Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 16:29-33

"His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying. Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and [yet] I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." — John 16:29-33 (ASV)

1. After these consoling words were spoken to the apostles, we now see their effect on them. This effect has three aspects:

1. Their reaction is given.
2. We see their condition in Christ’s response: Do you now believe?
3. We see Christ’s intention: These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace.

The disciples’ reaction is a profession of faith: Behold, now you speak plainly. They profess three things about Christ: the clarity of His teaching, the certainty of His knowledge, and His divine origin.

2. They profess the clarity of His teaching when they say, Now you speak plainly, and speak no proverb. If we consider this carefully, we see that there is almost no other place in Sacred Scripture where Christ’s origin is so openly expressed as here, when He says, But I will show you plainly of the Father (John 16:25), and, I came forth from the Father and have come into the world (John 16:28). Believing that His promise to tell them plainly of the Father had now been kept, and that they needed no further teaching, they say, Behold, now you speak plainly.

As Augustine remarks, the disciples were still so lacking in understanding that they did not realize their own deficiency. Christ had not promised to speak to them without proverbs at that moment, but at the time of the resurrection or of His glory. Yet as far as the disciples were concerned, He was now speaking more clearly, although they would later understand His words even more clearly: I have spoken openly to the world (John 18:20).

3. They profess the certainty of His knowledge when they say, Now we know that you know all things. At first glance, the meaning seems to be that when someone clearly explains what he says, this proves his certain and full knowledge. The sign of one who knows is the ability to fully teach what he knows, for knowledge is easy for a man of understanding (Proverbs 14:6), and what is beyond one’s understanding cannot be plainly told in words.

The apostles, however, said this for another reason: because the Lord knew the secrets of their hearts and could resolve their perplexities. He had consoled them by promising the joy of the Holy Spirit, that they would see Him again, and that the Father loves them. Thus they say, Now we know that you know all things—that is, the secrets of hearts. As it is written, Lord, you know all things (John 21:17), and, The Lord God knows all things before they are done .

4. Then they add, You do not need any man to question you. This seems to contradict what they had just said—that He knows all things—for a wise person is typically questioned by others, rather than questioning them. Why, then, is it not necessary to question Him?

The answer is that they said this to indicate that He knew even the secrets of their hearts. Before they could even ask, He had already addressed their perplexity when they were saying to each other, What is this he said: a little while? (John 16:18). Nevertheless, Christ does ask questions and is asked questions, not because He needs it, but because we do.

5. They profess Christ’s divine origin when they say, By this we believe that you came forth from God. This statement is appropriate, since it is a distinguishing characteristic of divinity to know all things, including the secrets of hearts: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? I the Lord search the mind and try the heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Thus, when they say, You came forth from God, they affirm that He is consubstantial with the Father and true God.

6. Now we see the disciples’ condition, which is one of weakness. Christ addresses this in three ways:

1. He reproaches their slowness to believe.
2. He foretells their approaching troubles.
3. He shows that He cannot be injured by them.

7. Regarding the first point, Christ says, Do you now believe? If this is understood as a question, it is a rebuke for being so slow to believe, as if to say, “Have you waited until now to believe?” Alternatively, if we understand it as a statement, Christ is correcting the instability of their faith. In that case, it is as if He is saying, “It is true that you believe now, but as soon as I am betrayed, you will leave me.” As it is written, They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away (Luke 8:13).

8. Christ foretells their approaching troubles and falling away, saying, The hour comes, and is now come, that you will be scattered, every man to his own, and will leave me alone. By their falling away, they lost what they had acquired through Christ: His companionship, freedom from the burdens of ownership, and a life together.

Peter mentions these three things in Matthew: We (all of us, referring to their life together) have left everything (referring to freedom from the burdens of ownership) and followed you (referring to their companionship with Christ) (Matthew 19:27). They lost these things, and our Lord foretold this to them when He said, The hour comes, and is now come, that you will be scattered. This means they would be dominated by such fear that they would not be able to flee together as a group, for strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered (Zechariah 13:7).

He continues, Every man to his own, that is, returning to the desire to possess his own things. We see this when Peter and the others return to their boat and property: They went out and entered into the ship (John 21:3). Finally, He says, And will leave me alone, fulfilling the scriptures: My kinsfolk and my close friends have failed me; the guests in my house have forgotten me (Job 19:14), and, I have trodden the wine press alone (Isaiah 63:3).

9. Yet Christ did not suffer any loss from the falling away of His disciples. Thus, He says, Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. This is like saying, “Although I am one with the Father by a unity of essence, I am not alone because I am distinct in person. I have not come forth from the Father in such a way as to leave Him.”

10. Here our Lord states the purpose of His teaching. He explains two things:

1. The benefit it brings.
2. Why we need this benefit: In the world you will have distress.

11. The benefit His teaching gives is peace. He says to them, “I am telling you that you will be brought to the point of leaving me alone, and I am teaching you this so that you do not remain in this state of abandonment.” Indeed, everything I have said to you in this discourse and everything I have spoken in the entire Gospel is aimed at having you return to me, that in me you may have peace.

Truly, the purpose of the Gospel is peace in Christ: Those who love your name have great peace (Psalms 119:165). The reason for this is that peace of heart is the opposite of disturbance, which comes from evils that afflict it and grow worse. However, if one has only occasional affliction, or a joy greater than one’s evils, the disturbance does not last. This is why worldly people, who are not united to God by love, have troubles without peace. In contrast, the saints, who have God in their hearts by love, have peace in Christ even if they have troubles from the world: He makes peace in your borders (Psalms 147:14). Our purpose, then, should be to have peace in God: My soul refused to be comforted with the things of the world, but I remembered God and was delighted (Psalms 77:3).

12. We need this peace because of the troubles imposed by the world, so Christ says, In the world you have tribulation. He first foretells their future distress and then gives them the confidence to meet it.

Regarding their future distress, He says, In the world you will have distress, that is, from worldly people: Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you (1 John 3:13); I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:19).

To give them confidence, Christ says, But have confidence, I have overcome the world. For Christ does free us: You delivered me... from choking fire on every side . He is saying, in effect, “Return to me and you will have peace, for I have overcome the world which is oppressing you.”

13. Christ overcame the world in three ways:

1. He overcame it by taking away the weapons it uses to attack us. These are its allurements: For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). He conquered the allurement of riches by His poverty: I am poor and needy (Psalms 86:1); The Son of man has nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58). Christ overcame the allurement of honors by His humility: Learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). He overcame the lusts of the world by His sufferings and labors: He... became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8); Jesus, therefore, being wearied from his journey, sat on the well (John 4:6); I have labored from my youth (Psalms 88:16). Anyone who conquers these things conquers the world. And this is what faith does: This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith (1 John 5:4). Because faith is the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1)—which are spiritual and eternal goods—it causes us to disdain sensual and passing goods.
2. He overcame the world by casting out its ruler: Now will the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:31); He disarmed the principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). This shows us that the devil is also to be overcome by us. As it is written, Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your maidens? (Job 41:5). Understood literally, this means that after the passion of Christ, even the young boys and girls of Christ will make the devil their plaything.
3. He overcame the world by converting the people of this world to Himself. The world rebelled by stirring up dissensions through worldly people, but Christ drew these people to Himself: I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself (John 12:32). Thus it was said, Behold, the whole world is gone after him (John 12:19). Therefore, we should not fear the world’s oppression, because it has been overcome: Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).