BS2t50
.CiSb
THE
EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL
With Introductions and Commentary
for
Priests and Students
BY THE
Rev. CHARLES J. CALLAN, O.P., S.Th.M., Litt.D.
Professor of Sacred Scripture tn the Catholic Foreign Mission Seminary
Maryknoll, N. Y.
VOLUME II
Ephesians, Phiuppians, Colossians, Philemon, First and Second
Thessalonians, Pastorals, and Hebrews
NEW YORK
JOSEPH F. WAGNER, Inc.
LONDON: B. HERDER
COLLEGIO PONTIFICIO INTERN AZION ALE "ANGELICO"
Via San Vitale, Roma
Attente perlegimus commentarium Adm. R. P. Callan, O.P., in
S. Pauli Epistolas, scilicet ad Ephesios, Philippenses, Colossenses,
Philemonem, Thessalonicenses, Timotheum, Titum, Hebragos; atque
nihil obstare credimus quin tj^pis mandari possit.
Roma die Nona Maii, 1931
Fr. Vincentius Rowan, O.P., S.Th.L., S.Scrip.Lic.
Pr. Seraphinus M. Zarb, O.P., S.Th.L., S.Script.Lic
Smpttmi ^ermttttmu^:
FR. M. S. GIIXET, Mag. Gen. O.P.
Smpcimi ^otei^t:
FR. T. S. McDERMOTT, O.P., S.Th.L.,
Provincialis
ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S.T.D.
Censor Librorum
imprimatur
•i-PATRICK CARDINAL HAYES
Archbishop of New York
New York, July 23, 1931
Copyright, 1931, by Joseph P. Wagner, Inc., New York
PRINTED IN THK UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PREFACE
It is hardly customary to write a Preface to the second voltime of a
work, and yet in the present instance a few introductory words may
not be out of place. First of all, several years have intervened since
the publication of our first volume on the Epistles of St. Paul. This
we have much regretted, but we can only say that the delay has been
unavoidable. A work like this requires prolonged study and con-
centration, which many other duties and pressing occupations have
made generally impossible for years, to say nothing of the interrup-
tions often caused by physical infirmities. But since we have been
teaching these Epistles in the Seminary all along, we trust that the
lapse of years has enriched our knowledge and thus made more serv-
iceable the volume we now offer to the public. The delay in its
appearance has enabled us to take account of the latest and best
works that have come out on the different Epistles.
In the second place, we would say that the method followed in this
second volume is precisely the same as that adopted in the first volume
of this work, with the exception that here we have made use of the
valuable suggestion offered by The Irish Ecclesiastical Record in its
review of Volume I, and so have revised the Douay-Challoner text
of the Epistles wherever it was notably obscure or out of harmony
with the best Greek reading. Corresponding corrections have like-
wise been indicated for the Latin Vulgate. Such revision has helped
to save space in the comments, though many times we have still had
to deal in the notes with different readings and difficulties of text.
If all priests only knew St. Paul thoroughly, they would find little
trouble in preaching, for he is an inexhaustible ocean of doctrine,
most elevated and sublime as well as most practical and useful for
every phase of the Christian life. May this work contribute to a
better and more ready understanding of the great Apostle and of the
vast riches of his heavenly teaching !
