On the Logos and John's Testimony
So that not from the human nature—without some addition and definition. For no one will dare to hear a change in the Word becoming flesh (John 1:14). But the tabernacling of him among us is to dwell with men.
And if anyone were to perceive the becoming and the existing, as the prophet said, 'Before me no other god came to be' (prophetic allusion); therefore he also added beautifully, 'because he was first of me,' so that the 'having-become' might be joined to the 'was' in such a way that it might not be thought to be something else and that it might be said of him similarly, 'the having-become,' just as regarding the generated things which were not before the having-become. And he was, he says, first of me always, clearly having being according to the divinity, never beginning as if not ceasing.
the evangelist has stated the testimony of John mixed with his own, but now he will explain it clearly, as if repeating himself, and this is the testimony of John, which just now he said, to bear witness to him concerning himself and to have cried out coming from above, so that the forerunner might come to bear witness to the Lord (John 1:23).
The Jews, he says, sent from among the most tested of their own to those chosen to ask him who he might be, clearly having the expectation from their fathers of the coming Savior. But they were sinning by dividing the prophet from Christ. And the Baptist answered well, not being the prophet, saying the same thing he first said, 'I am not the Christ' (John 1:20), even though he clearly did not teach them that the Christ and the prophet would be the same.
The Jews sent, says Simon, from among the most tested among them those chosen to ask him who he is, because they held the expectation from their fathers of the coming Savior; and being stirred by such expectation toward an inference, they might see something strange or unexpected, lest this be the one hoped for.
Since John's life was indeed strange and holy, it led them to investigation and seeking, asking who he might be and whether he is the expected one. He, he says, immediately spoke openly and did not hide the truth, that he is not the Christ.
The second time they asked if he might be Elijah; for Malachi had clearly foretold that Elijah would come, saying, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite” (Malachi 4:5). John said no; for he was not Elijah according to his own nature, even if he shared in the Spirit, and because of this he was called Elijah by the Lord (Luke 1:17).
They propose a final mistaken question to him, asking him this again, just as they first asked...
Greek
Fragmenta in Joannem Jo 1, 1 Ὥστε μὴ ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης–ἄνευ τινὸς προσθήκης καὶ ὁρισμοῦ. 2 Jο 1, 14 Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μεταβολὴν τοῦ λόγου τολμήσει τις εἰς σάρκα γεγενημένην ἀκοῦσαι, τὸ δὲ σκηνῶσαι αὐτὸν ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ κατοικῆσαι. 3 Jο 1, 15 Γεγονέναι δ' ἄν τις νοήσειε καὶ τὸ ὑπάρξαι, καθ' ὃ καὶ ἡ τοῦ προφήτου λέξις εἶχε τὸ “ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος θεός” διὸ καὶ κάλλιστα ἐπήγαγεν εὐθύς, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν, τῷ γέγονε τὸ ἦν ἐπισυνάψας ὡς ἂν μὴ νομισθείη καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ παραπλησίως εἰρῆσθαι τὸ γέγονεν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν γενητῶν ἅπερ οὐκ ἦν πρὸ τοῦ γεγονέναι. ὁ δὲ ἦν, φησίν, πρῶτός μου ἀεὶ δηλονότι τὸ εἶναι ἔχων κατὰ τὴν θεότητα οὔποτε ® ἀρχόμενον ὥσπερ οὐδὲ λῆγον. 