Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 1:15

"John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me." — John 1:15 (ASV)

1. Having given the evidence by which the Word was made known to the apostles by sight, the Evangelist then presents the evidence by which the Word was made known to others through their hearing the testimony of John.

   He does this in three parts:

   1. The witness is presented.
   2. His manner of testifying is indicated: and he cries out.
   3. His testimony is given: this was he of whom I spoke: he who will come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.

2. So he says, we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14). But perhaps we are not believed because we are held in suspicion. Therefore, let his witness come forward—that is, John the Baptist, who bears witness to Christ.

   He is a faithful witness who will not lie: A faithful witness will not lie (Proverbs 14:5); You sent to John, and he gave testimony to the truth (John 5:33).

   Here, John gives his testimony and fulfills his office with perseverance, because he came as a witness. Truthful lips endure forever (Proverbs 12:19).

3. When he says, and cries out, saying, he describes the way John bore witness—that is, with a cry. Thus, he says, he cries out, meaning freely and without fear. Cry out in a loud voice... say to the cities of Judah: here is your God (Isaiah 40:9).

   He cried out ardently and with great fervor, for it is said, his word burned like a torch . Likewise, seraphim cried one to another (Isaiah 6:3), which expresses a more profound, inner eagerness of spirit.

   The use of a cry shows that the witness’s statements are not made to a few people in figurative language or in secret. Instead, a truth is being declared openly and publicly, told not just to a few but to many. Cry out, and do not stop (Isaiah 58:1).

4. Next, he adds his testimony: this was he of whom I spoke. In doing so, he does two things:

   1. He shows that his testimony was continuous.
   2. He describes the person to whom he bore witness: he who will come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.

5. The Baptist’s testimony was continuous because he bore witness to Christ not only once but many times, even before Christ had come to him. Therefore, he says, this was he of whom I spoke, meaning, “Before I saw him in the flesh, I bore witness to him.” And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:76). John pointed him out both when he was about to come and when he was present.

   His testimony is certain because he not only predicted that Christ would come but also pointed him out when he was present, saying, behold the Lamb of God (John 1:36). This implies that Christ was physically present to John, for he had often come to John before being baptized.

6. Then he describes the one to whom he bore witness, saying, he who will come after me, is preferred before me.

   Here we should note that John does not immediately preach to his disciples that Christ is the Son of God. Instead, he draws them little by little to higher things. He begins by ranking Christ above himself, even though John had such a great reputation and authority that he was considered by some to be the Christ or one of the great prophets.

   He compares Christ to himself in three ways:

   1. Regarding the order of their preaching.
   2. Regarding the order of their dignity.
   3. Regarding the time of their existence.

7. With respect to the order of their preaching, John preceded Christ as a servant precedes his master, a soldier his king, or the morning star the sun: see, I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me (Malachi 3:1). Therefore, He... comes after me in the sense of being made known to people through my preaching.

   Observe that comes is in the present tense because the Greek uses a present participle.

   John preceded Christ for two reasons:

   1. According to Chrysostom, it was because John was a blood relative of Christ according to the flesh: your relative, Elizabeth (Luke 1:36). Therefore, if he had borne witness to Christ after knowing him, his testimony might have been questionable. Accordingly, John came preaching before he was acquainted with Christ so that his testimony would have more force. Hence he says, and I did not know him, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water (John 1:31).
   2. John preceded Christ because in things that move from potential to actuality, the imperfect is naturally prior to the perfect. As it is said, the spiritual is not first, but the animal (1 Corinthians 15:46). Accordingly, the perfect doctrine of Christ had to be preceded by the less perfect teaching of John. John’s teaching was, in a way, a middle point between the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, which announced Christ’s coming from afar, and the doctrine of Christ Himself, which was clear and plainly revealed Him.

8. John compares Christ to himself with respect to dignity when he says, he is preferred before me. It should be noted that the Arians took this text as an occasion for their error. They argued that he who comes after me refers to Christ in the flesh He assumed, but that the following phrase, is preferred before me, can only be understood of the Word of God, who existed before the flesh. From this, they concluded that Christ as the Word was a created being and not coeternal with the Father.

   According to Chrysostom, however, this interpretation is foolish. If it were true, the Baptist would not have said, he is preferred before me, because he was before me, since it is obvious to everyone that if he existed before him, he was made before him. John would have said the opposite: “He was before me, because he was made before me.”

   Therefore, according to Chrysostom, these words should be understood as referring to Christ’s dignity—that is, He was preferred to me and placed ahead of me. It is as if John said, “Although Jesus came to preach after me, He was made more worthy than I, both in the eminence of His authority and in the esteem of the people.” As Scripture says, gold will not be equal to it (Job 28:17).

   Alternatively, the phrase he is preferred before me can mean “before my eyes,” as the Gloss says and as the Greek text reads. This would mean “in my sight,” because He came into John’s view and was recognized by him.

9. John compares Christ to himself with respect to their duration, saying, because he was before me. It is as if to say, “He was God from all eternity, while I am a frail man of time.” Therefore, even though John came to preach ahead of Him, it was fitting that Christ rank before him in the reputation and opinion of the people, because He preceded all things by His eternity. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8); Before Abraham was made, I am (John 8:58).

   If we understand the passage to mean that he is preferred before me, it can also be explained as referring to the order of time according to the flesh. In the instant of His conception, Christ was perfect God and perfect man, having a rational soul perfected by the virtues and a body possessing all its distinctive features, except that it lacked its full size. As it is written, a woman shall enclose a man—that is, a perfect man (Jeremiah 31:22). It is evident that Christ was conceived as a perfect man before John was born. Consequently, John says that he is preferred before me because He was a perfect man before I came forth from the womb.