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JOHN 1:46 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
John 1:45John 1:47
“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked. 'Come and see,' said Philip — Nathanael's skepticism about Nazareth reflects historical difficulty in harmonizing Jesus' Galilean origin with messianic expectation (which typically anticipated Bethlehem). Philip's response—repeating Jesus' earlier invitation—suggests that faith requires direct encounter rather than prior conviction about geography or circumstance.

Church Fathers on John 1:46

After gaining these disciples, Christ proceeded to convert others, viz. Philip and Nathanael: The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee.

Chrysostom · 4th century

Leaving, that is, Judea, where John was baptizing, out of respect to the Baptist, and not to appear to lower his office, so long as it continued. He was going too to call a disciple, and wished to go forth into Galilee, i.e. to a place of “transition” or “revelation,” that is to say, that as He Himself increased in wisdom or stature, and in favor with God and man, and as He suffered and rose again, and entered into His glory: so He would teach His followers to go forth, and…

Alcuin · 8th century

For the voice of Christ sounded not like a common voice to some, that is, the faithful, but kindled in their inmost soul the love of Him. Philip having been continually meditating on Christ, and reading the books of Moses, so confidently expected Him, that the instant he saw, he believed. Perhaps too he had heard of Him from Andrew and Peter, coming from the same district; an explanation which the Evangelist seems to hint at, when he adds, Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the…

Theophylact · 11th century
Read all 12 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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John 1:46 — Community Reflections | HolyStudy