Commentary on Ephesians 4.2–4.27

“With all humility and gentleness and patience.” He also sets down much endurance, so that they may not be puffed up, may not be proud. Humility is placed first, then gentleness. Humility is the lowering of the mind. Gentleness is the bridle of pride and savagery. But the patience that follows lies in what they endure, if anything adverse happens. In the former, so that they may not fear to suffer, two are set down, humility and gentleness. In what follows, if they have suffered, how they should be: “with patience,” he says. Then what he adds: “with all magnanimity.” For this magnanimity consists in this, that you not only bear things patiently but are always of an upright spirit. Then he adds this: that if you have suffered patiently, you should also bear it magnanimously, enduring all things whatever happens, “bearing with one another in love.” It can also be referred to “enduring one another in love.” Yet the sense that follows can be complete: “Eager to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.” That you may keep the unity of the spirit, or keep one spirit, of keeping peace and in the bond of peace, I exhort you to be eager. But he gives reasons why they ought to be eager for the unity of the spirit in the bond: “One body,” he says, “and one spirit.” Because the whole church is one body and one spirit. “Just as you were also called in one hope of your calling.” This too is an argument for keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace: that these too were called in one hope; for they do not have different hopes, but all who were called have one hope, of God’s promises. And what has been promised is known to all.

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, in all of us.” This treatment opens wide, and yet it is simple: “one Lord,” that is, Christ; “one faith,” certainly in Christ and in God; “one baptism”: for it is not one way from some and another from others; nor, if it is otherwise from some, is it baptism; but that baptism which is given in God the Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Baptism given otherwise is not baptism. So, “one baptism, one God”: since even though the Son too is God, yet because God is in the Son, and the Father is God, there is one God. Likewise because the Son is in God, there is therefore one God. Which God? The Father, he says, is God; because he is through all things, and he is in all, and above all: so there is one God, who is the Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all of us. Let us attend carefully to the order, closely connected. “One Lord”: he began with him through whom all Christianity begins, and the entrance to liberation. For when someone has come to know Christ, then it follows that there is faith in him, and the rest. One faith in Christ; then his consecration: “one baptism”; then the joining: “one God, Father of all, above all, through all, in all.” He set down four: he is God, because he is cause; Father of all, because there is nothing beyond him; above all, because he is action; through all, because he is the uniting and connection in all things.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” He added this: for from here impatience can arise or wrong be done. And since he admonishes humility and patience and the rest, he gives the reason why each one ought to be patient and magnanimous: because to each of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Since, then, one thing has been given to some and another to others, there is no cause for envy, nor for denial; nor to grieve at what another has, nor to withhold what each has. If, then, Christ’s giving is according to the measure of grace given to each, we all ought to receive one another in love and to bear all things magnanimously and patiently, with gentleness and with humility.

“Therefore he says: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” An example is given for this because he said, “according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” He proves that the gifts are Christ’s by giving an example from Psalm 67, in which he teaches that Christ, our Lord Jesus, ascended on high and led captivity captive: that is, he made captive that captivity which made us captives, and overpowered it, and so gave us gifts. So if gifts have been given us by our Lord, who by his mystery led captivity captive, ascended on high, freed us, made captivity captive, and gave gifts to men—through whom, having obtained his grace, we might do various things, all divine; as he says afterward, that some should be apostles, others evangelists, others prophets, and the rest. These, then, are the gifts. And since this grace has been given by Christ to each according to the measure of his gift, no one ought to envy another’s grace or his own; but all should give and entrust all things to one another as equals, and bear everything humbly, with gentleness, patience, and magnanimity, for the sake of keeping unity in the spirit of unity, in the bond of peace; so that we may have concord and keep peace, with no discord disturbing our minds. Now the interpretation we are now using must be carried out and completed in the words that Paul adds, and adds of necessity, because above he taught by the example that “ascending on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” Because of this example, I say, he treats the point that he who ascended surely descended; which mystery opens wide and has other treatments in this explanation. What it is to ascend, and how he descended into the lower parts of the earth, and how he ascended above all the heavens (which is more forceful), must be examined with all care and diligence. He ascended, he says, “that he might fill all things.” What is the coming, and what is the return? As I said, this is a great treatment; and great too is the question how he filled all things, and more so how by returning he filled all things. If I wished to embrace and narrate it, the size of the task does not allow it to be placed in this part, where we are making a simple commentary. I think that some book must be completed on this sense and this treatment, which by God’s permission I shall now undertake, so that, free from the constraint of interpretation, we may be able to fulfill all that is necessary for understanding of this kind. Now, then, we shall say these things simply, by way of admonition, and briefly.

“Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?” In the psalm it is set down, “ascending on high”; from this word let us take the understanding that he ascended who descended. For the nature of the matter is such that no one can ascend into heaven except one who descended from there. This concerns heavenly things: for with regard to other, earthly things of this kind someone can ascend who did not descend; but into heaven and the heavens no one ascends except one who descended from there. For so the Savior said in the gospel: “Unless one is born again, he cannot hold the kingdom of God.” Then he added: “for what is born of the flesh is flesh, but what is born of the spirit is spirit.” And spirit is from above; so spirit returns to the things above. For when the resurrection has come, all things will be spirit; and the whole man, made spirit, will ascend into heaven, namely through the spirit. So it became necessary that he who ascends into heaven be the one who descended. So Christ, of whom it was said that he ascended into heaven, is understood to have descended; and if he descended, he certainly descended into the lower parts of the earth; not only to the earth, but into the lower parts of the earth. For we read that the Savior descended into the underworld through that passion of the cross, to free every soul and to redeem his members from every place.

“He who descended is the same who ascended.” He repeats the same thought because each binds the other: that he who ascended descended, and again he who descended ascended. But, as the preceding thought shows, since when our Lord descended he descended into the lower parts of the earth, he added again that it is he who ascended, but ascended above all the heavens. So nothing is empty of Christ, since he both descended into the lower parts of the earth and ascended above the heavens. Which heavens? Many say three; others more; but my opinion is that there are three. For Paul himself says that he was caught up above the third heaven. And so too certain people teach that above the earth there are waters, as it were the first heaven; then the firmament itself, which is called heaven; then again other waters, the third heaven; on which subject we have already said much in the past. But what difference does it make? Christ who ascended ascended above all the heavens. For there is now eternity, and that incorruptible life, and all things living from the spirit. These things were otherwise until the descent of Christ: all of them, the mystery having been accomplished, received salvation after the passion of Christ, at his ascension, and were made perfect. For this is what he adds: “that he might fill all things,” that is, render them perfect and full, so that nothing would be lacking. So that passion of Christ, and resurrection and ascension, is the perfection of all things, both those in the world that could be saved and those in the eternal realm and above all the heavens. This mystery we have treated very fully in the exposition of one book. Or are we to understand “that he might fill all things” that were commanded him, as though he corrected nothing there, rendered nothing perfect there? Rather, he ascended above the heavens to fulfill the whole mystery; and he descended, but to fill, namely with majesty and perfection and the light of God and love. For his descent and ascent enlightened all things. And he enlightened them more when he ascended, perfected and sanctified by the Father. He makes all things holy by his return, both from where he returns and as far as he returns.

“And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets.” Here he begins to enumerate the various gifts of which he spoke above, that God gave gifts to men, so that all may have God’s gifts, which he was treating above, and no one may envy another. These gifts are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, ministers; he enumerates them all. First, however, he put apostles, then prophets. It seems strange that, although it was said that the prophets were until Christ, Christ himself should have made prophets too. After the apostles he put prophets and evangelists. What, then, are we to understand? That not only those are called prophets who, having received the Spirit of God, spoke of Christ and his coming, of whom it was rightly said, “the prophets until Christ”: because when he came of whom the prophets spoke, there is without doubt no longer any reason for them to be prophets. Whom, then, do we understand as prophets? Those whom he says are prophets by Christ’s gift: those, namely, who treat of God and, full of the Spirit, expound the divine teaching. This too we said above.

