There is another that beareth witness of me: and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
αλλος εστιν ο μαρτυρων περι εμου και οιδα οτι αληθης εστιν η μαρτυρια ην μαρτυρει περι εμου
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
At this point He first brings forward the lesser testimony, namely the testimony of John.
But if the testimony is not true, how do You say that John's testimony is true, and that he bore witness to the truth?
Do you see how from this also it becomes clear that the words, "My witness is not true," were spoken in accommodation to the thoughts of the Jews?
The most wise Solomon gathered together and set before those most capable of learning the things for which each man may rightly be respected and make his life worthy of imitation.
He says, “The righteous is his own accuser in his first speech” (Prov 18:18). And again: “Let your neighbor praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Prov 27:2).
Indeed, the desire of some to be praised not by the mouths of others, but shamelessly to bear witness about themselves to something noble and exceptional, is burdensome and unbearable to hearers.
Such speech may most justly provoke distrust. By certain natural and necessary bonds of self-love, we strive carefully not to ascribe anything bad to ourselves.
Instead, we always clothe ourselves, even quite falsely, with qualities by which each man thinks he appears good and honorable.
Therefore our Lord Jesus Christ ascribed righteous judgment to Himself. He clearly declared that He could do nothing of Himself, but in all His actions set the Father’s will as the rule.
In saying this, He Himself appeared as witness concerning Himself, though He was true. Yet the ignorant Pharisees, through their evil cunning, did not know that He is God by nature.
Therefore, because of what they were about to say, He necessarily comes forward first and says it beforehand.
You will undoubtedly say, following the custom of many and not avoiding the folly proper to the Jews: “You bear witness about Yourself; Your witness is not true” (Jn 8:13).
But against this, He says, hear in turn: I still endure your blasphemous words. I am not at all angered by the words you pour forth from the ignorance so dear to you.
I will grant, hypothetically, that even this is well said by you. Let it be so. You reject My voice. Therefore, “There is Another Who bears witness about Me.”
By this He points to God and the Father Who is in heaven, Who has already borne witness in many ways to the truly divine essence of His Son.
Of the Father He says, “I know that the witness which He bears is true.” By this He shows that His own judgment is fully trustworthy and true.
He does this so that, by seeming to admit that speaking about Himself is false, He may not again give any occasion for slander and attack to those always thinking otherwise.
After yielding to the obligation and custom of not trusting the truth of one’s own praises and commendations, He necessarily returns again, as God, to the dignity proper to Him.
He says that He knows the Father’s “witness” to be “true.” By this He teaches, speaking as it were thus: Being true God, I know Myself.
The Father will say nothing gratuitously about Me, as a favor. I am by nature what He, the Truthful One, would testify Me to be.
Thus in that saying there was an agreement, as it were, admitted by condescension, and a hypothetical rather than actual meaning.
But in the words that He knows the Father’s witness to be true, there is an indication of the trustworthiness proper to God.
Again it should be noted that the Father, according to His hypostasis, is another, distinct from the Son. He is not, as some ignorant heretics thought, a Son-Father (υἱοπάτωρ).
The blessed Forerunner also testified to the truth concerning the Savior, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29).
But if the Savior says that He does not wish to receive witness from man, and that Another bears witness about Him, who is this whose testimony is greater than John’s words?
Certainly He is speaking of the Father, Who said to John, “He upon Whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (Jn 1:33).
Then the voice of the Father came from above, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).
Therefore, when God and the Father names Him Son and confirms the truth of such testimony about Him, who will call Him a creature?
Will such a person not plainly contradict the knowledge the Almighty has concerning His own Offspring? And how could such a man be considered prudent at all?
Thus Moses bore witness to Christ, and John bore witness to Christ. The rest of the prophets also bore witness, and the apostles bore witness to Christ.
Above all these testimonies He places the testimony of His works. For through those men God bore witness to His Son.
But God bears witness to His Son in another way. Through His own Son, God reveals the Son, and through the Son He reveals Himself.
If a man can reach Him, he will not need a lamp. Truly, by digging deeper, he will build his house upon the rock.
I know this, He says, because he deserves the trust of all as a prophet of God, and as one who receives from God what he says.
