Homilies on Ephesians 7

'To me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all, as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from the ages in God who

created all things through Jesus Christ;'

'that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, according to the purpose of the ages, which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Those who come to a place of healing ought not simply to go there, but in order to learn to be cured, and to apply remedies.

And we too, therefore, having come here, ought not simply to do this, but to learn the surpassing greatness of Paul's humility.

For what? Since he was about to speak of the greatness of the grace of God, hear what he says:

'To me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given.'

It was indeed a mark of humility to bewail his former sins, though they had been blotted out, and to remember them, and to be modest, as when he calls himself a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man;

'For formerly,' he says, 'I was such a one'; and he even calls himself one untimely born;

but to be modest even now, after so many righteous achievements, and to call himself less than all, is a mark of great and surpassing modesty.

'To me, who am less than the least of all saints.'

So that even that [former statement] is less than this one.

For there he said, 'I am not fit to be called an apostle';

but here he says that he is less than all the saints.

'To me,' he says, 'who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given.'

Of what kind? 'To preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all, as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been revealed from the ages in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places.'

Be it so—to men it was not revealed;

but do you enlighten also angels and archangels, and principalities and powers? Yes, he says;

for it had been hidden in God, even in God who created all things through Jesus.

And do you dare to say this? Yes, he says.

But whence has this become manifest to the angels? Through the Church.

And he did not simply say, 'The varied wisdom of God,' but, 'The manifold [wisdom].'

What then is this? Did the angels not know it? By no means;

for if the principalities did not know it, much more would the angels not have known it.

What then? Did not even the archangels know it? Nor did they;

and whence were they going to know it? By whom being revealed? When we learned it, then they too through us.

For hear the angel saying to Joseph:

'You shall call his name Jesus.'

For He shall save His people from their sins.

He was sent to the Gentiles, but those others to the circumcision.

So that—what is the more wonderful and astonishing thing—「to me,」 he says, 「the very least, was this grace given.」 And this too was of grace, that the lesser man should have committed to him the greater things, that he should become their evangelist.

For he who became the evangelist of greater things is by this very fact great.

To preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

If His riches are unsearchable even after they have been made manifest, much more is His essence.

If it is still a mystery, much more was it so before it was made known.

For this reason he calls it a mystery, because not even the angels knew it, nor was it plain to any other.

「And to enlighten all men,」 he says, 「as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which from the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ.」

The angels knew this only, that 「the Lord's portion became His people.」

And again, 「The prince of the Persians,」 he says, 「withstood me.」

So that it is no marvel if they were ignorant of this also.

For if they were ignorant of the matters concerning the return, much more these things.

For this too is good news.

「Who,」 he says, 「shall save His people, even Israel.」

But it is concerning the Gentiles that the Spirit makes revelation.

That they were called, then, the angels knew; but that it was on the same terms, and so as to sit upon the very throne of God—who would have expected this? who would have believed it? 「Which was hidden,」 he says, 「in God.」

This dispensation he reveals more clearly in the Epistle to the Romans.

「In God,」 he says, 「who created all things through Jesus Christ.」

Speaking of creation, he said, 「Through Jesus Christ.」

For He who created all things through Him reveals this also through Him.

For without Him He made nothing.

「For without Him,」 he says, 「was nothing made.」

Having said 「principalities and powers,」 he spoke both of those above and of those below.

「Now indeed,」 he says, 「it has come to pass; yet it was not determined now, but was foreshadowed from the beginning.」

「According to the purpose of the ages, which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord.」

That is, according to the foreknowledge of the ages, foreseeing the things to come.

He means the ages that are to come.

For He knew the things that should be, and so He determined them.

「According to the purpose of the ages.」

Perhaps of these things which He made in Christ Jesus, seeing that indeed everything came to be through Christ.

「In whom,」 he says, 「we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.」

「Not as captives,」 he says, 「were we brought near, nor as those counted worthy merely of pardon, nor as sinners.」

And, 「For we have boldness,」 he says, 「with confidence,」 that is, with full assurance.

Whence? 「Through faith in Him.」

「Wherefore I ask that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.」

How is it for them? how is it their glory? Because God so loved them, that He gave even His Son for them, and afflicted His servants.

For in order that these might obtain such great blessings, Paul was bound in chains.

This, then, was a mark of God's great love toward them.

Which God says also concerning the prophets:

「I slew them by the words of My mouth.」

But how did they faint when another was afflicted? That is, they were troubled, they were disturbed.

These things he says also when writing to the Thessalonians:

「So that no man be moved by these afflictions.」

For one ought not only not to grieve, but even to rejoice.

「For if you are comforted by the foretelling, we foretell to you that we are about to be afflicted here.」

Why then? Because the Master so ordained.

「For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.」

He shows the disposition of his prayer on their behalf.

He did not say simply 「I pray,」 but he indicated his heartfelt supplication by the bowing of the knees.

No longer according to the number of angels, he says, but as having made both the tribes above and the tribes below, not such as the Jewish ones.

