The Evangelist often refers to the testimony of John, not because the authenticity of the Lord makes him dependent on the slave, but since the people had a high understanding of John, he refers to John as a witness to Christ, whom he reveres as great and therefore more trustworthy than anyone else. The word "shouting" indicates John's great boldness, for he did not cry out for Christ in a corner, but with great boldness. What did he say? "This was He of Whom I spoke." John testified of Christ before he saw Him. Thus God was well pleased, of course, so that he, bearing witness to Christ from a very good side, would not appear to be partial in relation to Him, wherefore he says, "Of whom I spoke," that is, before I saw Him. "He who follows me" is, of course, of course, coming according to the time of birth; for the Forerunner was six months older than Christ by birth in the flesh. "He became before me," that is, he became more honorable and glorious than I. Why? - because He was before me, according to the Divine. And the Arians foolishly explained this saying. Wishing to prove that the Son of God was not begotten of the Father, but came into being as one of the creatures, they say: Behold, John bears witness to Him, he stands before me, that is, he came before me, and was created by God as one of the creatures. But from what follows they are convicted of an evil understanding of this saying. For what thought is expressed in the words: "This (that is, Christ) stood before me (that is, was created before me), because he was before me? It is utterly insane to say that God created Him before because He was before me. On the contrary, it would be better to say: This was before me, because he became or was created before me. This is how the Arians think. And we understand it in the Orthodox way that "he who comes after me," by birth of a Virgin in the flesh, "has gone before me," has become more glorious than I and more honorable because of the miracles that were performed on Him, because of His Nativity, because of his upbringing, because of his wisdom. And this is just, "because He was before me," according to the eternal birth of the Father, although after the appearance in the flesh He also came after me.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 

And these are the words of the Forerunner, who speaks of Christ, which all of us, the prophets, have received of the fullness of "Him." For He has not such grace as spiritual men have, but, being the source of all good, all wisdom and prophecy, He pours it out abundantly on all who are worthy, and in such an outpouring He remains full, and is never exhausted. And we have received the "grace" of the New Testament, of course, instead of the grace of the law. Since that Testament has become obsolete and decrepit, we have adopted the New Testament in its place. Why, it will be said, did he call the Old Testament grace? Because the Jews were also adopted and received by grace. For it is said, I have chosen you not for your multitude, but for your fathers. And the Old Testament things are received by grace, and we are obviously saved by grace.

  For the law was given through Moses, and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

He explains to us how we have received the greatest grace instead of the lesser grace. He says that the law was given through Moses, that is, God used a man, namely Moses, as a mediator, and the New Testament was given through Jesus Christ. It is also called "grace," because God has granted us not only the forgiveness of sins, but also sonship; It is also called "true" because He clearly preached what the Old Testament saw or said figuratively. This New Testament, which is called both grace and truth, had as its mediator not a mere man, but the Son of God. Consider also that of the Old Law he said, "given" through Moses, for he was a subordinate and a servant, and of the New Law he did not say, "given," but "came," in order to show that he came from our Lord Jesus Christ, as from the Master, and not from a servant, and in the end attained grace and truth. The law was "given" by God through Moses; grace "came forth," not given, through Jesus Christ. "Happened" is a sign of independence, "dan" is a sign of slavery.

   Бога не видел никто никогда; Единородный Сын, сущий в недре Отчем, Он явил. 

Сказав, что благодать и истина произошли чрез Иисуса Христа, и, желая подтвердить это, евангелист говорит: я не сказал ничего невероятного. Ибо Моисей, как и никто другой, ни Бога не видел, ни нам не мог сообщить о Нем ясного и наглядного понятия, но, будучи рабом, послужил только к написанию закона. А Христос, будучи Сыном Единородным и находящимся в недре Отца, не только видит Его, но и всем людям ясно говорит о Нем. Таким образом, поелику Он Сын и видит Отца, как сущий в недре Его, Он справедливо дал нам благодать и истину. - Но, быть может, скажет кто-нибудь: мы здесь узнаем, что никто не видел Бога; как же пророк говорит: "видел я Господа" (Ис. 6, 1)? Пророк видел, но не самую сущность, а некоторое подобие и некоторое умственное представление, насколько мог видеть. Притом же иной видел в том образе, другой - в другом. А отсюда явно, что они видели не самую Истину, ибо Ее, по существу простую и безобразную, не созерцали бы в разных видах. И ангелы не видят сущности Бога, хотя и говорится о них, что они видят лице Бога (Мф. 18, 10). Сим указывается на то только, что они всегда представляют в уме своем Бога. Итак, один только Сын видит Отца и являет Его всем людям. - Слыша о недре Отца, не представляй ничего телесного в Боге. Евангелист употребил такое название с целью показать средство, нераздельность и совечность Сына с Отцом.