1. Not long ago we have said that John, in order to resolve the perplexity of those who would argue with themselves as to why Christ, having come to preach after John, became first and more glorious than he, adds: "Because he was before me." That's one reason. But the Evangelist also presents another, which is now expressed (in the Gospel). Which one? "And from His fullness," he says, "we have received grace for grace." Then he gives another reason. What? "For the law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (v. 17). But what is the meaning, you will say, of the words, "And of His fulness we have all received"? To this we must now turn the word. From Him, says the Evangelist, is not a borrowed gift; but He is the very source, the very root of all good things, the self-existent life, the original light, the self-perfect truth. He does not retain an abundance of good things in Himself, but pours it out on all others, and pouring it out, He Himself is always full with interest; being generous to others, He Himself is not diminished in anything; always exuding and communicating these blessings to all, he remains in the same perfection. And what I have in me (says John) is borrowed, because I have received from another, is something small of all, and like a scanty drop before the ineffable abyss and the boundless sea. It is better to say, and this likeness cannot depict what we are trying to express. Separate a drop from the sea, and the sea will thereby decrease, although the decrease is not noticeable. But this cannot be said of that source: no matter how much it is exhausted, it does not diminish in the least. Thus it is necessary to pass on to some other likeness: and it will certainly be weak and cannot explain to us what we are seeking, but at least it will lead us closer to the thought we have assumed. Let us imagine a source of fire, and from it a thousand, two, three, or more lamps are kindled. Does not the fire remain in the same fullness even after it has given its power to so many lamps? Everyone knows this. If, however, there is something in the bodies that are divisible, and through the subtraction (of the particles) diminished, which, even after imparting its powers to other bodies, does not diminish in the least, then it must be in a much higher degree of incorporeal and immortal power. If what is perceived here is both essence and body, and is divisible and not divisible, then when it comes to power, and moreover to the power that proceeds from an incorporeal essence, it is much more certain that it is not subject to any of these things.

That is why John says: "And of His fullness we have all received," and he unites his testimony with the testimony of the Baptist. The words: "And of His fullness we all received" belong not to the Forerunner, but to the disciple (of Christ). What these words mean is this: Do not think that we, as people who have spent a long time with Him and shared a meal with Him, bear witness only out of gratitude. Here was John, a man who had not even seen Him before and had not dealt with Him, but who had seen Him with others only at the time when He was baptizing, and he cried out, "He was before me," saying all things. Yet all of us, twelve, three hundred, five hundred, three, five thousand, and tens of thousands of Jews, all the multitude of believers then, present, and future, have received from His fulfillment. What did they receive: "grace for grace." What grace instead of what grace? A new one instead of the ancient one. Just as there was righteousness and righteousness ("according to the righteousness of the law," it is said, "blameless" — Phil. 3:6), — faith and faith ("from faith to faith" — Rom. 1:17), — adoption and adoption ("to whom the adoption belongs," it is said — Rom. 9:4), — glory and glory ("if the things that pass away are glorious, how much more glorious are those who abide" — 2 Cor. 3:11), the law and the law ("the law," it is said, "the Spirit of life has set me free" — Rom. 8:2),  — service and service ("if service," it is said, — 2 Cor. 3:7, 8 — and in another place: "they serve God in the spirit" — Phil. 3:3), — covenant and covenant ("I will make a new covenant, not such a covenant as I made with their fathers" — Jeremiah 31:31), — sanctification and sanctification, baptism and baptism, sacrifice and sacrifice, temple and temple, circumcision and circumcision — so there is grace and grace. But here one is the models, and the other is the truth; both are only something of the same name, and not of the same meaning. Both in photographs and in images, a person is called painted with both black and white paints, just as he has his own natural color. And statues, whether the statue be of gold or clay, are equally called statues. But one is an image, and another is truth.

