以弗所書講道集 第 11 章

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you were also called in one hope of your calling;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

But to each one of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Paul seeks from us love—not any ordinary love, but that which cements us together and makes us cling to one another inseparably, supplying so great and so exact a union, as of member to member.

For this is the love that works the great and good things.

'One body'—both by sympathy, and by not being distressed at the good things of others, and by rejoicing together.

And having shown all these things at once by this, he well said 'and one Spirit,' showing that from the one body there will be one Spirit; or that it is possible for there to be one body, yet not one Spirit—

As one might be a friend even of heretics.

Or else he shames them into concord from this, saying something of this sort:

You who have received one Spirit, and have been given to drink from one fountain, ought not to be at variance with one another.

Or by 'spirit' here he means zealous eagerness.

Then, adding further, 'Even as you were called,' he says, 'in one hope of your calling.'

That is to say, God has called you to the very same things.

He assigned nothing more to one than to another.

To all He granted immortality, to all eternal life, to all undying glory, to all brotherhood, to all an inheritance.

He became the common Head of all; He raised all together and made them sit together.

You then, who in spiritual things enjoy such equality of honor, whence do you take pride? Because this man is rich, and that one strong? And how would this not be laughable? For tell me, if a king should take ten men and clothe them all in purple, and seat them upon the royal throne, and give them all the same honor, would any one of them dare to reproach another as being richer, or as being more distinguished? By no means.

Are we then equal in the heavens, yet divided here below? 'One Lord, one faith, one baptism.'

'One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all.'

For was the greater God invoked over you, and the lesser over him? Were you saved by faith, but he by works? Was remission granted to you through baptism, but not to him? Away with the thought!

'One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all of you.'

'Who is above all,' that is to say, who is over all.

'And through all,' that is, providing for and governing all.

'And in all of you,' that is, He who dwells in all.

And yet he says that this belongs to the Son as well.

So that if it were a mark of inferiority, it would not have been said of the Father.

'But to each one of us was grace given.'

What then, he says, and whence come the diversity of the gifts? For this was ever leading both these and the Corinthians and many others—some into arrogance, others into despondency and envy.

For this reason he everywhere takes up the illustration of the body.

For this reason here too he has set it down, since he was about to make mention of the diverse gifts.

Now he treats of it more precisely in the Epistle to the Corinthians, since there especially this malady held tyrannical sway.

But here he has only hinted at it.

He did not say, 'According to each one's faith,' lest he cast into despondency those who had not attained to great things.

But what? 'According to the measure of the gift of Christ.'

The most essential things of all, he says, are common to all: baptism, salvation through faith, having God as Father, all partaking of the same Spirit.

But if this man has something more in the gift, do not grieve, since his labor also is the greater.

He who received the five talents had five required of him.

But he who received the two brought only two, and yet had nothing less than the other.

For this reason here too, from the same principle, he consoles the hearer.

'For the perfecting of the saints,' he says, 'unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ.'

For this reason he himself also said:

'Woe is me, if I preach not the gospel.'

For instance, one received the gift of apostleship.

But on this account there is woe to him, because he received it.

But you have been freed from the danger.

What is 'according to the measure'? That is, not according to our worthiness.

Since otherwise no one would have received what he received.

But we all received from the free gift.

And why does one receive more, another less? This makes no difference, he says, but the matter is one of indifference.

For each contributes toward the building up.

And by this he shows that it was not from his own worthiness that one received more and another less, but for the sake of others, as He Himself apportioned:

'But the members He set, each one of them, even as it pleased Him.'

And he does not state the reason, lest he cast down the minds of his hearers.

'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.'

Why do you take pride? The whole has come to pass from God.

Now the Prophet says in the psalm:

'You received gifts among men.'

'He gave gifts among men.'

This is the same as that.

Such also is this: 'Now this, He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.'

Hearing these things, do not suppose a change of place.

For what he establishes in the Epistle to the Philippians, this he does here also.

Just as there, exhorting concerning humility, he brings forward Christ, so also here, saying:

'He descended into the lower parts of the earth.'

For if this were not so, superfluous would be this saying which he speaks:

'Having become obedient unto death.'

