返回Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Eph. 2:1. And you, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph. 2:2. in which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the will of the prince who rules in the air, of the spirit,
Above he said that God manifested in us the same power and working as in Christ. Of Him it is said that He raised Him from the dead and seated Him above all. And then now he speaks also of us: "and you," he says, "who were dead" (not by bodily death, which began with Adam, but by the death of the soul, which comes from ourselves, the death of sin) He raised and lifted up. So then, by the same power He both raised the Lord from bodily death and us from the spiritual death of sin, and the transformation of the soul's disposition is far more important than the raising of the dead, as was said above. The thought of this passage is indeed such, but it is stretched out too much until the words "made alive together with Christ," since much has been inserted and there is repetition in the words "God, who is rich in mercy." So then, having said that they were dead and having shown in what way they were dead, namely through transgressions and sins, he comforts them in a twofold manner: by the words "in which you once walked," and not now; and by the addition that you sinned because of enslavement to the devil, and not everything depended on you, but also on your helper, who so powerfully ruled over you. You sinned, thus, "according to the course of this world," that is, thinking about worldly and temporal things and making bad use of this age. For this age is not evil, but the misuse of it is. It was given as a guide, since, being corruptible and quickly passing, it can arouse us toward the incorruptible and unchanging; but we, having given ourselves over to its corruption and flux, made it not a guide but an opponent. By "prince" who "has dominion in the air," he means the devil, and not the Demiurge, as the impious Manichaeans think. He calls him "prince" because people have subjected themselves to him and serve him more than God. However, such power of his exists only in this age and does not extend beyond the air, because it has place not in heaven but under heaven. Therefore Paul also calls him the prince "who has dominion in the air," not in the sense that he rules over the air and controls it, but because he loves to dwell in it. For the devil, being a spirit, lives in the air as if in a spirit (πνεύματι), and to this day has authority and power in it, ruling over those who have subjected themselves to him. And some understand by "the prince who has dominion in the air" the prince of the aerial powers. Therefore, they say, he added "of the spirit," that is, the prince and ruler of every aerial spirit. For after he once became a prince, he apparently did not lose his authority even after his fall.
Eph. 2:2. "now working in the sons of disobedience,"
He did not say "compelling," but "working." From this it is clear that he rules over those who have voluntarily submitted to him. For if he ruled against our will, he would compel. And from what follows it is also evident: he "works," it says, "in the sons of disobedience," that is, in those who do not obey God, but obey him voluntarily.
Eph. 2:3. Among whom we all also once lived according to our fleshly lusts, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts,
Not only does he reassure them by this, saying that our sinfulness came from the devil, but also by placing both himself and all others in the same position as them, since no one was without sin. By the lusts of the flesh he means those that arise from carnal-mindedness. That he is not reproaching the flesh here is clear. For having said "fulfilling the desires of the flesh," he adds "and of the mind," that is, thinking of nothing spiritual. Therefore it is not the flesh that is worthy of condemnation, but the mindset that draws one toward passionate pleasures. Or else in this way: we defile the mind by thinking evil, and the flesh by carrying it out. And you may consider the works of the flesh to be adultery and the like, and the work of the mind to be envy, holding grudges, and the like.
Eph. 2:3. and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest,
This is said instead of: we offend and anger God, and were nothing other in reality than wrath; just as a child of a human being is by nature a human, so also were we. And as sons of Gehenna and sons of perdition are called those who are worthy of such, so also "children of wrath" are called those who do things worthy of wrath. The word "by nature" is used instead of: truly and genuinely, "even as the rest," for no one was free from wrath.
Eph. 2:4. God, who is rich in mercy,
We were doing deeds worthy of implacable wrath, but God, he says, is not simply merciful, but also "rich in mercy."
Eph. 2:4. by His great love, with which He loved us,
And love from great mercy. For otherwise how would we — children of wrath — have been deemed worthy of love?
Eph. 2:5. dead in trespasses, He made alive together with Christ, –
Here is the end of the previously begun thought, while the rest is all a parenthetical insertion. Again Christ is the mediator, and the matter is worthy of trust: for if the firstfruits (the firstborn) lives, then we also live; since God gave life to both Him and us: to Him in actuality, and to us in power for now, and a little later — also in actuality. Behold the extraordinary greatness of His power, namely that He gave life to the dead, the sons of wrath. In this lies the hope of our calling.
Eph. 2:5. by grace you are saved,
With deep spiritual shock he expressed this, marveling at the ineffable gift of God. For not by labor and not by your own works, he says, were you saved, but only by grace. For, as far as works are concerned, you were worthy of punishment and wrath.