「That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts.」

See with how great an insatiableness he prays down blessings upon them, that they may not be carried about. And how does this come to pass? That through the Holy Spirit Christ may dwell in your inner man through faith in your hearts.

How? 「Being rooted and grounded in love, that you may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.」

That which at the beginning he prayed for, this also now.

And what did he say at the beginning? 「That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your heart being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.」

「That you may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height.」

That is, to know with exactness the mystery which was dispensed on our behalf.

For this he calls breadth and length, and depth and height.

That is, to know the greatness of the love of God, how it is extended in every direction.

And he sketched it out in bodily figures, portraying the man.

He embraced the things above, the things below, the things on either side.

「For we have spoken,」 he says; yet it is not the work of my words to teach these things, but of the Holy Spirit.

By His power, he says, that you may be strengthened against temptations, and not be carried away.

So that it is not otherwise possible to be made strong, except through the Spirit and through temptations.

But how does Christ dwell in the hearts? Hear Him Himself saying:

「I and the Father will come, and We will make Our abode with him.」

And He dwells not simply anywhere, but in the faithful hearts, in those rooted in His love, in those not carried about.

And showing where we have need of this, he adds:

「To comprehend with all the saints what is the depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.」

That we may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

Even though the love of Christ surpasses all human knowledge, nevertheless you shall know it, if you should have Christ dwelling within you;

and not only shall you know this from Him, but you shall also be filled unto all the fullness of God.

By 'the fullness of God' he means either the knowledge of how God is worshipped in Father and Son and Holy Spirit, or he is exhorting them so to strive as to be filled with all virtue, of which God is full.

Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Well said he, 'according to the power';

for it belongs to power to receive things which we never even hoped for.

And that He did do beyond what we ask or think is plain from the very things which he himself wrote.

For 'I indeed,' he says, 'pray;'

but He, even apart from my prayer, will accomplish things greater than our requests—not simply greater, or abundantly greater, but exceeding abundantly, thereby showing the greatness of the gift.

But whence is this plain? 'From the power,' he says, 'that works in us.'

For neither did we ever ask for these things, nor did we expect them.

'To Him,' he says, 'be the glory in the Church in Christ Jesus unto all the generations of the age of ages.'

Well did he close the discourse with prayer and doxology.

For it was fitting that He who had bestowed on us so many things should be glorified and blessed.

So that this too is a part of wonder—to give glory on account of the things bestowed on us by God through Jesus Christ.

'His glory in the Church'—well did he thus speak;

for this alone knows how to abide unto perpetuity.

And since this stands forever, he wishes Him also to be glorified by us until the consummation;

for this he indicated by saying, 'Unto all the generations of the age.'

It is necessary to say what 'the families' means.

For here indeed the 'families' are the lineages, but in heaven how can that be, where no one was born of another? Or he calls the orders there 'families,' just as it may also be found written in the Scripture, 'a family... whence they are also called fathers.'

But he does not demand the whole from God alone; rather he demands from them also faith and love;

and not love simply, but love rooted and grounded, so that neither may spiritual powers shake it, nor anything else cast it down.

He said that the tribulations are glory;

and if mine, much more yours.

So that to be afflicted is not the mark of those who are forsaken;

for He who wrought so many things would not have done this.

But if, in order to learn the love of God, there is need of Paul's prayer and need of the Spirit's establishing within, who shall know the essence of Christ by following after reasonings? And yet what difficult thing is it to learn, that God loves us? It is exceedingly difficult, beloved.

For some are ignorant even of this, whence they also say that countless evils come to pass in the world;

And Paul too seeks not the 'how much,' nor how to measure it;

for how could he? but rather that this very thing—to learn it—is surpassing and great;

and he says that this very thing he is able to demonstrate even from the knowledge of which we were deemed worthy.

And yet what is more than being strengthened? To be strengthened 'with power'—just as to have Christ within is simply the surpassing thing.

'Great are the things asked for,' he says, 'but He knows how to do even beyond them,' so that we should not only love, but also do this exceedingly.

Let us therefore be diligent, beloved, so as to learn the love of God.

This is a great thing; nothing so benefits us, nothing so pierces us with compunction;

this is more able to lay hold of our souls than the fear of Gehenna.

Whence then shall we know it? Both from the things that have been said, and from the things that happen day by day.

For on account of what did these things come to pass? Of what need of His? Of none.

And that especially is love, when men are benefited without anything having first come from them.

Let us therefore also imitate Him: let us do good to our enemies, to those who hate us; let us draw near to those who turn away from us.

For 'if you love your friend,' he says, 'what is the gain? This the heathen also do.'

But what is the proof of love? To love him who hates you.

I wish to give an illustration—pardon me—and I do not find one among spiritual things;

Do you not see those men who are in love? How, though outraged in many ways by the ones they love, though plotted against in many ways, though wronged in many ways, they cling and burn, and love them more than their own souls, passing the nights at their doors? From that source let us take the illustration—not so as to love such women, harlots I mean, but so as to love our enemies in that manner.