And from the ascending he hints at the descending.

And by 'the lower parts of the earth' he means death, taking it from the common notion of men, just as Jacob also said:

'You will bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades.'

And again in the psalm: 'I shall become like those who go down into the pit.'

That is, like those who have died.

Why does he work out this passage here in detail? And what captivity does he mean? That of the devil.

For he took the tyrant captive—I mean the devil.

And death, and the curse, and sin.

Do you see the spoils and the plunder? 'Now this, He ascended, what is it, but that He also descended?' This is directed against the followers of Paul of Samosata.

'He that descended is the same also that ascended far above the heavens, that He might fill all things.'

'He descended,' he says, 'into the lower parts of the earth,' beyond which there are no others.

And He ascended above all things, beyond which there is nothing else.

This belongs to His working and to His lordship.

For indeed of old also all things had been filled.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ.

That which he says elsewhere—'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him'—this too he is saying here.

He that descended is the very same who also ascended.

It did Him no harm to descend into the lower parts of the earth, nor did it hinder Him from coming to be above the heavens.

So then, the more a man is humbled, so much the more is he exalted.

For just as with water, the more one presses it downward, so much the more does it carry it up to a height; and the more one hurls it from a distance, so much the more does he attain his aim—

so it is with humility of mind.

But when we speak of ascents with respect to God, we must first conceive of a descent;

but when we speak concerning a man, this is no longer so.

Then he shows also His providence and His wisdom, and says:

He who wrought such things, and prevailed to accomplish so much, and did not refuse for our sake to descend even to the lower parts, would not have made the distributions of the gifts of grace at random.

But elsewhere he says that the Spirit wrought this, speaking thus:

'Over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord.'

And here indeed he says that it is the Son, but elsewhere that it is God;

and again, 'He gave to the Church some to be apostles, and some prophets.'

But in the Epistle to the Corinthians he says:

'I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.'

And again, 'Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one;'

'and each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.'

For what of it, if you contribute less? You received just so much.

For there were some who were not apostles, but prophets, such as Agabus.

who did not go about everywhere, but only preached the gospel, like Priscilla and Aquila.

Pastors and teachers, those who have been entrusted with a whole nation.

What then? Are the pastors and teachers of less account? Yes indeed, in comparison with those who go about and preach the gospel, these who sit and are occupied about a single place—such as Timothy, Titus.

But in another way it is not possible from this passage to establish the subordination and the preference, but rather from another Epistle.

Or by 'evangelists' he means those who wrote the Gospel.

For the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ.

Do you see the dignity? Each one builds up, each one perfects, each one ministers.

'Till we all come,' he says, 'unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.'

By 'stature' he here means the perfect knowledge.

For just as the grown man stands firmly, while children are carried about in their minds, so is it also with the faithful.

'Unto the unity,' he says, 'of the faith.'

That is, until we all be shown to hold one faith.

For this is the unity of faith, when we all are one, when we all alike recognize the bond.

Until then we must labor, if it be for this that you have received a gift of grace, that you may build up others.

Take heed lest you overthrow yourself by envying another.

God has honored you, and appointed you, so that you should perfect another.

For indeed the apostle was engaged in this, and the prophet was engaged in this, prophesying and persuading, and the evangelist in preaching the gospel, and the pastor and the teacher;

all had undertaken one work.

For do not speak to me of the difference of the gifts of grace;

but when we all alike believe, then there is unity.

For that he here means by 'a perfect man' this is plain.

And yet elsewhere he calls us infants, even when we are perfect—but there he is looking to something else.

For there he called us infants in respect of the knowledge that is to come;

for having said, 'We know in part,' he added also the words, 'through riddles,' and such like;

but here he spoke with reference to something else, namely to instability.

'But strong meat belongs to them that are perfect.'

Do you see how there also he speaks of the perfect? Observe too how he has here called them perfect by what he subjoins, saying:

He speaks of that little measure which we have received, that we may hold it fast with all diligence, with steadfastness and firmness.

The word 'no longer' shows that they had suffered this of old; and he places even himself in the rank of those being corrected, and corrects them.

So many builders have arisen, that the edifice might not be shaken, that it might not be carried about, that the stones might be fixed firmly.

