Duties of children and servants. The Christian’s armour.
Likevvise children and parents he exhorteth. • item seruants and maisters. 〈◊〉 Then, that al take courage in the might of God, but so, that vvithal they arme them selue (considering vvhat mightie enemies they haue) vvith al peeces of spiritual armour• 〈◊〉 praying alvvaies feruently, and for him also.
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is just.Figliuoli siate ubbidienti a' vostri genitori nel Signore: imperocché ciò è giusto.CHILDREN, obey your parents in our Lord. for this is iust.Filii, obedite parentibus vestris in Domino: hoc enim justum est. 2Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise:Onora il padre tuo, e la madre tua, che è il primo comandamento, che ha promessa:Honour thy father and thy mother (vvhich is the first commaundement in the promis,)Honora patrem tuum, et matrem tuam, quod est mandatum primum in promissione: 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest be long lived upon earth.Affinchè tu sii felice: e viva lungamente sopra la terra.that it may be vvel vvith thee, and thou maiest be long-liued vpon the earth.ut bene sit tibi, et sis longævus super terram. 4And you, fathers, provoke not your children to anger: but bring them up in the discipline and correction of the Lord.E voi, padri, non provocate ad ira i vostri figliuoli: ma allevateli nella disciplina, e nelle istruzioni del Signore.And you fathers, prouoke not your children to anger: but bring them vp in the discipline and correption of our Lord.Et vos patres, nolite ad iracundiam provocare filios vestros: sed educate illos in disciplina et correptione Domini. 5Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ.Servi, siate ubbidienti ai padroni carnali con riverenza, e sollecitudine, nella semplicità del cuor vostro, come a Cristo:Seruants, be obedient to your lordes according to the flesh, with feare and trembling, in the simplicitie of your hart, as to Christ:Servi, obedite dominis carnalibus cum timore et tremore, in simplicitate cordis vestri, sicut Christo: 6Not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men: but, as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.Servendo non all'occhio, quasi per piacere agli uomini, ma come servi di Cristo, facendo di cuore la volontà di Dio,not seruing to the eie, as it vvere pleasing men, but as the seruants of Christ, doing the vvil of God frō the hart,non ad oculum servientes, quasi hominibus placentes, sed ut servi Christi, facientes voluntatem Dei ex animo, 7With a good will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men.Con amore servendo, come pel Signore, non come per gli uomini:vvith a good vvil seruing, as to our Lord and not to men.cum bona voluntate servientes, sicut Domino, et non hominibus: 8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man shall do, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.Essendo a voi noto, come ognuno, o servo, o libero, riceverà dal Signore tatto quel, che avrà fatto di bene.Knovving that euery one vvhat good soeuer he shal doe, that shal he receiue of our Lord, vvhether he be bond, or free.scientes quoniam unusquisque quodcumque fecerit bonum, hoc recipiet a Domino, sive servus, sive liber.
9And you, masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatenings: knowing that the Lord both of them and you is in heaven. And there is no respect of persons with him.E voi padroni, fate altrettanto riguardo ad essi, ponendo da parte l'asprezza: non ignorando, che il vostro, e il loro padrone è ne' cieli: e che egli non è accettator di persone.And you maisters, doe the same things to them, remitting threatenings: knovving that both their Lord and yours, is in heauen: and acception of persons is not vvith him.Et vos domini, eadem facite illis, remittentes minas: scientes quia et illorum et vester Dominus est in cælis: et personarum acceptio non est apud eum. 10Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord and in the might of his power.Del resto, fratelli, siate forti nel Signore, e nella virtù potente di lui.Hence forth brethren, be strengthened in our Lord, & in the might of his povver.De cetero, fratres, confortamini in Domino, et in potentia virtutis ejus. 11Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.Rivestitevi di tutta l'armatura di Dio, affinchè possiate resistere alle insidie del diavolo:Put you on the armour of God, that you may stand against the deceites of the Deuil.Induite vos armaturam Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli: 12For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.Imperocché non abbiam da lottare con la carne, e col sangue, ma co' principi, e colle potestà, co' dominanti dì questo mondo tenebroso, con gli spiriti, maligni dell'aria.For our vvrestling is not against flesh and bloud: but against Princes and Porestats, against the rectors of the vvorld of this darkenes, against the spirituals of vvickednes in the celestials.quoniam non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed adversus principes, et potestates, adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiæ, in cælestibus. 13Therefore, take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day and to stand in all things perfect.Per questo prendete tutta l'armatura di Dio, perché possiate resistere nel giorno cattivo, e preparati in tutto sostenervi.Therfore take the armour of God, that you may resist in the euil day, and stand in al things perfect.Propterea accipite armaturam Dei, ut possitis resistere in die malo, et in omnibus perfeci stare.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of justice:State adunque cinti i vostri lombi con la verità, e vestiti della corazza di giustizia,Stand therfore hauing your loines girded in truth, and clothed with the breast-plate of iustice,State ergo succincti lumbos vestros in veritate, et induti loricam justitiæ, 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.E calzati i piedi in preparazione? al vangelo di pace:& hauing your feete shod to the preparation of the Gospel of peace:et calceati pedes in præparatione Evangelii pacis, 16In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.Sopra tutto date di mano allo scudo della fede, col quale possiate estinguere tutti gli infuocati dardi del maligno:in al things taking the shield of faith, vvherevvith you may extinguish al the firie dartes of the most vvicked one.in omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, in quo possitis omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere: 17And take unto you the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).E prendete il cimiero della salute, e la spada dello spirito (che è la parola di Dio),and take vnto you the helmet of saluation: and the svvord of the spirit (vvhich is the vvord of God)et galeam salutis assumite, et gladium spiritus (quod est verbum Dei), 18By all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the spirit: and in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints:Con ogni sorta di preghiere, e di suppliche orando continuamente in ispirito: e in questo stesso vegliando con tutta perseveranza pregando pei santi tutti.in al praier and supplication praying at al time in spirit: and in the same vvatching in al instance and supplication for al the saincts:per omnem orationem et obsecrationem orantes omni tempore in spiritu: et in ipso vigilantes in omni instantia et obsecratione pro omnibus sanctis: 19And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel,E per me, affinchè a me data sia la parola, onde aprir con fidanza la mia bocca per manifestare il mistero del vangelo:and for me, that speache may be giuen me in the opening of my mouth vvith cōfidence, to make knowen the mysterie of the Gospel,et pro me, ut detur mihi sermo in apertione oris mei cum fiducia, notum facere mysterium Evangelii: 20For which I am an ambassador in a chain: so that therein I may be bold to speak according as I ought.Del quale sono ambasciadore io alla catena, affinchè con fidanza io ne parli, come si conviene.for the vvhich I am a legate in this chaine, so that in it I may be bold according as I ought, to speake.pro quo legatione fungor in catena, ita ut in ipso audeam, prout oportet me loqui.
21But that you also may know the things that concern me and what I am doing, Tychicus, my dearest brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make known to you all things:Or affinchè voi pur siate informati delle cose mie, di quel, ch'io mi faccia, il tutto saravvi notificato da Tichico carissimo fratello, e ministro fedele nel Signore:And that you also may knovv the things about me, vvhat I doe: Tychicus my deerest brother and faithful minister in our Lord, vvil make you vnderstād al things:Ut autem et vos sciatis quæ circa me sunt, quid agam, omnia vobis nota faciet Tychicus, carissimus frater, et fidelis minister in Domino: 22Whom I have sent to you for this same purpose: that you may know the things concerning us, and that he may comfort your hearts.Il quale ho spedito a voi a questo stesso fine, perché siate informati delle cose mie, ed egli consoli i vostri cuori.vvhom I haue sent to you for this same purpose, that you may know the things about vs, and he may comfort your hartes.quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum, ut cognoscatis quæ circa nos sunt, et consoletur corda vestra. 23Peace be to the brethren and charity with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Pace a' fratelli, e carità, e fede da Dio Padre, e dal Signore Gesù Cristo.Peace to the brethren and charitie vvith faith from God the Father, and our Lord IESVS Christ.Pax fratribus, et caritas cum fide a Deo Patre et Domino Jesu Christo. 24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption. Amen.La grazia con tutti coloro, i quali incorrotti amano il Signor nostro Gesù Cristo. Così sia.Grace with al that loue our Lord IESVS Christ in incorruption. Amen.Gratia cum omnibus qui diligunt Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum in incorruptione. Amen.
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Witham
With a promise. This commandment being delivered with a special promise of a long life, which promise is to be understood conditionally, especially in regard to Christians, that is unless it be a greater favour to be taken out of the world young. (Witham)
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Witham
Your carnal; temporal masters, whether Christians or heathens. (Witham)
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Witham
Not serving to the eye; to please men only, but to do the will of God. (Witham)
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Witham
Forbearing threatenings; forbearing, and remitting the punishments which you might perhaps threaten them with, and they deserve. (Witham)
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Flesh and blood, which may either signify temptations of the flesh, or raised by mortal men.
Witham
Principalities and powers; that is devils, or apostate angels, who before their fall were in such ranks of spirits, and who are permitted to rule over the wicked in this world of darkness. (Witham)
Estius
By which we are to understand the fallen angels. For as by nature, and from their creation, they were the governors of this corporeal world, and were deprived of this their power on account of their pride, they received it (though limited by certain restrictions) in order to tempt man. (Estius)
Menochius
Rulers of the world of this darkness. By these are meant the devils who exercise their power and authority in our inferior and dark atmosphere, by raising winds, storms, tempests, etc. By darkness may be understood the wicked, in whom Satan reigns as in a citadel. (Menochius)
Our inferior world is called dark and misty in comparison of the world above, which is always bright, serene, and clear. Our atmosphere is called the cloudy and dark heavenly. Cicero, in his Tuscul Quaest. Prudentius likewise, in Hamartigenia, writes thus: Non mentem sua membra premunt, nec terrea virtus ∫ Oppugnat sensus liquidos, bellove lacessit; ∫ Sed cum spiritibus tenebrosis nocte dieque ∫Congredimur quorum dominatibus humidus iste ∫ Et pigris densus nebulis obtemperat aer. ∫ Scilicet hoc medium coelum inter et infima terrae ∫ Quod patet ac vacuo nubes suspendit hiatu, ∫ Frena potestatum variarum sustinet, ac suo ∫ Principe Belial rectoribus horret iniquis. ∫ His colluctamur praedoribus, at sacra nobis ∫ Oris Apostoli testis sententia prodit. ---
Estius
(Estius)
Witham
Against the spirits of wickedness: or wicked spirits in the air, says St. Jerome. Literally, in celestials. (Witham)
Challoner
High places. That is to say, in the air, the lowest of the celestial regions in which God permits these wicked spirits or fallen angels to wander. (Challoner)
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Your loins....with truth, both as to doctrine and a good life, keeping your baptismal promises.
Witham
Having on the breastplate of justice, not only of the particular virtue of justice, but of all virtues in general. (Witham)
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Witham
Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel; that is prepared to walk in the ways of the gospel, as a soldier must be prepared and in readiness to march or to fight. (Witham)
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Witham
The shield of faith. A lively faith working by charity, which will enable you to conquer your greatest enemies, and to escape their fiery darts, their greatest temptations, and attacks. (Witham)
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Witham
Who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Literally, "in incorruption;" with purity of heart and mind. (Witham)
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High places, or heavenly places.... That is to say, in the air, the lowest of the celestial regions; in which God permits these wicked spirits or fallen angels to wander.
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In incorruption.... That is, with a pure and perfect love.
THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS
The Philippians were the first among the Macedonians converted to the faith. They had a great veneration for St. Paul and supplied his wants when he was a prisoner in Rome, sending to him by Epaphroditus, by whom he sent this Epistle; in which he recommends charity, unity and humility and warns them against false teachers, whom he calls dogs and enemies of the cross of Christ. He also returns thanks for their benefactions. It was written about twenty-nine years after our Lord’s Ascension.
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Concordance Col. 3, 20
Concordance Exo. 20, 12, Deu. 5, 16.
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Concordance Col. 3, 22 Tit. 2, 9.
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Concordance 1 Pet. 2, 8.
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God leaueth no good worke vnrewarded.
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〈Greek〉
Concordance Deu. 10, 17.
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In the liturgy The Epistle vpon the 21 Sunday after Pentecost.
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〈Greek〉
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Concordance Eph. 2, 2
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If mā could not be truely iust or haue iustice in him self, hovv could he be clothed vvith iustice?
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Concordance Es. 59, 17. 1.
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Concordance Thes. 5, 8
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S. Augustine noteth in sundrie places vpō this same text, that faith without charitie serueth not to saluation. li. 50. ho. 7.
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Antiochians 9
… and let them not presume to address them by their names. Let them also be chaste, reckoning their husbands as their only partners, to whom indeed they have been united according to the will of God. Ye parents, impart a holy training to your children. Ye children, “honour your parents, that it may be well with you.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… Now what is Marcion’s opinion? The Creator could not possibly have furnished figures to an unknown god, or, if a known one, an adversary to Himself. The superior god, in fact, ought to have borrowed nothing from the inferior; he was bound rather to annihilate Him. “Children should obey their parents.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.71
In the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: “Children, be obedient to your parents: for this is right. Honour thy father and thy mother (which is the first command with promise), that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest be long-lived on the earth.”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.54
… The manifold character of his ministry? His loving kindness? And on the other hand his strictness? And the combination and blending of the two; in such wise that his gentleness should not enervate, nor his severity exasperate? He gives laws for slaves and masters, rulers and ruled, husbands and wives, parents and children,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 35
… neither did he acknowledge his brethren, and his own sons he disowned: he kept Thy oracles.” And if Paul gives many directions touching parents, commanding us to obey them in all things, marvel not; for in those things only doth he mean us to obey, as many as do not hinder godliness.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 26
… I am not ignorant of it. But when we are exhorting thee concerning thine own duties, let not theirs take all thine attention. For so, when we exhort children to be obedient to parents, saying, that it is written, “honor thy father and thy mother,” they reply to us, “mention also what follows, ‘and ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,’” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 1
Observe that he calls saints, men with wives, and children, and domestics. For that these are they whom he calls by this name is plain from the end of the Epistle, as, when he says, “Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands.” ( Eph. v. 22 .) And again, “Children, obey your parents:” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 14.3
Scripture, you will argue, bids us obey our parents.
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… The superior god, in fact, ought to have borrowed nothing from the inferior; he was bound rather to annihilate Him. “Children should obey their parents.” Now, although Marcion has erased (the next clause), “which is the first commandment with promise,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 2.4.2
… In other passages also, Paul, embracing the promises of the law, says, “Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and that thy days may be long upon the land, the good land, which the Lord thy God will give thee.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 15
… Some say a figurative earth, but it is not this, for nowhere in Scripture do we find any mention of an earth that is merely figurative. But what can the saying mean? He holds out a sensible prize; even as Paul also doth, in that when he had said, “Honor thy father and thy mother,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 50.2
… It is true that both the law of God prescribes these duties, and the Lord Himself reproves the Jews, because they destroyed this very commandment of God. And the Apostle Paul has in his Epistle laid it down, and said, “This is the first commandment with promise.” What? “Honour thy father and thy mother.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 21.9
… viz., “Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee and that thy days may be long upon earth.”
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Philadelphians: Shorter and Longer Versions 4
… as of Joseph, and Isaiah, and the rest of the prophets; as of Peter, and Paul, and the rest of the apostles, that were married men. For they entered into these marriages not for the sake of appetite, but out of regard for the propagation of mankind. Fathers, “bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;”
St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Tarsians 9
Ye husbands, love your wives; and ye wives, your husbands. Ye children, reverence your parents. Ye parents, “bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… he was bound rather to annihilate Him. “Children should obey their parents.” Now, although Marcion has erased (the next clause), “which is the first commandment with promise,” still the law says plainly, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” Again, (the apostle writes:) “Parents, bring up your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.72
Also in the same place: “And, ye fathers, drive not your children to wrath: but nourish them in the discipline and rebuke of the Lord.”
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Hexæmeron 9.4
… Hence it comes that temperance everywhere is praised, justice is in honour, courage admired, and prudence the object of all aims; virtues which concern the soul more than health concerns the body. Children love your parents, and you, “parents provoke not your children to wrath.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 21
Ver. 4 . “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but nurture them up in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 9
… It was on account of his children that Eli perished. For he ought to have admonished them, and indeed he did admonish them, but not as he ought; but from his unwillingness to give them pain he destroyed both himself and them. Hear this, ye fathers, bring your children up with great care “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 82.3
… “The good Shepherd”—they are the Lord’s own words—“layeth down his life for the sheep.” One of his disciples can wish to be anathema from Christ for his brethren’s sake, his kinsmen according to the flesh who were Israelites. If then Paul can desire to perish that the lost may not be lost, how much should good parents not provoke their children to wrath
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.73
In the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: “Servants, obey your fleshly masters with fear and trembling, and in simplicity of your heart, as to Christ; not serving for the eye, as if you were pleasing men; but as servants of God.”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.54
54. What of the laboriousness of his teaching? The manifold character of his ministry? His loving kindness? And on the other hand his strictness? And the combination and blending of the two; in such wise that his gentleness should not enervate, nor his severity exasperate? He gives laws for slaves and masters,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 1
Observe that he calls saints, men with wives, and children, and domestics. For that these are they whom he calls by this name is plain from the end of the Epistle, as, when he says, “Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands.” ( Eph. v. 22 .) And again, “Children, obey your parents:” ( Eph. vi. 1 .) and, “Servants, be obedient to your masters.” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 10.1
… Λατρεία , whenever it occurs in Scripture, is rendered by the word service. But that service which is due to men, and in reference to which the apostle writes that servants must be subject to their own masters,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Catechising of the Uninstructed 21
… for the Lord Himself also, in order to set before us an example of this sound doctrine, did not deem it unworthy of Him to pay tribute on account of that human individuality wherewith He was invested. Again, Christian servants and good believers are also commanded to serve their temporal masters in equanimity and faithfulness;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 44
… The Apostolic teaching has set the master over the slave, and put the slave under the master;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 62.4
… ” or as servants, that to their masters they should be subject,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 125.7
… It hath been thy lot to become a Christian, and to have a man for thy master: thou wast not made a Christian, that thou mightest disdain to be a servant. For when by Christ’s command thou servest a man, thou servest not the man, but Him who commanded thee. He saith this also: “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 48.14
… It is not the widow, then, but the bride, who is handed over to labor and sorrow in childbearing. It is not the virgin, but the married woman, who is subjected to the sway of a husband.” And in another place, “Ye are bought,” says the apostle, “with a price; be not therefore the servants of men.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 4
… “That thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but of thine own will.” Servants also he advises to obey their masters “with a good will.”
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St Peter of Alexandria † AD 311 The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras 6
… them, and from their fear having come to this pass and having lapsed, shall during the year show forth the works of penitence, learning for the future, as the slaves of Christ, to do the will of Christ and to fear Him, listening to this especially, that “whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 20
… But how they can be so, I will tell you. They will be so, if we will despise money, if we will look but to one thing only, excellence of soul, if we will keep the fear of God before our eyes. For what he says in his discourse to servants, “whatsoever any man doeth, whether it be good or evil, the same shall he receive of the Lord” (
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St Barnabas † AD 61 The Epistle of Barnabas 19
… Thou shalt be subject to the Lord, and to [other] masters as the image of God, with modesty and fear. Thou shalt not issue orders with bitterness to thy maidservant or thy man-servant, who trust in the same [God ], lest thou shouldst not reverence that God who is above both; for He came to call men not according to their outward appearance,
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.74
Also in the same place: “And, ye masters, do the same things to them, forbearing anger: knowing that both your Master and theirs is in heaven; and there is no choice of persons with Him.”
St Peter of Alexandria † AD 311 The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras 7
But the freemen shall be tried by penance for three years, both for their dissimulation, and for having compelled their fellow-servants to offer sacrifice, inasmuch as they have not obeyed the apostle, who would have the masters do the same things unto the servant, forbearing threatening;
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 43
And this I say, because I know many, who like Pharaoh are even now saying, “I know not God,” and making those that are in their power cleave to the clay and to the bricks. How many, though God bids them assauge their “threatening,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 22
Ver. 9 . “And ye masters,” he continues, “do the same things unto them.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Colossians 10
… For that his words may not appear to be those of flattery, “he shall receive,” he saith, “the wrong he hath done,” that is, he shall suffer punishment also, “for there is no respect of persons.” For what if thou art a servant? it is no shame to thee. And truly he might have said this to the masters, as he did in the Epistle to the Ephesians. (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 16
… And here he makes excellent regulations with respect to them. For we see him everywhere commanding the servants rather than their masters, showing them the ways of submission, and treating them with great regard. He exhorts them therefore to submit with great meekness. But the masters he recommends to forbear the use of terror. “Forbearing threatening” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philemon 1
… When he asks a favor of others, who will not grant it to him? Who will not be willing to be the friend and servant of so good a soul? Yea, I entreat you, let us do all things for Him, not to our friends, not to our relations only, but even to our domestics. For He says, “Forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven.” (
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 3.5
… iii. 22 ); and again, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour ( 1 Tim. vi. 1 ); but to these it is said, And ye, masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that both their and your Master is in heaven (
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St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 8
… The apostle, it is true, says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” But in a phrase of this kind there is no suggestion of any lowly and subordinate ministry, but rather of the succour rendered “in the power of his might.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 22
Ver. 10 . “Finally,” saith he, “be strong in the Lord.”
Early Popes (Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals) The Epistles of Pope Fabian 3.5
… in all ( in omnibus ) taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
6:11
St Polycarp † AD 155 Epistle to the Philippians 4
“But the love of money is the root of all evils.” Knowing, therefore, that “as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out,” let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness;
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… Again, when in the preceding verse he bids us “put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 8.34
… But they have no power over those who “have put on the whole armour of God,” who have received strength to “withstand the wiles of the devil,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 8.55
… and God would have us to bring up all our children, and not to destroy any of the offspring given us by His providence. And this does not conflict with our purpose not to obey the demons that are on the earth; for, “being armed with the whole armour of God, we stand”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 8.73
… and if he requires it, to fight under him, or lead an army along with him.” To this our answer is, that we do, when occasion requires, give help to kings, and that, so to say, a divine help, “putting on the whole armour of God.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 7
… nor did the enemy as though conquered cease to lay snares for him. For again he went round as a lion seeking some occasion against him. But Antony having learned from the Scriptures that the devices
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.88
88. For my own warfare, however, I am at a loss what course to pursue, what alliance, what word of wisdom, what grace to devise, with what panoply to arm myself, against the wiles of the wicked one.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 22
Ver. 11 . “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 16
… I said it is possible to become a Heaven; and I see that it is possible to become even better than Heaven. How? when we have the Lord of the Sun. Heaven is throughout pure and without spot; it changes not either in a storm or in the night. Neither let us then be so influenced either by tribulations or by “the wiles of the devil” (
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 2
Orth. —This is what the divine Paul did, for in writing to them who had made profession of their faith he said, “Take unto you the whole armour of God that ye be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 132
… the great, and says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these” “which believe in me” “ye have done it unto me.” I pray you in that you are conspicuous for right doctrine, and shine by worthiness of life, and therefore have great boldness before God, help me in your prayers, that I may be able “to stand,” to use the words of the Apostle,
6:12
St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Ephesians: Shorter and Longer Versions 13
… Nothing is better than that peace which is according to Christ, by which all war, both of aërial and terrestrial spirits, is brought to an end. “For we wrestle not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 1.10.1
… that He may send “spiritual wickednesses,”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Prescription Against Heretics 39
These were the ingenious arts of “spiritual wickednesses,”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… “Ye shall relate these things to your children; and your children in like manner to their children.” Of what use are two gods to me, when the discipline is but one? If there must be two, I mean to follow Him who was the first to teach the lesson. But as our struggle lies against “the rulers of this world,”
Tertullian † AD 220 Against the Valentinians 22
… For he is supposed by them to have had his origin in that criminal excess of her sorrow, from which they also derive the birth of the angels, and demons, and all the wicked spirits. Yet they affirm that the devil is the work of the Demiurge, and they call him Munditenens
Tertullian † AD 220 On Fasting 17
… Let Olympic cestus-players and boxers cram themselves to satiety. To them bodily ambition is suitable to whom bodily strength is necessary; and yet they also strengthen themselves by xerophagies. But ours are other thews and other sinews, just as our contests withal are other; we whose “wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the world’s
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.2.1
… but “put on,” he says, “the armour of God, that ye may be able to resist the wiles of the devil:” pointing out that the saints have to “ wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.2.4
… The declaration, indeed, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 8.34
… those who “have put on the whole armour of God,” who have received strength to “withstand the wiles of the devil,” and who are ever engaged in contests with them, knowing that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 10.18
… is to ascend driving like a charioteer those of the circumcision and the believers of the Gentiles, while prophets and Apostles go before Him and follow after Him (or is it the angels who minister to Him, for they too may be meant by those who go before and those who follow), perhaps it is that city which before He ascended to it contained the so-called
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.14
… the Gospel, as the latter with the law, reading and hearing and telling “those things which contain an allegory,” so as, while preserving the historic truth of the events, to understand the unerring principle of mystic interpretation applied to things spiritual, so that the things learned may not be “spiritual things whose characteristic is wickedness,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.13
… and want of prudence, a gate of death, but its opposite, prudence, a gate of Zion. But to all the gates of the “knowledge which is falsely so called” one gate is opposed, the gate of knowledge which is free from falsehood. But consider if, because of the say ing , “our wrestling is not against flesh and blood,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 13.4
… Perhaps, therefore, you would not err if you said, that such persons, so to speak, are epileptic spiritually, having been cast down by “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places,”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 The Epistles of Cyprian 55.8
… having your loins girt about with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one; and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.118
… in all things taking the shield of faith, in which ye may extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Novatian † AD 258 On the Jewish Meats 1
… For you, who not only hold the Gospel pure and purged from all stain of perverse doctrine, but also energetically teach the same, seek not man for a master, since you show yourselves by these very things to be teachers. Therefore as you run, I exhort you; and as you watch, I stir you up; and as you contend against “the spiritual things of wickedness,”
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 13
… desire was for the darkness, so that they would not follow that Word that had been sent forth in the beginning from the light, and (once more shows us) the man who is the enemy of the same, the sower of tares, and the god and prince of the age of this world, who blinds the minds of men that they may not be obedient to the truth in the Gospel of Christ?
St Methodius † AD 311 The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity 6.1
… Therefore, also, it is reasonable and immortal. For being made after the image of the Only-begotten, as I said, it has an unsurpassable beauty, and therefore evil spirits
St Methodius † AD 311 From the Discourse on the Resurrection, Part III 2
… And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God,” that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Christ,” “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood;”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 16
… as it is written, “keep our hearts with all watchfulness .” For we have terrible and crafty foes—the evil spirits—and against them we wrestle, as the Apostle said, “Not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 51
51. So he was alone in the inner mountain, spending his time in prayer and discipline. And the brethren who served him asked that they might come every month and bring him olives, pulse and oil, for by now he was an old man. There then he passed his life, and endured such great wrestlings, ‘Not against flesh and blood
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 1
… ‘We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities, with powers, with the rulers of this dark world, with wicked spirits in heaven
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 23
… him for such struggles, and to appoint over him one of your number whom he may select to be his trainer, training him nobly, and making him by his constant and blessed care a tried wrestler, wounding and overthrowing the prince of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual powers of iniquity, with whom, as the blessed Apostle says, is “our wrestling.”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.17
… Perhaps indeed there are other reasons also for this, which only God, Who bound them together, and those who are instructed by God in such mysteries, can know, but as far as I, and men like myself can perceive, there are two: one, that it may inherit the glory above by means of a struggle and wrestling
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.84
84. Sinners are planning upon our backs; and what we devise against each other, they turn against us all: and we have become a new spectacle, not to angels and men, as says Paul, that bravest of athletes, in his contest with principalities and powers,
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 2.15
… For He neither joins in the fray, nor does He implant the power to contend, but merely wishes that the athlete in whom He is interested may not come off second in the strife. And so Paul wrestles “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus 2.106
… For when we read that our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness, which are in high places,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose sermon-against-auxentius-on-th.6
6. These words are full of humility, and as I think of that spirit which a bishop ought to show towards the Emperor. But since “our contest is not against flesh and blood, but also” (which is worse) “against spiritual wickedness in high places,”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 63.24
… And so he who was a good athlete said: “We are made a spectacle to this world and to Angels.” Worthy indeed was he to be gazed upon by Angels, when he was striving to attain the prize of Christ, when he was striving to lead on earth the life of Angels, and overcome the wickedness of spirits in heaven, for he wrestled with spiritual wickedness.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Treatise Concerning the Christian Priesthood 2.2
… With whom then has he to fight? with whom has he to wrestle? Listen to the words of St. Paul. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch 3.7
… and as wrestlers let us strip for the contest. For the believer is at once a husbandman, and a sailor, and a soldier, a wrestler, and a traveller. Hence St. Paul saith, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. Put on therefore the whole armour of God.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 6
… For it is God’s part to give a contrite and humbled heart, sober, self-possessed, and awestruck, full of repentance and compunction. These are His gifts, forasmuch as it is also of these things that we are most in need. Yes, for a grievous conflict is at hand, and against the powers unseen is our wrestling; against “the spiritual wickednesses”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 23
… And the very fact too of calling it narrow contributed very greatly towards making it easy; for it wrought on them to be vigilant. As Paul then, when he saith, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 27
… Would you taste a (real) luxury? Nourish your soul, give to her of that food to which she is used: do not kill her by starvation.—It is the time for war, the time for contest: and do you sit enjoying yourself? Do you not see even those who wield sceptres, how they live frugally while abroad on their campaigns? “We wrestle not against flesh and blood” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 31
… Let us not deceive ourselves. For if in war it is impossible to come off safe while living daintily, and trafficking, and huckstering and idling, much more in this war. Or think ye not that it is a war worse than all others? ( Infra, p. 204, note 1.) “For we wrestle not,” he says, “against flesh and blood.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 32
… v. 5; 2 Cor. ii. 7, 11 ); and so others also, that they might be taught “not to blaspheme.” ( 1 Tim. i. 20 .) And consider how he sent forth his own liegemen against him, rousing them, suppling them. And at one time he says to the Ephesians, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 39
But what “rule,” then doth he here say, that Christ “putteth down?” That of the angels? Far from it. That of the faithful? Neither is it this. What rule then? That of the devils, concerning which he saith, “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness:” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Second Corinthians 8
… But neither is the belly therefore God, nor Mammon Lord, save only of those who bow down themselves to them. But we assert of this passage that it is spoken neither of the devil nor of another creator, but of the God of the Universe, and that it is to be read thus; “God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this world
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Commentary on Galatians 5
… Now if you are able to prove to me that evil originates from the body, you are at liberty to accuse it; but if your endeavor is to turn its name into a charge against it, you ought to accuse the soul likewise. For he that is deprived of the truth is called “the natural man.” ( 1 Cor. ii. 14 .) and the race of demons “the spirits of wickedness.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 1
… to the one the Incarnate, to the other God the Word. Just as one might say of a house which has some part decayed and the other sound, He hath rebuilt the house, that is to say, He has made it stronger, and laid a firmer foundation. So also here He hath brought all under one and the same Head.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 4
… For that his kingdom is of this age, i.e., will cease with the present age, hear what he says at the end of the Epistle; “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the world rulers of this darkness;” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 22
Ver. 12 . “For our wrestling is not,” saith he, “against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness, in the heavenly places.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philippians 8
… Thou too hast believed, thou hast performed many good deeds, thou hast mounted high: secure thyself, be in fear as thou standest, and keep a wary eye, lest thou fall thence. For manifold are the spiritual sorts of wickedness which aim to cast thee down. (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philippians 9
… For is it not absurd to contribute to an earthly king, when engaged in war, all that he wants, as clothing and food, not according to his need alone, but abundantly, whilst to the King of Heaven, when engaged in war, and contending against far more bitter foes (for it is written, “our wrestling is not against flesh and blood”) (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Thessalonians 3
… iii. 12 .); and Christ says, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” ( John xvi. 33 .) And again the blessed Paul with a loud voice cries out, saying, “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood,” and again, “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Timothy 4
… that is, “through the grace of Christ.” That is, stand firmly. Thou knowest the battle. For elsewhere he says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
[8.] There is no persecution now, and God grant there may never be: but there is another war, that of the desire of money, of envy, of the passions. Paul, describing this war, says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 22.3
… No, the earth yields only thorns and thistles, and its dust is food for the serpent. “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 77.11
Her triumph was more glorious far than those won by Furius over the Gauls, by Papirius over the Samnites, by Scipio over Numantia, by Pompey over Pontus. They had conquered physical force, she had mastered spiritual iniquities.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 124.13
… Now if we extend our inquiry to the passion of our Lord and Saviour, it may indeed be overbold to suppose that He will suffer in heaven; yet if there is spiritual wickedness in heavenly places
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.3
… “But I say, walk by the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other: that ye may not do the things that ye would.” We are a compound of the two, and must endure the strife of the two substances. And to the Ephesians:
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
… according to the Peripatetics, it is difficult and even impossible, an opinion which has the constant support of all Scripture. Hence Josephus, the historian of the Maccabees, said that the emotions can be subdued and governed, not extirpated, and Cicero’s five books of “Tusculan Disputations” are full of these discussions.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 220.12
… yourself so far as might be possible without prejudice to the public welfare from the labours of military service, and take to yourself the leisure which you then desired for that life in the society of the saints in which the soldiers of Christ fight in silence, not to kill men, but to “wrestle against principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichæans 33
… for both a cloudy heaven is spoken of, and flying things are called heavenly. As when the Apostle Paul calls those evil angels, against whom as enemies by living piously we contend, "spiritual things of wickedness in heavenly places."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist 3.12
… For where men are holy servants of the Lord, and are fighting with holiness for God, not against Petilianus, or any flesh and blood like him, but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 17.4
… With good reason hath the Christian hereby provided protection for himself against his enemies, not those that may be seen, flesh and blood, to be pitied, rather than to be feared, but against those against whom the Apostle exhorts us to arm ourselves: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 55.4
… and entereth not by the ear, but through the thoughts; and thereby not in a way that is corporal, but spiritual. For what we call spiritual is not always to be understood in a commendatory way. The apostle knew of certain spiritual things [powers], of wickedness in heavenly places, against which he testifies that we have to maintain a struggle;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 79
… to the Teacher, not to the deceiver. And in what sense the devil is to be understood as the prince of the world, is still more clearly unfolded by the Apostle Paul, who, after saying, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,” that is, against men, went on to say, “but against principalities and powers, and the world-rulers of this darkness.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 1.5
… how shall I be light? I live in sins and iniquities. There steals upon him, as it were, a desperation and sadness. There is no salvation save in the fellowship of God. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” But sins are darkness, as the Apostle saith of the devil and his angels, that they are “rulers of this darkness.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 9.2
… his sins; let him begin to come to life again inwardly, and to mortify his members which are upon the earth, as the apostle saith, “Mortify your members which are upon the earth.” By the members upon earth he means spiritual wickedness: for he goes on to expound it, “Covetousness, uncleanness,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 35.3
… There are indeed even these enemies to us, and they persecute us: but other enemies we are taught to know, those against whom we fight invisibly, of whom the Apostle warneth us, saying, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 56.4
… “Know ye that for us the wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against princes and powers, and spiritual things of wickedness,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 77.6
… 4 ). All mine enemies have kept watch over me; they have exceeded in keeping watch over me; in watching they have been beforehand with me. Where do they not lay traps? Have not mine enemies anticipated all watches? For who are these enemies, but they of whom the Apostle saith, “Ye have not wrestling against flesh and blood.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 83.6
… These are they of whom the Apostle speaks: “Ye wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 118.3
3. “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man doeth unto me” ( ver. 6 ). But are men, then, the only enemies that the Church hath? What is a man devoted to flesh and blood, save flesh and blood? But the Apostle saith, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against,”…he saith, “spiritual wickedness in high places;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 142.7
… Who are these enemies? Let us see whether they are plainly described by any servant of the Lord, by any soldier, now perfected, who hath engaged with them. Hear the Apostle saying, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood:”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 144.9
… observe whom he calleth “strangers,” whom he calleth “strange children,” whom he calleth “waters of contradiction,” whom he calleth a “sword of ill intent.” Observe, I beseech you, for among them ye are in peril, among their tongues ye fight against the desires of your flesh, among their tongues, set in the hand of the devil wherewith he fighteth.
