Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 2:11-16

June 5, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
" Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." (Ephesians 2:11-16, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
The New Spiritual Person. Marius Victorinus: Their souls have thus been reconciled to the eternal and the spiritual, to all things above. The Savior, through the Spirit, indeed the Holy Spirit, descended into souls. He thereby joined what had been separated, spiritual things and souls, so as to make the souls themselves spiritual. He has established them in himself, as he says, “in a new person.” What is this new person? The spiritual person, as distinguished from the old person, who was soul struggling against flesh. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.2.14–15.

The Enmity Is Slain in Himself. Gregory of Nyssa: Taking up the enmity that had come between us and God on account of sins, “slaying it in himself,” as the apostle says (and sin is enmity), and becoming what we are, he joined the human to God again through himself. Against Eunomius 3.10.12.

My Comments
In reading these verses of Ephesians, vs. 15-16 really stuck out to me. Specifically this line, “For he himself is our peace… by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.” The second line that stuck out to me was “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity…”

I sometimes worry that much of our church-talk ends up spiritualizing everything to the point that we can turn this life into a mere holding tank for eternal life – that’s when life will really begin. Yet here in the second chapter of Ephesians Paul reveals part of the gospel message that I think is essential. The work of Christ was done in true human flesh, as Marius points out, as the Holy Spirit was joined to human flesh. So to say that this human body is useless just doesn’t hold up. The second is the end result of Jesus’ incarnation and life was to create a new humanity. Jesus did not become incarnate to provide an escape path from the human body (as Gnosticism holds) but rather to restore humanity to what it was supposed to have: full and complete fellowship with God. Part of this was to “make new” the human body into the “true humanity” that was intended by God from the beginning”.

Finally, Paul points out that the atonement wasn’t just simply about going to heaven after you die, but that part of Jesus’ atoning work was to kill those barriers that separated groups of people from one another. This, like every other aspect of the atonement, is only part of what Jesus did, but it is an important part. Thus, the church has the commission to be a part of God’s ongoing reconciliation within the world. Wherever there are people divide from one another, God is at work seeking to reconcile divided peoples because at the end there will be no division amongst people based on any human attribute.

Notes(2)
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–394). Bishop of Nyssa and brother of Basil the Great. A Cappadocian father and author of catechetical orations, he was a philosophical theologian of great originality.

Marius Victorinus (b. c. 280/285; fl. c. 355–363). Grammarian of African origin who taught rhetoric at Rome and translated works of Platonists. After his conversion (c. 355), he wrote against the Arians and commentaries on Paul’s letters.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 139-140.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Ephesians 2:4-10

May 18, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:4-10, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
God Did Not Originally Desire That Any Should Perish. Ambrosiaster: These are the true riches of God’s mercy, that even when we did not seek it mercy was made known through his own initiative…. This is God’s love to us, that having made us he did not want us to perish. His reason for making us was that he might love what he had made, seeing that no one hates his own workmanship. Epistle to the Ephesians 2.4.

He Formed Us Anew as His Members. Ambrosiaster: God made us in Christ. So it is through Christ once again that he has formed us anew. We are his members; he our Head. Epistle to the Ephesians 2.5.

Already Exalted. Jerome: Above he said that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand…. Some may ask how God who has saved us and raised us with him has also made us sit with Christ. A simple response would be indeed that, in the light of God’s foreknowledge, Paul is speaking of what is to come as though it had already been done. … One who understands the resurrection and the kingdom of Christ spiritually does not scruple to say that the saints already sit and reign with Christ! Just as a person may become truly holy even in the flesh, when he lives in the flesh and has his conversation in heaven, when he walks on earth and, ceasing to be flesh, is wholly converted into spirit, so he also is seated in heaven with Christ. For indeed “the kingdom of God is within us.” Epistle to the Ephesians 1.2.1 seq.

My Comments
These two comments from Ambrosiaster and Jerome stood out to me. In the past I've usually focused on the later part of this verse, especially Ephesians 2:8. Ephesians 2:8 is a verse that contradicts "faithism" – the idea that it is our decision for Jesus that saves us, thereby turning faith into a work that we do in order that God might have mercy.

