St. Augustine and the Gospel According to JohnTractate XII – John 3:6-21

Contents

I. Introduction

II. Summary

III. Augustine and the Jerome Biblical Commentary: A Comparison

A. Similarities

B. Differences

IV. Theological themes

A. Doctrinal and Dogmatic Relevance

1. Eschatological Concept

i. Present Eschatology

ii. Future Eschatology

2. Interpretation of the ‘Spirit’

3. Salvation concept

4. Exaltation of the Cross

5. Christology

6. Sacramental Dimension

B. Pastoral Significance

V. Personal Reflection

I. Introduction:

In this pseudo-research paper, the researcher opted to choose Augustine’s homily on John

3:6-21 or rather called in work as Tractates XII. However, if we are to compare this homily of

Augustine to the New American Bible version, Jn: 3:6-21 is placed as only a part of the entire

Chapter 3 without topical division, in other words, it is at the center between John 3:1-5 and John

3:22-29. With this given set of arrangement, we can only think of chapter 3 forming a sandwich

pattern in biblical exegesis. Being Jn 3:6-21 as the center of the pattern gives us the hint that it is

the meat and pivotal part of the entire dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemos. Tractates XI: Jn

2:23-25 and Tractates XIII: Jn 3:22-29 are separately discussed with different respective themes

that would form as the introduction and the conclusion respectively. Thus, this is the reason why

the researcher chose this particular tractate of Augustine in Chapter 3 of John’s Gospel. Tractate

XI is a preliminary reading in our discussion since the themes in tractate XI are recurring and

tractate XII leads to its ending verses which are separately shared by Augustine in his homily on

Tractate XII.

The researcher then will delved on this particular tractate with depth but according to his

capacity as a student of Theology. Moreover, the researcher cannot guarantee the exact and most

likely message of the Homily according to its original context.

The main purpose of this work is to have a deeper appreciation of the Gospel of John

based upon the reflections and homilies of our Holy Father, St. Augustine, who was known for

his great love with the Sacred Scriptures that are literally manifested from his voluminous works

of such.

For this opus, the discussion is divided into several parts which include, first, the

introduction that will give us a little background of the tractate to which it was addressed. Then it

will be followed by a summary side-by-side with the understanding of the researcher on the text.

Chapter III will deal onwards on a comparative study of the work of Augustine to a Biblical

commentary, the Jerome Biblical Commentary. For Chapter IV lays out to us the different

themes present on the tractates such as its Christology, Morality, Eschatology, Doctrines and

Pastoral. And lastly, Chapter V is the personal reflection of the researcher on the Word of God.

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Preliminary Historical-Background:

We won’t fully understand the tractates of Augustine if we would not know his audience.

This is a preliminary consideration since it will guided us all through out the discussion some of

the reasons why Augustine delivered this particular homily attached with various themes.

It seems that Augustine sounds like he is always reminding and cautious of what message

he was trying to impart to his listeners. Augustine frequently mentions “Catechumen” (Tractates

XII,3; XI,1), whom he calls ‘beloved’ (Tractate XII,1) or even ‘brethren’. Catechumen in

general term means “a learner, accepted into Catechumenate, being taught the principles of

Christianity to qualify for formal entry into the Church”.1 At that time maybe when Augustine

was delivering his homily most of his listeners in a particular venue of the celebration of the

Holy Eucharist were Catechumens. It is always centered upon them. For Augustine, he describes

them further as weak and confused about the principles of the faith. They are weak and confused

because Augustine considered the catechumens’ difficulty to apprehend “to the gospel lesson”

(Tractate XII,1).

II. Summary

The content of Tractates XII is 3:6-21 of the Gospel of John. It would be much

convenient to put the Biblical verses used so that we could always refer to the text anytime.

6 What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.7 Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above.'8 The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?"10 Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?11 Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.12 If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

1 ? Jovian P. Lang, OFM, “Dictionary of the Liturgy”, (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1989), p 90.

