554. Consequenter cum dicit quamquam Iesus non baptizaret etc., exponit quod supra dixerat de baptismo Christi quod audierunt Pharisaei etc. 554. Then when he says, although Jesus himself did not baptize, he explains what he has just said about Christ’s baptizing: when Jesus therefore understood that the Pharisees had heard that he makes more disciples and baptizes more than John. Sed Augustinus dicit, hic apparere inconveniens: nam supra dixerat et baptizat, hic vero quasi corrigens id, utpote falsum, dicit quamquam Iesus non baptizaret. Augustine says that there is an apparent inconsistency here: for he had stated that Jesus baptizes, whereas now he says, as though correcting himself, Jesus himself did not baptize. Et ad hoc est duplex responsio. Una Chrysostomi: quod hoc quod Evangelista dicit, verum est, quod Christus non baptizavit aliquem; illud autem quod supra dictum est, scilicet baptizat, intelligendum est secundum famam currentem ad Pharisaeos, quod Christus baptizaret, quod aliqui venientes ad ipsos Pharisaeos dicerent: vos invidebatis Ioanni quod discipulos habebat et baptizabat; sed ecce quod hic, scilicet Iesus, plures discipulos facit quam Ioannes, et baptizat. Quare ergo sustinetis eum? Et ideo non dicit Evangelista ex se, quod baptizat, sed quod audierunt Pharisaei. Et ideo falsum rumorem populi Evangelista corrigere volens, dicit: verum est quod audierunt Pharisaei, quod Christus baptizat, sed est falsum; unde subdit quamquam Iesus non baptizaret, sed discipuli eius. Ideo autem, secundum Chrysostomum, Christus non baptizavit, quia in omni baptismate, quo Ioannes et discipuli baptizaverunt per totum tempus ante Christi passionem, non dabatur Spiritus Sanctus; sed ad hoc erat ut assuescerent homines ad baptismum Christi, et congregarentur ad praedicationem, ut ipse dicit. Inconveniens autem esset quod Christus baptizaret, si non daretur in illo baptismo Spiritus Sanctus, quod non dabatur ante Christi passionem: quia, ut dicitur infra VII, 39, nondum erat Spiritus datus, quia nondum Iesus erat glorificatus. There are two ways to understand this. This first way is that of Chrysostom. What the Evangelist now says is true, i.e., that Christ did not baptize. When he said above that Jesus was baptizing, this was the report received by the Pharisees. For certain people came to the Pharisees and said: you are envious of John because he has disciples and is baptizing. But Jesus is making more disciples than John and is also baptizing. Why do you put up with him? So the Evangelist is not himself saying that Jesus was baptizing, but only that the Pharisees heard that he was. It is with the intention of correcting this false rumor that the Evangelist says: It is true that the Pharisees heard that Christ was baptizing, but this is not true. So he adds: although Jesus did not himself baptize, but his disciples did. And so for Chrysostom, Christ did not baptize, because the Holy Spirit was not given at any time before the passion of Christ in the baptism of John and his disciples. The purpose of John’s baptism was to accustom men to the baptism of Christ and to gather people in order to instruct them, as he says. Moreover, it would not have been fitting for Christ to baptize if the Holy Spirit were not given in his baptism; but the Spirit was not given until after the passion of Christ: for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39). Sed, secundum Augustinum, dicendum est, et verius, quod discipuli baptizabant baptismo Christi, aqua scilicet et Spiritu, qui in ipso baptismo dabatur: et etiam ipse Christus baptizabat, et non baptizabat. Baptizabat quidem quia ipse mundabat interius; sed non baptizabat, quia ipse non tingebat aqua exterius; nam discipuli praebebant ministerium per ablutionem corporis, Christus vero praebebat Spiritum interius mundantem. Unde ipse proprie baptizabat. Supra I, 33: supra quem videris Spiritum descendentem, et manentem super eum, hic est qui baptizat. According to Augustine, however, one should say, and this is the preferable, way, that the disciples did baptize with the baptism of Christ, that is, in water and the Spirit, and the Spirit was given in this baptism, and also that Christ did and did not baptize. Christ did baptize because he performed the interior cleansing; but he did not baptize because he did not wash them externally with the water. It was the office of the disciples to wash the body, while Christ gave the Spirit which cleansed within. So in the proper sense Christ did baptize, according to: he upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, it is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). Ad hoc ergo quod Chrysostomus dicit, quod nondum erat