Eph. 2:6. And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Since the firstfruits and the head, Christ, I say, has been raised, God also raised us through Him; in exactly the same way, if the head sits, the whole body sits together with it. Therefore he says: "in Christ Jesus," that is, because He is seated, we also are seated. Or else: "raised us up with Him" should be understood not as referring to resurrection, but to being made alive through baptism. But how then "seated us"? "If we endure," he says, "we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12). And Christ says: "you will sit on twelve thrones" (Matt. 19:28), and in another place: "but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared" (Mark 10:40). So then, this has already been prepared.
Eph. 2:7. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Lest anyone doubt what has been said, he endeavors to make his speech more convincing, saying: if not for the sake of love toward us, then at least out of the desire to manifest His goodness, He will surely fulfill this. Now many do not believe this, but in the age to come all will know what God has granted us, seeing the saints in ineffable glory. As for the expression "in Christ Jesus," it means: this does not pertain to Christ alone, but through Him it passes also to us, as from the beginning to the whole: with Him we shall be made alive, with Him we shall also sit. So says the great John Chrysostom in his commentary on this passage, while in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew he says that no one will sit then. Truly the gift of the Spirit and of revelation is needed to comprehend the depth of these mysteries. For if the wise teacher John had not said clearly that we "shall be" seated, then one might have said that in Christ we "already" sit, just as also that in Christ we are deemed worthy of worship from the angels. For it is not we personally who are deemed worthy of worship, but since our nature, united with God the Word, receives worship, this honor passes also to us. It is in this sense that he now says that we too shall sit.
Eph. 2:8. For by grace you are saved through faith,
Having said that which concerns God, namely, that we are saved by grace, he adds also that which belongs to us — "through faith," so as not to violate free will.
Eph. 2:8. and this is not of you, it is the gift of God:
Again he as it were destroys this, saying that even faith is not from us; because if He had not come, if He had not called, we would not have followed either. "How shall they believe," he says, "in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Rom. 10:14). So that faith too is a gift of God. Or else alternatively: he does not call faith a gift of God, but rather salvation through faith — that is what is the gift of God. For let faith indeed be ours, but how could it alone save, if God had not been pleased to accept us on account of it, so that we would not be entirely without part in the matter of our salvation, but would appear as contributing something also from ourselves.
Eph. 2:9. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.
This does not mean that God rejected us who have works, but rather that even those who would have perished with their works, He saved by grace, so that after this no one has the right to boast. For the word "so that" (ίνα) expresses not the cause, but the consequence of the matter.
Eph. 2:10. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God predetermined for us to perform.
So that you, having heard that you are not justified by works, would not become careless regarding works, he says that now after faith, works are needed. For you were created in Christ Jesus and became a new creature after the old man died in you in baptism. And just as in the beginning you were called from non-being into being, so now you are called to well-being: you were created not to be idle, but so as to do and walk in good works, that is, to accomplish the entire path of life in them, not for two or three years, but the entire path of your life. For he indicates this by the word "to fulfill." For "God foreordained" this, therefore one must not turn away from this work appointed by God. "For good works," not for one work, but for all: for if there is a deficiency in one, virtue is violated. But Gregory the Theologian understood the expression "created for good works" not in the sense of creation in baptism, but referred it to the first creation.
Eph. 2:11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called the uncircumcision by those who are called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands,
Eph. 2:12. that you were at that time without Christ,
Having said that He saved them who were dead, he now intends to show to whom He made them equal and co-heirs, namely to the Israelites — for great indeed was their dignity — and he says: "therefore remember." "Therefore" (for this reason). Why then? Because you were created "for good works," for this alone is sufficient to urge us to care for virtue. And he said "remember" because those who rise from utter nothingness to a height usually forget their former state. What then should they "remember"? That in former times you were far from Christ, but now have become near to Him, just as Israel was. Such indeed is the purpose of these words. But notice how skillfully he overthrows circumcision, showing that it differs from uncircumcision only in word, not in deed. "You," he says, "Gentiles in the flesh," not in the spirit, and "who were called" so, not being so in reality, just as if he were saying that in the flesh you are lesser, but not in the spirit. And again with the words "circumcision made in the flesh" he points to a distinction consisting only in words and flesh. Thus uncircumcision was not something grievous and abominable, even though those who boasted in circumcision said so; but to be outside of Christ — that is truly terrible and unbearable. Why then, intending to show that they are partakers of the glory of the Israelites, does he diminish the dignity of the latter? But look at what he diminishes: not what is essential. For circumcision is not essential, but indifferent. In what is essential, however, he even greatly exalts them, calling the Israelites holy and intimate with God.