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16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

1. St. Augustine began his homily of John 3:6-21 through an observation from his audience that

a number of listeners increased more than usual. His homily last Sunday, the ‘Lord’s Day’,

must have spread and invited more people to come and listen to where Augustine was

preaching. ‘Beloved’, to whom Augustine calls his audience, may give us a hint that it refers

to the Catechumens since he is lenient in delivering his homily by saying “He who attends to

it wholly apprehends with difficulty, must not he who divides himself by diverse thoughts let

go what he has received.”. The topic he discussed last Sunday from John 2:23-25 – 3:105

which speaks of ‘Spiritual regeneration’ was fittingly applicable to “Catechumens’ since he

often repeated it in Tractate XI and even on the proceeding paragraphs Augustine also

mentioned Catechumens. The discourse was very sensitive that required much cautiousness

and deeper understanding about it. Thus he continues his discourse by focusing on John 3:6-

21.

2. This paragraph is divided into two separate discussions. First, Augustine recalled the

meaning and understanding of ‘spiritual regeneration’ as referring to Baptism. This is

different from the ‘generation of the flesh’, which is the physical birth of a human being

through a mother’s womb. Augustine expounded the discourse between Jesus and

Nicodemus by clarifying what really Jesus meant of being born again. Second, Augustine

shifted his discourse by asking, “How about those who were born heretic and schismatics?

He answered this by associating this kind of people to those of characters in the Old

Testament. Schismatics and heretics are like those born from a bond woman (handmaid/

slave). Just like Hagar, Abrahama’s handmaid, his son Ishmael was disinherited. On the other

hand, Isaac, born of a free woman, Sarah, was made heir. So, what’s the connection of the

OT characters to the concept of spiritual regeneration? Augustine may simply mean here that

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those people who are baptized in the name of Christ through the Church will be inherited and

the kingdom of God is theirs while for those who were reborn as heretics will be disinherited.

They cannot enter the kingdom of God. So this is the ‘future seen of all the people’.

3. Augustine keeps on repeating John 2:24, “But Jesus would not trust himself to them because

he knew them all”. But why? Augustine sees this intriguing verse a precursor to the dialogue

between Jesus and Nicodemus. The dialogue is the answer. Jesus did not trust them because

they were not yet baptized in ‘the water and in the spirit’. In order to earn the trust of Jesus,

one must be baptized first as Augustine emphasized it twice in this paragraph. And only the

Church can conceive them in that spiritual regeneration. The catechumens who are soon to be

baptized are to be like an infant that cannot separate from his mother’s breast so that he can

be fed well.

4. Augustine sees again the parallelism of John’s gospel to the time of the Old Testament. He

asks how about those born of a bond woman? But, first we must consider and remember that

Augustine used this parallelism to address indirectly the heretics and schismatics as

mentioned in the previous paragraph. Those sons born of a bond woman were not

disinherited because they were born of such but because of their attitude. Ishmael born of

Hagar, a bond woman and Isaac, born of Sarah, a free woman, meanwhile, in the case of

Jacob and Esau, who were twins, both born of a free woman, Rebekah, had the same fate.

Esau and Ishmael were disinherited form their respective fathers while Isaac and Jacob

inherited their father’s land. Augustine means here that it is not an assurance that being born

of a free woman, one can inherit his father’s land automatically but not. These sons, Ishmael

and Esau, were too proud of themselves as Augustine describes them vividly. Augustine

reminds his catechumen that it is not an assurance for them, though they might be born and

baptized in the Church, that they can automatically receive the kingdom of God while being

proud. It is rather better for those who here born of heretic and schismatic parents yet they

seek their selves and love the world for the inheritance of Christ. Just like in the case of

Jacob and Esau.

5. Now Augustine enters into discussion on Jn 3:6-8 to continue his discourse of the gospel. As

we all know, a type of biblical interpretation of this particular chapter is a misunderstanding.

Carnal and literal interpretation of the Jn 3:3 results to John 3:4. However, it was explained

by the evangelist to interpret the matter not literally. However, Augustine in this matter

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developed the idea of “that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the

Spirit is spirit”. Augustine meant of being born in spirit as baptism to which the Church was

given the inheritance to continue as she was born from God. In order for one to be ‘born in

the inheritance of God as his Father, he then must be born from the bowels of the Church.’

Through the Church, that spirit is presented through ‘word and sacrament’; wherein the Spirit

of the Lord is present everywhere. Moreover, Augustine exhorted that Jn 3:8 is an allusion to

a particular psalm. The meaning of spirit here is like a wind, which we don’t know where it

come and where it goes. But one thing is certain, the wind or spirit as Augustine says is

everywhere as long us ‘word and sacrament’ is present and of course the Church for the

Spirit is in and with the Church.