Spiritus datus etc., dicendum, quod non erat datus visibilibus signis, sicut post resurrectionem Christi datus est discipulis; sed tamen datus est, et dabatur, per internam sanctificationem, credentibus. With respect to the opinion of Chrysostorn that the Holy Spirit was not yet given and so on, we might say that the Spirit was not yet given in visible signs, as he was given to the disciples after the resurrection; nevertheless, the Spirit had been given and was being given to believers through an interior sanctification. Per hoc autem quod Christus non semper baptizavit, dat nobis exemplum quod maiores Ecclesiarum praelati in his quae per alios fieri possunt, non occupentur, sed ea minoribus facienda relinquant. I Cor. I, 17: non enim misit me Christus baptizare, sed evangelizare. The fact that Christ was not always baptizing gives an example to us that the major prelates of the churches should not occupy themselves with things that can be performed by others, but should allow them to be done by those of lesser rank: Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel (1 Cor 1:17). 555. Si autem quaeritur an discipuli Christi baptizati fuerint; dicendum, secundum Augustinum ad Stelentium, quod baptizati fuerunt baptismo Ioannis, quia aliqui ex discipulis Christi fuerant discipuli Ioannis: sive quod magis credibile est baptismo Christi; neque enim ministerio baptizandi defuisse creditur, ut haberet baptizatos servos, per quos ceteros baptizaret. Et hoc intelligendum est per hoc quod dicitur Io. XIII, 10: qui lotus est non indiget nisi ut pedes lavet. Et postea sequitur: et ideo vos mundi estis, sed non omnes. 555. If someone should ask whether Christ’s disciples had been baptized, it could be said, as Augustine answered Stelentius, that they had been baptized with the baptism of John, because some of Christ’s disciples had been disciples of John. Or, which is more likely, they were baptized with the baptism of Christ, in order that Christ might have baptized servants through whom he would baptize others. This is the meaning of what is said: he who has washed, needs not but to wash his feet, and then follows, and you are clean, but not all (John 13:10). 556. Consequenter Christi recessum ponit, dicens reliquit Iudaeam: et hoc triplici de causa. Una ut subtraheret se invidiae Pharisaeorum, qui ex his quae audierant de Christo, turbabantur, et persecutionem parabant; dans nobis exemplum, ut per mansuetudinem malis cedamus ad tempus. Eccli. VIII, v. 4: nec strues ligna in ignem illius. Alia de causa ut ostenderet non esse peccatum persecutores fugere. Matth. X, 23: si vos persecuti fuerint in una civitate, fugite in aliam. Tertia causa est, quia nondum venerat tempus suae passionis. Infra II, 4: tempus meum nondum advenit etc. Est autem et alia causa, propter mysterium: nam per huiusmodi recessum significavit quod discipuli propter persecutionem relicturi erant Iudaeos, et ituri ad gentes. 556. He then mentions Christ’s going away, he left Judea. He left for three reasons. First, to get away from the envy of the Pharisees, who were disturbed because of what they had heard about Christ, and were preparing to harass him. By this he gives us the example that we should, with gentleness, yield ground to evil for a time: do not pile wood on his fire (Sir 8:4). Another reason was to show us that it is not sinful to flee from persecution: if they persecute you in one town, flee to another (Matt 10:23). The third reason was that the time of his passion had not yet come: my hour has not yet come (John 2:4). And there is an additional reason, a mystical one: he indicated by his leaving that because of persecution the disciples were destined to abandon the Jews and go to the gentiles. 557. Consequenter cum dicit et abiit iterum in Galilaeam, ostendit locum ad quem accessit. Dicit autem, iterum, quia supra II, v. 12 fecerat mentionem de quodam alio descensu Christi in Galilaeam, quo post miraculum nuptiarum descendit Capharnaum. Quia ergo alii tres Evangelistae non faciunt mentionem de illo descensu primo, ideo Evangelista, ut det intelligere quod alii Evangelistae omnia quae dixerunt usque ad istud capitulum, dimiserunt, et ex hoc loco ipse historiam eis contemporaneam texere incepit, dicit iterum, 557. Then when he says, and went again into Galilee, he shows where he was going. He says, again, because he had mentioned another time when Christ went to Galilee: after this he went down to Capernaum (John 2:12). Since the other three evangelists did not mention this first trip, the Evangelist says again to let us know that the other evangelists had mentioned none of the matters he mentions up to this point, and that he is now beginning to give his account contemporaneous with theirs. per Galilaeam enim, secundum unam interpretationem, intelligitur gentilitas, ad quam Christus a Iudaeis vadit: interpretatur enim Galilaea transmigratio. Secundum aliam interpretationem, per Galilaeam intelligitur caelestis gloria, nam Galilaea revelatio interpretatur. According to one interpretation, Galilee is understood to signify the gentile world, to which Christ passed from the Jews; for Galilee means passage. According to another interpretation, Galilee signifies the glory of heaven, for Galilee also means revelation. 