Ambrosiaster clearly argues against this type of attitude toward salvation. God's love is shown that even when we did not seek his mercy he made it known through his own initiative. The act of God in, through, and as Jesus Christ was the embodiment of the mission of God to reconcile the whole world to himself. Ambosiaster continues that just as we were made through Christ (John 1:3 – all things were made through the Word of God) so too we are redeemed through Christ. The reconciliation and restoration of us is at God's initiatve. All that we can do is respond in faithful obedience, but this response is not the condition of salvation.

Finally, Jerome strikes an "eschatological" cord here. Paul writes this unusual line, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Taken literally, at the time of Jesus' ascension we too were taken into the heavenly realms. The interesting note here is that at the time of Jesus' ascension none of us were born. So what does Paul mean? I think Jerome gets at it well, "Paul is speaking of what is to come as though it had already been done." I agree with Jerome here but want to phrase it a little differently. Moltmann, in his introduction to Theology of Hope, talks about how Christians live in the tension of knowing that there is something more – the knowing anticipation of the full revelation of God's reign on earth. The telos, or end point, to which all of history is driving this will literally be true – those who are "In Christ" will be seated in the heavenly places with Christ. As for now, "in Christ" we too have been taken up into the heavenly places. What is a reality has not yet been revealed, but is real none the less. Christ, as our representative has taken us up into the heavenly places: we simply await the eschatological fulfillment of this.

Ambrosiaster (fl. c. 366–384). Name given by Erasmus to the author of a work once thought to have been composed by Ambrose.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 131.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 2:1-3

May 12, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath." (Ephesians 2:1-3, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
Whether Sin Is Rightly Spoken Of As Natural. Augustine: We speak of “nature” in two ways. When we are speaking strictly of nature itself, we mean the nature in which humanity was originally created— after God’s own image and without fault. The other way we speak of nature refers to that fallen sin nature, in which we are self-deceived and subject to the flesh as the penalty for our condemnation. The apostle adopts this way of speaking when he says “for we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.” On Nature and Grace 81.

My Comments
“Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” By what nature? “Do what’s natural” What exactly is natural?

If this seems like an unlikely topic for me to pick up on but I’ve spent a good chunk of my time this year reflecting on that question precisely. The first (and in my opinion, best) volume of Alister McGrath’s scientific theology is entitled Nature. McGrath demonstrates that throughout history the concept of nature has really been nothing more than a social construct, one that has often been misused. McGrath demonstrates that throughout history what is deemed “natural” is usually that which benefits those in power.

So, when Paul writes that we were by “nature” children of wrath, what does he mean by “nature”? The word that we’re dealing with here is phusei which can be defined in this context as denoting a condition or circumstance as determined by birth. Where Augustine is helpful is in drawing the distinction between “nature”, or as McGrath would term it “creation” and “nature” as a state of being. Paul is not arguing that we were originally intended and created to be children of wrath. Rather, because of the fall into sin of humanity we are born into a state which we inherit by means of being a human – a state of not being as we were intended to be. By virtue of our birth we were found in this state.

Pastorally this concept has been one of the most challenging for me to work with. People, when confronted with this doctrine of what is termed “original sin” are usually repulsed. After all, why should I be held accountable for someone else’s sin? And isn’t that just simply being human? Two points are worth considering here. There is a good distance from “original sin” to “original guilt”. Original guilt would hold that we are held accountable for the original sin of Adam. I don’t agree with that position. And yes, to a certain extent the doctrine of “original sin” is part of human nature now. But the problem is that this wasn’t intended to be. We, in the words of Cornelius Plantinga live in a world that is “not the way it’s supposed to be”.

About two weeks ago I wrote an obscure post entitled “The Cosmic Nature of the Fall” in the wake of Elora’s death. While Paul is addressing the concept in a very different way here (compared to how he addresses in Romans 8) the central idea is the same. Things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be or will be at the end. That I think is something that the church needs to be reminded of constantly. I’ve heard and I’ve said, “That’s just the way things are.” My first reaction when I hear that now is “Well that may be, but is that how things are supposed to be?”