John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 5.18
… crowns, not undeservedly does he begin to enter the lists against still more powerful foes, and having triumphed over his former rivals, he boldly makes proclamation and says, “Now our striving is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 5.19
… “I so fight, not as one that beateth the air, but I chastise my body and bring it into sub jection,” that when this conflict is ended we may once more be able to say with him: “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.21
… And how then would the Apostle’s words stand, where he says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places;” and this too: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air;” and again: “I have fought a good fight”?
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.33
Germanus : We certainly do not doubt that those orders which the Apostle enumerates refer to them: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against spirits of wickedness in heavenly places:”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 8.2
… We want to know what is the origin of the great variety of hostile powers opposed to men, and the difference between them, which the blessed Apostle sums up as follows: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in hea venly places:”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 8.14
… nor could they be called powers or principalities, unless there were some over whom they could claim power: and this we find pointed out very clearly in the gospel by the Pharisees in their blasphemy: “He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils,” for we find that they are also called “rulers of darkness,”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 13.14
… of which also he says to the Ephesians: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 39
So, dearly-beloved, let us who instructed in Divine learning come wittingly to the present contest and strife, hear the Apostle when he says, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this dark world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things
6:13
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 3.2.1
… for it is written, that after the sop “Satan entered into him.” And the Apostle Paul teaches us that we ought not to give place to the devil; but “put on,” he says, “the armour of God, that ye may be able to resist the wiles of the devil:”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 65
… And he remembered that this is what the Apostle said, ‘according to the prince of the power of the air .’ For in it the enemy hath power to fight and to attempt to hinder those who pass through. Wherefore most earnestly he exhorted, ‘Take up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 22
Ver. 13 . “Wherefore,” saith he, “take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 23
Now if this is the case with soldiers, much more is it with spiritual soldiers. Or rather in their case, there is no such thing as arming them without, but everything is within. He hath roused their ardor, and set it on fire, he hath added confidence. He hath set them in due array. Observe how he also puts on the armor. “Stand therefore,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 3.4
… No grass makes the ground green; there are no shady copses and no fertile fields. Precipitous cliffs surround his dreadful abode as if it were a prison. But he, careless, fearless, and armed from head to foot with the apostle’s armor,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 75.2
… and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked: and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 63
… And it intensifies our dis couragement to think that these things are the prelude of the general apostasy. May your piety pray that since we are in this plight we may get the divine succour, that, as the divine Apostle phrases it, we may “be able to withstand the evil day.”
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St Polycarp † AD 155 Epistle to the Philippians 2
… “Judge not, that ye be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again;” and once more, “Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 3.14
… who bids us take the shield of faith, wherewith we may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devil, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which (he says) is the word of God.”
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 6.1
… Let us bear His sign upon our bodies, that we may be delivered from the wrath to come. For fearful is the day in which He will come, and who is able to endure it? Furious and hot is His wrath, and it will destroy all the wicked. Let us set upon our head the helmet of redemption,
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 11
The blessed Paul, being girt about with every virtue
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 21.4
… and the Lord Jesus in the Gospel, He that hath ears to hear let him hear . Then on the nostrils; that receiving the sacred ointment ye may say, We are to God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved . Afterwards on your breast; that having put on the breast-plate of righteousness , ye may stand against the wiles of the devil
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Virgins 2.4
… I will offer the victim to God for you, do you offer the soldier to Christ for me. You have served the good service of chastity, the wages of which are everlasting life; you have the breastplate of righteousness, which protects the body with spiritual armour, the shield of faith with which to ward off wounds, and the helmet of salvation,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
… but there is another war, that of the desire of money, of envy, of the passions. Paul, describing this war, says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” ( Eph. vi. 12 .) This war is ever at hand. Therefore he wishes us to stand ever armed. Because he wishes us to stand ever armed, he says, “Stand, having girded yourselves about.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 130.5
… Where will you find a matron to be present at your bridal? Whom will you get to escort you home? No tongue but a harsh Punic one will sing for you the wanton Fescennine verses. Away with all hesitations! ‘Perfect love’ of God ‘casteth out fear.’ Take to yourself the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 27
… Well now, it is in our present struggle therewith that we are clothed with the righteousness in which we here live by faith,—clothed with it as it were with a breastplate.
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 2
Orth. —This is what the divine Paul did, for in writing to them who had made profession of their faith he said, “Take unto you the whole armour of God that ye be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.” And again, “Stand therefore with your loins girt about with truth,”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 123
… let them join the opposite side; let them be ranked with them that are at war with us. But if they bear witness to our holding the right teaching of the gospel message, we hail them with the cry, “Do you too ‘stand having your loins girt about with truth,…and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,’”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 39
… dearly-beloved, as the Apostle says, “having the loins of your mind girt in truth, and your feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace, in all things taking the shield of faith in which ye may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one, and put on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
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St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 3
… holy feast which now draws near to us, ‘girding up the loins of our minds ,’ like our Saviour Jesus Christ, of Whom it is written, ‘Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins .’ Each one of us having in his hand the staff which came out of the root of Jesse, and our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 14
… But now the Truth is nigh unto us, ‘the Image of the invisible God ,’ our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Light, Who instead of a staff, is our sceptre, instead of unleavened bread, is the bread which came down from heaven, Who, instead of sandals, hath furnished us with the preparation of the Gospel
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril procatechesis-or-prologue-to-t.16
… But there is a serpent by the wayside watching those who pass by: beware lest he bite thee with unbelief. He sees so many receiving salvation, and is seeking whom he may devour . Thou art coming in unto the Father of Spirits, but thou art going past that serpent. How then mayest thou pass him? Have thy feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 1
… For he will appear before us having “put on Christ” ( Rom. xiii. 14; Gal. iii. 27 ), having his beautiful “feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 32.10
… So we see that the spitting in the face is accompanied with a sign of reproach in loosing a shoe from one foot, to exclude the man from the company of those to whom the apostle says, "Let your feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 60.11
… “How beautiful the feet of them that tell of peace, that tell of good things,” and “the feet shod unto the preparation of the Gospel of peace.”
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 1.5
… and from one foot the shoe is taken away, inasmuch as it is written, Your feet shod in preparation of the Gospel of Peace (
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Ephesians: Shorter and Longer Versions 13
Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks to God, and show forth His praise. For when ye come frequently together in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his “fiery darts”
Tertullian † AD 220 De Fuga in Persecutione 9
… He commands us to stand stedfast, certainly not to act an opposite part by fleeing; and to be girt, not to play the fugitive or oppose the Gospel. He points out weapons, too, which persons who intend to run away would not require. And among these he notes the shield
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 11.9
… on account of which things eating like a gangrene into his soul, the devil cast it into his heart to betray the Saviour; and, when he had received the “fiery dart,”
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple 1
… Thou hast clad the Mighty One with that beauteous panoply of the body by which it has become possible for Him to be seen by mine eyes. And I, in order that I might freely approach to behold Him, have received that by which all the fiery darts of the wicked shall be quenched.
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 6.1
… Let us rejoice in our hope at every time, that He Who is our hope and our Redeemer may rejoice in us. Let us judge ourselves righteously and condemn ourselves, that we may not hang down our faces before the judges who shall sit upon thrones and judge the tribes. Let us take to ourselves, as armour for the contest,
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 5.4
… For he sends forth divers arrows, and shoots down in the dark night those that watch not; but, since the enemy is unseen, we have faith as our strong armour, according to the saying of the Apostle, In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 40
… Fear not the conflict; defend yourself with the Water; defend yourself with the Spirit, by Which all the fiery darts of the wicked shall be quenched.
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.7
46. And that you may know that there is no inequality but unity of nature, the Word also is the Sword of the Holy Spirit, for it is written: “Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Treatise Concerning the Christian Priesthood 4
… But in the matter of spurious doctrine, when any soul is diseased thereby, then there is great need of the Word, not only in view of the safety of our own people, but in view of the enemy without. If, indeed, one had the sword of the spirit, and the shield of faith,
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 3.5
… but the cry of the apostle will repel him: “When I am weak, then am I strong,” and “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” He will hold out threats of death; but the reply will be: “I desire to depart and to be with Christ.” He will brandish his fiery darts, but they will be received on the shield of faith.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 22.17
… If ever you feel the outward man sighing for the flower of youth, and if, as you lie on your couch after a meal, you are excited by the alluring train of sensual desires; then seize the shield of faith, for it alone can quench the fiery darts of the devil.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 54.7
… A widow who has ceased to have a husband to please, and who in the apostle’s language is a widow indeed, needs nothing more but perseverance only. She is mindful of past enjoyments, she knows what gave her pleasure and what she has now lost. By rigid fast and vigil she must quench the fiery darts of the devil.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 130.10
… his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.” Our foe uses the heat of youthful passion to tempt young men and maidens and “sets on fire the wheel of our birth.” He thus fulfils the words of Hosea, “they are all adulterers, their heart is like an oven;” an oven which only God’s mercy and severe fasting can extinguish. These are “the fiery darts”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 48.3
… forgiven us,” or subduing evil habits, and chastening the body and bringing it into subjection, or bearing tribulation, and especially bearing with one another in love (for what can he bear who is not patient with his brother?), or guarding against the craft and wiles of the tempter, and by the shield of faith averting and extinguishing his fiery darts,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 3.26
… For we hear also of the shield of faith, “wherewith,” says the apostle, “ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 12.13
… Pay me tribute, submit thyself to my allegiance. Right, but not in an idol’s temple. In an idol’s temple He forbids it. Who forbids it? A greater Power. Pardon me then: thou threatenest a prison, He threateneth hell. Here must thou at once take to thee thy “faith as a shield, whereby thou mayest be able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 35.2
… For as we from Him have this, that we be armed, so is He armed from us. But He is armed from those whom He hath made, we are armed with those things which we have received from Him who made us. These our arms the Apostle in a certain place calleth, “The shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.5
… “Take,” he says “the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius 2.1
… But that we may not be thought to have prejudged the case against them instead of fairly judging it, we will produce their actual pestilent assertions, or rather I should say their blasphemous folly: taking “above all the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God,”
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Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 9
… that is, guile, and asperity, and injustice, proper (of course) to the business of battles? See we, then, whether that which has another action be not another sword,—that is, the Divine word of God, doubly sharpened
St Methodius † AD 311 The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity 8.12
… Do not, therefore, lose courage on account of the schemes and slanders of the beast, but bravely prepare for the battle, armed with the helmet of salvation,
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril procatechesis-or-prologue-to-t.10
… Thou hast many enemies; take to thee many darts, for thou hast many to hurl them at: and thou hast need to learn how to strike down the Greek, how to contend against heretic, against Jew and Samaritan. And the armour is ready, and most ready the sword of the Spirit
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 17.33
… And again, Wherefore, as saith the Holy Ghost ; and again, The Holy Ghost also witnesseth to us . And again he calls unto the soldiers of righteousness, saying, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, with all prayer and supplication
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 22
… Better to possess such a fountain, than to have fountains running with gold. Better than all gold-bearing soil is the soul which bears this gold. For it advances us, not into these earthly palaces, but into those above. The gold becomes an ornament to the Church of God. Of this gold is wrought “the sword of the Spirit” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 23
True, you may say, but these our natural loins we gird with a leathern band; but we, spiritual soldiers, with what? I answer, with that which is the head and crown of all our thoughts, I mean, “with truth.” “Having girded your loins,” saith he, “with truth.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 5
We have need also of an helmet; for since the reasoning faculty is there, and from this it is possible for us either to be saved, when what is right is done, or it is possible for us to be ruined—therefore he says, “the helmet of salvation.” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 59.1.15
15. “Behold, themselves shall speak in their mouth, and a sword is on the lips of them” ( ver. 7 ). Here is that sword twice whetted, whereof the Apostle saith, “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.5
… For it is possible for one who has lost other parts of the body, weak as he may be, still to survive: but even a short time of living is extended to no one without a head. “And the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 20.8
… For “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” And therefore one who would withhold “the sword of the spirit which is the word of God”
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Tertullian † AD 220 On Prayer 23
… At fasts, moreover, and Stations, no prayer should be made without kneeling, and the remaining customary marks of humility; for (then) we are not only praying , but deprecating , and making satisfaction to God our Lord. Touching times of prayer nothing at all has been prescribed, except clearly “to pray at every time and every place.”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Fasting 10
… and the sixth , at which Peter went up on the roof; and the ninth , at which they entered the temple: why should we not understand that, with absolutely perfect indifference, we must pray
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 17.33
… And again he calls unto the soldiers of righteousness, saying, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, with all prayer and supplication . And again, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 24
… and on my behalf that utterance may be given unto me, in opening my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 7
[11.] What then are these things to us (one says) who are not monastics? Sayest thou this to me? Say it to Paul, when he says, “Watching with all perseverance and supplication” (
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 5.18
… enigmas, for the purpose of disparaging the Creator, when he displayed to the Church such constancy and plainness of speech in “making known the mystery of the gospel for which he was an ambassador in bonds,” owing to his liberty in preaching—and actually requested (the Ephesians) to pray to God that this “open-mouthed utterance” might be continued to him?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians the-argument
He wrote the Epistle from Rome, and, as he himself informs us, in bonds. “Pray for me, that utterance may be given unto me, in opening my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.” (
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 8
… In what does he glory? In bonds, in afflictions, in chains, in scars; “I bear branded on my body,” saith he, “the marks of Jesus,” ( Gal. vi. 17 .) as though they were some great trophy. And again, “For because of the hope of Israel,” saith he, “I am bound with this chain.” ( Acts xxviii. 20 .) And again, “For which I am an ambassador in chains.” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 The Apology of Rufinus. Addressed to Apronianus, in Reply to Jerome's Letter to Pammachius 1.40
And again in the third book of these Commentaries, on the words, “for which I am an ambassador in chains,”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Second Corinthians 2
… whence he saith, “But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things; whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 24
Ver. 21 . “But that ye also may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Colossians 11
… and so when writing to the Thessalonians, he said, “Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, and sent Timothy our brother.” ( 1 Thess. iii. 1, 2 .) And to the Ephesians he sends this very same person, and for the very same cause, “That he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts.” (
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Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 7.6
… much unbelief respecting his Only Begotten Son and the first-born of every creature, the Word which became man, and a want of perception of the Holy Spirit,—as there came to me communications from both sides and brethren discussing the matter, I wrote certain letters treating the subject as instructively as, by the help. of God, I was able. Of these I send
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Concerning Lowliness of Mind 6
… and having dismissed every thing of his own; bonds and troubles and stripes and straits, watched over and inquired into each day, in what state the affairs of the disciples were; and often for this very purpose alone sent, now Timothy, and now Tychicus; and about him he says, “That he may know your circumstances, and encourage your hearts:”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 24
Ver. 22 . “Whom I have sent unto you,” saith he, “for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 24
Ver. 23 . “Peace be to the brethren and love with faith from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 3.33
… For, in discussing the question about faith and works, he said that works were given us by God as the reward of faith, but that faith itself was so far our own that it did not come to us from God; not keeping in mind the saying of the apostle: “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians 1.6
… for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Certainly he said that both were given. Let them read what he said also: “Peace be to the brethren, and love, with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 28
… “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;” and again another in the same Epistle to the Ephesians: “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 39
… Again, he says to the Ephesians, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints 1.6
… such as is that testimony that “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith;” and that one, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints 1.7
… Both, therefore, are ours on account of the choice of the will, and yet both are given by the spirit of faith and love. For faith is not alone but as it is written, ‘Love with faith, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.’
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints 2.44
… For the apostle very plainly says, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 24
Ver. 24 . “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 1.38
… But now He has raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that we may put away according to our former manner of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the lusts of deceit, and that blessing may be applied to us which so finely concludes the mystical Epistle to the Ephesians:
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1. CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD. — St. Jerome says that "in the Lord" can be referred first to "parents," as if to say: Parents who have begotten you in the Lord, that is in Christ, namely Apostles and the like, obey. Second, it can be referred to "obey," as if to say: Obey your carnal parents, but "in the Lord," that is, according to the law and precept of the Lord, if namely they command things that are not impious and deformed, but conformable to the law, piety and worship of the Lord: then indeed they command in the Lord; otherwise not in the Lord, but against the Lord in the devil they command, and consequently then they are not to be obeyed. Again, "obey in the Lord," that is, from love and reverence of the Lord (see Canon 25), who said and commanded: "Honor thy father and thy mother," and wished that in father and mother we consider, honor and revere the heavenly and eternal Father, whose image and person father and mother represent to us. This second sense is the genuine one: for the Apostle speaks of parents not spiritual, but natural, who beget us according to the flesh. Note here: In the preceding chapter he laid down a general law and sentence: "Be subject, he says, to one another in the fear of Christ;" he then explains it through three kinds of subjection. The first kind is that subjection by which a wife ought to be subject to her husband: he treats of this in the preceding chapter, verse 22. The second kind is that subjection by which children ought to obey their parents: he treats of this here. The third is that subjection by which servants are bound to their masters, of which he treats below, verse 5.
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Verse 2. HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER, WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT IN A PROMISE. — Note: Scripture understands by honour, first, reverence; second, love; third, obedience; fourth, sustenance and support, and all gifts and benefits. For the Lord understands this precept concerning these things, as Christ shows in Matthew xv, 6, as Jerome there annotated. Thus Paul, in I Timothy v, 3: "Honour widows," that is, show them honour and sustain them; and verse 17: "Let the presbyters who rule well be counted worthy of double honour," that is, of much and abundant honour beyond widows and others, that is, of subsistence support, "be esteemed worthy." Whence in the same place, explaining this honour, he adds: "For the Scripture saith: Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn; and: The labourer is worthy of his reward." Note: This fourth precept of the Decalogue, "Honour thy father and mother," is called "the first in a promise," that is, with a promise: because it is the first among the precepts of the Decalogue which has attached to it a promise of long life. For thus it is said in Exodus xx, 12: "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be long-lived upon the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee" (understand the land of Chanaan, to which, O Israel, I now lead thee). The Apostle here cites both, namely both the precept of honouring and the promise of longevity. Note: This promise is just and fitting. For it is just and fitting that children, who are grateful to their parents for the life received, by honouring them, should obtain the long preservation of the life received from them. For their honour and gratitude merit this, as St. Thomas beautifully teaches in his Opuscula, opuscule 4: Children, he says, obtain life from their parents, just as soldiers obtain a fief from a king. Just as therefore they merit its preservation, so long as they render homage to the king; so also children merit the preservation of life, so long as they honour their parents: on the contrary, just as rebellious soldiers are despoiled of their fief, so also rebellious children of life. Add: this promise is fittingly proposed to adolescent children: for these above all others desire to live long and pleasantly. You will say: It sometimes happens that obedient children have a short life. Abulensis answers in the commentary on chapter xx of Exodus: A son, he says, who honours his parents, although he may die quickly, yet lived long. For time is the measure not of leisure, but of work, and of actions not evil, but good. Whence in Wisdom iv, 13, of such a one it is said: "Being made perfect in a short time, he fulfilled a long time." But this is the mystical sense. I say therefore that this canon of Scripture should be noted, which St. Jerome gives elsewhere. God in the Scriptures, promising present goods, carnal and temporal, if He does not bestow them, gives in their place far greater ones, namely spiritual, heavenly and eternal. Thus in Psalm xxxvi, 25, it is said: "I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread," and yet it is certain that Lazarus the beggar was just, and many Martyrs and other Saints perished from hunger in prisons and similar want and miseries; but then in place of bodily bread God gave them spiritual and heavenly bread, namely a far greater good of patience and the crown of martyrdom. Just as if I promise you one gold coin, and in place of it I give you not a gold coin, but a horse, I have abundantly satisfied my promise, nay I have given more than I promised. Add, that this promise of longevity is not absolute, but only gives to obedient children hope of it; for this the little word "that" signifies, as if to say: If thou honour thy father, thou hast reason to hope for longevity, for by this honour God is not indeed obliged, but yet is moved, to give long, abundant and happy life to children who show their parents this honour. St. Jerome objects secondly that a promise is also attached to the first precept; for he says: "I am the Lord thy God, strong, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me and keep my commandments." Therefore this fourth precept, "Honour thy father," etc., is not the first, but the second in promise. Some respond that it is first not absolutely, but in the second table. Secondly, St. Jerome responds that the first commandment here is called the whole decalogue: because it was given here first to the Hebrews after their departure from Egypt, whereas the other judicial and ceremonial laws were given later. But I respond thirdly, more simply and plainly, that to the fourth precept, "Honour thy father," a proper and special promise of long life is added; but to the first precept no special promise is added, but only a common one both of threat and of promise, whereby God, just as He promises in general to be merciful to all who keep not this one alone, but all His precepts, so He threatens in general to punish those who violate them. Fourthly, Chrysostom and Theophylactus add that to other precepts no promise is added, because they are negative, namely: "Thou shalt not adore strange gods: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not commit adultery, etc."; but to the fourth the same is added, because it is affirmative. For he who abstains from forbidden things indeed escapes punishment, but merits nothing of reward; but he who honours his parents does good and works: therefore a reward is owed and promised to him. But this does not seem to be said solidly. First, because the third precept also, namely, "Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day," is affirmative (and he who fulfils this does something good), and yet has no promise of reward attached to it. Secondly, affirmatives are understood under negatives. For the precept which forbids the worship of strange gods commands the worship of the true God; the precept which forbids theft commands that each render what is his to another, and so of the others.
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Vers. 3. 3. THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE. — Among other things experience makes this clear, that by the just judgment of God it comes to pass thus, that those who do not obey their parents also have disobedient and unruly children. Whence also Pittacus of Mytilene was wont to say: "Such things as thou hast bestowed upon thy parents, expect precisely the same from thy children, that thou mayest fare well or ill."
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Vers. 4. 4. FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO ANGER, — namely, that by your harshness, severity, excessive beatings or labours you burden and irritate your children. BUT BRING THEM UP IN DISCIPLINE. — The Greek παιδείᾳ, instruction and teaching, as Jerome and Chrysostom explain, which signifies chastisement. A father ought to provide both to his son, and both are signified by the word "discipline." AND IN THE CORRECTION OF THE LORD. — In Greek νουθεσίᾳ, which Jerome translates, "in admonition"; Vatablus and others, "in correction," whereby namely admonishing, teaching, correcting, he places and impresses in the mind of him whom he admonishes what ought to be done, or ought to have been done. For this is νουθεσία, that is to say, literally, a placing in the soul, namely instruction, which is placed and impressed in the soul of another, as if to say: You, O fathers, bring up your children in the doctrine of Christ, give them Christian admonitions, by which they may learn the manner of living well and Christianly. Note here: The greatest treasure which parents leave to their children is good education. For this will give them all other things, riches, wisdom, virtue, an honest life present and eternal. For upon education depends the whole life of man, nay the salvation and eternal beatitude itself. Now many are little concerned about education, and strive only to enrich their offspring and advance them to honours: and what do they do, except prepare for them weapons, by which they may use them to their own destruction?
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5. SERVANTS, OBEY YOUR CARNAL MASTERS, — that is, temporal and worldly: for he opposes these to spiritual masters, namely Apostles, Bishops, Pastors. Thus the Apostle often calls the wisdom or prudence of the flesh the wisdom and prudence of the world and worldly wisdom, as I said on II Cor. x, verses 3 and 4. St. Jerome notes that at the beginning of the Christian faith, many, when they heard themselves called to Christian liberty, thought by it they were freed from the bond of servitude, just as in our age those rustics in Germany thought, whom Luther incited and armed to rebellion to their own and their masters' ruin, so that a hundred thousand of them were slain. Whence against this error the Council of Gangra thus decrees, canon 3: "If anyone teaches a slave to despise his master in the name of divine worship or under some pretext of religion, and to withdraw from servitude, rather than to serve his masters in good will and with all honor, let him be anathema." Indeed some thought that through Christianity they were freed from the bond of marriage contracted with Gentiles: whence just as he rebukes and instructs these in I Cor. VII, so here he teaches the former not to despise their masters, even if Gentiles, but to obey them, unless they command things contrary to God and Christ. Whence he adds: OBEY WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, — that is to say, Not only obey, but also fear and revere your masters; indeed tremble at their command and voice. For this is what the servile condition requires: and this fear and trembling of masters befits servants. It can secondly be understood of the fear and trembling of Christ, that is to say, Obey your masters fearing and trembling before Christ the judge, who in judgment will demand an account of this obedience from you. Whence Coloss. III, 22, seems to explain this fear and trembling, saying: "Fearing God." The first sense is simpler and more natural; the second is fuller and more perfect, and more befits Christians, namely that they obey their masters not so much with natural and servile fear of masters, as with spiritual and holy fear of Christ. Whence follows: IN SIMPLICITY OF YOUR HEART. — That is, simply, ingenuously, candidly, not falsely, not fraudulently, not to the eye, as follows. For he opposes simplicity to these. AS TO CHRIST. — Refer to "obey," that is to say, Obey your masters, as Christ, whose person and authority and dominion they represent to you.
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Verse 6. 6. NOT SERVING TO THE EYE (in Greek expressed more beautifully and significantly in one word: μὴ κατ' ὀφθαλμοδουλείαν, that is, Not to eye-service) AS PLEASING MEN. — In Greek again it is one more significant word ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι; ἀνθρωπαρέσκεια signifies the study of pleasing men, and of gaining their favor for oneself. BUT AS SERVANTS OF CHRIST. — Repeat "serving," that is to say, Serve your masters, not as servants of men to the eye, not for the catching of the master's favor, but sincerely, faithfully and from the heart, as servants of Christ, so that you may please Christ. For Christ wills that you serve your masters: whence when you serve your masters, you serve Christ. Hence explaining this he adds: DOING THE WILL OF GOD FROM THE HEART, — that is to say, Serve not under compulsion, not falsely, but from the heart, because this is the will of Christ and God. Secondly, "as servants of Christ," that is, as Christian servants, that is to say, Serve not as Gentiles serve to the eye and external appearance; but serve as Christians, so that your Gentile masters may see that Christian servants serve Gentiles more sincerely and faithfully, and thus may be drawn to Christ and Christianity. For faith corrects nature and the servile condition, which Plato thus describes in dialogue 8 of the Laws: "Nothing, he says, in the mind of a servant is whole, nor is anything to be trusted in the race of servants, which the wisest Poet also testifies when he thus speaks: Jupiter takes away half the mind from those who are subjected to servitude," such as we now experience many barbarians in India to be. But through faith that happens which Plato adds in the same place: "Many, he says, are already servants better in every virtue than brothers and sons, who serve the houses, and all the property of masters, and the masters themselves."
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7. WITH GOOD WILL (μετ' εὐνοίας, that is, with benevolence, benevolently, in a friendly manner, not reluctantly, not morosely, not under compulsion) SERVING AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT AS TO MEN, — in the sense which I explained a little before. Namely, the Apostle wishes that the servant serve his master in the love, reverence and obedience of Christ the Lord, from whom he will receive his reward, even if the master be morose, cruel and a tyrant, and that he bear his tyranny, lest he place any stumbling block to the Gospel. Note: The Apostle speaks not so much of servants and handmaids such as they now are among Christians, as of the servants of the Gentiles, that is, of slaves, such as many then were, who were converted to Christ with their masters, or without them alone: for these are properly called "servants" in law, and to these the Apostle opposes in the following verse "the free": ours are not called servants, but hired workers. Whence that gentile servitude of slaves has now almost ceased among Christians. For the Church, which calls all to Christian freedom, and wishes all her sons to be brothers to one another, gradually abolished this servitude, lest one brother, that is, a Christian, serve another as a slave: for this is unseemly. What sort of servant ought to be is signified by an old emblem, in which a servant is depicted wearing a red cap, clothed in an elegant tunic, having ass's ears, deer's feet, holding his right hand raised and opened in the palm. The cap signifies that he ought to be of a free and liberal spirit. The tunic designates that he ought to be constantly intent upon work and labor. The ass's ears hint that he ought to patiently hear many hard things. The deer's feet denote swiftness in executing commands. The raised right hand is an index of faithfulness in handling the affairs and business of the master: for this is the principal gift of a servant and handmaid. Whence a Laconian woman, as Plutarch relates, when asked what she knew, answered that she knew how to be faithful. An excellent example of these virtues was given to servants by Joseph the patriarch, sold into servitude, Gen. XXXVII and XXXIX; and St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, who to redeem the son of a widow delivered himself into servitude to the Vandals, and by his faithfulness, diligence, gentleness, prudence and holiness obtained freedom for himself and all his fellow citizens.
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Vers. 9. 9. AND YOU, MASTERS, DO THE SAME TO THEM (that is, You, masters, exhibit to servants similar humanity, kindness, love, sincerity, faithfulness, such as my servants by my command exhibit to you), PUTTING AWAY THREATENING (be not imperious and threatening toward servants), KNOWING THAT THEIR MASTER ALSO, AND YOURS, IS IN HEAVEN: AND THERE IS NO RESPECT OF PERSONS WITH HIM. — The Apostle presses down the pride of masters, that is, Be not proud and act not imperiously toward servants, O masters: for you are brothers of your servants, and you serve a common God and Master. Remember that you likewise are servants of the Lord of heaven, who will demand from you a strict account of your dominion and tyranny over servants, and will show himself to you such as you have shown yourselves to servants. For he does not regard the person of a man, whether one be a servant or a master; but each one, whether he be a servant or a master, he will reward according to good works, punish according to evil works, and consign to hell and the infernal prison. Thus Macrobius teaches that servants ought to be treated kindly by their masters, lib. I Saturn., cap. XI, and this from the very law of nature, since both are composed of the same elements, and servitude is a condition not of nature, but of fortune. "Hence our ancestors, he says, removing all envy from masters, all contumely from servants, called the master the father of the household, and the servants the household. Let your servants therefore revere you rather than fear you." In like manner, from the name of father of the household, St. Augustine teaches that servants, as it were sons and brothers called to the same heavenly inheritance, ought to be treated, lib. XIX De Civit., cap. XVI. See what is said Levit. xxv, 42. Wherefore the same Augustine in Sentent., num. 163, teaches that dominion among Christians is rather obedience than rule. "In the Lord, he says, living justly from faith, and still pilgrims from that city, even those who rule serve those whom they seem to rule: for they do not rule from a desire to dominate, but from the duty of consulting; nor from the pride of commanding, but from the care of providing benefit."
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10. FINALLY, BRETHREN, BE STRENGTHENED IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT, — that is, At last, that I may finish this epistle, O Christian Ephesians, take strength and courage against all temptations of the devil, flesh and world, strengthen and fortify yourselves "in the Lord," that is, in the faith, hope, grace, aid and assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ. For if Christ be for us, who can be against us? Note: For "in the power of his might," in Greek it is, ἐν τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, that is, in the power of his strength or fortitude, that is, in the strong and robust power of Christ the Lord, that is, Christ the Lord is present to us with his strong and robust aid and grace, therefore let us take courage, strength and vigor. For with such a leader and defender we shall overcome all difficulties, all temptations of the enemy.