Eph. 2:12. Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel,
Having not said "separated" (κεχωρισμένοι), but "alienated," because the Israelites too were outside the lawful and godly life, but not as strangers, rather as negligent ones.
Eph. 2:12. "strangers from the covenants of promise,"
Here is what the great division consisted in. For he did not say: not holding to — προσέχοντες — the covenant, but completely alien — ξένοι — to it. And the Israelites, though they were deprived of the promises, were not as strangers to them. What covenants and promises? "To your descendants I give this land" (Gen. 15:18), and much else He promised, understood in an entirely spiritual sense.
Eph. 2:12. "had no hope"
"Hope" without doubt concerning the future: the resurrection and the recompense.
Eph. 2:12. and they were godless in the world.
Although they worshiped gods, these were not gods. He added "in the world" to show that they were inferior to Israel not only in heavenly things, but also in what is glorious on earth. For the Israelites were both glorious and renowned in regard to their worship of God.
Eph. 2:13. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ.
We were far from God, not in place, but in the disposition of heart and life, yet now we have become near, not by life (for we contributed nothing from works), but in Christ Jesus and by His Blood. For having shed His Blood and given Himself for us, He freed us from the captivity that kept us far from Him, and brought us near to Himself. But you can also understand it this way: we were far from the Israelites, and now we have become near to them.
Eph. 2:14. For He is our peace, who made both one
For before the incarnation of the Word there was great enmity between circumcision and uncircumcision; but now we have been reconciled, having become one faith. For now we are called no longer circumcision and uncircumcision, but we have one sign — faith. Imagine: two men, one a slave, the other adopted; both gave offense to the same person: one by committing an act worthy of losing his sonship, the other by running away; then both of them were made heirs and intimates. And so they were deemed worthy of equal honor, and two became one. In exactly the same way, Gentiles and Israelites turned out to be transgressors: the former as slaves, and the Israelites as sons. So then, what? Is it really such a great thing to have fellowship with the Israelites? You have raised us to the heavens, and now you point to this as something great? Yes, he says: that must be received by faith, but this by deeds themselves. However, he does not say that he brought us to the dignity of the Israelites, but that he raised both us and them to a better state. Yet the benefit to us is greater, because to them it was promised, but to us it was not promised, and we were far off, as the example cited above indicates.
Eph. 2:14. and having broken down the middle wall of partition,
Eph. 2:15. having abolished the enmity in His Flesh,
He explains what the barrier consisted of, and says: in the enmity toward God of both Gentiles and Jews — enmity that arose from our transgressions, as the prophet also says: "your iniquities have made a separation between you and God" (Isa. 59:2). So this barrier, the enmity, He destroyed by His Flesh. In what way? By putting an end to the enmity in the flesh. For since He united flesh with the Godhead, it is clear that He accomplished reconciliation, for the two natures were united and joined together. And on the other hand, He destroyed the enmity also by appearing sinless and fulfilling the entire law. For the law was a fence, that is, it was given for safety, to provide protection; but when transgressed, it creates a barrier — sin, through which we do not remain in safety but are separated from God.
Eph. 2:15. and the law of commandments in doctrines,
Lest anyone should say: what then, if having been freed from the former transgression of the law, we are again compelled to observe it? – he says that He abolished it as well. For having given us the law for our strengthening, instead of punishing us when we did not keep it, He abolished the law entirely, just as if someone, having entrusted a child to a tutor, when he did not obey, took him away from the tutor. He calls it the "law" of "commandments" because it was the organizer of the order of life; and he calls faith a "doctrine" because it is established through teaching or dogmas. Therefore the apostle said, as it were: instead of a way of life, He introduced faith. For we received justification not as a result of commandments prescribing to do this or that, but "if you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, you shall be saved" (cf. Rom. 10:9). Or else he calls "doctrine" the prohibitive commandments of the Lord, namely: "but I say to you: do not swear at all" (Matt. 5:34), or "do not be angry" (Isa. 54:9), and the like.
Eph. 2:15. "in order to create in Himself one new man out of the two,"
He did not make the Greek into a Jew, but elevated both to a better state. And he did not say "change," but "create," in order to express his thought more forcefully, and that thereafter we must not depart from natural works. "In Himself" (ἐν ἑαυτῷ) is said either instead of "through Himself" (δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ), because it was not someone else who did this, but He Himself, as if melting down the Jew and the Gentile, created one new and wondrous man. Or it means that He Himself was the first to present the model and example, He Himself appeared beforehand as that which He made those (Greeks and Jews) into; and that He stood in the middle between both, holding on one side the Greek and on the other the Jew, mixing them together and removing everything hostile, supernaturally recreating them through fire and water. Thus, in the human nature which He assumed—a nature common to both Gentile and Jew, and assumed for the sake of both—in this nature, freed from all corruption and oldness, He created the two into one new man, free from the decrepitude and unrighteousness of sin. Neither the one nor the other is characterized any longer by his own qualities, but both are characterized by the property of the one man created in the image of Christ. But you will understand these words even better if you mentally picture the Lord as the cornerstone, and these two as walls built upon Him;
Eph. 2:15. making peace,
And in relation to one another (for the Jew then draws near to the Gentile when he becomes a believer), but especially to God, which is also more important, as he shows below.
