John 5:25

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Verse 24 Read Chapter 5 Verse 26

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

Some one might ask you, The Father quickens him who believes in Him; but what of you? do you not quicken? Observe you that the Son also quickens whom He will; Verily, verily, I say to you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. Or, He means to guard against our thinking, that the being passed from death to life, refers to the future resurrection; its meaning being, that he who believes is passed: and therefore He says, Verily, verily, I say to you, The hour comes, (what hour?) and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. He said not, because they live, they hear; but in consequence of hearing, they come to life again. But what is hearing, but obeying? For they who believe and do according to the true faith, live, and are not dead; whereas those who believe not, or, believing, live a bad life, and have not love, are rather tobe accounted dead. And yet that ho... Read More

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Clement Of Alexandria

AD 215

There took place, then, a universal movement and translation through the economy of the Saviour.

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Cornelius a Lapide

AD 1637

Verily, verify, &c. "Lest thou shouldst think that this is to come to pass after a very long time, He subjoins, and now is. For if He were only announcing things future, there might not unreasonably be doubt, but He saith that these things shall come to pass whilst He is still conversant upon earth." So Chrysostom. For, as Theophylact says, "He is speaking here of those three whom He was about to raise, the widow"s Song of Solomon , the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, and especially of Lazarus. For this last He was about to raise in Judea. And Christ is here speaking in Judea to Jews. This then is the signification of now is. Christ then rises from the spiritual resurrection of souls from sin to the life of grace, to the resurrection of those bodies which He was about to raise whilst He lived on earth. From this He rises to the full resurrection glory of the bodies which He will raise in the day of judgment. For from His power to raise souls from the death of sin to the life of... Read More

2 mins3/13

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Cyril of Alexandria

AD 444

Having said that believers shall pass from death to life, He introduces Himself as Performer of the promise, and Accomplisher of the whole thing, partly hinting to the Jews, that marvellous in truth is the Power shewn in the case of the paralytic, but that the Son will be revealed as a Worker of things yet more glorious, driving away from the bodies of men not only sickness and the infirmities of diseases, but also overthrowing death and the heavily-pressing corruption (for this was what was said a little before, The Father loveth the Son and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth and greater works than these will He shew Him, that YE may marvel; for the greater wonder is shewn in the raising of the dead), partly also preparing the way for that which would probably in no slight degree affright the hearers. For He plainly declares that He will raise the dead, and will bring the creature to judgment, that through the expectation of one day being brought before Him and giving account o... Read More

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George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

The hour cometh . when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. Though some understand this of the rising of Lazarus; others of those that rose with Christ at his resurrection: yet by these words, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, seems rather to be signified the general resurrection at the end of the world; and though it be said, that now is the hour, this may be spoken of the last age of the world; and, as St. John says, (1 John ii. 18.) children, it is the last hour. In fine, some interpreters understand these words of a spiritual resurrection from sin, which Christ came to bring to the world. (Witham)

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Hilary of Poitiers

AD 368

The heretics, driven hard by Scripture proofs, are obliged to attribute to the Son at any rate a likeness, in respect of virtue, to the Father. But they do not admit a likeness of nature, not being able to see that a likeness of virtue, could not arise but from a likeness of nature; as an inferior nature can never attain to the virtue of a higher and better one. And it cannot be denied that the Son of God has the same virtue with the Father, when He says, What things soever (the Father) does, the same does the Son likewise. But an express mention of the likeness of nature follows: As the Father has life in Himself, so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself. In life are comprehended nature and essence. And the Son, as He has it, so has He it given to Him. Forthe same which is life in both, is essence in both; and the life, i.e. essence, which is begotten from life, is born; though not born unlike the other. For, being life from life, it remains like in nature to its origin. Li... Read More

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Hippolytus of Rome

AD 235

The Lord says, "Many in that day shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.". In that day shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live."

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Ignatius of Antioch

AD 108

And that our bodies are to rise again, He shows when He says, "Verily I say unto you, that the hour cometh, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live."

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

After, The hour comes, He adds, and nowis; to let us know that it will not be long before it comes. For as in the future resurrection we shall be roused by hearing His voice speaking to us, so is it now. The likeness isperfect in all but one respect, viz. that, in point of essence, one is the Father, the other the Son.

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

Having said the words, He speaks also of the proof by deeds. For when He had said, As the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will, that the thing may not seem to be mere boasting and pride, He affords proof by works, saying, The hour comes; then, that you may not deem that the time is long, He adds, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that have heard shall live. Do you see here His absolute and unutterable authority? For as it shall be in the Resurrection, even so, He says, it shall be now. Then too when we hear His voice commanding us we are raised; for, says the Apostle, at the command of God the dead shall arise. And whence, perhaps some one will ask, is it clear that the words are not mere boast? From what He has added, and now is; because had His promises referred only to some future time, His discourse would have been suspected by them, but now He supplies them with a proof: While I, says He, am ... Read More

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Tertullian of Carthage

AD 220

The Spirit giving life to the flesh which has been subdued by death; for "the hour "says He, "is coming, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live."

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The Apostolic Constitutions

AD 375

) For says He: "All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live."

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Theophilus of Antioch

AD 184

Here He speaks with a reference to those whom He was about to raise from the dead: viz. the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, the son of the widow, and Lazarus.

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