300. Fructus autem inchoatus per Andream ponitur, cum dicit invenit hic primum Simonem fratrem suum. Et primo insinuat apud quem fructum fecit, scilicet apud fratrem suum, ut commendet suae conversionis perfectionem: sicut enim Petrus dicit in itinerario Clementis, evidens signum perfectae conversionis alicuius est, cum conversus, quanto aliquis sibi est magis coniunctus, tanto magis satagit eum convertere ad Christum. Et ideo Andreas perfecte conversus non detinuit apud seipsum inventum thesaurum, sed festinat et currit cito ad fratrem, traditurus ei bona quae suscepit.
300. The fruit begun by Andrew is mentioned when he says, he first found his brother Simon. He first mentions the one for whom he bore fruit, that is, his brother, in order to mark the perfection of his conversion. For as Peter says, in the Itinerary of Clement, the evident sign of a perfect conversion of anyone is that, once converted, the closer one is to him the more he tries to convert him to Christ. And so Andrew, being now perfectly converted, does not keep the treasure he found to himself, but hurries and quickly runs to his brother to share with him the good things he has received.
Et ideo dicit invenit hic, scilicet Andreas, primum, idest primo adverbialiter, fratrem suum Simonem, quem quaerebat, ut sicut erat sanguine, ita faceret eum germanum fide. Prov. XVIII, 19: frater qui adiuvatur a fratre quasi civitas firma; Apoc. ult., 17: qui audit, dicat, veni.
And so he says the he first found, that is, Andrew, his brother Simon, so that related in blood he might make him related in faith: a brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city (Prov 18:19); let him who hears say, come (Rev 22:17).
301. Secundo ponit verba quae dicit Andreas invenimus Messiam (quod interpretatur Christus); ubi, secundum Chrysostomum, tacite respondet cuidam quaestioni. Scilicet, si quis eum interrogaret de quo instructi fuissent a Christo, in promptu est responsio, scilicet quod per testimonia Scripturae instruxit eum intantum quod cognosceret eum esse Christum. Et ideo dicit invenimus. Per quod etiam innuit quod diu cum desiderio eum quaesierat; Prov. III, 13: beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam. Messia Hebraice, quod Graece interpretatum est Christus, idest unctus Latine: quia specialiter unctus est oleo invisibili, idest Spiritus Sancti. Ideo signanter nomine isto manifestat eum: unde in Ps. XLIV, 8 dicitur: unxit te Deus tuus oleo laetitiae prae consortibus, idest prae omnibus sanctis: nam omnes sancti isto oleo unguntur; sed iste singulariter unctus est, et singulariter sanctus. Ideo secundum Chrysostomum, non dicit ‘Messiam’ simpliciter, sed cum adiectione articuli.
301. Second, he mentions the words spoken by Andrew, we have found the Messiah (which is interpreted as Christ). Here, according to Chrysostom, he is tacitly responding to a certain question: namely, that if someone were to ask what they had been instructed about by Christ, they would have the ready answer that through the testimony of the Scriptures he had instructed them in such a way that they knew he was the Christ. And so he says, we have found the Messiah. He implies by this that he had previously sought him by desire for a long time: happy is the man who finds wisdom (Prov 3:13). Messiah, which is Hebrew, is translated as Christos in Greek, and in Latin as anointed, because he was anointed in a special way with invisible oil, which is the Holy Spirit. So Andrew explicitly designates him by this title: your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows, i.e., above all the saints. For all the saints are anointed with that oil, but Christ was singularly anointed and is singularly holy. So, as Chrysostom says, he does not simply call him ‘Messiah,’ but the Messiah.
302. Tertio ponit fructum quem fecit, quia adduxit eum ad Iesum, scilicet Petrum. In quo Petri obedientia commendatur: confestim enim occurrit, in hoc non tardans. Et Andreae devotionem considera: quia duxit eum ad Iesum, non ad se (sciebat enim se infirmum), et ideo eum ad Christum adducit, ut ipse eum instruat; instruens simul per hoc, quod hic debet esse praedicatorum conatus et studium, ut fructus praedicationis et studium non sibi vindicent, seu ad utilitatem et honorem proprium convertant, sed ut adducant ad Iesum, idest ad eius gloriam et honorem referant. II Cor. IV, 5: non enim praedicamus nosmetipsos, sed Iesum Christum.