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Vers. 11. 11. PUT ON THE ARMOUR OF GOD. — In Greek πανοπλίαν, that is, the full and complete armour, with which soldiers arm and protect themselves from head to heels. Truly St. Bernard, sermon 3 on the Dedication of the Church: "Put on," he says, "the armour of God, not only to resist, but also to attack and manfully overcome the enemy. For what do we think, brethren? Grievous indeed to us is the temptation of the enemy, but far more grievous to him is our prayer. His wickedness and cunning harm us, but our simplicity and mercy torment him far more. He cannot bear our humility, he is burned by our charity, he is tortured by our meekness and obedience." THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE DECEITS OF THE DEVIL. — For "deceits" the Greek is μεθοδείας, which Jerome translated as "cunning"; Vatablus as "deceitful attacks and assaults"; Our author, cap. IV, vers. 14, translated it as "circumvention," by which namely the enemy bursts forth suddenly from ambush and deceits, and attacks and surrounds us. Note: Since prudent men who are at the same time strong are rare, because, as Aristotle teaches, sect. xiv, problem. 8, prudence consists in coolness, while boldness and fortitude consist in heat (hence no one is prudent and bold at the same time), in a military commander prudence and cunning are more desirable and preferable than fortitude. "A military commander," says Vegetius, "should be more cunning than bold, so that he may destroy the enemy through deceits without danger to himself." The Apostle here depicts the devil as such. We have therefore the devil as a most cunning enemy, against whom we ought to direct all the faculties of the mind, eyes and strength, lest he attack us unguarded, strike us and overthrow us. This cunning of the devil is evident, first, in that, as Jerome says, he observes the smallest openings, so that through them he may creep into the citadel of the heart and soul; for example, those who do not guard their eyes and ears, to them he injects the forms of women and wanton words, by which he allures their imagination and will into lust. Second, as Chrysostom says, he never presents open sins to man, but uses indirect means; and he does not burst in suddenly, but creeps in gradually, and insinuates himself into the familiarity of the soul, and finally immerses himself completely. Moreover, he colours vices with the appearance and name of virtues. Thus he proposes drunkenness and calls it cheerfulness, he calls obscene things witty, he calls the proud spirited. Again, he holds out the bait of pleasure on the hook of sin, so that while you taste and drink pleasure, you may put on the sting of sin. Furthermore, he gradually solicits from lesser to greater things; moreover, he investigates by what weakness, what vice, what inclination each person labours, and attacks him through that. Hence he will not tempt the proud man with lust, but with honours; the gluttonous man not with honours, but with delicacies; the avaricious man not with delicacies, but with money and usury. St. Leo teaches this, sermon 7 On the Nativity of the Lord: "He knows," he says (the devil), "to whom to apply the heat of desire, to whom to inject the allurements of gluttony, to whom to present the incitements of lust, to whom to pour the poison of envy; he knows whom to disturb with sorrow, whom to deceive with joy, whom to oppress with fear, whom to seduce with admiration. He examines the habits of all, sifts their cares, scrutinizes their affections, and seeks there the causes of harming, wherever he sees anyone more earnestly occupied." Hear St. Anthony, an eyewitness and unconquered athlete, who, having experienced all the arts and snares of the devil, disclosed them to the brethren sagaciously and wisely, and demonstrated the manner of overcoming them, speaking thus in St. Athanasius in the Life of St. Anthony: "Enmity toward them (demons) against all Christians, but especially against monks and virgins of Christ, is hostile. They lay snares in their paths, they strive to overturn their minds with impious and obscene thoughts; but they instill no terror in us on this account: for by the prayers and fastings of the faithful they will immediately fall before the Lord. Yet if they should cease for a little while, do not think the victory is complete. Wounded men are accustomed to rise more grievously, and with much art of fighting, when they have accomplished nothing by thought, they terrify with fears." Then he teaches that demons excite the sleeping to pray, so that they may rob sleep necessary to the head and body. Again, they instill into the newly converted their former sins, and excite them to excessive fastings, vigils and penances, by which they weaken body and soul, so that, overcome by the harshness, difficulty and tedium of holy life, they recoil and return to their former licentious living. He adds that their suggestions are plainly to be despised, and to be driven out by prayer and by some verse of a psalm contrary to the suggested matter. "Christ, he says, as Lord commanded silence to demons; so that we believe nothing of the devil and overcome. If they compel us to pray, if they persuade us to fast, let us do this not from their admonitions, but from our own custom. Finally, even if rushing upon us they seem to threaten death, they are to be seen rather than feared: because, being weak, they threaten all things, nor do they accomplish them." And below, suggesting arms against their snares: "Great, dearest ones, are the arms against demons: a sincere life, and undefiled faith toward God. Believe me, one who has experienced it: Satan fears the vigils of the righteous, prayers, fastings, gentleness, voluntary poverty, contempt of vain glory, humility, mercy, the mastery of anger, and especially a pure heart toward love of Christ. The most foul serpent knows from the precept of the Lord to lie beneath the feet of the just, who says: Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy." Then St. Anthony recounts at length his particular conflicts and victories with demons. And finally, exhorting each one to contend eagerly with demons, he concludes thus: "Now let it be the care of Christians and monks that through their sloth they do not furnish strength to demons. For such as they find us and our thoughts to be, such they are accustomed to show themselves to us. And what seed of evil mind and fear they find in our breasts, like robbers who occupy deserted places, they begin to heap up fears, and cruelly threatening punish the wretched soul. But if we shall be alert in the Lord, and if desire for future goods shall kindle us, if we always commit all things to the hands of God, no demon will be able to approach to assail us: for when they perceive hearts fortified in Christ, they will return confused. Thus also Job, strengthened in the Lord, the devil fled from, and the most wretched Judas, stripped of faith, he bound with chains of captivity. There is therefore one way of overcoming the enemy: spiritual joy, and the constant remembrance of the soul always thinking of the Lord, which, driving out the games of demons like smoke, will pursue adversaries rather than fear them." Thus far St. Anthony, whose words wonderfully illustrate this passage of Paul, and teach us great spiritual prudence, so that we may know the arts and snares of the demon, and the manner of overcoming them.
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12. FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD (in Greek πάλη, that is, wrestling), BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES,—that is to say, Not against men, who consist of flesh and blood; but against demons, who are most subtle, most wicked and most powerful spirits, and our struggle and battle is not against one or common ones, but against many, and indeed against princes, powers, and rulers of the world. Note first: By "flesh and blood," St. Jerome and others understand lust, vices and temptations, which the flesh suggests, that is to say, These vices of the flesh are suggested and stirred up not so much by the flesh as by a demon through the flesh. "For there are," says Jerome in Hosea IV, "certain demons serving loves and amorous songs, as the Prophet also recalls, saying: They are seduced by a spirit of fornication. For certain barbarous names of theirs are said to exist, as those whom the common people truly call sorcerers have often confessed; and incantations, and prayers, and various colors, and different kinds either of metals or of foods, at which demons invoked are said to assist and to capture unhappy souls. Others indeed stir up angers and rages and wars; others preside over enmities and stir up hatreds among men. Because therefore the Apostle wishes, they say, to teach us that these kinds of vices are not produced from the nature of the body and from the matter of flesh and blood, but from the instigation of demons, for this reason he says: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the rest." This is from Jerome, not so much from his own view as from that of Origen (who holds and teaches thus in Joshua, chapter XV). For it was the opinion of Origen, Cassian, Collation 7, and other ancient writers, that individual demons preside over individual vices. For some incite us to gluttony, others to pride, others to anger, etc., and from this they are called the spirit of pride, the spirit of envy, the spirit of lust: whence also mammon is called by Christ he who presides over avarice, or the desire for money, Matthew VI, when he says: "You cannot serve God and mammon." But, as I have said, this opinion is in appearance probable to some, but not a certain demonstration. Second and better, the same Jerome, Theophylactus, Vatablus and others, by "flesh and blood" understand men consisting of flesh and blood: for he opposes these to demons, who are spirits, that is to say, Paul, the panoply must be put on against the snares of the devil: because this enemy of ours is not corporeal, carnal, visible; but is incorporeal, invisible and most subtle spirit. Wherefore although some understand the word as exceptive, "only," and thus explain it: there is not, supply "only," for us wrestling against flesh, but also against the rulers of the world; or, the wrestling which we wage with the flesh is small and as it were nothing, if compared with that in which we contend against the demons, the rulers of the world: nevertheless it is not necessary to supply here any other word than exceptive or comparative, because, as I have said, he speaks of war and wrestling not of any kind, but of that which is ours against the devil, as has preceded. For this first, most serious, most difficult and most dangerous wrestling is ours, in which we fight not against carnal enemies, but against spirits, that is, demons. St. Jerome adds that Paul alludes to the ancient battles of the Judges with other nations, that is to say, O Ephesians, what battles of Israel against the Egyptians have you heard of, therefore he understands the rulers of the world as demons who rule in this dark air. Whence St. Jerome: "It is," he says, "the common opinion of all Doctors, that this air is full of contrary powers," namely demons, who indeed in this air often mix and cause storms, whirlwinds, lightning, thunder and other meteors, so as to harm crops, beasts and men; and who on this earth stir up heat, sterilities, diseases, plagues, inundations, wars and other calamities; who finally constantly solicit and impel men to gluttony, lust, anger, pride and all vices. Whence in the mystical sense St. Augustine thus expounds these words of the Apostle in Psalm LIV, at verse 1: "Lest perchance," he says, "when he said 'world,' you should understand that demons are the rulers of heaven and earth: he said 'world,' meaning these darknesses; he said 'world,' meaning the lovers of the world; he said 'world,' meaning the impious and the wicked; he said 'world,' concerning which in the Gospel he says: And the world knew him not." For worldly and sinful men dwell in the darkness of sin, and in practical and divine matters are blind and dark. Whence the Greek texts add the word αἰῶνος, that is, "of the age," and thus have it: Against the cosmocrators, that is the lords of the world of the darkness of this age, that is of this life, as if to say: Against the rulers and lords of the world, who in this life and dark age hold dominion over worldly and sinful men darkened in mind. Note fifth, that these demons are called "spiritual wickednesses," that is spiritual wickedness, that is most wicked villains, "in the heavenly places," that is, as Jerome says, dwelling in these aerial places. And so "spiritual wickednesses" the Hebrew paraphrase calls those whom the Greeks call in one word cacodaemons. Whence St. Ambrose, in the book On Paradise, chapter XII, thus inverts these words of the Apostle to explain the sense: "Against the wickedness of spiritual beings," he says, "who are in the heavenly places." Second, otherwise Chrysostom: "in the heavenly places," that is, on account of heavenly things and goods, our struggle is with demons. Third, St. Augustine, in On Christian Combat, chapter III: "This place can also," he says, "be understood otherwise, namely that we, being established in the heavenly places, that is walking in the spiritual precepts of God, struggle against spiritual wickednesses, which strive to draw us away from there." But the first sense is clearer and simpler. Note: For "wickednesses" in Greek it is πονηρίας, which Erasmus translated as "craftiness"; Vatable as "cunning": but it properly signifies "malices." For demons, just as they are most crafty and cunning, so also are they most evil and wicked. Finally, note sixth: Each word of this sentence of the Apostle signifies the particular condition, power, force and strength of our enemy the devil, so that we may each be stirred up to watchfulness (for the life of mortals is a vigil) and to arms, that we may resist so great an enemy. For if the nature of the enemy is sought, it is spiritual; if his position, it is a fair position; if his appearance, it is invisible; if his character, he is most wicked and most malicious; if his power, he is the lord of the world; if his art and fraud, he is the prince of darkness, through darkness and snares he attacks us; if his place, he is superior, from the air and heaven he rushes upon us, and with this enemy we have an "ἄσπονδος πόλεμος," an irreconcilable war. Whence Chrysostom here in the moral homily 22 rightly says: "If such," he says, "are the arrayed forces, if incorporeal principalities, if lords of the world, if spiritual wickednesses are against us, how, I ask, can you take delight? how shall we be able to conquer unarmed? Let each one say this to himself on each day, when he is occupied by pride, when by concupiscence, when he seeks a soft life without counsel and in vain? Let him hear Paul saying: Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers," etc. And below: "We have trampled down the power of the devil, if we have trampled down sins: I say all temporal things, pride, concupiscence, arrogance, all passions of the soul. For riches, money and the pursuit of vain glory give occasion to the devil." And a little later: "If anyone has an enemy, if anyone has been injured by him, if anyone has been moved by anger, let him pour out and empty all that fury, all that cruelty collected upon the head of the devil. Let him always be an enemy to this one, always bitter, always unmerciful. If we are cruel toward him, he will not be cruel to us; if we are gentle toward him, then he will be cruel to us." Likewise most excellently St. Basil in those words of Deuteronomy XV, according to the Septuagint, Take heed to thyself: "Are you a soldier?" he says, "labor for the Gospel; wage good warfare against spirits of wickedness; against the vicious affections of the flesh put on the whole armor of God; that you may prove yourself to him, and be pleasing to your commander, who has assigned you to this warfare, take care that you become entangled in none of the affairs and perplexed cares of this life. Are you an athlete? Take heed to thyself, lest you find any transgression of the laws prescribed for athletic contest; for no one is crowned unless he has striven lawfully. Imitate Paul both contending in the race and wrestling in the arena and fighting in the boxing match: that you yourself may be a vigorous fighter with the eye of your soul never wandering, but attentive and watchful. Fortify and guard with outstretched hands the parts where a blow would be lethal. Fix your eye upon your opponent unmoved, more firmly. In the race where those who run before you, extending yourself toward them, make yourself overtake them: so run that you may surpass. In wrestling resist invisible adversaries. Through the course of this life that you may persevere, this sentence ordains, namely that your soul be not supine or fallen, but upright; not drowsy, but wakeful and sober, and one who is present with much vigilance, and knows how to govern himself."
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13. THEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE ARMOUR OF GOD (In Greek again it is πανοπλίαν, concerning which I have spoken at verse 11, and which he describes in the following verses), THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO RESIST IN THE EVIL DAY. — "Evil day," that is, a difficult, sad, dangerous day, when namely the enemy already mentioned assails us from all sides, and strives to overwhelm the soul through enticements, fears and other temptations and to subjugate it to himself. Thus Jacob to Pharaoh asking, Genesis XLVII, 8: "How many are the days of the years of thy life? he answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few," that is, small, "and evil," that is, miserable and full of hardship. On the contrary, the messengers of David to Nabal, I Kings XXV, 8: "In a good day, they say, we come." As if to say: To a good day, that is, a joyful and pleasant one, on which thou shearest thy sheep, and therefore celebratest a feast according to custom, we come; that thou mayest make us partakers of thy joy, thy sheep and thy feast. Thus Anselm. Secondly, St. Jerome, "that in the evil day," that is, the terrible day, namely the day of judgment, you may stand intrepidly before the tribunal of Christ the judge, and resist the devil accusing you. The former sense is the genuine one; but this latter follows from the former. For those who in this life resist the devil in the day of temptation and war will most easily resist him on the day of judgment. Learn here how great fortitude and armour is required to resist the demons strenuously and continually assailing us. Abbot Anthony, leader of the monastery of the Heliotes, who also built it, related concerning Abbot Theodosius, that the old man himself narrated these things about himself: Before I passed over to the solitary life, being in an ecstasy I beheld a certain man, whose appearance surpassed the brightness of the sun. He, holding my hand, said: "Come, for it is necessary that thou fight and struggle;" and he led me into a theatre full of men, on one side clothed in white garments, on the other in black vestments. When therefore he had cast me into the theatre, I behold a man of wondrous size, an Ethiopian, whose most foul head penetrated the clouds. Then said to me that young man who had appeared to me: "Thou must struggle with this one." I, who was terrified by the sight of that tall man, began to tremble and fear, and I prayed that splendid young man who had led me into the theatre, saying: "Who among men, surrounded by mortal condition and weakness, could struggle with this one? Not the whole human race itself, if it were to come together into one, would prevail to resist him." But that excellent young man said to me: "Thou must indeed struggle with him. Enter therefore with all eagerness and confidence. For as soon as thou shalt have attacked him, I shall be thy helper, and I shall place upon thee the crown of victory." When therefore I entered into the contest, and we began to struggle with one another, immediately that excellent judge of our contest was present, and gave me the crown. And that dark multitude, and the huge throng of Ethiopians, wailing, vanished: but the remaining part of those clothed in white gave thanks and praises to him who had helped me, and had bestowed upon me a glorious victory. Thus Sophronius, Spiritual Meadow, chapter LXVI. When Abramius the Hermit was praying one night, Satan began to overturn his cell with an axe, and when he seemed already to have broken through it, he cried out with a great voice saying: Hasten quickly, O my friends, hasten, and entering quickly suffocate him. But the blessed man of God answered against him: "All nations, said he, have compassed me about, and in the name of the Lord I was revenged on them." He then immediately upon hearing this voice vanished, while the cell of the holy man remained whole and unharmed. And again after a few days had passed, when at midnight he was occupied in psalmody, seeing the mat upon which he was standing while singing being burned with violent flame, he fearlessly trampled upon the fire and said: "Upon the asp and the basilisk shall I walk, and I shall tread upon the lion and the dragon, and I shall overcome all the power of the enemy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ aiding me." Satan then fleeing cried out and said: I shall overcome thee, wicked one, and I shall find arts by which I shall crush thee, thou who now despisest me. Thus Sophronius above. We read in the Life of St. Vincent Ferrer that when as a young man he sought from God the gift of perseverance, there appeared to him a demon in the likeness of a venerable old Hermit Father, and persuaded him to spare his youth and to defer penance and austerity to old age by his example. Vincent perceived the fraud; and signing himself with the cross: "Depart," he said, "pestilent serpent. You are not one of Egypt's Fathers, but one of hell's demons." The same man, commending his virginity to the Blessed Virgin, heard a voice: We cannot all be virgins: I will not suffer you any longer to rejoice in so honored a name of virginity. Vincent was troubled, but soon the Blessed Virgin appeared to him with great light, saying that this was not her voice, but the devil's: "He," she said, "will prepare for you frequent snares, that your virginity may be endangered; but always hope in the Lord, for He Himself will be your shield, by which you will overcome all the enemy's darts." From this vision so much fervor was added to the soldier of Christ that he seemed not an earthly man, but a heavenly angel. How many illusions of the demon our holy Father Ignatius suffered, both at other times and in his studies, in order to turn him away from divine things which were presented to him; and how he overcame them by revealing them to his superior and by invoking the Blessed Virgin, our Ribadeneira relates, lib. I, Life of him, cap. XIII. Concerning Evagrius, that renowned deacon of Christ, who lived like the Apostles, it is not right to be silent. For three demons once appeared to him in the habit of Clerics, inquiring with him about the faith. And one indeed said he was an Arian, another said he was an Eunomian, the third said he was an Apollinarian. And he overcame them with few words by the spirit of wisdom. Thus Palladius, in Hist. Lausiaca, cap. LXXXVI. John Climacus confirms this same thing by an example: A certain studious Monk, when he was troubled by a demon with the thought of blasphemy for twenty years, did not cease to mortify his flesh with fastings and vigils. But when he perceived that he had gained no profit from this, he wrote down his disturbance and temptation on paper and presented it to a certain holy and most approved old man, prostrating himself in his face, nor was he able to look at him. But when the Elder read it, he smiled, and raising up the brother, said: "Place, my son, your hand upon my eye." When he had done this, the Elder said: "Let this sin be upon my neck, brother, for as many years as it has attacked you or will attack you. But you observe this, so that you now make light of it and esteem it as nothing." By these words the brother was so strengthened that he did not leave the cell of the Elder before such a disease vanished. But he who had experienced this later recounted it to me, giving thanks to God. AND IN ALL THINGS PERFECT TO STAND. — In Greek καὶ ἅπαντα κατεργασάμενοι στῆναι, that is, after you have perfected all things, you may stand, namely prepared for battle with the enemy devil. Whence St. Cyprian, lib. V, epist. 6, reads thus, that when you have perfected all things, you stand with your loins girt about. Thus also Jerome, Chrysostom, Ambrose translated it. Whence Erasmus thinks in our Latin Interpreter it should be read thus, "and in all things perfect to stand," as if the Apostle said: Just as a soldier does nothing which he cannot do to resist and protect his life, so all things must be done by us with demons constantly struggling. For a soldier prepares and puts on arms, raises a rampart, surrounds the camp with a palisade, and arranges all things suitable for battle: when all these things are diligently perfected, it remains that he always stand girded for battle; for many victory brings security and leisure; security, with changed circumstances, makes victors into vanquished. Thus likewise every Christian, as a soldier of Christ, ought to arm, gird, fortify himself, and provide and prepare all things necessary for conflict with the devil, and with all things provided and prepared, stand watchful in the line of battle, prepared for combat. Yet the Roman and other Latin Bibles commonly read, "and in all things perfect to stand." But the sense comes to the same thing. For the Apostle demands the panoply, that we be armed on all sides, "and in all things perfect," that is, perfectly armed, and fortified on every side with virtues as with arms, that we stand and keep watch, so that we may resist the devil. Whence the Syriac translator rendered it, "and when you have been instructed in all things, you stood."
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14. STATE SUCCINCTI (περιζωσάμενοι, that is, girded about) YOUR LOINS IN TRUTH. — "In truth," that is, truth. This is a Hebraism. For the Hebrews assign the preposition beth, that is "in," to the instrumental case; thus they say: He smote the enemies in the mouth of the sword, that is, by the mouth, namely by the edge of the sword. This is the first part of the panoply, or armor of the Christian soldier, namely the belt, or military girdle, which is truth. The Apostle seems to allude, says Chrysostom, to the Hebrews, to whom, as they were going out from Egypt into Chanaan, so that they might be equipped for the journey and battle with enemies, the Lord thus commanded in Exodus XII, 11: "You shall gird your loins, and you shall have shoes on your feet," etc. Which Chrysostom here most beautifully accommodates allegorically in homily 3 to Christians tending toward heaven with armed hand, as if the Apostle said: Soldiers gird their loins with a leather, golden, or silver belt; you, O Christians, gird your loins with truth as with a belt. It is asked here first, what does the girdle or belt signify? I answer, first, it is a symbol of fidelity; hence spouses are girded with a girdle, so that they might signify the love and faith by which they are bound and devoted to each other. Hence in Jeremiah God calls the people of Israel His "loincloth" (that is, a girdle girding the loins), because namely this people, like a girdle to the loins and reins of God, that is, intimately bound and devoted to God, was. "For as," says the Lord to Jeremiah XIII, 11, "a loincloth adheres to the loins of a man, so have I glued," that is, joined in marriage, "to myself all the house of Israel, that it might be to me a people, and a praise, and a glory." By the symbol of this thing the priest would gird his tunic with a girdle, Exodus XXVIII, 39, so that he might signify that the priest is bound to God, and through the priest the people to God. St. Thomas adds that the loins are a symbol of love, because in the loins is the origin of seed and concupiscence. Therefore the girdle signifies the people assumed to God's loins, that is, love and marriage, as Hosea says, XI, 4: "I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bonds of charity." Thus bridegrooms are accustomed to give to their brides a girdle, or a pectoral band of fine linen, so that through it the brides might always be reminded of conjugal faith and purity of heart, so that namely the breasts, which are the diversions of the heart, that is, their affections, they might restrain by continence, and keep themselves pure for the marriage bed of the bridegroom, so that they love none but the bridegroom, and give to him their pure heart and affection. Thus God to the people of Israel, whom He had taken to Himself as it were as a bride, when already it had fallen away from Him to idols, reproaches among other things, Ezekiel XVI, 10: "I clothed you with fine linen" (namely most white: for this is what the Hebrew shesh signifies, from which is also derived and said shoshan, that is, lily, because it is white), as if to say: With My law and religion as with a girdle I bound you, O Israel, once to myself at Sinai, so that through them you might be reminded of conjugal chastity, purity and unbroken faith toward me your husband, and say: "My beloved is to me, and I to him;" and: "My beloved is a bundle of myrrh to me, he shall abide between my breasts;" but you despised this, and with me despised, as an adulteress you adhered to idols. In like manner soldiers receive the military girdle, so that by it they might be reminded of the oath of military service and fidelity which they have sworn to their commander. Hence the belt of this military service and fidelity was a symbol, and soldiers when they were discharged would lay down the belt; or also they were deprived of it, if they had conducted themselves unfaithfully or cowardly in battle. Second, the girdle or belt strengthens the weakness of the kidneys and loins. Hence it is a symbol of fortitude and constancy: for this reason the zone is the garment of the soldier and gladiator, and the sword is accustomed to hang from the belt. For the loins, says Chrysostom, are the foundation and joint of the upper and lower parts of the body. Hence it is that those laboring and weary often put their hands there as into a certain foundation, so that in this way they might strengthen themselves. Soldiers therefore with a belt made of plates gird their loins, as the middle, softest and foundational part of the body, contain, fortify and strengthen. Thirdly, the girdle, as Pierius rightly notes in his hieroglyphic 40, was a symbol of integrity and virginity both among the Hebrews and among the Greeks and Latins. Concerning the Hebrews it is evident from Isaiah III, 24, where, describing Hebrew virgins to be punished by captivity, he says: "And it shall come to pass, that instead of a sweet smell there shall be a stench, and instead of a girdle, a rope." Behold, Isaiah placed the girdle and the breast-band among the delights of virgins, and with reason, because just as breasts subjected are signs of a harlot, Ezekiel XXIII, 3: "In Egypt, he says, in their youth they committed fornication, there their breasts were pressed down in the time of their puberty:" so breasts carefully bound up are a sign of the untouched flower of virginity, in which the honor of maidens consists. Concerning the Greeks, Pausanias is a witness, that the virgins of Troezen dedicated a girdle to Pallas before marriage. Thus we read at Athens of a temple of Diana Solvizoniae built according to Apollonius in the Argonautica, in which new brides suspended girdles, which they had loosened through marriage. Concerning the Chaldeans, Herodotus is a witness in book I, and Baruch had regard to this, chapter VI, 42, when he says: "Women girded with cords sit in the ways," that is, women at the temples of Venus girded with cords as with girdles, by which they profess virginity, and they bring shame to those coming as guests to the temple of Venus, and thus expiated by the goddess Venus they return home. For by this execrable and satanic invention the Babylonian virgins worshipped Venus, and dedicated their virginity to Venus: namely, as Herodotus relates, before they entered into marriage, and while they sought a husband, they sat before the temple of Venus, until some stranger wished to abuse them; he gave to the abused woman a price with this imprecation: I beseech thee, O goddess Mylittha, that is, Venus, for so much; and that price they offered to the temple of Venus, persuading themselves that by this means they would conciliate the goddess to themselves, and would obtain from her an excellent husband and a happy marriage. But in order to attract foreign lovers, they used this philter. They burned bones, that is, hard and as it were bony kernels of olives, with this imprecation, that in like manner their guests might be tormented with love, and these bones thus burned and reduced to ashes they scattered into the wind, throwing them across the head, as I said in the cited place of Baruch, and the same thing is taught learnedly from Theocritus, Virgil and others by Antonius Guevara, preface to Habakkuk, and by my predecessor Martin Delrio, book III of Disquisitions on Magic, part I, Question III, section 2. Fourthly, the girdle was an ornament and a symbol of glory, especially if the girdle were distinguished with golden and jeweled studs, which is properly called a baldric, as if "studded," says Pierius. Hence glorious soldiers gloried in their baldrics. Whence Jeremiah XIII, 9, the Lord says to Jeremiah: "Thus will I cause to rot the pride of Juda," namely, just as this baldric of yours, that is, the loins, rotted, as he had already said in verse 7. Fifthly, the girdle is a garment and a symbol of a man prepared and ready for a journey, war, and for any work and ministry. For those who are girded are accustomed to be more expeditious, stronger and more steadfast in work. These five symbols are fitting for our Christian soldier's baldric, as I shall now show. It is asked secondly, what is this truth which girds the Christian soldier like a girdle? Firstly, some understand the truth of doctrine and faith, which we oppose to heresies; for this is properly called truth. Thus Chrysostom, Theophylactus, Anselm. But it is objected that the Apostle compares faith not to a baldric, but to a shield, verse 16. Hence better, secondly, they understand by truth that which is in morals, by which namely we measure all things to be loved and embraced through truth, that is, through virtue and the true and right dictate of virtue. For what else is humility? what charity? what patience? what else are the other virtues than lights of truth? as one of the Saints truly and wisely said; truth, I say, by which small things are esteemed and loved as small, earthly things as earthly, vile things as vile, great things as great, honorable things as honorable, heavenly things as heavenly. "He who is girded with this truth," says Chrysostom, "will never be wearied, or if he be wearied, he will recline upon this truth and find rest. For what, I ask, will weary him? poverty? not at all: for he will rest in true riches, and through this poverty he will know what true poverty is. But will servitude weary him? not at all: for he knows what true servitude is; and the same judgment holds concerning sickness, hunger and other things which are accustomed to afflict others." This sense is probable and fitting. Third, Adamus interprets truth as sincerity, as if the Apostle were opposing it to the hypocrisy of Simon Magus and his followers. Fourth, I truly respond and say that truth here signifies fidelity and integrity. For the Apostle alludes to Isaiah XI, 5, where it is said of Christ: "And faith (in Hebrew אמונה emuna, that is, fidelity) shall be the girdle of his loins," as if to say, Veracity or fidelity shall perpetually adhere to Christ, in the manner of a girdle encircling, adorning and strengthening Christ. Thus Paul wishes Christians to be girded like Christ with truth, that is, with fidelity as with a girdle. For among the Hebrews these words אמת emet, that is, truth, and אמונה emuna, that is, faith or fidelity, are sisters, born from the same root and matrix אמן aman, that is, firm, stable, constant; for constancy is the mother of truth and fidelity. Hence truth is taken here and elsewhere for faith or fidelity. Just as therefore the military belt, as I have said, is a symbol of military sacrament and fidelity, by which a soldier is bound to his commander: so the belt of Christians is fidelity, which they promised in the sacrament of baptism, and by which they bound themselves to God, which they professed and profess in Christianity; for in baptism they professed that they would renounce Satan and his pomps, and would follow the faith and law of Christ, and enrolled in the common militia of Christ they declared perpetual war against Satan. Again, just as the girdle, as I have said, is a symbol of fidelity and conjugal love, by which as with a girdle a spouse is bound and tied to a spouse: so this girdle of Christians is fidelity and love not only military, by which they are bound to Christ as to their captain; but also conjugal, by which they are bound to Christ as to their spouse. Therefore this girdle of Christians is fidelity in the faith, religion, worship and obedience of Christ, so that we may be faithful to Him as to our captain, indeed as to our spouse, even unto death, and unto blood we may fight for Him against the devil and all enemies, as the Martyrs did, who preferred to lose their life rather than the faith and obedience of Christ. Such should all Christians be, namely so faithfully to serve and obey Christ, that they would rather undergo death and any punishments than offend Christ and transgress His law, as if Paul were saying: See, O Ephesians, that you do not violate the faith given to God in baptism; I say the faith which, as soldiers enrolled in the militia and standard of Christ, you ought to follow your commander, and which as spouses you ought to owe to Christ Himself as to your spouse. Remember that you have war with the demon, not only for your captain, but also for your spouse; just as therefore soldiers fight most bravely for spouses most dear to them, they rush into swords and death: so also you fight most bravely unto death for Christ your spouse: for He who is your captain, Christ, is also your spouse and husband. Furthermore, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, oration 42: "I ask," he says, "what the loins have in common with truth, and what Paul's mind was when he said: Stand therefore with your loins girt about in truth? Perhaps because contemplation restrains concupiscence, and does not allow it to be carried elsewhere? For it cannot happen that he who burns with love for something, has equal power to be carried toward other pleasures." That is, as Nicetas explains, "The contemplation of Christ constrains our loins and concupiscence, and does not allow it, wholly fused and derived to the love of divine things, to be spread abroad and dispersed." For Christ is the truth, John XIV, 6. Prayer therefore and contemplation of Christ and heavenly things diminishes and breaks concupiscence, which has its seat in the loins: hence it also spurs man on to its mortification. Hence secondly, just as the military girdle is a symbol of fortitude and constancy: so this girdle of Christians, namely truth, signifies constancy and fortitude (whence also the Hebrew root אמן, from which emet, that is, truth, descends and is born, signifies to be firm and constant, as I have said), and admonishes us that we be strong and constant in the aforementioned fidelity, militia and service of Christ. Again, thirdly, just as a girdle is a symbol of integrity and virginity, so through truth the Apostle understands this integrity and purity. For thus true gold is said to be that which is whole and pure, and falsified and corrupted by no impurity of copper or other metal; especially because fidelity cannot exist without integrity, and includes it. For we cannot be faithful in God's service unless we are also whole in it. But this integrity and purity is chiefly observed in temperance and chastity. For just as the two greatest enemies are the love of the flesh and the love of God, so those who are faithful in the love of God must necessarily bind, restrain and suppress the love of the flesh and lust, as if the Apostle said: The girdle, O Ephesians, adorning you, binding and strengthening you, shall be truth, that is, integrity of morals in restraining concupiscence, especially of lust, which has its first seat and origin in the loins. Thus Chrysostom, Jerome, Theophylactus, Anselm, as the Apostle alludes to Luke XII, 33: "Let your loins be girt about." "We gird our loins," says St. Gregory, "when we restrain through continence the luxury of the flesh which is in the loins." Hence the priest, clothing himself with a girdle, says: "Gird, O Lord, my loins with the girdle of chastity, that the virtue of continence and chastity may remain in me." "Because therefore," says Jerome, "the loins are always understood in generation and seed, according to that: Of the fruit of thy loins I will set upon thy throne; and elsewhere: Levi was yet in the loins of his father Abraham when Melchisedech met him; it seems to us that he girded his loins who does not render the debt to his wife, nor serves lust, but imitates the unbegotten God, not ministering to the business of generation. I think this same thing is signified by the fact that John had a leather girdle about his loins, and was not among the unclean, who on account of an issue of seed were cast outside the camp, since they could not dwell with the ark of the Lord. Nor among those of whom it is written in Numbers: Let his garments be rent. But he who is girded with truth in Christ, he gathers these garments on high, and draws them upward, and veils the foulness of naked sides with a spiritual girdle, binds and encloses it, and is prepared for battle; and his works are shining, which are called burning lamps." To these things, fourthly, this girdle of fidelity, constancy, integrity and chastity, of which we have spoken thus far, wonderfully adorns Christians, so that with wonderful beauty, as if connected and variegated by these virtues like rings, it girds and adorns the Christian; namely, when in it shines constant fidelity, and faithful integrity, and integral chastity, and chaste constancy, and thus one virtue receives another as a ring receives a ring, and girds and crowns the man. Finally, fifthly, this fidelity makes the Christian ready to wage war with the demon, to undertake any Christian work, to enter upon the journey to heaven. Whence for St. Hilary a girdle is effective for all good preparation, so that we may be girded with the girdle of ready will for every ministry of Christ. But this readiness again and better is signified by the shoes, of which follows. AND HAVING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF JUSTICE. — That is, let justice be your breastplate. For "breastplate" in Greek is θώραξ. Note: The breastplate has two parts, one upper, which extends from the breast to the navel; the other lower, which extends from the navel to the knees and is called by the Greeks ζῶμα. The loins make the junction and seam of both these parts, which the girdle or belt protects and fortifies, as I have said. The breastplate therefore is here understood to be a German one, namely that which extends from the neck to the knees, and covers both the thighs and the breast, and thus the whole body of man, insofar as it is thick and solid. Whence he calls this breastplate not special justice, which renders to each his own; but general justice, which is the complex of all virtues. For this arms the whole man and fortifies him on every side. Whence Chrysostom: "The breastplate," he says, "of justice is a catholic and virtue-endowed life," as if to say: Your breastplate, O Christians, shall be just and holy works, by which you continually arm your heart and breast on every side, so that you not only resist the devil in defensive war, but also inflict keen blows and pains upon him in offensive war. For good works scourge and torment the demon: namely, our humility burns his pride, our patience and forgiveness of injuries restrains his anger and impatience, our love and obedience wounds and pierces his envy.