Eph. 2:16. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross,
He did not say "reconcile" (καταλλάξη), but "fully reconcile" (άποκαταλλάξη), that is, reconcile again, showing that in ancient times too, through the law, human nature was being reconciled with God, but then, since through the transgression of the law the enmity was even more intensified, it again had need of reconciliation with God, which, as final, is rightly called reconciliation (άποκαταλλαγ). "In one body" — that is, in His own. For the punishment due to us He Himself took upon Himself through the cross, which He also said above: "In the flesh." And again, He might create the two in Himself. But according to some, "in one body" means that He reconciled with God both who had become, as it were, one body, of which He is the head.
Eph. 2:16. Having slain the enmity by it.
He did not say "having destroyed," but more strongly — "having killed," so that it would no longer rise up. In what way then does enmity arise again after this? It never rises up, but gives birth to another, because you sin again. "In Himself" — either on the cross, or in His own body. For He killed the enmity both on the cross and in His own body, in which He also took up the cross.
Eph. 2:17. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near,
He did not send another, but came Himself, appearing in the condition of a servant and slave, and "preached peace" — to God, without a doubt: to those "far off" — the Gentiles, and to those "near" — the Jews, since these seemed closer to God. And Christ indeed said: "Peace I leave with you" (John 14:27); be of good courage: "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33), and also: "My Father will love you" (John 14:23), and: "all things that you shall ask shall be given to you" (Mark 11:24). And all these are signs of peace.
Eph. 2:18. For through Him both groups of us have access to the Father in one Spirit.
By His death He destroyed the enmity and then made us beloved to the Father through the Spirit, having graced us with the same grace. For He did not grant them more, as to those who were near, and us less, as to those who were far off; but in one Spirit He granted to both the same grace and thus brought them to the Father. Or "in" is used instead of "through," and then the meaning would be this: through Him and the Spirit we have been brought to the Father.
Eph. 2:19. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
Since the Son abides forever, those who do not attain the heavenly city are strangers and sojourners. But we are not such now, but rather fellow citizens with the saints; not simply of the Jews, but of their saints — the patriarchs and prophets — and we are enrolled in that very same city, the city that is in heaven, the eternal one, which they too earnestly sought.
Eph. 2:19. and members of the household of God,
What those men barely achieved through great labors, we have received through grace, having become God's own (members of His household). This is the hope of our calling: for it is in that very hope that we are called, so that we might receive this.
Eph. 2:20. having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
Wishing to show the close union of the Gentiles with the prophets and apostles, he says: "having been built upon," as if saying: the prophets and apostles serve as the foundation, while you completed the rest of the building, so that all together formed one temple of God. This is what it means to be built upon the patriarchs and prophets, which in another place he calls grafting in (Rom. 11:19). He placed the apostles first, although in time they were the last.
Eph. 2:20. Having Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone,
Christ holds all things upon Himself. For the cornerstone supports both the walls and the foundations. And note: sometimes he calls Him the one who holds all things together from above, in which case he names Him the head, and sometimes the one who bears the entire building upon Himself from below, like a cornerstone; and sometimes he also calls Him the foundation itself.
Eph. 2:21. on whom all the building, being fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord,
On the cornerstone, he says, that is Christ, the entire building — namely all believers, joined organically and inseparably — grows and is filled up, so as to become temples of God. "And I will set My dwelling among you," He says, "and will walk among you" (Lev. 26:11–12). For the Church (ἐκκλησία) in general, that is the assembly of all believers, is a temple of God, and so too is each person individually. "In the Lord" is said instead of — by the grace of the Lord, and not by our labors. And by the word "being fitted together" he shows that we cannot be built into a temple of God in any other way than by leading such a life as corresponds to the cornerstone.
Eph. 2:22. In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God by the Spirit.
And all believers are built up in Him, and you also, Ephesians, to be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, that is, through the cooperation of the Spirit. Or else he said "in the Spirit" in contrast to a material building, as if saying: a spiritual dwelling place of God. Such building up is also accomplished until the second coming through believers.