“And others as evangelists, and others as pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” There are five kinds of speaking concerning the law of grace: to speak in tongues, to speak by revelation, to speak by knowledge, to speak by prophecy, to speak by teaching. These are set out fully in the first letter to the Corinthians. But besides these, it is another thing to be an evangelist, that is, to narrate what Christ did, and to announce about Christ that he is to be worshiped; for this is to be an evangelist. So Christ by his gift made evangelists; he made also pastors and teachers, who rule the people of the church. Those who administer he called pastors; teachers those who teach. For here “pastors” is not from feeding, nor to be referred to food, but to governing, as they call bishops pastors; and Christ himself is the shepherd, since souls are regarded as sheep. As for teachers, as we said (although pastors themselves are also called masters of the flock, as being set over it), let us understand that teachers are so called as instructors. All these, he said, were established by God’s gift for the perfecting of the saints, that is, their completion. I have often taught what “saints” means: those who have received faith and been sanctified by the spirit. So that these may be perfected, that is, completed, mysteries and ministries of this kind were instituted by Christ’s gift, through which comes the perfection and completion of all the saints. For since apostles can act and teach and preach the gospel, yet others can also do these things and still not be apostles, it is distinguished that some are apostles, others prophets, others evangelists, others leaders and teachers. But by all these comes the perfection and completion of the saints, through what they themselves do and through what others do. For the mystery is what we do; the building up of the body of Christ is what we do toward others. So all these were instituted by Christ’s gift for two causes and with two effects: that they may preside over the mysteries, that they themselves may act and be ministers, as above; and that they may build up the body of Christ, that is, the church, and confirm all souls in the faith: for this is the body of Christ.

“Until we all meet in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of Christ, at the perfect man, at the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ.” He has set out in the full mystery what has been done, and why it was done, and what is to come. What has been done: that Christ descended and ascended, and that he gave apostles and prophets and the rest. Then he added for what cause: “for the perfecting,” he says, “of the saints.” What is that perfecting? What he added: that, all the saints being perfected, “in the unity of the faith,” there may be one faith among all, and “in the knowledge of Christ,” that we may all know Christ: for there is all salvation. Then what is to come: that we may meet and come together “at the perfect man”: for the soul perfected through faith and through Christ known becomes a perfect man. So too the prophet David, in the first psalm, wrote of this same perfect soul: “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly.” He called him both blessed and a man; and this is “the measure of the age and fullness of Christ”: when all the members have been gathered and the man rendered full, in each one the whole fullness of Christ is rendered.

“That we may no longer be children, tossed about.” For when we are not perfect, we are children; and when we were children, we were tossed about; but when we are confirmed by faith, we are not tossed about. When we know Christ, we are made men. “And no longer, as children, carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the wickedness of men, in cunning, for the remedy of error.” For when we are not perfect, we slip and waver in faith, and many things disturb us, when, running about through many doctrines, we are driven by the varied wind of understanding. This doctrine is the wickedness of men, and craft and cunning, and as it were certain remedies of error: so that what you think you believe you think by the sense and understanding of some wise men, and another’s understanding becomes the remedy for your error. All these must be dismissed, so that we may be restored by these two things and complete the man: faith and the knowledge of Christ. These two, then, faith in Christ and the knowledge of Christ, make a man blessed: and the blessed man is not tossed about, is not carried about by doctrine, in the wickedness of men. The blessed prophet David touched on these things in that same first psalm: for “blessed,” he says, “is the man”: whom we say is made so by faith and the knowledge of Christ; who knows nothing of doctrines, knows nothing of wickedness and errors; and David enumerates these errors and doctrines thus, saying: “who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of pestilence.” To sit in the seat of pestilence is to teach heretical doctrines; to walk in the counsel of the ungodly is to be engaged in the wickedness of men; to stand in the way of sinners is to be engaged in cunning for the remedy of error.

“But doing the truth in love, let us increase all things into him who is the head, Christ.” It is an exhortation, because he wants the Ephesians to be in love, to do all things according to the truth, and to increase all the more what they do. This is “let us increase all things,” but increase all things into Christ himself, so that nothing is done outside except for confirming faith in Christ; “who,” he says, “is Christ, the head.” For since all the members are ruled from the head, the whole church too is ruled by Christ, that is, every holy and faithful soul. So Christ is the head, “from whom the whole body, fitted and joined together through every joint of supply, in the measure of each part, makes the increase of the body for building itself up in love ...” We said that he is the head, from whom the whole body is joined and fitted together. So if Christ is the head and principle and fountain, and that from which are ruled all the members that are in the body through every joint, it must be taken keenly here: that as the individual members, cohering by a joint, in their various services make up the measure of the whole body, so in the church too each of the members of the ministries, concerning the sanctification of the mystery and faith in Christ, provides joints, and binds and builds up its body in love; and as our members, as if naturally knit and cohering with one another by a native love, provide increase to the body by their parts, so all the ministries that are in the church are the body of Christ, if they love one another in love, serving the head, that is, Christ.