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15. AND YOUR FEET SHOD IN THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. — "In preparation," that is, by preparation; just as "in truth" is the same as "by truth." For the Hebrews, as I have said, express beth, that is "in," with the ablative of instrument, which among the Latins would be a solecism, as if to say: Let our shoes be the preparation of the Gospel of peace. It is asked here first, of what thing shoes are a symbol, and what they signify in Scripture? I respond first, that a shoe was a symbol of liberty. For slaves and captives went about with bare feet. Hence bare feet are a sign of captivity and servitude. Thus Isaiah walked naked and barefoot for three days, or, as others say, for three years, to portend the captivity impending upon the Egyptians and Ethiopians from Sennacherib the Assyrian, in which the captives were to be led barefoot into Assyria, Isa. xx, 3. On the contrary, to the Hebrews departing from Egyptian servitude it is said: "You shall have shoes on your feet," that is, do not now go about with bare feet, as you have hitherto done in the manner of slaves, but shod like free and liberated men. Second, a shoe was a symbol of usucaption, possession and dominion; but the removal of shoes was a sign of the cession of a right due to oneself. Thus Ruth, cap. iv, vers. 7, it is said: "This," he says, "was the custom of old in Israel among kinsmen, that if at any time one ceded his right to another, so that the cession might be firm, a man would remove his shoe and give it to his kinsman: this was the testimony of cession in Israel." The same appears in Deut. xxv, 7. On the contrary, of David it is said in Psalm. LIX, vers. 10: "Upon Edom will I stretch out my shoe," that is, my possession, as if to say: By treading upon Edom with my shoes, I shall go to the possession of Edom and subject it to my dominion. Third, a shoe was a symbol of joy; on the contrary, to remove one's shoes, just as also to shave one's hair and locks, were signs of mourning. Thus Ezekiel, when ordered by the Lord not to mourn his dead wife, cap. xxiv, vers. 17, hears: "Let thy crown be bound about thee, and thy shoes be on thy feet," that is, do not pursue her death with mournful ceremonies. And these are almost the symbols of shoes at home and in civilian dress. For the shoe signifies something different abroad and in military service. Hence fourth, in military service a shoe is a symbol of constancy, confidence and intrepid spirit. For he who is barefoot proceeds timidly and step by step, lest he strike his foot somewhere; on the contrary, he who is shod proceeds boldly. Thus Homer calls the Greeks besieging and taking Troy ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς, that is, well-greaved Achaeans. For military shoes cover not only the sole of the foot, but the foot itself and the shin, and such shoes are greaves; whence by "shoes" here greaves can be understood: for these are the shoes of horsemen. Whence St. Cyprian gives this reason why the Apostle wishes the feet of the faithful to be shod: "So that," he says, "the serpent, trodden down by us, may be crushed, and may not be able to bite armed feet." It is asked second, what are the shoes of the Christian soldier, with which the Apostle here wishes him to be shod. Gregory of Nyssa responds first, in his book On the Life of Moses, that they are the hard and harsh life of mortification; or, as others say, the remembrance of death. For shoes are made from the hides and skins of dead animals: whence they are signs of mortality. Hence St. Dionysius, in the Celestial Hierarchy cap. xv, teaches that angels are depicted barefoot, because they are immortal. Therefore the remembrance of death, like a shoe, makes a man ready, so that he may resist concupiscence and the devil, so that he may despise the allurements of the present life as brief and perishable, and may fight strongly for the attainment of immortal life. But this sense is not literal, but tropological. Second, from St. Gregory, Anselm says: "Shoes," he says, "which are made from the hides of dead animals, signify the examples of the fathers now deceased, by which our feet of the mind, that is, our affections, by which as by feet we are moved to do something, are defended from all earthly harm. The foot of the preacher is harmed by the earth, if his affection seeks earthly gain from preaching, that is, if he preaches the Gospel for earthly gain, not for the kingdom of heaven. And therefore let our feet be shod with the aforesaid shoes, that is, let them be protected by the examples of the fathers: so that, just as the fathers preached the Gospel by zeal for heavenly intention, not by appetite for earthly gain, so also may we do." But this too is tropological. Third, Jerome Prado in Ezechiel chapter sixteen, page 185, wishes the shoes to be an intrepid and bold soul (for shoes are, as I have said, a symbol of this in warfare) "in preparation" (thus he himself reads with Theophylactus and certain Bibles), that is, in confirmation and defense of the Gospel: for to prepare in Scripture often signifies to strengthen, to establish, to confirm. For all these things are signified by the Hebrew כון cun. Thus Psalm twenty-three, verse 2, it is said: "He, namely God, prepared (that is founded and made firm) it over the rivers," namely the orb of the earth. Thus Isaiah chapter two, verse 2: "It shall be," he says, "prepared (that is founded and made firm) the mountain of the house of the Lord in the top of the mountains." But all these men supply and find new shoes, when these shoes are to be sought from the words of the Apostle, who just as he assigns and explains the shield, sword, helmet, belt, breastplate to the Christian soldier, so also assigns his own shoes. Whence just as he said the loins of him are to be girded about in truth, as with a belt: so here he says to be shod "in preparation" (thus indeed it is to be read with the Greeks and Latin Romans and Jerome: not however, "in preparation," as Theophylactus and Prado read), that is in preparation of the Gospel, as with a shoe. I say therefore, "preparation of the Gospel" is the shoe of the Christian soldier. But this preparation, as Chrysostom and Theophylactus rightly note, is a cheerful readiness, and prompt alacrity of mind, partly for walking the way of the Gospel of peace, partly for announcing it, by which through the most hostile wedges of Simon, the Gnostics, indeed of demons and all enemies, we may strongly proceed and penetrate into heaven. For the Christian people ought to be shod with this readiness, so that through the way of the Gospel they may walk with unimpeded foot, and by their holy life and conversation attract others to entering the same way, and thus propagate and promote faith and the Gospel. Whence concerning this preparation and readiness St. John the Baptist said: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths," says Chrysostom. But the Apostles, Doctors and Pastors ought to be shod with this alacrity, not only so that they themselves may walk in this way of the Gospel, but also so that by their preaching and holiness they may cause others to walk, and thus so that they may go to barbarous nations, and announce the Gospel to them, so that they themselves also according to the Gospel may live and walk. For this reason in Mark chapter six, verse 9, sandals are given to the Apostles and preachers of the Gospel, so that namely they may boldly and cheerfully undertake the task enjoined upon them, and exercise it with all human fear laid aside. These sandals therefore and shoes are a sign both of liberty, and of dominion, and of joy, concerning which I have spoken in the first question, and especially of a constant, lofty, cheerful and intrepid mind: for they are the shoes of a soldier. Ezechiel adds in chapter sixteen, verse 10, that the bride of God, that is the Church (namely the faithful of the Church, sons and soldiers), was shod in hyacinthine, that is, hyacinthine, or violet leather and shoe. "I shod thee," he says, "in hyacinthine," as if to say O people of Israel, who art chosen as the bride of God, in Egypt as a slave thou didst serve barefoot; now when I lead thee out thence, and give thee liberty, and in sign of liberty I give thee a shoe, and that of hyacinthine, that is violet and heavenly color; first, so that I may signify that thy life, conversation and hope ought to be heavenly, so that leaving earthly things thou mayest hasten to heavenly things, says St. Gregory, book thirty of the Morals, chapter ten. Second, so that I may signify that thy love and thy spouse is in heaven: God namely himself, who from the heavens protects thee, so that thou mayest walk more cheerfully and perfectly, or even preach the way into heaven. Thirdly, hyacinth was the fabric of royal garments, Ecclesiasticus xl, 4: "From him who uses hyacinth and wears a crown (that is, from a king), even to him who is covered with raw linen (that is, a plebeian and a poor man)." A hyacinthine shoe therefore signifies an exalted and truly royal soul, which, fixed in the heavens, treads upon all earthly dominion. "For the feet by which we proceed," says Jerome Prado in Ezekiel cap. xvi, pag. 185, "signify the affections by which the soul is borne, wherever it is borne, as Augustine testifies; but a shoe is a sign of liberty and dominion, and hyacinth is an image of the heavenly kingdom. Feet therefore shod with hyacinth indicate a noble, free and royal soul, which by hope of heavenly goods tramples down and crushes all these earthly things. See in the Apocalypse the woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and crowned with twelve stars, namely the image of a queen, whom the Prophet describes clothed in a bright robe and shod with hyacinth, and whom the Bridegroom commends for her graceful and becoming gait on account of hyacinthine shoes breathing desire for heavenly things. And in the Song of Songs: How beautiful are thy steps in shoes, O daughter of the prince! Where it should be observed that the Bridegroom then called the bride the daughter of a prince, when he had adorned her feet with shoes (undoubtedly hyacinthine), because feet shod with shoes exhibit a symbol of royal dignity, as we have said." Thus Prado. Therefore the shoe of the Church, the queen and bride of God, and of any Christian soldier, who is the son of this queen, ought to be hyacinthine, so that namely he may tread the earth and all earthly things under his feet, his soul may dwell in the heavens, may hasten there with great eagerness and readiness, mindful that he, as the son of King Christ and of the Church the queen, is a king, and is called to the heavenly kingdom and shall soon enter it, so that with triumph together with the other Blessed, as kings, he may sing perpetually: "Thou hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth," nay upon heaven, "for ever and ever." This therefore is the "preparation," that is, the eagerness and readiness, with which the Apostle shod the Ephesians and any Christian soldier: so that namely he may be ready not only to retain and defend the Gospel, but also to propagate it among the Gentiles even though unwilling and opposing; and so that, as Chrysostom and Theophylactus say, he may be prepared for departure, namely from this life, subject to so many temptations, conflicts, dangers and hardships, to another quiet, blessed and eternal life. Whence St. Basil beautifully in his Admonition to a spiritual son, comparing a Christian soldier with a worldly soldier, thus stirs him up to this readiness of soul, saying: "An earthly soldier, wherever he is sent, is prepared and ready, nor does he dare to excuse himself on account of his wife or children: much more should a Christian soldier, without any hindrance obey the command of his king. He wears an iron helmet in battle: but let Christ be your helmet, who is your head; he is clothed with armor lest he be wounded: but do you be girded with the faith of Christ as with armor. He hurls spears and arrows against his adversary: do you hurl divine words against your adversary. He, while battle is waged, does not cast away his arms from himself, lest he be wounded by his adversary: so also you ought never to be careless, because your enemy is more cunning than his enemy. He, if he conquers, returns home: but you, with the enemy prostrated, shall enter into that heavenly kingdom with all the Saints." THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. — That is, the Gospel, or the glad tidings, by which peace, that is, all good things together with God's benevolence and friendship are promised to men. Thus Chrysostom and Theophylactus. For peace to the Hebrews signifies all prosperity, all favorable and happy things, and abundance of all goods. Whence this was the greeting of the Hebrews, and from them of Christ and the Apostles, "Peace be with you," by which they wished all happiness and all good things upon others. Secondly, it can be said "Gospel of peace," that is, peaceful, teaching peace, reconciling, bringing peace. For the Gospel teaches to forgive offenses, to love enemies, to shun dissensions and quarrels, to seek and preserve concord and peace.
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Vers. 16. 16. IN ALL THINGS TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WHEREBY YOU MAY BE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED ONE. — Note: For "in all things" the Greek is ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, which Vatablus translates "above all things"; but Our translator more aptly renders it "in all things." For he wishes, as Jerome rightly notes, that we bear the shield of faith in every temptation and work, and by means of it receive and repel the arrows and suggestions coming from the devil. Secondly, for "wicked one," the Greek is τοῦ πονηροῦ, that is, as Vatablus and Erasmus translate it, "that evil or wicked one," that is, the most wicked and evil one, namely the devil. Thirdly, "his fiery darts," that is, penetrating like fire, burning and inflaming, are the suggestions of the devil, by which he suggests depraved fantasies and desires to the mind, and kindles and inflames concupiscence and appetite to seek after them. By these darts he wounds the soul. "The soul," says Origen, hom. 8 in Num., "as often as it sins, so often is it wounded. O if we could see through each sin how our inner man is continually wounded! The soul is wounded through the tongue, it is wounded also through thoughts and evil desires; and it is broken and worn down through sinful deeds. If we could see all these things, and feel the scars of the wounded soul, it is certain that we would resist unto death against sin; but we, made mad by the desires of the world, or intoxicated by vices, are not able to feel how many wounds, how many bruisings of the soul we incur by sinning."
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17. AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION, — that is, as Theophylactus and Vatablus say, the helmet of salvation which protects and saves the head. But what is this helmet? By what words does the Apostle declare and explain it? I say therefore, "the helmet of salvation," that is, the helmet which is salvation itself, just as he said "the shield of faith," that is, the shield which is faith itself. The helmet therefore of the Christian soldier is salvation brought by Christ, and hoped for by Christians, that is, the hope of salvation: for thus the Apostle explains himself, I Thessalonians v, 8: "Putting on," he says, "the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." Behold, he calls the hope of salvation a helmet. For just as a helmet protects and covers the principal part of the body, namely the head itself, upon which all other members and the whole man depend, so the hope of salvation and of heavenly and immortal glory preserves and covers the head, that is, man's thoughts, ends and intentions. For these in actions are what the head is in man, namely the principle and governance of actions and things to be done. For just as the head rules, directs, moves and governs the other members and the whole man, so the end and intention directs, moves and governs all man's desires, words and works. Hope therefore, as it were a helmet, arms and covers our symbolic head, namely the end and intention. First, because it makes our ultimate end and intention to be God, the enjoyment of God, salvation and eternal beatitude, and refers all our other ends and intentions to this, and consequently all our other thoughts, words and deeds. Second, because it makes man, thinking upon those immense goods which he hopes to obtain, to repel all other thoughts suggested by the devil, and by this thought and hope to undertake any difficult things, and to fight courageously with the enemy, setting before himself that glory which he hopes for, which awaits the victor. See Hebrews xi, how the ancient Saints were armed and strengthened with this helmet of hope, to undertake or endure all hard things. Note first: Paul alludes to Isaiah lix, 17, where he thus says: "He (the Lord God) is clothed with justice as with a breastplate, and hath a helmet of salvation on his head: he is clothed with garments of vengeance, and is covered as with a cloak of zeal." By which words Isaiah through prosopopoeia describes God, as it were a soldier, his arms and panoply: namely justice as a breastplate, salvation (the zeal of saving men) as the helmet already mentioned, and zeal as a cloak: armed with which God has driven away sin, death, the devil, his enemies from us, and has subdued impious men and infidel nations, his enemies, making the impious pious, the infidels faithful, the Gentiles Christians, enemies friends, as Theodoret rightly noted there. For God and Christ communicate this panoply of theirs to their soldiers, namely Christians, so that, as the Apostle here teaches, they may be armed. Note second: In Greek it is περικεφαλαίαν σωτηρίου, that is, the helmet of salvation, that is, as Jerome and others explain, of the Saviour, namely take Jesus the Saviour for a helmet: so that Jesus Christ may keep and protect all the senses which are in the head, whole as it were with a helmet, says Jerome, and all our speech, mind, thought, counsel may be in Christ. For the Septuagint Interpreters, whom Paul follows, are accustomed to translate the Hebrew ישע iesha, that is, salvation, as σωτήριον, that is, saving, or saviour, so that they may signify Christ the Saviour and salvation brought by him by a concrete name as it were proper to Christ. This same thing, St. Ignatius, writing to the Ephesians forty years after this epistle of Paul, hinted at, saying: "Nothing is better than peace in Christ, through which all war of the spirits of the air and of the earth is abolished. For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and powers," etc. And a little above: "Only that we may be found in Christ Jesus, that we may truly live: without him do not even wish to breathe. He is my hope, he is my glory, he is my unfailing riches: in whom I carry chains from Syria even to Rome, spiritual pearls, in which I hope that I may be perfected, and become a partaker of the passion of Christ, and a companion of his death and resurrection from the dead and eternal life." This sense comes to the same thing, and coincides with the former. For the hope of salvation is that which the Saviour brought, not another; and therefore it is Christ the Saviour himself, he himself is our hope; consequently he is also our helmet. In a similar way it is said, Proverbs xviii, 18: "The name of the Lord is a tower most strong." In Hebrew it is the name of the tetragram and the proper name of God, namely יהוה Iehova, which is included in the name of Jesus not in sound, but in sense and signification, as I said in Exodus chapter iii and vi. TAKE, — δέξασθε, receive, seize; the Syriac, apprehend. AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT (that is, the spiritual sword) WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD. — By this sword Christ conquered and slew the demon tempting and assailing him, Matt. iv. By this sword all the saints made use, as St. Jerome recalls concerning St. Paula in her Epitaph. "If ever," he says, "the enemy had been more impudent and had rushed forth even to quarreling with words, she would sing that verse of the Psalter: When the wicked stood against me, I was dumb, and was silent from good things; and again: But I, as a deaf man, heard not, and as a dumb man not opening his mouth. In temptations, she would turn over the words of Deuteronomy: The Lord your God trieth you, that it may be known whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. In tribulations and anguishes, she would repeat the words of Isaiah (according to the Septuagint): You that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the breast, expect tribulation upon tribulation, hope upon hope, yet a little while for the malice of the lips, for the wicked tongue. And she would set forth the testimony of Scripture for her consolation, that it belongs to those weaned, namely to those who had come to mature age, to bear tribulation upon tribulation, that they might deserve to receive hope upon hope; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience trial, and trial hope, and hope confoundeth not." And further, running through individual instances, he thus speaks: "In sicknesses and frequent infirmity she would say: When I am weak, then am I strong; and: We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us. And again: As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also by Christ doth our consolation abound. And then: As you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation. In sorrow she would sing: Why art thou sad, O my soul, and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God. In dangers she would speak: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And again: Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. And: Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. When loss of property and the overthrow of her entire patrimony was announced, she would say: For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul: or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? And: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, naked shall I return. As it pleased the Lord, so it is done. Blessed be the name of the Lord." This therefore is the image and panoply of the Christian soldier armed from head to heel. The helmet is the hope of salvation, or hope in Christ; the breastplate is from justice, that is, from a just and holy life; the belt is truth, that is, fidelity, integrity and chastity; the shoes and greaves are preparation and eagerness to enter upon and propagate the way of the Gospel; the right hand holds the sword, that is, the word of God; the left hand the shield, namely faith. Similarly, but somewhat differently, St. Ephrem, in the treatise On the Panoply or spiritual armor, adapts these arms to the Christian soldier. "The helmet," he says, "is hope, the belt is charity, the shoes are humility, the shield is the cross, the bow is prayer." Alluding to this also, but confusedly, Tertullian in the book On the Crown of the Soldier, cap. 1, describing himself as professing to be a Christian soldier, and therefore gravely tortured, thus writes: "And now reddened (that is, rubified) with his own blood, shod with hope, girded with the equipment of the Gospel, armed throughout with the sharper word of God from the Apostle, and crowned better with the white laurel of martyrdom, he awaits the gift of Christ in prison."
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Verse 18. BY ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION PRAYING AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT, AND IN THE SAME WATCHING WITH ALL INSTANCE AND SUPPLICATION FOR ALL THE SAINTS. — Note: After the arms and armor of the Christian soldier, he gives him auxiliary forces, namely of God and the angels. Whence by prayer and supplication he commands that they be invoked. For prayer and the arms already mentioned, and their use and increase, that is, internal and external forces alike, obtain at the same time; so that namely externally God through the angels may repel and restrain the ferocity and temptations of the devil. Whence prayer is more necessary to the Christian soldier than the other arms: for God is he who in every temptation and conflict gives victory. His grace and aid therefore must be especially implored through prayer. A type of this matter was Joshua and Moses; Joshua represents the form of a soldier fighting, Moses that of a priest praying. Whence just as Moses by his prayer obtained victory for Joshua against Amalec: "And when he lifted up, says Scripture, Exodus xvii, 11, his hands, Israel was victorious; but if he let them down a little, Amalec prevailed." So the Christian soldier will conquer the devil and all enemies, if he has prayer as a constant companion and defender. Whence note secondly: The Apostle here explains the conditions required in prayer. First indeed he requires in prayer assiduity, diligence and frequency, when it is said: "By all prayer," that is to say, by constant unceasing and complete prayer and supplication, whence explaining he adds: "With all instance and supplication," so that namely, as Theophylactus says, he pray and beseech earnestly with tears, kneeling, beating of the breast, etc. Secondly, as Anselmus says, that he beseech by beseeching God's mercy through all sacred and holy things, for example through the death, cross, blood of Christ. For supplication signifies both, namely first, prayer flowing from the deepest sense of the soul, which is declared by tears and other external signs, as Theophylactus expounds. Secondly, as Anselmus says, it signifies beseeching and as it were adjuration by sacred things. The remaining conditions of prayer will be evident from what is to be said hereafter. Whence note thirdly: The Apostle wishes that individual Christians pray and beseech not only for themselves, but also for all the saints, that is, for any Christians whatsoever, and especially for the Apostles and preachers of the Gospel, such as Paul was. Hence it is evident that it is greatly to be commended to the Christian people that they pray for the propagation and propagators of the Gospel, and for the extirpation of heresies and infidelity: and if this is for the people, what ought to be done by the Clergy? Note fourthly: He wishes that they pray at all times. Hence the Euchites, heretics according to Augustine, in heresy 57, taught that a Christian ought not to labor, nor do anything else, than to pray always. Whence they were called Euchites, that is "those who pray." But this dogma is foolish and impossible. Secondly, St. Basil, homily on the Martyr Julitta: "He who," he says, "acts well always, he prays always." For by every virtue we are joined to God, which is the office of prayer. For prayer is nothing other than the elevation of the mind to God, and the joining of the mind with God. Among other virtues however, religious and pious intention especially joins us to God: if namely we refer all our works (Basil teaches beautifully in the same place) even manual and mechanical ones to the glory of God, doing them namely to this end, that God may be honored through them, that we may render this obedience to God, that we may please God. Hence many pious and wise men at the beginning of their studies and works pray, and through prayer offer their studies and works to God. This is greatly to be recommended to simple mechanics and farmers. For they often do many laborious works without merit, because they seek only gain, who if they were taught moreover to refer them to God, and God's obedience and glory, would acquire far greater gains with God in heaven than with men on earth, and so besides the temporal gain which they expect from men, they would acquire immense spiritual gain with God. Third and most simply, the Apostle wishes Christians to pray at all times, that is, constantly, insofar as other business permits. Thus Anselm. And, as Augustine says, "at all times," namely at the time destined for prayer, whether by the Church or by one's own devotion and custom. For the Apostle repeatedly inculcates the frequency of prayer in various and various words, especially that certain and fixed times of prayer be interrupted at no time. For a Christian can do nothing more fruitful than if he give every time free from other occupations to prayer, and be vacant to God from whom every gift descends; thus it will come to pass that his studies and works succeed more happily, and are done better, and that God may bless them, and bestow upon them both present and future reward. Hence St. Basil wisely admonishes that prayer be followed by reading (and any work), that reading (and any work) be followed by prayer. Note fifth: This prayer is to be made "in the spirit," that is, with a pure conscience and integral faith, says Ambrose. For he who prays with a polluted mind, he prays in the flesh. Second and genuinely, "in the spirit," that is, in mind, affection, desire, not in voice and lips. For he opposes spirit to multiloquy, or the battology of the Gentiles, says Chrysostom, who thought they could bend God by their eloquence and multiloquy. Matt. vi, 7, just as orators bend judges by their rhetoric. Whence Vatablus, "in the spirit, he says, that is, with the fervor of the spirit, that is, with an intimate and fervent spirit." For spirit and affection is the soul of prayer. Many simple and unlearned people have little of this spirit, and pray almost only with their lips. These are to be taught to worship God in spirit and truth. Note sixth: In prayer the Apostle requires vigilance and perseverance. Whence he says: "And in the same watching," in Greek εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο, that is, in this, or for this very thing (namely, that we pray in the spirit at all times) let us be watching "in all instance," ἐν πάσῃ προσκαρτερήσει, that is, as Ambrose, the Syrian and the Greeks say, in all perseverance; Vatablus, with all diligence. With such perseverance that Canaanite woman prayed and obtained the deliverance of her daughter from a demon, of whom Matt. xv, 27. In the same way Anna also prayed, and obtained her son Samuel, I Reg. cap. 1, xv. See also Luke cap. xi, 5. Thus Chrysostom.
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19. AND FOR ME, THAT THERE MAY BE GIVEN TO ME A WORD IN THE OPENING OF MY MOUTH WITH CONFIDENCE, TO MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL, — as if to say, Pray for me constantly, that God may open my mouth, and inspire the words which I speak, that with confidence, in Greek παρρησίᾳ, that is, liberty and boldness, I may evangelize, and that I may freely and boldly make known the mystery (the Syrian says secret) of the Gospel, that is, by hypallage, the mysterious and secret Gospel, or the Gospel full of great mystery and secrecy. Hence briefly Vatablus thus explains: "That there may be given to me an open mouth to speak freely; or, that whenever I open my mouth for the sake of teaching, there may be given to me a word without fear of speaking, that I may make known the secret of the Gospel." Otherwise Maldonatus explains in his Manuscript Notes: "In the opening of my mouth," he says, that is, whenever I shall wish to speak, or as the occasion shall demand, according to that of the Psalmist, "Open thy mouth, and I will fill it." Paul alludes to that in Ezech. xxix, 21: "I will give thee an open mouth in the midst of them." Thus St. Augustine in Psalm. xxxi, at the beginning: "First, he says, I commend my infirmity to your prayers, as the Apostle says, that there may be given to me a word in the opening of my mouth so to speak to you, as it may be neither dangerous for me to say and salutary for you to hear."
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20. FOR WHICH I PERFORM THE OFFICE (of apostolate) OF LEGATE IN A CHAIN. — Hence it is clear that this epistle was written at Rome from bonds, says Jerome and Chrysostom. SO THAT IN THE SAME (namely the Gospel preaching) I MAY BE BOLD (παρρησιάσωμαι, that is, to use liberty and boldness, to be free and bold. Second, Theophylactus, that in the same, namely the Gospel and in defending the preaching of the Gospel I may be courageous and bold, as if to say, That I may boldly and freely state my case from bonds, and defend myself, and give account of the Gospel preached by me) AS I OUGHT (as a legate of the supreme God, freely and intrepidly) TO SPEAK. — Hear Chrysostom and Theophylactus: "To whom, O Paul, dost thou perform the office of legate? To men, that I may reconcile them to God. But these meanwhile have thrown me into bonds, not respecting the common law, by which everywhere it is custom and right that legates suffer no harm. A chain therefore has been imposed upon me, that it may shut my mouth and liberty of speaking: but your prayer will open my mouth to me, that I may speak most freely, and utter what he who appointed me his legate committed to me. Seest thou the sword (namely the liberty and alacrity of uttering the word of God) which Paul was about to receive in the opening of his mouth."
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21. BUT THAT YOU ALSO MAY KNOW WHAT THINGS CONCERN ME (τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν, that is, as Vatablus says, what things are about us, our affairs, and our state), TYCHICUS SHALL MAKE ALL THINGS KNOWN TO YOU. — Hence we gather that the Apostle sent these letters to the Ephesians through Tychicus.
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23. PEACE TO THE BRETHREN. — Peace be to the Christians who are among you. It is a greeting of the Hebrews which Christ used, "Peace be unto you," and by it they pray for all good things, all happiness and prosperity, as I have said. AND CHARITY WITH FAITH (supply, let it be preserved and increased in the brethren, that is in the Christians of Ephesus), FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
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24. GRACE BE WITH ALL WHO LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN INCORRUPTION, — that is, incorruptly, sincerely and purely, not having the corruption of earthly love and vices, as if to say, Who love Jesus with sincerity, integrity and purity of faith, hope and morals, especially chastity (for this properly is said to be corrupted, or to be incorrupt, says St. Jerome). And, as Anselm says, those who with chaste love love Christ as a spouse, as a bride who admits no corruption. For sin is a disease and corruption of the soul; but virtue is the health and incorruptibility of the soul, says St. Chrysostom and Theophylactus. For as, says St. Chrysostom, a virgin is corrupted when she fornicates, a fruit is corrupted when it rots, health is corrupted when a man becomes sick, a house is corrupted when it is dissolved: so the soul is corrupted when it sins. For sins and illicit pleasures dissolve, disfigure, putrefy and corrupt the harmony, vigor, health and integrity of the soul; but virtue repairs these same things, and restores the soul to its integrity and incorruption. Note, the preposition "in" can be taken properly; or, as Vatablus, it can be taken for "with," as I have said; or, as St. Chrysostom and Theophylactus, it can be taken for "by," as if to say, Who love Jesus "in incorruption," that is, by incorruption, purity and honesty of morals and virtues. Again secondly, Oecumenius, ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ, he says, that is ἀφθάρτως, as if to say, "In incorruption," that is incorruptibly, immortally, perpetually, namely both in adversities and in prosperities; both in poverty and in wealth; both in contempt and in honors; both in desolation and in consolation; both in death and in life, they love Jesus Christ. Finally thirdly, St. Chrysostom and Theophylactus think that ἐν is put for εἰς, "in incorruption," for "into incorruption," that is unto incorruption and immortality, which is the goal of the love and grace which Paul here prays for the Ephesians. All these senses Titelmannus thus embraces in his paraphrase: "Grace be with all who love Jesus in incorruption of faith and morals, holding incorrupt faith in mind, and incorrupt life in morals, and having incorruptible hope; as those who expect from him not corruptible, but incorruptible goods. Amen." O sons of men, love Jesus Christ in incorruption: for incorruption makes one near to God. In mind and spirit transcend all corruptible things. For it is necessary that this mortal put on immortality, and this corruptible put on incorruption. Strive for incorruption. Strive for immortality. Strive for ETERNITY.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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Supra monuit virum et uxorem, quae est una connexio familiae, hic monet patrem et filios, quae est secunda connexio domus. Et primo facit mentionem, quomodo filii se debeant habere ad parentes; secundo quomodo, e converso, patres ad filios, ibi nolite, et cetera. Prima in duas. Primo proponit monitionem; secundo ostendit rationem, ibi hoc enim est iustum, et cetera. Dicit ergo filii, obedite, et cetera. Notandum est hic quod patres debent naturaliter instruere filios moribus, filii autem, instruentibus parentibus, naturaliter debent eis obedire, sicut infirmi obediunt medicis. Unde proprium filiorum est obedientia. Col. III, v. 20: filii, obedite, scilicet patribus, per omnia, hoc est enim beneplacitum domino, et cetera. Dicit autem in domino, quia non est obediendum parentibus, nec alicui in his quae sunt contra Deum. Act. V, 29: obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus. Et per hoc solvitur auctoritas modo allegata: si quis venit ad me, et non odit patrem, etc.; quia hoc intelligitur inquantum sunt contra Deum. Rationem autem assignat ex duobus, scilicet ex iustitia, et utilitate: quod autem sit iustum patet ac probatur, quia lex divina nihil mandat nisi iustum. Ps. XVIII, 9: iustitiae domini, et cetera. Sed hoc mandat lex divina. Ex. XX, 12 et Deut. V, 16: honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam, et cetera. Eccli. III, 8: qui timet Deum, honorat patrem, et cetera. Honor autem importat exhibitionem reverentiae his qui supra nos sunt; sed quia parentes habemus supra nos, utitur nomine honoris. Dicit ergo hoc enim iustum est, honora patrem tuum et matrem, et cetera. Eccli. III, 7: qui honorat patrem suum vita vivet longiore, et qui obedit patri refrigerabit matrem. Et hoc intelligitur tripliciter, quod filii debent parentes honorare, quia debent eis reverentiam sicut maioribus, obedientiam sicut instructoribus, sustentamenta sicut nutrientibus cum fortes erunt.
