Church Fathers Commentary John 8:41-43

"Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? [Even] because ye cannot hear my word." — John 8:41-43 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: The Jews had begun to understand that our Lord was not speaking of sonship according to the flesh, but of a way of life. Scripture often speaks of spiritual fornication with many gods, and of the soul being prostituted, as it were, by worshiping false gods. This explains what follows when they said to Him, We are not born of fornication; we have one Father—even God.

Theophylact of Ohrid: As if their motive against Him was a desire to avenge God’s honor.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, with their sonship to Abraham disproved, they reply by bitterly insinuating that our Savior was the offspring of adultery.

But perhaps the tone of the answer is more argumentative than anything else. For since they had said shortly before, We have Abraham for our father, and had been told in reply, If you are Abraham’s children, do the works of Abraham, they declare in return that they have a greater Father than Abraham—namely, God—and that they were not born of fornication. For the devil, who has no power to create anything from himself, does not beget from a spouse but from a harlot (that is, matter) those who give themselves over to carnal things and cling to matter.

St. John Chrysostom: But what are you saying? You have God for your Father, and yet you blame Christ for speaking this way? It was true, however, that many of them were born of fornication, for people at that time used to form unlawful unions. But this is not what our Lord has in view. He is determined to prove that they are not from God. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: It was not that the Son of God condemned their assumption of such a religious name—that is, condemned them for professing to be the sons of God and calling God their Father. Rather, He blamed the rash presumption of the Jews for claiming God as their Father when they did not love the Son.

The reason is found in His words, For I proceeded forth and came from God. The act of proceeding forth is not the same as the act of coming. When our Lord says that those who called God their Father should love Him because He came forth from God, He means that His being born of God was the reason He should be loved; the proceeding forth refers to His incorporeal birth. Their claim to be sons of God had to be proven by their love for Christ, who was begotten of God. For a true worshiper of God the Father must love the Son, because He is from God. And only the one who believes that the Son is from the Father can truly love the Father.

St. Augustine of Hippo: This, then, is the eternal procession: the Word proceeding forth from God Himself. He proceeded as the Word of the Father and came to us, for The Word was made flesh. His coming is His humanity; His remaining is His divinity. You call God your Father; then at least acknowledge Me as a brother.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: In what follows, He teaches that His origin is not in Himself: Neither did I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

Origen of Alexandria: This was said, I think, referring to some who came without being sent by the Father, about whom it is said in Jeremiah, I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran.

Some, however, use this passage to prove the existence of two natures. To these we may reply: Paul hated Jesus when he persecuted the Church of God, at the time, namely, when our Lord said, Why do you persecute Me? Now if it is true, as is said here, If God were your Father, you would love Me, then the converse is also true: If you do not love Me, God is not your Father. And Paul for some time did not love Jesus. There was a time when God was not Paul’s Father. Paul, therefore, was not by nature a son of God, but was made one afterward. And when does God become anyone’s Father, except when that person keeps His commandments?

St. John Chrysostom: And because they were always asking what He meant by, Where I am going, you cannot come, He adds here, Why do you not understand My speech? It is because you cannot hear My word.

St. Augustine of Hippo: And they could not hear because they would not believe and change their lives.

Origen of Alexandria: First, then, we must seek after the virtue that enables us to hear the divine word, so that gradually we may become strong enough to embrace the whole teaching of Jesus. For as long as a person has not had their hearing restored by the Word, who says to the deaf ear, Be opened, they cannot truly hear.