Fathers

John 16

Tap a verse to read the Fathers. Press and hold, then drag, to make a card.

“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged. “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you. A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.” Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?” They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.” Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

About · Privacy · Credits · Support VRSZ

What the Fathers say

John 16:11

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Here again He mooteth the argument concerning righteousness, that He had overthrown His opponent. Now had He been a sinner, He could not have overthrown him; a thing which not even any just man had been strong enough to do. "But that he hath been condemned through Me, they shall know who trample on him hereafter, and who clearly know My Resurrection, which is the mark of Him who condemneth him. For he was not able to hold Me. …

Homily on the Gospel of John 78 ↗

Cyril of Alexandria

God then has called him the prince of this world, not as really being so in truth, or as though this overruling power were a dignity inherent in his being, but as he had the glory thereof by fraud and covetousness, and as he is still holding sway and ruling over those that are astray by reason of the wicked purpose that is in them, by which having their mind fast bound in error they are inextricably entangled in the noose of captivity, even though it was in their power to escape by being converted through faith in Christ to a …

Commentary on the Gospel of John - Book 10 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

He will convict "of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged," that is, that I am righteous and sinless — this the Spirit will prove also by the fact that the prince of this world has been judged and defeated by Me. They said: "He has demons" (Jn. 8:48-52; Jn. 10:20); "He casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub" (Mt. 12:24); "He deceives the people" (Jn. 7:12). All of this will be shown to be false when the devil is judged and it is proven to all that he has been defeated by Me. …

Commentary on John ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

Or, is judged, i. e. is destined irrevocably for the punishment of eternal fire. And of this judgment is the world reproved, in that it is judged with its prince, the proud and ungodly one whom it imitates. Let men therefore believe in Christ, lest they be reproved of the sin of unbelief, by which all sins are retained; pass over to the number of the believing, lest they be reproved of the righteousness of those whom justified they do not imitate; beware of the judgment to come, lest with the prince of this world whom they …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Bede

He calls the devil "the ruler of this world" because he rules over those who, in a perverse way, love the world rather than the world's Maker. He was judged by the Lord when he said, "I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven." He was judged by [the Lord] when he was casting out demons and when he gave his disciples the power of treading on all the power of the enemy. …

Homilies on the Gospels 2.11 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

2097 Thirdly, the Holy Spirit reproves the world by the judgment. This is because the ruler of this world is already judged. It is the devil who is the ruler of this world, that is, of worldly people. He is the ruler, not by creation, but by his suggestions and their imitation of him: "Those on his side imitate him" (Wis 2:25); "He is king over all the sons of pride" (Job 41:34). …

Commentary on John ↗