For tell me, do they not treat them more insultingly than all enemies, and squander their substance, and outrage their appearance, and lay upon them more servile commands than upon their attendants? And yet they do not depart.

And yet no one has any such enemy as the lover has in the woman he loves.

For she gives herself airs and torments him, and the beloved woman often abuses him, and the more she is loved, the more she despises him.

And yet what is more brutish than a soul so disposed? But nevertheless those men love.

But perhaps we shall find such love even among spiritual things—not among those of the present day;

but among those great and wonderful men of old.

The blessed Moses even surpassed these very men who love with passion.

How, and in what manner? First, forsaking the palace and the luxury there and the service and being glorified, he chose to be with the Israelites.

And yet not only would no other man have done this, but he would even have been ashamed, if convicted by another, to appear a kinsman not merely of slaves, but of those reckoned abominable;

but he not only was not ashamed of the kinship, but even defended it with all his spirit, and cast himself into dangers on their behalf.

How? Seeing, it says, a certain man doing wrong, he defended the one wronged, and slew the wrongdoer.

But these things were not yet on behalf of enemies;

great indeed are these too, yet not so great as the things that came after.

On the following day, then, he saw the same thing happening, and seeing the very man whom he had defended doing wrong, he exhorted him to cease from the injustice;

but the man, showing great ingratitude, says, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?' Whom would these words not have set aflame? If then the former deed had been done in anger and madness, he would have struck this man too and killed him.

For assuredly that man on whose behalf this was done would not have informed against him, but because they were kinsmen, he says, he spoke these things.

When he was being wronged, he uttered no such thing as, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?' Why did you not say this yesterday? 'Your own injustice and cruelty,' he says, 'this it is that has made me a ruler and a judge.'

But now observe that some men say these very things even to God.

For in the things wherein they are wronged, they wish Him to be vehement, and they accuse His longsuffering;

What is more bitter than these words? But nevertheless, after these things, when he was being sent to the ungrateful, to the thankless, he went, and did not shrink back.

But even after those signs, and after the wonders wrought through him, they often attempted to stone him, and he escaped their hands;

and they murmured continually, yet nevertheless he so loved them with passion, as to say to God, when they had wrought that grievous sin:

'If You will forgive them their sin, forgive;'

'but if not, blot me also out of the book which You have written.'

'I would rather perish together with them,' he says, 'than be saved apart from them.'

Truly this is madness; truly it is a mighty love.

What are you saying? Do you despise heaven itself? 'Yes,' he says;

You ask to be blotted out? 'And what am I to do?' he says; 'for it is love.'

But what of the things that follow after this? Listen to what the Scripture says in another place:

'And it went ill with Moses on their account.'

How often did they insult him? How often did they reject him, and his brother, into Egypt?

How often did they seek to depart? Yet after all these things he was set on fire and driven, as it were, to frenzy, and was ready to suffer on their behalf. So ought we to love our enemies: to be smitten and afflicted and to do all things, and though set apart, still to long for their salvation.

And what of Paul, tell me? Did he not also ask for hell in their stead? But it is needful to bring forward the example from the Master.

For thus does He Himself act, saying that 'He makes His sun to rise upon the evil and the good;'

bringing forward the example from His Father, but we from Christ Himself.

He came to them—I speak according to the dispensation—He became a servant for their sake, He humbled Himself, He emptied Himself, He took the form of a servant;

and having come, He Himself did not go off into the way of the Gentiles, and He charged this upon His disciples also;

and not this only, but He also went about healing every disease and every sickness.

What then? All the others were amazed and marveled, and said, 'Whence has this man these things?' But these, though being benefited, said, 'He has a demon,' and 'He blasphemes,' and 'He is mad,' and 'He is a deceiver.'

Did He then thrust them away? By no means; but He conferred yet greater benefits when He heard these things, and went off to those who were about to crucify Him, that He might only save them.

And after being crucified, what does He say? 'Father, forgive them.'

Both before this, when suffering evil, and after this, when suffering evil, even to His last breath He did all things for them; on their behalf He made supplication.

And after the cross, what did He not do for them? Did He not send forth apostles? Did He not work signs? Did He not set every possible thing in motion? So ought we to love our enemies; so ought we to imitate Christ.

So did Paul act when he was stoned, when he suffered ten thousand things: on their behalf he did all things.

'My heart's desire and prayer on their behalf is for their salvation;'

and again, 'For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God;'

and again, 'If you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in, how much more shall these be grafted into their own olive tree?' From how great a tenderness of affection do you think these words are spoken? From how great a goodwill? It cannot be told, it cannot be.

So ought we to love our enemies;

this is to love God, who commanded it, who ordained it as law;

to imitate Him is to love one's enemy.

Consider that you do not confer a benefit upon your enemy, but upon yourself; you do not love him, but you obey God.

Knowing these things, then, let us confirm our love toward one another, so that having accomplished it with all exactness, we may attain the good things that have been promised, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom, to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.