Charles J. Callan, O.P.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE V
THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS
Special Introduction i
The Captivity Epistles i
Ephesus 3
The Church of Ephesus 4
To Whom Was Ephesians Addressed? 6
Authorship of Ephesians 12
Date and Place of Composition 16
Occasion and Purpose 17
Analysis of Contents 18
Bibliography 21
Commentary 23
THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Special Introduction 97
Philippi 97
The Church of Philippi 98
Occasion, Purpose and Character of This Letter . . . 100
Date and Place of Writing loi
Authenticity and Integrity 102
Analysis of Contents 103
Bibliography 105
Commentary 106
THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS
Special Introduction 144
Colossae 144
The Church of Colossae i4S
vii
viu CONTENTS
PAGE
Occasion and Purpose of This Letter 146
Analysis of Contents 147
Authorship and Integrity 150
Date and Place of Composition 151
Bibliography 152
Commentary 153
THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON
Special Introduction 184
Philemon 184
Occasion and Purpose of This Letter 184
Date and Place of Composition 185
Authenticity of This Epistle 185
Slavery 185
Analysis of Contents 187
Bibliography 187
Commentary 188
THE TWO EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS
Special Introduction 193
Thessalonica 193
The Church of Thessalonica 193
Occasion and Purpose of These Letters 194
Date and Place of Writing 196
Authenticity 197
Analysis of Contents 200
Bibliography 202
Commentary on i Thessalonians 203
Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 228
THE PASTORAL EPISTLES
Special Introduction 246
Authenticity of the Pastorals 247
Objections to the Authenticity of the Pastorals . . . 249
Bibliography 254
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
THE TWO EPISTLES TO TIMOTHY
Special Introduction 255
Timothy 255
Occasion, Time and Place of Writing 256
Analysis of Contents 258
Commentary on i Timothy 261
Commentary on 2 Timothy 299
THE EPISTLE TO TITUS
Special Introduction 324
Titus 324
Occasion, Date and Place of Composition 325
Analysis of Contents 326
Commentary 328
THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
Special Introduction 341
Authorship and Canonicity 341
Time and Place of Composition 347
Occasion and Readers of This Epistle 349
Language and Style 351
Analysis of Contents 352
Bibliography 354
Commentary 355
THE EPISTLES OF
SAINT PAUL
THE
EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS
INTRODUCTION
I. Captivity Epistles. Four letters of St. Paul — those to the
Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, and to Philemon —
are known as the Captivity Epistles, because the Apostle was a
prisoner when he wrote them, most probably at Rome (61-63 a.d.),
as mentioned in Acts xxviii. 30. This opinion is according- to a very
ancient tradition which the contents of those Epistles support. First
of all, there is a similarity of vocabulary and style in these four
letters, and Philippians seems to point directly to Rome when St.
Paul speaks of himself as a prisoner, of the number of local preach-
ers, and of Caesar's household (Phil. i. 7-17, iv. 22). Moreover,
that these four letters emanated from the Eternal City and were
written about the same time is further made very likely from the
following: (a) Timothy is associated with St. Paul in writing to
the Philippians, to the Colossians, and to Philemon; (b) Rome,
the capital of the Empire, was the natural resort of the runaway
slave from Colossse, Onesimus, whose meeting with St. Paul occa-
sioned the letter to Philemon (Phlm. 10-12, 18) ; (c) in Ephesians
vi. 20, the Apostle calls himself an ambassador in chains, that is,
a representative of Christ the King in the imperial city, but with-
out honor; (d) he is free to preach and to receive all who come
to him (Phlm. 7 ff., 24; Eph. iii. 12, vi, 19, 20; Phil. i. 12, 20 flf.;
2 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
Acts xxviii. 30, 31) ; (e) he expects an early release, and asks
Philemon to make ready a lodging for him (Phil. ii. 24; Phlm, 22) ;
(f) Tychicus and Onesimus are together in bearing these three let-
ters to Asia (Eph. vi. 21 ; Col. iv. 7-9; Phlm. 12, 22).
In view of these considerations there is nothing of moment to be
said in favor of the opinion that the three letters last named were
written during the Caesarean captivity (58-60 a.d.). The arguments
just given favoring Rome would not fit Caesarea. Still less can be
said in support of the opinion which makes Ephesus the place whence
St. Paul wrote the Captivity Epistles (see Pope, Aids to the Study
of the Bible, vol. III., p. 160).
As to the order of these four Epistles, it is evident from what
has been said above that those to the Ephesians, the Colossians,
and Philemon are not to be separated; but whether the Colossian
Epistle preceded or followed the composition of that to the Ephesians
cannot be determined with any degree of certainty, though it is
clear that both were carried from Rome at the same time by
Tychicus (Eph. vi. 21 ; Col. iv. 7). Nor can it be decided whether
the letter to the Philippians was the first or the last of these four
Captivity Epistles.