302. Third, he mentions the fruit he produced, because he brought him, that is, Peter, to Jesus. This gives recognition to Peter’s obedience, for he came at once, without delay. And consider the devotion of Andrew: for he brought him to Jesus and not to himself (for he knew that he himself was weak); and so he leads him to Christ to be instructed by him. This shows us that the efforts and the aim of preachers should not be to win for themselves the fruits of their preaching, i.e., to turn them to their own private benefit and honor, but to bring them to Jesus, i.e., to refer them to his glory and honor: what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:5).
303. Consummatio autem huius fructus ponitur cum dicit intuitus autem eum Iesus dixit, etc. Ubi Christus, ad fidem divinitatis eum elevare volens, incipit quae divinitatis sunt opera facere, occulta praedicans.
303. The consummation of this fruit is given when he says, and Jesus looking upon him said: you are Simon. Here Christ, wishing to raise him up to faith in his divinity, begins to perform works of divinity, making know things that are hidden.
Et primo quidem quantum ad occulta praesentiae; unde intuitus eum, idest, statim cum vidit eum virtute divinitatis, consideravit, et dixit ei nomen suum: unde dicit tu es Simon. Nec mirum, quia, ut dicitur I Reg. XVI, v. 7, homines vident ea quae apparent, Deus autem intuetur cor.
First of all, things which are hidden in the present: thus, looking upon him, i.e, as soon as Jesus saw him, he considered him by the power of his divinity and called him by name, saying, you are Simon. This is not surprising, for as it is said: man sees the appearances, but the Lord sees the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
Congruit autem hoc nomen mysterio. Nam Simon interpretatur obediens; ut insinuet quod obedientia necessaria est ei qui conversus est ad Christum per fidem. Act. V, 32: dat Spiritum Sanctum obedientibus sibi.
This name is appropriate for the mystery. For Simon means obedient, to indicate that obedience is necessary for one who has been converted to Christ through faith: he gives the Holy Spirit to all who obey him (Acts 5:32).
304. Secundo vero quantum ad occulta praeterita. Unde dicit filius Ioanna, quia hoc nomine vocatus est pater suus, vel, secundum Matthaeum, filius Iona, cum dicit Simon Bariona.
304. Second, he reveals things hidden in the past. Hence he says, son of John, because that was the name of Simon’s father; or he says, son of Jonah (Matt 16:17), when he says Simon Bar-Jonah.
Et utrumque congruit mysterio. Ioanna enim interpretatur gratia, ut insinuet quod homines per gratiam veniunt ad fidem Christi; Eph. II, 5: gratia salvati estis etc. Iona vero interpretatur columba, ut insinuet quod per Spiritum Sanctum, qui datus est nobis, firmamur in amore Dei, ut dicitur Rom. V, 5: caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris.
And each name is appropriate to this mystery. For John means grace, to indicate that it is through grace that men come to the faith of Christ: you are saved by his grace (Eph 2:5). And Jonah means dove, to indicate that it is by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us, that we are made strong in our love for God: the love of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5).
305. Tertio vero quantum ad occulta futura; unde dicit tu vocaberis Cephas, quod interpretatur Petrus, et in Graeco caput.
305. Third, he reveals things hidden in the future. So he says, you will be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter, and in Greek, head.
Et congruit mysterio, ut ille qui debet esse aliorum caput et Christi vicarius, firmitati inhaereret. Matth. XVI, 18: tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam.
And this is appropriate to this mystery, which is that he who was to be the head of the others and the vicar of Christ should remain firm. As it is said: you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (Matt 16:18).
