18. Christ does not here qualify the promise made in verse 17, for that promise was conditional, and as such is universally true. But taking occasion from the word “blessed,” which He had used, He proceeds to say that not all of them are, or shall be, blessed. *I know whom I have ** chosen.* SS. Aug. and Bede understand Christ to speak of the choice or election by which He had predestined some to _glory_; and as Judas was not predestined, therefore Christ had not intended to speak of blessedness in connection with him. But since, in other parts of Scripture, Christ never attributes the act of predestinating to Himself, but only to the Father, hence we prefer, with Tol., Mald., A Lap., to understand here not of election to glory, but of the call to the Apostleship; and the sense is: I know what sort are the twelve whom I have chosen to be Apostles, and that one of them is not blessed, and never shall be. *But that the Scripture may be fulfilled.* The sense is: but though I know and knew how unworthy one of you is, still I called him to the Apostleship, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which foretold his ingratitude and guilt. That the prediction of the treachery of Judas did not deprive him of his liberty, nor extenuate his guilt, see above on xii. 38. The Scripture quoted is from Psalm xl. 10, where David complains of the ingratitude of some person whom he had treated as his familiar friend. David and his false friend were types of Christ and Judas; and, as we learn from the present passage of St. John, the mystical sense of David’s words had reference to the betrayal of Christ by Judas. In the quotation, the words *shall lift* (or rather “has lifted,” for _levabit_ ought to be _levavit_) *up his heel against me*, are to be taken metaphorically. The meaning probably is that the ingratitude of Judas is like that of the beast which kicks him who feeds it and treats it kindly. 19. Amodo dico vobis, 19. At present I tell you, priusquam fiat: ut cum factum before it come to pass: that fuerit, credatis quia ego sum. when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he. 19. Christ tells them that He now makes known to them the treachery of one of them, in order that when it shall have come to pass, they may remember that He had foreknowledge of it, and may believe Him to be God. 20. Amen, amen dico vobis: qui 20. Amen, amen, I say to you, accipit si quem misero, me he that receiveth whomsoever I accipit: qui autem me accipit, send, receiveth me: and he accipit eum qui me misit. that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.