St. John Chrysostom take notice, in his preface to this epistle, that the doctrinal part in the first three Chapter s is treated in a very sublime manner, with long periods and sentences, which makes the style more perplexed and the sense more obscure than in his other epistles. On this account I sh... [ Continue Reading ]
_Blessed by the God, who, through his Son Jesus Christ, made man, hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and gifts; and by his grace, infused into our souls, has given us a title to a happy eternity in heaven. (Witham) --- In heavenly things; (in cælestibus) i.e. all spiritual blessings from h... [ Continue Reading ]
As by his eternal decree, according to the _purpose of his good will and pleasure, he hath made choice of us to be his adoptive sons, and predestinated us to be saved and glorified by the merits and grace of his beloved Son, our Redeemer, without any merits of ours to the glorious praise and riches... [ Continue Reading ]
_To the praise of the glory of his grace; i.e. unto the glorious praise or commendation of his grace. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_In all wisdom and prudence; which may be either referred to the wisdom and prudence of God, the giver of grace, or to the gifts of wisdom and prudence bestowed upon the elect. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
That he might make known to us, and to all men, the mystery of his will and pleasure in establishing his new law, of calling all Gentiles, as well as Jews, to believe in his Son, made man for us, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, (that is, at the time decreed from eternity) to establish,... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the dispensation of the fulness of times. It may perhaps be translated, at the appointed fulness of time, which is generally expounded to signify at the time decreed from eternity. --- To establish (or restore) all things in Christ. [3] The Greek is to recapitulate, or, as the Protestant transla... [ Continue Reading ]
In Christ _we also are called by lot; i.e. to this happy lot, this share and state of eternal happiness, (he seems to speak with an allusion to the manner by which the lands of a temporal inheritance was distributed to the Israelites, in Palestine) that we (ver. 12) who are saved, may be to the prai... [ Continue Reading ]
_In whom you....were sealed, &c. Having been regenerated in baptism, you have received the Holy Spirit and the supernatural gifts which he communicates, by which he has, as it were, impressed upon you the seal of your sanctification and the pledge of your salvation. It is not an external impression,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The redemption of acquisition; [4] i.e. in order to the acquired possession, or to the obtaining of that glory which Christ, by redeeming us, hath acquired for us. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Acquisitionis, _Greek: peripoieseos. See St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore....hearing of your constancy in the faith of Christ, and of your charitable love to all the saints, or faithful, I give always thanks to God; I pray that God may be more revealed to you, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, (ver. 18) that you may know what ground you have to ho... [ Continue Reading ]
_His power. The greatest exertion of the power of God, or that action by which he shewed his power most, is the resurrection from the dead, which he exercised in Christ, when he raised him from the tomb, and placed him over all the Angels of heaven; and which shall likewise be exercised over us all,... [ Continue Reading ]
_All principality. The Fathers agree that there are nine orders of blessed spirits, of which some are specified here, in the Epistle to the Colossians we have the order of thrones, to which if we add the cherubim, seraphim, Angels, and Archangels, we shall have nine. Calvin and other heretics strive... [ Continue Reading ]
As Christ is king, and yet men are kings also; so Christ is head of the Church, and yet man may be head thereof also. Jesus Christ is bishop and pastor of our souls; (Hebrews iii.) but is that a reason why there should be no other bishop and pastor of our souls? Notes as to the style or expressions... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who is filled all in all. [5] In the Latin the words have a passive signification, is filled; in the Greek may be signified, who filleth all in all. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Qui omnia in omnibus adimpletur, _Greek: panta en pasi pleroumenou; which may either be in the passive or middle voice. St.... [ Continue Reading ]