Eph. 2:1. And you, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph. 2:2. in which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the will of the prince who rules in the air, of the spirit,
Above he said that God manifested in us the same power and working as in Christ. Of Him it is said that He raised Him from the dead and seated Him above all. And then now he speaks also of us: "and you," he says, "who were dead" (not by bodily death, which began with Adam, but by the death of the soul, which comes from ourselves, the death of sin) He raised and lifted up. So then, by the same power He both raised the Lord from bodily death and us from the spiritual death of sin, and the transformation of the soul's disposition is far more important than the raising of the dead, as was said above. The thought of this passage is indeed such, but it is stretched out too much until the words "made alive together with Christ," since much has been inserted and there is repetition in the words "God, who is rich in mercy." So then, having said that they were dead and having shown in what way they were dead, namely through transgressions and sins, he comforts them in a twofold manner: by the words "in which you once walked," and not now; and by the addition that you sinned because of enslavement to the devil, and not everything depended on you, but also on your helper, who so powerfully ruled over you. You sinned, thus, "according to the course of this world," that is, thinking about worldly and temporal things and making bad use of this age. For this age is not evil, but the misuse of it is. It was given as a guide, since, being corruptible and quickly passing, it can arouse us toward the incorruptible and unchanging; but we, having given ourselves over to its corruption and flux, made it not a guide but an opponent. By "prince" who "has dominion in the air," he means the devil, and not the Demiurge, as the impious Manichaeans think. He calls him "prince" because people have subjected themselves to him and serve him more than God. However, such power of his exists only in this age and does not extend beyond the air, because it has place not in heaven but under heaven. Therefore Paul also calls him the prince "who has dominion in the air," not in the sense that he rules over the air and controls it, but because he loves to dwell in it. For the devil, being a spirit, lives in the air as if in a spirit (πνεύματι), and to this day has authority and power in it, ruling over those who have subjected themselves to him. And some understand by "the prince who has dominion in the air" the prince of the aerial powers. Therefore, they say, he added "of the spirit," that is, the prince and ruler of every aerial spirit. For after he once became a prince, he apparently did not lose his authority even after his fall.
Eph. 2:2. "now working in the sons of disobedience,"
He did not say "compelling," but "working." From this it is clear that he rules over those who have voluntarily submitted to him. For if he ruled against our will, he would compel. And from what follows it is also evident: he "works," it says, "in the sons of disobedience," that is, in those who do not obey God, but obey him voluntarily.
Eph. 2:3. Among whom we all also once lived according to our fleshly lusts, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts,
Not only does he reassure them by this, saying that our sinfulness came from the devil, but also by placing both himself and all others in the same position as them, since no one was without sin. By the lusts of the flesh he means those that arise from carnal-mindedness. That he is not reproaching the flesh here is clear. For having said "fulfilling the desires of the flesh," he adds "and of the mind," that is, thinking of nothing spiritual. Therefore it is not the flesh that is worthy of condemnation, but the mindset that draws one toward passionate pleasures. Or else in this way: we defile the mind by thinking evil, and the flesh by carrying it out. And you may consider the works of the flesh to be adultery and the like, and the work of the mind to be envy, holding grudges, and the like.
Eph. 2:3. and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest,
This is said instead of: we offend and anger God, and were nothing other in reality than wrath; just as a child of a human being is by nature a human, so also were we. And as sons of Gehenna and sons of perdition are called those who are worthy of such, so also "children of wrath" are called those who do things worthy of wrath. The word "by nature" is used instead of: truly and genuinely, "even as the rest," for no one was free from wrath.
Eph. 2:4. God, who is rich in mercy,
We were doing deeds worthy of implacable wrath, but God, he says, is not simply merciful, but also "rich in mercy."
Eph. 2:4. by His great love, with which He loved us,
And love from great mercy. For otherwise how would we — children of wrath — have been deemed worthy of love?
Eph. 2:5. dead in trespasses, He made alive together with Christ, –
Here is the end of the previously begun thought, while the rest is all a parenthetical insertion. Again Christ is the mediator, and the matter is worthy of trust: for if the firstfruits (the firstborn) lives, then we also live; since God gave life to both Him and us: to Him in actuality, and to us in power for now, and a little later — also in actuality. Behold the extraordinary greatness of His power, namely that He gave life to the dead, the sons of wrath. In this lies the hope of our calling.
Eph. 2:5. by grace you are saved,
With deep spiritual shock he expressed this, marveling at the ineffable gift of God. For not by labor and not by your own works, he says, were you saved, but only by grace. For, as far as works are concerned, you were worthy of punishment and wrath.
Eph. 2:6. And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Since the firstfruits and the head, Christ, I say, has been raised, God also raised us through Him; in exactly the same way, if the head sits, the whole body sits together with it. Therefore he says: "in Christ Jesus," that is, because He is seated, we also are seated. Or else: "raised us up with Him" should be understood not as referring to resurrection, but to being made alive through baptism. But how then "seated us"? "If we endure," he says, "we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12). And Christ says: "you will sit on twelve thrones" (Matt. 19:28), and in another place: "but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared" (Mark 10:40). So then, this has already been prepared.
Eph. 2:7. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Lest anyone doubt what has been said, he endeavors to make his speech more convincing, saying: if not for the sake of love toward us, then at least out of the desire to manifest His goodness, He will surely fulfill this. Now many do not believe this, but in the age to come all will know what God has granted us, seeing the saints in ineffable glory. As for the expression "in Christ Jesus," it means: this does not pertain to Christ alone, but through Him it passes also to us, as from the beginning to the whole: with Him we shall be made alive, with Him we shall also sit. So says the great John Chrysostom in his commentary on this passage, while in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew he says that no one will sit then. Truly the gift of the Spirit and of revelation is needed to comprehend the depth of these mysteries. For if the wise teacher John had not said clearly that we "shall be" seated, then one might have said that in Christ we "already" sit, just as also that in Christ we are deemed worthy of worship from the angels. For it is not we personally who are deemed worthy of worship, but since our nature, united with God the Word, receives worship, this honor passes also to us. It is in this sense that he now says that we too shall sit.
Eph. 2:8. For by grace you are saved through faith,
Having said that which concerns God, namely, that we are saved by grace, he adds also that which belongs to us — "through faith," so as not to violate free will.
Eph. 2:8. and this is not of you, it is the gift of God:
Again he as it were destroys this, saying that even faith is not from us; because if He had not come, if He had not called, we would not have followed either. "How shall they believe," he says, "in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Rom. 10:14). So that faith too is a gift of God. Or else alternatively: he does not call faith a gift of God, but rather salvation through faith — that is what is the gift of God. For let faith indeed be ours, but how could it alone save, if God had not been pleased to accept us on account of it, so that we would not be entirely without part in the matter of our salvation, but would appear as contributing something also from ourselves.
Eph. 2:9. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.
This does not mean that God rejected us who have works, but rather that even those who would have perished with their works, He saved by grace, so that after this no one has the right to boast. For the word "so that" (ίνα) expresses not the cause, but the consequence of the matter.
Eph. 2:10. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God predetermined for us to perform.
So that you, having heard that you are not justified by works, would not become careless regarding works, he says that now after faith, works are needed. For you were created in Christ Jesus and became a new creature after the old man died in you in baptism. And just as in the beginning you were called from non-being into being, so now you are called to well-being: you were created not to be idle, but so as to do and walk in good works, that is, to accomplish the entire path of life in them, not for two or three years, but the entire path of your life. For he indicates this by the word "to fulfill." For "God foreordained" this, therefore one must not turn away from this work appointed by God. "For good works," not for one work, but for all: for if there is a deficiency in one, virtue is violated. But Gregory the Theologian understood the expression "created for good works" not in the sense of creation in baptism, but referred it to the first creation.
Eph. 2:11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called the uncircumcision by those who are called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands,
Eph. 2:12. that you were at that time without Christ,
Having said that He saved them who were dead, he now intends to show to whom He made them equal and co-heirs, namely to the Israelites — for great indeed was their dignity — and he says: "therefore remember." "Therefore" (for this reason). Why then? Because you were created "for good works," for this alone is sufficient to urge us to care for virtue. And he said "remember" because those who rise from utter nothingness to a height usually forget their former state. What then should they "remember"? That in former times you were far from Christ, but now have become near to Him, just as Israel was. Such indeed is the purpose of these words. But notice how skillfully he overthrows circumcision, showing that it differs from uncircumcision only in word, not in deed. "You," he says, "Gentiles in the flesh," not in the spirit, and "who were called" so, not being so in reality, just as if he were saying that in the flesh you are lesser, but not in the spirit. And again with the words "circumcision made in the flesh" he points to a distinction consisting only in words and flesh. Thus uncircumcision was not something grievous and abominable, even though those who boasted in circumcision said so; but to be outside of Christ — that is truly terrible and unbearable. Why then, intending to show that they are partakers of the glory of the Israelites, does he diminish the dignity of the latter? But look at what he diminishes: not what is essential. For circumcision is not essential, but indifferent. In what is essential, however, he even greatly exalts them, calling the Israelites holy and intimate with God.