For this is the mark of those others—to be tossed by the waves, to be carried about and shaken.

'That we henceforth be no more,' he says, 'children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness after the wiles of error.'

'And carried about,' he says, 'with every wind.'

He carried on the metaphor, showing in what great peril are the doubting souls.

'With every wind,' he says, 'by the sleight of men, in craftiness after the wiles of error.'

'Dice-players' is the name given to those who make use of the gaming pieces.

Such are the crafty men, whenever they get hold of some who are too simple;

for they too shift and transfer everything.

'But speaking the truth,' he says, 'in love, let us grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, even Christ; from whom'—from Christ, he says—'the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in the measure of every single member, maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.'

He expressed himself very obscurely, because he wished to say everything at once.

For just as the spirit that descends from the brain, which imparts the faculty of sensation through the nerves, does not give it simply to all alike, but in proportion to each member—to the one able to receive more, more, and to the one able to receive less, less (for this is the root, namely the spirit)—

for just as, when the souls are suspended as members upon Him, His providence and the supply of the gifts of grace, in proportion and by measure, makes the increase of every single member.

But what is the meaning of 'through the joint of the supply'? That is, through the sensation.

For that spirit which is supplied to the members from the head, touching each member, works in this way.

The body, receiving the supply in proportion to the members that are in it, thus makes its increase.

The members, receiving the supply according to the proportion of their own measure, thus increase—or even otherwise.

The Spirit, flowing down abundantly from above, and touching all the members, and being supplied to each according to its capacity to receive, causes it to grow in this manner.

But for what reason did he add, 'In love'? Because it is not otherwise possible for that Spirit to descend.

For just as, suppose a hand were torn away from the body, the vital spirit that proceeds from the brain, seeking the connection and not finding it, does not leap out of the body and, boring a passage through, go forth to the hand; but unless it finds the member in its place, it does not touch it;

so also here: unless we are bound together in love.

All these things, then, were spoken by him to promote humility.

For what does it matter, he says, if a certain man receives more? He received the same Spirit, sent forth from the same Head, working in like manner, touching in like manner, 'being fitted and framed together'—that is, enjoying much care and attention.

For the body must be set together not simply, but with great skill;

so that, if it go out of place, it no longer lies rightly.

So that one must not only be united to the body, but also occupy one's proper place; for if you overstep it, you are not united, nor do you receive the Spirit.

Or do you not see, in the cases of the bones

—in the displacements that occur through some accident—when a bone, overstepping its own place, occupies that of another, how it harms the whole body, and has often brought about death, and there are cases where it is thereafter found unworthy even to be retained? For many men have often cut it out and left the place empty.

For everywhere covetousness is an evil.

And in the case of the elements too, when they forsake their proper proportion and become excessive, they injure the whole.

This is what is meant by 'being fitted and framed together.'

So that each part remains in its own region, and does not encroach upon that of another which in no way belongs to it—consider how great a thing this is.

You fit the members together; He from above supplies.

For just as in the body there are such organs fitted to receive, so also is it in the case of the Spirit, the root of all being from above;

as, for instance, the heart, for the vital breath;

the spleen, for the bile; and different organs for different things;

but all these have their cause from the brain.

So also God made it, greatly honoring man, and not willing to hold aloof from him: for the cause He suspended upon Himself, but He appointed men as fellow-workers with Himself;

and one He placed for this, another for that.

For instance, the apostle is the most vital vessel of the body, receiving all things from Him.

So that, as through the veins and arteries—I mean, through the word—He causes eternal life to run through to all.

The prophet foretells things to come, and He Himself brings the same things to pass;

and the one indeed fits the bones together;

but He Himself supplies them with life, 'for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministry.'

Love builds up, and this—the being glued to one another, and compacted, and fitted together—it is love that does this.

If therefore we wish to enjoy the Spirit that comes from the Head, let us cleave to one another.

For there are two kinds of severance from the body of the Church:

the one, when we grow cold in love; the second, when we dare things unworthy of belonging to that body;

for in either way we separate ourselves from the fullness.