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Deinde assignat dignitatem huius praecepti, dicens quod est mandatum primum. Contra: immo mandatum primum est, quod est colendus unus Deus. Respondeo. Mandata continentur in duabus tabulis. Prima continet ea quae ordinantur ad Deum; secunda ea quae ad proximum: et in hac secunda primum mandatum est de honore parentum. Et hoc duplici de causa. Primo, quia in illa secunda tabula nullum est praeceptum affirmativum nisi istud, quia naturale est nobis ut parentibus serviamus, non autem sic aliis proximis, ideo nullum est aliud affirmativum. Sed natura dictat, ut non inferat homo proximis nocumentum, et ideo prohibetur. Quia ergo primum plus et prius habet de debito, ideo primum. Secundo, quia Deus honorandus est sicut principium nostri esse, et quia parentes sunt etiam principium nostri esse, et quia, ut dicitur VI Ethic., tria habemus a parentibus, scilicet esse, vivere, et disciplinam, ideo conveniens est, ut post mandata ordinata ad Deum, primum esset ordinatum ad parentes. Vel, primum quo ad promissionem, quia isti soli additur promissio. Et huius est duplex ratio. Una est, quia homines in aliis quae agunt quaerunt utilitatem propriam, et quia a parentibus iam senibus nullam expectant utilitatem, nisi a Deo provenientem. Secunda ratio est, ne aliquis credat quod honoratio parentum non sit meritoria quia naturalis est, ideo addit ut sit longaevus super terram. In veteri autem testamento promittebantur promissiones temporales, quia populus ille parvulus erat et ideo gratiose instruendus sub paedagogo, sicut parvulus. Tamen in illis parvis munusculis populum illum parvum decentibus, figurabantur magna bona, scilicet spiritualia. Et ideo potest hoc referri secundum sensum litteralem ad bona temporalia. Et sic dicit in promissione, ut bene sit tibi; id est ut bonis promissis abundes. Nam qui gratus est in minoribus beneficiis, meretur maiora recipere; maxima autem beneficia habemus a parentibus, scilicet esse, nutrimentum et disciplinam. Quando ergo quis gratus est his, fit dignus ut maiora recipiat. Et ideo dicit ut bene sit tibi; quia, ut dicitur I Tim. IV, 8: pietas ad omnia utilis est, promissionem habens vitae, quae nunc est, et futurae.
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Et ideo addit et sis longaevus super terram, quasi super gratiam et beneficium vitae, quam habes a parentibus. Prov. III, 16: longitudo dierum in dextera eius, et in sinistra illius divitiae et gloria. Sed contra. Multi devoti parentibus cito moriuntur. Et ideo sciendum quod haec temporalia non sunt bona absolute, nisi inquantum ordinata ad spiritualia, et ideo intantum homini bona, inquantum per ea iuvatur ad spiritualia. Unde fortuna non est dicenda bona, si est impediens a virtute. Et ideo longitudo vitae intantum est bona, inquantum ad servitia Dei est ordinata. Et ideo quandoque subtrahitur ne impediat. Sap. IV, 11: raptus est, ne malitia mutaret intellectum eius. Vel potest referri ad sensum spiritualem, ut sis longaevus in terra viventium. Ps. CXLII, v. 10 s.: spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in terram rectam; propter nomen tuum, domine, vivificabis me. Consequenter instructis filiis, instruuntur parentes. Circa quod duo facit: primo ponit unum prohibitivum; secundo aliud inductivum, ibi sed educate eos, et cetera. Dicit ergo: et vos, patres, nolite provocare filios vestros ad iracundiam, non quod in omnibus assentiatis voluntati eorum. Ubi notandum est quod alius est principatus patris ad filium, et domini ad servum, quia dominus utitur servo suo ad utilitatem propriam, sed pater utitur filio ad utilitatem filii. Et ideo est necesse quod patres instruant filios propter utilitatem suam, non tamen minis arcendo aut subiiciendo. Et ideo dicitur Col. III, 21: patres, nolite ad indignationem provocare filios vestros, ut scilicet non pusillo animo fiant, quia talis provocatio non animat ad bonum. Quomodo ergo?
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Subdit sed educate illos in disciplina, scilicet verberum, et correctione, scilicet verborum, id est corripite eos et educate, ut serviant domino. Vel: in disciplina, eos ad bonum inducendo, et correctione a malis retrahendo.
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Instructis duabus connexionibus, scilicet viri et mulieris, patris et filii, hic instruit connexionem servi ad dominum. Et circa hoc facit duo. Primo instruit servum; secundo dominum, ibi et vos, domini, et cetera. Iterum prima in tres. Primo enim ponit monitionem; secundo exponit, ibi non ad oculum servientes, etc.; tertio ostendit retributionem, ibi scientes quoniam unusquisque, et cetera. Iterum prima in tres. Quia primo monet ad obedientiam; secundo ad reverentiam; tertio ad cordis simplicitatem. Secunda, ibi cum omni timore, et cetera. Tertia, ibi in simplicitate, et cetera. Monet enim eos ad obedientiam ex imperio domini. Unde dicit servi, obedite dominis carnalibus. Monet eos ad reverentiam, dicens cum timore, interius. Mal. I, 6: si ego dominus, ubi est timor meus? Et tremore, exterius. Ps. II, 11: servite domino in timore, et cetera. Et in simplicitate cordis. Sap. I, 1: in simplicitate cordis quaerite illum. Lc. XII, v. 42: fidelis servus, et cetera. Iob I, 8: numquid considerasti servum meum Iob, etc., et, paulo post: vir simplex, et cetera. Sic enim serviendum est Christo. Unde dicit sicut Christo. Sap. I, 1: in simplicitate cordis quaerite illum. I Par. XXIX, 17: domine Deus, in simplicitate cordis mei laetus obtuli universa. Dicit etiam sicut Christo, quia a domino Christo est quod dominus aliquid possit. Rom. XIII, 2: qui potestati resistit, Dei ordinationi resistit. Et ideo serviendum est eis sicut Christo, in his quae non sunt contra fidem, nec contra ipsum. Exponit autem in simplicitate, et primo removet quod simplicitati contrariatur; secundo docet modum convenientem, ibi facientes voluntatem Dei, et cetera. Contrarium autem simplicitatis est, quod servus habeat respectum ad oculum et non ad complacentiam domini. Talis enim servus non habet simplicitatem et rectam intentionem.
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Et ideo hoc prohibet, dicens non ad oculum servientes, scilicet domino propter lucrum temporale tantum, quasi hominibus placentes, id est complacere volentes. Gal. I, 10: si adhuc hominibus placerem, Christi servus non essem. Sed ut servi Christi. Col. III, 24: domino Christo servite. Et quomodo? Facientes voluntatem Dei, scilicet implendo mandata eius opere. Ps. CII, 20: facientes verbum illius, sicut Christus Io. VI, 38, descendi de caelo, non ut facerem voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem eius, qui misit me. Haec est enim voluntas eius qui misit me, scilicet ut obediam hominibus propter Deum. Et ideo dicit sicut servi Christi, et sicut servientes domino, non hominibus, scilicet non propter se, sed propter dominum. Quomodo? Ex animo. Col. III, v. 23: quodcumque facitis, ex animo operamini, sicut domino, et non hominibus.
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Item, idem subiungit hic dicens sicut domino et non hominibus. Cum bona voluntate, id est recta intentione. Col. IV, 12: stetis perfecti et pleni in omni voluntate Dei. Deinde subiungit remunerationem, dicens scientes. I Io. V, 13: scripsi vobis ut sciatis, et cetera.
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Quoniam unusquisque, (...) sive servus sive liber. Sine personarum acceptione. Non enim est personarum acceptio apud Deum. Gal. III, 28: non est servus neque liber, non est masculus neque foemina, omnes enim vos unum estis in Christo Iesu. Act. X, v. 34 s.: in veritate comperi quoniam non est personarum acceptor Deus, sed in omni gente, qui timet Deum et operatur iustitiam, et cetera. Eccle. IX, 10: quodcumque potest facere manus tua, instanter operare, et cetera. Recipiet a domino pro remuneratione. Col. III, 24: scientes quod a domino accipient retributionem haereditatis. Deinde cum dicit et vos, domini, etc., instruit dominos, et facit duo. Primo ponit monitionem; secundo subdit rationem, ibi scientes quia et illorum, et cetera. Dicit ergo et vos, domini, eadem faciatis, eadem scilicet identitate proportionis, ut sicut illi ex animo et bona voluntate, ita et vos faciatis. Eccli. XXXIII, 31: si est tibi aliquis servus fidelis, sit tibi sicut anima tua. Remittentes minas, non solum verba, vel flagella. Et quare?
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Rationem subdit, dicens scientes quia et illorum et vester dominus est in caelis. Nam idem dominus omnium, Rom. X, v. 12. Quasi dicat: conservi estis, et ideo debetis vos bene habere ad eos. Matth. XVIII, v. 33: oportuit et te misereri conservi tui. Et personarum acceptio non est apud Deum. Rom. II, 11 idem dicitur; Lc. XX, 21: non accipis personam hominum; Act. X, 34 idem.
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Supra posuit apostolus multa praecepta generalia, et specialia ad destruendam vetustatem peccati, et inducendam novitatem gratiae, hic ostendit qua virtute debent uti ad praecepta haec implenda, quia fiducia auxilii divini. Circa quod duo facit. Primo, ponit monitionem; secundo, in speciali explicat eam, ibi quoniam non est nobis colluctatio, et cetera. Prima in duas, quia primo ostendit, de quo debemus confidere, sicut de interiori; secundo ostendit de quo debemus confidere sicut de exteriori, ibi induite vos, et cetera. Illud autem interius, de quo debemus confidere, est auxilium divinum, et ideo dicit de caetero, fratres, confortamini. Ier. XVII, 7: benedictus vir, qui confidit in domino, et erit dominus fiducia eius, et cetera. Duplici autem ratione confidit quis de aliquo. Una est, quia ad eum pertinet sua defensio; alia est, quia potens est, et paratus est eum defendere. Et haec duo sunt in Deo respectu creaturae suae, quia cura est Deo de vobis, ut dicitur I Petr. ult.: omnem sollicitudinem vestram proiicientes in eum, quoniam ipsi cura est de vobis. Item, ipse potens est, et promptus auxiliari. Et ideo dicit de caetero, fratres, etc., quasi dicat: postquam vos instruxi supra de praeceptis implendis, iam confortamini, non in vobis, sed in domino, qui curam habet de vobis. Ps. LXXII, 28: mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum est, et cetera. Is. XXXV, 4: dicite pusillanimis: confortamini, et cetera. Ier. XX, 11: dominus mecum est tamquam bellator fortis, idcirco qui me persequuntur, cadent, et cetera. Et in potentia, et cetera. Lc. I, 49: qui potens est. Et licet in Deo virtus et potentia sint idem, tamen, quia virtus est ultimum de potentia, et, quasi perfectio potentiae, ideo dicit in potentia virtutis eius, id est, in potentia virtuosa. Phil. IV, 13: omnia possum in eo, qui me confortat. Iob XVII, 3: pone me iuxta te, et cuiusvis manus pugnet contra me. Sed posset dici: si Deus potest et vult, debemus esse securi. Ideo respondens, dicit quod non, imo debet quilibet facere quod in se est, quia si inermis iret ad bellum, quantumcumque rex protegeret eum, esset in periculo.
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Et ideo dicit induite vos armaturam Dei, id est dona et virtutes. Rom. c. XIII, 12: abiiciamus ergo opera tenebrarum, et induamur arma lucis, et cetera. Col. III, v. 12: induite vos ergo sicut electi Dei sancti et dilecti viscera misericordiae, benignitatem, humilitatem, modestiam, et cetera. Quia per virtutes homo protegitur contra vitia. Sed contra: dominus est rex ita potens, quod nullus potest eum impugnare. Respondeo. Verum est per violentiam, sed per insidias et fallaciam impugnat eum Diabolus in membris suis, non in se, quia, ut dicitur Eccli. XI, 31: multae sunt insidiae dolosi, et cetera. Et ideo subdit ut possitis stare contra insidias Diaboli. I Petr. V, 8: sobrii estote, et vigilate, et cetera. Ps. IX, 30: insidiatur in abscondito, quasi leo, et cetera. Consequenter cum dicit quia non est nobis colluctatio, etc., explicat in speciali monitionem. Et primo de insidiis inimicorum; secundo de armatura sumenda, ibi propterea accipite, etc.; tertio de fiducia Christi habenda ibi per omnium orationem, et cetera. Describit autem insidias, quia quando aliquis hostis imminet, si sit debilis, stultus et huiusmodi, non est multum cavendum nec timendum de eo; sed quando est potens, nequam et callidus, tunc est timendus. Haec tria sunt in Diabolo. Primo quia non est debilis.
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Et propter hoc dicit, quod non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, et cetera. Per carnem et sanguinem intelliguntur vitia carnis, I Cor. c. XV, 50: caro et sanguis regnum Dei non possidebunt, et homines carnales. Gal. I, 16: continuo non acquievi carni et sanguini, id est, hominibus carnalibus. Dicit ergo non est nobis colluctatio, et cetera. Quod videtur esse falsum qualitercumque accipiatur; quia, ut dicitur Gal. V, 17: caro concupiscit adversus spiritum, et cetera. Ps. CXVIII, v. 157: multi qui persequuntur me. Respondeo dupliciter. Primo ut dicamus non est nobis colluctatio adversus, etc., supple tantum, quin etiam adversus Diabolum. Vel aliter, quia actio quae instrumento attribuitur, est principaliter agentis, sicut accipitur illud Rom. IX, 16: non est volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis Dei, quasi dicat: quod vultis aliquid, vel facitis, a vobis non est, sed aliunde, scilicet a Deo; sic hic non est nobis colluctatio, etc., exponatur, id est quod nos impugnent, scilicet caro et sanguis, hoc non est eorum principaliter, sed a superiore movente, scilicet a Diabolo. Consequenter describitur a potentia, quia adversus principes et potestates tenebrarum harum. Io. XIV, 30: venit enim princeps huius mundi, et cetera. Dicitur autem princeps mundi, non creatione sed imitatione mundanorum. Io. I, 10: et mundus eum non cognovit, id est principes mundani. Vel dicitur princeps, quasi primatum capiens. Unde principes quasi primi duces ad aliquid. Ps. LXVII, 26: principes coniuncti psallentibus. Gen. XXIII, 6: princeps Dei es apud nos. Ad potestatem autem pertinet iustitiam exercere. Inquantum ergo aliqui Daemones inducunt aliquos ad rebellandum Deo, dicuntur principes, inquantum vero habent potestatem puniendi illos, qui eis subiiciuntur, dicuntur potestates. Lc. XXII, 53: haec est hora vestra, et potestas tenebrarum, et cetera. Sed cum ex ordinibus omnibus ceciderint aliqui, quare mentionem facit apostolus de illis duobus ordinibus, denominans Daemones? Respondeo. In nominibus ordinum sunt tria in quibusdam enim importatur ordo ad Deum, in quibusdam vero potestas, in quibusdam vero Dei ministerium. In nominibus enim Cherubim et Seraphim et thronorum, importatur conversio ad Deum. Daemones autem adversi sunt Deo, et ideo eis non competunt haec nomina. Item quaedam nomina important ordinem ad ministerium Dei, sicut Angeli et Archangeli: et ista etiam nomina non competunt Daemonibus, nisi cum adiuncto scilicet Satanae. Tertio etiam, quia virtutes et dominationes important ordinem ad servitium Dei: ideo eis non conveniunt haec nomina, sed tantum ista duo, quae communia sunt bonis et malis, scilicet principatus et potestates. Sunt ergo et potentes et magni, ideo habent magnum exercitum, contra quem habemus pugnare adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, scilicet peccatorum. Supra V, v. 8: eratis enim aliquando tenebrae, et cetera. Quia quidquid est tenebrosum, totum est de ordine istorum, et subiectum eis. Glossa: mali homines sunt equi, Diaboli equites, ergo occidamus equites, et equos possideamus. Io. I, 5: et tenebrae eum non comprehenderunt. Sunt etiam astuti, quia contra spiritualia nequitiae, id est contra spirituales nequitias, emphatice loquendo, per quod intelligitur plenitudo nequitiae. Dicit autem spiritualia nequitiae, quia quanto est altior secundum naturam, tanto, quando convertitur ad malum, est peior et nequior. Unde philosophus dicit, quod homo malus est pessimus omnium animalium. Et ideo dicit spiritualia nequitiae, quia spirituales et nequissimi sunt. Et dicit in caelestibus, duplici de causa. Vel ut ostendat virtutem et avantagium, ad superandum nos: quia nos in terra, ipsi autem in alto, scilicet in aere caliginoso, et ideo habent partem meliorem. Lc. VIII, 5: volucres caeli comederunt illud. Vel dicit in caelestibus, quia pro caelestibus est ista pugna: et hoc debet animare nos ad pugnam.
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Supra exposuit apostolus, quod dictum est de insidiis Diaboli, hic monet nos de armatura sumenda. Et circa hoc facit duo. Primo concludit ex praemissis armaturae necessitatem; secundo, armorum diversitatem describit, ibi state ergo, et cetera. Dicit ergo: habetis hostes malos, nequissimos et potentes, et pro re ardua pugnantes, quia pro caelestibus, propterea accipite armaturam Dei, id est armamini spiritualibus armis. II Cor. X, 4: arma militiae nostrae non sunt carnalia, sed potentia Deo ad destructionem munitionum, et cetera. Et hoc ut possitis resistere. I Petr. V, 9: cui resistite fortes in fide, et cetera. Iac. IV, 7: resistite Diabolo, et fugiet a vobis. Quanto magis enim ei ceditur, tanto plus insequitur. In die malo, et hoc propter mala, quae in die fiunt. Supra V, 16: redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt. Eccle. VII, 15: diem malam praecave, et cetera. Item accipite non solum ad resistendum, sed etiam ad proficiendum, et in omnibus perfecti state, id est in adversis et prosperis immobiliter state. Iac. I, 4: sitis perfecti, in nullo deficientes. De hoc I Petr. I, 13: perfecti, sperate in eam, quae offertur vobis, gratiam, et cetera. Sed numquid omnes debent perfecti esse? Respondeo. Triplex est perfectio. Una sufficientiae, quam habet homo, secundum quod habet quod sibi est necessarium ad salutem, sicut illud: diliges dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo; quasi dicat: ut nihil sit in corde tuo, quod sit contra Deum. Et hoc est de necessitate salutis. Iac. I, 4: ut sitis perfecti et integri in nullo deficientes, et cetera. Alia est perfectio totalis abundantiae, quae est perfectio patriae, quae est consummata gloria, in hoc quod perfectus totaliter inhaereat Deo. Matth. XXII, 30: in resurrectione neque nubent, neque nubentur, sed sunt sicut Angeli Dei in caelo. Et de hac loquebatur apostolus Phil. III, 12: non quod iam acceperim, aut quod iam perfectus sim. Et paulo post: fratres, ego non arbitror me comprehendisse. Alia est media, scilicet consilii, qua homo nititur se abstrahere ab his, et ire ad illas. Deinde cum dicit state ergo, etc., describit diversitatem armorum. Est autem triplex genus spiritualium armorum, ad similitudinem corporalium: quorum quaedam sunt similia indumento ad tegendum, quaedam vero ad protegendum, et quaedam ad impugnandum. Indumento autem tria sunt necessaria.
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Primo quod cingatur; et quantum ad hoc dicit state ergo succincti lumbos vestros, et cetera. Sed prius induit se homo quam se cingat. Apostolus autem accipit haec secundum ordinem armaturae spiritualis. In bello autem spirituali prius est necesse concupiscentias carnis restringere, sicut vicinus hostis est prius vincendus: hoc autem fit per restrictionem lumborum, in quibus viget luxuria, quod fit per temperantiam, quae gulae et luxuriae contrariatur. Lc. XII, 35: sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et cetera. Iob XXXVIII, 3: accinge sicut vir lumbos, et cetera. Sed in veritate, id est in rectitudine intentionis, et non simulate. Alia littera habet: in charitate. I Cor. ult.: omnia vestra in charitate fiant. Secundo monet vincere cupiditates rerum. Duplex autem invenitur armatura contra eas, scilicet iustitia, et abrenuntiatio rerum temporalium. Et ideo primo praecipit ut eas non iniuste usurpemus, quod facit iustitia. Et ideo dicit induti loricam iustitiae, scilicet propter quam homo abstinet a rebus alienis. Dicitur autem iustitia lorica, quia sicut lorica tegit membra, ita iustitia virtutes omnes. Sap. V, 19: induet pro thorace iustitiam, et accipiet pro galea iudicium certum. Secundo praecipit ut rerum temporalium curam superfluam deponamus, quia dum his nimis intendimus, non habemus pedes paratos ad divina negotia et mysteria annuntianda.
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Et propter hoc dicit et calceati pedes, id est affectus dispositi sint supple, in praeparatione Evangelii pacis. In signum huius misit apostolos dominus, Mc. VI, 9, calceatos sandaliis, quae habent subtus soleas, per quod significatur elevatio mentis a terrenis: et aperta sunt superius, per quod significatur promptitudo ad divinam sapientiam. Dicit autem pacis, quia per Evangelium pax nobis annuntiatur. Matth. X, 12: in quamcumque domum intraveritis, dicite: pax huic domui. Item secundo, sunt arma ad protegendum. Duo autem in nobis sunt protegenda, quae sunt principia vitae, scilicet pectus in quo est cor et caput in quo est cerebrum. Pro pectore autem est scutum.
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Et ideo dicit in omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, quia sicut scutum supponitur omnibus armis, ita fides omnibus aliis virtutibus. Alia sunt enim arma virtutum moralium, scilicet temperantiae, id est succinctio lumborum, et iustitiae, id est induitio loricae: et hoc genus armorum, scilicet scutum, est virtutis theologicae, scilicet fidei: quia sicut per scutum repelluntur tela, ita per fidem omnia contraria et habetur victoria. Hebr. XI, v. 33: sancti per fidem vicerunt regna, sicut per virtutes morales vincimus potestates terrenas. Et ideo ait in quo possitis omnia tela ignea nequissimi extinguere, scilicet Diaboli, cuius tela sunt quaedam immissiones per Angelos malos. Ignea sunt, quia adurentia pravis concupiscentiis. Ps. LVII, 9: supercecidit ignis, et cetera. Haec autem per fidem extinguuntur: quae tentationes praesentes et transitorias extinguit per bona spiritualia et aeterna, quae promittit sacra Scriptura. Unde dominus Diabolo tentanti producebat et opponebat auctoritates sacrae Scripturae. Et sic debemus facere, si tentat de gula, secundum illud Deut. VIII, 3: non in solo pane vivit homo, vel illud: non est regnum Dei, esca et potus. Si de luxuria: non moechaberis. Si de furto: non furtum facies; et sic de aliis. Dicitur autem scutum fidei, quia sicut scutum protegit totum pectus, ita fides debet esse in pectore. Spes autem dicitur galea, quia sicut galea est in capite, ita caput virtutum moralium est finis; et de hoc est spes, scilicet de fine. Et ideo dicitur et galeam salutis assumite. Item tertio, sunt arma ad impugnandum, quia non solum sufficit se defendere, sed etiam oportet adversarium impugnare. Hoc autem sicut fit per gladium materialem corporaliter, ita per verbum Dei, quod est spiritus sancti gladius, spiritualiter.
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Et propter hoc dicit et gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei, scilicet assumite. Hebr. c. IV, 12: vivus est sermo Dei et efficax, et penetrabilior omni gladio ancipiti, pertingens usque ad divisionem animae et spiritus. Et praedicatio dicitur gladius spiritus, quia non penetrat usque ad spiritum, nisi ducatur a spiritu sancto. Matth. X, 20: non enim vos estis, qui loquimini, sed spiritus patris vestri, qui loquitur in vobis. Sic ergo habemus arma quibus defendamur a carnalibus hostibus, scilicet a gula et luxuria, quod fit per temperantiam, ibi state ergo succincti lumbos vestros, et cetera. Item, quibus vincamus cupiditates terrenas, scilicet arma iustitiae, quae abstinere nos faciunt ab illicitis, ibi induti loricam iustitiae. Et puritatem affectus seu paupertatem, quae nos retrahit etiam a licitis, ibi calceati pedes, et cetera. Item, habemus arma quibus protegamur ab erroribus, scilicet arma fidei, ibi in omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, et etiam ab hostibus generis humani, ibi quo, scilicet scuto fidei, possitis omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere. Item, habemus arma quibus in bonis spiritualibus confirmamur, scilicet arma spei, ibi et galeam salutis assumite. Galea ponitur in capite, sic spes in fine. Nunc autem caput virtutum moralium est ipse finis, de quo est spes. Unde nihil est aliud galeam salutis assumere, quam spem de ultimo fine habere. Item, habemus arma ad impugnandum ipsos Daemones, scilicet gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei: quod fit frequenter in sermonibus, in quibus verbum Dei penetrans corda peccatorum expellit congeriem peccatorum et Daemonum.
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Supra posuit apostolus quae dixerat de insidiis et armaturis, hic exponit illud quod etiam dixerat de confirmatione et confortatione in potentia Dei: et hoc fit per orationem ad Deum super auxilio divino. Facit autem tria. Primo monet eos ad orandum pro seipsis, secundo pro aliis, tertio pro ipsomet apostolo. Circa primum ponit septem conditiones orationis. Primo quod debet esse perfecta. Unde dicit omnem orationem, quod fit cum in omnibus recurrit quis ad orationem, vel orat pro omni bono. Secundo quod sit humilis, non praesumptuosa. Ps. ci, 18: respexit in orationem humilium, et cetera. Quod fit quando homo non putat se exaudiri propter merita sua, sed propter misericordiam divinam. Et ideo dicit obsecrationem, id est per sacrae rei acceptionem. Phil. IV, 6: in omni oratione et obsecratione, cum gratiarum actione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum. Tertio quod sit continua, ibi omni tempore. I Thess. V, 17: sine intermissione orate, in omnibus gratias agite. Ps. XXXIII, 2: benedicam dominum in omni tempore, scilicet statuto. Quarto quod sit devota, quia in spiritu. I Cor. XIV, 15: psallam spiritu, psallam et mente, id est, non ut vagus. Quinto quod sit vigilans, ibi vigilantes. I Petr. IV, 7: estote prudentes, et vigilate in orationibus. Sexto quod sit instans, ibi in omni instantia. Rom. XII, 12: orationi instantes, et cetera. Septimo charitativa, ut scilicet fiat pro omnibus aliis sanctis, ibi et obsecratione pro omnibus sanctis. I Tim. II, 1: obsecro enim primum omnium fieri obsecrationes, orationes, postulationes, gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus, et cetera. Deinde, ultimo, pro se petit orationes fieri, ibi et pro me. Ubi tria petit pro se, quae cuilibet praedicatori sunt necessaria, scilicet quod os aperiat, et ad praedicandum se praeparet quantum in se est, et detur sibi gratia.
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Et ut haec tria sibi dentur, petit ut oretur pro se, dicens ut detur mihi sermo in apertione oris mei. Non enim potero loqui, nisi quod dederit mihi dominus, dicebat ille Balaam, Num. XXII, 18. Unde dominus, Matth. c. X, 20: non enim vos estis qui loquimini, sed spiritus, et cetera. Unde dicitur ibidem 19: dabitur enim vobis in illa hora quid loquamini. Hoc autem dictum primo ponit apostolus. Ut detur, inquit, mihi sermo in apertione oris mei. Col. ult.: orantes simul et pro nobis, ut Deus aperiat nobis ostium sermonis. Et ad quid, Paule? Respondet, ut scilicet possim cum fiducia notum facere Evangelii mysterium, pro quo legatione fungor in catena. Et hoc est secundum quod petit, quia non solum est necessarium praedicatori ut detur ei sermo in apertione oris, seu scientiae, sed ut sermonem sibi datum praedicet audacter et cum fiducia. Et hoc est quod dicit cum fiducia, et cetera. Et sic praedicabant apostoli, de quibus Act. IV, 31, quod loquebantur cum fiducia verbum Dei. Commendat autem apostolus officium praedicationis ab excellentia et altitudine. Unde dicit mysterium Evangelii. Secundo ostendit, quod pro ipso libenter sustinuit tribulationem et ignominiam. Unde dicit pro quo legatione fungor in catena. De his duobus simul Col. ult.: Deus aperiat nobis ostium sermonis ad loquendum mysterium Christi, propter quod et vinctus sum. Et quia dicitur Eccli. XX, 22: ex ore fatui reprobatur parabola, non enim dicit eam tempore suo, ideo apostolus non solum petit, quod detur sibi sermo, seu praedicandi scientia, sed gratia loquendi cum fiducia, ut scilicet non desisteret ab incepto pro catenis, quibus catenatus erat ab incepto et commisso sibi officio fiducialiter et fideliter prosequendo. Tertio petit, ut detur sibi temporis seu modi congruentia, quia tempus loquendi et tempus tacendi, ut dicitur Eccle. III, 7.
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Et ideo dicit ut in ipso audeam, prout oportet me loqui. Et certe in omnibus modus et qualitas facit gratum. Et hoc idem petebat apostolus Col. ult.: ut manifestem illud, ita ut oportet me loqui: quia, ut dicitur Prov. c. XV, 23: sermo opportunus, optimus. In fine autem huius epistolae apostolus statum suum Ephesiis manifestat, cum dicit ut autem et vos sciatis, et cetera. Ubi primo facit quod dictum est; secundo eos more solito salutat, ibi pax fratribus, et cetera. In prima parte tria facit. Primo ponitur status sui manifestatio, ibi ut autem et vos sciatis, etc.; secundo discipuli nuntiantis multiplex commendatio, ibi Tychicus frater meus charissimus et fidelis, etc.; tertio ostendit finem, pro quo eis manifestat statum suum, quia scilicet est ipsorum consolatio, ibi et consolentur corda vestra.
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Dicit ergo: ut autem vos sciatis quae circa me sunt, quid agam, omnia nota vobis faciet, et cetera. Quasi dicat apostolus: pro mysterio Evangelii, pro quo catenatus sum, volo quod sciatis quod catena et omnes tribulationes et omnia supplicia, quae in credito officio inferuntur, non me angunt, nec cor mutant, nec pervertunt interius, nec attingunt; sed certe sic angor de istis, quod omnia circa me sunt, non intra. Et quia non possum ire ad annuntiandum vobis, utpote catenatus, omnia nota faciet vobis Tychicus frater meus charissimus et fidelis minister in domino. Et ideo secure credatis ei de omnibus. Lc. XII, 42: quis, putas, est fidelis servus et prudens, et cetera.
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Et iste certe est talis, quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum, ut cognoscatis quae circa nos sunt. Et haec est discipuli commendatio. Et ad quid? Ut consoletur corda vestra. Deinde cum dicit pax fratribus, etc., ponit apostolus consuetam salutationem. Et advertendum est, quod licet gratia praecedat pacem et charitatem mutuam hominum ad se invicem, et ad Deum quo ad collationem (quia non est pax impiis, dicit dominus), tamen quo ad executionem gratiae et veritatis et charitatis conservationem, pax praecedit suo modo.
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Et ideo primo optat eis pacem ad se invicem et charitatem ad Deum, dicens: pax fratribus, et charitas cum fide. Et quia licet pax et charitas multum faciant ad gratiae conservationem, tamen quia semper supponunt ipsam gratiam, sine qua haberi non possunt, ideo optat eis gratiam.
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Unde dicit: gratia cum omnibus, qui diligunt dominum nostrum Iesum Christum in incorruptione. Amen.
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1. Filii, obedite parentibus vestris in Domino. Ab officio conjugum transit ad mutua officia filiorum et parentum; deinde servorum et dominorum. Illud, in Domino, quidam construunt cum eo, quod proxime praecedit, parentibus vestris, ut parentes in Domino dicantur, qui Christiani sunt. Sed hoc modo videretur significari, quod parentibus non Ohristiauis non sit obediendum, quod est alienum ab Apostolica doctrina. Quare rectius ordinatur cum verbo obedite, ut obedire in Domino sit obedientiam praestare, quatenus Christi Domini lex et doctrina permittit. Nam si quid praecipitur legi Christianae contrarium, omnino tenendum illud Petri Act. 5. Magis oportet obedire Deo quam hominibus. Hoc enim justum est: ut a quibus vitam acceperimus, obedientiam iis reddamus.
