John 12:48 — Community Reflections

JOHN 12:48 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will judge them on the last day — though Jesus' primary mission is not judgment, His words themselves will function as judge for those who reject them. The word spoken by Jesus becomes the criterion and judge at the final judgment, reflecting the power of God's word to condemn those who refuse it. The judgment is ultimately self-imposed: rejection of the truth is rejection of salvation.

Church Fathers on John 12:48

Because the love of human praise prevented the chief rulers from believing, Jesus cried and said, He that believes in Me, believes not on Me, but on Him that sent Me: as if to say, Why are you afraid to believe in Me? Your faith through Me passes to God.
Chrysostom · 4th century

He signifies to them that He is more than He appears to be, (for to men He appeared but a man; His Godhead was hid.) Such as the Father is, such am I in nature and in dignity; He that believes in Me, believes not in Me, i.e. on that which He sees, but in Him that sent Me, i.e. on the Father. [He that believes in the Father must believe in Him as the Father, i.e. must believe that He has a Son; and reversibly, he who believes in the Son thereby believes in the Father.] And…
Augustine · 4th century

Since the Son is the Word of the Father, and reveals completely what is in the mind of the Father, He says He receives a commandment what He should say, and what He should speak: just as our word, if we say what we think, brings out what is in our minds.
Theophylact · 11th century

Read all 14 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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