"And he raised us up and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, as he had said before that God raised Christ from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality, and power, and virtue, and domination, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And now he adds that God has also raised us up with him and made us sit in the heavenly places at his right hand. Therefore, the question is, how did God, who made us alive and raised us up, also make us sit with Christ? The straightforward answer is that according to the foreknowledge of God, what will happen in the future has already been said to be as good as done. And because this is the way of the Scriptures, that sometimes future events are spoken of as if they were past, for example, about the Lord's crucifixion: 'They have pierced my hands and feet' (Psalm 22:16), and elsewhere about his passion: 'Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth' (Isaiah 53:7), and still elsewhere about the wounds inflicted by the scourging: 'By his stripes we are healed' (Isaiah 53:5), and again: 'For the transgression of my people was he led to death' (Isaiah 53:8, according to the Septuagint). This is done so that because the future is always uncertain, people's hope might not be uncertain and waver, but what God knows about the future (about which there is nothing ambiguous) might be spoken of as if it were already done, so that those who hear may actually have experienced what is to come. Another answer is this: if someone understands the resurrection and Christ's kingdom in a spiritual sense, they might say that the saints are already sitting and reigning with Christ, for there is no saint who is not in the flesh, living and moving about in the world, while at the same time having their conversation in heaven. But when they lay aside the flesh and all becomes spirit, then they will sit with Christ in heaven. Wherefore it is said, 'The Kingdom of God is within you' (Luke 17:21) and 'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also' (Matthew 6:21), and 'With Christ we sit in the heavenly places, in wisdom, in the Word, in justice, in truth.' However, it can also be said that just as we have received the down payment of the Holy Spirit, but have not yet attained its fullness, so too we are sitting with Christ and reigning, but have not yet obtained the perfect session in the heavenly places."
2:7
"That he might show in the coming ages the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. How great is the magnitude of the benefit, and how manifold the grace by which the Lord has made us sit and reign with Christ, having been delivered from the troubles of this world! This is especially proven by the fact that in future ages, he will display his glory and riches to all rational creatures above us. We who were once held captive by the law of sin and destined for punishment because of our vices and sins; we were destined for condemnation, bound by the flesh. Now we reign and sit with Christ. However, we do not sit in any lowly place, but above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the future. For if Christ, who was raised from the dead, sits at the right hand of God in heaven above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, and we sit and reign with him, it is necessary that we sit above those above whom he sits. However, the diligent reader will immediately ask, "What, then, is man greater than the angels and all the powers in heaven?" Since it is dangerous to answer this question, we refer all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the future (especially since all things are subject to Christ's feet) not to the good, but to the contrary: that he affirms that they are rebellious angels and the prince of this world, and Lucifer who once rose in the morning, over whom the saints will sit with Christ in the end, also giving them a benefit, who now wander and fall by their own free will. But since such people have seated themselves, they will begin to be governed according to the will of those who sit. The other part of this that says, "that he might show in the coming ages the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus," can be understood that we are saved not by our own merit, but by his grace, and that it is a greater sign of goodness for sinners than for the righteous to die. For 'who willingly dies for a good man?' and he will give us what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2). All of which he has already given us in part in Christ Jesus because nothing good can be said apart from Christ."
2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Therefore, he said, in showing in the ages to come the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. And even this faith is not of ourselves, but is the gift of God, so that no one may think that they are saved by their own works. It is not that free will is taken away from man, as the Apostle says in Romans, "it is not of him who wills or of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Romans 9); rather, the very freedom of the will is given by God, and all things are referred to His benefits, even though He permits us to want what is good. And all of this is done so that no one may boast in themselves, but only in God as their Savior.
