Jesus answered him: I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither all the Jews resort: and in secret I have spoken nothing.
απεκριθη αυτω ο ιησους εγω παρρησια ελαλησα τω κοσμω εγω παντοτε εδιδαξα εν συναγωγη και εν τω ιερω οπου παντοτε οι ιουδαιοι συνερχονται και εν κρυπτω ελαλησα ουδεν
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What then does Christ say? Refuting this, He says, "I have spoken openly to the world," and not privately to the disciples. I taught openly in the temple.
What then? Did He say nothing in secret? He did, but not as they thought. It was not from fear, nor with the intention of stirring up rebellion, but only when His teaching surpassed the understanding of the common people.
What then does the Lord do? He answers his suspicions. He says, "I have spoken nothing in secret."
You suspect Me of being some rebel who secretly forms conspiracies. But I tell you that I have spoken nothing in secret, that is, nothing seditious. Nor, as you think, do I introduce anything new.
I have spoken nothing of My own with a cunning and hidden intent. If we understand these words of the Lord apart from the high priest's suspicion, He would appear to be speaking falsely.
For He said many things privately, namely those things that surpassed the understanding of the common people. See also the interpretation of Jn 18:23.
He says that to ask as though unknown about what everyone knows is a vain labor. How could one still think of concealing what should already be known?
Christ seems to say something like this in order to turn aside accusations invented by the malice of the rulers and clumsily composed.
I think He also indicates something else in these words. "I," He says, "have spoken boldly to the world."
That is, what was revealed to you through Moses is expressed through figures and shadows. It does not clearly teach the will of God.
It gives a figurative representation of the truth, and, clothed in the roughness of the letter, it does not communicate knowledge of what is necessary.
"But I have spoken boldly to the world." That is, without riddles and shadow, I set forth the perfect idea of the good.
I showed the wholly straight path of piety toward God, free from every crookedness.
"I have spoken to the world," He says, and not to the people of Israel alone. For although our teaching may not yet be known throughout the whole inhabited world, in time it will be so.
"I always taught in the synagogue." What does this mean? Is it not necessary to say?
He seems, even unwillingly, to compel the representatives of the Jews to remember the following prophecy concerning Him. The divine Isaiah spoke it to us as though from the person of Christ.
"I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth" (Is 45:19). And again: "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people" (Is 65:2).
Indeed, what else can speaking not in secret and not in a dark place mean, if not speaking boldly and conversing in places where there is no small gathering of hearers?
Therefore He very beautifully and rightly brings the prophet's words to remembrance. They must know that they judge impiously the One who ought to have been the object of their hopes.
For the promise belongs to the Jews, according to the word of Paul (Rom 9:4).
A question arises which cannot be passed over: why did the Lord say, "I have spoken openly to the world," and especially, "I have said nothing in secret"?
In that recent discourse, when He spoke with the disciples after supper, did He not say to them, "I have spoken to you in figures; but the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures, but shall tell you plainly of the Father" (Jn 16:25)?
If, then, even among the closest circle of His disciples He did not speak plainly, but promised that the hour was coming when He would speak plainly, when did He speak openly to the world?
Moreover, as the authority of the other evangelists bears witness, He certainly spoke more openly with those who were His disciples than with those who were not. He did this when He was alone with them, apart from the multitude of others.
For then He explained to them the parables which He told to others while leaving them obscure. What, then, does "I have said nothing in secret" mean?
Yet His words, "I have spoken openly to the world," should be understood as though He said, "Many have heard Me." The very word "openly" was in one sense open, and in another sense not open.
It was open, because many heard. Yet it was not open, because many did not understand.
And what He said separately to His disciples, however one may take it, He did not say in secret. For who speaks in secret when he speaks before so many people?
For it is written, "At the word of two witnesses, or at the word of three witnesses, a matter shall be established" (Deut 19:15).
This is all the more true if He spoke to a few what He wished to reveal to many through them. Concerning this the Lord Himself says to the few who were with Him: "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach upon the housetops" (Mt 10:27).
Therefore, the very thing which seemed to be spoken by Him in a hidden manner was, in a certain sense, not spoken as a secret. For He did not speak so that those to whom it was said should keep silence.
Rather, He spoke so that it might be preached everywhere. Thus something may be said openly and yet not openly, or secretly and yet not as a secret.
For it is said, "that seeing they may see and not see" (cf. Mk 4:12). Why do they "see," if not because it is open and not secret?
And why do the same persons "not see," if not because it is not open, but hidden?
Yet the very thing which men heard and did not understand was such that it could not truly become a charge of crime against Him.
