Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 5:20-25

"For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will. For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." — John 5:20-25 (ASV)

1. Having pointed out the power of the Son in general, the author now shows it in more detail.

   First, the Lord discloses his life-giving power.

   Second, he clarifies what was said before, which appeared to be obscure: for as the Father has life in himself, so he has also given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26).

   Regarding the first point, he does two things.

   First, he shows that the Son has life-giving power.

   Second, he teaches how life is received from the Son, beginning with, amen, amen I say to you: he who hears my word.

   Concerning this, he does three things.

   First, he presents the life-giving power of the Son.

   Second, he gives a reason for what he says, starting with, for neither does the Father judge any man.

   Third, he shows the effect of this, at, so that all men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father.

   With respect to the first of these, he does two things.

   First, he sets forth this life-giving power in general.

   Second, he expands on it, at, for as the Father raises up the dead.

2. He says, regarding the first point, and greater works than these will he show him. It is as if to say: You are astonished and moved by the power of the Son in his healing of the sick man, but the Father will show him greater works than these, such as raising the dead, so that you may wonder.

3. This passage gives rise to two difficulties. First, concerning his saying, will he show. The earlier statement that the Father shows everything to the Son (John 5:20) refers to his eternal generation. How, then, can he say here, will he show, if the Son is coeternal with him and eternity does not allow for a future?

   The second difficulty is over the phrase, so that you may wonder. If he intends to show something to amaze the Jews, then he will be showing it to the Son at the same time as to them, for they could not be amazed unless they saw it. And yet the Son saw all things from eternity with the Father.

4. We must say that this is explained in three ways. The first way is given by Augustine, and in it this future showing is referred to the disciples.

   For it is Christ’s custom to say that what happens to his members happens to himself: as long as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40). The meaning is this: You saw the Son do something great in healing the sick man, and you were amazed; and greater works than these will he show him, that is, in his members, the disciples: greater than these he will do (John 14:12). He then says, so that you may wonder, for the miracles of the disciples so amazed the Jews that a great many of them were converted to the faith, as we see in the book of Acts.

5. The second explanation, also by Augustine, refers this showing to Christ according to his assumed human nature.

   For in Christ there is both a divine nature and a human nature, and in each he has life-giving power from the Father, although not in the same way. According to his divinity, he has the power to give life to souls; but according to his assumed nature, he gives life to bodies. Hence Augustine says: The Word gives life to souls; but the Word made flesh gives life to bodies. The resurrection of Christ and the mysteries which Christ fulfilled in his flesh are the cause of the future resurrection of bodies: God, who is rich in mercy, has brought us to life in Christ (Ephesians 2:5); if it is preached that Christ rose from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12). The first life-giving power he has from eternity, and he indicated this when he said, the Father shows him all things that he himself does (John 5:20). The other life-giving power he has in time, and concerning this he says, greater works than these will he show him; that is, his power will be shown by the fact that he will do greater works by raising the dead. He will raise some of the dead here, such as Lazarus, the young girl, and the widow's only son; and finally he will raise all on the day of judgment.

6. A third explanation refers this showing to Christ in his divine nature, according to the custom of Scripture in which a thing is said to begin to take place when it begins to be known. For example: all power has been given to me, in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Although Christ had the complete fullness of power from eternity, because whatever he, the Father, does, these the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19), he still speaks of this power as being given to him after the resurrection. This is not because he was then receiving it for the first time, but because it became most known through the glory of the resurrection.

   In this interpretation, then, he says that power is given to him insofar as he exercises it in some work. It is as if to say: greater works than these will he show him, meaning, he will show by his works what has been given to him. And this will come about when you are amazed—that is, when the one who seems to you to be a mere man is revealed to be a person of divine power and as God. We could also take the word show as referring to an act of seeing, as was explained above.

7. Now he explains the life-giving power of the Son in more detail by indicating those greater works which the Father will show the Son, at for as the Father raises up the dead... so the Son also.

   Here we should point out that in the Old Testament the divine power is particularly emphasized by the fact that God is the author of life: the Lord kills, and brings to life (1 Samuel 2:6); I will kill, and bring to life again (Deuteronomy 32:39). Now just as the Father has this power, so also does the Son; hence he says, for as the Father raises up the dead and gives life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wills. This is as if to say: These are those greater works that the Father will show the Son, that is, giving life to the dead. Such works are obviously greater, for it is greater to raise the dead than for a sick man to become well. Thus, the Son also gives life to whom he wills, that is, by giving initial life to the living and by raising the dead. We should not think that some are raised up by the Father and others by the Son. Rather, the same ones who are raised and given life by the Father are also raised and given life by the Son. For just as the Father does all things through the Son, who is his power, so he also gives life to all through the Son, who is life: I am the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The Father does not raise up and give life through the Son as through an instrument, because then the Son would not have freedom of power. To exclude this, he says, the Son also gives life to whom he wills, meaning, it lies in the freedom of his power to grant life to whom he wills. For the Son does not will anything different than the Father wills, because just as they are one substance, so they have one will. Hence it is said: is it not lawful for me to do as I will? (Matthew 20:15).