2. Therefore, by the similarity of names, do not conclude about the identity of things, as well as about their difference. If there was an image, then it was not alien to the truth, only if it contained a shadow, then it was below the truth. What is the difference between all these concepts? Do you want us to deal with the interpretation of one or two of the concepts expressed? In this way others will be understood by you, and we will all see that some of them were lessons for children, and others for men who were mature and strong; that some were lawful only for men, others as if for angels. Where do we start? Do you want it, from the very adoption? So, what is the difference between Old Testament and New Testament adoption? That was an honor in words, but this is in reality. It is said: "I said, You are gods, and the sons of the Most High are all of you" (Psalm 81:6); of this, "We were born of God" (v. 13). How and how? "The bath of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit." Those with the name of sons had in them the spirit of slavery — they were honored by this name, remaining slaves; we, having been made free, received this honor not only in name, but in reality. Pointing to this, Paul said: "We did not receive the spirit of slavery [that] we might again [live] in fear, but received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father!'" (Romans 8:15). As born again and, so to speak, recreated, we are therefore called sons. And if anyone wanted to know the image of sanctification in the Old Testament and the New Testament, then again he would see many differences here. The ancients were called by this name (of the saints) when they did not serve idols, did not commit fornication, did not commit adultery; and we become saints not only through abstinence from those (vices), but also through the acquisition of higher perfections. And first we receive this gift from the very inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Spirit; and then through his own life, which is much higher than the Jewish one. And that these words are not self-praise, listen to what is said by them: "Do not sorcerer, do not purify your children, for you are a holy people" (Deuteronomy 18:10, 13). Thus, their holiness consisted in their departure from pagan customs; but with us it is not so, but "to be holy," it is said, "both in body and spirit" (1 Cor. 7:34). "Strive to have peace with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). And: "Making holy things in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). The word "holy" does not speak of all to whom it is applied, expresses one and the same thought. God is also called holy, but not in the same way as we are. See what the prophet says when he hears the voice coming from the seraphim: "Woe is me! I am lost! for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among the people also with unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5), and the prophet was holy and pure. But if we judge our holiness according to the pattern of the things above, then we find ourselves unclean. Both the angels and the archangels are holy, and the seraphim and the cherubim are also holy; But there is again a difference in holiness between us and the Higher Powers. I could trace all the other concepts, but I see that the word is becoming too long. Therefore, leaving further investigation, we leave it to you to judge for yourself about the rest of the objects: you can at home, by comparing them, understand the difference between them, and in like manner trace everything else. "Give [instruction]," it is said, "to the wise, and he will be wiser" (Prov. 9:9). In this way, you will finish what we have begun. And we need to return to the old word order.

Having said: "And of His fullness we have all received," the Evangelist adds: "grace for grace," and thus shows that the Jews are also saved by grace. "Not for your increase, says (God), but for the sake of your fathers have I chosen you." And if they were not chosen by God for their own merits, then it is evident that they received this honor by grace. And we are all saved by grace, only not in the same way as they are, not in the same degree, but in a much more important and sublime degree. Thus our grace is not like that. We have been granted not only the forgiveness of sins (we have this in common with them: "all have sinned" – Romans 3:23), but also justification, sanctification, and adoption, and the grace of the Spirit, incomparably more luminous and abundant. Through this grace we have become pleasing to God, no longer as slaves, but as sons and friends. That is why it is said: "grace upon grace." And the economy under the law was a work of grace, and our very origin is from non-existence; It was not for any previous merits that we received this reward — how could it be, when we did not exist at all? — but this was so because God in any case precedes us with His blessings. And not only our origin from non-existence, but also the immediate, post-origin instruction of what we should do and what not to do, the incorporation of this law into our very nature, the implantation in us of the incorruptible judgment seat of conscience — all this is the work of the greatest grace and ineffable love for mankind. It is also a work of grace that after this law has been damaged, it is renewed through the written law. Those who transgressed a commandment, once given, should have been punished and tormented. But this was not done; and (followed) correction again and forgiveness was granted not by right, but by mercy and grace. As for mercy and grace, listen to what David says: "The Lord does righteousness and judgment to all who are wronged. He showed His ways to Moses, His works to the children of Israel" (Psalm 102:6, 7). And in another place: "The Lord is good and righteous, therefore He guides sinners in the way" (Psalm 24:8).