Eph. 2:12. Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel,
Having not said "separated" (κεχωρισμένοι), but "alienated," because the Israelites too were outside the lawful and godly life, but not as strangers, rather as negligent ones.
Eph. 2:12. "strangers from the covenants of promise,"
Here is what the great division consisted in. For he did not say: not holding to — προσέχοντες — the covenant, but completely alien — ξένοι — to it. And the Israelites, though they were deprived of the promises, were not as strangers to them. What covenants and promises? "To your descendants I give this land" (Gen. 15:18), and much else He promised, understood in an entirely spiritual sense.
Eph. 2:12. "had no hope"
"Hope" without doubt concerning the future: the resurrection and the recompense.
Eph. 2:12. and they were godless in the world.
Although they worshiped gods, these were not gods. He added "in the world" to show that they were inferior to Israel not only in heavenly things, but also in what is glorious on earth. For the Israelites were both glorious and renowned in regard to their worship of God.
Eph. 2:13. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ.
We were far from God, not in place, but in the disposition of heart and life, yet now we have become near, not by life (for we contributed nothing from works), but in Christ Jesus and by His Blood. For having shed His Blood and given Himself for us, He freed us from the captivity that kept us far from Him, and brought us near to Himself. But you can also understand it this way: we were far from the Israelites, and now we have become near to them.
Eph. 2:14. For He is our peace, who made both one
For before the incarnation of the Word there was great enmity between circumcision and uncircumcision; but now we have been reconciled, having become one faith. For now we are called no longer circumcision and uncircumcision, but we have one sign — faith. Imagine: two men, one a slave, the other adopted; both gave offense to the same person: one by committing an act worthy of losing his sonship, the other by running away; then both of them were made heirs and intimates. And so they were deemed worthy of equal honor, and two became one. In exactly the same way, Gentiles and Israelites turned out to be transgressors: the former as slaves, and the Israelites as sons. So then, what? Is it really such a great thing to have fellowship with the Israelites? You have raised us to the heavens, and now you point to this as something great? Yes, he says: that must be received by faith, but this by deeds themselves. However, he does not say that he brought us to the dignity of the Israelites, but that he raised both us and them to a better state. Yet the benefit to us is greater, because to them it was promised, but to us it was not promised, and we were far off, as the example cited above indicates.
Eph. 2:14. and having broken down the middle wall of partition,
Eph. 2:15. having abolished the enmity in His Flesh,
He explains what the barrier consisted of, and says: in the enmity toward God of both Gentiles and Jews — enmity that arose from our transgressions, as the prophet also says: "your iniquities have made a separation between you and God" (Isa. 59:2). So this barrier, the enmity, He destroyed by His Flesh. In what way? By putting an end to the enmity in the flesh. For since He united flesh with the Godhead, it is clear that He accomplished reconciliation, for the two natures were united and joined together. And on the other hand, He destroyed the enmity also by appearing sinless and fulfilling the entire law. For the law was a fence, that is, it was given for safety, to provide protection; but when transgressed, it creates a barrier — sin, through which we do not remain in safety but are separated from God.
Eph. 2:15. and the law of commandments in doctrines,
Lest anyone should say: what then, if having been freed from the former transgression of the law, we are again compelled to observe it? – he says that He abolished it as well. For having given us the law for our strengthening, instead of punishing us when we did not keep it, He abolished the law entirely, just as if someone, having entrusted a child to a tutor, when he did not obey, took him away from the tutor. He calls it the "law" of "commandments" because it was the organizer of the order of life; and he calls faith a "doctrine" because it is established through teaching or dogmas. Therefore the apostle said, as it were: instead of a way of life, He introduced faith. For we received justification not as a result of commandments prescribing to do this or that, but "if you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, you shall be saved" (cf. Rom. 10:9). Or else he calls "doctrine" the prohibitive commandments of the Lord, namely: "but I say to you: do not swear at all" (Matt. 5:34), or "do not be angry" (Isa. 54:9), and the like.
Eph. 2:15. "in order to create in Himself one new man out of the two,"
He did not make the Greek into a Jew, but elevated both to a better state. And he did not say "change," but "create," in order to express his thought more forcefully, and that thereafter we must not depart from natural works. "In Himself" (ἐν ἑαυτῷ) is said either instead of "through Himself" (δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ), because it was not someone else who did this, but He Himself, as if melting down the Jew and the Gentile, created one new and wondrous man. Or it means that He Himself was the first to present the model and example, He Himself appeared beforehand as that which He made those (Greeks and Jews) into; and that He stood in the middle between both, holding on one side the Greek and on the other the Jew, mixing them together and removing everything hostile, supernaturally recreating them through fire and water. Thus, in the human nature which He assumed—a nature common to both Gentile and Jew, and assumed for the sake of both—in this nature, freed from all corruption and oldness, He created the two into one new man, free from the decrepitude and unrighteousness of sin. Neither the one nor the other is characterized any longer by his own qualities, but both are characterized by the property of the one man created in the image of Christ. But you will understand these words even better if you mentally picture the Lord as the cornerstone, and these two as walls built upon Him;
Eph. 2:15. making peace,
And in relation to one another (for the Jew then draws near to the Gentile when he becomes a believer), but especially to God, which is also more important, as he shows below.