8. Then when he says, for neither does the Father judge any man, he gives the reason for what was said above and indicates his own power.

   It should be noted that there are two expositions for the present passages: one is given by Augustine, and the other by Hilary and Chrysostom.

   Augustine’s explanation is this. The Lord had said that just as the Father raises the dead, so also does the Son. But so that we do not think that this refers only to those miracles the Son performs in raising the dead to this life, and not to the Son’s raising to eternal life, he leads them to the deeper consideration of the resurrection to occur at the future judgment. Thus he refers explicitly to the judgment, saying, for neither does the Father judge any man.

   Another explanation by Augustine, in which the same meaning is maintained, is that the earlier statement, as the Father raises the dead and grants life, so the Son also, should be referred to the resurrection of souls, which the Son causes inasmuch as he is the Word. But the text, for neither does the Father judge any man, should be referred to the resurrection of bodies, which the Son causes inasmuch as he is the Word made flesh. For the resurrection of souls is accomplished through the person of the Father and of the Son, and for this reason he mentions the Father and Son together, saying, as the Father raises the dead... so the Son also. But the resurrection of bodies is accomplished through the humanity of the Son, not his coeternity with the Father. Consequently, he attributes judgment solely to the Son.

9. Note the wonderful variety of expressions. The Father is first presented as acting and the Son as resting, when it says, the Son cannot do anything of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19). But here, on the contrary, the Son is presented as acting and the Father as resting: neither does the Father judge any man, but he has given all judgment to the Son. We can see from this that he is speaking from different points of view at different times. At first, he was speaking of an action which belongs to the Father and the Son; thus he says that the Son cannot do anything of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19). But here he is speaking of an action by which the Son, as man, judges, and the Father does not; thus he says that the Father has given all judgment to the Son. For the Father will not appear at the judgment because, in accordance with justice, God cannot appear in his divine nature before all who are to be judged. Since our happiness consists in the vision of God, if the wicked were to see God in his own nature, they would be enjoying happiness. Therefore, only the Son will appear, who alone has an assumed human nature. Therefore, he alone will judge who alone will appear to all. Yet he will judge with the authority of the Father: he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and of the dead (Acts 10:42); and we read: O Lord, give your judgment to the king (Psalms 72:1).

10. Then when he says, so that all men may honor the Son, he states the effect that results from the power of the Son.

    First, he gives the effect.

    Second, he excludes an objection, at he who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father, who has sent him.

11. He says that the Father has given all judgment to the Son according to his human nature, because in the incarnation the Son emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, under which form he was dishonored by men: I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me (John 8:49). Therefore, judgment was given to the Son in his assumed nature so that all men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father. For on that day they will see the Son of man coming with great power and glory (Luke 21:27); they fell on their faces and worshipped, saying: blessing and glory, and wisdom and thanks, and honor, power and strength, to our God (Revelation 7:11).

12. Someone might say: "I am willing to honor the Father, but do not care about the Son." This cannot be, because he who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father, who has sent him.

    For it is one thing to honor God precisely as God, and another to honor the Father. Someone may well honor God as the omnipotent and immutable Creator without honoring the Son. But no one can honor God as Father without honoring the Son, for he cannot be called Father if he does not have a Son. And if you dishonor the Son by diminishing his power, this also dishonors the Father, because where you give less to the Son, you are taking away from the power of the Father.

13. Another explanation, given by Augustine, is this. A twofold honor is due to Christ. One is according to his divinity, in which he is owed an honor equal to that given the Father; regarding this he says, so that all men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father. Another honor is due to the Son according to his humanity, but not one equal to that given the Father; regarding this he says, he who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him. Thus, in the first case he significantly used the word as, but the second time, he does not say as. Instead, he states absolutely that the Son should be honored: he who rejects you, rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me (Luke 10:16).

14. Hilary and Chrysostom give a more literal explanation, but it is only slightly different. They explain it this way.

    Our Lord said above, the Son also gives life to whom he wills. Now, whoever does anything according to the free decision of his will acts from his own judgment. But it was stated above that for whatever he does, these the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19). Therefore, the Son enjoys a free decision of his own will in all things, since he acts from his own judgment. Thus he immediately mentions judgment, saying that neither does the Father judge any man, that is, without or apart from the Son. Our Lord used this way of speaking: I do not judge him, meaning, "I alone," but the word which I have spoken, the same will judge him on the last day (John 12:47–48). But he has given all judgment to the Son, as he has given all things to him. For as he has given him life and begotten him as living, so he has given him all judgment, that is, begotten him as judge: as I hear, so I judge (John 5:30), meaning, just as I have being from the Father, so also I have judgment. The reason for this is that the Son is nothing other than the conception of the paternal wisdom, as was said. But each one judges by the concept of his wisdom. Hence, just as the Father does all things through the Son, so he judges all things through him. And the fruit of this is that all men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father, that is, that they may render to him the worship of latria as they do to the Father.

