Lecture 5 — Faith of the Samaritans

^4:39^ Now many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him, because of the word of the woman giving testimony: that he told me all things whatsoever that I have done. [n. 657]

^4:40^ So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay there. And he remained there two days. [n. 658]

^4:41^ And many more believed in him because of his own word. [n. 661]

^4:42^ And they said to the woman: now we believe, not just because of your story: for we ourselves have heard him and know that this indeed is the savior of the world. [n. 662]

656. Above, the Lord foretold to the apostles the fruit to be produced among the Samaritans by the woman’s witness. Now the Evangelist deals with this fruit.

First, the fruit of the woman’s witness is given.

Second, there is an argument given concerning the growth of this fruit produced by Christ, at and many more believed in him because of his own word.

The fruit which is produced from the woman’s witness is shown in three ways.

657. First, by the faith of the Samaritans, for they believed in Christ. Thus he says, many of the Samaritans of that city, to which the woman had returned, believed in him, and this, because of the word of the woman, from whom Christ asked for a drink of water, who said, he told me all things whatsoever that I have done, for this testimony was sufficient inducement to believe Christ. For since what Christ had said pertained to the manifestation of her failures, she would not have mentioned them unless she had been brought to believe. And so the Samaritans believed as soon as they heard her. This indicates that faith comes by hearing.

658. Second, the fruit of her witness is shown in their coming to Christ: for faith gives rise to a desire for the thing believed. Accordingly, after they believed, they came to Christ, to be perfected by him. So he says, so when the Samaritans came to him. Come to him, and be enlightened (Ps 33:6); come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matt 11:28).

659. Third, the fruit of her witness is shown in their desire: for a believer must not only come to Christ, but desire that Christ remain with him. So he says, they begged him to stay there. And he remained there two days.

The Lord remains with us through charity: if anyone loves me, he will keep my word (John 14:23), and further on he adds, and we will make our abode with him. The Lord remains for two days because there are two precepts of charity: the love of God and the love of our neighbor, on these two commandments all the law and the prophets depend (Matt 22:40). But the third day is the day of glory: he will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up (Hos 6:3). Christ did not remain there for that day because the Samaritans were not yet capable of glory.

660. Then, at and many more believed in him because of his own word, the Evangelist says that the fruit resulting from the witness of the woman was increased by the presence of Christ; and this in three ways.

First, in the number of those who believed.

Second, in their reason for believing.

Third, in the truth they believed.

661. The fruit was increased as to the number of those who believed because while many believed in Christ on account of the woman, many more believed in him because of his own word, i.e., Christ’s own words. This signifies that although many believed because of the prophets, many more were converted to the faith after Christ came: rise up, O Lord, in the command you have given, and a congregation of people will surround you (Ps 7:7).

662. Second, this fruit was increased because of the way in which they believed: for they say to the woman: now we believe, not just because of your story.

Here we should note that three things are necessary for the perfection of faith; and they are given here in order. First, faith should be right; second, it should be prompt; and third, it should be certain.

Now faith is right when it obeys the truth not for some alien reason, but for the truth itself; and as to this he says that they said to the woman, now we believe, the truth, not just because of your story, but because of the truth itself.

Three things lead us to believe in Christ. First of all, natural reason: since the creation of the world the invisible things of God are clearly known by the things that have been made (Rom 1:20). Second, the testimony of the law and the prophets: but now justification from God has been manifested outside the law; the law and the prophets bore witness to it (Rom 3:21). Third, the preaching of the apostles and others: how will they believe without someone to preach to them? (Rom 10:14). Yet when a person, having been thus instructed, believes, he can then say that it is not for any of these reasons that he believes: i.e., neither on account of natural reason, nor the testimony of the law, nor the preaching of others, but solely on account of the truth itself: Abram believed God, who regarded this as his justification (Gen 15:6).

Faith is prompt if it believes quickly; and this was verified in these Samaritans because they were converted to God by merely hearing him; so they say: for we ourselves have heard him and know that this indeed is the savior of the world, without seeing miracles, as the Jews saw. And although to believe men quickly is an indication of thoughtlessness: he who believes easily is frivolous (Sir 19:4), yet to believe God quickly is more praisworthy: when they heard me, they obeyed me (Ps 17:45).

Faith should be certain, because one who doubts in the faith is an unbeliever: ask with faith, without any doubting (Jas 1:6). And so their faith was certain; thus they say, and we know. Sometimes, one who believes is said to know, as here, because knowledge and faith agree in that both are certain. For just as knowledge is certain, so is faith; indeed, much more so, because the certainty of knowledge rests on human reason, which can be decieved, while the certainty of faith rests on divine reason, which cannot be contradicted. However they differ in mode: because faith possesses its certainty due to a divinely infused light, while knowledge possesses its certainty due to a natural light. For as the certitude of knowledge rests on first principles naturally known, so the principles of faith are known from a light divinely infused: you are saved by grace, through faith; and this is not due to yourselves, for it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8).

663. Third, the fruit was increased in the truth believed; so they say, this indeed is the savior of the world. Here they are affirming that Christ is the unique, true and universal savior.

He is the unique savior for they assert that he is different from others when they say, this indeed, i.e., here he alone is who has come to save: truly, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel, the savior (Isa 45:15); there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we are saved (Acts 4:12).

They affirm that Christ is the true savior when they say, indeed. For since salvation, as Dionysius says, is deliverance from evil and preservation in good, there are two kinds of salvation: one is true, and the other is not true. Salvation is true when we are freed from true evils and preserved in true goods. In the Old Testament, however, although certain saviors had been sent, they did not truly bring salvation, for they set men free from temporal evils, which are not truly evils, nor true goods, because they do not last. But Christ is truly the savior, because he frees men from true evils, that is, sins: he will save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21), and he preserves them in true goods, that is, spiritual goods.

They affirm that he is the universal savior because he is not just for some, i.e., for the Jews alone, but is the savior of the world. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).