3. Thus receiving the law is a matter of mercy, compassion, and grace. Wherefore the Evangelist, having said, "Grace upon grace," proves the greatness of the gifts even more powerfully when he adds the following words: "For the law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." You see, how John the Baptist and the disciple (of Christ) little by little and imperceptibly raise their listeners to the most exalted understanding, having prepared them for this at first with simpler thoughts. The Baptist, having compared in Himself Him Who is incomparably superior to all, thus shows His superiority, and for this purpose He says: "He who comes after me," and then adds: "He has gone before me." And the Evangelist expresses much more than that (the Baptist), however, still below the dignity of the only-begotten Son; the Evangelist does not compare him with John, but with him who was held in greater esteem by the Jews, that is, Moses. "For the law," he says, "was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." But note the prudence. He compares not persons, but deeds. And as soon as the superiority of the works of one over the other is shown, then the ungrateful were of necessity obliged to accept such a teaching and suggestion about Christ. When the deeds themselves testify, such in which neither partiality nor enmity towards anyone can be suspected, then the proof is irrefutable even for unsympathetic people. These cases turn out to be as the culprits themselves arranged them. That is why the evidence of such deeds is the most indubitable. See also what kind of comparison the Evangelist makes, accessible even to weak people. He does not depict in words the superiority (of grace over the law), but only in the very names he shows their difference, contrasting the law with grace and truth, and with the word "given" the word "came forth." And there is a great difference between the two. "Dan" is an expression referring to a minister who has received the law from another and delivered it to those who were commanded to give; and: "came forth" grace and truth — this depicts the King, who by His power forgives all sins and distributes His gifts. Therefore (the Lord) said: "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Also: "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins," He saith unto the paralytic, Unto thee I say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go into thy house" (Mark 2:10, 11). Do you see how grace came through Him? Note the same about the truth. But grace also indicates the circumstance, and the events with the thief, and the gift of baptism, and the grace of the Spirit given through Him, and many other things. And we will understand the truth more clearly if we study the images. The dispensation, which was to be accomplished in the New Testament, was predestined by images as prefigures; but Christ, with His coming, accomplished it. So, let us briefly consider some images, and it is not possible to trace all the images at the present time. And you, having studied some of which I will present, will understand from them also others. So, do you want to start with the suffering itself? What does the foreshadowing say? "Take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and offer them as sacrifices, as the Lord has commanded and ordained" (Exodus 12). But Christ did not do so; He does not command this, but He Himself becomes like a sheep, offering Himself to the Father as a sacrifice and offering.

4. See again how the image was given through Moses, and the truth was completed through Jesus Christ. During the attack of the Amalekites on the Jews on Mount Sinai, the arms of Moses were outstretched, and supported by Aaron and Hur, who stood on both sides; and Christ Himself held His hands outstretched on the cross. Do you see how the image was given and how the truth was accomplished? The law also said: "Cursed be he who does not fulfill the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 27:26). And what does grace say? "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). And Paul: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). And so, having received such great grace and truth, let us not become, because of the very greatness of the gift, careless. The more we are honored, the more virtuous we must be. Whoever, being a little beneficial, shows a little zeal in himself, does not deserve so much condemnation; but whoever, being elevated to the highest degree of honor, reveals in himself low qualities and humiliating deeds, will deserve a much greater punishment. But God forbid that I ever assume it in you. We trust in the Lord, that you have soared with your souls to heaven, that you have renounced the earth, and, being in the world, have not given yourselves over to the passions of the world. However, even with such confidence, we do not cease to often suggest the same thing to you. In the bodily struggle, all the spectators also exhort (the fighters) not to fall, not to lie prostrate, but to be cheerful and to keep on their feet; but those who, in spite of admonitions, cannot get up, are once and for all deprived of victory, and, as incapable of exploits, are contemptuously left in this position. But here we can expect something good not only from you who are awake, but also from those who have fallen, if only they want to reform. For this reason we do everything, and beg, and trouble, and reproach, and praise, in order to arrange your salvation. And therefore do not be annoyed by our frequent exhortations to a respectable life. We speak not as condemning your negligence, but as having the kindest hopes for you. And what has been said hitherto and will be said in the future, it concerns not only you, but also us who speak. And we ourselves have need of the same edification, and although we ourselves speak, there is nothing to prevent us from addressing the same words to us. The Word, having met the guilty of sins, corrects him; He leads those who do not participate in sin and are free from it even further from it. After all, we are not clean from sins either. Thus, healing is the same for all, and medical manuals are offered to all. But the cure is not the same for all, but is commensurate with the will of those who use it. and whoever does not apply healing to the wound strengthens the evil in himself and turns it to the most unfortunate consequences. Therefore, let us not be vexed when we are healed, but rather let us rejoice, even if the method of teaching causes us bitter sorrows, because later it will bear the sweetest fruit. Let us do everything so that we may pass clean from the wounds and wounds inflicted on the soul by the wounds of sin, into the age to come, so that we may be vouchsafed the sight of Christ and be given over not to cruel and vengeful forces, but to those who can lead us into the heavenly inheritance prepared for those who love Him, which may we all receive, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

CONVERSATION 15

"No one has ever seen God; The Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed" (John 1:18).