And whenever they questioned Him in order to find something by which to accuse Him, He answered them in such a way that all their snares were broken and their devices confounded.
For this reason He said, "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; behold, they know what I said."
Jesus answered him: "I have spoken openly to the world." I openly taught all the people, not only the disciples.
"I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always gather, and in secret I have said nothing." That is, nothing of the sort you suppose, nothing that stirs up the people or displeases God.
But did Jesus Christ not often speak with the disciples privately? Yes, but He said nothing of the kind the high priest supposed.
Not wishing to satisfy the idle curiosity of the cunning Sadducee, the Savior said: "I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them. Behold, they know what I said."
Here, in every word, one hears echoes of Hebrew justice, which rested on very broad foundations. Christ reminds the unjust judge of the first duty of his great ministry.
Yet, as an ancient Hebrew writer who studied this people in ancient times observed, "when a lowly man is exalted, the wicked surround him on every side."
Still, there can be no doubt that in these untimely hours between Thursday night and Friday morning, certain rites of legal procedure under Hebrew law were observed.
However unrighteous Christ's judges were, they were still men raised in Hebrew law and knew all its details thoroughly.
They must have felt it impossible, while violating judicial righteousness, to violate at the same time every form of trial.
Jesus Christ, as we have seen, demanded a true formal accusation and investigation: "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them."
To the very end we shall hear from Him not one further word. When the demand for public justice was answered by a nighttime investigation, the Accused refused to take part in it.
"And in secret I have said nothing." These words recall a very curious measure prescribed by the Mishnah concerning the Mesith, or private "seducer," that is, laicus seducens laicum (De Synedriis, XII, 10).
This expression is translated in the Gospel by the words, "He perverts the people" (Lk 23:2).
In the case of such a person, who privately said, "Let us go after other gods," the rule was suspended that one must not set a trap for the accused.
The person being seduced could pretend to agree with the seducer. In this way he could give hidden witnesses the opportunity to overhear the Mesith and testify against him.
The question was unnecessary and treacherous. Therefore the Prisoner answered it with right and dignity: "I have spoken openly to the world.
"I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and in secret I have said nothing.
"Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; behold, they know what I said."
By this answer Christ reminded the unjust judge of his blatant violation of judicial laws. These required an open, daytime trial with witnesses, not a secret trial at night before an armed crowd.
For this reason the answer so enraged the surrounding servants that one of them insolently struck Christ on the cheek and cried out: "Do You answer the high priest so?"
The answer of the Lord Jesus Christ should have reminded the unjust judge of the first duty of his great ministry.
"Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them. Behold, they know what I said."
By these words the Savior directly points out to Annas the illegality of his interrogation. It was in a form unknown to Jewish legal procedure and not permitted by it.
"In secret I have said nothing": this does not deny that the Lord sometimes offered His disciples an explanation of His teaching in private (Mt 10:27).
For this was not secret teaching in the sense indicated by the high priest's question. Moreover, the discussion concerns the Lord's activity in general as a Teacher of the people.
"I," He says, "have said nothing in secret. You suspect Me of being some rebel who secretly forms plots.
"But I tell you that in secret I have said nothing, that is, nothing seditious. Nor do I introduce anything new, as you think.
"Nor have I said anything of My own with a crafty and hidden intention" (Theophylact; cf. Chrysostom).
Showing that His teaching is holy, pure, and not subject to suspicion, the Lord first points to the open manner of His teaching.
For more than three years it was taught in the hearing of the world. Many thousands heard Him throughout the whole land.
It was taught in the synagogue (Jn 6:59), where, according to Jewish custom, only the law of God was taught, and where they would not have allowed heresy to be taught.
It was taught in the temple (Jn 8:20; 10:23), where the law itself commands instruction in piety to be offered.
There the Jews gathered from all lands for the great feasts. They therefore witnessed what Jesus Christ offered with full freedom of spirit, and no one convicted Him of contradicting the holy faith (Mt 21:23; Lk 19:17; 21:37).
It was offered always, as soon as an occasion opened for it and as soon as there appeared people wishing to hear what is necessary for eternity (Lk 19:4-7).
Jesus taught nothing in secret. He never had hidden assemblies. On the contrary, He said to His disciples: "What is said to you in the ear, preach from the housetops" (Mt 10:27).
He said: "Only he who does evil fears the light and flees from it, lest his deeds should be exposed" (Jn 3:20).
After this it is clear that it is inappropriate, dishonest, and unjust to suspect such teaching of schism or heresy.
After this it is clear that there is no reason for the high priest Anan to ask the Teacher Jesus Himself about His teaching, which was so well known to all.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 27 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS