Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 3:32-36

"What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness; and no man receiveth his witness. He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to [this], that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." — John 3:32-36 (ASV)

1. Previously, John the Baptist commended Christ's teaching; here, however, he considers the different ways people receive it. He therefore discusses the faith that must be given to this teaching. In doing so, he does three things.

   First, he shows the scarcity of those who believe.

   Second, he explains the obligation to believe, beginning with, he who has received his testimony.

   Finally, he describes the reward for belief, at he who believes in the Son has eternal life.

2. He says, therefore: I say that Christ has certain knowledge and that he speaks the truth. Yet even though few accept his testimony, that is no reflection on his teaching. The fault lies not with the teaching but with those who do not accept it: namely, the disciples of John, who did not yet believe, and the Pharisees, who slandered his teaching. Thus he says, and no man receives his testimony.

3. The phrase no man can be explained in two ways. First, no man can be interpreted to mean "few," and in this sense, some did accept his testimony. He shows this by adding, and he who has received his testimony. The Evangelist used this way of speaking before when he said: he came unto his own, and his own did not receive him (John 1:11), because a few did receive him. Alternatively, to accept his testimony can be understood as to believe in God. But no one can believe on his own; it is only possible through God: you are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). And so he says, no man receives, that is, on his own, but it is given to him by God.

   This can also be explained by realizing that Scripture refers to people in two ways. As long as we are in this world, the wicked are mingled with the good. Scripture sometimes speaks of "the people" or "they" to mean those who are good, while at other times, the same words can refer to the wicked. We can see this, for first it says that all the people and the priests sought to kill Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26), referring to those who were evil. Then, at once, it says that all the people sought to free him, referring to those who were good. In the same way, John the Baptist says, looking to the left (that is, toward the evil), and no man receives his testimony. Later, referring to those on the right (that is, to the good), he says, but he who has received his testimony.

4. He who has received his testimony. Here, he speaks of the obligation to believe, which is to submit oneself to divine truth.

   Regarding this, he does four things.

   First, he presents the divine truth.

   Second, he speaks of the proclamation of the divine truth, at for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God.

   Third, he discusses the ability to proclaim it, at for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

   Fourth, he gives the reason for this ability, at the Father loves the Son.

5. Humanity's obligation to the faith is to submit to divine truth. So, when the text says that few accept his testimony, it implies that some do. Hence he says, he who has received his testimony—whoever he may be—has given a sign. That is, he has affixed a sign, or placed a seal in his own heart, that Christ is God. And he is true, because he said that he is God. If he were not, he would not be true, but it is written: God is true (Romans 3:4). Concerning this seal it is said: set me as a seal on your heart (Song of Solomon 8:6), and the foundation of God stands firm, bearing a seal (2 Timothy 2:19).

   Or, following Chrysostom, he has given a sign means he has shown that God, the Father, is true, because He sent His Son whom He promised to send. The Evangelist says this to show that those who do not believe Christ deny the truthfulness of the Father.

6. Then he immediately adds a commendation of divine truth, saying, for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. It is as if he is saying: This is a sign—namely, that Christ, whose testimony he accepts, is the one whom God has sent and speaks the words of God. Therefore, he who believes in him believes the Father: the things that I have heard from him are the same that I speak to the world (John 8:26). So he spoke of nothing but the Father and the words of the Father, because he has been sent by the Father, and because he himself is the Word of the Father. Hence, he says that he even speaks the Father Himself.

   Alternatively, if the statement God is true refers to Christ, we understand the distinction of persons. For since the Father is true God, and Christ is true God, it follows that the true God sent the true God, who is distinct from him in person, but not in nature.

7. The ability to proclaim divine truth is present in Christ in the highest degree, because he does not receive the Spirit in a partial way. And so he says, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

   You might say that although God sent Christ, not all that Christ says is from God, but only some things; for even the prophets spoke at times from their own spirit and at other times from the Spirit of God. For example, we read that the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7:3), speaking from his own spirit, advised David to build a temple, but later, under the influence of the Spirit of God, he retracted this. However, the Baptist shows that this is not the case with Christ. For the prophets receive the Spirit of God only fractionally—that is, in reference to some things but not all. Consequently, not all they say are the words of God. But Christ, who received the Spirit fully and in regard to all things, speaks the words of God in all things.

8. But how can the Holy Spirit be given by measure, since he is immense or infinite, according to the Athanasian Creed: immense is the Father, immense the Son, immense the Holy Spirit?

