am with you.” Besides, He also implies something else, that “the case of the Spirit shall not be the same as Mine, He shall never leave you.” “Whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not.” “Why, what is there belonging to the other Persons that is visible?” Nothing; but He speaks here of knowledge; at least He adds, “neither knows Him.” For He is wont, in the case of exact knowledge, to call it “sight”; because sight is clearer than the other senses, by this He always represents exact knowledge. By “world,” He here speaks of “the wicked,” thus too comforting the disciples by giving to them a special gift. See in how many particulars He raised His discourse concerning It. He said, “He is Another like Me”; He said, “He will not leave you”; He said, “Unto you alone He comes, as also did I”; He said, that “He remains in you”; but not even so did He drive out their despondency. For they still sought Him and His society. To cure then this feeling, He says,