    The rest does not change.

15. Hilary calls our attention to the remarkable relationship of the passages so that the errors concerning eternal generation can be refuted.

    Two heresies have arisen concerning this eternal generation. One was that of Arius, who said that the Son is less than the Father; this is contrary to their equality and unity. The other was that of Sabellius, who said that there is no distinction of persons in the divinity; this is contrary to their origin. So, whenever the author mentions their unity and equality, he immediately also adds their distinction as persons according to origin, and vice versa. Thus, because he mentions the origin of the persons when he says, the Son cannot do anything of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19), then, so we do not think this involves inequality, he at once adds: for whatever he does, these the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19). Conversely, when he states their equality by saying, for as the Father raises up the dead and gives life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wills, then, so that we do not deny that the Son has an origin and is begotten, he adds, for neither does the Father judge any man, but he has given all judgment to the Son. Similarly, when he mentions the equality of the persons by saying, that all men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father, he immediately adds something about a mission, which indicates an origin, saying, he who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father, who has sent him, but not in such a way that involves a separation. Christ mentions such a mission in saying, he who sent me is with me, and he has not left me alone (John 8:29).

16. Above, our Lord showed that he had life-giving power; here he shows how someone can share in this life coming from him.

    First, he tells how one can share in this life through him.

    Second, he predicts its fulfillment, at amen, amen I say unto you, that the hour is coming.

17. With respect to the first point, we should point out that there are four grades of life. One is found in plants, which take nourishment, grow, and reproduce. Another is in animals which only sense. Another is in living things that move, that is, the perfect animals. Finally, there is another form of life which is present in those who understand. Now among these grades of life, it is impossible that the foremost life be that found in plants, or in those with sensation, or even in those with motion. For the first and foremost life must be that which is ‘per se,’ not that which is participated. This can be none other than intellectual life, for the other three forms are common to a corporeal and spiritual creature. Indeed, a body that lives is not life itself, but one participating in life. Hence intellectual life is the first and foremost life, which is the spiritual life, that is immediately received from the first principle of life, which is why it is called the life of wisdom. For this reason, in the Scriptures life is attributed to wisdom: he who finds me finds life, and has salvation from the Lord (Proverbs 8:35). Therefore we share life from Christ, who is the wisdom of God, insofar as our soul receives wisdom from him.

    Now this intellectual life is made perfect by the true knowledge of divine wisdom, which is eternal life: this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3). But no one can arrive at any wisdom except by faith. Thus, in the sciences, no one acquires wisdom unless he first believes what is said by his teacher. Therefore, if we wish to acquire this life of wisdom, we must believe through faith the things that are proposed to us by it. He who comes to God must believe that he is and rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6); and as we read in another version: if you do not believe, you will not understand (Isaiah 28:16).

18. Thus, our Lord fittingly shows that the way of obtaining life is through faith, saying, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent him, has eternal life.

    First, he mentions the merit of faith.

    Second, the reward of faith, eternal life.

19. Concerning the merit of faith, he first indicates how faith is brought to us, and second, the foundation of faith, that on which it rests.

    Faith comes to us through the words of men: faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). But faith does not rest on man’s word, but on God himself: Abram believed God, who counted this as his justification (Genesis 15:6); you who fear the Lord, believe in him . Thus we are led to believe through the words of men, not in the man himself who speaks, but in God, whose words he speaks: when you heard the word we brought you as God’s word, you did not receive it as the word of men, but, as what it really is, the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Our Lord mentions these two things. First, how faith is brought to us, when he says, he who hears my word, which leads to faith. Second, he mentions that on which faith rests, saying, and believes him who sent me, that is, not in me, but in him in virtue of whom I speak.

    This text can apply to Christ, as man, insofar as it is through Christ’s human words that men were converted to the faith. And it can apply to Christ, as God, insofar as Christ is the Word of God. For since Christ is the Word of God, it is clear that those who heard Christ were hearing the Word of God, and as a consequence, were believing in God. And this is what he says: he who hears my word, meaning me, the Word of God, and believes him, that is, the Father, whose Word I am.

20. Then when he says, has eternal life, he mentions the reward of faith. He states three things we will possess in the state of glory, but they are mentioned in reverse order. First, there will be the resurrection from the dead. Second, we will have freedom from the future judgment. Third, we will enjoy everlasting life, for as we read, the just will enter into everlasting life (Matthew 25:46). He mentions these three as belonging to the reward of faith, and the third was mentioned first since it is desired more than the others.