Eph. 2:16. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross,
He did not say "reconcile" (καταλλάξη), but "fully reconcile" (άποκαταλλάξη), that is, reconcile again, showing that in ancient times too, through the law, human nature was being reconciled with God, but then, since through the transgression of the law the enmity was even more intensified, it again had need of reconciliation with God, which, as final, is rightly called reconciliation (άποκαταλλαγ). "In one body" — that is, in His own. For the punishment due to us He Himself took upon Himself through the cross, which He also said above: "In the flesh." And again, He might create the two in Himself. But according to some, "in one body" means that He reconciled with God both who had become, as it were, one body, of which He is the head.
Eph. 2:16. Having slain the enmity by it.
He did not say "having destroyed," but more strongly — "having killed," so that it would no longer rise up. In what way then does enmity arise again after this? It never rises up, but gives birth to another, because you sin again. "In Himself" — either on the cross, or in His own body. For He killed the enmity both on the cross and in His own body, in which He also took up the cross.
Eph. 2:17. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near,
He did not send another, but came Himself, appearing in the condition of a servant and slave, and "preached peace" — to God, without a doubt: to those "far off" — the Gentiles, and to those "near" — the Jews, since these seemed closer to God. And Christ indeed said: "Peace I leave with you" (John 14:27); be of good courage: "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33), and also: "My Father will love you" (John 14:23), and: "all things that you shall ask shall be given to you" (Mark 11:24). And all these are signs of peace.
Eph. 2:18. For through Him both groups of us have access to the Father in one Spirit.
By His death He destroyed the enmity and then made us beloved to the Father through the Spirit, having graced us with the same grace. For He did not grant them more, as to those who were near, and us less, as to those who were far off; but in one Spirit He granted to both the same grace and thus brought them to the Father. Or "in" is used instead of "through," and then the meaning would be this: through Him and the Spirit we have been brought to the Father.
Eph. 2:19. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
Since the Son abides forever, those who do not attain the heavenly city are strangers and sojourners. But we are not such now, but rather fellow citizens with the saints; not simply of the Jews, but of their saints — the patriarchs and prophets — and we are enrolled in that very same city, the city that is in heaven, the eternal one, which they too earnestly sought.
Eph. 2:19. and members of the household of God,
What those men barely achieved through great labors, we have received through grace, having become God's own (members of His household). This is the hope of our calling: for it is in that very hope that we are called, so that we might receive this.
Eph. 2:20. having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
Wishing to show the close union of the Gentiles with the prophets and apostles, he says: "having been built upon," as if saying: the prophets and apostles serve as the foundation, while you completed the rest of the building, so that all together formed one temple of God. This is what it means to be built upon the patriarchs and prophets, which in another place he calls grafting in (Rom. 11:19). He placed the apostles first, although in time they were the last.
Eph. 2:20. Having Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone,
Christ holds all things upon Himself. For the cornerstone supports both the walls and the foundations. And note: sometimes he calls Him the one who holds all things together from above, in which case he names Him the head, and sometimes the one who bears the entire building upon Himself from below, like a cornerstone; and sometimes he also calls Him the foundation itself.
Eph. 2:21. on whom all the building, being fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord,
On the cornerstone, he says, that is Christ, the entire building — namely all believers, joined organically and inseparably — grows and is filled up, so as to become temples of God. "And I will set My dwelling among you," He says, "and will walk among you" (Lev. 26:11–12). For the Church (ἐκκλησία) in general, that is the assembly of all believers, is a temple of God, and so too is each person individually. "In the Lord" is said instead of — by the grace of the Lord, and not by our labors. And by the word "being fitted together" he shows that we cannot be built into a temple of God in any other way than by leading such a life as corresponds to the cornerstone.
Eph. 2:22. In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God by the Spirit.
And all believers are built up in Him, and you also, Ephesians, to be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, that is, through the cooperation of the Spirit. Or else he said "in the Spirit" in contrast to a material building, as if saying: a spiritual dwelling place of God. Such building up is also accomplished until the second coming through believers.