558. Consequenter cum dicit oportebat autem eum transire per Samariam, describit medium per quod transit: et 558. Then, at and he had to pass through Samaria, he describes the intermediate place through which Christ passed; primo in generali; first in a general way, secundo in speciali, ibi venit ergo in civitatem Samariae, quae dicitur Sichar. then specifically, at he came therefore to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar. 559. Medium autem quod transit abiens in Galilaeam, est Samaria; et ideo dicit oportebat eum transire per Samariam. Dicit autem oportebat, ne videatur contrarius suae doctrinae: nam Matth. X, 5, praecepit discipulis, dicens: in viam gentium ne abieritis. Quia ergo Samaria terra gentium erat, ideo ostendit quod non ex proposito, sed ex necessitate illuc ivit. Dicit oportebat: et ratio huius necessitatis erat, quia Samaria erat sita media inter Iudaeam et Galilaeam. 559. Halfway through his journey to Galilee, Christ passes through Samaria; hence he says, and he had to pass through Samaria. He says, had to pass, lest he seem to be acting contrary to his own teaching, for Christ says: do not go on the roads of the gentiles (Matt 10:5). Now since Samaria was gentile territory, he shows that he went there of necessity and not by choice. Thus he says, and he had to, the reason for this necessity being that Samaria was between Judea and Galilee. De ista Samaria sciendum est, quod Amri rex Israel, montem a quodam Somer emit, ut habetur III Reg. XVI, 23 ss., civitatemque quam in montis vertice construxerat, a vendentis nomine Samariam nuncupavit; hac deinde reges Israelitarum pro regia usi sunt, et tota regio ab hac civitate Samaria vocabatur. Unde hoc quod dicitur hic oportebat eum transire per Samariam, non est intelligendum per civitatem illam transitum esse facturum, sed per regionem. It was Amri, the king of Israel, who bought the hill of Samaria from a certain Somer (1 Kgs 16:24); and it was there he built the city which he called Samaria, after the name of the person from whom he bought the land. After that, the kings of Israel used it as their royal city, and the entire region surrounding this city was called Samaria. When we read here that and he had to pass through Samaria, we should understand the region rather than the city. 560. Et ideo speciale medium describens, subdit venit ergo in civitatem Samariae, idest regionis Samariae, quae dicitur Sichar. Sichar enim idem est quod Sichem, secundum aliud nomen: de qua civitate habetur Gen. XXXIII, 16 ss., quod Iacob iuxta eam tetendit tentoria sua, et propter raptum Dinae filiae suae a filio regis Sichem, duo filii Iacob indignati, occiderunt homines civitatis illius; et sic cessit in possessionem Iacob, et habitavit ibi fodiens in ea puteos. Postmodum vero circa mortem suam, dedit eam Ioseph filio suo, secundum quod legitur Gen. XLVIII, 22: do tibi partem unam extra fratres tuos. Et hoc est quod dicit iuxta praedium, idest agrum, quod dedit Iacob filio suo. 560. Describing it in more detail, he adds, and he came therefore to a city of Samaria, i.e., of the region of Samaria, which is called Sychar. This Sychar is the same as Shechem, according to another name, by which city, it is said that Jacob camped, and here and that two of his sons, enraged at the rape of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, by the son of the king of Shechem, killed all the males in that city (Gen 33:18). And so Jacob took possession of the city, and he lived there and dug many wells. Later, as he lay dying, he gave the land to his son Joseph: I am giving you a portion more than your brothers (Gen 48:22). And this is what he says: near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Ideo autem haec omnia diligenter Evangelista narrat, ut ostendat quod omnia quae contigerunt circa patriarchas, fuerunt ducentia ad Christum; et quod Christus signatus est per eos, et ab eis secundum carnem descendit. The Evangelist is so careful to record all these matters in order to show us that all the things which happened to the patriarchs were leading up to Christ, and that they pointed to Christ, and that he descended from them according to the flesh. 