Fathers

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What the Fathers say

John 8:15

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Ye judge after the flesh." As to live after the flesh is to live badly, so to judge after the flesh is to judge unjustly. "But I judge no man. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true." What He saith, is of this kind; "Ye judge unjustly." "And if," saith some one, "we judge unjustly, why dost Thou not rebuke us? why dost Thou not punish us? …

Homily on the Gospel of John 52 ↗

Cyril of Alexandria

We shall again find the Lord of all using gentleness most worthy of love; for not with equal wrath does He repay those who blaspheme Him, albeit knowing that they ought to participate in bitter punishment: but imitating the more gentle of physicians, He will (I deem) in this too be rightly marvelled at. …

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 5 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

"I," He says, "as God and the One who has come from above, bear witness concerning Myself the truth; but you look only at what is visible, and, since I am in the flesh, you take Me for mere flesh, and not for God and the One who has come from God." "You judge according to the flesh," that is, erroneously. Just as one who lives according to the flesh is said to live viciously, so too of one who judges according to the flesh it must be said that he is an unrighteous judge.

Commentary on John ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"Ye judge after the flesh." Therefore it is, saith He, that you say to me, "Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true," because you judge after the flesh, because you perceive not God; the man you see, and by persecuting the man, you offend God hidden in Him. "Ye," then, "judge after the flesh." Because I bear witness of myself, I therefore appear to you arrogant. For every man, when he wishes to bear commendatory witness of himself, seems arrogant and proud. …

Tractates on John 36 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then (v 15b), he shows that his testimony is true, and that it is false to say that he alone is bearing witness to himself. Because mention was now made about judging, he shows, first, that he is not alone in judging; and secondly, that he is not alone in bearing witness (v 17). He does three things about the first: first, he says that his judgment is deferred; secondly, that his judgment is true; and thirdly, he gives the reason why his judgment is true. He mentions that his judgment is deferred when he says, I do not judge anyone. …

Commentary on John ↗

Bonaventure

"You judge according to the flesh"; First Corinthians three: "Since there is among you jealousy and contention, are you not carnal and walking according to man?" — that is, you judge, because they believed him to be a mere man and to seek his glory as a man; and therefore they challenged his testimony. …

Commentary on John, Chapter 8 ↗