Homilies on Colossians 5.1–5.5

[Homily 5] “The mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now has been made manifest to his saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that [we may present every man perfect in] Christ Jesus.” Having said what we have obtained, and having shown God's lovingkindness and the honour by the greatness of what was given, he again brings in another intensification: that no one before us learned it. He does this in the Letter to the Ephesians too, saying that neither angels nor principalities nor any other created power knew it, but only the Son of God. That is why he did not simply say “hidden,” but “hidden from the ages”; and he shows that even if it has happened now, yet it is ancient, and that God willed these things from the beginning and had so planned them; but why, he no longer says. “From the ages,” he says, that is, from the beginning. And he rightly calls it a mystery, which no one knew except God. And where was it hidden? In Christ, as he says in the Letter to the Ephesians; or it is as when the prophet says, “From everlasting to everlasting you are.” “But now it has been made manifest,” he says, “to his saints.” So the whole belongs to God's stewardship. “But now,” he says, “it has been made manifest.” He did not say, “it came about,” but “it has been made manifest to his saints.” So even now it is still hidden, since it has been made manifest to the saints alone. Do not let those men deceive you, then; for they do not know it. Why to them alone? “To whom he willed,” he says. See how everywhere he stops their questions. “To whom God willed,” he says, “to make known.” And his willing is not irrational. He said this rather to make them answerable for grace than to let them think highly of themselves as for an achievement. “What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles.” He spoke solemnly and added weight, seeking intensifications upon intensifications out of great affection. For this too belongs to intensification, to say indefinitely, “what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles.” For the great glory of the mystery appears most among the Gentiles, as he says elsewhere too, “and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy”; it appears in others too, but much more in these. For all at once to bring men more insensible than stones to the dignity of angels, simply through bare words and faith alone, without any labour, is truly the glory and riches of a mystery; as if someone should suddenly make a dog wasted by hunger and mange, ugly and misshapen, unable even to move, lying cast out, into a man, and show it on the royal throne. For see: they worshipped stones and the earth; they learned that they themselves are better than heaven and the sun, and that the whole world serves them. They were captives and prisoners of the devil; all at once they have come to be above his head, and they commanded him and scourged him. Being worshippers and slaves of demons, they have become the body of the Master of the angels and archangels. Not knowing even what God is, they suddenly became sharers of God's throne. Do you want to see ten thousand steps which they leapt over? They had to learn first that stones are not gods; second, that they are not only not gods but even inferior to men; third, that they are inferior to irrational animals; fourth, inferior even to plants; fifth — to bring the extremes together — that neither stones, nor earth, nor animals, nor plants, nor man, nor heaven; or, again, starting from the top: that neither stones, nor animals, nor plants, nor elements, nor the things above, nor the things below, nor man, nor demons, nor angels, nor archangels, nor any other of those powers above ought to be worshipped by human nature. As though drawn up from some abyss, they had to learn that this God is the Master of all, that he alone must be worshipped, that the wonderful way of life is good, that present death is not death, that this life is not life, that the body rises, that it becomes incorruptible, that it ascends to heaven, that it obtains immortality, that it stands with angels, that it is changed. But he took this man who was down there, and, having made him leap over all these, seated him above on the throne, making the one who had been beneath stones more lordly than angels and archangels and thrones and dominions. Truly he said well, “What is the riches of the glory of this mystery.” It is as if someone should suddenly show a fool to be a philosopher; or rather, whatever one says, one will say nothing adequate; for Paul's words too are indefinite. “What is the riches,” he says, “of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you.” Again they had to learn that he who is higher than all, ruler of the angels and master of all the other powers, came down and became man, suffered countless things, rose, and was taken up.