21. So he says, he who believes, that is, through faith, has eternal life, which consists in the full vision of God. It is fitting that one who, on account of God, believes certain things that he does not see, should be brought to the full vision of these things: these things are written, so that you may believe... and so that believing, you may have life in his name (John 20:31).

22. He mentions the second reward when he says, and he will not come into judgment.

    But the Apostle says something which contradicts this: we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), even the apostles. Therefore, even one who does believe will encounter judgment.

    I answer that there are two kinds of judgment. One is a judgment of condemnation, and no one encounters that judgment if he believes in God with a formed faith. We read about this judgment: do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no living man is just in your sight (Psalms 143:2); and it was said: he who believes in him is not judged (John 3:18). There is also a judgment of separation and examination, and as the Apostle says, all must present themselves before the tribunal of Christ for this judgment. Of this judgment we read: judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from those people who are not holy (Psalms 43:1).

23. Third, he mentions a reward when he says, but passes from death to life, or will pass, as another version says. This statement can be explained in two ways. First, it can refer to the resurrection of the soul. In this case, the obvious meaning is that he is saying: through faith we attain not only eternal life and freedom from judgment, but also the forgiveness of our sins. Hence he says, but passes, from unbelief to belief, from injustice to justice: we know that we have passed from death to life (1 John 3:14).

    Second, this statement can be explained as referring to the resurrection of the body. Then it is an elaboration of the phrase, has eternal life. For some might think from what was said that whoever believes in God will never die, but live forever. But this is impossible, because all must pay the debt incurred by the first sin: where is the man who lives, and will not see death? (Psalms 89:48). Consequently, we should not think that one who believes has eternal life in such a way as never to die. Rather, he will pass from this life, through death, to life; that is, through the death of the body he will be revived to eternal life. Or, will pass might refer to the cause, for when a person believes, he already has the merit for a glorious resurrection: your dead will live, your slain will rise (Isaiah 26:19). And then, once released from the death of the old man, we will receive the life of the new man, that is, Christ.

24. Since some might doubt that anyone could pass from death to life, our Lord predicts that this will happen, saying that he passes from death to life, and he says it before it actually occurs. This is what he states when he says, amen, amen, I say to you, that the hour is coming. This hour is not determined by a necessity of fate, but by God’s decree: it is the last hour (1 John 2:18). And so that we do not think that it is far off, he adds, and now is—as in, it is now the time for us to rise from sleep (Romans 13:11). This means the hour is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear will live.

25. This can be explained in two ways. In one way, it refers to the resurrection of the body, and so it is said that the hour is coming, and now is, as if he had said: It is true that eventually all will rise, but even now is the hour when some, whom the Lord was about to raise, will hear the voice of the Son of God. This is how Lazarus heard it when it was said to him, come forth (John 11:43); and in this way the daughter of the synagogue leader heard it (Matthew 9:18); and the widow’s son (Luke 7:12). Therefore, he significantly says, and now is, because through me the dead are already beginning to be raised.

    Another explanation is given by Augustine, according to which and now is refers to the resurrection of the soul. As was said above, resurrection is of two kinds: the resurrection of bodies, which will happen in the future, and the resurrection of souls from the death of unbelief to the life of faith. The first does not take place now, but will occur at the future judgment. The other, the resurrection of souls from the death of injustice to the life of justice, now is. Hence he says, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead, that is, unbelievers and sinners, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear will live, according to the true faith.

26. This passage seems to imply two strange things. One, when he says that the dead will hear. The other, when he adds that it is through hearing that they will come to life again, as though hearing comes before life, whereas hearing is a function of life.

    However, if we refer this to the resurrection of the body, it is true that the dead will hear, that is, obey the voice of the Son of God. For the voice expresses the interior concept. Now all nature obeys the slightest command of the divine will: he calls into existence what does not exist (Romans 4:17). According to this, then, wood, stones, all things—not just the dry bones but also the dust of dead bodies—will hear the voice of the Son of God, insofar as they obey his slightest will. This belongs to Christ, not insofar as he is the Son of man, but insofar as he is the Son of God, because all things obey the Word of God. And so he significantly says, of the Son of God; what kind of man is this, for the sea and winds obey him? (Matthew 8:27).

    If this statement is understood as referring to the resurrection of souls, then the reason for it is this: the voice of the Son of God has a life-giving power. This is the voice by which he moves the hearts of the faithful interiorly by inspiration, or exteriorly by his preaching and that of others: the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63). And so he gives life to the dead when he justifies the wicked.

    Since hearing is the way to life—either of nature through obedience (which repairs nature), or of faith (which repairs life and justice)—he therefore says, and they who hear... will live. They hear by obedience with respect to the resurrection of the body, or by faith with respect to the resurrection of souls. They will then live in the body in eternal life, and in justice in the life of grace.