2:10
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." He has given reasons why we are saved by grace through faith, and that this is not of ourselves, but from the gift of God, saying: "For we are His workmanship," that is, what we live, breathe, understand, and believe is all His, because He is our Creator. And observe carefully that He did not say, "we are His figure and form," but "we are His workmanship." Form and figure originate from the earth's clay, but workmanship took its beginning after the likeness and image of God. This is also shown in the 118th Psalm, where it says: "Your hands made me and fashioned me" (Psalm 118:73). Workmanship comes before fashioning. And because the name of creation and condition is always associated with great works, for example, that city was founded, and the world was created from the beginning, and every saint through various doctrines and virtues is a whole world unto himself, we are now created in Christ and created for good works, which we have done, or will do, in other creatures to which our conversation is transferred, so that we may walk in them, which God has prepared and given us great hope. And since we have come to the name of creation, and Wisdom in the Proverbs of Solomon says she was created as the beginning of God's ways (Proverbs 8), and many fear being compelled to call Christ a creature, they deny the whole mystery of Christ and say that this wisdom signifies not Christ, but the wisdom of the world. We proclaim freely that there is no danger in calling Him a creature, whom we confess as worm, man, crucified, and cursed, and in whom all our hope rests, especially since the wisdom herself promises, in the two verses preceding, that she will speak of those things which are to come after numerous ages. And since Christ made the ages, and what follows is what he promised to speak after the ages, those things which follow should not be referred to the mystery of His incarnation, but to the nature of God, even though it may not be present in the Hebrew codices: "The Lord created me at the beginning of His ways" but "The Lord possessed Me." However, there is a great distance between possession and creation, because the one who is possessed surely exists and is one's own. The Creator, on the other hand, did not exist before he was created, or certainly was transferred into another, just as we are now known as created in Christ Jesus. Created indeed, not because we did not exist before, but created for good works. This is what David also prayed for in the fiftieth Psalm, saying: "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 50:11). And certainly, the heart was clean before sin, when the Lord spoke about it: "I have found David son of Jesse to be a man after My own heart" (Acts 13:22). But just as in us and in Christ, with each work and progress, creation and condition can be understood, so in believers, Christ created, born and established the mountains, valleys, hills, and plains, according to each one's merits.
2:12
"Therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who were called uncircumcised by those who are called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Calling the Ephesians Gentiles in the flesh, it is shown in the Spirit that they are not Gentiles. Conversely, the Jews are Gentiles in the Spirit, and Israelites in the flesh. Thus, the Jews are divided into four parts: some are circumcised in the flesh and in the Spirit, such as Moses and Aaron, the Apostles, and Nathanael, whose hidden Judaism the Lord saw and said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:47). Others are uncircumcised in both the flesh and the Spirit, such as Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh, as well as the multitudes of Gentiles of today, who do not believe in God. The third group are those who are circumcised only in the flesh and have an uncircumcised spirit, to whom the prophet says, “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts” (Jeremiah 4:4). And elsewhere, “All the uncircumcised shall be uncircumcised in heart” (Jeremiah 9:25). The final group is referred to in the following words: “Therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who were called uncircumcised by those who are called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands,” which represents the crowd of believers today, and the whole world is filled with Gentiles. To differentiate the spiritual Gentiles from the Jews, the Ephesians are called Gentiles in the flesh because they are Israelites in the Spirit. For in another place, the Scripture mentions Israel according to the flesh saying, “Behold Israel according to the flesh” (1 Corinthians 10), because Israel was not in the Spirit. The words “who were called uncircumcised” are also used in a proper way. He says, “You were called uncircumcised, and were not so, by that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hands,” not because circumcision itself is wrong, but because it gives itself this name and is truly circumcision made by hands, not by the Spirit. It should also be noted that we who were once alienated from Christ, and from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, and without hope and without God in the world, are now, since we have believed in Christ, said to have the conversation of Israel in accordance with his promises and covenants. How, indeed, the whole legal conversation is fulfilled in us, because the law is spiritual, and we are circumcised and keep the Sabbath in the Spirit, offering spiritual sacrifices, while their temple and altar are destroyed. We offer God a tenth of the fruit of our labors, and we offer an immaculate lamb and, bound with girdles, we celebrate the Passover. For just as circumcision is called in the flesh, made by hands, so another circumcision is understood, which is not made by hands, but by the Spirit. As for “having no hope and without God in the world,” this doesn't mean that the Ephesians, before they came to Christ, didn't have more than one god and didn't worship them; rather, it means that anyone without the true God has no god at all. It is significant that it says “without God in the world.” For they did have a God, whom God knew they would have before, and at that time, they were not without God in God’s foreknowledge, they were in the world without God."