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2. Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam. Repetit praeceptum de honorandis parentibus ex veteii lege, Exod. 20. et Deut. 5., quod lex illa Christianos obliget, quoad moralia, quae decalogo comprehenduntur; quum is contineat praecepta legis naturalis. Honor 00' tvjstimonium excellentiae: quod quidem testimonium variis modiis ac signis perhibetur, pro varietate personarum, quas honoramus. Tria sunt autem, per quae specialiter honorandi sint parentes: reverentia, quae eis debetur, ut majoribus, obedientia, ut instructoribus, et rerum necessariarum liberalis suppeditatio, ut ii8, a quibus et nati et educati sumus. Atque hoc postiemum verisimile est Apostolum praecipue hic spectare, cum jam ante de obedientia locutus fuerit, adquam reverentia facile reducitur. Nam et Christus Matth. 15. et Marc. 7. de sustentatione parentibus debita praeceptum hoc interpretatur. Et notum est, etiam alibi honorem in subministratione victus intelligi, ut 1 Tim. 5. Viduas honora, quae vere viduae sunt. Et iterum: Qui bene praesunt presbyteri, duplici honore digni habeantur.
Quod est mandatum primum in promissione. Non primum absolute. Esfc enim hoc praeceptum numero quartum in decalogo, sed primum in promissione, seu cum promissione, id est, primum, cui adjuncta sit expressa et specialis promissio. Sic Hieronymus et Graeci. Proinde impertinens est huic loco, an praeceptum hoc sit primum in secunda tabula. De qua re disputant Theologi in 3. Sent. disp. 37.
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3. Ut bene sit tibi, et sis longaevus super terram. Verba sunt promissionis, quae Deut. 5. leguntur hoc ordine ex Hebraeo: ul longo vivas tempore, et bene sit tibi in terra, quam Dominus Deus tuus daturus est tibi. Sed Apostolus ordinem et verba, quae apud LXX. tam in Exodo, quam in Deut. leguntur, secutus est. Quidam hanc partem ita conjungimt cum illa superiori: Honora patrem tuum et matrem, ut verba media: Quod est mandatum primum in promissione, parenthesiclaudant, propterea quod haec promissio in verbis decalogi proxime sit adjuncta praecepto. Verum aliis magis placet, ut continue et absque parenthesi Apostoli verba legantur, in hunc modum: Quod mandatum in promissione primum est, hac nimirum, quae sequitur, ut bene sit tibi etc, hoc est, ut feliciter ac diu vivas supor terram. Haec autem promissio terrena fuit, ad veterem populum pertinens, ut liquet ex verbis utroque loco jam citato subjunctis: Quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi, vel, ut in Hebraeo, dat tibi. Habet autem haec promissio longaevitatis magnam ex ratione congruentiam. Est enim congruum et justum, ut qui eos honorat, a quibus vitam temporalem accepit, illi vita temporalis prorogetur. Neque vero ab hujusmodi promissione Chribtiani alieni sunt. Quamvis enim multi parentibus obsequentes, eosque honorantes, cito rapiantur ex hac vita; non tamen hac promissione fraudari eos existimandum est, quia melius aliquid recipiunt ab eo, qui novit, quid cuique electorum, secundum ordinem providentiae suae expediat. Nam bona temporalia Christiams non absolute promittuntur, sed quatenus ad spiritualia conducunt. Sed et in bonis temporalibus, quae veteri populo promissa fuerunt, spiritualia et aeterna bona nobis promissa figurabantur; ut in t.erra Chanaan possessio regni coelestis; et in longaevitate vitae felix aeternitas. Itfi fere docent Hieronymus et S. Thomas in hujus loci comment. Notandum obiter, voculam ut non tam finalem causam servati praecepti designare, quam eventum et bonum quoddam consequens, quod honoranti promittitur, quasi dicat legislator: Honora parentes; ita fiet, ut bene sit tibi, et sis longaevus; tametsi nihil vetat, hoc consequens bonum esse finem secundarium observationis praecepti, velut in similibus.
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4. Et vos patres nnlite ad iracundiam provocare filios vestros. Vicissim a patribus exigit, ne nimia severitate ac duris imperiis exacerbent animos filiorum. Rationem praecepti adjicit Apostolus Col. 3. Ne pusillo animo fiant; id est, ne per impatientiam despondeant animum et jugum obedientiae prorsus abjiciant, aut etiam religionem deserant. Potest hoc praeceptum accommodari etiam ad principes et praefectos saeculares, qui monendi sunt, ne suos subditos iniquis legibus et duris exactionibus provocent ad animorum acerbitates: unde seditioLes et rebelliones consequi solent. Item ad praefectos ecclesiasticos, ne plus justo jubeant subjectis sibi fidelibus. Ad eos enim accommodat Gregorius p. 5. curae past. admon. 5.
Sed educate illos in disciplina et correptione Domini. Pro disciplina, Graece est, 7iai<5e''a, et pro correptione vooftsota. Utraque Graeca vox anceps est ad institutionem, eruditionem, admonitionem, et ad castigationem, correptionem, sive objurgationem. Quae ambiguitas etiam est in Latino nomine disciplinae, praesertim apud Ecclesiasticos scriptores et sacrae Scripturae interpretes. Priorem significationem mavult Hieronymus, eamque attenderunt in suis comment. Chrysostomus et Theophylactus, docentes ex hoc loco, parentes etiam de Scripturis debere instituere liberos suos. Aliis magis probatur posterior significatio, praesertim vocabuli prioris, nec immerito; nam in Scripturis frequentissime ac fere semper sic accipitur, etiam apud LXX., pro quo nos assidue habemus vocabulum disciplinae. Fraecipit ergo patribus Apostolus, ut filios suos e3ucent, non dure et aspere tractando, quando peccent; sed adhibendo castigationem moderatam et salutarem. Hanc enim vocat disciplinam et correptionem Domini, id est, Christianae fidei ac doctrinae consentaneam.
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5. Servi obedite Dominis carnalibus. Graece Dominis secundum carnem; id est, quibus secundum corpus ac temporalia ministeria obnoxii estis, et ser i utem debetis. Cum timore et tremore. Id est, cum magna solicitudine. Sic enim et alibi utitur hac phrasi; ut 1 Cor. 2. et 2 Cor. 7. et Phil. 2. Unde non recte quidam hic annotavit, Apostolum praecipere servis, non solum ut timeant jussa dominorum suorum, sed ut etiam ad ipsorum imperia tremant. Non aliud enim Apostolus quam solicitam et liberalem exigit servitutem.
In simplicitate cordis vestri, sicut Christo. Id est, recto et simplici corde, tanquam serviatis Christo, qui omnia videt, etiam occulta cordis, vel potius, sicut Christo: id est, in dominis vestris, quibus servitis, Christum Dominum, per illos quodammodo repraesentatum, prae oculis habentes, ut ea consideratio Vos moveat ad bene et ex animo dominis vestris serviendum. Ita enim supra dixit: Mulieres viris suis subditae sint sicut
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6. Non ad oculum servientes, quasi hominibus placentes. In Graeco composita vocabula sunt, quae Latine similiter reddi nequeunt. Prior pars verti potest: Non secundum ocularem servitutem. Sensura bene reddidit interpres, nisi quod illud, hominibus placentes, clarius verti potuit, hominibus placere studentes, quomodo nonnulli verterunt. Ad oculum servire dicuntur, quibus satis est, in conspectu et praesentia dominorum facere officium; atque his tantum studium est hominibus placere, qui occulta cordis et ab oculis remota non vident.
Sed ut servi Christi facientes voluntatem Dei ex animo. lloc est: Sed, quemadmodum decet servos Christi, sincere et ex animo facite ea, quae Deus praecipit. Nam voluntas praecepti intelligitur, non ea, quam vocant beneplaciti. Est autem praeceptum Dei, ut servi dominis stvs obediant.
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7. Cum bona voluntate servientes, sicut Domino, et non hominibus. Pro bona voluntate Graece composita dictio est, ebvoitz, id est, benevolentia; pro •qua benignitatem legit Ambrosianus, fidelitatem Hieronymus; admonens tamen etiam benevolentiam Graeca voce significari. Et quidem recte; nam pro fidelitate vix legitur. Proinde sensus est: Non coacte, sed libenter, ac propensa erga dominos vestros voluntate, iis servite; perinde quasi Christo Domino serviretis, et rron hominibus. In eo, quod ait: sicut Domino, et non hominibus, tacite significat Christum esse Deum, et non hominem tantum; sicut ad Gal. 1., cum ait: Paulus Apostolus non ab hominibus, neque per homines, sed per Jesum Christum. Porro totus hic locus ostendit, praecepta hominum legitima potestate praeditorum, ut parentum, dominorum, principum, magistratuum, subditos obligare in conscientia; iisque parendum, ut Dei piaeceptis; ideo nimirum, quod illorum omnis potestas a Deo sit. sicut dicitur Rom. 13. Notandum in Graecis codicibus multis non addi adverbium sicut Verum sensus haud dubie clarior est, si legatur: sicut Domino etc., faciuntque nobiscum omnes Latini interpretes tam veteres quam recentiores, et nonnulli codices Graeci, inter quos Complutensis. Et ad Col. 3, 23. etiam Graeci libri sine varietate addunt.
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8. Scientes quoniam unusquisque, quodcunque fecerit bonum, hoc recipiet a Domino, sive servus, sive liber. Hoc est, cum didiceritis ac scire debeatis, quod unusquisque, tam servus quam liber, pro omni bono, quod fecerit, recepturus sit mercedem ab omnium judice Christo Domino. Id intelligendum, sicut aliae similes sententiae, de bono quodcunque fecerit quis ob finem, quem monstrat fides Christiana, eodemque permanente. Nam boni operis per peccatum mol tificati merces perit.
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9. Et vos Domini eadem facite illis. Graece erga illos, nempe servos vestros secundum carnem. Eadem autem dicit non opere aut officio, sed modo et proportione. Nam mutua servorum ac dominorum officia diversa sunt. Itaque sensus est: Sicut oportet servos ex animo et liberaliter servire dominis suis; ita vos domini, vicissim ne tractate servos vestros serviliter, sed humaniter ac benigne vos erga illos gerite.
Remittentes minas. Id est, sed etsi offendant interdum, ut punitione digni sint, remittite poenas, quas comminati estis. Poenae s^ervorum erant flagra, carcer, pistrinuncf etc., ad quas remittendas Leo Pontifex identid^m hortatur dominos, in sermonibus de passione Domini. Plerique interpretantur remittentes minas, id est, ne sitis minabundi in servos. Verum id non- est proprie mir.as remittere. Quocirca prior sensus, quem et Cajetanus tradit, magis placet.
Scientes, quia et illorum et vester Dominus est in coelis. Graeca multa sic habent: Scientes, quod et vester ipsorum, sive ad verbum: vestrum ipsorum Dominus est in coelis. Quae lectio non prorsus eumdem facit sensura cuffl nostra versione, sicut existimat Cajetar.us, qui supplet conjunctionem vester et ipsorum, sed de solie dominis loquitur; et convenit cum eo, quod Ecclesiastes dicit cap. 5. Quia excelso excelsior est alius etc. Juxta quam lectionem (quae coagruit cum Col. 4, 1.) sensus est: Scientes, quod etiam vos ipsi, quamvis domini, habeatis dominum superiorem in coelis, Christum scilicet, a quo estis judicandi. Sicut ergo vos ab illo domino vestro misericordiam exspectatis et remissionem peccatorum; ita et vos servis vestris poenas coinminatas remittite, secundum illud ipsius Domini praeceptum, dimittite, et dimittetur vobis Luc. 6. Ad hunc modum etiam Hieronymus exponit, tametsi textus ejus consentiat cum vulgata versione. Quae quidem etiam commodum habet sensum hujusmodi: Scientes, quod communem Dominum ac judicem habetis vos et 1111. Nam qui agnoscit et cogitat se habere communem dominum cum alio, licet inferiore; clementius utique cum eo agit, nec severe poenas exigit..Cum Vulgata consentiunt quidam Codices Graeci, et inter eos Complutensis.
Et personarum acceptio non est apud eum, nempe Dominum Christum. Quasi dicat: Judex ille non personas respicit, sed merita; non ideo quemquam absolvet, quia dominus fuit, aut puniet, quia servus, sed opera cujusque expendet; hoc est, quod jam dixit: unumquemque recepturum a Domino quodcunque fecerit, sive servus sit, sive liber.
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10. De caetero, fratres, confortamini in Domino, et in potentia virtutis ejus. Graece fratres mti. Postquam sigillatim instruxit eos, ex quibus, velut partibus, familiae constant; nunc Epistolam clausurus, iterum redit ad generalem doctrinam, qua omnes in universum fideles, tanquam Christi milites, hortatur ad pugnandum viriliter adversus diabolum, suggerens eis arma ad ejusmodi militiam opportuna et necessaria. Quod superest, inquit, fratres mei, curam adhibete, ut ad pugnandum fortes sitis in Domino, id est, per potentiam ac fortitudinem ejus, sive quam ille suppeditat, seu potius, qua ille vos adjuvat: haec autem est potentia et virtus divina. Quae duo non est necesse distinguere: nam pleonasmus est, emphasim habens.
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11. Induite vos armaturam Dei. Pro armatura, Graece est TzavorAio., quae vox significat totam sive integram armaturam, hoc est, quidquid ad militem armandum in pugnam pertinet, tum ad defendendum se, tum ad hostem feriendum. Eadem vox infra repetitur. Hieronymus utrobique legit, omnia arma Dei. Ambrosianus priori loco arma Dei; posteriori: universitatem armorum. Vocat autem hanc Apostolus armaturam Dei, quia per haec arma tanquam manu Dei fabricata pugnamus; imo Deus ipse in nobis pugnat.
Ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli. Id est, ut possitis in fide et rectitudine vitae Christianae persistere adversus insidiosos assultus et machinationes diaboli, quas scilicet ille vobis struit per ministros suos, Haereticos, Philosophos, Judaeos ac caeteros impios. Quod interpres hoc loco vertit insidias, cap. 4. verterat circumventionem, Hieronymus et Ambrosianus versutias legunt.
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12. Quoniam non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem. Graece, lucta adversus sanguinem et carnem. Hieronymus quoque sanguinem carni praeponit. Quanquam mutatus ordo sensum non variet. Sed adversus principes et potestates. Graece, sed adversus principatus, adversus potestates. Atque ita Hieronymus, quod paulo significantius dicitur. Adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum. In Graeco una composita dictio est xoo/xoxpaTOpac, ut si dicasmundipotentcs; quomodoDeum confitemur TravuoxpaTCpa, id est, omnipotentem: putatque Hieronymus ab Apostolo compositum esse vocabulum, ut quod alibi nusquam legatur. Augustinus quidem serm. 8. de verb. Dom. et in enarrat. Psal 54. atque alibi (quo longius, ut opinor, ab haeresi Manichaeorum recederet) mundum interpretatus est amatores hujus mundi; tenebras autem eos, qui, sicut Apostolus loquitur superius cap. 4., tenebris obscuratum habent intellectum, alienati a vita Dei per ignorantiam et caecitatem cordis sui, de quibus dixit cap. 5. Eratis aliquando tenebrae. Etenim horum omnium principem esse diabolum, nemini dubium est. Atque hunc commentarium alii plerique secuti sunt, a quo nec Graeci multum recedunt, dum mundum et tenebras interpretanlur mundanas et tenebrosas actiones, id est, mala opeia, quorum auctores ac daces sunt daemones. Quem sensum etiam commentator Ambrosianus tradit. At vero, si conferatur hic locus cum eo, qui est cap. 2. hujus ejusdem Epist, ubi diaboluai vocat principem potestatis aeris hujus; sane videbitur alius sensus probabilior ac magis germanus: quo nimirum daemones sub principe diabolo mundi rectores appellentur, eo quod, cum per naturam et ab initio suae creationis principes et gubernatores essent totius mundi corporei, eaque potestate mox ob culpam superbiae privati sint; postea tamon iterum, idque in poenam hominis transgressoris, uti dictum est, potestatem acceperint (tametsi divino arbitrio limitatam) in mundum hunc inferiorem, sive ad tentandum homines, sive ad nocendum eis per creaturas humanis usibus servientes. Ad quod significandum additur, tenebrarum harum; ut haec pars sit expositio mundi, qua declaretur cujus mundi rectores vocet daemones: ne putentur significari rectores seu principes totius universitatis rerum corporearum, quae generalius nomine mundi solet intelligi. Igitur daemones vocat mundi rectores, scilicet tenebrarum hujus saeculi, hoc est, mundi hujus caliginosi. Sic enim vocatur turbulentus hic mundus inferior, comparatione superioris, qui perpetua semper et purissima luce refulget. Vocatur autem non hic solum, sed etiam ab Apostolo Petro 2 Epist. cap. 2. vers. 4. in Graeca lectione, et a Juda Apostolo suae Epist. v. 7. Quin et a Cicerone lib. 1. Tusc. qq. hic aer inferior nebulosum et caliginosum coelum appellatur. Nobiscum sentit Prudentius PoSta Theologus in Hamartigenia. Cujus versus, quibus hunc Apostoli locum reddit, quia luculenti sunt, adscribo. Non mentem sua membra premunt, nec terrea virtus Oppugnat sensus liquidos, bellove lacessit: Sed cum spiritibus tenebrosis nocte dieque Congredimur, quorum dominatibus humidus iste, Et pigris densus nebulis obtemperat aer. Scilicet hoc medium, coelum inter et infima terrae, Quod patet ac vacuo nubes suspen- dit hiatu, Frena potestatum variarum susti- net, ac sub Principe Belial rectoribus horret iniquis. His colluctamur praedonibus; ut sacra nobis Oris Apostolici testis sententia prodit. Haec Prudentius. Facit hic commentarius ad illustrandum etiam alia Scripturae loca; velut Joan. 12. 14. et 16., ubi diabolus a Christo vocatur princeps hujus mundi; propterea quod, ut ait Augustinus lib. 2. de serm. Dom. in monte cap. 14., merito suae perversitatis rebus istis terrenis praepositus sit; id est, quod potestas ejus ad res istas terrenas redacta sit et coarctata. Nam alioqui non merito malitiae ejus, sed transgressionis humanae, data est illi hujusmodi potestas. 1 Cor. 2. Daemones vocantur principes hujus saeculi. Item 2 Cor. 4. diabolus vocatur Deus hujus saeculi, et Luc. 4., ubi diabolus, etsi mendax et pater mendacii, non tamen omnino mendaciter secundum Ambrosium, dicit ea omnia, quae Christo monstrabat, sibi tradita esse. Quae quidem Scripturae testimonia de mundo isto inferiori, quatenus hoc saeculo durante subservit usibus hominum, intellecta, nihil habent difficultatis.
Contra spiritualia nequitiae in coelestibus. Apostolus praepositionem non mutat. Habet enim emphasim difficilis pugnae praepositio npOQ, id est, adversus, quinquies repetita; sicut et legitur apud Hieronymum. Porro tota hac sententia ab eo loco, quoniam non est nobis colluctatio etc, explicat Apostolus id quod dixerat, adversus insidias diaboli, ubi statim occurrit quaestio: Si non est nobis lucta contra carnem et sanguinem, quomodo alibi dicit Gal. 5. Spiritum concupiscere adversus carnem, laudat que eos, qui carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis. Unde est et illud vulgatum: Sunt tria, quae tentant hominem, mundus, caro, daemon. Adversus quae omnia utique nobis omnibus pugnandum est. Quidam respondent, supplendam hoc loco particalam, tantum; nt sensus sit, non tantum adversus carnem et sanguinem nobis luctandum esse, verum etiam adversus principatus et potestates etc. Sic Cajetanus post Aquinatem; et ante eos Bernardus serm. ultim. de omnib. sanctis. Alii sic Apostolum exponunt: Non tam contra carnem et sanguinem instituta nobis est pugna, quam contra potestates adversarias, quae per carnem et sanguinem eos infestant. Hunc quoque sensum adfert Thomas ex Hieronymi commentariis. At idem Hieronym. etiam hunc indicat sensum: pugna, quae nobis est cum potestatibus adversariis, id est, daemonibus, adeo gravis est et periculosa, ut ea, quae contra carnem et sanguinem suscipitur, cum hac collata, facilis ac nullius momenti. videatur: tantae sunt daemonum vires, tamque variae fraudes et machinationes. Hunc sensum etiam Prudentius in Hamartigenia aliquot versibus expressit, quos paulo ante recitavimus. Verum, ut alia praeteream, omnes hi commentarii in eo videntur deficere, quod carnem et sanguinem interpretan tur vel carnalem concupiscentiam, vel membra corporis, in quibus hujusmodi concupiscentiae sedes est. Qua tamen significatione caro et sanguis in Scripturis non accipiuntur; sed tantum caro solitarie posita. Nam carnis et sanguinis nomine significari solet in Scripturis homo mortalis et corruptibilis, utMatth. 16. Caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi. 1 Cor. 15. Caro et sanguis regnum Dei possidere non possunt. Gal. 1. Continuo non acquievi carni et sanguini, et Hebr. 2. Quia pueri communicaverunt carni et sanguini, et ipse, scilioet Christus, communicavit eisdem. Rectius igitur Theophylactus et Hervaeus atque alii recentiores hunc sensum reddunt: Non est nobis lucta cum hominibus, qui mortales sunt et infirmi; bellum nobis non est cum hostibus corporeis, ut arma corporea hic requirenda sint; sed cum hostibus incorporeis et immortalibus, iisque valde potentibus, id est, daemonibus; ad quod proinde pugnae genus opus est armis spiritualibus: hanc enim, ut dictum est, vocat armaturam Dei. Sed etsi homines mali bonos oppugnant, non tamen ea oppugnatio reputanda est ut corporalis, sed ut spiritualis; quia per illos tanquam instrumenta diabolus electos Dei spiritualiter oppugnat. Unde et illa solvitur quaestio: Cum non a daemonibus solum, sed etiam a mundo et carne oppugnemur; quare solos spirituales hostes, hoc est, daemoaes, in hacEpistola nominavcrit Apostolus? Ideo nempe, qu;a diabolus non solum per se suosque ministros angelos apostatas, tentat homines; verum etiam per mundum et carnem, quibus velut instrumentis et auxiliis utitur, ut homines suae potestati subjiciat. Ita docet Augustinus, hoc etiam loco allcgato, in sermone 8. de verbis Domini: Non est, inquit, nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, id est, adversus homines, quos videtis saevire in nos. Vasa sunt, alius utitur. Organa sunt, alius tangit. Immisit se, inquit, diabolus in cor Judae, ut traderet Dominum, Joan. 13. Sic ille. Et quidem hac ratione omnis peccati tentatio in diabolum a patribus referri solet; sicut ostendimus in 2. Sent. dist. 21. Vocat autem Apostolus daemones nominibus ordinum angelicorum, e quibus ceciderunt, dicens, adversus principatus et potestates; quemadmodum et fecit Rom. 8. et 1 Cor. 15., videlicet sub paucis nominatis caeteros ordines comprehendens. Sed idcirco speciatim principatus et potestates, ac memoratis locis etiam virtutes seu fortitudines nominavit, quod daemonibus propter hominis transgressionem, per quam factus est obnoxius diabolo, multa adhuc potestas in his inferioribus relicta et permissa sit. Eo namque pertinet, quod sequitur. Itaque contra spiritualia nequitiae in coelestibus sic intellige: Contra spirituales nequitias, sive contra spiritusnequam, versantes in hoc aere: nam et in Evangelio daemones vocantur spiritus nequam. Graeca vox, quam interpres nequitiam vertit, malitiam cum versutia conjunctam significat, vitium daemonibus usitatissimum. Adscribitur autem naturae nomen, spiritualia: ad insinuandum, quod daemonum tanto major est malitia, quanto natura nobilior; quemadmodum S. Thomas bene explicat. Per coelestia vero propinquum nobis aerem hoc loco intelligi, recte probat Hievonym. ex altero hujus Epist. loco, cap. 2., ubi principem potestatis aeris hujus legimus. Idem eodem modo probat Basil. in homil., quod Deus non est auctor malorum. Ethaec, inquitHieron., omnium doctorum opinio est, quod aer iste, qui coelnra et terram medius dividens, inane appellatur, plenus sit contrariis fortitudinibus. Notum quoque est, coelum pro aere in Scripturis frequentissime sumi; unde volucres coeli, pluvia coeli etc. Nam quod Graeci, Cajetano suffragante, docent, in coelestibus idem valere, quod pro coelestibus, seu propter coelestia; quasi significetur hanc colluctationem nobis esse contra daemones, non pro rebus terrenis, sed pro regno coelorum; pia quidem expositio est, at non germana. Neque sane hujusmodi interpretationem Graeca praepositio admittit. Et cum in hac Epistola saepius legatur illud, in coelestibus, sicut in primo capite annotavimus; nusquam tamen ita accipitur, ut Graeci hic volunt. Dictum est autem Hebraea phrasi, spiritualia nequitiae in coelestibus; id est, spiritus nequam, qui versantur in isto coelo aereo: sicut dictum est Gloria in excelsis Deo; id est, gloria Deo, qui est in excelsis.
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13. Propterea accipite armaturam Dei. Repetitio est superioris exhortationis. Quoniam, inquit, tanta e&t hostium nostrorum, cum quibus pugnandum est, potentia atque malitia; prcpterea assumite armaturam Dei, quam vobis hic subministro, eaque vos induite.
Ut possitis resistere in die malo. Diem malum intelligit diem periculosum, id est, tempus tentationis, praesertim ejus, quae movetur ab hostibus fidei. Sic Psalm. 40. In die mala liberabit eum Dominusj id est, periculo eum eripiet, et supra in hac Epistola: Redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt. Non potest intelligi dies extremi judicii, quod velle videtur Hieronym., nam ille dies justis non erit malus, sed exoptatus, juxta illud, quod de tempore appropinquantis judicii dicit Dominus: Levate capita vestra, quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra, Luc. 21. Sed neque tunc resistendi tempus erit, quia nec pugnandi; resistit enim, qui patitur adversarium. Repetit ergo diversis verbis, quod ante dixerat: ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli. Eodem pertinet, quod sequitur: Ei in omnibus perfecti stare. Graece ad verbum est: Et omnia perfecti stare; vel, ut habet Hieronymi textus, et universa operati stare. Nam Graecum participium, ut et verbum ipsum, potest active et passive sumi; quemadmodum ex Graecis scriptoribus facile est ostendftre. Signirlcationem activam reddunt suis commentariis Graeci interpretes et Hieronymus. Sed et Cyprianus Epist. 6. lib. 4. alias Epist. 56. citat ad hunc modum: Vt cum omnia perfeceritis stetis. In eundem sensum vertit Erasmus, et omnibu8 peractis stare. Nonnulli etiam codices MSS. sic habent: et omnibus perfectis stare, id est, cum omnia perfeceritis. Secundum hos igitur sensus Apostoli est: Et ut posteaquam omnia, quae boni militis sunt, perfeceritis, stare et subsistere possitis, ne parta semel victoria vobis effluat e maaibus. Hoc enim posteriori modo Graeci exponunt, sed sensu satis coacto. Hentenius autem vertens Oecumenium, et Theophylacti interpres reddunt: et omnibus devictis stare. Hanc enim versionem auctores ipsorum postulant. Sed non videtur rectus commentarius, quoniam istud devictis ad personas pertinet; Apostolus autem dicit arcavTa, omnia. Caeterum nostram lectionem habent Ambrosianus, Primasius, Haimo: denique uno Hieronymo excepto Latini omnes; cui et Syrus interpres favet, dum ita vertit: Et postquam praeparati fueritis in omni re, consistatis. Nec vero obstat, quod in Graeco legitur omnia, non in omnibus: nam ex consuetudine Graecae linguae in talibus subauditur praepositio xaTa: quemadmodum in illo versiculo Psalm. 38. universa vanitas homo vivens, id est, per omnia vanitas est etc. Ita hoc loco omnia perfecti, id est, per omnia et in omnibus perfecti; quemadmodum etiam Faber et Sasboldus interpretati sunt. Proinde sensus est: Et ut omni armatura sufficienter instructi ac praeparati, stare possitis in pugna contra hostes, et non cadatis aut loco cedere cogamini. Hic sensus optime quadrat scopo Apostoli et respondet ei, quod jam supra dixerat, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli.
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14. State ergo succincti lumbos vestros in veritate. Universam armaturam militis Christiani partibus exponit, incipiens a cingulo seu baltheo militari. Igitur, inquit, state in praelio circumcincti lumbos vestros spirituales veritate, tanquam baltheo. Per veritatem intelligi videtur fides c.c sinceritas in verbis et promissis, quomodo veritas in Scriptuiis frequenter sumitur; ut allusio sit ad illud, quod de Christo cecinit Jesaias cap. 11. Et erit justitia cingulum lumborum ejus, et fides cinctorium renum ejus, ubi pro fide LXX. transtulerunt veritatem.
Et induti loricam justitiae. Id est, justitia sit vobis pro lorica seu thorace militari. Ut autem justitiam a veritate distinguamus; intelligi potest justitia in operibus, sicut veritas in dictis, sic enim in citato Prophetae testimonio videntur distingui. Similis metaphora est 1 Thess. 5. Induti loricam fidei tt charitatis, et Jes. 59. Indutus est justitia, ut lorica. Legitur et Sap. 5. de Deo judice: Induet pro thorace justitiam, sed ibi justitia peccatorum vindex intelligitur: quae significatio non convenit huic loco.
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15. Et calceati pedes in praeparationem Evangelii pacis. Graece, in praeparatione. Sicque Hieronymus et Ambrosianus legunt, et codex Laudensis, ac Biblia Sixtina. Subauditur autem, Evangelii pacis, annuntiandi, aut quid simile. Sensus est: Et pedes sint calceis spiritualibus muniti, ut parati sitis ad perferendum Evangelium pacis ad infideles. Evangelium Christi vocat Evangelium pacis; quia pacem et reconciliationem cum Deo adfert hominibus. Alludit autem Apostolus ad locum Jes. 52., quem et citat Rom. 10. Quam speciosi pedes evangelizantium pacem, evangelizantium bonal Per calceos ergo studium Evangelii propagandi videtur significare.
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16. In omnibus sumentes scutum fidei. In omnibus, etiam verti potest, super omnia; quemadmodum legunt Ambrosianus et Hieronymus. Atque ita verterunt Erasmus et Hentenius. Juxta nostram versionem sensus est: In omnibus praedictis, scilicet veritate, justitia et praeparatione Evangelii, pro scuto assumite fidem Christianam. Hac enim indigent omnia illa, ut illaesa permaneant. Ila Theophylactus. Alii referunt ad tentationes, ut sensus sit: In omni tentatione scutum fidei opponite adversariis. Si legamus, super omnia; sensus erit, ante omnia ac praecipue scutum fidei sumendum esse ac manu tenendum in hac pugna. Sensum hunc probabilem facit similis locus Coloss. 3., ubi post enumeratas aliquot virtutes subjungit: Super omnia autem haec charitatem habete. Nam et ibi Graece est sicut hoc loco, lizi naoiv. Cur autem super omnia necessarium sit scutum fidei, sequitur:
In quo possitis omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere. Tela, Graece peXfy jacula: quemadmodum et Hieronymus legit. Ignea, Graece participium est ignita. Sicque legunt Hieronymus et Ambrosianus. Apud eosdem pro superlativo nequissimi, positivus es: maligni, sicut in Graeco. Noster interpres superlativum maluit, ut vitaret amphiboliam, quae futura erat, si vertisset, omnia tela nequam ignea. Quam tamen non evitavit, quando Matth. 13. sic vertit, zizania filii sunt nequam. Est enim istud nequam utrobique genitivus. Quanquam et alias in similibus superlativum amat interpres loco positivi, qui in Graeco legitur. Unde toties apud eum legimus carissimum et dilectissimum, pro caro et dilecto. Subinde vero pessimum, optimum, maximum, pro malo, bono, magno. Loca annotavimus ad illud Rom. 11. Carissimi propter patrez. Porro nequissimus, sive nequam, sive malignus, haud dubie diabolus intelligitur hoc loco: quemadmodum et Matth. 13. verbis jam citatis atque etiam in oratione Dominica, qua dicimus: Sed libera nos | a malo. Diabolus enim xqct' l^oyjjM ico- VTjpog, id est, malus idemque versutus, i passim in Scripturis appellatur. Sensus Apostoli est: Quo scuto fidei excipere, repellere et extinguere possitis omnia ignita jacula variarum tentationum a diabolo immissa, quibus ille corda hominum incendit, inflammatque ad peccandum. Recte vim istam extinguendi ignita adversarii tela fidei tribuit Apostolus; nihil enim efficacius ad superandas diaboli, carnis et mundi tentationes, quam si quis i fidem suam diligenter exerceat, ac frequenter ante mentis oculos ponat bona nobis in futurum promissa, quae nec oculus vidit etc. Quod qui serio facit, facile contemnit omnia praesentia seu bona seu mala, per quae tentator diabolus blanditur aut terret. Hoc modo Sancti per fidem fecerunt ea, quae multa et magna commemorantur in Epist. Heb. 11. Porro simile illud Petri 1. Epist. 5. cui resistite fortes in fide, quasi dicat: fide tanquam scuto repellite adversarium vestrum diabolum. \l.Et galeam salutis assumite. Graece: Et galeam salutaris accipite. Quoniam autem ipse Christus alibi vocatur salutare, ut in cantico Simeonis: Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum; hinc nonnulli, inter quos Cajetanus, galeam hanc Christum interpretantur, qui est salutare nostrum, quique merito pro defensione capitis assumitur, quia omnis viri caput Christus est 1 Cor. 11. Verum alii probabilius ex ipso Apostolo petunt hujus partis interpretationem, dicitenim 1 Thess. 5. Induti galeam spem salutis. Quocirca per galeam salutis seu salutaris, spes futurorum bonorum videtur accipienda. Quae qua ratione caput nostrum, a quo principium est actionum, id est, intentionum nostrarum, adversus ictus diaboli muniat et conservet, ex iis, quae proxime de fide dicta sunt, satis intelligitur. Nam illic fides intelligitur spe comitata.