But if we have been appointed to build up others also, what shall those suffer who, so far from building up, are the first to make rents? Nothing will be able to divide the Church so much as love of rule;

nothing so provokes God as the Church being divided.

Even if we have done ten thousand good deeds, we who tear apart the fullness of the Church shall pay no less a penalty than those who cut in pieces His body.

For that deed was done for the gain of the world, even if not from such an intention;

but this brings no advantage anywhere at all, but only great harm.

These things have been said by me not to the rulers only, but also to the ruled.

Now a certain holy man said something that seemed to be daring; nevertheless, he did utter it.

What then is this? He declared that not even the blood of martyrdom can blot out this sin.

For tell me, for what reason do you bear witness as a martyr? Is it not for the glory of Christ? He then who lays down his soul for Christ—how is it that you ravage the Church, for which Christ laid down His soul? Hear Paul saying, 'I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God, and laid it waste.'

This harm is not less than that which comes from enemies, but far greater.

For that indeed makes her more illustrious, but this puts her to shame even before her enemies, when she is warred upon by her own children.

For it seems to them a great proof of deception, that those who were born in her and nurtured, and have accurately learned her secret things, should suddenly turn about and treat her as enemies would.

Let these things be said by me to those who indifferently give themselves over to those who rend the Church.

For if indeed they hold doctrines that are contrary, then on that account too it was not fitting to mix with them;

but if they hold the same views, then much more so.

Why so? Because it is the disease of love of rule.

Do you not know what those about Korah and Dathan and Abiram suffered? Was it they alone, and not also those with them? What do you say? The faith is the same, they too are orthodox.

For what reason then are they not with us?

'One Lord, one faith, one baptism.'

If their affairs are rightly done, ours are wrongly;

but if ours are rightly done, theirs are wrongly.

'Babes,' he says, 'tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind.'

Do you consider this sufficient, tell me—to say that they are orthodox, while the matter of ordination is gone and lost? And what is the profit of the rest, if this be not exactly observed? For just as for the faith, so also for this must one contend.

Since, if it is lawful for everyone to fill his hands, as in the days of old, and to become priests, let all come forward; in vain has this altar been built, in vain the fullness of the Church, in vain the number of the priests;

let us do away with them and destroy them.

You yourselves do these things, and yet you say, 'God forbid'? How can you say 'God forbid,' when these things are being done? I speak and testify, not looking to my own interest, but to your salvation;

but if anyone be indifferent, he himself must see to it;

and if any of these things be no concern to some, yet to us it is a concern.

'I planted,' he says, 'Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.'

How shall we endure the laughter of the Greeks? For if they reproach us over the heresies, over these things what will they not say? If the doctrines are the same, if the mysteries are the same, for what reason does one ruler leap upon another's Church? See, he says, how full of vainglory are the affairs of the Christians, and among them there is love of rule and deceit; strip them of the multitude, he says, cut out the disease, the corruption of the crowd, and they are nothing.

Do you wish me to tell you what they say about our city? How they slander us as being easygoing? Anyone who wishes, he says, may find those who will follow him, and he would never be at a loss for such people.

How great a shame is this! But there is yet another laughing-stock, another shame:

If certain persons among us, being caught in the most shameful deeds, are about to receive some penalty, there is much trembling, much fear on every side;

'Let him not leap away,' he says, 'let him not go and stand with those others.'

Let such a one leap away ten thousand times, and let him be with those others—I do not speak of those who have sinned;

but if anyone happen to be without sin, and wishes to change over, let him change over.

For indeed I grieve and beat my breast and lament and am cut to the heart in my very bowels, as being deprived of a member of my own;

nevertheless I do not grieve so much as to be compelled, through this fear, to do any of the things that are not fitting.

We do not lord it over your faith, beloved, nor do we lay down these things in a masterful, domineering way;

we have been appointed to the teaching of the word, not to rule nor to authority;

we hold the rank of counsellors who give exhortation.

The one who counsels speaks what is his own to say, not compelling the hearer, but leaving him lord over the choice of what is said;

in these things he alone is accountable, if he should fail to say what has occurred to him.

For this reason we too say these things, we speak these things, so that it may not be permitted to you on that Day to say, 'No one told us, no one warned us, we were ignorant, we did not think the sin to be anything.'