Having already revealed much about Himself, the Lord did not wish to leave His hearers ignorant of how they themselves could be assured of the truth of His words.
Do you need testimony that I rightly ascribe to Myself the name Son of God? I could bear witness to Myself in this matter, but for you this testimony is not true and does not have proper force. Let it be so. I have another witness, whose testimony has full force.
A question now arises in the hearers of Jesus Christ: by what will You confirm such testimony about Yourself and Your dignity?
Answering this unspoken question, He says: "If I gave testimony only about Myself, and if, apart from My words, it received no confirmation in anything, then you would have the right not to believe Me.
But there is another who bears witness to Me, My Father, whose testimony you cannot refuse to believe.
Thus the Father bears witness to His Son through John. You regard John as a true prophet sent by God, and he testified to the truth that I am the Messiah.
Still, I am willing not to assign decisive significance to John's testimony. After all, he was a man, and one could refuse to trust him.
I remind you of him for your own sake, since you regard him as a true prophet and believe his testimony.
And you do well to believe him. He truly was a prophet, abundantly filled with the light of divine revelation and spreading around himself the bright light of the knowledge of truth.
But you are like children who suddenly become excited with joy when a candle is brought into their dark room.
Yet in that joy they forget to use the light in order to do the very thing for which it was brought into the room.
Likewise, for a time you were stirred by the gift of prophecy dwelling in John. Yet you did not make use of the light of his preaching about repentance.
You did not repent. You did not prepare yourselves to receive the Messiah, although this was precisely his purpose for you.
But I have testimony greater than John's. The miracles which I perform irrefutably prove the divinity of My person and that I am sent from the Father.
Listening to all Jesus’ explanations concerning His consubstantiality with the Father, the Pharisees and scribes were already ready to say to Him: “Who will believe You?”
“For You bear witness about Yourself, and according to our law such witness cannot be acknowledged as true. It requires confirmation by outside witnesses.”
Foreseeing such an objection and, as it were, forestalling it, Jesus says: “If I bear witness about Myself, then according to your notions My witness is not true.”
“Although I need no proof whatever of the truth of My words, still less can I appeal to men as witnesses. Yet to save you from stubbornness in error, I shall appeal to a witness whom you cannot but believe.”
“You sent chosen men from among yourselves to John, to ask him, ‘Who are you? Are you not the Christ?’”
“If you considered John trustworthy even concerning testimony about himself, then you must acknowledge him as trustworthy concerning others also.”
“And behold, this very witness bore witness about Me as the Messiah, the Christ. If this witness is trustworthy, and if the testimony he bears about Me is therefore true, why do you not believe Me?”
“Is it not because you do not believe John either? He was a burning and shining lamp. At first you rejoiced at his appearing, but not for long.”
“The shining lamp illumined your deeds, which you were doing in darkness, and those deeds appeared in their true form. He denounced you for your lawlessness, and you hated him.”
“Yet I do not receive witness from man. But I have witness greater than John’s. The works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, these very works that I do, bear witness about Me that the Father has sent Me.”
“No one has ever done such works as I do. Only God can do them. If I do them, then these very works that I do bear witness that I am sent from God.”
“By these works the Father Who sent Me has Himself borne witness about Me.”
Chrysostom, interpreting Jesus’ words, “And the Father Who sent Me has Himself borne witness about Me,” says that the Father bore witness about the Son at His Baptism in the Jordan.
He did so by the voice from heaven: “This is My beloved Son” (Mt 3:17). Blessed Theophylact thinks that God bore witness about Him in all Scripture, in the Law and the Prophets.
But these words cannot be referred to Scripture, because Jesus speaks later of Scripture as an independent witness, in verse 39.
Nor can one suppose here the voice from heaven at Jesus’ Baptism, because only Jesus Himself and John heard that voice.
Therefore only one possible explanation remains. It refers these words to the miracles performed by Jesus.
In verse 36 Jesus’ words are given: “These very works that I do bear witness about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
Verse 37 begins by repeating what has been said: “And the Father Who sent Me has Himself borne witness about Me.”
Both expressions contain one and the same thought: “The works I do bear witness that the Father has sent Me.”