561. Consequenter cum dicit erat autem ibi fons Iacob, ponit praeambulum doctrinae ex parte rei de qua doctrina tradenda erat. Et hoc congruenter: nam doctrina futura erat de aqua et fonte spirituali, et ideo fit hic mentio de fonte materiali, ex quo sumitur occasio disputandi de fonte spirituali qui est Christus. Ps. XXXV, 10: apud te est fons vitae, scilicet Spiritus Sanctus, qui est spiritus vitae. Item fons est baptismus, de quo dicitur Zach. XIII, 1: erit fons patens domui Iacob in ablutionem peccatoris et menstruatae. 561. Then when he says, now Jacob’s well was there, the Evangelist gives the material setting for the spiritual doctrine about to be taught. And this was most fitting: for the doctrine about to be taught was about water and a spiritual font, and so he mentions the material well, thus giving rise to a discussion of the spiritual font, which is Christ: for with you is the fountain of life (Ps 35:10), namely, the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of life. Likewise, the well symbolizes baptism: on that day a fountain will be open to the house of David, to cleanse the sinner and the unclean (Zech 13:1). Circa hoc tria facit. He does three things here. Primo describit ipsum fontem; First, he describes the well. secundo sessionem Christi super eum; et Second, Christ’s rest at the well. tertio sessionis tempus designat. Third, the time. 562. Fontem quidem describit cum dicit erat autem ibi fons Iacob. 562. He describes the water source saying, Jacob’s well was there. Sed contra. Inferius dicitur puteus altus est: non ergo erat fons. Sed dicendum, secundum Augustinum, quod fons erat, et puteus. Omnis enim puteus fons est, sed non convertitur, nam ubi aqua de terra scaturit, fons est: et si quidem aqua in superficie terrae scaturit, fons tantum dicitur; si vero in alto et in profundo scaturit, ita puteus vocatur ut nomen fontis non amittat. Dicitur autem fons Iacob, quia ipse puteum illum foderat in terra illa propter defectum aquae, ut dicitur Gen. XXXIV. Here one might object that further on he says the well is deep (John 4:11); thus it did not gush water like a fountain. I answer, as does Augustine, that it was both a well and gushed water like a fountain. For every well is a fountain, although the converse is not true. For when water gushes from the earth we have a fountain; and if this happens just on the surface, the source is only a fountain. But if the water gushes both on the surface and below, we have a well; although it is also still called a fountain. It is called Jacob’s well because he had dug this well there due to a shortage of water (Gen 34). 563. Sessio autem Christi innuitur cum subdit Iesus autem fatigatus ex itinere, sedebat sic supra fontem. Ostendit infirmitatem, quamquam esset virtutis immensae, non propter defectum virtutis, sed ut ostenderet veritatem naturae assumptae. Nam, secundum Augustinum, Iesus fortis est, quia (supra I, 1) in principio erat Verbum, sed infirmus est, quia Verbum caro factum est. Christus ergo volens ostendere veritatem humanae naturae, permittebat eam agere et pati quae sunt propria homini: volens etiam ostendere in se veritatem divinae naturae, faciebat et operabatur propria Dei. Unde quando retrahebat influxum virtutis divinae a corpore, esuriebat et fatigabatur; quando vero ipsam virtutem divinam corpori exhibebat, sine cibo non esuriebat, et in laboribus non fatigabatur. Matth. IV, 2: ieiunavit quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus, et postea esuriit. 563. Jesus therefore, being wearied from his journey, sat on the well. Jesus reveals his weakness, even though his power was unlimited, not because of a lack of power, but to show us the reality of the nature he assumed. According to Augustine, Jesus is strong, for in the beginning was the Word (John 1:1); but he is weak, for the Word was made flesh (John 1:14). And so Christ, wishing to show the truth of his human nature, allowed it to do and to endure things proper to men; and to show the truth of his divine nature, he worked and performed things proper to God. Hence when he checked the inflow of divine power to his body, he became hungry and tired; but when he let his divine power influence his body, he did not become hungry in spite of a lack of food, and he did not become tired in his labors. He had fasted forty days and forty nights, and was hungry (Matt 4:2). 564. Ex hoc autem quod Iesus fatigatus est ex itinere, datur nobis exemplum non refugiendi laborem propter salutem aliorum. Ps. LXXXVII, 16: pauper sum ego, et in laboribus a iuventute mea. Similiter etiam datur exemplum paupertatis, quia sedebat sic, idest super nudam terram. 