Church Fathers Commentary John 3:31-32

"He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all. What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness; and no man receiveth his witness." — John 3:31-32 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: Just as a worm gnaws wood and rust corrodes iron, so vanity destroys the soul that harbors it. It is a most stubborn fault. John, with all his arguments, can hardly overcome it in his disciples.

For after what he had already said, he needed to say yet again, He that comes from above is above all. He meant, "You exalt my testimony and say that the one who bears witness is more worthy of belief than the One to whom he testifies. But you must understand this: He who comes from heaven cannot be validated by an earthly witness. He is above all, being perfect in Himself and beyond all comparison."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Christ comes from above, as He descends from the Father, and is above all, as He is chosen above all others.

Alcuin of York: Alternatively, "comes from above" means He comes from the perfection of that human nature which existed before the first man's sin. For it was this unfallen human nature that the Word of God assumed; He did not take upon Himself man’s sin, only its punishment.

St. John Chrysostom: And yet John was not entirely of the earth, for he had a soul and possessed a spirit that was not from the earth. What, then, does he mean by saying he is "of the earth"? He says this only to express his own lowliness—that he is one born on the earth, crawling on the ground, and not to be compared with Christ, who comes from above.

When John says he "speaks of the earth," he does not mean that he spoke merely from his own human understanding. Rather, he means that his teaching is earthly in comparison with Christ's doctrine. It is as if he said, "My teaching is lowly and humble when compared with Christ's, as is fitting for an earthly teacher compared with Him in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, when John says he "speaks of the earth," he is speaking of the man—that is, of himself—insofar as he speaks from a purely human perspective. If he says anything divine, he is enlightened by God to say it, as the Apostle said, Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. John, then, as he is merely John, is of the earth and speaks of the earth. If you hear anything divine from him, attribute it to the Enlightener, not to the one who merely received the light.

St. John Chrysostom: Having corrected the misguided zeal of his disciples, John begins to speak more deeply about Christ. Before this, it would have been useless to reveal truths that their minds could not yet grasp. Thus, he continues by saying, He that comes from heaven...

Glossa Ordinaria: That is, He comes from the Father. He is "above all" in two ways: first, with respect to His humanity, which was like that of man before he sinned; and second, with respect to the majesty of the Father, to whom He is equal.

St. John Chrysostom: But after this high and solemn mention of Christ, John's tone becomes more direct: And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies. Since our senses are the surest channels of knowledge, and we trust teachers most who have perceived by sight or hearing what they teach, John adds this argument for Christ.

He testifies to what He has seen and heard, meaning that everything Christ said is true. John's point is that we should desire to hear what the One who comes from above has seen and heard—that is, what He, and He alone, knows with certainty.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Therefore, when you hear that Christ speaks what He saw and heard from the Father, do not assume that He needs to be taught by the Father. Understand, rather, that the knowledge He possesses by His very nature is from the Father. This is why it is said that He has "heard" from the Father whatever He knows.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But what is it that the Son has heard from the Father? Has He heard the word of the Father? Yes, but He is the Word of the Father. When you conceive a word with which to name something, the very conception of that thing in your mind is a word.

Just as you have your word present in your mind, so God uttered the Word—that is, He begot the Son. Since the Son is the Word of God, and the Son has spoken the Word of God to us, He has spoken the Father's Word to us. Therefore, what John said is true.