1. No one has ever seen God in His essence. — 2 and 3. Jesus Christ knows the Father fully because He dwells in His bosom. — Refutation of the Arians and other heretics who rejected the Divinity of Jesus Christ. "Jesus Christ revealed more to us than the prophets and Moses. All Christians are one body. — Which is the greatest bond of their mutual love.

1. God wants us not only to listen to the names and words found in Scripture, but with understanding. That is why Blessed David wrote thus: "Open my eyes, and I will see the wonders of Thy law" (Psalm 118:18). After him, his son, who took his place, teaches that wisdom should be sought as silver, to acquire it more than gold. And the Lord inspired the Jews to examine the Scriptures, and thus encourages us to investigate even more. He did not say this in the sense that only by reading it could one understand the Scriptures the first time. No one, of course, will experience what is near and under the hand, but will experience what remains in the shadows and can be revealed only after a long search. For this reason the Scriptures are also called a hidden treasure, in order to motivate us to test it. And this is instilled in us, so that we may approach the words of the Scriptures, not simply, as happened, but with great circumspection, because whoever listens to what is read in it without reasoning, and takes everything literally as it is said, can assume many absurd things about God. He will probably admit that God is also a man, and that He is composed of brass, that He is both angry and furious, and many other still worse thoughts. If anyone delves into the depth of the meaning, he will avoid any such absurdity. So in the reading now offered to us, it is said that God had a womb, and this is characteristic of bodies; but no one will be so foolish as to revere the incorporeal with the body. In order to understand all this in a spiritual sense, as it should be, let us examine this passage in more detail. "No one has ever seen God." How did the evangelist arrive at this? Having shown the great advantage of the gifts of Christ, such that there is an immeasurable distance between these gifts and those communicated through Moses, he then wishes to express a sufficient reason for such a difference between them. Moses, as a slave, was a servant of the lower affairs; but Christ, as Lord and King and Son of the King, has brought us incomparably higher gifts, always coexisting with the Father and seeing Him unceasingly. That is why the Evangelist added: "No one has ever seen God." What shall we say to the words of the most eloquent Isaiah: "I saw the Lord seated on a throne high and exalted" (Isaiah 6:1)? What shall we say to the testimony of John himself, that Isaiah said this when he saw His glory (John 12:41)? What shall we say in response to the words of Ezekiel? And he saw God sitting on the cherubim. What about Daniel's words? And he says: "And the Ancient of Days sat down" (Dan. 7:9). What is also the case with the words of Moses: "Show me Thy glory, that I may know Thee" (Exodus 33:18, 13)? And Jacob also received his nickname from this, i.e. he was called Israel, and Israel means: he who sees God. Others also saw Him. Why, then, did John say, "No man has ever seen God"? He shows that all this was a matter of condescension, and not a vision of the divine being itself. If they had seen the creature itself, they would not have seen it in different ways. It is simple, non-figurative, uncomplicated, undescribed; He does not sit, does not stand, does not walk. All this is peculiar only to bodies. But how God exists, He alone knows, and this was proclaimed by God the Father Himself through one prophet: "I," he says, "multiplied visions, and through the prophets used parables" (Hos. 12:10), that is, I descended, appeared, but not what I am. And since His Son was to appear to us in real flesh, He from the beginning prepared people for the contemplation of the essence of God, as far as they could see. But that God is in himself, not only the prophets, but also the angels and archangels did not see; and if you were to ask them about this, you would not hear anything about the essence in response, but only the singing: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). If you wanted to know anything about this from the cherubim, or seraphim, you would hear the mysterious Trisagion and that "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:2). And if you were to ask the higher powers, you would learn nothing except that they have one thing to do, to praise God. "Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts" (Psalm 148:2). Thus, God the Father Himself is seen only by the Son and the Holy Spirit. And how can a created being, whatever it may be, see the Uncreated! If we cannot clearly see any incorporeal force, even if it is created, and there are many examples of this in relation to the angels, how much more can we not see a being that is incorporeal and uncreated. That is why Paul also says: "Whom no man has seen, nor can see" (1 Tim. 6:16). But does not this privilege belong to the Father alone, and not to the Son? No, neither did the Son. And that this also belongs to the Son, listen to Paul, who shows it and says: "Who is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). And as the image of the invisible, He Himself is invisible; otherwise it would not be an image. But if (Paul) in another place says: "God was manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16), do not be surprised; This manifestation took place in the flesh, not in essence. But that He is also invisible, not only to people, but also to higher powers, Paul also shows. Having said, "appeared in the flesh," he adds, "showed himself to the angels."