With regard to their general contents Dr. Voste, O.P., very appro-
priately remarks that "there is nothing in the whole New Testament
which so nearly approaches the doctrinal and mystical sublimity of
the Fourth Gospel as do these Epistles. There is the same loftiness
of dogmatic and ethical teaching, the same marvelous boldness of
expressions, the same divine revelation of the union of the faithful
with Christ or of the branches with the vine, and finally the same
glorification of the love and person of Christ. John, the beloved
disciple, has revealed to us the glory of the Word made flesh ; Paul,
rapt to the third heaven, has made known to us the glory of Christ
exalted on high. And then, also, it was that the Apostle described
this sublimity when, like the exile of Patmos, he was an ambas-
sador in chains for Christ; when, like Stephen the First Martyr
when being stoned to death, he saw the heavens opened and the
Son of man standing on the right hand of God" {Ep. ad Eph.,
Introd., pp. 6, 7).
The style and manner of treatment in these Captivity Epistles
is very diflFerent from that in St. Paul's previous letters — Romans,
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 3
Corinthians, and Galatians. In those great Epistles the Apostle
was at the height of his career ; he was founding Churches ; he was
unfolding his great revelations; he was defending his authority
and his teachings ; he was in the thick of the battle. In these letters
his work is mostly done; he is quietly surveying the fruits of his
many labors, and is only anxious that they may be preserved. He
is now reflective, meditative, and on the whole at peace in his mind.
His surroundings are also very different here. Formerly he was
writing from Greek cities, with their individualistic outlook and cul-
tured environment; but now he is writing from Rome, the centre
of the great empire, with its worldwide outlook and its emphasis
upon the family, the community, the state, and the race. Hence,
Paul's vision assumes a wider range here — especially in Ephesians,
Colossians and Philippians — taking in the whole world and uniting
all men of all time under the universal sovereignty of Christ.
Christ, the King, and His universal Church are uppermost in the
Apostle's mind in these letters.
II. Ephesus. Situated on the great highway of trade between
the East and the West, and under Roman rule the capital of Pro-
consular Asia, Ephesus was one of the most important cities of
ancient times. It was to the province of Asia what Corinth was
to Greece, what Antioch was to Syria, and what Alexandria was to
Egypt. It was built on the Cayster River only about three miles
inland from the ^Egean Sea, and was the sea terminal of the great
trade route which extended eastward, up the valley of the Maeander
to that of the Lycus, and thence to central Asiatic and far eastern
points. Miletus was indeed the natural terminus and seaport of
the road which, from central Asia Minor and eastern lands, led
down the valleys of the Lycus and the Maeander to the West, but
the journey was shortened some thirty miles by a pass only six
hundred feet high over the mountains from the Maeander to Ephesus.
Moreover, during later centuries, and especially under the Romans,
the silt carried down by the Maeander seems to have been permitted
to spoil the harbor of Miletus, thus giving Ephesus undisputed
supremacy as the seaport of Proconsular Asia until, in course of
time, a similar fate befell the port of Ephesus through the alluvium
which the Cayster deposited at its mouth. Even in St. Paul's age
the channel between Ephesus and the sea had to be cleaned out
4 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
repeatedly, but later, after the sway of Rome had passed away,
it was allowed to fill up and become a mere marsh, and the glory
of Ephesus as a port and the great coastal terminal of trade from
Central Asia and eastern countries ceased to exist and became a
mere matter of the past.
In the days of its prosperity the trade and wealth of Ephesus were
augmented also by the coast-line ships from north and south, and
by the vast numbers of visitors who were passing from Rome to
the East or from the Orient to the West, as well as those who came
to the city to worship at the shrine of Diana, to enjoy the Roman
festivals, and to assist at the public games and shows. For, as
already said, Ephesus was the principal seaport of the Roman prov-
ince of Asia and the roads from the interior all converged there,
thus making it most easily accessible for land travelers. Just out-
side the city stood the marvelous Temple of Diana (Artemis), one
of the seven wonders of the world, and on the western side of
Mt. Coressus was the largest theatre of the Hellenic world, open
to the sky, and capable of accommodating 50,000 spectators; while
a little to the north was situated the Stadium or Race Course where
the public games and fights were exhibited.
The road from Ephesus to the east up the valley of the Cayster
was too steep and precipitous for commercial purposes, but, as it
was considerably shorter than the lower and more level route down
the valleys of the Lycus and the Masander, foot-passengers, like
St. Paul, naturally preferred it. Hence, the Apostle going on foot
from Pisidian Antioch to Ephesus would follow the higher, though
steeper, Cayster route; and this is why he seems never to have
visited Colossse and Laodicea, which were on the main highway
of trade down the valleys of the Lycus and the Maeander.
III. The Church of Ephesus. Being so situated, the terminal
of trade and travel from Asia and the East westward, and as the
Asiatic port for commerce and travelers from the West to the East,
Ephesus was naturally sought by St. Paul as a centre from which
his preaching and missionary activities should radiate. Already at
the outset of his second great journey (51 a.d.) he seems to have
had Ephesus in mind as his goal, but being "forbidden by the Holy
Ghost to preach the word in Asia" (Acts xvi. 6), he passed through
Mysia over to Troas, and from there to Neapolis and Philippi,
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 5
and then down through Macedonia and Greece (Acts xvi. ii-
xviii. i8). But at the close of that missionary journey, on his way
from Greece to Syria, he paid a brief visit to Ephesus, leaving
there, as he proceeded back to the East, Aquila and Priscilla whom
he had brought thither, and promising to return later himself (Acts
xviii. 18-21).
Accordingly, on his third missionary journey (55-58 A.D.), St.
Paul, after visiting the Churches previously founded in Galatia, came
directly to Ephesus by way of the "upper coasts," that is, following
the Cayster valley route (Acts xix. i). The seed planted there on
his first brief visit and nourished to some extent by the efforts of
Aquila and Priscilla, aided for a time by Apollo, had already pro-
duced a little fruit in the establishment of a small group of cate-
chumens who had received only the baptism of John (Acts xix. 1-3).
These St. Paul at once instructed and baptised, imposing hands upon
them and thus endowing them with the gifts of the Spirit (Acts
xix. 4-7). Then entering the synagogue where he had preached
on his first visit to Ephesus, "he spoke boldly for the space of three
months, disputing and exhorting concerning the Kingdom of God,"
until, forced by the opposition of some of his Jewish hearers, he
made "the school of one Tyrannus" his place of worship and in-
struction (Acts xix. 8, 9). In this new abode he continued his
spiritual labors for two whole years, discoursing every day and
proving by miracles the divinity of his doctrine and claims, with the
grand result that great numbers embraced the faith in Ephesus,
the magical practices in honor of Diana were exposed as frauds,
and the Gospel was heard by both Jews and Greeks throughout
the whole province of Asia (Acts xix. 10-26). It seems that St.
Paul himself remained in Ephesus all the time (Acts xx. 18), but
his influence and efforts were extended by co-workers, like Epaphras
and Tychicus of Colossse, and by the multitudes who came to Ephe-
sus for various purposes, and, having heard the glad tidings of
the new religion, carried them back to their homes. Although his
personal work in Ephesus was nearly finished and he was contem^
plating an early visit to Macedonia and Corinth (i Cor. xvi. 5 ff.),
the Apostle's stay was somewhat shortened by the tumult raised
by the silversmith Demetrius and his craftsmen; whereas he had
intended to prolong his labors in that fruitful field until Pentecost,
6 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
and then go to Macedonia and Achaia (Acts xix. 21 n.; i Cot.
xvi. 8, 9).
On his way from Corinth back to Syria at the close of his third
missionary journey (58 a.d.), St. Paul, unable to spare the time for
a visit to Ephesus itself, halted at Miletus on the coast of Caria
(Acts XX. 15), some thirty miles southwest of Ephesus, and called
thither the ancients of the Church of Ephesus, and addressed to them
the solemn discourse of which St. