“But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you — Jesus offers foreknowledge as a gift to sustain faith when persecution arrives. The disciples will not be able to say, "This came without warning; Jesus did not prepare us." Rather, they will recall his words and know that he saw their suffering before it came and thought it important enough to warn them. The restriction "I did not say these things to you from the beginning" acknowledges that in the earlier period of ministry, Jesus' presence made direct threat unnecessary; but now as the end approaches, the disciples must face the reality of what lies ahead.
Church Fathers on John 16:4
After the promise of the Holy Spirit, to inspire them with strength to give witness; He well adds, These things have I spoken to you, that you should not be offended. For when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us (Romans 5:5), then great peace have they that love God’s law, and they are not offended at it (Psalms 118). What they were about to suffer follows next: They shall put you out of the synagogues.
For the Jews had already agreed, if any confessed that He was Christ, that he should be put out of the synagogue.
Read all 8 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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