2:13-14
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ; for he himself is our peace." Is God not everywhere and whole, from which anyone can be separated when all things are in Him? And He Himself speaks through the prophet: "Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?" (Jer. 23:23). And the Psalmist testifies: "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." (Ps. 139:8). Therefore, even though all things are in Him, it is said that He is far from the ungodly, as it is written: "The Lord is far from the wicked" (Prov. 15:29). He whom the wicked are far from is near to the saints. Finally, even though he was far away from the Ephesians, he became near to them through the blood of Jesus. And we should note carefully that without the blood of the Lord Jesus, no one can come near to God, for he himself is our peace, saying: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27). For just as wisdom makes the wise wise, and righteousness makes the righteous righteous, and sanctification makes the holy holy, and life makes the living alive, so also peace makes us peaceful, so that we may say: "I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war." (Ps. 120:7). Therefore, if Christ is the peace of believers, whoever is without peace does not have Christ.
2:14-18
"He made both one, and broke down the dividing wall of the enclosure, the enmity, in His flesh, nullifying the law of commandments in dogmas, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, making peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, thereby killing the enmity in it, and coming, He preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have access in one spirit to the Father." He is the middle wall and the enclosure, which divided the two peoples from each other. Even in Genesis, at the birth of twin sons, the midwife speaks of it, saying: 'Why has the hedge been broken down because of you?' (Gen. 38:29). Therefore, when in His own flesh, the Savior destroyed the wisdom of the flesh, which is hostile to God (Romans 8), and changed the legal commandments into evangelical doctrines, in order to make one Christian people from Jews and Gentiles, and preached peace and harmony to us who were far off and to the remnants of the Jews who believed in Israel through the apostles, then we approached God through Him, and we came to know that we have one Father in spirit; and what the Lord said in the Gospel was fulfilled, when He said: 'And there shall be one shepherd, and one flock' (John 10:16); and again: 'And I have other sheep that are not of this fold,' indicating that we are to be gathered from the Gentiles. However, the enmity that was destroyed in the Savior's flesh was also killed by the cross. For it is written: 'To reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, killing the enmity in it.' Not as it is written in the Latin codices, 'in Himself,' because of the ambiguity of the Greek pronoun ἐν αὐτῷ, which can be understood as 'in Himself' or 'in it,' that is, in the cross, because the cross, that is, σταυρὸς, is masculine in Greek. The law of commandments was also overthrown in the doctrines, after circumcision and the Sabbath, which was left to the people of God, and Passover, and Pentecost, and not appearing empty in God's sight, were understood more deeply than they sounded, and departing from the dead letter, we began to follow the life-giving Spirit. And when he says, 'He came and preached peace to you who were far,' this means the Gentiles, 'and peace to those who were near,' that is, the Jews. It seems to me that he brought forward a testimony from Isaiah and others in support of this. For it is written of Him, 'I saw his ways, and I healed him, and I brought him consolation, and I gave him true consolation: peace upon peace to those who were far off, and to those who were near' (Isaiah 57:18). And these things, according to the Vulgate interpretation, were said. However, when the Apostle reads that about Christ, 'making peace through the blood of his cross, to those who were on earth and those who were in Heaven,' and the other things that are said in the same passage, he will not think that we, who are called far off according to the spirit of Israel, were far off, or that the Jews, who are only called Israel according to the flesh, were near. And this whole knowledge will be directed to the angels and heavenly powers, and will restrain human souls: which Christ, in His blood, united earthly and heavenly things that had been previously in discord, and the good shepherd, carrying the sick sheep to the mountains, made it to be with the rest; and He joined the lost drachma with the ones that were saved. And He brought back the legal commandments to those dogmas whose type and image Moses saw to be fabricated in the tabernacle. So the Lord's cross helped not only the earth, but also the heavens; not only humans, but also angels; and every creature of His was purified by His blood. And when He says, "That He might make of the two one new man in Himself," and this is more meaningful for the previous disunity between Jews and Gentiles: in the same way, His intelligence adapted, so that He might say that man was made in the image and likeness of God; after reconciliation, he will take upon himself the same form as the angels have now, and he himself had lost. And He says that the new man is one that is daily renewed, and will dwell in the new world when there is a new heaven and new earth, and he will drink the new cup of Jesus in the kingdom of God, and he will sing a new song, and he will rejoice in the reading of the Old and New Testament. Moreover, that which is written elsewhere: "Behold, I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth" - he will feel it as if he considers the beginning of the