“This, then, I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk.” As I have always taught, exhortation is twofold: what is not to be done he said above; what is to be done he now adds. What is not to be done: that you not, he says, walk as the Gentiles. This, he says, I say and this I testify, and testify in the Lord, that is, I bring the Lord’s testimony to what I admonish. Here there is also a note of terror: for terror mixed with exhortation makes persuasion easy. And when he said “that you no longer walk,” he showed that they had long walked so, and lived like the Gentiles. In what way like the Gentiles he himself supplies: “in the vanity of their mind; darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, through the blindness of their heart.” He has expressed what the life of the Gentiles is: that they are vain, he says, and not wise in mind, and darken their understanding: that is, to think nothing about God with their understanding, to be led by sense and by things in the world. For if the world is darkness, so is whatever is understood of the world. Then it is added, “alienated from the life of God,” which is the life of Christians when they both worship and understand God. This he calls “the life of God,” which is owed to God by us. And he adds, “because of ignorance”: for from this we are aliens from the life of God, when we do not know God; but when we know him, we live the life of God, and merit from God that life which is truly the life of God, which Christ has promised us. These things, he says, are in them “through the blindness of their heart”: since their heart is blinded by darkness, it thinks and moves in darkness, and considers this worldly wisdom, which is the wisdom of darkness, to be wisdom.

Then he shows what follows from such an understanding: “Who, despairing, have given themselves over to shamelessness, to the working of all uncleanness and greed.” He speaks of the Gentiles, whose heart is blinded and who hope for nothing; that is, they both confess and prove themselves mortal, and believe nothing about their own eternity; and therefore they snatch at the life of the world, as wishing to enjoy it, and live lustfully, and, practicing it with shamelessness, as they believe, are greedy for the pleasure of possessing, and in the habit of living are schooled in all the most shameful pleasures.

“But you did not so learn Christ; if indeed you have heard him and believed in him.” In contrast he teaches the Ephesians not to live like the Gentiles, since they have learned Christ: because Christ, to make us immortal, carried out the mystery, was present in the flesh, and taught us so that we might know the Father and have faith in him; and there is eternity for us who live according to his commandments. You, then, did not so learn as the Gentiles: since you have heard Christ (if indeed you have heard him), that is, understood and believed. For this is what he added: “who have believed in him”; because, as we have said and always say, to believe in Christ is to attain immortality and to merit eternal life; for he himself is life, he himself light, he himself eternity, he himself who conquers death and has conquered it, and conquered it for us, through the mystery he fulfilled.

“As the truth is in Jesus: put off, according to your former manner of life, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desires of error.” Before Christ’s coming all error and vain wisdom was this: to think worldly things eternal; to live according to the flesh; to believe this king of the world to be God. This is the old man. Put him off, he says, “as the truth is in Jesus,” since in others there is no truth. But in Jesus is truth: what Jesus taught is true; and this is the new man according to whom we ought to live. Let the old man, then, and the former manner of life be put off; for he “is corrupted according to the desires of error.” For, wholly turned to the body, he considered all things bodily and fleshly. Hence errors and a kind of worldly wisdom, since all things that are in the world do not come about according to the spirit: before Christ’s coming, however; but now, after he has taught us those eternal things, we are wise in what is spiritual. This is, as I said, the new man, who lives so and is wise so.

“But be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who has been created according to the spirit in righteousness and holiness of truth ...” As I said, the new man is the one who is wise according to the spirit. He says this: “be renewed in the spirit of your mind ...” So the soul is better, pure, whole; but the mind is the stronger spirit. “Be renewed,” then, he says, “in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man,” so that you may now live according to him; who is spiritual when he is wise from the spirit; and this spiritual man has been created “according to God,” that is, in accordance with God: as it was said, “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” But God does not have a countenance or face; but as God is spirit, so we too have been created according to God, so that we may be wise according to the spirit, that is, nothing in a fleshly way, nothing in the world. Then what it is for man to have been created according to God he himself said: “in holiness and righteousness and truth,” that is, that he be righteous, that he be holy, that he be true. For whoever is wise in worldly things is wise according to the flesh; whoever is wise according to the flesh is wise neither in what is true, nor what is righteous, nor what is holy. So since the spirit sanctifies, the spirit gives life and justifies, the spirit which truly is, and always is, and more, alone is, it is itself the truth. Understanding all these things so, they put on the new man, renewed in the spirit of their mind.

“Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth each one with his neighbor, since we are members of one another.” He concludes the exhortation to all that went before, in which he taught both the distribution of graces and that every person must bear with his companion and be patient with all magnanimity, enduring one another in love. So here, he says, put away lying: let no one deceive another; speak the truth; and let each one act, do, and speak what is true with his neighbor: nothing by fraud, nothing by deceit. And having said “with his neighbor,” he added, “since we are members of one another.” So too above: “one body, and one spirit,” and the rest likewise. For since the church is one body, and all in the church make one body, each one is a part of the church. So each is a member of another, and so one body is made, as he himself says, of the church: of that church, that is, of all souls having faith in God, of this, I say, Christ is the head. So we are the body; and individually members of the body; so we are members of one another.

“Be angry, and do not sin.” He adds admonitions, which are many, taking, however, as an example what is set down in the fourth psalm, taking it as the beginning of the precepts. But he divides them so as first to admonish the man of the church, that is, the Christian, what is to be done and what not; then to admonish what husbands and wives must do toward each other; then what fathers and sons must do toward each other; then what slaves and masters; and afterward there is an exhortation about what is to be done by all in general. But as the order is woven, so we too will enumerate the admonitions in their several places, and give the reasons and understanding proper to each. And first he gives the churchman, the Christian, these admonitions: that he not be angry; or, if he has been angry, that he not sin through anger. Then that he not hold his anger long, but end his anger within the day. Then that he not live by theft and devote himself to thefts, but rather work with his hands for his living, and from that also help others in need. Then that he not utter any evil words, but rather good ones; and build up another and not grieve another: that there be no bitterness in the mind, no anger, no indignation, no shouting, no blasphemy; that they love one another kindly, be merciful, forgive one another’s sins, as God in Christ has forgiven us our sins; that they love one another; that they be chaste; that they be strangers to all filth, to greed, to shamefulness, to foul talk, to buffoonery; that rather they give thanks: for such conduct, that is, conduct set in vices and sins, did not have the kingdom of Christ, nor an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. Then he warns that we not be led astray by others through words, that is, by heretics, or by the irreligious, or by those whom he calls sons of temptation and unbelief; whom he terrifies, saying that the wrath of God will come upon them. Then that we not share in evil and unfruitful works; and that they rather rebuke those who sin and live by evil morals, and expose their sins; and live as wise men, not as the imprudent; abstain from wine, and much more speak in the spirit, in psalms, in hymns and songs, and let these be done rather in the heart; give thanks to the Lord, and give thanks for all things in the name of God and our Lord Jesus Christ; be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. These are all the precepts given to the man of the church. Afterward he adds what is to be observed by women, that is, by husbands and wives. Now let us return to the details. “Be angry, and do not sin.” If God is angry, as it is said—for “the wrath of God is revealed, wrath from heaven, against all ungodliness,” and likewise in many places—rightly, then, anger is also given to man, that is, that he be angry; but he sins in anger who is angry not to correct but to punish. So “be angry, and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your anger.” He shows both the measure of anger and its time: anger conceived must be laid aside within the day. Many imitate this precept and set it among their own precepts. For if every day has its own care and malice, it is enough for itself; nothing from the past day ought to be added to another day. So:

“Let not the sun go down upon your anger, and do not give place to the devil.” For if anger remains, he finds an occasion to lead us into sins, and we do something that should not be done; which is to sin by the devil’s will. So it is shown by this precept that it is in our power both to be angry and not to be angry; and that the devil does not send anger in, but has an occasion, so that when we are angry he makes us do something. This must be considered in all the affections of the soul and in every action of the devil: that he can do nothing in us except when we ourselves, through ourselves, give him an occasion. So we are masters of our own will, and we have good rewards from good things and punishments from evil acts, because it is by our own fault that the devil gets an occasion.