John 4 - CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible

4:1-2 Augustine: It may perhaps surprise you that it is said, “Jesus baptized more than John,” and after this was added, “although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples did.” What then? Was the statement made false, and then corrected by this addition? . . . Or are both true, that is, that Jesus both did and also did not baptize? He did in fact baptize, because it was he who cleansed. And he also did not baptize, because it was not he who touched. The disciples supplied the ministry of the body; he afforded the aid of his majesty. . . . In fact, John the Baptist said about [Jesus], “This is he that baptizes” [see Mk 1:8]. Jesus, therefore, is still baptizing. And so long as we continue to be baptized, Jesus baptizes. Let a person come without fear to the minister below, for he has a master above. Tractates on the Gospel of John 15.3.

4:4 Theodore of Mopsuestia: This necessity to go [through Samaria] gave the opportunity and the beginning to his narrative. John did not report this fact in vain. He does not say “as he went to Judea” or “as he returned to Galilee from Judea,” so [Jesus] also came to the Samaritans. Because of the Samaritans’ separation from the Jews he certainly avoided giving an occasion for the Jews’ just complaint. And so, he did all this as though he were passing through, so that those who were worthy among the Jews might not be deprived of his benefit. [Jesus] acted for their benefit so that it might be thought that he did what he did there by happenstance. In this way also he appeared to extend good will to the Samaritans, for whom a mere passing through [of the Lord] was sufficient to recognize the truth, while for the Jews not even his long stay among them brought about any results. Commentary on John 2.4.4.

4:7-15 Ephrem the Syrian: Our Lord came to the spring of water like a hunter. He asked for water in order to give water, with water as a pretext. He sought something to drink, like a thirsty person, so that the way could be opened for him to quench thirst. He asked from her in order to teach her, and she in turn would ask from him. He was not ashamed as a rich person to ask like one in need, to teach poverty how to make a petition. He was not afraid of reproach because he was speaking to a woman by herself, in order to teach me that whoever keeps to the truth will not be shaken. “[The disciples who soon arrived] were indeed amazed that he was standing and talking with a woman” [v. 27]. He had dismissed his disciples from his presence so that they would not chase his prey away. He had cast bait for the dove so that by means of her he might capture the entire flock. He asked her in a way that was opposite to the real situation, so that she could answer honestly. “Give me water to drink” [v. 10]. Here was the beginning of the meeting. He asked for water, and he made a promise about living water. He made a request, and he ceased from his request, even as she also left her pitcher. He ceased pretexts because she came to the truth, for the sake of which the pretexts [had arisen]. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron 12.16.

4:14 Chrysostom: Sometimes Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit “fire,” other times it calls it “water.” In this way, it shows that these names are not descriptive of its essence but of its operation. For the Spirit, which is invisible and simple, cannot be made up of different substances. . . . In the same way that he calls the Spirit by the name of “fire,” alluding to the rousing and warming property of grace and its power of destroying sins, [Christ] calls it “water” in order to highlight the cleansing it does and the great refreshment it provides those minds that receive it. For it makes the willing soul like a kind of garden, thick with all kinds of fruitful and productive trees. . . . It quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Homilies on the Gospel of John 32.1.

4:21 Cyril of Alexandria: Jesus equally condemns the foolishness of all, saying that the worship of both Jews and Samaritans shall be transformed to a truer worship. Jesus in effect says that people will no longer seek after a particular place where God properly dwells. Rather, Jesus is both able to fill and able to contain all things. And so, they shall worship the Lord “every one from his place” [Zph 2:11], as one of the holy prophets says. Jesus implies that his own sojourn in the world with a body is the time and season for a change of such customs. Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.4.

4:24 Basil the Great: To worship in the Spirit implies that our intelligence has been enlightened. Consider the words spoken to the Samaritan woman. She was deceived by local custom into believing that worship could only be offered in a specific place. But the Lord, attempting to correct her, said that worship ought to be offered in Spirit and in truth. By truth he clearly meant himself. If we say that worship offered in the Son (the truth) is worship offered in the Father’s image, we can say the same about worship offered in the Spirit since the Spirit in himself reveals the divinity of the Lord. The Holy Spirit cannot be divided from the Father and the Son in worship. If you remain outside the Spirit, you cannot worship at all, and if you are in him you cannot separate him from God. Light cannot be separated from what it makes visible, and it is impossible for you to recognize Christ, the image of the invisible God, unless the Spirit enlightens you. Once you see the image, you cannot ignore the light; you see the light and the image simultaneously. It is fitting that when we see Christ, the brightness of God’s glory, it is always through the illumination of the Spirit. Through Christ the image, may we be led to the Father, for he bears the seal of the Father’s very likeness. On the Spirit 26.64.

4:27 Origen: We learn that [Jesus] is meek and lowly in heart and does not disdain to speak of such great matters with a woman carrying water who goes out of the city because of her great poverty and labors to draw water for herself. When the disciples arrive they are amazed, for they previously beheld the greatness of the divinity in him, and they marvel that so great a man was speaking with a woman. We, however, carried away with pride and arrogance, despise those below us and forget that the words “Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness” [Gn 1:26] apply to each person. Commentary on the Gospel of John 13.166–67.

4:29 Chrysostom: She was not prevented by any concern for losing face from spreading around what had been said to her. For the soul, once kindled by the divine flame, does not consider glory or shame or any other earthly consideration: only the flame that consumes it. . . . She did not want them to trust only her own report but to come and make a judgment about Christ for themselves. . . . “Come, see a man,” she says. She does not say, “Come and believe,” but “Come and see,” which is an easier matter. For she certainly knew that if they only tasted of that well, they would feel as she did. Homilies on the Gospel of John 34.1.

4:45 Chrysostom: Do you see that the people who have the worst things spoken about them are the ones found most often coming to [Jesus]? For one said [in Jn 1:46], “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Another said [in Jn 7:52], “Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet.” They said these things as an insult to [Jesus], because many people thought he was from Nazareth. They also reproached him with being a Samaritan; “You are a Samaritan,” said one, “and have a devil” [see Jn 8:48]. Yet behold, both Samaritans and Galileans believe, to the shame of the Jews, and Samaritans are found better than Galileans, for the first received [Christ] through the words of the woman, the second received him when they had seen the miracles that he did. Homilies on the Gospel of John 35.2.