innovation to be in the present world. However, he thinks that the perfect and complete newness cannot be fulfilled in this age. And as we see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face: so the full and perfect renewal of the new man will be accomplished when the heavenly and earthly things will be united, and in one spirit, and same sense and sentiment, we will approach the Father. I do not know if such a proposal is in another Epistle (if someone accepts it), but Paul suggests to the wise readers, saying: "These all receiving testimony of faith, did not achieve the promise, God providing something better for us, that they might not be made perfect without us." Therefore, the whole creation groans with us who groan in this tabernacle, and who suffer, and who wait for the revelation of the sons of God: that it may be freed from the vanity of its servitude, to which it is now subject, and that there may be one shepherd and one flock: and that the Lord's Prayer may be completed, saying: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
2:19-21
"So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." To what he had said before, "foreigners and strangers with respect to the covenants and the promises," he now replies, "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners." And to that which he had previously claimed, "separated from the company of Israel," he now retorts, "You are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God." This passage is particularly directed against those who try to introduce different kinds of nature. For how have strangers become fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God once upon a time being alienated with respect to the company of Israel if one cannot change nature for better or for worse? But what follows, "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets," is more in keeping with the first than the second interpretation, in which we have stated previously that before the passion of Christ, Israel was near and the Gentiles were far off. This testimony is used against Marcion and other ancient heretics, who preach one God of the Law and another of the Gospel, as we can call to mind. For since they are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone, through whom the entire structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord, in whom also the Ephesians are built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit, there is one God, one temple and edifice built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And if the entire building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, it is necessary to strive with all labor to become those stones of which it is written: "And the holy stones shall be rolling in the wide places" (Zechariah 9:16). And when we are living stones, polished on every side, smooth (or polished) and with no roughness, let us be built up into a temple, and become a dwelling place for God. And let there be established within us the ark of the covenant, the keeper of the Law of the Lord, and Cherubim, the "multitude of knowledge," and let the innermost parts of our hearts pass into a new name: let us be called Dabir (), which we can call "oracle" or "response," and to express the word more literally, let us say "speaker" in Greek, that is, "locutorium" in Latin: so that we may break out with the Apostle in voice: "Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me?" (1 Cor. 13:3). For every building built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, not only us, but also the heavenly virtues, may be made a dwelling of God in the spirit: for it is said that it is incongruous for an edification compacted and in harmony to increase in a holy temple in the Lord, and for the angelic and blessed virtues that serve God in heaven to be considered alien to this happiness. But the highest cornerstone, which contains both peoples (or according to the second interpretation, joins the heavenly and earthly), is Christ our Lord, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, of whom even the Psalmist testifies, saying: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing" (Ps. 117:22). For he was rejected by the Pharisees, who seemed to have knowledge of the Law and to build the temple of God by legal commands: and taken up by God as a cornerstone, in order that he himself might hold together the two walls: and through him both peoples might have access to God. This cornerstone is a stumbling block to unbelievers, and a rock of offense: upon which whoever falls will be shattered; and upon whomsoever it falls, it shall crush him (Luke 20).
The Second Book.
According to your speeches, O Paula and Eustochium, we tackle the book of Ephesians: we are also going to send small gifts to the new Rome. Not because this gift is worthy of being read by learned senators, and to be written in old libraries, but because Saint Marcella herself demands it through letters. Whenever I remember her studies, talents, and hard work, I feel ashamed of my own laziness, as I cannot do what a noblewoman did to serve her busy household. For I stand in the solitude of the monastery, seeing the very manger where the shepherds hastened to adore the newborn baby (Luke 2), yet I cannot perform the valuable tasks accomplished by a noble lady. Therefore, I ask both her and you and anyone else who might read this, to know that I am not trying to give a fancy and long-winded speech, but rather to reveal the mysteries of the Scriptures, so that we can explain the writings of the Apostle Paul, whose Epistles we are attempting to analyze, by means of prayers nearly from the crossroads, and sometimes we even reach a thousand verses in a single day, that this exposition, begun on the apostle, may be completed by our prayers.