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Et gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei. Hactenus arma defensiva militi Christiano suppeditavit Apostolus; nunc gladium porrigit, quo hostem percutere possit; gladium, inquam, spiritus, quod est verbum Dei. Ambiguum est in Graeco, num ad gladium referri debeat, an ad spiritum, vocula relativa neutri generis o, quod; mutuatur enim genus suum a nomine postposito p'^ua. S. Basilius lib. 5. contra Eunomium cap. 11. refert ad spiritum, probans ex hoc loco, non solum Filium, sed et Spiritum S. esse verbum Dei, illum patris, hunc filii. Verum communis interpretum consensus adgladium, seu potius ad totum istud complexum, gladium spiritus, refert, idque convenientius. Ut sensus sit: Et gladium S. Spiritus, id est, a Spiritu S. subministratum accipite ac manu tenete, quem gladium interpretor verbum Dei; ubi Apostolus per verbum Dei non praecise intelligit Scripturam sacram (ne quis hinc perverse colligat, omnibus Christi militibus necessariam esse sacrae Scripturae lectionem), sed more Scripturae ea, quae sunt divinitus ad salr.tem nostram revelata, quae potissimum svmbolo Apostolico continentur: quatenus, inquam, ea creduntur a nobis. Itaque censet ApostoJus ad debellandas adversarias potestates et expugnandas mundi cupiditates, accipiendum esse gladium spiritualem verbi Dei, quod fide tenemus. Eo namque certissime persuasi, quae praemia bonos, quae supplicia malos in futuro saeculo maneant, in pugna fortes efficimur. Quod qaidem potentius fiet, si exemplo Christi etiam ex ipsis sacris literis sententias adversus tentatorem proferre noverimus ac dicere: Scriptum est. Quidam huc allegant illud Hebr. 4. Vivus est enim sermo Dei et efficax, etpenetrabilior omni gladio ancipiti etc. Sed ille locus, ut ex consequentibus patet, de verbo increato, id est, Filio Dei, debet intelligi.
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18. Per omnem orationem et obsecrationem orantes omni tempore in spiritu. Postquam armis spiritualibus instruxit Ephesios, docet nunc, a quo fortitudinem et felicem pugnae eventum exspectare et petere debeant; nimirum a Deo per assiduas orationes. Sensus est: Et haec facite, multis orationibus et obsecrationibus Deum assidue precantes, ut vos pugnantes adjuvet et victores faciat; idque non solum voce, sed quod praecipuum est ac per se necessarium, in spiritu, hoc est, cum devoto cordis affectu. Sic enim 1 Cor. 14. accipitur: spiritu orare et spiritu psallere. Quid Apostulo sit: semper, omni tempore, sine intermissione orare, diximus Rom. 1. et alibi. Est enim orare quum frequentissime, nec alio sensu dictum est a Christo Salvatore Luc. 18. oportet semper orare. Ob>ecratio ab oratione diftert ut species a genere; significat enim orationem cum obtestatione per aliquid sacrum: tamesti discrimen hoc in Graeca dictione minus appareat, ut potius videatur Apostolus inculcatioue usus ad vehemeatiam exhortationis, quam discrimen aliqucd istarum vocum attendisse. Nam et alibi fere indifferenter has voces usurpat. De quibus rursum vide nostrum Commentarium Phil. 4, 6. et 1 Tim. 2, 1. Repetitur eadem dictio in sententia proxime sequenti, ac pro ea Hieronymus et Ambrosianus modo precem, modo obsecrationem legunt.
Et in ipso vigilantes in omni instantia et obsecratione. Graece, et in ipsum hoc: vel mollius, in hoc ipsum. Sic enim paulo post eadem Graece vertit ipse interpres, quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum. Consonat Ambrosiana lectio. Sensus autem est: Et ad hoc ipsum, ut assidue Deum oretis, in spiritu vigilantes magna cum instantia, sedulitate, et, ut Ambrosianus legit, perseverantia. Opus est enim vigilia ad assidue orandum, juxta illud Christi Matth. 26. Vigilate et orate ne intretis in tentationem. Vigilare autem non potest, qui cibo potuque repletus est: unde ex consequenti sobrietatem sub nomine vigiliae comprehendit et commendat Scriptura.
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19. Pro omnibus sanctis et pro me. Referendum hoc vel ad participium orantes, vel potius ad proximum nomen, obsecratione. Sanctos, intelligit fideles; humilitatis autem est, quot se post alios nominet, uti Theophylactus observat. Ut detur mihi sermo in apertione oris mei. Declarat, quid pro se orari velit, ut inquit, dum os meum aperio, causa Evangelii detur mihi sermo: prout sequitur: Cum fiducia notum facere mysterium Evangelii. Id est, quo libere, confidenter et intrepide annuntiem, notumque faciam hominibus Evangelium Christi; quod est mysterium olim absconditum, maxime quoad vocationem gentium, sicut dixit cap. 3. Pro fiducia Graece est izapprfiia, quae vox ingenuamlibeitatem agendi vel loquendi significat: unde Ambrosianus legit cum libertate. Tarticulam hanc cum fiducia seu libertate quidam praecedentibus jungunt, facientes hujusmodi sensum, ut detur mihi sermo, quo os meum aperiam confidenter et libere. Verum aptius cohaerere videtur cum sequentibus sensu jam explicato.
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20. Pro quo legatione fungor in catena. Potest etiam verti super quo, ut materia legationis significetur, quae est ipsum EvaDgelium. Pro quo causam finalem significat. Cujus, inquit, Evangelii gratia fungor hac Apostolica legatione; sed in vinculis propter eandem legationem jam constitutus; ideoque mihi vestris precibus opus est. Hoc nimirum pro se fieri postulat, quod pro Petro in vincula conjecto et periclitante Ecclesiam Jerosolyinitanam fecisse testatur Lucas Act. 12. illis verbis: Oratio autem fiebat sine intermissione ab Ecclesia ad Deum pro \eo. Simul insinuat, jus gentium, quod legatos vult haberi illaesos, in se, summi principis legato, eoque salutifero, viola- Lum esse. Docet hic quoque locus, e vin- 2ulis scriptam esse banc epistolam.
Ita ut in ipso audeam prout oportet me loqui. Ita non additur in Graeco, nec apud Ambrosianum. Est autem haec pars)rdinanda cum illa superiori, cum fiducia notum facere mysterium Evangelii; et jensus est: Ut in eo, scilicet Evangelio oublicando pro munere meae legationis, iudacter et libere agam; sive, ut habet A.mbrosianus textus, exserta libertate utar, [oquens sicut oportet me loqui. Sentit Ipostolus, divini muneris esse, ideoque i Deo petendum, ut quis, prout oportet, /erbum Dei loquatur. Unde et Esther Deum orasse legitur, ut tribueret sermoiem compositum in ore ipsius, cap. 14.
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21. Ut autem et vos sciatis, quae 'irca me sunt. Id est, quae ad me perinent, quomodo res meae habeant, ut alii rerterunt. Quid agam, in carcere contitutus, omnia vobis nota faciet Tyhicus, carissimus frater, et fidelis milister in Domino. Minister, Graece 6\a- >ovoc, et quia addit in Domino, id est, n his, quae ad Christum Dominum perinent, non male hinc colligitur, Tychi- Cuil. Eitii Comm. Tom. II. cum sacra ordinatione diaconum -fuisse, sicutbabet breve argumentum vulgo praefixum huic Epistolae.
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22. Quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum, ut cognoscatis, quae circa nos sunt. Id est, quis rerum nostrarum sit status. Et consoletur corda vestra, ne animis deficiatis ob tribulationes meas, quas pro vobis et pro Erangelio patior; quemadmodum dixit cap. 3. Pro consoletur verti etiam potest exhortetur. Ex hoc officio consolandi sive exhortandi recte conjecturam accipit Cajetanus, Tychicum fuisse spiritualem ministrum Ecclesiae. Notandum autem verba haec ab eo loco, ut autem et vos sciatis, omnia pene eadem haberi sub finem Epistolae ad Col. Ex quo satis apparet, banc Epistolam eodem loco et tempore cum illa scriptam simulque missam fuisse; quemadmodum bene colligit Hieronymus.
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23. Pax fratribus, et charitas cum fide a Deo Patre, et Domino Je*u Christo. Subaudi. sit, vel augeatur ac multiplicetur. Claudit Epistolam imprecatione praecipuorum bonorum ac donorum Dei, quorum tranquilla poesessio pax est. Charitas cum fide, charitas sit fidei conjuncta, fidem infoimans et ad operationem excitans. Multi enim fidem habent, sed non cum ea charitatem. Quanquam aliis charitas cum fide perinde valet, ac si dixisset, charitas et fides. Unde ex Loc loco probat Augustinus lib. de donu persever. cap. 17. fidem esse donum Dei per Christum. Quod ait, a Deo Patre, intellige, ut auctore et largitore, et a Domino Jesu Christo, ut mediatore, qui per crucem suam haec omnia bona nobis promeruit. Loquitur enim de Christo secundum assumptam naturam. Quodautem dicit fratribus, et non vobis; innuir, se cupere banc epistolam etiam aliis per Asiam Christianis communicari.
6:24
24. Gratia cum omnibus, qui diligunt Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum in incorruptione. Amen. Gratia complectitur omne genus beneficentiae divinae pertinens ad salutem vitae aeternae. Eam precatur omnibus diligentibus Christum in incorruptione; id est, pure et sancte, cum vitae castimonia, et absque corruptelis libidinum. Hoc enim adjecisse videtur propter discipulos Simonis magi; qui cum execrandas turpitudines exercerent, tamen Christum se diligere profitebantur. Itaque modum ostendit Apostolus, sine quo Christus non vere diligitur. Et hunc sensum probabilem reddit, quod et alibi libidines corruptionis nomine significantur, ut 1 Cor. 3. Si quis templum Dei corruperit, corrumpet illum Deus, sic enim in Graeco est. Item 2 Petr. 1. Fugientes ejus, quae in mundo est, concupiscentiae corruptionem, et in Epistola Judae: Quaecunque autem naturaliter norunt, in his corrumpuntur. Quae quidem duae epistclae Petri et Judae adversus ejusdem Simonis scholam conscriptae sunt. Hypographe Graecorum codicum huic Epistolae subjuncta sic habet: Scripta e Roma ad Ephesios per Tychicum.
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S : ; : E uo8ouAtay ws &yÜpr&osoxot, 4AA’ Ds dodot X proto zotoüvces TO GéAnpa Tos (9900 £x buys, 7. uez'e)yotac dovhevovtes ws x Kooto xal oux avlownzors, 8. eibOvec Ot. Éxaovoc dy ct noron ayaldv, coUxo xou.ícecat napà IKuptov, Y Aa ny sr 39 , » A" [- , elte dohos, elte &Aeu0cpoc. 9. Kat ol xüptot Tù AÙTĂ mOtelte TPOS AYTOÝG, QAVLÉVTEŞ Ci illis, remittentes minas; scientes quia ef | amneikiyv, ctðotes Ozt xol avtõv xai buğv ó illorum et vester Dominus est in coelís; et | Kúpiós £oxt èv odgavolg xxi xpoaxoAnudia personarum acceptio non est apud ewm. 09x Éatty Tap AUT. « Ab officio coniugum transit ad mutua officia filiorum et parentum »; ita Est. indicat nexum verbis quidem iusto amplioribus: Nam neque officium coniugum in antecedentibus est expositum — multo plura erant praecipienda — neque in subsequentibus declarantur mutua officia, nisi pauca quaedam. Apostolus itaque, uli de viro et muliere, ita nunc de reliqua familia summa quaedam capita breviter tradit. Et filiis quidem praecipit obedientiam parentibus exhibendam. Quod additur in - Domino (deest in aliquibus testibus BD'FG) iam Origenes (cat.) et Hier. monent ambigue esse dictum, utrum pertineat ad parentes an ad obedite. Sed certe ex modo quo apostolus loqui solebat 5,22, non dubium erit quin describatur illud obedite, cuius obedientiae ratio el fundamentum pariter habetur in Domino et quae obedientia pertinet ad vitam illam in Domino agendam, in unione cum Domino, in eius exemplo et doctrina fundatam. Indirecte et ex necessaria conseculione sequitur in rebus pravis quae praeciperentur nullatenus esse obediendum. At non hoc, sed quo animo obediendum sit, apostolus directe indicat. Ullerius commendat obedientiam : hoc enim iustum est, natura (ọúcs:) iustum est et a lege praeceptum est (Thph.); id exigitur, ut a quibus vilam acceperimus, obedientiam iis reddamus (Es!.); dein generalim 3/xzio» est quod voluntati Dei congruit. Et iustum esse, i. e. lege Dei praescriptum, probat apostolus v. 2 ex decalogo, honora (Ex. 20, 12. Deut. 5,16) « quod mandatum in decalogo quintum est » (Hier., ergo considerat ut speciale mandatum : non facies tibi sculptile, prout alii quoque numerant); quod est mandatum primum in promissione, èv, simul cum promissione : cf. 4,19. Col. 4,2. Sensus obvius est : huic mandato prae aliis primo loco adnexa est promissio. Atque haec acceptio a plerisque proponitur. Sed iam Hier. monet : « sed videntur mihi non observasse subtilius, et in secundo mandato repromissionem esse sociatam »; verum mox ipse advertit, ad mandatum illud « non facies tibi sculptile » non tam promissionem datam, quam sententiam in laudes Dei esse finitam. Et revera Ex. 20,3.6 : ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, fortis, zelotes elc., maiestas divina, uleiscens malum, faciens misericordiam diligentibus Deum, describitur ad timorem et reverentiam mandatorum excitandam. Neque verbis istis continetur promissio specialis, sed communis el quidem tam comminatio quam promissio. Quarto aulem mandato additur primo promissio propria et specialis (Lap.). Alii, uli Ambrst. Pelag. Thom. monent esse hoc mandatum primum scil. in secunda tabula, quae de hominibus mandata cónlinet. Sed si dicitur primum in promissione, ubi est secundum, tertium? vix poterit cogitari de mandatis et promissionibus postea promulgatis; neque valebit quod Hrer. coniectando ponit : « forsitan quia decalogus exeunti de Aegyplo populo prima lex data est, unumquodque mandatum decalogi primum mandatum est appellatam ad compara- "lionem eorum praeceptorum, quae postea in lege conscripta sunt Quare alii &vco)*, moot explicare malunt mandatum eximium, praestans (Hpt. Ew.). At certe retineri poterit sensus obvius : non primum ordine, sed promissione (Chrys.). Promissio est temporalis, indoli veteris legis congrua,
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v. 3 ut bene sit tibi et sis longaevus, nam viri sanguinum et dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos (Ps. 54,24); monent graeci eam promissionem quam maxime pueris convenire ; quid enim iucundius pueris quam diu vivere (cf. Chrys. Thph. Oec. Euth.)? promittitur itaque morigeris vita felix et diuturna in terra. Haec promissio ab apostolo adducta ad mandatum commendandum vero aliquo sensu debebit etiam valere pro tempore novi foederis. Adnotat quidem Hier. : « multos fuisse credendum, quiet parentibus - obsequentes cito mortui sint, et in parentes impii usque ad extremam venerint senectutem » ; unde vult «non iudaicum et carnale esse promissum ». Sed ob oculos habendum erit, bona temporalia promitti vere quidem, non tamen absolute et pro omni casu ; virtuti et obedientiae non deerit praemium; deficiente terreno succedet excellentius et sublimius. Ceterum recole : pietas autem 7, òè cocé£feww, ad. omnia ulilis est, promissionem habens yitae quae nunc est et futurae (4 Tim. 4,8). Uti filiis incumbunt officia erga parentes, ita vicissim parentibus erga filios. Ad hane quasi aequalitatem officiorum designandam pergitur
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v. 4 et vos patres, v, napopyičete ne exacerbate filios vestros, nimia scil. severi tate; ne abutantur sua in filios potestate ; « parentibus moderatum iubetur imperium, ut non quasi servis, sed quasi filiis praeesse se noverint » (Hier.). Prohibitioni adiungitur quid illis praestandumsit, sed educate illos in disciplina et correptione Domini, « quam correptionem nos légimus, melius in graeco dicitur vov0ecíz quae admonitionem magis et eruditionem quam austerilatem sonat » ( Zier.). Institutionem et admonitionem talem tradant quae sit Domini, conveniens Chrisli doctrinae, talem qualem Dominus tradi vult. Anceps est vox zabela, disciplina ; dicit institutionem, eruditionem, admonitionem, sed etiam castigalionem, correplionem, obiurgationem, ut Lap. Est. recte notant ; cf. Hebr. 12,5-11 adhibetur zo:síz hac notione. Bonum itaque filiorum spectare debent ; maximus thesaurus quem filiis relinquunt, est bona educatio, ut Lap. monet. : Praeter coniuges et filios servorum quoque virtus confert ad domum constituendam et administrandam ; propterea beatus Paulus ne hanc . quidem partem neglexit (CArys.);
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v. 9 servi, obedite dominis carnalibus toic xatà coxa, dominis temporalibus, qui secundum normam carnis, normam terrenam, mundanam, domini sunt; cum timore et tremore; ait quidem Jer. : ubi tremor est, metus non sonabit reverentiam, sed timorem ; id quod certe verum est. Atsimul adyerti oportet apostolum ea dictione saepius uli; ipse fuit apud Corinthios in timore ac tremore multo (4 Cor. 2,3); exceperunt Corinthii Titum cum timore et tremore (2 Cor. 7,15) et demum monet fideles : cum metu et tremore vestram salutem operamini (Phil. 2,12). Commendatur accurata quaedam sollicitudo in servitio praestando coniuncta cum timore, quo omnis negligentia arceatur, in simplicitate cordis vestri, animo simplici, recto; candide, non fraudulenter, sincere, sicut Christo, in isto servitio agnoscite obsequium et servitium Christo praestandum, qui talem obedientiam exigat. Memoria Christi et respectu habito ad eius exemplum etdoctrinam conditio servilis evadit minus onerosa; servus jam est servus Christi et ut talis magna cura sua subit munera; cf. Col. 3,24 : Domino Christo servite. Iam istud óc «o Xe: magis declaratur
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v. 6 non ad oculum servientes uh xat’ òghahpodovhtav, minime sit obsequium ad oculos exhibitum, scil. praesente solum et vidente domino, quod absente hero vel non advertente negligeretur et omitteretur; quibus satis est solum in conspectu herorum facere officium, vel solum laudem eorum carpere aut poenam averlere, hi agunt quasi hominibus placentes, hi unice student hominibus placere, totum reponentes in approbatione hominum. Non ita sentiant servi fideles : sed ut servi Christi, sese considerent servos Christi, Christo obsequium exhibentes; quod omnino verum est; nam facientes voluntatem Dei, est voluntas, praeceptum Dei, ut servi obediant heris; et hoc Dei praeceptum impleant ez animo ix Yuyňs, non mere coacte, sed libenter, sincere, diligenter, sicuti solent agere, quibus aliquod negotium revera cordi est. Idque enucleatius proponitur v. T eum bona voluntate wexà. e)voízs, animo benevolo servientes, non gravate, morose, 164 EPH. 6,7-9. sed animo bene, amice composito ; et obsequium consideretur oportet praestandum sieut Domino et non hominibus; ad altius itaque erigendi sunt mentis oculi; homines sunt quasi oblivioni dandi; v. 8 scientes bene animo intelligentes, pro quovis bono si quid praesliterit, unumquemque accepturum mercedem a Domino síve servus, sive liber; im iure civili servis vix ullum ius concedebatur; apud Deum autem aequali ratione aestimantur servi et liberi secundum sua cuiusque opera. Magnum pro miseris mancipiis, qui non ut homines sed ut instrumenta con- - siderabantur, in re christiana solatium ! Interpres acatholicus, Ew. opportunum censet suos lectores monere, istis tamen verbis. nullatenus mercedem nobis propohi tamquam rationem ob quam agamus.] Demum instruit dominos et facit duo : ponit monitionem, subdit rationem (TÀom.);
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v. 9 et vos domini eadem facite illis, tà «0x4, quo sensu? Chrys. pet eivoíac 8ouAcóeze, at non dixit 8ovAsóece, quamvis dicens tà &oz& hoc indicavit; nam el dominus servit; servit enim quodammodo dominus curam gerens servorum, cibos el vestes praebens (Thph. Euth.); eadem facite, scil. identitate proportionis, ut sicut illi ex animo et bona voluntate, ita et vos faciatis (TAom.), eadem, non opere et officio, sed modo et proporlione (Est.). Et eius animi benevoli documentum erit : remiltentes minas ut omittant comminationes, ne servos cum acerbitate et severitate adhibeant, ne sint minabundi; Chrys. ph goptixot unòè inay0siQ vívec0e ne se exhibeant importunos, molestos, onerosos. Cur aeque ac benevole servi tractandi sint, ralionem affert apostolus quam didicerunt ac norunt fideles : scientes dominorum et servorum dominum esse in coelis; unum habent dominum coelestem servi et dominus, et dominus ille coelestis suorum omnium curam gerit; proinde vindicabit iniuriam servis illatam. Vult coelestis ille Dominus aequitatem servari et iustitiam ab omnibus; omnes ipse quoque aequa lance iudicat, et personarum acceptio non est apud eam; partium studio minime tangitur, neque vir nobilis ideo apud eum valet quia nobilis est; non personas respicit, sed personarum opera et merila; cf. Act. 10,34. Col. 3,95. Germina ponuntur ad servitutis duritiem tollendam et ad penitus tandem servitutem abolendam. Ceterum vide Col, 4,4. -nos sunt, e£ consoletur corda vestra. , E ~ PS 9x0t006 TOÚTOV, TPOS tà TYEUUATIZA Tis TOUS x0cU0xpáropae toU , 2 ~ 3 r € ON ~ Tovnolas €» toig éroupaviote. 13. ra Ttotto &yxAAÉeve THY mavonhiay toð (JeoU, tva ðv- S a NE E e UNE DUM vr7zce &vvrocijvat év tÅ huipa vij xovnp& xai e , = - ATIVTA xXvepyaoxusvot ovTjwat. 14. orte kg ` 2 x~ ~ , ? , 09» xsptzosauevot THV 099v buy ey aanÜsta: xai iyOuouevov Toy. Üu paza Ts Orxatogóvine, 15. xai bro0ns&usvot obe xd0ag &£y Exotua- 7] D y i: Y cia toU euayyeA(ou vij; etpr|vre. 16. ¿v x&oty , ^ ` S , ToS &va Xa Bovzes TOv ÜuosÓv vijd niotews, êv © ðvvijaeoUs mayta và. BENN x09 xovrjooU. xà Tervpopéva césar 17. xai THY mepuxegaAa(ay z PE e Um ; s TOT dwrnpiov 0ifacÜs, xal THY páyarpav ToS EST. z t Ze ` xyeüp.avos, 0 otv jua Ocot. 18. drà naons TARAG 7 : ^ xp0Gzvj Tic xai Oersce TPOTEVYOULEVOL ÈV TAVTÌ ostendit qua virtute debeant uti ad praecepta haec implenda, inia fiducia auxilii divini (Thom.). Quod supra pro fidelibus efflagitavit (3,16), nunc eis in memoriam revocat, neque enim quis/suis viribus confidere debet; quare finem impositurus epistolae scribit
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v. 10 de cetero, fratres, (N B D E, Hier., editiones criticae non habent hanc allocutionem) confortamini in Domino, in unione et coniunctione cum Domino quaerite vires; origo et fons confortationis vestrae est in potentia virtutis eius, est in robore, in potentia robusta illa quae Christo propria ei inest. Quomodo hoc robur acquirendum sit et quantopere eo indigeant propter adversarios potenlissimos explicatur v. 11-18. Utitur apostolus imagine bellica; robur illud sunt ipsa arma quae Deus nobis dat
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v. 11 induite armaturam Dei -x«vozXía» completam armaturam, quam Deus suis militibus suppeditat, haec armatura describitur per singula a v. 14: veritas, iustitia, fides etc. ; talibus aulem praesidiis divinis oportet esse nos instructos, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli «o»e tàs ws0o8ctac cf. 4,14 artes, fraudulentias, quibus utitur pro sua malitia et. astutia diabolus; vertit Hier. contra versutias diaboli, vel adinventiones ; 4 Tim. 3,7 loquitur apostolus de laqueo diaboli ; item 2 Tim. 2,26; frequentius Pro c03 kotrot (quod praebent N'AB et editiones criticae) codices plerique et graeci xq ue habent to XAXotxóv, 2 dictione apostolus saepius utitur. 1/Cor. 7,29; 2 Cor. 13,11 ; Phil. 3,1; 4,8; 1 Thess. 4,1; 9 Thess. 3,4; toU XotxoU legitur umm Gal. 6,17 notione : posthac, in posterum. Certum est tò Xotzdy esse particulam transitionis: ceterum, de reliquo, quod superest. Quod si attenditur, 6,10 toù Ao:xo9 polius recte vertitur: posthac, seu in posterum confortamini in Domino, et ita vertendum esse omnino postulant Henle, Belser; alii tamen monent, hanc explicationem aptam non esse, scil. utin posterum seu in futurum confortentur, ac si neque antea neque nunc studium adhibeant ad eiusmodi confortationem perveniendi; unde putant toù Ao:zoj eodem sensu posse accipi quo tò Ao:zóv et hoc loco id exigi (cf. Hpt. Ew.). Hoc loco ergo . potius altera lectio erit adoptanda, quae certo magis sensui congruit qui ad hunc locum convenit. Cfr. Zorell, N. T. lex. gr., S. V. onog 3: Tali autem armatura completa a Deo nobis data indigemus,
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v. 42 guoniam non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem (.Hier., ut graece, et Hebr. 2,14, adversus sanguinem et carnem), i. e. adversus homines iisdem nobiscum affectibus imbutos et eiusdem nobiscum potentiae (óuorgalets xci icoðvyduovs, Thph.); adversus tales certamen, seu colluctatio aequis fere viribus institueretur. Plerumque fertur 4viv, at aliqui testes (BD*FG, al.) praebent wiv non est vobis c. (Ambrst.), id utique ad allocutionem v. 14 induite aptum est, quae admonitio etiam in v. 43.14 seq. continuatur. Adversarii nobis obsistunt hominibus longe potentiores : sed. adversus principes, àc3; (principatus, 3,10. Rom. 8,38. Col. 2,15) et potestates, adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, qui imperium exercent in mundo profano et tenebris vitiorum obnubilato; sunt quasi imperatores tenebrarum harum ; cf. 5,41 opera tenebrarum ; vide Ioan. 12,31 ; 14,30 princeps mundi huius, et 2 Cor. 4,4; contra spiritualia nequitiae contra spiritus quorum indoles est xovaoíz iniquitas, pravitas, cf. Luc. 16,8; zvsvuatıxà dicuntur in oppositione ad carnem et sanguinem. Indoles horum adversariorum describitur verbis tenebrarum et nequitiae; eorum potentia nominibus ipsis satis declaratur; regio in qua versantur, assignatur in coelestibus £y «oic txovgavíos Hier.: « non quo daemones in coelestibus commorentur, sed quo supra nos aer hoc nomen acceperit; unde et aves quae volitant per aerem, volucres coeli esse dicuntur » et vide 2,2. Sed hic polius designantur talia quae non perüneant ad regionem hanc nostram terrestrem, sed ad regionem sublimiorem, supramundanam, quorum commoralio non regione terrestri concluditur, sed quae quasi ex alio mundo in nostram impugnalionem se dedant. Alias enumerat apostolus &oyàc, étoucíac, ðuvduets (Rom. 8,38; 4 Cor. 13,24); suntne xospoxpdrtopeç hoc loco, qui alias Suycuerc dicuntur? potius tamen nomina illa duo (xospoxpdtopeçs et mvevpatxa) addita esse videntur ad indolem spirituum illorum exhibendam, ita ut non quattuor ordines angelorum apostalarum seu daemonum designentur, sed duo. Et hoc loco angeli apostatae intelliguntur, ordines yero angelorum beatorum nominantur 4,24 et 3,10. Attende apostolum ita loqui, ut appareat. impugnationibus quoque et infestationibus quae ab hominibus inferuntur ad fidem et pietatem fidelium evertendam subesse altiores potestates daemoniacas. Neque enim dicit : non solum contra homines, sed etiam contra daemones est pugna. Frequenter alias quoque apostolus meminit impugnationum daemonum, Rom. 16,20 Deus pacis conterat satanam sub pedibus vestris velociter, et 1 Cor. 7,9; 2 Cor. 2,11; 4,4; 4 Tim. 3,6; 4,1; 6,9; 2 Tim. 2,26. Ipse Christus etiam monet de insidiis satanae cf. Matth. 13,19.39; 12,43-45. Luc. 11,24; 22.31 ecce satanas expelivit vos, ut cribraret sicut triticum. Unde similiter indicatur, in omni impugnatione regni Dei satanam suas agere partes et malis hominibus uli tamquam suis ministris, sicut in « portis inferi » omnis impugnatio regni Dei comprehenditur. Matth. 16,17; 4 Cor. 15,50; Gal. 4,16; Hebr. 2,14. Insuper hic patet sensus de hominibus infirmis ex ipsa oppositione. Graeci (Chrys. Thph. Thd. M. cat. p. 217, Euth.) explicant : pugna est in coelestibus ; non certatur de pecuniis, iy voi; éxovpavíotz, avti vo0 Ünip vw Emoupaviov, non certatur de gloria, zept 90£nc, non certatur de terrestribus zsoi éxtyeiov, sed propter coelestia belligeramus ; Chrys. et Thph. ponunt : tò yàp èv avti x09 orip, fot xal toð 0:4, propter, 9d tà éxovpdwia. Graecis e latinis suffragatur Cai. et in paraphrasi lust. quoque ;"« pia quidem expositio, at non germana », ut recte Est. ait. Dictionem bene declarat Ephraem scil. ad discretionem ponendam inter principes corporales et spiritales, et provocat quoque àd locutionem : volatilia coeli. í Contra tam polenles adversarios monet apostolus
6:13
v. 13 propterea accipite armaturam Dei, navonhiav, ut possitis resistere in die malo, periculoso, quando pugna instat; prius est audacter resistere, non fugam circumspicere ; alterum est et in omnibus perfecti stare, cf. v. 114; in omni eventu fortiter pugnando stare, ġnavta xacvep[aoipsvor, universa operati ( Hier.) postquam omnia fecistis quaead pugnam subeundam requiruntur; indicatur ex subsequentibus, postquam arma illa singula induerunt, omnem ergo praeparationem ad certamen feliciter aggrediendum perfecerunt. Graeci quidem explicant xaceeyxtec0gt voce &veAeiv (cat. p. 218, Chrys.\, xatanohspeiv, xa0eXsiv (Thph.) debellare, auferre ; scil. ut victoria capta stent; nam multos post victoriam ilerum cecidisse. Quae tamen explicatio saltem contextui non satis congruit. Fortiter stare oportet in proelio; $1 autem hostes debellati sunt. et prostrati, quid sibi vult illud stare? De periculo casus futuri nulla hic fit mentio. Legit Cyprianus : el cumomnia perfeceritis, stelis (cf. Est.) ; ex annotationibus Luc. brug. apparet, codices aliquos vulg. praebere : omnibus perfectis; uti similiter Victorinus habet: omnibus effectis. Num perfecti supponit lectionem xate:pygowévo: ? : Qualiter praeparati et armati esse debeant, declaratur
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v. 14 state ergo succincti lumbos vestros ?n veritate, prima praeparatio ad opus subeundum est vestes talares seu oblongas, ne impedimento sint, contrahere et cingere ad lumbos; unde qui succincti lumbos stant, parati sunt et expediti ad opus viribus collectis. Talem praeparationem habent fideles in veritate, in veritate iis tradita per evangelium ; cf. 4,43 in doctrina et exemplo Christi (4,20). Hanc itaque veritatem religiosam firmiter relineant, sicut qui iter faciunt, seu operantur cingulum adstrictum servant, siculi milites cingulo militari accepto ad pugnam progrediuntur. In hac pugna spirituali primum est, ut vera fides, veritas evangelii ronstanter servetur, ut veritatis luce ac robore continuo pugnantes dirigantur ac roborentur. Pugna est ineunda cum diabolo, qui in veritate non stetit, qui mendax est et mendacium loquitur ; ergo qui translati sunt in regionem ac regnum veritatis, hisce armis diabolum prosternere debent (ef. Ioan. 8,14). Cingulum vel zona apud orientales ornamentum habebatur; eo numero nobis sit veritas. Praeter veritatem seu veram fidem fideles stent in acie induti loricam iustitiae, induti sint ea iustitia quae valeat.apud Deum (cf. 4,24); hac obtecti et protecti firmum habent munimentum contra impetus «zc zovne'ac (v. 12). Adverte similitudinem loeutionum Is. 11,5 et erit iustitia cingulum lumborum eius et fides cinclorium renum eius, at LXX xo &)mÜüsía sÜvmuévos ce mXsopdc, et 59,17 indutus est iustitia ut lorica, et Sap. 5,19 induet pro thorace iustitiam. Uti pugnatores retinent thoracem, loricam, ita fideles sedulo caveant, ne peccato loricam iustitia e abiiciant; qui enim est in statu gratiae, huie praesto sunt abundantiora auxilia gratiarum actualium. Neque nudis pedibus proceditur ad proe - lium; unde
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v. 15 et calceati pedes in praeparatione evangelii pacis. Dicit Chrys. &aagíateoóv» nws xo9co sptar, minus dilucide hoc dictum est; ipse dein explicat: praeparatio evangelii est vita optima, Bíog &piscoc, seu bona opera (Thph.); ergo promptos nos esse oportet ad ambulandum, ad vivendum secundum evangelium pacis, vel paratos nos esse. oportet ad evangelium pacis praedicandum ; utrumque proponunt graeci, afferentes ex 1s. 52,7 : speciosi pedes evangelizantium pacem. El eodem modo accipiunt verba Thom. Est. Lap. Tust. Nat. ; dicitur evangelium pacis, quia pacem et reconciliationem cum Deo affert et generatim omnia bona pacis, salulis, felicitatis praebet. Cumapud LXX pro hebr. v2» etc. saepius ponatur &cou.zc/x, aliqui eam notionem voci eliam hoc loco adscribunt : in munimentum evangelii (cf. Zust.), quae tamen explicatio est longe petita et a notione graecae vocis sat aliena. Etiam priorem explicationem alii non admittunt, utpote contextui contrariam, quo arma describantur ad resistendum daemonibus (cf. Ew.). Unde interpretantur : sint prompti ac parati ad pugnandum vel ad firmiter progrediendum contra daemones ea promptitudine quam evangelium, fons pacis, largitur; fortiter pugnat? pro bonis quae evangelium pacis praestat; hanc promptitudinem dat evangelium pacis (cf. Henle, Bels. Ew.). Discrimen est in acceptione £v &cox.xsía toù sùayyshiov, in praeparatione quam dat evangelium, vel quae fit pro evangelio (genitivus Subiectivus vel obiectivus). Ad contextum aptatur utraque acceptio. Nam etiam prior illa non ita explicanda est quasi de solis agatur docto - ribus, verum valet de singulis fidelibus, ut firmo gressu contra impetus hostiles progrediantur ad profitendum evangelium, ad testimonium pro eo exhibendum verbo et opere. Nam hoc evangelium quam maxime expositum iri astulae impugnalioni patris mendacii, quis negabit? ecce iam in paradiso evangelium Dei impugnavit serpens mendacio: non moriemini. Neque improbabile est apostolum, uti alludere videtur ad Is. 41,5 et 59,17, ita ex Is. 52,7 inductum esse, ut et pedes et evangelium pacis insereret. Aliqui cum hoc membro iam sequens zn omnibus coniungunl, sed vix apte. Ad arma et munimenta militum pertinet scutum,
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v. 16 i» omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, «ov 0vcsov, recle dicilur scutum, quod est formae maioris et oblongae ad totum corpus protegendum; magnum hoc scutum est fides, cz níotews est genitivus appositionis. Fides nobis proponitur ut protegens in omnibus, quam semper quasi praesentem habere et qua nos in quovis periculo tueri debemus : èv «4s: habent N B et complures.versiones veteres, ¿nù xàetv plerique codices; ém x4ecv explicat Thph. : àv toù in veritate, in iustitia, in praeparatione evangelii ; ergo indigent. Et qualem vim fidei adscribat apostolus, discimus : in quo possilis omnia tela nequissimi cou xovnoo) diaboli, ignea exstinguere, iacula maligni ignita (Hier.); tentationes et impugnaliones variae bene dicuntur iacula ignia, quibus animos hominum diabolus, & xovapóc (cf. Matth. 13,19.39) incendere et inflammare ad peceandum conatur. Superandas esse eius suggesliones fide, nos docuit Christus verbis illis quibus daemonis suasiones repulit : non solo pane vivit homo, Deum adorabis et illi soli servies etc. Sagittis ignis seu ardentibus maximae designantur difficultates fidelibus a daemone obiectae; sed haec est victoria quae vincit mundum et principem, seu deum huius mundi, fides nostra (cf. 1 Ioan. 5,4; 2 Cor. 4,4). — Recital Wetsten. ad hunc locum complures veterum locos de sagittis ignitis seu malleolis. Scutis corio obtectis malleolos esse exstinctos probatum assumit Abbott, negat Ew. I» v. 17 apostolus mutata constructione ponit verbum finitum 8££z60«, nisi quis mavult sententias ita ordinare : state succincti, induti lorica, calceati, scuto arrepto, et accipite galeam et gladium ; ita tandem zavozAíx declarata est; et galeam salutis assumite, cf. Is. 59,17 galea salutisin capite eius : dieitur de Iahve qui suis allaturus est salutem ; ea imagine utitur. . apostolus 4 Thess. 5,8 induti loricam fidei el caritatis et galeam spem salutis. Salus est salus messiana, et galea est ipsa haec salus, quae illis a Christo allata est ; hac itaque salute, firma eius apprehensione, sollicita eius praeservalione el custodia (ne peccato amittatur), firma quoque et laeta spe eiusdem salutis aeternae sese muniant, caput protegant atque ornent; capul quasi principium aclionum et intentionum hac salute et eius spe praeprimis dirigatur et custodiatur oportet. Lorica, scutum, galea sunt arma ad tegendum ; arma' ad nocendum et ad aggrediendum indicantur : et gladium spiritus, gladium scil. non ex ferro confectum, sed gladium qualis congruit spiritui, seu quo laedi, vulnerari, prosterni possunt spiritus ; et talis gladius est verbum Dei, 6 tomv bua @coŭ, scil. quodvis verbum seu effatum Dei, neque enim ñua simpliciter dieitur, uti AóYoc, de evangelio, sed, uti bene Lap. exemplo explicat : hoc gladio Christus vicit et ingulavil. daemonem tentantem et oppu gnantem. Sententiis ilaque ex revelatione divina, seu ex s. litteris, utpote ex verbo Dei, depromplis utendum est ad spiritus nequitiae debellandos; cf. Is. 49,2 posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum, et. 11,4 spiritu labiorum suorum interficiet impium et 2 Thess. 9,8 : revelabitur ille iniquus à Zvopoc, quem Dominus Iesus interficiet spiritu oris sui. « Vide beati apostoli prudentiam ; armavit eos diligentissime : quomodo postea oporteat Regem invocare et rogare, ul manum porrigat, docet » Chrys.) ; ita fideles armis instructos ad Regem nunc adducit, ut eius auxilium efflagitent
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v. 18 per omnem. orationem (ik néons mpocsoye, TANS THY mxOoAXn» syet, Euth.) et obsecrationem orantes omni tempore, frequenter et sedulo et libenter: quandocumque opportunitas conceditur aut necessitas exigit; nam qui assidue aliquid facit, semper id facere vulgo dicitur ; n spiritu, ita ut animus orantis altiore principio, gralia Dei imbutus oret (cf. Rom. 8,26 spiritus adiuvat infirmitatem nostram; ipse postulat pro nobis), tum enim oratio non est oratio labiorum, sed ex pio cordis affectu, ergo etiam hoc sensu im spiritu; porro ut eo modo oretur e£ in ipso, xoi siç «ðtó et ad hoc, ad orandum uti oportet et ut dictum est, vigilantes, omni cura attendentes ne quid omittatur aut negligatur ; et oratio fieri debet in omni instantia, & ndon nposxaptephost, in omni perseverantia; sicut Act. 1,14 xpoexxptepo)vve; perseverantes ; Rom. 12,12 ; Col. 4,2, et demum oratio eliam consistere debet in obsecratione pro omnibus sanctis, ergo non pro nobis ipsis solum est orandum (ThpA.); assignatur secundum Thom. septima conditio bonae orationis, ut sit caritativa. Etiam aliorum salus nobis cordi esse debet, sicut Christus nos docuit orare : panem nostrum da nobis, dimitte nobis, non dixit mihi. Observa Pauli humilitatem : ultimo loco se ponit; et quid dicis, Paule? opus habes discipulis (Chrys. Thph.)?