564. From this, that Jesus is tired from the journey, an example is given to us not to shrink from our work for the salvation of others: I am poor, and have labored since my youth (Ps 87:16). Similarly, an example of poverty is given, because Jesus sat on the bare earth. Mystice autem sessio humilitatem passionis Christi significat. Ps. CXXXVIII, 2: tu cognovisti sessionem meam (idest passionem) et resurrectionem meam. Item significat auctoritatem docendi, quia loquitur tamquam potestatem habens: unde dicitur Matth. V, 1 s., quod sedens docebat eos. In its mystical meaning, this sitting of Christ’s indicates the abasement of his passion: you know when I sit down (i.e., the passion), and when I rise (Ps 138:2). Also, it indicates the authority of his teaching, for he speaks as one having power; thus we read that Christ, sitting down, taught them (Matt 5:1). 565. Tempus autem determinatur, cum subdit hora autem erat quasi sexta. Et ratio huius determinationis assignatur litteralis et mystica. 565. He indicates the time, saying, it was about the sixth hour. There are both literal and mystical reasons for fixing the time. Litteralis quidem, ut ostendat causam fatigationis: nam in calore, et sexta hora diei, homines magis fatigantur ex labore. Item ut ostendat causam sessionis: libenter enim homines in aestu et calore diei, iuxta aquas quiescunt. The literal reason was to show the cause of his fatigue: for men are more weary from work in the heat and at the sixth hour. Again, it shows why Christ was resting: for men gladly rest near the water in the boiling heat of the day. Mystica autem causa assignatur triplex. Una, quia Christus in sexta aetate saeculi in mundum venit, carnem assumens. Alia, quia sexto die homo factus est, et in sexto mense conceptus est Christus. Tertia, quia in sexta hora sol in alto existit, et non restat nisi ut declinet. Sol autem, quantum ad hoc pertinet, temporalem prosperitatem significat, secundum illud Iob XXXI, 26: si vidi solem cum fulgeret etc. Tunc ergo Christus venit quando prosperitas mundi in alto erat, idest, in cordibus hominum per amorem florebat; sed per eum amor a cordibus hominum declinare debebat. There are three mystical reasons for mentioning the time. First, because Christ assumed flesh and came into the world in the sixth age of the world. Another is that man was made on the sixth day, and Christ was conceived in the sixth month. Third, at the sixth hour the sun is at its highest, and there is nothing left for it but to decline. In this context, the sun signifies temporal prosperity, as suggested: if I had looked at the sun when it shone (Job 31:26). Therefore Christ came when the prosperity of the world was at its highest, that is, it flourished through love in the hearts of men; but because of him natural love was bound to decline. 566. Consequenter cum dicit venit mulier de Samaria, ponitur praeambulum ex parte audientis: et 566. Next, at there came a woman of Samaria, we have a preliminary remark concerning the one who listens to Christ. circa hoc duo facit. Concerning which he does two things. Primo ponitur persona cui exhibetur doctrina; First, we are introduced to the person who is taught. secundo innuitur praeparatio eius ad doctrinam, ibi dixit ergo ei mulier illa Samaritana. Second, we are given her preparation for his teaching, at then the Samaritan woman said to him. 567. Persona autem, cui exhibetur doctrina, est mulier Samaritana; unde dicit venit mulier de Samaria haurire aquam. Mulier ista significat Ecclesiam gentium nondum iustificatam, quae idolatria detinebatur, sed tamen per Christum iustificandam. Venit autem ab alienigenis, scilicet a Samaritanis, qui alienigenae fuerant, licet vicinas terras incolerent: quia Ecclesia de gentibus, aliena a genere Iudaeorum, ventura erat ad Christum; Matth. VIII, 11: multi venient ab Oriente et Occidente, et recumbent cum Abraham Isaac et Iacob in regno caelorum. 567. The teaching is given to a Samaritan woman; so he says, there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. This woman signifies the Church, not yet justified, of the gentiles. It was then involved in idolatry, but was destined to be justified by Christ. She came from foreigners, i.e., from the Samaritans, who were foreigners, even though they lived in the neighboring territory: because the Church of the gentiles, foreign to the Jewish race, would come to Christ: many will come from the East and the West, and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 8:11). 568. Haec autem mulier praeparatur ad doctrinam per Christum, cum dicit da mihi bibere. Et 568. Christ prepares this woman for his teaching when he says, give me a drink.