306. Sed hic est quaestio litteralis. Et primo quare Christus imposuit ei in principio suae conversionis nomen, et non voluit quod a principio nativitatis suae hoc nomine vocaretur?
306. There is a question here about the literal meaning. First, why did Christ give Simon a name at the beginning of his conversion, rather than will that he have this name from the time of his birth?
Ad hoc respondetur dupliciter. Secundum Chrysostomum, primo quidem quia nomina divinitus imposita aliquam eminentiam gratiae spiritualis designant. Quando autem Deus confert specialem gratiam alicui, ab ipsa nativitate nomen gratiam illam significans imponitur; sicut patet de Ioanne Baptista, qui ante a Deo est nominatus quam natus, quia fuit sanctificatus in utero matris. Aliquando autem aliter confertur eminentia gratiae specialis tempore procedenti; et talia nomina divinitus imponuntur non a principio nativitatis, sed in ipso processu temporis; sicut patet de Abraham et Sara, quibus nomina mutata sunt quando promissionem multiplicandi germinis acceperunt. Eodem modo et Petrus nominatur divinitus quando ad fidem Christi, et gratiam apostolatus vocatur, et specialiter quia constitutus est Princeps apostolorum totius Ecclesiae; quod in aliis apostolis non est factum.
Two different answers have been given for this. The first, according to Chrysostom, is that divinely given names indicate a certain eminence in spiritual grace. Now when God confers a special grace upon anyone, the name indicating that grace is given at one’s birth: as in the case of John the Baptist, who was named before he was born, because he had been sanctified in his mother’s womb. But sometimes a special grace is given during the course of one’s life: then such names are divinely given at that time and not at birth: as in the case of Abraham and Sarah, whose names were changed when they received the promise that their posterity would multiply. Likewise, Peter is named in a divine way when he is called to the faith of Christ and to the grace of apostleship, and particularly because he was appointed Prince of the apostles of the entire Church—which was not done with the other apostles.
Secundum Augustinum autem, quia si a principio fuisset nominatus Cephas, non apparuisset mysterium. Et ideo voluit Dominus quod tunc nomen haberet, ut mutatione nominis, Ecclesiae mysterium appareret, quae in confessione fidei eius fundata erat. ‘Petrus’ enim a petra dicitur; petra autem erat Christus. In Petri ergo nomine figurata est Ecclesia, quae supra firmam petram immobilem, idest Christum, aedificata est.
But, according to Augustine, if he had been called Cephas from birth, this mystery would not have been apparent. And so the Lord willed that he should have one name at birth, so that by changing his name the mystery of the Church, which was built on his confession of faith, would be apparent. Now ‘Peter’ is derived from rock. But the rock was Christ. Thus, the name Peter signifies the Church, which was built upon that solid and immovable rock which is Christ.
307. Secunda quaestio est utrum hic fuerit impositum hoc nomen Simoni, an in Matthaeo cum dicitur tu es Petrus.
307. The second question is whether this name was given to Peter at this time, or at you are Peter (Matt 16:18).
Et ad hoc respondet Augustinus dicens, quod istud nomen hoc loco fuit Simoni impositum; sed quod dicit ei Dominus in Matth. tu es Petrus etc. non est nominis impositio, sed impositi nominis commemoratio, ut quasi utatur illo nomine tamquam iam imposito.
Augustine answers that this name was given to Simon at this time; and at the event reported by Matthew: you are Peter (Matt 16:18) the Lord is not giving this name but reminding him of the name that was given, so that Christ is using this name as already given.
Alii autem dicunt, quod hoc nomen fuit impositum Simoni quando Dominus dixit ei tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam. Hic vero non imponit ei hoc nomen, sed praesignat quod sit ei postmodum imponendum.
But others think that this name was given when the Lord said, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (Matt 16:18); and in this passage in the Gospel of John, Christ is not giving this name, but foretelling what will be given later.
308. Tertia quaestio est de vocatione Petri et Andreae: quia hic dicitur, quod fuerunt vocati iuxta Iordanem, quia fuerunt discipuli Ioannis; et Matth. IV, 18 dicitur, quod Christus vocavit eos iuxta mare Galilaeae.