All these things belonged to the mystery, and he sets it down with praise, saying, “which is Christ in you.” And if he is in you, why do you seek angels as teachers? “Of this mystery”: for there is another mystery too. But this is truly a mystery, which no one knows, which is wonderful, which is beyond common expectation, which was hidden. “Which is Christ in you,” he says, “the hope of glory, whom we proclaim,” bringing him from above; “whom we” proclaim, not angels; “teaching and admonishing,” not by command nor with compulsion; for this too belongs to God's lovingkindness, that men are not brought near tyrannically. Since “teaching” was a great word, he added “admonishing,” which belongs rather to a father than to a teacher. “Whom we,” he says, “proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,” that is, with all wisdom and understanding, or saying everything in wisdom. So all wisdom is needed; for to be able to learn such things is not for ordinary people. “That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” What do you say, “every man”? Yes, he says, this is what we are eager for. What then? Even if this does not happen, blessed Paul was eager to make everyone perfect. So this is perfection, and that other is imperfect; so that if someone does not have all wisdom, he is imperfect. “Perfect in Christ Jesus”: not in the law, nor in angels, for that is not perfect. “In Christ,” that is, in the knowledge of Christ. He who knows what Christ did will think higher thoughts than the angels. “In Christ Jesus; for which I also labour, striving.” I do not simply strive, he says, nor casually, but “I labour, striving,” with great earnestness, that is, with much wakefulness. If I am so wakeful for your good, much more ought you to be. Then again, showing that it is divine: “according to his working,” he says, “which works in me in power.” He shows that this is God's work. He who makes me strong for this clearly wills it; that is why at the beginning too he says, “by the will of God.” So he has set it down not only out of modesty, but also confirming his word, and “striving.” By saying this he shows that many fight against him. Then his tender love is great: “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea.” Then, lest it seem to be due to their weakness, he joined others to them too, and did not yet condemn them. “And as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.” He shows here, in a divine manner, that he saw them continually in the spirit. And he bears witness to great love in them; that is why he added: “that their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Now at last he hastens and is in travail to enter on the doctrine, neither accusing them nor freeing them from accusation. “I have a struggle,” he says. That what may happen? “That they may be knit together.” What he means is this: that they may stand firm in the faith. But he does not put it so; he cuts short the accusation. That is, that they may be united with love, not with compulsion, not with force. For, as I said, he is always inoffensive, entrusting things to them; and that is why he says, “I am in anguish, since I want it with love, and from willing hearts. For I do not want the gathering to happen merely, nor merely with the mouth, but that their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.” That is, that they may doubt about nothing. And he called the full assurance that comes through faith; for there is also a full assurance through reasonings, but that is worth nothing. I know, he says, that you believe, but I want you to be fully assured, not only unto riches, but “unto all riches,” so that you may be fully assured both in all things and intensely. And see the understanding of this blessed man. He did not say, “You do wrong, you are not fully assured,” and accuse them; but “You do not know how eager I am that you may be fully assured with understanding, and not simply.” For since he had said “faith,” he says, Do not think that I spoke simply and unprofitably, but with understanding, with love. “Unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ.” So this is God's mystery: to be brought near through the Son. “And of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And if they are in him, then he came wisely even now. Why then do some fools find fault? See how he discourses for the simpler: “in whom are all the treasures”: he knows all things. “Hidden”: do not think that you already have everything; they are hidden even from angels, not from you only; so one must ask everything from him; he gives wisdom and knowledge. By saying “treasures” he shows the abundance; by “all,” that he is ignorant of nothing; by “hidden,” that he alone knows. “And this I say, lest anyone delude you with persuasive speech.”