“And since the Father gave Me these works to accomplish, He Himself also bears witness about Me through these works.”
“In them, in these works done by Me, He appeared to you and spoke with you. But you did not believe Him Whom He sent to accomplish them.”
“Therefore you were deaf and did not hear His voice. You were blind and did not see His appearing. His word is foreign and incomprehensible to you. It leaves no trace in your hearts.”
“And you were willing to rejoice for a little while in his light.” Why were they willing to rejoice, and over what did they rejoice?
They did not receive John’s testimony about Christ. Therefore, it seems there was nothing to rejoice over.
In answering this question, one must keep in mind that the time when John came out of the wilderness and went through all the region around the Jordan coincided with significant events.
These events indicated the near coming of the Messiah. The scepter had departed from Judah, as in Jacob’s prophecy. That is, royal power over the Jews had passed to a foreigner.
The weeks of Daniel were also coming to an end. The chief priests, Pharisees, and scribes knew these prophecies.
They had to expect the near coming of the Messiah. They naturally had to rejoice that this coming would take place during their lifetime.
Having distorted the prophecies about the Messiah, they expected Him as an invincible king and conqueror. He would subject the whole world to the Jews and set them as kings over the conquered peoples.
With such notions of the Messiah, they heard of a new Prophet preaching in the region of the Jordan.
The thought that perhaps this Prophet was the long-awaited Messiah must surely have occupied the leaders of the Jewish people.
Dreams of the arrival of the time when they would reign over the whole world must have gladdened them.
Thus, giving themselves over to their fantasies, they rejoiced at their imminent fulfillment. But they did not rejoice for long.
They went to the Jordan, where John was baptizing. They saw him and heard his thunderous rebuke addressed to them, “brood of vipers.”
They decided that John did not correspond to the image of the Messiah they had formed for themselves. Therefore they went away from him, disappointed and embittered.
Yes, their joy was short-lived. They rejoiced for a little while.
"There is another," and so forth: this "other" is either John the Baptist, according to Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius Zigabenus, or God the Father, according to Cyril of Jerusalem and Augustine.
The discourse that follows is properly about God the Father as bearing witness to Christ in various ways: through the Baptist, through the works, through the Old Testament writings, and through Moses.
Therefore, by the other who bears witness, it is more accurate to understand God the Father.
"Who bears witness," "testimony": see the note on Jn 3:11. "I know that it is true" is a simple but solemn assurance of the undoubted truth of the testimony.
Verse 32. "There is another who bears witness of Me." For Jesus Christ there is an external witness. Who is He? The heavenly Father, not the Baptist, as Theophylact supposed in vain.
This is clear both from verses 34 and 36, and from the greatness of the witness. Against His testimony, Jesus says, no one has anything to say. So teaches Cyril of Alexandria.
Remembering what Chrysostom said in the passage just cited, we again see that the Lord intentionally distinguishes in Himself, the God-man, the man from God.
He shows the Jews that He does not demand that they believe He is sent from God merely on the basis of His own testimony.
Rather, "the works which I do" and the testimonies of God the Father should have convinced the Jews that before them stood God, and not a mere man.
Turning to verse 32, we must note that some have thought the word "He" refers to John the Baptist.
Yet our Russian Synodal translation, by writing "He" in verse 32 with a capital letter, indicates that the testimony of which the Lord speaks is the testimony of the Father.
"The Lord brings forward three witnesses to the truth of His words: the works performed by Him, the testimony of the Father, and the preaching of John," says Chrysostom.
However, Chrysostom considers verse 32 to refer to John the Baptist.
In support of the view that verse 32 refers to the higher divine testimony, we must point out that in verse 34 the Lord speaks of John's testimony.
"I do not receive testimony from man," He says there. Here, in verse 32, the Lord says, "There is another who bears witness to Me.
And I know that the testimony which He bears to Me is true."
By receiving this testimony, the Lord indicates that it is the testimony of the Father of which He speaks.
"I know," the Lord also says: ὀιδα, scio. I know as God. This knowledge is higher than your human understanding.
Westcott especially points this out, noting that this is the absolute knowledge of God.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS