836. Rationem contrarietatis ponit dicens si enim crederetis Moysi, crederetis forsitan et mihi, ut patet Deut. XVIII, 15: prophetam suscitabit Deus de gente tua et de fratribus tuis sicut me: ipsum audies, et in omnibus sacrificiis, quae erant figura Christi.
836. He presents the reason for this opposition when he says: if you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me also, as is clear from the Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you, from your nation and your brothers; he will be like me: you will listen to him (Deut 18:15), and from all the sacrifices, which were a symbol of Christ.
Et dicit forsitan, ad designandum voluntatem liberi arbitrii: non quod in Deo sit aliquod dubium.
He says, perhaps, to indicate that their will acts from a free judgment, and not to imply that there is any doubt on the part of God.
837. Consequenter cum dicit si autem illius litteris non creditis, quomodo verbis meis credetis? ponit signum huius contrarietatis sumptum a maiori, negando per comparationem ad duo. Primo personae ad personam: licet enim Christus simpliciter maior esset Moyse, tamen in reputatione Iudaeorum Moyses erat maior, et ideo dicit si non creditis Moysi, nec mihi credetis.
837. Then when he says, but if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? he gives a sign of this opposition. He does this by comparing two things, and then denying of the lesser of them what is denied of the greater. First, there is a comparison between Moses and Christ: for although Christ, absolutely speaking, is greater than Moses, Moses was the greater in reputation among the Jews. Thus he says: if you do not believe Moses, you will not believe me either.
Secundo per comparationem ad modum tradendi: quia Moyses praecepta dedit in scriptis, quae possunt diutius meditari, nec tradi oblivioni de facili; et ideo magis obligant ad credendum. Christus vero tradidit verbis; et quantum ad hoc dicit si non creditis litteris illius, quarum libros apud vos habetis, quomodo credetis verbis meis?
Second, he compares the way in which they presented their teaching: Moses gave his precepts in a written form; and so they can be studied for a long time, and are not easily forgotten. Hence they impose a stronger obligation to believe. But Christ presented his teachings in spoken words. Thus he says, but if you do not believe his writings, which you have preserved in your books, how will you believe my words?
Caput 6
Chapter 6
Panis Vitae
The Bread of Life
Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Multiplicatio panum et piscium
Multiplication of the loaves and fishes
6:1 Post haec abiit Iesus trans mare Galilaeae, quod est Tiberiadis. [n. 839]
6:1 After these things, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias. [n. 839]
6:2 Et sequebatur eum multitudo magna, quia videbant signa quae faciebat super his qui infirmabantur. [n. 842]
6:2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles that he performed on those who were diseased. [n. 842]
6:3 Subiit ergo in montem Iesus, et ibi sedebat cum discipulis suis. [n. 845]
6:3 Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. [n. 845]
6:4 Erat autem proximum Pascha, dies festus Iudaeorum. [n. 846]
6:4 Now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. [n. 846]
6:5 Cum sublevasset ergo oculos Iesus, et vidisset quia multitudo maxima venit ad eum, dixit ad Philippum: unde ememus panes, ut manducent hi? [n. 847]
6:5 When Jesus had lifted up his eyes, and saw that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip: where shall we buy bread, that they may eat? [n. 847]
6:6 Hoc autem dicebat tentans eum: ipse enim sciebat quid esset facturus. [n. 850]
6:6 And he said this testing him, for he himself knew what he would do. [n. 850]
6:7 Respondit ei Philippus: ducentorum denariorum panes non sufficiunt eis ut unusquique modicum quid accipiat. [n. 851]
6:7 Philip answered him: two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each one may take a little. [n. 851]
6:8 Dixit ei unus ex discipulis eius, Andreas frater Simonis Petri: [n. 853]
6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him: [n. 853]
6:9 Est puer unus hic qui habet quinque panes hordeaceos, et duos pisces; sed haec quid sunt inter tantos? [n. 853]
6:9 There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes, but what are these among so many? [n. 853]
6:10 Dixit ergo Iesus: facite homines discumbere. Erat autem foenum multum in loco. Discubuerunt ergo viri, numero quasi quinque milia. [n. 855]
6:10 Then Jesus said: make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. [n. 855]
6:11 Accepit ergo Iesus panes, et cum gratias egisset, distribuit discumbentibus: similiter et ex piscibus quantum volebant. [n. 859]
6:11 Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to those who were sitting: in like manner of the fishes, as much as they wanted. [n. 859]
6:12 Ut autem impleti sunt, dixit discipulis suis: colligite quae superaverunt fragmenta, ne pereant. [n. 863]
6:12 And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. [n. 863]
6:13 Collegerunt ergo, et impleverunt duodecim cophinos fragmentorum ex quinque panibus hordeaceis, et duobus piscibus, quae superfuerunt his qui manducaverunt. [n. 865]
6:13 They gathered up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained after they had eaten. [n. 865]
838. Posita doctrina de vita spirituali qua Christus regeneratos vivificat, consequenter Evangelista agit de spirituali nutrimento quo Christus vivificatos sustentat, et
838. The Evangelist has presented the teaching of Christ on the spiritual life, by which he gives life to those who are born again. He now tells us of the spiritual food by which Christ sustains those to whom he has given life.
primo ponit visibile miraculum, quod fecit Christus exhibendo nutrimentum corporale;
First, he describes a visible miracle, in which Christ furnished bodily food.
secundo agit de nutrimento spirituali, ibi respondit eis Iesus, et dixit: amen, amen dico vobis, quaeritis me, non quia etc.
Second, he considers spiritual food: Jesus answered them and said: amen, amen I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles (John 6:26).
Circa primum duo facit.
He does two things about the first.
Primo ponit miraculum visibile de nutrimento corporali;
First, he describes the visible miracle about bodily nourishment.
secundo ostendit effectum miraculi, ibi illi ergo homines cum vidissent etc.
Second, he shows the effect this miracle had: now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done (John 6:14).
Circa miraculum duo ponit:
He tells us two things about this miracle.
scilicet eius circumstantias,
First, its circumstances,
et eius patratione, ibi et cum sublevasset oculos Iesus.
second, about its actual accomplishment: when Jesus had lifted up his eyes.
Circa primum tria facit.
As to the first he does three things.
Primo describit multitudinem quam pavit;
First he describes the crowd that Jesus fed,
secundo determinat locum ubi pavit, ibi subiit ergo in montem Iesus;
second, the place; at: Jesus therefore went up into a mountain;
tertio tempus quando pavit, ibi erat autem proximum Pascha etc.
third, the time: now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand.
Circa primum tria facit.
As to the first he does three things.
Primo determinat locum quo multitudo eum sequitur;
First, he identifies the place where the crowd followed Jesus;