CHAPTER I
LECTURE 3
which he lavished on us with perfect wisdom and insight.
God has made known to us the secret of his decision:
– for his favor he first placed on Christ to administer the completion of the ages –
to bring everything together under Christ as head, all in heaven and all on earth.
[Read: Marcus Barth, “Mystery or secret?” (p. 123), “Christ the administrator” (p. 127), “Days of fulfillment” (p. 128).]
8 Which hath superabounded in us, in all wisdom and prudence,
9 That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him,
10 In the dispensation of the fulness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him.
[Thomas mistakenly restricts this section to the Apostles, but he is right in affirming the lofty role of the Apostles. In 2 Cor 3 Paul compares his ministry with that of Moses and ascribes to his own vocation a surpassing glory.]
Having set down the blessings generally given to all, the Apostle now turns to those favors especially granted to the Apostles. This section is divided into two parts:
First, be proposes the special blessings given the Apostles.
Secondly, he indicates their cause (1: 11).
In reference to the first he does three things: He sets down the particular blessings of the Apostles:
First, as regards the excellence of their wisdom.
Secondly, as regards a unique revelation of the hidden mystery (1:9a).
Thirdly, he suggests what this mystery is (1:9b-10).
He first states: According to the riches of his grace all the faithful together, both you and we, possess redemption and the remission of sins through the blood of Christ. This grace has superabounded in us who, [as Apostles], have it more fully than others. * Whence the rashness—not to say error—of those who dare equate the grace and glory of some saints with that of the Apostles. For this passage openly asserts that the Apostles are more fully graced than the other saints, except for Christ and his Virgin Mother. However, should it be claimed that other saints were able to merit as much as the Apostles merited, and consequently would have as much grace, it must be said that this would be a good argument if grace was given according to merits—but if that were the case, “grace is no more grace” (Rom. 11:6).
Greater dignity was preordained by God to some saints, and hence he infused grace more abundantly into them. For example, he imparted a unique grace to Christ as man when he assumed [the humanity] into the unity of the [Second] Person. He endowed with special graces in both her body and soul, the glorious Virgin Mary whom he chose to be his mother. Similarly, those God called to a unique dignity, the Apostles, were gifted with a corresponding favor of grace. Thus the Apostle states in Romans 8 (23): “ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit.” And a Gloss comments: “their share is first in time and more copious than others.” * What rashness, therefore, to put some later saint on the same level with the Apostles.
God’s grace has superabounded in the Apostles, [enriching them] with all wisdom. For the Apostles are set over the Church to be her pastors: “And I will give you pastors according to my own heart: and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine” (Jer. 3:15). Two qualities should characterize pastors: a profound knowledge of divine truths and an assiduous fulfillment of religious actions. They must teach those trusted to them the true faith; this requires that wisdom which consists in a knowledge of the divine, concerning which he remarks in all wisdom . “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay” (Lk. 21:15). They also need prudence to guide their subjects in external and temporal affairs: “Be therefore prudent as serpents and simple as doves” (Mt. 10:16). Thus the special blessing of wisdom given to the Apostles is clearly expressed.
The reception of an uncommon revelation is their next blessing, that he might make known unto us the mystery of his will . As if he had said: Our wisdom does not consist in discovering the natures of material realities, nor the course of the stars, or such like; rather, it concerns Christ alone. “I decided not to know any thing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Hence he says that he might make known the mystery , that is, the sacred secret, hidden from the beginning, the mystery of the Incarnation. He adds the cause of this hidden mystery when he says his will. Future events are known only if their causes are; for example, we can determine a future eclipse only by knowing what causes an eclipse.
Now the mystery of the Incarnation has God’s will as its cause since he willed to become incarnate on account of his intense love for men: “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son” (Jn. 3:16). Yet God’s will is more hidden than anything else: “No one knows what pertains to God, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). So, the cause of the Incarnation was concealed from everyone except those to whom God revealed it through the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle mentions: “God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). Hence he affirms that he might make known the mystery which is a sacred secret—a secret because it is of his will . “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the wise and clever and revealing them to little children” (Mt. 11:25). “The mystery, hidden from ages and generations, and now made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery.” (Col. 1:26-27).
He then explains something about this mystery (vv. 9-10). His thought is involved and should be construed as: that he might make known unto us the mystery of his will , which mystery is to re-establish all things in Christ , that is, through Christ. All, namely, that are in heaven and on earth. This re-establishment in Christ must be in the dispensation of the fulness of times which, in turn, is according to his good pleasure . Thus, three aspects of the mystery are touched on; the mystery’s cause, the temporal fitness [of its appearance], and its purpose.
According to his good pleasure briefly sums up the cause. Although whatever pleases God is good, goodness is preeminently ( antonomostice ) suited to God’s pleasure in this [effecting of the Incarnation] because through it we are led to perfectly enjoy goodness. As Psalm 146 (11) declares: “Yahweh is pleased with those who fear him, who rely on his strength”; and Romans 12 (2): “that you may prove what is the good and the acceptable and the perfect will of God.”
The suitable time was in that dispensation of the fulness of times which Galatians 4 (4-5) speaks of: “But when the fulness of the time came, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The pointless problem pagans used to raise is thus brushed aside by the Apostle. * For as Job 24 (1) remarks: “Why are times not hidden from Shaddai? [Vul: Times are not hidden from the Almighty.]” He orders and arranges everything, including time; for he manages and accommodates the passage of time to those events which he wills to exist at the right moment. Just as other events effected by him bad their specified time, likewise he eternally preordained a time for the mystery of the Incarnation. This time, a Gloss * points out, occurred after man was convinced of his own stupidity before the written [Mosaic] Law, when he worshiped creatures instead of the Creator—“For, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22)—and of his own absolute inability to live up to the prescriptions of the written Law. Thus men, no longer trusting in their own wisdom and power, would not consider Christ’s advent as unimportant. Weak, and to a certain extent ignorant, they would eagerly desire the Christ.
The mystery’s purpose is to re-establish all things . Inasmuch as everything is made for mankind, everything would be re-established [when man was redeemed]: “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that had fallen; I will close up its breaches and rebuild it as long ago” (Am. 9:11). Everything that is in heaven , namely, the angels. Christ did not die for the angels, but in redeeming mankind “he shall fill the ruins” (Ps. 109:6) left by the sin of the angels. Beware of the error Origen fell into, as if the damned angels were to be redeemed through Christ; this was only a figment of his imagination. * And what is on earth [will be re-established in Christ] insofar as he reconciles heavenly and earthly realities: “Making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth and the things that are in heaven” (Col. 1:20). This must be understood in reference to the sufficiency [of his redeeming actions], even though, with respect to its efficacy, everything will not be re-established.