Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 4:39-42

"And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that [ever] I did. So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his word; and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." — John 4:39-42 (ASV)

1. Above, the Lord foretold to the apostles the fruit that would be produced among the Samaritans by the woman’s testimony. Now the Evangelist deals with this fruit.

   First, the fruit of the woman’s testimony is given.

   Second, an argument is given concerning the growth of this fruit, which was produced by Christ, in the phrase and many more believed in him because of his own word.

   The fruit produced from the woman’s testimony is shown in three ways.

2. First, by the faith of the Samaritans, for they believed in Christ. Thus, he says, many of the Samaritans of that city, to which the woman had returned, believed in him. This was because of the word of the woman from whom Christ asked for a drink of water, who said, he told me all things whatsoever that I have done. This testimony was a sufficient reason to believe in Christ. Since what Christ had said revealed her failings, she would not have mentioned them unless she had been brought to believe. And so the Samaritans believed as soon as they heard her. This indicates that faith comes by hearing.

3. Second, the fruit of her testimony is shown in their coming to Christ, for faith gives rise to a desire for the thing believed. Accordingly, after they believed, they came to Christ to be perfected by him. So he says, so when the Samaritans came to him. Come to him, and be enlightened (Psalms 34:5); come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matthew 11:28).

4. Third, the fruit of her testimony is shown in their desire, for a believer must not only come to Christ but also desire that Christ remain with him. So he says, they begged him to stay there. And he remained there two days.

   The Lord remains with us through love: if anyone loves me, he will keep my word (John 14:23), and further on he adds, and we will make our abode with him. The Lord remains for two days because there are two precepts of love: the love of God and the love of our neighbor. On these two commandments all the law and the prophets depend (Matthew 22:40). But the third day is the day of glory: he will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up (Hosea 6:2). Christ did not remain there for that day because the Samaritans were not yet capable of glory.

5. Then, concerning the phrase and many more believed in him because of his own word, the Evangelist says that the fruit resulting from the woman’s testimony was increased by the presence of Christ. This happened in three ways:

   1. in the number of those who believed,
   2. in their reason for believing,
   3. and in the truth they believed.

6. The fruit was increased in the number of those who believed because while many believed in Christ on account of the woman, many more believed in him because of his own word—that is, Christ’s own words. This signifies that although many believed because of the prophets, many more were converted to the faith after Christ came: rise up, O Lord, in the command you have given, and a congregation of people will surround you (Psalms 7:6–7).

7. Second, this fruit was increased because of the way in which they believed, for they say to the woman, now we believe, not just because of your story.

   Here we should note that three things are necessary for the perfection of faith, and they are given here in order. First, faith should be right; second, it should be prompt; and third, it should be certain.

   Now, faith is right when it obeys the truth not for some external reason, but for the sake of the truth itself. Regarding this, they said to the woman, now we believe the truth, not just because of your story, but because of the truth itself.

   Three things lead us to believe in Christ:

   1. Natural reason: since the creation of the world the invisible things of God are clearly known by the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).
   2. The testimony of the law and the prophets: but now justification from God has been manifested outside the law; the law and the prophets bore witness to it (Romans 3:21).
   3. The preaching of the apostles and others: how will they believe without someone to preach to them? (Romans 10:14).

   Yet when a person, after being instructed in this way, believes, he can then say that he does not believe for any of these reasons—neither because of natural reason, nor the testimony of the law, nor the preaching of others—but solely because of the truth itself: Abram believed God, who regarded this as his justification (Genesis 15:6).

   Faith is prompt if it believes quickly, and this was demonstrated in these Samaritans because they were converted to God by merely hearing him. So they say, for we ourselves have heard him and know that this indeed is the savior of the world, without seeing miracles, as the Jews saw. And although believing people quickly is a sign of thoughtlessness—he who believes easily is frivolous ()—yet, to believe God quickly is all the more praiseworthy: when they heard me, they obeyed me (Psalms 18:44).

   Faith should be certain, for one who doubts in faith is an unbeliever: ask with faith, without any doubting (James 1:6). And so their faith was certain; thus they say, and we know. Sometimes, one who believes is said to know, as here, because knowledge and faith agree in that they are both certain.

   For just as knowledge is certain, so is faith. Indeed, faith is much more certain, because the certainty of knowledge rests on human reason, which can be deceived, while the certainty of faith rests on divine reason, which cannot be contradicted. However, they differ in their mode, because faith possesses its certainty from a divinely infused light, while knowledge possesses its certainty from a natural light.

   For just as the certainty of knowledge rests on first principles that are naturally known, so the principles of faith are known from a divinely infused light: you are saved by grace, through faith; and this is not due to yourselves, for it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

8. Third, the fruit was increased in the truth they believed, so they say, this indeed is the savior of the world. Here they are affirming that Christ is the unique, true, and universal Savior.

   He is the unique Savior, for they assert that he is different from others when they say, this indeed. This means that he alone is the one who has come to save: truly, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel, the savior (Isaiah 45:15); there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we are saved (Acts 4:12).

   They affirm that Christ is the true Savior when they say, indeed. For since salvation, as Dionysius says, is deliverance from evil and preservation in good, there are two kinds of salvation: one is true, and the other is not. Salvation is true when we are freed from true evils and preserved in true goods. In the Old Testament, however, although certain saviors had been sent, they did not truly bring salvation, for they set people free from temporal evils, which are not truly evils, nor are they true goods, because they do not last. But Christ is truly the Savior, because he frees people from true evils (that is, sins)—he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)—and he preserves them in true goods (that is, spiritual goods).

   They affirm that he is the universal Savior because he is not just for some (that is, for the Jews alone) but is the savior of the world. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).