6. John 3:9-11 is now being discussed by associating it to a particular virtue, which is humility.

Augustine saw the humility of Jesus in front of Nicodemus. At the same time, this is in

contrast to the previous paragraphs, which speaks of pride, which is totally opposite to

humility. Jesus taunted Nicodemus but not scornfully. For Augustine, Jesus taunted him as

an unlearned man. God wants him to be humble for to whom he was talking to was God

himself. Jesus might have say, “you are a master in Israel, and knows nothing bout these

things? As if he is a proud chief.” But Jesus did not, Jesus brought out the being unlearned of

the person by humbling himself. The ways of God is being humble. Augustine summarized

the life of Jesus as an example of humility by citing verses from the bible about his

incarnation, a God who became man, his death on cross was a sign of obedience and humility

to the Father. Incarnation and salvation concept is indirectly presented here by Augustine by

associating it to the dialogue of Nicodemus and Jesus.

7. Jn 3:6-21 is being dealt verse-by-verse, Augustine gives his interpretation by topics while

maintaining a certain theme. In other words, in the case of Jn 3:12, “If I tell you about

earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly

things?” Augustine expounded and dealt it separately. It is like that this verse is a precursor

or a hint to the following days of Jesus in his ministry that people will not believe on him

especially if he tells ‘earthly things’, which are impossible for a human being to do.

Augustine cited the life of Jesus on earth when he said that he will destroy and raise the

temple in tree days; that he himself will die and on the third day rise again. These are earthly

things that means heavenly. May be this is the reason why people would not understand. This

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goes the same with what Jesus said about being born in the water and spirit, which was only

understood by Nicodemus literally or earthily.

8. Augustine interpreted Jn 3:13, “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come

down from heaven, the Son of Man”, with another theme, which is the Christology of Jesus

Christ. Augustine knew that these verse speaks of the two natures of Christ, ‘the two

nativities of Christ are understood; one divine, the other human’. He is a God, who

‘descended from heaven to earth for our sake’ and man in return should ascend to his sake.

This is Christ’s divinity that he is the only being, who descended from heaven and comes

back to heaven by the fulfillment of his death on the cross. He is the God of heaven and earth

as Augustine exhorts at the end of the paragraph.

9. This paragraph is like an insertion or additional interpretation of Augustine on Jn 3:13, with

which he addressed to those who ‘hate unity’. I think he refers to the schismatics, who are

cause of division in Augustine’s time. Augustine now trickily asked his listeners, if Jesus

Christ is the only one, who descended and ascended, how about then those people, who hope

that they will inherit the kingdom of God? Augustine replies to himself, that ‘he came down

in order that in Him and with Him they might be one, who should ascend through Him.’

Augustine emphasized ‘one’ as an important character in baptism. Through baptism of the

water and spirit, we become one with Christ.

10. Augustine now differentiates God from Man. He described God on Jesus Christ, who

incarnated and redeemed mankind from sin. God is also the creator of all things and

importantly, Jesus as equal with the Father. While man is a known as mortal subject to death,

and man as subject to the persuasion of the cunning devil. I think in this part, Augustine

elaborated John 3:13 with a clear distinction of Jesus, Son of Man as God in contrast to

human beings.

11. This paragraph now focuses on Jn 3:14-15, Augustine’s listeners might be wondering why

Jesus mentioned Moses in the dialogue, and so he recalled the incident that happened in the

time of Moses and tried to discover why this was used as a figurative language. Israelites at

the time of Moses were bitten by serpents that which caused many deaths in the wilderness.

Death was conquered when Moses obeyed God to make a ‘brazen serpent’ and raise it to a

pole, so every time a person is bitten he is to look at the pole and then he will be healed.

Augustine figuratively connected it to the life of Jesus. The sins are the biting serpent and

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Jesus’ death on the cross as a life-giving. Through ‘Christ’s death men were healed from sin’.

‘Jesus conquered death triumphantly in his resurrection.’ Augustine reminds his audience

that ‘those who look in faith on Christ’s death are healed from the bites of sins.’

12. John 3:16-18 for Augustine is where we can find the meaning of judgment to man.

Augustine showed how human beings will be judged based from these verses. For Augustine

judgment has already taken place especially to those who do not believe in the ‘name of the

only-begotten Son of God’. However, this kind of judgment has not yet appeared. God

judges not the world but the person as Augustine clarifies the words that Jesus said. In other

words, non-believers are judged already but not yet. It is because God already knows who are

preserving for the crown and who for the flame of hell.