For this reason I say and solemnly testify, that to rend the Church asunder is an evil no less than to fall into heresy.

Tell me: if someone who is under a certain king should not go over to another king, nor give himself to another, but should take and seize that very king's own purple robe, and tear it all down from the brooch, and rend it into many pieces, would he be punished less than those who go over to another? And what if, along with this, he seized the king himself by the throat and slaughtered him, tearing his body limb from limb — what penalty could he pay that would be worthy? And if he did this against a king who was his own fellow-servant, he would work a deed greater than any punishment could match;

then he who slaughters Christ and tears Him limb from limb — of what hell will he not be worthy? Of this one that is threatened? I for my part do not think so, but of another far more grievous.

Tell it — all you women who are present (for this fault is for the most part a fault of women) — and relate this example to those who are absent; make them fear.

If any suppose that by this they grieve us and take revenge on us, let them know well that they do these things in vain.

For if you wish to take revenge on us, I will give you a way by which you may do so without harm to yourself;

or rather, it is not possible to take revenge without harm, but at least with lesser harm:

strike me, spit on me when you meet me in public, and lay on blows.

Do you shudder at hearing this? If I say, 'Strike me,' you shudder;

yet you tear your Master, and do not shudder? You rend the members of the Master, and do not tremble? The Church is a father's house.

But do you wish to take revenge on me? Stop at me.

Why do you take vengeance on Christ instead of me? Or rather, why do you kick against the goads? Nowhere, indeed, is it good to take revenge;

but for one person to wrong you and for you to insult another is far more grievous.

Have you been wronged by us? Why do you grieve the one who has not wronged you? This is the utmost madness.

What I am about to say I say not in irony, nor lightly, but as I truly feel and am disposed:

for each of those who, being with you, are grieved against us, and because of this grief harm themselves and go off elsewhere — I would rather they laid blows upon our very face, and stripped us naked and scourged us with whips, whether their charge be just or unjust, and cast their wrath rather upon us, than that they should dare these things which now they dare.

If this were to happen, it would be nothing, for a person of no account and worthy of no mention to suffer such things.

And otherwise too, I — the one wronged and insulted — would then have entreated God, and He would have forgiven you your sins;

not because I possess such great boldness, but because the one who has been wronged, when he entreats on behalf of the one who has wronged him, obtains great boldness.

'If someone sins against a man,' it says, 'they shall pray for him.'

And if I myself were not able, I would have sought out other holy men and entreated them, and this they would have accomplished.

But as it is, whom shall we even entreat, when God Himself is insulted by us? See the inconsistency.

For of those who belong to this Church, some never come, or only once a year, and even then aimlessly and just by chance;

others come more frequently, yet they too aimlessly and carelessly, chattering and idly bantering about nothing at all;

and those who seem, forsooth, to be earnest — these are the very ones who bring about this calamity.

If indeed it is for these reasons that you are earnest, it would be better for you too to be ranked among the negligent;

or rather, it would be better that neither those be negligent, nor you be such as you are;

I do not mean you who are present, but those who leap away.

But if you will not accept hearing these things about them, then neither about us;

for of the two, one must have come about unlawfully.

If, then, you suspect these things concerning us, we are ready to yield the office to whomever you may wish;

but if we have come to it lawfully, then persuade those who have unlawfully mounted the throne to step down.

These things I have said, not as one giving commands, but as securing and guarding you.

Since each one is of age, and will give account for the things done by him, I exhort you not to cast the whole upon us and think yourselves free from all liability, lest you vainly deceive yourselves and beat your breasts to no purpose.

For we shall indeed give an account for your souls, but only when there is a failure on our part — when we do not exhort, when we do not admonish, when we do not solemnly testify.

But after these things, grant me too to say:

'I am clean from the blood of all,' and, 'God shall deliver my soul.'

Say what you wish, and a just cause for which you depart, and I will make my defence.

Wherefore, I exhort you, be earnest both to establish your own selves firmly from this very moment, and to bring back those who have been removed, that with one accord we may send up thanksgiving to God; for to Him be the glory unto the ages.