Notes(2)
Augustine of Hippo (354–430). Bishop of Hippo and a voluminous writer on philosophical, exegetical, theological and ecclesiological topics. He formulated the Western doctrines of predestination and original sin in his writings against the Pelagians.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 130.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 1:19-23

May 12, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
"… and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that can be invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:19-23, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power. Theodoret: But “the immeasurable greatness of his power” ironically now comes to mind as he thinks of the dishonor of the cross and considers how much was achieved through it.

This Redemption Is Already Accomplished, Even If Still in Reference to the Future. Hilary of Poitiers: The language of the apostle, acknowledging the power of God, refers to future things as though they have already happened. For the things which are to be performed already subsist in their fullness in Christ, in whom is all fullness. Whatever is future is so by God’s provident ordering, not as if it might exist on its own

Human Nature Honored. Theodoret: It is clear that he says all this of Christ in his humanity. This is what inspires wonder. For it would hardly be remarkable to say that God sits by God if fellowship in power is a corollary of their identity of nature as Father and Son. But that the human nature assumed from us should partake of the same honor as the one who assumed him, so that no difference in worship is apparent, so that the invisible Godhead is worshiped through the visible human nature—this exceeds all wonder! The holy apostle is overwhelmed. He first sings of the exceeding greatness of his power. Then he speaks of the working of his mighty strength. Then he looks for whatever he can say that might point to the extraordinary nature of his exaltation. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.20.

My Comments
For the last two weeks I've been cranking away on my final papers, which I wrapped up tonight. I've been working on Exodus 4:10-17 where Moses complains that he is not a "man of words" because he is "heavy" of mouth and tongue. In retrospect, to look at what God accomplished through Moses' speaking ability, in spite of him not being a "man of words" is astounding.

Theodoret gets to that point with his comments on v. 19-20. As he notes, the irony is that through death Christ overcome death and the powers of this world. Hence, what is considered "weak" in the world shamed what is considered "strong". But, the truth of the matter is that it doesn't matter what is "weak" and what is "strong" when it is in the service of the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The will of the Triune God in the world, even if for a short time it is rejected and worked against will ultimately prevail over all forces that oppose it.

In the case of Moses, his "weak" voice ultimately shamed Pharaoh because Pharaoh was working against the will of God. It wouldn't have mattered if Moses was the best speaker in the world or the worst, he would have prevailed because he was on God's side in the matter.

Notes(2)

Theodoret of Cyr (c. 393–466). Bishop of Cyr (Cyrrhus), he was an opponent of Cyril who commented extensively on Old Testament texts as a lucid exponent of Antiochene exegesis.

Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315–367). Bishop of Poitiers and called the “Athanasius of the West” because of his defense (against the Arians) of the common nature of Father and Son.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 122.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 1:15-18

April 26, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all his people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people," (Ephesians 1:15-18, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
The Eyes of the Heart. Jerome: His phrase “eyes of the heart” clearly refers to those things we cannot understand without sense and intelligence…. Faith sees beyond what the physical eyes see. Physical eyes are in the heads of not only the wise but the unwise. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.15 seq.

These Eyes Have Become Opened Among the Gentiles. Ephrem the Syrian: The signs manifested to the external eyes of the Jews did them little good. But faith opened the eyes of the hearts of the Gentiles. Homily on Our Lord 32.

That You May Know by Insight and Revelation. Marius Victorinus: Let us understand that we arrive at the full mystery of God by two routes: We ourselves by rational insight may come to understand and discern something of the knowledge of divine things. But when there is a certain divine self-disclosure God himself reveals his divinity to us. Some may directly perceive by this revelation something remarkable, majestic and close to truth. … But when we receive wisdom we apprehend what is divine both through our own rational insight and through God’s own Spirit. When we come to know what is true in the way this text intends, both these ways of knowing correspond. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.17–18.

My Comments
I really like Jerome's line, "Faith sees beyond what the physical eyes see" and Ephrem points out that the Jewish authorities of Jesus' day saw many signs and it did them no good whatsoever, as they still refused to believe.

I include the comments from Victorinus not because I agree with him (as I do with Jerome and Ephrem) but because I think he's mistaken. A number of theologians embrace this dualistic knowledge of God often referred to as natural and special revelation. While I agree that there is biblical support for the position that God is revealed through natural means (Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1) come to mind, there is also a common theme that comes out particularly in the Romans passage. People seem to get natural revelation wrong. As Paul notes what has revealed has been made plain from what has been made (Romans 1:19-20) but according to Paul people rejected this knowledge.

The other point of contention that I have with Victorinus comes from my recent study of Moltmann. What Moltmann argues, and I think persuasively, is that at least in the West classical theism, or "The Spy in the Sky Theology" (NT Wright's phrase) dominates people's understanding of who God is. So when people talk about God they talk about the creator of the universe – not the crucified Jesus the Christ.

On a more personal note, as I prepare for my final few weeks at Northmont I found Paul's words very relevant to my own feelings as I am preparing to leave the church that I have been apart for the past three years as both a volunteer and staff member.

Ephrem the Syrian (b. c. 306; fl. 363–373). Syrian writer of commentaries and devotional hymns which are sometimes regarded as the greatest specimens of Christian poetry prior to Dante.

Marius Victorinus (b. c. 280/285; fl. c. 355–363). Grammarian of African origin who taught rhetoric at Rome and translated works of Platonists. After his conversion (c. 355), he wrote against the Arians and commentaries on Paul’s letters.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), ???.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 1:11-14

April 24, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Biblical Text
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
(Ephesians 1:11-14, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)
Our Inheritance Is Secured. Chrysostom: By this seal God shows great forethought for humanity. He not only sets apart a people and gives them an inheritance but secures it as well. It is just as if someone might stamp his heirs plainly in advance; so God set us apart to believe and sealed us for the inheritance of future glory

My Comments
Ah, the predestination verses from Ephesians. I will admit that there was a day when these verses dominated my thinking like nothing else, primarily because of my training in Westminster Calvinism (aka TULIP). But, in more recent years my thinking has broadened out and I now take more seriously the question of what does it mean that "In him we were also chosen…" What does it mean to view election/predestination through Jesus the Christ?

The part about these versus that caught my attention were the ending – "When you believe you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…" and "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation". The phrase, "in Christ" is one of the most common in the New Testament (perhaps the most common, depending on how you define a phrase) and is worthy of great consideration. It is this spirit that joins us to Christ and allows us to share in his life.

Notes(2)
John Chrysostom (344/354–407; fl. 386–407). Bishop of Constantinople who was noted for his orthodoxy, his eloquence and his attacks on Christian laxity in high places.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), ???.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 1:7-10

April 21, 2006 Brian Wallace 14 comments

Biblical Text

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:7-10, TNIV)

Commentary from the Early Church Fathers(1)

What Is Redemption. Jerome: The one who is yet to be redeemed is a captive. He has ceased to be free by coming under the power of the enemy. So we are captives in this world and bound by the yoke of slavery to the principalities and powers, unable to release our hands from our chains. So we raise our eyes upward until the Redeemer arrives. Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.7

How the Fullness of Time Was Determined. Chrysostom: The “fullness of time” was the Son’s appearing. When, then, God had done all through angels, through prophets and through the law, yet nothing had improved, there was a danger that humanity had come into being for nothing. It was not going merely nowhere but to the bad. All were perishing together, just like in the days of the flood but more so. Just then he offered this gracious dispensation—to ensure that creation should not have come into being for nothing or in vain. The “fullness of time” is that divine wisdom by which, at the moment when all were most likely to perish, they were saved. Homily on Ephesians 1.1.10.

Uniting Heavenly and Earthly Things. Irenaeus: Thus Christ unites … in himself all that is earthly and all that is spiritual. He unites humanity to Spirit and places the Spirit in humanity. Being himself made the fountainhead of the Spirit, Christ gives the Spirit to be the head of humanity. Thus through the Son by the Spirit we ourselves now see and hear and speak. Against Heresies 5.20.2.

Recapitulating Heaven and Earth. Theodoret: Only God’s nature needs nothing. The whole creation stood in need of his healing order of gifts. For, since the elements came into being to serve human needs, he made them subject to corruption, for he could foresee that transgression was going to make humanity mortal also. As for the unseen powers, they were naturally aggrieved when they saw human beings living in wickedness. … By recapitulation he means the complete transformation of things. For through the gift given through Christ the Lord the human nature is raised anew and puts on incorruptibility. Ultimately the visible creation, delivered from corruption, will receive incorruption. The hosts of unseen powers will rejoice continually, because sorrow and grief and sighing have fled away. This is what the divine apostle teaches through these words; for he said not simply “heaven and earth” but “those in heaven” and “those on earth.” Epistle to the Ephesians 1.10.

My Comments

It’s almost not worth writing today as the comments above are plenty good enough to stand alone without my help. But just a few thoughts on these verses from Ephesians…

A common theme in among the Fathers in this section was that Jesus’ death freed us from something greater than just personal sin. As Theodoret noted, Jesus’ action was one of cosmic significance that recapitulated and thus completely transformed all things. He makes the point that the work of Christ not only freed us from our own personal sins, but also freed us from the bondage in which we live (to our sinful nature – Jerome’s point) and set the whole of creation on a path by which someday it will receive incorruption.

Once again Chrysostom was helpful in offering an answer to the question “Why did Jesus come when he did? Why not earlier, why not later?” I think to add a bit to what Chysostom said, as Christians we believe that God has a plan for the world, and this is a plan that has been revealed to us through scripture. All things are headed to an end, namely the creating anew of all things (Rev. 21-22). The timing of Jesus’ incarnation was part of God’s plan for the creation, reconciliation, and redemption of the whole world.

Irenaeus’ comments I thought were helpful to understand this point well. The Word of God has always been the mediator between God and the creation (See John 1:1-4), but by becoming incarnate in the world God took creation unto himself and brought the two into union. This action thus allows us to be united to him through the power of the Holy Spirit (aka John Calvin’s doctrine of Union in Christ).

Notes(2)

Jerome (c. 347–420). Gifted exegete and exponent of a classical Latin style, now best known as the translator of the Latin Vulgate. He defended the perpetual virginity of Mary, attacked Origen and Pelagius and supported extreme ascetic practices.
John Chrysostom (344/354–407; fl. 386–407). Bishop of Constantinople who was noted for his orthodoxy, his eloquence and his attacks on Christian laxity in high places.
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 135-c. 202). Bishop of Lyons who published the most famous and influential refutation of Gnostic thought.
Theodoret of Cyr (c. 393–466). Bishop of Cyr (Cyrrhus), he was an opponent of Cyril who commented extensively on Old Testament texts as a lucid exponent of Antiochene exegesis.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 115-116.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 2:4-10

April 21, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Ambrosiaster (fl. c. 366–384). Name given by Erasmus to the author of a work once thought to have been composed by Ambrose.

All comments taken from: M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 131.
Biographical information is from: ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Ephesians 1:3-6

April 21, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

" Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:3-6, TNIV)

_________________________________________

What he means is this: The one through whom he has blessed us is the one through whom he has elected us…. Christ chose us to have faith in him before we came into being, indeed even before the world was founded. The word foundation was well chosen, to indicate that it was laid down from some great height. For great and ineffable is the height of God, not in a particular place but rather in his remoteness from nature. So great is the distance between creature and Creator… You have been elected,” he says, “in order to be holy and unblemished before his face.” … He himself has made us saints, but we are called to remain saints. A saint is one who lives in faith, is unblemished and leads a blameless life. John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 1.1.4.(1)

John Chrysostom (344/354–407; fl. 386–407). Bishop of Constantinople who was noted for his orthodoxy, his eloquence and his attacks on Christian laxity in high places.(2)

______________________________________________

This may soon become a series entitled “Reading Ephesians with Chrysostom” after this opening. In all seriousness, there are a few gems in the ACCS from just these few verses, but there two really stood out to me, both from John Chrysostom.

The first thing that stood out to me was Chrysostom’s understanding of election. What I think he holds together really well is that our election is not apart from Jesus Christ, as so often happens in Westminster Calvinism (where election is a decision of the Father before the foundation of the world that can happen entirely divorced from Jesus the Christ). His line that we are blessed through the same person in which we are elected is right one. What Chrysostom seems to avoid, at least on this read, is the question of how many are elected. One might see Chrysostom taking Calvin’s view on election here, in that he’s using election as a doctrine of comfort, not as on that precedes faith (as Westminster Calvinism does). If one wanted to stretch it, more than I think Chrysostom does, you might see the beginnings of Barth’s doctrine of election (God’s choice to elect humanity through the incarnation of the Son) but I don’t think Chrysostom is quite there.

The second comment is Chysostom’s understanding of what it means to be holy. Chrysostom doesn’t say “if you do this, then you’ll be holy”, rather he understands being holy as something that we, by virtue of adoption, are given as a status, and then commanded to live into this status that we have freely been given. So no amount of human effort will bump someone up on the “holiness meter”, but that is not an excuse for “sinning that grace might abound.” Rather, those who understand what God has done for them in, through, and as Jesus Christ and are thus the “holy ones”, respond by seeking to live Spirit-empowered lives in obedience to God’s intentions for humanity.

Looking at the TNIV, I really appreciate how they translated “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.” The TNIV strives for gender neutrality and could have opted to do any number of things in translating this verse. Other translations have done things such as “In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ” (ESV) or “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ” (NRSV). Now neither of these translations are wrong per say, because the word in the Greek is uiothesian which is understood to mean “adoption” but the root is uios which means “son”. The TNIV, despite their commitment to gender neutrality accurately renders this one “to sonship through Jesus Christ.”

Now why is all this important? Jesus Christ, is by his very nature is the Son of God. Humans are not God’s children by nature but only through adoption into God’s family. But, our adoption comes through the historical action of the incarnation of the Son of God as Jesus of Nazareth. He, fully God, took on our flesh and became our brother and thus our representative. So, he was both the Word of God to humanity and the perfectly obedient true human who lived in full relationship with God the Father. Since Jesus the Christ was Son of God by nature and our brother, in him (and only in him) we come to share in his Sonship with the Father and thus can rightly be called “sons of God.”

Those who make an issue out of gender language might balk at the use of the word sonship, but its important to not let our human understandings of terms like “Son” and “Father” overrule that which God has revealed about himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The terms “Father” and “Son” are names which denote relationships, not gender. God the Father is not male, and God the Son is not a male God; he is only male in his humanity. So there is no difficulty in saying that women share in Jesus’ sonship with the Father because this denotes a relational term. Both men and women are fully sons of God the Father through Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.

On a side note, if you’re interested in more, all of the Early Church Fathers are available online at http://www.ccel.org in any number of formats and much of it is well worth reading.

(1) M. J. Edwards, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 111.
(2) ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information, Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005).

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers

Reading Ephesians with the Church Fathers

April 21, 2006 Brian Wallace Leave a comment

Since my small group recently finished our reading of the Gospel of Mark, I needed to find something new for devotional reading. What I settled on and hopefully will be blogging on is to read through the book of Ephesians with the Church Fathers. I am fortunate enough to own 12 volumes of the Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures so I will be reading that, along will reading Ephesians from the newly published and somewhat controversial (at least in the evangelical world) TNIV (Today’s New International Version). I’ve used the TNIV a little and so far really like it as an update of the NIV. For ministry purposes I tend to prefer the NIV’s dynamic equivalence method over the more literal method of the ESV/NRSV since I mainly work with teens.

Given everything else that is going on I don’t know how often or how long I will be blogging, but hopefully I can keep it up at least somewhat regularly.

Categories: Ephesians with the Church Fathers