Do you see, he says, that I said these things for this reason, so that you might not seek from men? “Delude,” he says, “with persuasive speech.” What then, if a man speaks persuasively? “For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit.” The consistent thing would have been to say, “For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I know the deceivers”; but as it is he ended in praise: “rejoicing and seeing your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” “Your order,” he says, your good order. “And the firmness of your faith in Christ.” These belong rather to praise. And he did not say “your faith,” but “the firmness,” as to soldiers standing in good order and steadily. What is firm, no deceit, no trial shakes. Not only, he says, have you not fallen, but no one has even confused your order. He set himself before them, so that they would fear him as present; for so order is kept. From “firmness” comes the idea of compactness; for a firm structure comes about when, having gathered many things, you glue them together compactly and inseparably; then it becomes firm, as with a wall. And this is the work of love; for it gathers those who stand by themselves. And faith again does the same, when it does not let reasonings enter. For just as reasonings divide and shake, so faith makes firm and fixes. For since God has done us good greater than human reasoning, he rightly brought in faith. For one who demands reasonings cannot be firm. See how all our solemn truths are devoid of reasonings and hold to faith alone. God is nowhere, and is everywhere. What is more irrational than this? Each by itself is full of perplexity. For he is not in a place, nor is there any place in which he is. He did not come into being, he did not make himself, he did not begin to be. What reasoning will accept these things, unless there is faith? Does it not seem ridiculous, and has it not rather the end of a riddle? His being without beginning, unbegotten, uncircumscribed, and infinite is thus perplexing; but let us look at his incorporeality, whether perhaps we can examine it by reasoning. God is incorporeal. What is incorporeal? A bare word only; for the mind has received nothing, nor imprinted anything on itself; for if it forms an image, it comes to nature and to the things that make up a body. So the mouth speaks, but the mind does not know what it says, except one thing, that it is not body; this alone it knows. And why do I speak of God? In the case of the soul, which came into being, which is enclosed, which is circumscribed, what is incorporeality? Tell me, show me. But you could not. Is it air? But air is body, even if not solid; and it is clear from many things that it is a yielding body. Fire, then? But fire is body, while the activity of the soul is incorporeal. Why? Because it pervades everywhere. If it is not itself a body, the incorporeal is in a place; so it is circumscribed; and what is circumscribed is in a shape; shapes come from lines, and lines belong to bodies. Again, what notion does the shapeless have? It has no shape, no form, no outline. Do you see how the mind grows dizzy? Again, that nature is incapable of receiving evils; but it is also good willingly; so it is capable of receiving. But it is impossible to say this — God forbid! Again, was he brought into being willingly or unwillingly? But this too cannot be said. Again, does he encompass the world or not? If he does not encompass it, he is himself encompassed; but if he encompasses it, he is infinite in nature. Again, does he encompass himself? But if he encompasses himself, then he is without beginning not to himself but to us; so he is not by nature without beginning. Everywhere one must grant contradictions. Do you see how great the darkness is, and that everywhere faith is needed? This is the firm thing. But, if you like, let us come to things lesser than these. That essence has activity. And what is activity in his case? Is it some motion? Then he is not unchangeable; for what is moved is not unchangeable, since it moves from motionlessness. … but willingly; for if unwillingly, it will also be capable of being acted upon. But this is not so. But nevertheless he moves, and never stands still. What kind of motion, tell me? For among us there are seven: down, up, inward, outward, right, left, circular; or, if not this, increase, decrease, coming to be, perishing, alteration. But he moves by none of these. Does he then move with such motion as the mind moves? Not this either, God forbid! For the mind moves much, and absurdly. Is willing acting? But he wills all men to be good and to be saved; how is it that this does not happen? Is willing, then, one thing and acting another? Then willing is not enough for activity. How then does Scripture say, “All that he willed, he did”? And again the leper says to Christ, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Do you want me to say something else too? How did things that exist come from things that do not? How are they dissolved into nothing? What is higher than heaven? And what again than that? And what than that? And what after that? And so to infinity. What is lower than the earth? The sea; and after that what? And after that again what? And to the right and to the left, is there not the same perplexity?

But these things are invisible. Do you want me to bring the discourse to visible things, to things that have already happened? Tell me, how did the beast hold Jonah in its belly without his perishing? Is it not irrational? Does it not move at random? How did it spare the righteous man? How did the heat not suffocate him? How did it not rot him? For if merely being in the deep is perplexing, being also in the bowels and in that heat is much more perplexing. For how did he breathe the air there? How was the breathing enough for two creatures? How did it vomit him out unharmed? How did he speak? How was he in his senses and able to pray? Are these things not incredible? If we examine them by reasoning, they are incredible; but if by faith, very credible. Shall I say something more than this? The grain rots in the bosom of the earth and rises. See the wonders contrary to one another and outdoing one another: it is wonderful that it does not … Where are those who disbelieve the resurrection and say, “How is this bone glued to that?” and bring in such fables? Tell me, how did Elijah go up in a chariot of fire? Fire is wont to burn, not to carry up. How does he live so long a time? In what place is he? Why did this happen? And where was Enoch translated? Does he enjoy food such as we do? And what prevents him from being here? But does he not enjoy it? And why was he translated? See God training us little by little. He translated Enoch: this is not very great. This trained us for the taking up of Elijah. Again, he shut Noah in the ark: this too is not very great. This trained us for the prophet's shutting up in the whale. So too the things of old needed forerunners and types. For just as on a ladder the first step sends one on to the second, and from the first it is impossible to come to the fourth, and this one leads to that, so that that may become the way to the next; nor is it possible to come to the second before the first; so it is here too. And see signs of signs; and you will see this in the ladder which Jacob saw, on which the angels went up and down. It was prophesied that the Father has a Son; this had to be believed. From where do you want me to show its signs, from above downward or from below upward? It had to be known that he begets without passion; that is why a barren woman bore first. Or rather let us take the discourse higher. It had to be believed that the Son was from the Father alone. What then? This happens, dimly indeed, as in type and shadow, but it happens; and as it proceeds it becomes somewhat clearer: from a man alone, a woman, and he remains whole. Again, there had to be some token of the conception from a virgin: a barren woman gives birth, not once, but a second and a third time and often. Of the birth from a virgin, then, the barren woman is a type, and she leads the mind on to faith. Again, this became a type of God's being able to beget alone. For if the woman is born from man, the more lordly, even without a woman, much more is the Son begotten from the more lordly one alone. There is also another birth that is a type of the truth: ours, which is from the Spirit. Of this again the barren woman is a type, because this birth from above is not from blood. The one shows its freedom from passion, the other its being able to be begotten from one alone. Christ is above, ruling all things; this had to be believed. This happens on earth in the case of man: “Let us make man,” he says, “according to our image and likeness,” and he is set over the rule of all the irrational creatures. So he trained you not by words but by deeds. Paradise showed the separateness of that nature, and that man is the best of all. Christ was going to rise: see now how many tokens of it: Enoch, Elijah, Jonah, the things in the furnace, the …

[Homily 6] “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Again he wins them beforehand by their own testimony, saying, “As therefore you received.” We are bringing in nothing strange, he says; so do not you either. “Walk in him”; for he is the way that leads to the Father; not in the angels, for this way does not lead there. “Rooted,” that is, fixed: not now this way and now that, but rooted; and what is rooted could never be shifted. See how he uses the words in their proper sense. “And built up,” he says, that is, reaching him with your mind. “And established in him,” that is, holding him fast and being built as on a foundation. He shows that they had fallen down; for “being built up” shows this. For faith is truly a building, and there is need both of a strong foundation and of secure building. For if someone does not build securely, it shakes; and if securely, but it does not stand firm, it no longer stands. “As you were taught.” Again the “as” shows that he says nothing new. “Abounding,” he says, “in it with thanksgiving.” For this is the mark of grateful people. I do not say simply give thanks, but with great eagerness, more than you learned, if possible, with great zeal. “Beware lest anyone make spoil of you.” Do you see how he showed him to be a thief and an alien, and one who enters quietly? For he has already … [Displaced passage, the end of Homily 5:] … the things of Noah, baptism, the seeds, the plants, our own birth, and that of all animals. For since on this everything was at stake, this more than anything had many types. That the universe is not without providence one can conjecture from things among us; for nothing remains unprovided for, but even herds and all other things need governance. And that all things did not come about by chance, Gehenna shows, and the flood in Noah's time showed it, and the fire, the drowning of the Egyptians, the things in the wilderness. Many things had to go before baptism too: there have been all the things done in water, and countless others, such as those in the Old Testament, those at the pool, the cleansing of the one who was not healthy, the flood itself, the baptism of John. It had to be believed that God gives up his Son: a man did this beforehand. Who is this? Abraham the patriarch. Types, then, of all these things we will find, if we wish, if we search the Scripture. But let us not grow weary, but form ourselves by these things; let us hold a firm faith and display exactness of life, so that, giving thanks to God through all things, we may be counted worthy of the good things promised to those who love him, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honour, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.