All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son will reveal him.
All Commentaries on Matthew 11:27 Go To Matthew 11
John Chrysostom
AD 407
But when you hear, they are delivered, do not surmise anything human. For He uses this expression, to prevent your imagining two unoriginate Gods. Since, that He was at the same time both begotten, and Lord of all, He declares in many ways, and in other places also.
Then He says what is even greater than this, lifting up your mind; And no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, but the Son. Which seems indeed to the ignorant unconnected with what went before, but has full accordance therewith. As thus: having said, All things are delivered unto me of my Father, He adds, And what marvel, so He speaks, if I be Lord of all? I who have also another greater privilege, the knowing the Father, and being of the same substance. Yea, for this too He covertly signifies by His being the only one who so knew Him. For this is His meaning, when He says, No man knows the Father but the Son.
And see at what time He says this. When they by His works had received the certain proof of His might, not only seeing Him work miracles, but endowed also in His name with so great powers. Then, since He had said, You have revealed them unto babes, He signifies this also to pertain to Himself; for neither knows any man the Father, says He, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son is willing to reveal Him; Matthew 11:27 not to whomsoever He may be enjoined, to whomsoever He may be commanded. But if He reveals Him, then Himself too. This however He let pass as acknowledged, but the other He has set down. And everywhere He affirms this; as when He says, No man comes unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
And thereby he establishes another point also, His being in harmony and of one mind with Him. Why, says He, I am so far from fighting and warring with Him, that no one can even come to Him but by me. For because this most offended them, His seeming to be a rival God, He by all means does away with this; and interested Himself about this not less earnestly, but even more so, than about His miracles.
But when He says, Neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, He means not this, that all men were ignorant of Him, but that with the knowledge wherewith He knows Him, no man is acquainted with Him; which may be said of the Son too. For it was not of some God unknown, and revealed to no man, that He was so speaking, as Marcion says; but it is the perfection of knowledge that He is here intimating, since neither do we know the Son as He should be known; and this very thing, to add no more, Paul was declaring, when he said, We know in part, and we prophesy in part. 1 Corinthians 13:9
