A who have sinned, shall rise to judgment. But as for the state of infants, since they too are resurrected, God alone perhaps knows, as do those to whom the revelation of the truth concerning this matter has been made.
III.
Cap. VI. Vers. 25. *When they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when did you come here?*Here also it should be noted how easily their impetus was broken. For those who had said, "This is the prophet," B who had labored to seize him so as to make him king, having found him, by no means appoint him king; but, having cast off their amazement, as I think, they no longer marveled at the previous things, but were longing again to enjoy a table such as had been provided before. The Jews had indeed crossed the Red Sea once, with Moses leading; but there is a great difference. For he performed everything while praying, and as a servant; but this one [did so] with full authority. And there, when a south wind blew, the water receded, so that they could pass over on dry land; here, however, a greater miracle occurred. For the sea, remaining in its own nature, thus carried its Lord upon its back, bearing witness to the oracle which says: C "Walking upon the sea as upon pavement." Rightly, moreover, as he was about to enter Capharnaum, a rebellious and unbelieving town, he performed the miracle, making himself manifest not only to those within it but also to those outside the city by the things miraculously done, and rendering them evident, wishing to soften its unbelief. For when such great multitudes of people had flocked there, setting aside the care for other things—what stone would this not have been sufficient to soften? Yet they experienced nothing of the sort, but again were longing for corporal food.
IV.
Vers. 26. *You seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate from the loaves and were filled.*Benignity and gentleness are not always useful, but sometimes the master must use harshness when the student is lazy and dull. This the Son of God did also, as D many times elsewhere, so also at this time. For when the crowds came, and were flattering him, and saying: "Master, when did you come here?"—in order to show that he does not desire human glory, he answered them harshly, with only their salvation proposed to himself; and wishing not only to provide this, but even to bend their mind and bring it into the open. For what does he say? "Amen I say to you," that is, definitely and firmly: "You seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate from the loaves and were filled." The miracle of the loaves had not stunned the crowds, but the being filled. Therefore they had come again, so that they might enjoy the same benefit. Hence they were saying: "Our fathers ate the manna in the desert." Now after he had struck the crowds with this great rebuke, he did not stop here, but added a warning, saying:
A “Work, not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which remaineth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.” Do not, he says, be concerned with this food, but with that spiritual and immortal one, which leads to immortal life. He says these things not to forbid working, but so that we might not be clung to created things, taking thought for the rest of the morrow. For it is possible to work without hoarding or worrying about anything for the morrow. If someone being idle is busy with his belly and pleasures, this one works for the food which perisheth; but if one should feed and give drink and clothe Christ, working B both bodily and spiritually, who is so senseless and mad as to say that such a one works for food that perisheth, for the sake of which the promise of the kingdom that is to come and the enjoyment of those good things is to be partaken of? For this food remains perpetually. Then, since he had spoken something great about himself, and had said that he would give it, so that he might not again bring upon himself the aforementioned objection, making his word credible, he leads the provision of such food to the Father; for having said, “Which the Son of man shall give unto you,” he added, “For him the Father, even God, hath sealed,” that is, “For this purpose he sent him, to supply you with this heavenly food.” The expression also implies another interpretation; for elsewhere Christ says: “He that heareth my words hath set his seal that God is true”; in so far as he has affirmed the truth of God to be in him, that is, he demonstrated and revealed it through his own testimony; for he had indeed shown himself; but because he was speaking to the Jews, he brought the testimony of the Father into the midst.
V. Verse 59. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever. C If it seems to be contrary to that which says, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness,” there is by no means any disagreement. For if anyone does not hunger, nor thirst, after having eaten of this bread and drunk of the immortal cup, nevertheless, because of the lovely and praiseworthy nature of the food and the drink, he who is satisfied still hungers, and he who hungers still thirsts, so that he is always satisfied and always hungering.
VI. Chapter VIII. Verse 51. If a man keep my word, he shall never see death. D Since the Saviour had said that he who keeps his word shall not see death, the Jews who were present were mistaken, and assumed that "to see death" was the same as "to taste it." For it seemed to them, in so far as their words went, that he would not taste death who would not experience common death. But this seems to subvert the Lord’s promise, since even those who have kept his word die. However, their error arose from a malicious cavil concerning homonymy. For he who keeps the word of Jesus shall not see the death that follows because of sin, even if he should taste of common and bodily death.
