"And I set you," that is, I planted you, "that you should go," that is, that you might grow, multiply, expand, spread, and bear fruit. Here He clearly presents Himself as a worker. He had already declared Himself to be a purifier when He said, "Ye are cleansed by the word which I have preached unto you" (v. 3), and now it is still clearer when He said, "I have chosen you and ordained you." For it is known that the worker chooses and places the branches in the ground. Do you see the equality of the Father and the Son? Above the Father is called the worker, and here the Son is the worker. Be ashamed, Arius, with those who have been enslaved to wickedness with you.

Here is another sign of love. "That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father, He may give unto you," that is, I will give unto you. Though it should have been said, "Whatsoever ye ask of the Father, he shall give unto you; and he said, I will give unto you, and he said so, no doubt, because of equality of power. For the Father, when He gives, He gives with His right hand, and His right hand is the Son. Take note, I beseech thee, that when we are planted and bear fruit, then He will give us whatever we ask; but if we do not bear fruit, we shall not receive. For he who does not bear fruit does not ask for what is useful and salvific for the soul, but without fail asks for worldly and useless things, and therefore he does not receive. For "ask," it is said, "but ye do not receive, because ye ask not for good" (James 4:3).

This I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Lest the Apostles think that the Lord is reproaching them, that He lays down His life for them, and that He has chosen them, therefore He says: I command you to do this, neither as a reproach to you, nor as a praise to Myself, as if for any worthiness, but that your souls may be strengthened more in love with one another; for this I number the perfections of My love for you. "This I command you, that you love one another." Since to endure persecution and hatred is a difficult and very sorrowful matter, he says to console them: "If they hate you, it is not at all new, for they hated Me before you." Wherefore ye ought to find great consolation also in the fact that ye become partakers of mine in the endurance of hatred. In addition to this, he adds another method of consolation, which is more obligatory. You, he says, on the contrary, would need to grieve if the world, that is, evil people, loved you. For if they loved you, it would be a sign that you yourselves have fellowship with them in the same wickedness and wickedness. And now, when the wicked hate you, rejoice. For they hate you for virtue; otherwise, if you were not virtuous, the world would love its own. But because I have separated you from the wickedness of the world, the world also hates you, because you do not share in its works.

Remember the word which I have spoken to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if you have kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will be done to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

What I said above, namely, that they hated Me before they hated you, he now expounds more extensively, giving them greater consolation. Remember, he says. My word is that a servant is not greater than his master. And ye are not greater than I, but see how they have dealt with Me. If they persecuted Me, the Lord, how much more will they persecute you, the slaves. If they did not persecute me, but kept my word, they will keep yours also. But this is not the case. Neither my word nor yours will be kept. But all these things will be done to you for Me. Therefore, if you love me, bear what you experience for me, whom you say you love.

This is another reason for consolation. They, when they offend you, insult Him who sent Me. Therefore, if nothing else, then this very thing, that the same enemies are to you and to Me and to My Father, should serve for your comfort.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them works which no one else had done, they would have had no sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But let the word written in their law be fulfilled: "They hated Me without a cause" (Psalm 68:5).

Are they doing this justly? Do they hate Me, and My Father, and you? Have they found in My words or deeds a pretext for such behavior? No, their sin is unforgivable. For have I not come and taught? If I had not come, if I had not spoken, they might have said, We have not heard. And now their malice is inexcusable. Then, since they everywhere referred to nothing else than that they were interceding for the Father (for they say: "This man is not of God," and the like – John 9:16); wherefore he adds: "He that hateth Me hates My Father also." Thus, this in no way serves to justify them. I not only taught teaching, but also did deeds that no one else did, for example, the miracle of the blind man, of Lazarus, and the like. What excuse do they have? For my part, I taught doctrine in words, and added evidence from works. And Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18-21) commands us to obey him who works miracles and teaches piety. And now they have seen such things, and yet they have hated both Me and My Father. Then he refers to the testimony of the prophet: "They hated Me without a cause" (Psalm 68:5). Their hatred was born of malice alone, and not from any other cause. The Law, as we have often said, is called not only the Law of Moses, but also the Books of the Prophets, just as the Book of David is called the Law here. David, by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed in advance what their wickedness would do; and they, without a doubt, out of malice, fulfilled the prophet's prophecy, and thereby confirmed the truth of the prophecy.

Когда же приидет Утешитель, Которого Я пошлю вам от Отца, Дух истины, Который от Отца исходит, Он будет свидетельствовать о Мне; а также и вы будете свидетельствовать, потому что вы сначала со Мною.

Господь сказал ученикам: вас будут гнать, слова вашего не будут соблюдать. Они могли сказать: Господи? зачем же, наконец, Ты посылаешь нас? Как нам будут верить? Кто будет внимать нам? Кто послушает нас? Дабы не сказали этого, Господь прибавляет: «Когда приидет Утешитель, Он будет свидетельствовать о Мне». Он – свидетель достоверный. Посему обличаемые от Духа в том, что они грешат безответно, будут принимать вашу проповедь. И сначала бывшие со Мною, также будете свидетельствовать, что Я и словами, и делами сделал их безответными. Итак, не смущайтесь. Проповедь не будет без свидетельства; но Дух будет свидетельствовать знамениями и чудесами, и свидетельство Его будет достоверно. Ибо Он – Дух истины. Как Дух истины, Он будет свидетельствовать об истине. Как исходящий от Отца, Он знает все в точности, ибо Он от Того, от Кого всякое познание.

Слова: «Которого Я пошлю», показывают равенство Его с Отцом. Ибо в ином месте сказал, что Отец пошлет Духа (Ин. 14, 26), а здесь говорит, что Он Сам пошлет Его. Сим показывает не что иное, как равенство. А чтобы не подумали, будто Он восстает против Отца, когда посылает Духа иною властью, прибавил: «от Отца». Пошлю Его Сам, но «от Отца», то есть по благоволению Отца, и пошлю вместе с Ним. Ибо Я не извожу Духа из Собственных недр, но от Отца Он подается чрез Меня.

Когда слышишь, что «исходит», под исхождением не разумей посольство, как посылаются служебные духи; но исхождение есть естественное бытие Духа. Если мы будем понимать исхождение не так, но как совне бывающее посольство, то не видно будет, о каком Он Духе говорит. Ибо бесчисленны духи, посылаемые на служение тем, которые наследуют спасение (Евр. 1, 14). Но здесь исхождение есть какое-то особенное и отличное свойство, принадлежащее собственно одному Духу. Итак, под исхождением мы должны разуметь не посольство, а естественное бытие от Отца. Сей-то Дух будет свидетельствовать о проповеди. А также и вы будете свидетельствовать, потому что не от других слышали, но сами с самого начала находитесь со Мною. А свидетельство тех, которые сначала были с Ним, немаловажно. Сами апостолы впоследствии говорили пред лицом народа: свидетели Его воскресения – мы, «которые и ели, и пили с Ним» (Деян. 19, 41). Итак, свидетельство с двух сторон: и от вас, и от Духа. О вас могут подумать, что вы свидетельствуете в угоду Мне; но Дух никак не будет свидетельствовать из угодливости.

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