308. The third question is about the calling of Peter and Andrew: for here it says that they were called near the Jordan, because they were John’s disciples; but it is said that Christ called them by the Sea of Galilee (Matt 4:18).
Et ad hoc dicendum, quod triplex fuit vocatio apostolorum. Prima fuit ad cognitionem, seu familiaritatem, et fidem; et de hac dicitur hic. Secunda fuit in officii praesignatione, de qua habetur Lc. V, 10: ex hoc eris homines capiens. Tertia fuit ad apostolatum, de qua dicitur Matth. IV, 18 s., quae fuit perfecta, quia postea non redierunt ad propria.
The answer to this is that there was a triple calling of the apostles. The first was a call to knowledge or friendship and faith; and this is the one recorded here. The second consisted in the prediction of their office: from now on you will be catching men (Luke 5:10). The third call was to their apostleship (Matt 4:18). This was the perfect call because after this they were not to return to their own pursuits.
Lectio 16
Lecture 16
Vocatio Philippi et Nathanaelis
Calling of Philip and Nathanael
1:43 In crastinum voluit exire in Galilaeam; et invenit Philippum, et dicit ei Iesus: sequere me. [n. 310]
1:43 On the following day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him: follow me. [n. 310]
1:44 Erat autem Philippus a Bethsaida, civitate Andreae et Petri. [n. 313]
1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [n. 313]
1:45 Invenit Philippus Nathanaelem, et dixit ei: quem scripsit Moyses in lege et Prophetis, invenimus Iesum filium Ioseph a Nazareth. [n. 316]
1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him: we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph from Nazareth. [n. 316]
1:46 Et dixit ei Nathanael: a Nazareth potest aliquid boni esse? Dixit ei Philippus: veni, et vide. [n. 318]
1:46 And Nathanael said to him: can anything good come from Nazareth? Philip said to him: come and see. [n. 318]
1:47 Vidit Iesus Nathanaelem venientem ad se, et dixit de eo: ecce vere Israelita, in quo dolus non est. [n. 320]
1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and he said to him: behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile. [n. 320]
1:48 Dixit ei Nathanael: unde me nosti? Respondit Iesus, et dixit ei: priusquam te Philippus vocaret, cum esses sub ficu, vidi te. [n. 324]
1:48 Nathanael said to him: how do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him: before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. [n. 324]
1:49 Respondit ei Nathanael, et ait: Rabbi, tu es Filius Dei, tu es Rex Israel. [n. 327]
1:49 Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. [n. 327]
1:50 Respondit Iesus, et dixit ei: quia dixi tibi, vidi te sub ficu, credis: maius his videbis. [n. 329]
1:50 Jesus answered and said to him: because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe: you will see greater things than these. [n. 329]
1:51 Et dixit ei: amen, amen dico vobis, videbitis caelum apertum, et angelos Dei ascendentes et descendentes super Filium hominis. [n. 329]
1:51 And he said to him: amen, amen I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man. [n. 329]
309. Posito fructu qui provenit ex praedicatione Ioannis, et eius discipuli, consequenter Evangelista manifestat fructum qui provenit ex praedicatione Christi, et
309. After having shown the fruit produced by John’s preaching and that of his disciples, the Evangelist now shows the fruit obtained from the preaching of Christ.
primo agit de conversione unius discipuli ad praedicationem Christi;
First, he deals with the conversion of one disciple as the result of Christ’s preaching.
secundo de conversione aliorum ad praedicationem discipuli ad Christum conversi, ibi invenit Philippus Nathanaelem etc.
Second, the conversion of others due to the preaching of the disciple just converted to Christ, at Philip found Nathanael.
Circa primum tria facit.
As to the first he does three things:
Primo ponitur discipuli vocandi occasio;
first, the occasion when the disciple is called is given;
secundo subditur ipsius discipuli vocatio;
second, his calling is described;