A Since they spoke indefinitely, "The prophets are dead," without adding "all," there is no contradiction in the fact that Enoch and Elias did not experience death.
VII. Vers. 56. *Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day.*
We must ask what day he means. I say, then, that since the Savior is and is called the true light and the sun of righteousness, He creates a day whenever He rises upon someone through virtue and divine knowledge. Since, therefore, He also appeared to Abraham, illuminating him unto righteousness, he rejoiced with rational joy, seeing the intellectual day of the Lord.
VIII.
CAP. IX, vers. 37. *And you have seen him; and it is he who speaks with you.*
B The eyes of his heart had been illuminated, because the true light had shone upon him. But he who, on the contrary, is held blinded by his own ignorance, seems to himself to have no sin, in that he has not voluntarily committed at least more grievous things. But ignorance itself is in another sense a sin; for, being a rational human, he could have possessed the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, he is condemned for the negligence of that very ignorance. Thus you will understand that saying: *The servant who has not known his Lord's will shall be beaten with few.*
IX.
CAP. XIV, vers. 28. *The Father is greater than I.*
In what sense did the Savior utter the word "greater"? Is it in terms of the size of bodies? Or as being greater in time? Or as adorned with greater virtue? But all these things are within the bounds of quantity, and of things that are capable of being measured. But there is nothing capable of being measured or limited in God. Therefore, nothing "greater" or "less" is spoken of regarding God the Word or the Father; for God is not of a nature to be measured or circumscribed. C But if you say the Father is greater because He is unbegotten and the Son is begotten, we shall say that these are modes of existences, not of substances—and especially in the case of those that are without quality and incorporeal—and they do not diminish the dignity of those who are consubstantial, by attributing "less" or "more" to this one or that one. For that which is simple in substance and intelligence is not of a nature to be compared by measure or quantity of size. Why, then, was it said? The Savior brought forth a double method of teaching in one statement. For the meaning of the word spoken is twofold. For example, by the words, *He who sent me*, and *I go*, He hinted at the body existing in a place, which is circumscribed, and not at His own uncircumscribed divinity which embraces all things. But by the comparative word, by which He says the Father is greater than Himself, He manifests His divinity as being compared with the Father, in that He is consubstantial with Him, yet so that on account of the assumption of the body, He is regarded as less than the Father. D And do not be surprised if the Savior says He is less than the Father when He has become man, since even [He is] a little lower than the angels
[is] said A according to this: "A little less than the angels we see Jesus because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor." And it was said to his own disciples as being the lesser: "But I," he says, "am in the midst of you as one who serves and as the lesser." Therefore, things which are compared in this way are consubstantial; but things which are simple in concept of mind and in substance do not admit of greater and lesser. But if, regarding the divinity of the Son, you wish to interpret the saying, "The Father who sent me is greater than I," without the assumption of flesh, you will make him contained and enclosed in places, and sent where he was not, and departing from where he is—which is absurd.
B CAP. XVII, vers 2. Glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you.
This is what he says: "Reveal me to those who are ignorant; make manifest to them the glory which I have with you, being God the Word." For "No one," he says, "is able to come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him." In the same way, one is to understand also the Son glorifying the Father by revealing him to those who did not know God. In this same way also the Holy Spirit is said to glorify the Son, by revealing him to those who are ignorant. But if he speaks more humanly even here, do not be surprised; for he does this for the reasons already stated, and always taking care C lest he seem to speak magnificently about himself.
The words, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God," he says by way of distinction from the so-called gods; for indeed he was about to send them to the nations that had many gods. But if they [the Arians] will not endure this because of the word "only," but deny that the Son is the true God, proceeding further they will also deny that he is the Son of God. It must be known, moreover, that he speaks of the cause in place of the caused thing; for to know the true One procures for us eternal life.
FRAGMENTS FROM DIDYMUS’ EXPOSITION ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
(Wolf, Anecdota, vol. IV, p. 1, from a Catena ms. on the Acts which the library of New College, Oxford, preserves, codex LVIII.)
D CAP. II, vers 5. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem.
Didymus. The words, "from every nation," are to be understood more broadly.