John Calvin Commentary John 14:10

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." — John 14:10 (ASV)

That I am in the Father, and the Father in me. I do not consider these words to refer to Christ’s Divine essence, but to the manner of the revelation. For Christ, as far as his hidden Divinity is concerned, is not better known to us than the Father. But he is said to be the living Image, or Portrait, of God, because in him God has fully revealed himself, so far as God’s infinite goodness, wisdom, and power are clearly manifested in him.

And yet the ancient writers do not take an erroneous view of this passage when they quote it as a proof for defending Christ’s Divinity. But as Christ does not simply inquire what he is in himself, but what we ought to acknowledge him to be, this description applies to his power rather than to his essence. The Father, therefore, is said to be in Christ because full Divinity dwells in him and displays its power; and Christ, on the other hand, is said to be in the Father because by his Divine power he shows that he is one with the Father.

The words which I speak to you. He proves from the effect that we ought not to seek God anywhere else than in him; for he maintains that his doctrine, being heavenly and truly Divine, is a proof and bright mirror of the presence of God. If it is objected that all the Prophets ought to be considered sons of God because they speak divinely from the inspiration of the Spirit, and because God was the Author of their doctrine, the answer is easy. We ought to consider what their doctrine contains; for the Prophets send their disciples to another person, but Christ attaches them to himself. Besides, we ought to remember what the apostle declares, that now God speaketh from heaven (Hebrews 12:25) by the mouth of his Son, and that, when he spoke by Moses, he spoke, as it were, from the earth.

I do not speak, from myself; that is, as a man only, or in a human way; because the Father, exhibiting the power of his Spirit in Christ’s doctrine, wishes his Divinity to be recognized in him.

This must not be confined to miracles; for it is rather a continuation of the former statement, that the majesty of God is clearly exhibited in Christ’s doctrine, as if he had said that his doctrine is truly a work of God, from which it may be known with certainty that God dwells in him. By the works, therefore, I understand a proof of the power of God.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. He first demands that the disciples give credit to his testimony when he asserts that he is the Son of God; but as they had until now been too lazy, he indirectly reproves their indolence. “If my assertion,” says he, “does not produce conviction, and if you have such a low opinion of me that you do not think that you ought to believe my words, consider, at least, that power which is a visible image of the presence of God.”

It is very absurd of them, indeed, not to believe, entirely, the words which proceed from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, since they ought to have embraced, without any hesitation, everything that he expressed, even by a single word. But here Christ reproves his disciples for having made so little progress, though they had received so many admonitions on the same subject. He does not explain what is the nature of faith, but declares that he has what is even sufficient for convicting unbelievers.

The repetition of the words, I am in the Father, and the Father in me, is not superfluous; for we know too well, by experience, how our nature prompts us to foolish curiosity. As soon as we have gone out of Christ, we shall have nothing else than the idols which we have formed, but in Christ, there is nothing but what is divine, and what keeps us in God.