For as the Father raises up the dead, and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Having said that the Father would show the Son greater works than these, He proceeds to describe these greater works: For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them, evenso the Son quickens whom He will. These are plainly greater works, for it is more of amiracle that a dead man should rise again, than that a sick mall should recover. We must not understand from the words, that some are raised by the Father, others by the Son; but that the Son raises to life the same whom the Father raises. And to guard against any one saying, The Father raises the dead by the Son, the former by His own power, the latter, like an instrument, by another power, He asserts distinctly the power of the Son: The Son quickens whom he will. Observe here not only the power of the Son, but also His will. Father and Son have the same power and will. The Father wills nothing distinct from the Son; but both have the same will, even as they have the same substance.
But who are these dead, whom the Father an...
For as the Father &c. Behold here is the first greater work which Christ said the Father would show, that Isaiah , communicate, to the Son. As S. Cyril says, "Marvel not that one who was utterly weakened by long disease was strengthened by a word, and took up his bed, and went away, for I am about altogether to destroy death, and to judge the whole world."
So also the Song of Solomon , &c. He tacitly signifies that He is God, equal to the Father in power and liberty to raise and quicken whom He will.
Whom He will. It is not that the Father wills to quicken some, and the Son wills to quicken others, but the same, because His will is conformable, yea, the same as the will of the Father. So Augustine.
Quickeneth, i.e, raiseth from the dead, both in this life, as He raised Lazarus, and in the day of judgment, when He will raise all mankind.
See again in these words clear proof of His Equality. For He That worketh equally in respect of the reviving of the dead, how can He have inferiority in ought? or how shall He be of another nature and alien to the Father Who is radiant with the Same Properties? For the Power of quickening, which is in the Father alike and the Son, is a Property of the Divine Essence. But the Father doth not again separately and of Himself quicken some, the Son some separately and apart: for the Son having in Himself by Nature the Father, the Father doth all things and worketh all things through the Son. But since the Father hath the Power of quickening in His Own Nature, as also Himself too, He attributes the Power of quickening the dead as though accruing to each separately.
For as the Father . giveth life, so also the Son giveth life to whom he will; where these words, to give life to whom he will, show the power of the Son and of the Father to be equal. (Witham)
Our Saviour here mentions the greater works he spoke of in the preceding verse; for it is much more wonderful that the dead should rise, than that the sick should recover their health. We are not to understand these words, as if they meant some were raised to life by the Father, and others by the Son; but that the Father raises those whom the Son raises. And lest any one should understand this, that the Father makes use of the Son as his minister, through whose means he raises the dead, he immediately adds (St. Augustine, Tract. xxi. in Joan.)
We see the lovers of this temporal and perishable life, labour to the utmost of their power, I will not say to avoid death, but merely to prolong their frail existence. If, therefore, men labour with so much solicitude, if they strain every nerve to prolo...
For to will is the free power of anature, which by the act of choice, rests in the blessedness of perfect excellence.
Having said that the Son quickens whom He will, in order that wemight not lose sight of the nativity, and think that He stood upon the ground of His own unborn power, He immediately adds, For the Father judges no man, but has given all judgment to the Son. In that all judgment is given to Him, both His nature, and His nativity are shown; because only a self-existent nature can possess all things, and nativity cannot have any thing, except what is given it.
All judgment is given to Him, because He quickens whom He will. Nor can the judgment be looked on as taken away from the Father, inasmuch as the cause of His not judging is, that the judgment of the Son is His. For all judgment is given from the Father. And the reason for which He gives it, appears immediately after: That all men may honor the Son even as you honor the Father.
The conclusion then stands good against a...
As He gave Him life, i.e. begot Him living; so Hegave Him judgment, i.e. begot Him a judge. Gave, it is said, that you may not think Him unbegotten, and imagine two Fathers: All judgment, because He has the awarding; both of punishment and reward.
For, lest you should infer from hearing that the Author of His power was the Father, any difference of substance, or inequality of honor, He connects the honor of the Son with the honor of the Father, showing that both have the same. But shall men then call Him the Father? God forbid; he who calls Him the Father, does not honor the Son equally with the Father, but confounds both.
Yet can do nothing of Himself is opposed to whom He will: since if He quickens whom He will, He can do something of Himself, (for to will implies power,) but if He can do nothing of Himself, then He can not quicken whom He will. For the expression, as the Father raises up, shows unvarying resemblance in Power, and whom He will, Equality of Authority. Do you see therefore that cannot do anything of Himself is the expression of One not taking away His (own) authority, but declaring the unvarying resemblance of His Power and Will (to those of the Father)? In this sense also understand the words, shall show to Him; for in another place He says, I will raise him up at the last Day. John 6:40 And again, to show that He does it not by receiving an inward power from above, He says, I am the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25 Then that you may not assert that He raises what dead He will and quickens them, but that He does not other things in such manner, He anticipates and prevents every o...
Even an earthly serpent sucks in men at some distance with its breath. Going still further, John says, "My little children, keep yourselves from idols".
And, "As the Father quickeneth (the dead), so also doth the Son; "