13. The judgment of God is to come into the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. Light will

come because men have loved darkness and loved their evil works. However, Augustine

helps his listeners what John 3:19-21 mean. For Augustine being in darkness is being a

sinful human being. For one to come to the light, he must confess. Confession is the

beginning of good works.

14. Augustine ended and concluded his sermon on John 3:6-21 by exalting two strong

commanding action verbs “Run” and “Awake” to his listeners. They need to ‘run’ so that the

darkness of evil may not hold them and freeze them to love evil works. And, they need to be

‘awake’ since all he has said was for their salvation. Augustine addressed his listeners to

approach ‘Confessions’ for there is ‘truth’ in it. Augustine says, ‘while it is day: the day

shines, Christ is the day. He is ready to forgive sins but first acknowledge those sins’ like that

of ‘murder, theft, adultery’. If one thinks that these are only ‘minute things’ and can just be

‘neglected’, it can ‘kill’. For sins are like the ‘minute drops of sand that swell the rivers but if

much sand is put together, the heap presses and crushes.’

III. Augustine and the Jerome Biblical Commentary: A comparison

After a great dealing of summarizing the work of Augustine on John 3:6-21, now we

have come a point to compare and contrast some themes and interpretation of Augustine to a

present and updated interpretation of the same verses, the New Jerome Biblical Commentary,

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particularly to the commentary of Pheme Perkins on the Gospel of John. First, we have to

identify the similarities of the two works and then, second, we will be extracting some themes

different from each other.

A. Similarities:

1. John 3:6-8 is being dealt by Augustine and Pheme as if part of a group. However,

they have different interpretations about these verses. Both addressed the ‘spirit’

something that belongs to heaven and ‘flesh’ belongs to earthly things. For Pheme, he

described flesh belonging to human beings as subject to weakness, to sinfulness and

alienation from God.

2. The eschatological dimension of John 3:16-21 is discussed by both, Augustine and

Perkins. There is a connection between believing in the Son and not being judged but

having eternal life. Though Augustine did not exactly write ‘eschatology’ yet he is

still definite that believing in Jesus Christ affects our salvation.

3. Jesus’ exaltation of the cross was also discussed by both scholars. It can be found in

Augustine’s Tractate XII, 11 while Perkins’ version is on page 956 of the New

Jerome Biblical Commentary. Augustine’s concept of exaltation of the cross is

discussed on the following chapter. (see pg. 13)

4. “Son-of-Man” Christology adds to the similarities of the two writings. Both have said

their respective understanding of Jesus as ‘Son-of-God’. Augustine discussion about

it is found in Tractate XII, 8-10, which is a very long discussion in contrast to his

other interpretation of the verses.

B. Differences:

I think it would be better and easier to structure the differences of two scholars in

interpreting the gospel through this column.

Theme/verses Augustine Pheme Perkins

Jn 3:6-8 “… what is born of the Spirit”

Augustine associated the ‘spirit’ to the Church. To whom that gives earthly birth are our mothers while to

Pheme did not mention ‘Church’ that begets the one in spirit but he defined the cleansing power of the spirit.

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whom that gives spiritual rebirth is the Church. This birth can only be attained if one is baptized through the Church.

He speaks of the purification that it gives.

Jn 3:12 “if I tell you earthly things and you do not believe;”

Augustine cited more earthly things that Jesus said. People are misunderstood by what Jesus utters. Just like when Jesus said that he will destroy the temple and raise it again in three days. Augustine saw this verse as a precursor to the following events of Jesus.

Perkins thought of this verse as a proverbial parallelism in both Jewish and Greek writers.

Jn 3:16 “he gave his only son” Augustine’s meaning of the expression is that his being given up to death is a sacrifice on the cross. Being lifted up on the cross, and whoever gazes upon him with faith will be healed from the bites of sins.

The expression does not focus on the death of Jesus as sacrifice but to be understood as a reference to Jesus’ being given up to death.

Jn 3:19-21 “those who do the truth come to the light”

He also mentioned about being righteous. It means one must be humble for there begins the truth. From darkness you come to the light so that it might manifest in God. To be righteous is to do Confessions according to Augustine.