   I answer that the Holy Spirit is said to be given by measure not in respect to his essence or power, which is infinite, but in respect to his gifts, which are given by measure: grace has been given to each of us according to degree (Ephesians 4:7).

9. We should note that what is said here—that God the Father did not give the Spirit to Christ in a partial way—can be understood in two ways: as applying to Christ as God, and as applying to Christ as man. Something is given to a person so that they may possess it, and it is appropriate for Christ to have the Spirit, both as God and as man. He therefore has the Holy Spirit in both respects. As man, Christ has the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier: the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me (Isaiah 61:1), namely, as man. But as God, he has the Holy Spirit only as manifesting himself, inasmuch as the Spirit proceeds from him: he will glorify me, that is, make me known, because he will receive of me (John 16:14).

   Therefore, both as God and as man, Christ has the Holy Spirit beyond measure. God the Father is said to give the Holy Spirit without measure to Christ as God because He gives to Christ the power and might to bring forth the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit is infinite, He was infinitely given to Christ by the Father, for the Father gives the Spirit just as He Himself has it, so that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as much as from the Father. And He gave him this by an everlasting generation. Similarly, Christ as man has the Holy Spirit without measure. The Holy Spirit is given to different people in differing degrees, because grace is given to each by measure. But Christ as man did not receive a limited amount of grace, and so he did not receive the Holy Spirit in any limited degree.

10. It should be noted, however, that there are three kinds of grace in Christ: the grace of union, habitual grace (which is the grace of a singular person), and capital grace (which is animating). Christ received each of these graces without measure.

    The grace of union, which is not habitual grace but a distinct gratuitous gift, is given to Christ so that in his human nature he might be the true Son of God—not by participation, but by nature, insofar as the human nature of Christ is united to the Son of God in person. This union is called a grace because he had it without any preceding merits. Now, the divine nature is infinite; hence, from that union he received an infinite gift. Thus, it was not by degree or measure that he received the Holy Spirit—that is, the gift and grace of union which, being gratuitous, is attributed to the Holy Spirit.

    His grace is termed habitual insofar as the soul of Christ was full of grace and wisdom: the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). We might wonder if Christ received this grace without measure. Since such grace is a created gift, we must admit that it has a finite essence. Therefore, as far as its essence is concerned, this habitual grace was finite because it is something created. Yet Christ is not said to have received this in a limited degree for three reasons.

    First, because of the one who is receiving the grace. It is plain that each thing’s nature has a finite capacity. Even though one might receive an infinite good by knowing, loving, and enjoying it, one still receives it in a finite way. Furthermore, each creature has a finite capacity according to its species and nature. This does not make it impossible for the divine power to create another creature with a greater capacity, but such a creature would not be of the same specific nature, just as adding one to three creates another species of number. Therefore, when a nature is not given as much of the divine goodness as its natural capacity can contain, the gift is considered to be "by measure." But when its total natural capacity is filled, it is not given "by measure." This is because even though there is a limit on the part of the one receiving, there is none on the part of the one giving, who is prepared to give all. Thus, if someone takes a pail to a river, he sees water present without measure, although he takes the water by measure on account of the pail's limited dimensions. In this way, the habitual grace of Christ is indeed finite in its essence, but it is said to be given in an infinite way and not by measure, because as much was given to him as created nature was able to hold.

    Second, Christ did not receive habitual grace in a limited way when considering the gift that is received. Every form or act, considered in its own nature, is not finite in the same way it is made finite by the subject in which it is received. Nevertheless, there is nothing to prevent it from being finite in its essence, insofar as its existence is received in some subject. For that which is infinite in its essence is that which has the entire fullness of being, and this is true of God alone, who is the supreme being. But if we consider a spiritual form as not existing in a subject—for example, whiteness or color—it would not be infinite in essence, because its essence would be confined to a certain genus or species. Nevertheless, it would still possess the entire fullness of that species. Thus, considering the nature of the species, it would be without limit or measure, since it would have everything that can pertain to that species. But if whiteness or color is received into a subject, it does not always have everything that pertains necessarily to the nature of this form. It only does so when the subject possesses it as perfectly as it is capable of being possessed—that is, when the way the subject possesses it is equivalent to the power of the thing possessed. Thus, Christ’s habitual grace was finite in its essence, yet it is said to have been in him without limit or measure because he received everything that could pertain to the nature of grace. Others, however, do not receive all this; one receives in one way, and another in another: there are different graces (1 Corinthians 12:4).

