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Christ Pantocrator, Byzantine icon painter

John 3:31

Byzantine icon painter, Christ Pantocrator, 6th century · Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai · Public domainByzantine icon painter, Christ Pantocrator, 6th century, Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

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John 3:31 (WEB)

“He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

Fathers and councils · 18

Eusebius of Caesarea

  • “And this is not a mere assertion, but it is abundantly proved from the records which we have sent you; and not least where he says ‘Jesus Christ is from below.’” — editor's note: ᾽Ιησοῦν χριστὸν κ€τωθεν. Compare, by way of contrast, the words of John iii. 31: “He that cometh from above is above all” (ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος ἐπ€νω π€ντων…

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Hippolytus of Rome

John Chrysostom

Tertullian

  • “…things are not his, but Christ’s, by saying, “He who is from the earth speaketh concerning the earth; He who comes from the realms above is above all;” and again, by saying that he “baptized in repentance only, but that One would shortly come who would baptize in the Spirit and fire;”—of course because true…” — editor's note: John iii. 30, 31, briefly quoted.

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  • ““He who is from the earth,” says John, “speaketh earthly things; and He who is here from the heavens speaketh those things which He hath seen.”” — editor's note: John iii. 31, 32.

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Jerome

Gregory of Nyssa

  • “And as He, that Man from above, having taken deadness on Himself, after His being deposited in the earth, returned back to life the third day, so every one who is knitted to Him by virtue of…” — editor's note: S. John iii. 31: 1 Cor. xv. 47 (ἄνωθεν = ἐξ οὐρανοῦ).

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Augustine of Hippo

  • “…Bridegroom, who both recognized Him in the Holy Spirit, and preached Him in His absence, and pointed Him out when He was present to the recognition of others;—I say nothing of these, as it might be replied that He ought not to have prayed for such when dead, who had gone hence with their great merits, and having met…” — editor's note: Chap. i. 19–36, and iii. 26–36.

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Catena Aurea on John

  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    As the worm gnaws wood, and rusts iron, so vainglory destroys the soul that cherishes it. But it is a most obstinate fault. John with all his arguments can hardly subdue it in his disciples: for after what he has…

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  • Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John

    Christ cometh from above, as descending from the Father; and is above all, as being elected in preference to all.

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  • Alcuin of YorkCatena Aurea on John

    Or, cometh from above; i. e. from the height of that human nature which was before the sin of the first man. For it was that human nature which the Word of God assumed: He did not take upon Him man’s sin, as He did…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    And yet he was not altogether of the earth; for he had a soul, and partook of a spirit, which was not of the earth. What means he then by saying that he is of the earth? Only to express his own worthlessness, that he…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    Or, speaketh of the earth, he saith of the man, i. e. of himself, so far as he speaks merely humanly. If he says ought divine, he is enlightened by God to say it: as saith the Apostle; Yet not I, but the grace of God…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    Having corrected the bad feeling of his disciples, he comes to discourse more deeply upon Christ. Before this it would have been useless to reveal the truths which could not yet gain a place in their minds. It…

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  • Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on John

    That is, from the Father. He is above all in two ways; first, in respect of His humanity, which was that of man before he sinned: secondly, in respect of the loftiness of the Father, to whom He is equal.

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    But after this high and solemn mention of Christ, his tone lowers: And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth. As our senses are our surest channels of knowledge, and teachers are most depended on who have…

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  • Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John

    When ye hear then, that Christ speaketh what He saw and heard from the Father, do not suppose that He needs to be taught by the Father; but only that that knowledge, which He has naturally, is from the Father. For…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    But what is it, which the Son hath heard from the Father? Hath He heard the word of the Father? Yea, but He is the Word of the Father. When thou conceivest a word, wherewith to name a thing, the very conception of…

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