3:1-4
"For the sake of this matter, I Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles - if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)" - concerning the context and content of the discourse, in reference to what he said before: "For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles," searching diligently, we could not find anything that he had rendered to it. For he did not say, "For this reason, I, Paul, did this or that," but holding a suspended sentence, he moved on to other things. Unless perhaps, granting him what he himself confessed when he said, "And if I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge" (1 Cor. 11:6), we seek more for the order of his ideas than of his words. It can be translated as: for the sake of this matter, I Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and a prisoner for you who are of the Gentiles, came to know the mystery so that I may impart it to you, as I have briefly written in this same letter. But you must hear of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you who are of the Gentiles, for whom I am also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. However, Paul being a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, can also be understood as referring to his martyrdom, when he was imprisoned in Rome and sent this Epistle at that time when we showed that he wrote to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Philippians from another place. Or certainly because it has been read in many places that the bond of the soul is called the prison of the body, as if it were held in a prison. Therefore, we say that Paul is being confined by the bonds of his body, unable to return and be with Christ, so that the preaching of the Gentiles may be completed through him. Although some may introduce another meaning to this, that Paul was predestined and sanctified from his mother's womb to preach to the Gentiles, and later received the bonds of the flesh. But I think that this interpretation is faulty. For what he should have said was: "For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, came to know the mystery, as I have briefly written already, that by reading you may understand," instead he says, "For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner according to revelation, came to know the mystery," and so on. But if someone can teach, according to the context of speech and eloquence, that the Apostle was perfect and did not fall into the faults of grammar, he is the one who ought to be listened to. Whenever we have noted a solecism or something of the sort, we do not attack the Apostle, as malicious people claim, but rather we are supporters of the Apostle, since no Hebraic person could have brought the whole world to the faith of Christ without evangelizing it not in the wisdom of words, but in the power of God, without the rhetorical splendor of speech, the arrangement of words, or the charm of eloquence. For he himself says to the Corinthians: "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with lofty speech or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God" (1 Cor. 2:1). And again: "My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and power, so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (Ibid., 4 and 5). Therefore, he who makes solecisms in his words, who cannot understand hyperbaton, and who cannot conclude a sentence, boldly claims wisdom for himself and says: "For according to revelation, I have known the mystery as I have briefly written" (Eph. 3:3). Truly, if someone looks at the previous part of this epistle, he will see revealed mysteries, of which he has painted a certain small aspect in his speech, not expressing everything he knew, but showing from the small part what he should keep silent about. "As ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Ibid., 4). This is what we said in the preface: none of Paul's epistles contain such mysteries wrapped in such deeply hidden meanings that the Apostle himself boasts of knowing, and he briefly shows us these mysteries so that we may more attentively read what is written.
3:5-7
"And that which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the effectual working of his power." The mystery of Christ, which in part the Apostle has set forth above, seems to require fuller explanation. Whether or not Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and the other prophets were ignorant of it, the Scripture records that the coming of Christ and the calling of the Gentiles were prophesied by them. For Abraham saw His day and was glad (John 8:56) and he was told, "In your seed all nations shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). And Jacob prophetically spoke of Him who would come from Judah, saying, "And to Him shall be the expectation of nations" (Genesis 49:10). Moses also considered the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. And Isaiah said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son" (Isaiah 7:14). And elsewhere, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him" (Isaiah 11:1-2). And to avoid being too lengthy, it suffices to say a few things from the Psalms: "All the families of the nations shall worship before Him" (Psalm 22:27). And again, "All nations will serve Him" (Psalm 18:44). And more distinctly about Israel and the Lord the Savior: "Visit this vineyard and restore it, the vineyard which your right hand has planted. And upon the Son of Man you have strengthened for yourself" (Psalm 80:15-16). The dispensation of the body of Christ is also indicated in subsequent verses: "Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the Son of man whom you have strengthened for yourself" (Psalm 80:17). Therefore, either, as Montanus says, the patriarchs and prophets spoke in ecstasy, and did not know what they said, or, if this is impious (for the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets), they certainly understood what they said. And if they understood, it must be asked how Paul can now say that what was not known to other generations was revealed to the apostles of Christ. Either it must be answered that Paul cautiously and pointedly testified that the mystery was not known to the sons of men, not to the sons of God, to whom he speaks: "I said, you are gods, and you are all sons of the Most High" (Psalm 81:6). That is, those who have received the spirit of adoption, whom the patriarchs and prophets knew, knew the sacrament of God. Or, if this is not accepted and seems too forced and strained, the conversation will go there, saying that Paul did not definitely and generally say that the sacrament of the Lord was completely unknown to other generations: but in the way it is now revealed to his saints and apostles, the ancient patriarchs and prophets did not know it. For it is one thing to know what will come in the Spirit, and another to see it accomplished by deeds. Therefore, John is called greater than all the prophets (Luke 7), because He saw the One whom the others prophesied, and pointed Him out with his finger, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). According to which sense, that saying may also be explained: "Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard" (Luke 10:24). They certainly desired to see and hear those things which they had foreknown would come to pass. And, if they did not know what was coming, how could they desire something they completely ignored? We read in the Books of the Kings, the Lord promising and saying to Solomon in a dream: "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom and knowledge, that thou mightest know the judgment, behold I have done according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart." (2 Kings 3:11-12) Nor should it be thought that the mystery revealed to the apostles of Christ was unknown to Solomon, since all the apostles were wiser than Solomon, and the divine voice was promised even to the patriarchs. He speaks confidently about himself: "God has taught me wisdom, and I have come to know the holy things" (Wisdom 7:21). Also, David boasts about possessing the knowledge of a hidden mystery, saying: "You have revealed to me the uncertain and hidden things of your wisdom" (Psalm 50:8). And to him who applauds himself for having wisdom, God speaks through the prophet: "Are you wiser than Daniel?" (Ezekiel 28:3). Therefore, the idea should not be held, as discussed before, that the patriarchs and prophets were ignorant of the mysteries of Christ that were revealed to the apostles, since it is one thing to hold something in one's hands and another to foresee it in spirit. Or, it should be said that just as faces are not similar to each other, not all hearts are similar to each other; and, according to the Apostle, there are diverse gifts, one having prophecy, another different kinds of tongues, another the gift of healing, another helping and governing, one being wise, another faithful, one possessing the knowledge of secrets, while another is content with simple faith only (1 Corinthians 12). For not all have spoken about the nature of animals, birds, and plants in the manner of Solomon; from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that issues from the wall. On the contrary, Solomon may not have seen it the way Moses saw all the species of animals and plants and the worship of God. Nor did the Lord speak to him face to face, nor did he have as much knowledge of or understanding of vessels and furnishings, whose type the Lord showed him on the mountain (1 Kings 4; Exodus 33, 25). And just as the patriarchs and prophets had some things which the apostles did not have, it must be believed that, conversely, for the opportunity of the time and for the preaching of the Gospel, the apostles had more knowledge of the mystery of Christ. Indeed, the holy men of ancient times also knew it, but not in the way that the apostles did, upon whom the necessity of preaching lay. But what is this mystery, which as it is now, was not revealed to other generations? Surely that which follows, "that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel," of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the effectual working of his power. I know that the apposition of the conjunction by which it is said, "fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers," makes the sentence inelegant in Latin speech. But as it is in Greek, and each word, syllable, accent, and punctuation in the divine Scriptures is full of meaning, we would rather risk the composition and structure of the words than the understanding of their sense. Therefore, the Gentiles are fellow heirs with Israel, or rather, they are fellow heirs with Christ, so that our inheritance may be God's, and we may be co-heirs with Christ, as it is also written elsewhere, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). Not that any possession is divided among us, but that the Lord Himself may be our inheritance and possession. "For the Lord Himself is my portion and inheritance" (Deuteronomy 18:2), and elsewhere, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup" (Psalm 16:5). And "of the same body" indicates that just as in one body there are many members, such as the eyes, hands, ears, feet, belly, and knees, and though they have their differences, they rejoice and suffer for one another, so those who have believed in Christ, though they have various graces, are nevertheless united in the body of the Church. And in the two above-mentioned words, that is, in what he says, "fellow heirs and of the same body," there could be a suspicion of some difference in one body. But from what he added, "and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus," all difference is entirely removed. For where there is one participation, there is a universal communion. He also added beautifully, "by the gospel, of which I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the effectual working of his power," to show that it was not his own merit, but the grace of God that he was presenting. For he knew that he had been a persecutor and had devastated the church of Christ, from which humility, the very crime of arrogance, is completely excluded. Some criticize him for saying that a mystery has been revealed to him that was unknown to the patriarchs and prophets. For he was never a disciple of humility who swelled with arrogant words, saying that the gospel in which he is a minister was not his own merit, but the grace of God. Those who believe that the prophets did not understand what they said, and that they spoke as if in ecstasy, draw even the passage found in many codices of Romans to confirm their own doctrine, reading, "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest by the Scriptures of the prophets, and that He might make known the riches of His glory" and so on. However, we must briefly respond that the mystery of Christ was hidden in past times, not among those who promised its advent, but among all the nations to whom it was later revealed. And it should also be noted that the sacrament of our faith cannot be revealed except through the Scriptures of the prophets and the coming of Christ. Let those who do not understand the prophets, and do not wish to know, know that by asserting that they are satisfied only with the gospel, they do not know the mystery of Christ, which was unknown to all nations in past times.