    The third reason for saying that the habitual grace of Christ was not received in a limited way is based on its cause. An effect is, in some way, present in its cause. Therefore, if someone has an infinite power to produce something, he is said to have what can be produced without measure and, in a way, infinitely. For example, if someone has a fountain that could produce an infinite amount of water, he would be said to have water in an infinite way and without measure. Thus, the soul of Christ has infinite grace—grace without measure—from the fact that he has united to himself the Word, which is the infinite and unfailing source of the entire emanation of all created things.

    From what has been said, it is clear that the grace of Christ which is called capital grace, insofar as he is head of the Church, is infinite in its influence. Because he possessed that from which the gifts of the Spirit could flow out without measure, he received the power to pour them out without measure. The grace of Christ is therefore sufficient not merely for the salvation of some, but for all the people of the entire world—he is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the entire world (1 John 2:2)—and even for many worlds, if they existed.

11. Christ also had the ability to declare divine truth because all things are in his power. Hence he says, the Father loves the Son, and he has given all things into his hand. This can refer to Christ both as man and as God, but in different ways.

    If it refers to Christ according to his divine nature, then loves does not indicate a principle but a sign. We cannot say that the Father gives all things to the Son because he loves him. There are two reasons for this. First, to love is an act of the will, but to give a nature to the Son is to generate him. Therefore, if the Father gave a nature to the Son by his will, the will of the Father would be the principle of the Son's generation. It would then follow that the Father generated the Son by will and not by nature, which is the Arian heresy. Second, the love of the Father for the Son is the Holy Spirit. So, if the Father's love for the Son were the reason the Father put everything into his hands, it would follow that the Holy Spirit would be the principle of the Son's generation, which is not acceptable. Therefore, we should say that love implies only a sign. It is as if to say: The perfect love with which the Father loves the Son is a sign that the Father has given all things into his hand, meaning everything which the Father has: all things have been given to me by my Father (Matthew 11:27); Jesus, knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands (John 13:3).

    But if loves refers to Christ as man, then it does imply the notion of a principle. The Father is said to have put everything into the hands of the Son—that is, everything in heaven and on earth: all authority has been given to me, in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18); he has appointed him the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2). And the reason the Father gives to the Son is because he loves the Son. Hence he says, the Father loves the Son, for the Father’s love is the reason for creating each creature: you love everything which exists, and hate nothing which you have made . Concerning his love for the Son we read: this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17); he has brought us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, that is, of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).

12. Then, when he says, he who believes in the Son has eternal life, he shows the fruit of faith.

    First, he sets forth the reward for faith.

    Second, he describes the penalty for unbelief, at he who does not believe in the Son.

13. The reward for faith is beyond our comprehension, because it is eternal life. Hence he says, he who believes in the Son has eternal life. This can be shown from what has already been said. For if the Father has given everything he has to the Son, and the Father has eternal life, then he has given to the Son to be eternal life: for as the Father has life in himself, so he has also given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). This belongs to Christ insofar as he is the true and natural Son of God. That you may be in his true Son, Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20). Whoever believes in the Son has that toward which he tends—that is, the Son, in whom he believes. But the Son is eternal life; therefore, whoever believes in him has eternal life: my sheep hear my voice . . . and I give them eternal life (John 10:27–28).

14. The penalty for unbelief is unendurable, both in its punishment of loss and its punishment of sense.

    As for the punishment of loss, it deprives one of life; hence, he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life. He does not say, "will not have," but shall not see, because eternal life consists in the vision of the true life: this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3). Unbelievers will not have this vision and this knowledge: let him not see the brooks of honey (Job 20:17), that is, the sweetness of eternal life. And he says, will not see, because to see life itself is the proper reward for faith united with love.

    As for the punishment of sense, one is severely punished. He says: the wrath of God rests on him. In the Scriptures, "wrath" indicates the pain with which God punishes the evil. So when he says, the wrath of God, the Father, rests on him, it is the same as saying: they will feel punishment from God the Father. Although the Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22), the Baptist refers this to the Father in order to lead the Jews to believe in the Son. Concerning this judgment it is said: it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). He says, rests on him, because this punishment will never be absent from the unbelieving, and because all who are born into this mortal life have God’s anger with them, which was first received by Adam: we were by nature, that is, through birth, children of anger (Ephesians 2:3). We are freed from this anger only by faith in Christ. And so, those who do not believe in Christ, the Son of God, remain in the wrath of God.