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v. 49 et pro me, ut detur mihi sermo ^ro; ut Deus det mihi sermonem aptum, verba pro personarum varielate el conditione plane convenientia, en apertioneoris mei, ut Deus aperiat os meum (Lap.) cum fiducia i» mappnoia, in confidentia laeta notum. facere mysterium (evangelii),
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v. 20 pro quo legatione fungor im catena, cf. 3,1; iam in quem finem desiderat, ut sibi detur sermo (quotiescumque laeto animo annunliat mysterium)? tva èy «cQ Tappnodowpat ut in eo (in mysterio) laete et libere agam, prout oportet me loqui ; ut cum omni laetitia et libertate loquatur prout oportet. De singulis nota: sermo, AóYo;, certe non est occasio loquendi neque facultas seu possibilitas loquendi. Provocari potest ad Col. 4,3 ut Deus aperiat nobis ostium (0úpav) sermonis ad loquendum mysterium Christi ; at quidquid est de hoc loco (de quo postea agetur), àóyos in nostro loco non est úpa cov ^óvo». Porro, cum apostolus habeat profundam cognitionem mysterii evangelii (1,8 seq. 3,3), Jóyoz sermo non potest esse materies seu argumentum loquendi ; quare nil aliud relinqui videtur, nisi ut accipiatur sermo, qualis pro singulis conditionibus quam maxime aptus sit; cf. Matth. 10,19 dabitur vobis quid loquamimi. : Quod in versu 19 legitur ¿v xzopnsíx Yyvooísx, dependere non potest a sententia ut detur mihi sermo; nam sic conslitueretur tautologia mo- lesta, cum tandem in v. 20 sequatur tva iv aJt mxppnstisownx. Unde debebit àv. x. yveo!ez: arcte adnecli ad immediate antecedens £v àvof£st toi otópatós uo», ut declaretur ad quid el quomodo loqui desideret, et £y aco: melius refertur ad in apertione oris mei ; pelit itaque, ut detur sibi sermo, quando in laeta fiducia os aperit ad annuntiandum mysterium, vel talis sermo qui enuntietur in laeta liberaque oris apertione ad mysterium praedicandum. Vitari quidem posset tautologia illa, si in v. 20 tvz referretur ad sententiam relativam : pro quo legatione fungor in calena; at sensus minime placet; nam apostolus vix. diei potest esse legatus in catena ea praeprimis intentione, ut laetus et liber versetur et gaudeat in re ac negotio mysterii. Hoc tva etc. cum addito ôç 8ci us xoa multo aptius explicat, in quem finem sermonem sibi dari velit. : - Unde patet ex hoc loco neutiquam sequi quod Hpt. vult, apostolum in ipsa annuntialione esse impeditum el apostolum petere, ut Deus sibi det robur ad praedicandum cum omni libertate sine ulla trepidatione mysterium evangelii; ac si apostolus ipse sentiret aliquem timorem et pavorem et iam non versaretur in laeta illa animi fiducia, verum simile quid experiretur quod expertus est 4 Cor. 2,3 et 2 Cor. 7,5. At si verba textus accurate expenduntur, nihil tale deprehenditur. Petit potius effectum et successum praedicationis quam magna animi laetitia et libertale exercet. Ad hunc enim finem petit, ut detur sibi sermo, prout oporlet eum loqui, i.e. sermo aptus ad persuadendum et qui omnibus eliam prodat magnam animi sui laetitiam et libertatem. Hac se carere, nullo modo innuit; e contra potius explicite asserit se aperire os èv xaopnsíz; et ipsa locutio aperlionis oris hanc libertatem affirmat ; cf. Iob 3,1; 33,2; Prov. 8,60; Eccli. 24,2; 51,33. Ez. 33,22. Matth, 5,2 et praesertim 2 Cor. 6,11 de libero sermone dicitur tò ecóuz tuv &véovev Toç $usc. Vides multum interesse, ut v. 19 rite concipiatur. Epistolae finem imponit;
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v. 21 ut autem et vos sciatis «X xat ué, quod idem esse videtur, ac quid agam «t zp4sco ; de sociis in hacepistola non EPH. 6,21-24. 113 est sermo, unde «4 xat’ ik£ ad eos nequit applicari, quare de conditionibus solum sermo est in quibus versetur Paulus et ideo coincidere potest cum altero quid agam, idque suadetur etiam, quia sine xa adiungitur «í picco. Difficultas est, quomodo intelligendum sit xoi óucic. Certe nequit . assumi tacita oppositio ad Paulum : ut ego comperi de vobis, quid ageretis, ita et vos de me. Nam Paulum quidquam de iis audivisse, quid agerent, non apparet ex epistola; quod legitur 1,15.16 huc non pertinet. Alii putant apostolum haec scribentem ob oculos habuisse Col. 4,7 quae circa me sunt, omnia vobis nota faciet Tychicus. Sed, etsi apostolus antea scripsisset epistolam ad Colossenses, tamen qui legunt epistolam nostram vel audiunt lectam, non cognoscunt illum nuntium, neque illa epistolae verba. Facilius suppletur : et vos, sicut alii fidelium coetus, quibus epistolas et nuntios misi — omnia vobis nota faciet Tychicus, cuius magnam laudem et commendationem adiungit zz 8:íxovoc èv Kogío fidelis minister in opere et negotio Christi, et qui iis perferat tà zept huõv, uli alias quoque apostolus a singulari ego transit ad pluralem nos (cf. Rom. 3,7.8. 2 Cor. 1,13.23; 2,11 etc.). Praeterea missus est Tychicus, ut consoletur corda veslra, ui admoneat et exhortatione confortet animos, de usu ac notione xxpaxaAeiv vide 1 Cor. 14,31; 16,15. 2 Cor. 8,6; 9,5. Demum adprecatur simili modo, uti in aliis epistolis :
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v. 23 pax fratribus, adprecatio salutis ex Christo exemplo : pax vobis! dicite: pax huic - domui; et caritas cum fide augmentum harum virtutum iis adprecatur a Deo Patre est Domino Iesu Christo, «igitur et caritatem et fidem sic - Pater praestat ut Filius; et haeresis obmutescit, quae non vult eadem Filium posse quae Patrem » (Zier.). Sequens Origenem (cat. 224) pacis encomium “Hier. quoque celebrat: «inter dona pax non minimum possidet locum, quae superat omnem sensum et custodit corda et intellectus sanctorum, serenitas quaedam atque tranquillitas animae quiescentis et universam tempestatem et turbinem perturbationum fugans ». Tandem adprecatur omnibus
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v. 24 gratia cum omnibus qui diligunt Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum in incorruptione iv à0zcoí4, de qua voce et notione satis ambigitur: Rom. 2,7; 4 Cor. 9,25; 15,42 surget in incorruptione, 15,52 mortui resurgent incorrupti, 4 Tim. 1,17regi saeculorum &90Xevo, vulg. immortali et cf. Sap. 2,23; 12,1 et 1 Pelr 1,4; 3,4 ; nunquam adhibetur de puritate seu integritate morum ; unde explicatio : diligere pure . (Est. Lap. Nat.) iam excluditur. Ad notionem accedit quod. inter alia habet Oec.: caritas erga Christum debet esse X90«pcoc, &y.efooc ; eliam "Chrys. 0xip zv &g0docov, Thph. 9x tà ğgðapra Christum diligere propter bona incorruptilia, qui simul monent : 7, pst) àg0zpoía virtus est immortalitas, incorruptio. Hi itaque vocem referunt ad diligere, uti ex recentioribus Henle, Bels. Christum diligere ág0dozec, cáritate nunquam interilura, constanter permanente. Alii, diligere Christum qui est in immortalitatis gloria, proposuerant ; in ea notione videtur requiri articulus cv iv ág0xocío; alii demum iungunt ydpu... èv &g0epcía. gratia simul cum immortalitate, à» ponitur etiam de conditione concomitante, uti 4,19 (cf. Ew. Hpt.). Quae est ipsius apostoli sententia? Paulo ipso interprete opus esset ad rem certo declarandam ! COMMENTARIUS 1,41. Paulus et Timotheus, servi Iesu 1,1. IIa9Xos xai 'Tudüsos, 609X0t Xptoxo3 Christi, omnibus sanctis in Christo Iesu | "Iqaoü mot coic &yíot; iv. Xotovó) Ingos qui sunt Philippis, cum episcopis e£ diaco- | toig ooots èv DU xxo(e oby éxtoxóxotc xai òtamibus. 2. Gratia vobis e£ pax a Deo Patre | xóvots. 2. y&ot bpiv xal eiprivn nò cod nostro et Domino Iesu Christo. xa&t00e hpv xal xuplou '"Insoü Xproroð. Pd Páulus in inscriptione sibi adiungit Timotheum socium; ita quoque 2 Cor. Col. Thess. Philm. Timotheus Philippensibus bene notus erat; cum Paulo apostolo primo ad eos venit et iis evangelium annuntiavit (Act. 16,3; 17,15); ab Epheso postea per Macedoniam Corinthum missus (Act. 19,22. 4 Cor. 16,10) probabilissime Philippenses quoque adiit; et cum Paulus postmodum versaretur in Macedonia, cum eo erat Timotheus (2 Gor. 1,1); iterum cum Paulus a Graecia per Macedoniam iter institueret in lerusalem, inter eius comites erat Timotheus (Act. 20,3,4); iis occasionibus ecclesiam philippensem esse salutatam' ab apostolo videtur satis probabile (cf. Act. 20,6). Timotheus insuper, uti 2,19 indicatur, mox miltetur ab-apostolo Roma Philippos, unde iam in inscriptione epistolae eum cum honore nominans Paulus eum Philippensibus commendat. Sed verum est, quod Cai. Est. advertunt, collegam eum sibi adiungit non quoad-epistolam, sed quoad salutationem dumtaxat; Timotheum non esse quasi socium scribendae epistolae, stalim patet 4,3 seq., cum Paulus de se solo loquatur et 2,19. Paulus in hac familiari epistola titulum apostolatus non affert; designalionem seligit sibi et Timotheo communem. Neque cum Oec. dicendum est eum usum esse nomine omnibus communi. Nam, uti in vetere testamento Moses, Iosue, prophetae titulo honoris servi Domini vocabantur, ita pariter in novo testamento. « servus Iesu Christi» declarat specialem quamdam dignitatem et munus peculiare in obsequio ac ministerio Christi..Id palet iam eo, quod haec designatio non est nomen omnibus fidelibus commune 5 nunquam fideles simpliciter vocantur servi^Christi ; aliud est, ubi sermo fit de servis 1 Cor. 7,22; Eph.6,6; 1 Petr. 2,16 — verum est titulus ministerii Christi; cf. Rom. 4,4; Col. 4,12; 2 Tim. 2,24; Tit. 1,1; quippe qui in publico ministerio praedicandi evangelii Christo serviant 2S Est). alutationemt mittit omnibus sanctis, consecratis Deo, a mundo profano segregalis; quam consecralionem ad distinctionem a populo Israel (pariter sancto, uli olim. dicebatur) habent in Christo Tesu, in coniunctione cum ipso, ei per baptismum inserti (Rom. 6,4) sim.4 Cor. 4,2 hyrxcuévors £y Xpwo "Ioo?. Singulare est quod omnibus nominatis peculiaris mentio fit aliquorum cum episcopis et diaconibus — explica a forma eliam quandoque usitata, diacon diaconis, Gregor. ep. 3,94; Cod. Theod. 12,1,49 et 163; Commod. instr. 2,20,1 (cf. Lexic. lat.); in cod. am. 1 Tim. 3,12 diacones — cur hi speciali modo nominentur, rationem satis iam assignant Oec. Thph. Est. quia hi in muneribus ac subsidiis Paulo mittendis potiores partes egisse censendi sunt. Cur episcopi nominentur in numero plurali, graeci explicant assumenles eo nomine designari presbyteros; « ulrumque enim nomen habebant illo tempore » ait Theod. et provocat ad Act. 20,17.28; item ad Tit. 4,5-7 ; et Chrys. ait: « quid hoc? unius civitatis mulli erant episcopi? nequaquam; sed presbyteros ila nominavit; tunc enim adhuc nomina erant conimunia et ipse episcopus vocabatur diaconus » et eodem modo TAdM. (cf. Swete . I, 199), Oec. Thph. Tust. Lap. Nat. M.). Alteram responsionem suggerit Est., epistolam mitti non ad solos Philippenses, sed simul ad vicinas civitates quae. suos habeant episcopos. Quae lamen responsio neque inscriptioni «oic o9ctv &y POtzo neque compellationi 4,15 óyeic Qum ái: salis congruere videtur. Prior itaque responsio est retinenda. Nam ex novo testamento sufficienter apparet, nomina. illa promiscue esse adhibita. Apostolus vocat «Mileto mittens Ephesum tovs xeeofiuzécouc «s &x)vmsíac, eos autem mox alloquitur tamquam £zicxózovc (Act. 20,17.28). In epistola ad Titum mandat ei apostolus : ut constituas per civitates presbyteros, si quis sine erimine estj... Oporlel enim episcopum sine crimine esse (Tit. 4,5-7). Etiam in epistola ad Timotheum pro clero praecepta dans prius solum nominat episcopum et diaconos; postmodum tamen scribit : qui bene praesunt presbyteri, duplici honore digni habeantur (4 Tim. 3,4-13; 5,17). Similis modus loquendi deprehendituriu epistola Petri; nam m«essfvcécove adhortatur : pascite qui in vobis est gregem Domini 2zioxoxo)veec (secundum codices plerosque, et versiones). Et ex iisdem locis S. Hieronymus ostendit apostolum perspicue docere eosdem esse presbyteros quos episcopos idque manifestissime comprobari ; et denuo locis allatis concludit : « haec propterea, ui ostenderemus, apud veteres eosdem fuisse presbyteros quos et episcopos (cf. epist. 69,1460 et ad Tit. 1,5; 5; M.92,656.1193; 26,562 sq.). At postmodum clare effertur distinctio; ita iam in TCI S. Ignatii martyris. ` Bona illis adprecatur v. 2; eodẹm modo Eph. 1,2, quod vide. Aliqui codices (B? D? E K), Oec. Thph. scribunt cwveztoxónoi, et Cassiodorus quoque (Complex. in ep. apost.) scribit: salutat cum Timotheo coepiscopos et diaconos Philippis constitutos ; etiam'in fragmentis veteris latinae versionis legitur coepiscopis. Ex qua lectione Oec. Thph. concludunt soli clero epistolam esse missam. Contra hanc lectionem scribit TAdM. non esse intelligendum sicuti quidam tés putarunt.et prout nos ouuxeso(ocígow scribere consuevimus ; Quod TAdM. hic recte excludit : non ad suam personam dixit tò ov, proposuit Ambrst. : « cum episcopis et diaconibus, hoc est cum Paulo et Timotheo, qui utique episcopi erant, simul significavit et diaconos, qui ministrabant ei ». Ceterum ex usu graeco apud profanos notum est illud sov induere notionem, qua salutantur omnes inclusive, i. e. ut simul includantur episcopi et diaconi. De hoc usu vide Kühner-Gerth, § 431, 2 Anmerkung. Ad notionem ézísxoxog advertendum est quod Dibelius affert, éxícxoxog esse sacri magistratus quoque titulum (Titel von Sakralbeamten); nam in inscriptione quadam (ante tempus christianum exarata) templi Apollinis (Rhodos) I: G. Ins. I. 731 nominantur tres éxtotáco:, unus ypauuateùs iepopvàázwy, dein énioxonoc Tersias Araydpa, dein sex teporotot, et broypapnatevs tepoguAdxov (p. 45). quoque incipit apostolus a’ gratiarum actione
6:1
… 1; 20, 2), of Magnesia (3, 1-2; 6, 1; 13, 2), of Tralles (2, 1-3), of Philippi (4; 7, 1-2), of Smyrna (8, 1-2; 9, 1; cf. A. Casamassa, I Padri Apostolici, Rome 1938, pp. 185-89). The same Ignatius moreover makes explicit affirmations (Smirn. 8, 1; Eph. 6, 1; Magn. 6, 1; Trall. 3, 1; Phil. 7, 12) on the divine origin of the presbyterium as of the diaconate and of the monarchical episcopate (the three grades of the hierarchy of Order). …
6:2
… parents and children on a plane of mutual affection, is sublimated by the positive divine precept that enjoins: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be long-lived upon the earth which the Lord thy God will give thee" (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2-3). This commandment lays the foundations of the well-being of the family, which is an august institution of God.
… 2:21-22; cf. Jude 3, 4; 17, 23). Other directives equally firm in the Didaché (4:13; 6:1; 11:1-2); around 95, in the first letter of Clement (7:1-2; cf. 42); around 100 in that of pseudo-Barnabas (19:11); between 107-17 in those of the martyr St. Ignatius (Eph. 6:2; 9:1; Trall. 9:1); at about the same date, in those of the martyr St. Polycarp (Phil. 7:2).
6:5
This does not, however, prevent him from having to attend to his salvation "in fear and trembling" (Eph. 6:5), conscious of his own frailty and fallibility. …
… It exhorted slaves, it is true, to be patient, resigned, obedient, but at the same time it commanded masters to treat them as brothers, as themselves, because before God there is neither slave nor free (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-24). Moving is St. Paul's letter to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, his runaway slave, received, converted and sent back to his master: "receive him no longer as a slave, …
6:8
… Sodom and will intercede for Abimelech; Ex. 32:11-14; Num. 14:13-20: Moses intercedes for the people; 1 Sam. 7:8 ff.; Samuel; Job 42:8: Job), and of the New (e.g., the plural form in the petitions of the Pater; Acts 7:60; 12:5; Rom. 15:30; Eph. 1:15; 6:8-20; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; Jas. 5:16-18), as well as by the documents of ecclesiastical tradition on the practice of the faithful, both private and liturgical, e.g., the admonition of the Didache, …
6:9
In the New Testament itself, the apostles Paul, Peter and John presuppose or attest the reality of the Ascension or of the presence of the glorified humanity of Christ in heaven (I Thess. 1:10; Eph. 1:20-22; 4:10; 6:9; especially Hebr. 9:24 [and 7:27; 8:1; 10:12; etc.]; I Pt. 3:22; I Io. 2:1). The testimonies are more than sufficient to compensate for the silence of Matthew, who preferred …
6:10
… disturbed equilibrium, painfully stripping himself of whatever belongs to the "flesh of sin" and putting on the new man modeled on Christ (Rom. 7:14-24; 13:12-14; Col. 3:5-8). Hence the Christian must be ready for the fight like a soldier armed cap-a-pie (Eph. 6:10-18), like the athlete, accustomed to harsh exercises, who strikes the enemy (himself) until he draws blood (I Cor. 9:24-27) and is wholly intent on the finish line (Phil. 3:12-14).
… This special providence is all the greater the longer the just man's perseverance in good will be (v. also in this sense the Council of Trent: Denz-U, 832, and various passages of Sacred Scripture, e.g., Phil. 1:3-6; I Cor. 10:12 ff.; Jo. 17:11-16; Eph. 6:10-18; Hebr. 10:32 ff.; I Pt. 5:8 ff.; the petition of the Pater: "lead us not into temptation").
… his seductions (II Cor. 2:11) and violence, against the "synagogues" of the followers of S. (Apoc. 2:9-13; 3:9), against the apostates who return to S. (I Tim. 5:15), the Christian must resist, fight with the weapons of the spirit (I Pt. 5:9; Iac. 4:7; Eph. 6:10-17). Christ has defeated him on the cross and he will be annihilated (Col. 2:15; II Cor. 10:5). God will crush the "ancient serpent" (Gen. 3:15) under the feet of the faithful (Rom. 16:22). …
Hence the perpetual spiritual combat, which transforms the Christian into an "athlete" and a "soldier," fighting until death for an immortal crown (Eph. 6:10-16: the armor of the soldier of Christ). …
6:11
… are summed up in imposture or seduction (Jn. 8:44; 1 Tim. 4:2; Rev. 12:9; 20:9; cf. Acts 5:3-4), by which truth and justice are replaced by sin (Rom. 1:25-27; Jas. 5:19). The Christian must "resist the d." (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pt. 5:8) with "the whole armor" (Eph. 6:11), for the d. is "the prince of this world" (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), he is "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4).
… peace and enjoyment (Mt. 24:38 ff.; I Thess. 5:3). More than in spectacular deeds, the satanic presence and action is inherent, with silent dynamism, in ordinary life (Mt. 6:13; 13:25-28), so that the spiritual combat of the Christian must be incessant (Eph. 6:11-18). The most profound and capillary s. is the apotheosis of man, with the reduction of religion and morality to a free thing. …
… In this way salvation could even sometimes be easier, because graces are like weapons of combat (Eph. 6, 11-17), which, while giving the capacity for victory, do not thereby give the ease of it and do not dispense from the labor of their employment, that is, of correspondence, which with more …
6:12
… Tim. 3, 16). Their number is very great (Heb. 12, 22; Rev. 5, 11). There is also a certain diversity among them; named are: a., archangels, thrones, dominions, virtues, principalities, powers that dwell in the regions above the earth (Eph. 1, 21; 3, 10; 6, 12; Col. 1, 16-20).
… The Antichrist is implicit in the Pauline phrases about the power of darkness that governs this world, a kingdom opposed to the Kingdom of Christ (Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:13; cf. Lc. 22:53) because it is ruled by Satan "prince of this world" (Io. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The Antichrist is characterized by the proud pomp of universal dominion and by imposture. …
… Various scriptural texts (Ez. 28, 14-16; Rom. 8, 38; Eph. 6, 12; I Cor. 15, 24) lead to the conclusion that the rebels belonged to different orders in the celestial hierarchy. …
… XII Patr., Levi 3), of the spirit that now works in the rebels" (Eph. 2:1). His innumerable host includes "the principalities (al āp̄zā), the powers (al ēbōnōn), the rulers of this world of darkness, the spirits of wickedness (that fly) in the lower atmosphere (ἐν τοῖς ἐσονρανίοις)" (Eph. 6:12; cf. Rom. 8:38; I Cor. 15:24), who govern all those who do not belong to God (Io. 15:19; 17:14; I Io. 4:4-5). As ruler of this world, S. has nothing in Jesus, who is not of the world …
… He envelops it, hovering in the air, whence he governs all commands (Eph. 2:11; 6:12). This will last until the final restoration, when Christ victorious will hand over the kingdom to God the Father "after having destroyed every principality and every authority and …
… doctrine and form of life, to which the Christian must be "crucified" and vice versa: Gal. 6:14; cf. I Cor. 7:31); the devil, through whose envy sin, death and unbridled concupiscence entered the world, and against whom one must perpetually struggle (Eph. 6:12).
6:15
… The messianic Kingdom is the kingdom of full peace (Is. 9:6-7; 11:6-9; 24:10; Ex. 34:25). Christ inaugurated peace and is "our peace" (Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 1:20 εἰρηνοποιήσας), he brought to the world the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). Prerogative of these meek soldiers of the "prince of peace": "they will be called" (and they will truly be, according to the Semitic conception that identifies the name with the …
6:18
… giving the poor the surplus of their temporal goods and the poor repaying the rich in goods of a higher order (II Cor. 8, 13-15); the Apostle asks the prayers of his correspondents for himself, for all the saints (that is, the faithful) (Rom. 15, 30; Eph. 6, 18-19), indeed "for all men, for kings and for all who are in high station, so that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life with all piety and honesty. …
6:19
… lion's mouth (II Tim. 4, 17) — sees his own end as imminent (ibid. 4, 6 f.) and awaits salvation only in the heavenly Kingdom (ibid. 4, 18). In the letters of the imprisonment, on the contrary, he manifests confidence that he will be released (Eph. 6, 19 f.; Col. 4, 3 f.; Phil. 1, 25 ff.; 2, 24; Philem. 22).
if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you... and the other in 1 Cor. 3:16: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (cf. Eph. 6:19). In Tit. 3:5 it is said that the Spirit is sent to us by the Father through the Son. Furthermore, the mutual relation of the three divine Persons is clearly signified, in such a way …
… their head and Savior Jesus; it too attaches a value of salvation to the sacrifice accomplished on the Cross by the divine founder; it too employs the terminology in use in the mystery religions: "m. of the kingdom of God" (Mk. 4:11); "m. of the Gospel" (Eph. 6:19); "m. of Christ" (Col. 4:3); "perfect man (τέλειος) in Christ" (Col. 1:28).
6:20
EPISTLES OF THE CAPTIVITY. - The Pauline letters to the Colossians (v.), Ephesians (v.), Philippians (v.) and to Philemon (v.), which presuppose Paul as a prisoner (Col. 4, 3. 10. 18; Eph. 3, 1; 4, 1; 6, 20; Phil. 1, 7. 13 f. 17; Philem. 1. 9 f. 13). The first two, above all, present notable affinities of form and content (v. EFESINI, epistola agli, III).
6:21
The bearer of the letter was Tychicus (4:7 f.), who also had the task of delivering the letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 6:21 ff.); and Tychicus was accompanied by Onesimus, the bearer of the note to Philemon.
… From the second Roman imprisonment Paul (II Tim. 4:12), probably to facilitate Timothy's journey to Rome, sent to Ephesus Tychicus, who had already carried out other missions there (Eph. 6:21 ff.).
Tychicus (Τυχικός « fortunate », Tychicus)
… Lord," sending him to Asia to carry the letter for the Colossians (v.) and the Ephesians (v.) along with other oral news concerning the Apostle, together with the "faithful and beloved brother" Onesimus (v.), the slave of Philemon ([v.] Col. 4:7 ff.; cf. Eph. 6:21 f.). Around A.D. 65 T. was again with Paul on a mission through Greece; here the Apostle arranges to meet Titus at Nicopolis in Epirus, expressing the intention of sending either Artemas …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.