2. Thus He appeared to the angels when He was clothed with flesh; and before that they had not seen Him either, because the essence was not visible to them either. How, you will say, Christ Himself said: "Take heed, despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10)? What then? Does God have a face and limit Himself to heaven? But no one will be so devoid of intelligence as to assert this. In what sense is this said? In the same way in which it is said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). It speaks here of vision, which is possible for us, of seeing with the mind and thought of God. Thus it can be said of the angels that in their pure and vigilant nature they always contemplate nothing else, but only God. For this reason (the Lord) Himself also says: "No man knoweth the Father but the Son" (Matt. 11:27). What then? Are we all ignorant of Him? No; only no one knows (the Father) as the Son. And just as many have seen Him before, to the extent of vision accessible to them, but no one has seen the divine being, so now we all know God, but what He is in His essence, no one knows, only He who is born of Him. By knowledge He here calls precise contemplation and comprehension, and moreover, such as the Father has in the Son. "As the Father knows Me," He says, "so also do I know the Father" (John 10:15).

See, then, with what fullness the Evangelist expresses this. Having said, "No one has ever seen God," he does not say afterwards that the Son who sees Him has revealed, but represents something else that is even fuller than a vision, namely, "He who is in the bosom of the Father," since abiding in the bosom signifies much more than a vision. Whoever simply sees does not yet have quite accurate knowledge of the visible object; but he who abides in the bosom has full knowledge. If, therefore, no one knows the Father except the Son, then when you hear this, do not think that, although the Son knows the Father more perfectly than all others, he does not know what He is in himself; and it is for this reason that the Evangelist says that the Son dwells in the bosom of the Father; and Christ Himself declares that He knows the Father as much as the Father knows the Son. Whosoever would contradict him, ask him: Does the Father know the Son? And he, unless he is mad, will surely answer: yes. Then again we ask: Does the Father have a complete knowledge of the Son, and does He clearly see that the Son is? Of course, the enemy will agree to this. And from this you also deduce the Son's full knowledge of the Father. Himself (the Son) said: "As the Father knows Me, [so] I also know the Father" (John 10:15); and in another place: "It is not that anyone has seen the Father, except Him who is of God" (John 6:46). For this reason, as I have said, the Evangelist also mentioned the womb, explaining everything to us with this one word: Affinity and unity of being, inseparable knowledge and equality of power. Otherwise, the Father could not have had any other being in His bosom, and the Son, if He were a slave and one of many, would not dare to dwell in the bosom of the Lord; this is peculiar only to the true Son, who has great boldness before the Parent and has in himself no less (Him). Do you want to know the eternity of the Son? Listen to what Moses says about the Father. Having asked what to say in answer to the Egyptians, if they asked who had sent him, he was commanded to say: "The Eternal has sent me" (Exodus 3:14). The word "Being" means permanent being, beginningless being, being in the true and proper sense. The expression "in the beginning was" means the same thing, depicting a constant being. And this expression is used here by John precisely to show that the Son exists in the bosom of the Father without beginning and eternally. And lest you, by the commonality of the name, conclude that He is one of those who were made sons by grace, for this purpose there is added a member (o), which distinguishes Him from sons by grace. But if this is not enough for you, and you still bow down, then listen to the name more characteristic of the Son: "only-begotten." And if you still look downwards, I will not refuse to use a human expression about God, I mean the womb, so long as you do not imagine anything deprecating. Do you see the love for humanity and providence of the Lord? God allows unworthy words about Himself, so that at least in this way you open your eyes and think something great and lofty, and you still remain in the valley? Indeed, tell me, why is the womb mentioned here, a coarse and carnal concept? Is it so that we can imagine God as a body? No, not at all, you say; For what purpose? If it does not depict either the truth of the Son, or the fact that God is not a body, then surely this saying is thrown out in vain and without any need. So for what? I won't stop asking you about it. Is it not explicit, so that by means of him we may understand precisely that He is truly the only-begotten Son and co-equal to the Father? "He has revealed," it is said. What did He show? That "no one has ever seen God"? That God is one? But this is what the prophets also said, and Moses often cried out: "The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4); and Isaiah: "Before Me there was no God, and after Me there will be none" (Isaiah 43:10).