3:8-9
"This grace has been given to me, the least of all the saints, to proclaim among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to shed light on the whole of the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages lay concealed in God, the Creator of all things. I do not believe that the Apostle Paul genuinely considered himself the least of all the saints. For example, among those who believed in Ephesus, in Corinth, in Thessalonica, or throughout the world. To say that one is the least among all the saints is a sign of humility. However, it is simply an act of falsehood to have something sealed in one's heart and to express something different with one's tongue. Therefore, it is necessary to find an argument that truly makes Paul the least of all the saints and yet does not diminish his apostolic dignity. The Lord spoke to His disciples in the Gospel: "Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first shall be your slave" (Matthew 20:26-27). This is exactly what Paul did when he said: "For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles to be last of all, as men sentenced to death" (1 Corinthians 4:9). Therefore, among all those who wished to become weak for Christ's sake, the Apostle Paul was the weakest, and for this reason, the greatest. "To all of them," he says, "I have labored more than anyone else; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Because of his humility, though he was the least among all the saints, this grace was given to him to proclaim among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to teach the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages lay concealed in God, the Creator of all things. If the riches of Christ are unsearchable, why are they proclaimed among the people? If the mystery has been hidden in God for ages, how is it being proclaimed to the Gentiles through Paul? But the word unsearchable can be understood in two senses. One is that the riches were unsearchable, but after the passion of the Lord they were revealed. Or those things which were naturally unsearchable for humans, have been revealed by God. It is one thing to come to a secret through one's own curiosity, which ceases to be unsearchable once it is discovered. It is quite another thing to know through the grace of God what one cannot comprehend by one's own diligence, and this, even though it has been shown to others, remains unsearchable as long as it was hidden from you before it was revealed. The infinite riches of Christ are declared in the psalms, where it says: "How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, for those who take refuge in you" (Psalms 31:19). These riches of His goodness were hidden in God from all ages past, who is the Creator of all things. Where are Marcion and Valentinus, and all the other heretics, who assert that there are two worlds, one visible and the other invisible, and who proclaim the just one, some unknown being as the father of Christ? Behold, God, in whom the mystery of Christ has been concealed from all ages, is proclaimed as the Creator of all things. From this, it can be seen that the God of the new and old testaments is the same. However, the mystery that has been concealed for ages may be understood in another way, that is, all these ages, meaning all the spiritual and rational creatures that have existed in the ages, have been ignorant of it. The word "saeculum," or age, is often used in this way to describe that which exists in the present. As Paul says to the Galatians: "who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). And in another place: "so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace" (Ephesians 2:7), meaning all those things that were to happen in the future ages.
3:10-11
"So that now might be made known to the principalities and powers in heaven through the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal plan, which He established in Christ Jesus our Lord. In accordance with the gift of the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If the work that anyone has built upon the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy." (1 Corinthians 3:10-17) And in another place: "Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory" (Psalm 24:10). Therefore, we cannot believe in a simple faith in the Church, but wisdom should be manifold and varied, so that not only should it be diverse, but also distinguished by much variety. You look at the cradle of Christ: see also heaven. You gaze upon the infant crying in the manger: but listen also to the angels praising. Herod persecuted but the Magi adored (Matthew 2). The Pharisees were ignorant, but the star indicated the way. He was baptized by a servant, but the voice of God thundering from above was heard (Matthew 3). He was immersed in the water, but the dove descended, or rather the Spirit in the dove (Luke 3:22). He came to his passion and feared to suffer, wished to pass the cup, and accused Peter because he feared the cup. What could be more foolishly wise, more distinctly varied or more obscurely wise than what God did in Jesus Christ our Lord? For although the Church can understand it as being made by most people according to the order and connection of words, and by the word πρόθεσις, which we have expressed in Latin as a neutral gender noun "propositum": wisdom can resonate more in Christ than in other things. "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25). However, if in Christ according to mystical understanding, wisdom is said to have been made (Sirach 24), let the Arians understand that they are boasting in vain in that testimony in which Wisdom speaks of herself as created and begotten at the beginning of the ways of God and founded. And surely, according to them, she was created, she could not have been born. And if she was born, how can she be said to be founded and created?