For Perkins, “do the truth” means being righteous in the Jewish tradition. For him being righteous is admonish the truth and hate evil.

IV. Theological Themes

Along our reading of the Tractate of Augustine, we have encountered different

theological themes that were presented. Directly or indirectly Augustine discussed some

theological matters that could give us a deeper understanding of the Gospel and at the same time

Augustine’s contribution to the world of theology at present. They are recurring themes but need

a much attention in order to grasp what Augustine meant. However, I think this kind of scholarly

task very dangerous since we are putting words into Augustine’s mouth. It is so because some of

the themes that we will be dealing with are already contemporary and present interpretations of

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scholars on the Gospel of John. Some of the themes are Eschatological concept that includes

present and future eschatology, interpretation of the Spirit, salvation concept, exaltation of the

cross, and Christology. All of these are doctrinal and dogmatic implications present in the

interpretation Augustine on John 3:6-21. Moreover, we will also have the pastoral significance

and Moral aspect of Augustine’s tractate.

A. Doctrinal and Dogmatic Relevance

1. Eschatological Concept

Eschatology in the strict sense means a description of what is to happen to the world and

especially to humanity at the end of all things. Traditionally, this involves the study of death,

judgment, hell and heaven. For Christ makes eternal life available in time as well as eternity and

the believer is able to share in it at any moment.2 There are at least two kinds of eschatology, the

present and future eschatology. In Jn 3:6-21, which is only a part of the Nicodemus dialogue, one

can find variant discussion on Eschatology. Jesus here defined the concept of salvation and

judgment is mediated in time as well as eternity.

i. Present Eschatology

Augustine says something about salvation that the Son came to save the world,

and those who do not believe in him shall not be judged. He asserts that God already knows all

of us. “God knows who are persevering for the crown, and who for the flame” 3. It is very clear

here that judgment has already been done however it has not yet appeared according to

Augustine.

ii. Future Eschatology

At the same time Augustine, speaks of future eschatology. However, in the text

Augustine intertwined the two concepts just like any other scholars would say and even in the

Gospel of John the future and present are presented in double perspective. “The judgment has not

yet appeared, but already it has taken place”. Judgment of the unbelievers has already begun,

here and now, (John 3:19) and those who have come forth to the resurrection of judgment. John

2 ? Stephen Smalley, “John-Evangelist and Interpreter”, (Cumbria: Paternoster Press, 1998), 265. 3 ? Tractate XII, 12.

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3:19 is indeed an intriguing double perspective. Thus, that Jesus comes now and he will also

come again. Salvation is a possibility for the believer in the present and also in the future.4

2. Interpretation of the ‘Spirit’

Within the tractate Augustine it is often that he described the meaning of ‘spirit’

according to his context. For Augustine the spirit in John’s gospel is seen as the agent of

regeneration, who brings believers into a dimension of new life which shared in the whole

Church. Jn 3:1-8 is an important commentary in the idea of spiritual regeneration, which is a

discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus. Moreover, Augustine associated the spirit to the

Church by simply saying, “Just as for the birth of flesh, the bowels of woman avail to bring forth

the child only once, so for the spiritual birth the bowels of the Church avail that a man be

baptized only once.” (Tractate XII, 2).This is the other meaning of Spirit of Augustine that –

aside from it as the Holy Spirit – it is the Church to where it is present.

3. Salvation concept

The gospel of John is said to have concerned on Christ ultimately with salvation. John’s

distinction or description of salvation is ‘eternal life’. For in John 3:17, “eternal life is a gift of

God”. This life, this salvation, is mediated to the believer through Christ in his incarnation,

death, resurrection and exaltation. (John 3:14-15). Augustine also spoke of eternal life and that

salvation is rewarded to those who have “looked in faith on Christ’s death” (Tractate XII, 11).

The brethrens will be ‘healed from the bites of sins’ as Augustine would figuratively say.

4. Exaltation of the cross

Augustine in Tractate XII, 11 described the significance of the death of Christ on the

Cross. Jesus had said, “I, whom, lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John

3:14) and these words he refers to his lifting up both on the cross and in exaltation. Augustine

thought of Christ’s ‘death on the cross’ like that of the serpent that was lifted up by Moses when

the Israelites were in need of the help of God, who were bitten by serpents in the wilderness. He

further acclaimed that the “serpent’s bite was deadly; the Lord’s death is life-giving.”(Tractate

4 ? Smalley, 268.