4 col1 Jο 1, 19 21 Προείρηκεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς τὴν Ἰωάννου μαρτυρίαν ἀναμεμιγμέ νην τῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἐξη γητικῶς δὲ νῦν ἤδη δι έξεισιν αὐτὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς ὥσπερ ἐπαναλαμβάνων ἐν τῷ λέγειν καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία Ἰωάννου, ἣν ἄρτι ἔλε γεν μαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κεκραγέναι ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενον, ὅπως ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸ μαρτυ ρεῖν ὁ πρόδρομος τῷ κυρίῳ. Ἰουδαῖοι, φη σίν, ἀπέστειλαν ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' ἑαυ τοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος. ἡμάρτανον δὲ διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ τὸν προφήτην. ὁ δὲ βαπτιστὴς καλῶς ἀπεκρίνατο μὴ εἶναι ὁ προφήτης ταὐτὸ λέ γων, ὃ καὶ πρῶτον ἀπε κρίνατο φάσκων οὐκ εἰ μὶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰ καὶ σαφῶς οὐκ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ταὐτὸ εἴη ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ὁ προ φήτης. Ἀπέστειλαν, φη σίν, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ προσδοκίᾳ πρὸς ὑπόνοιαν αὖθις ἀνακινούμενοι, ὁ πότε τι ξένον καὶ παρά δοξον ἴδοιεν, μήποτε ἄρα τοῦτο εἴη τὸ ἐλπιζόμενον. ξένος δὴ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωάν νου βίος ὢν καὶ ἅγιος εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ ζήτησιν ἤγαγεν αὐτούς, τίς ποτε ἄρα οὗτος εἴη καὶ μήποτε ὁ προσδοκώμενος. ὁ δέ, φησίν, ὡμο λόγησεν εὐθὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκρυψε τὸ ἀληθές, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός. οἱ δὲ δεύτερον ἠρώτων, εἰ Ἠλίας τυγχάνοι· καὶ γὰρ δὴ Μαλαχίας ἐλεύσεσθαι Ἠλίαν προ είρηκεν. ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης εἶπεν οὔ· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν Ἠλίας κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, εἰ καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐκοινώ νει. τελευταίαν ἐρώτησιν αὐτῶν προτείνουσιν· ὁ προφή της εἶ σύ. ὁ βαπτιστὴς οὖν ἀπεκρίνατο μὴ εἶναι ὁ προφήτης ταὐτὸ λέ γων, ὃ καὶ πρῶτον ἀπε κρίνατο φάσκων οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰ καὶ σαφῶς οὐκ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ταὐτό ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ προ φήτης. Ἀπέστειλαν, φη σίν, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ προσδοκίᾳ πρὸς ὑπόνοιαν αὖθις ἀνακινούμενοι, ὁ πότε τι ξένον καὶ παρά δοξον ἴδοιεν, μήποτε ἄρα τοῦτο εἴη τὸ ἐλπιζόμε νον. ξένος δὴ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωάννου βίος ὢν καὶ ἅγιος εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ ζήτησιν ἤγαγεν αὐτούς, τίς ποτε ἄρα οὗτος εἴη καὶ μήποτε ὁ προσδοκώ μενος. ὁ δέ, φησίν, ὡμο λόγησεν εὐθὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκρυψε τὸ ἀληθές, ὅτι μὴ εἴη ὁ Χριστός. οἱ δὲ δεύτερον ἠρώτων, εἰ Ἠλίας ὢν τυγχάνοι· καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἥξειν προείρητο διὰ Μαλαχίου τοῦ προφήτου σαφῶς λέ γοντος· “ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμῖν Ἠλίαν τὸν Θεσβί την” καὶ μέχρι μὲν τού του ταῖς ὑπονοίαις οὐκ ἐσφάλλοντο προσδοκῶν τες Ἠλίαν τε καὶ Χρι στόν. ὡς δὲ ἀπέφησεν Ἰωάννης μηδὲ Ἠλίας εἶναι καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν Ἠλίας κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, εἰ καὶ τοῦ πνεύ ματος 1 ἐκοινώνει καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Ἠλίας ἐκλήθη πρὸς τοῦ κυρίου τελευταίαν ἐσφαλμένην αὐτῷ προτείνουσιν ἐρώτησιν αὖθις τοῦτον ἐρωτῶντες, ὅπερ καὶ πρῶτον ἠρώ των εἰ