the opposite, namely that Jesus regarded himself as just such a man as everybody else, and defined his relation to God just like the relation of all other men to God. His words, “I am working as my Father worketh,” apparently have the same meaning as the words, “Be as perfect as your Father!” Here he refers his words to others, but when he says, “I am working as my Father worketh,” and refers these words to himself, he speaks of himself as man, and not as God.
“The Jews understood it in the same way: Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (v. 18).” (p. 49.)
These words, no matter how one may read them, have no other meaning but that St. John, wishing to clear up the real meaning of Christ’s sonhood to God, represents an example of a false comprehension of Christ’s words. These words denote only that the Jews, rebuking Christ, fell into the same error into which the church is falling now when it praises him. These words can have no other meaning.
“At that time Jesus did not remark to the Jews that they comprehended him wrongly, but continued: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise! (v. 19).”
These words are said in reply to the reproaches that he and his disciples are breaking the Sabbath. He says that God and he himself do not stop working, or providing, so why should man stop? “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour
