_In the whole world; i.e. a great part of it. (Witham) --- This epistle was written in the year 62, at which time the gospel had spread itself through the whole world by the preaching not only of the apostles, but of their disciples, and by the noise which this new religion made. (Calmet) --- St. Au... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of Epaphras, who seems to have been their first apostle, and their bishop. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your love. Your charity for all men, founded on the love of God. Others understand it of the affection which they had for St. Paul. (St. John Chrysostom)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_In all wisdom. He begins by an admonition against false teachers, who it is likely, says St. John Chrysostom, with their philosophical notions mixed errors and fables. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Worthy of God: Greek: axios tou kuriou. So St. Ambrose and the Greek doctors; or thus, worthily, pleasing God, and this not by faith only, but fruitful in every good work. (Ibid.) --- God, in [1] all things pleasing him. This is the construction of the Latin by the Greek. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY]... [ Continue Reading ]
It is through the blood of Christ, and not by the law of Moses, that we are freed from the power of death. If the law could have saved us, the coming of Christ would have been useless. See then, he says, if it be proper to engage under a law which is so inefficacious. (Calmet) --- From this verse an... [ Continue Reading ]
_The first [2] born of every creature. St. John Chrysostom takes notice against the Arians, that the apostle calls Christ the first-begotten, or first-born, not the first created, because he was not created at all. And the sense is, that he was before all creatures, proceeding from all eternity from... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thrones, &c. are commonly understood to refer to the celestial hierarchy of Angels, though as to their particular rank, &c. nothing certain is known. We may here observe, that the Holy Spirit proportions itself and speaks according to our ideas of a temporal kingdom, in which one authority is subje... [ Continue Reading ]
_He is the head of the body, the church. He now speaks of what applies to Christ as man. --- The first-born from the dead; i.e. the first that rose to an immortal life. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_ In him it was pleasing, that all fulness should dwell. [4] The greatest plenitude of graces was conferred on him as man, and from him, as he was our head, derived to all the members of his Church. The Protestant translation, followed by Mr. N. by way fo explanation adds, it hath pleased the Father... [ Continue Reading ]
_To reconcile all things unto himself,...through the blood of his cross, (i.e. which Christ shed on the cross) both as to the things on earth, and....in heaven: not that Christ died for the Angels, but, says St. John Chrysostom, the Angels were in a manner at war with men, with sinners, as they stoo... [ Continue Reading ]
And fill up those things....in my flesh for his body, which is the church. [5] Nothing was wanting in the sufferings or merits of Christ, for a sufficient and superabundant redemption of mankind, and therefore he adds, for his body, which is the church, that his sufferings were wanting, and are to b... [ Continue Reading ]
_According to the dispensation of God; i.e. to the appointment of his divine providence. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_The mystery of Christ's incarnation, which hath been hidden, &c. See Ephesians i. 12. and v. 4, &c. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]