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XII, 11). This is how Augustine interpreted the exaltation of the cross of our Lord, Jesus Chris. It

is ‘life-giving’.

5. Christology

Christology of John was also noticed by Augustine especially on John 3:13-14, which is a

‘presentation of the person Christ in many respects beyond the Christology of the Synoptics’.5

According to Smalley there is a unique feature of John’s gospel about the unique nature of Jesus,

which he refers to as the ‘Son of Man’. This feature was also present in the interpretation of

Augustine for He is above all the one who can bring heaven down to earth and earth up to

heaven. In a sense, this is the reason that he said “He came down for our sakes; let us ascend for

His sake” (Tractate XII, 8). Augustine even discussed the two nature of Christ, ‘one divine; the

other human’ (Tractate XII, 8). Christ is both divine and human.

6. Sacramental Dimension

Augustine had also become sacramental in his interpretation of John’s gospel. It is very

evident since for him, he treated the spiritual regeneration as baptism. (Tractate XII, 2). The one

who can give it is the Church. The spiritual birth of baptism has been inherited to the Church.

Through this Spiritual regeneration, human beings now are to be trusted by Jesus as Augustine

exalts about it in Tractate XII, 3. Jesus did not trust in them because they were not yet ‘born

again of water and of the Spirit’. (Tractate XII, 3).

B. Pastoral Significance

Augustine in his approach to the Gospel of John was pastoral in character. He goes down

to the level of his listeners so that they might have a full grasp of the deepness of the Gospel. He

was able to relate to the life of his listeners, especially the catechumens, to whom this tractate

was particularly addressed to. He knew what this kind of people need. They need to be nourished

by faith and of the teachings of the Church. That’s why John 3:6-21 is very appropriate to the

Catechumens since it is full of dogmatic and doctrinal themes.

5 Smalley, 238.

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However, one down side of his homily is that he treated every verse meticulously. Each

verse has its own interpretation that’s why we can think of Augustine that he is jumping from

one topic to another. And it sometimes confuses his readers.

V. Personal Reflection

The homily of Augustine on John 3:6-21 was indeed an interesting reading. I never

expected that I will enjoy reading it. I was able to have a grasped of Augustine’s homily but I

had to read it more than five times. At the start it was too hard to understand some of his

concepts but later the words he said brought me to a greater appreciation of the Gospel. Dealing

the text with much attention and focus brought me to the world of spirituality. Every single text

verse may have been dealt separately by Augustine yet it was worth reading for. This activity has

indeed awakened and gave me alacrity to go beyond.

I just knew that only in chapter 3 of John, various concepts in theology are abundant that

which can be basis for further discourse and theological study. Now I knew the reason why

there’s a separate course in Rome about Jesus and Nicodemus. This matter has even challenged

me to love and live the teachings of the scriptures which also Augustine did.

There are a lot of beautiful things that Augustine preached but I would prefer to reflect

upon one of his topics that in one way or another it moved me to do something beyond usual. His

reflection on the taunting of Jesus on Nicodemus is exemplary. He extracted a virtue out of that

dialogue, which is humility. Augustine said that Jesus humbled himself so that Nicodemus might

know what he needed to know. Jesus wants to appear to Nicodemus that he is superior to him in

a humbler way. Jesus might have said, “Are you a master in Israel, and does not know these

things?” But he did not. When Nicodemus knew nothing of what Jesus was talking about, he did

not humiliate him since the knowledge that he uttered was of God’s. Augustine further exhorts,

how can a man be compared to a God, it is senseless. He then expanded the matter the example

of humility that Jesus showed in his life and even until death. He could have come down from

the cross, but he deferred.

This discourse of Augustine reminded me to become humble at all times. There’s only

one who knows what man knows. He is God. And if I have knowledge I should not be proud of it

but rather be thankful to God. By being humble God will show us the answers that wee seek for.

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Augustine had also said that we might be like the Esau and Ishmael, who were too proud in

themselves that’s why they disinherited the promise and kingdom of their respective father. This

means to us that we will not inherit the Kingdom of God unless we humble ourselves in front of

him and of others.

But there’s an adage that says “too much humility is pride”. There is truth in this and

indeed it is hard to maintain and become humble by man alone, we need the gift of the Holy

Spirit to sustain us in our yearning for perfection through humility.

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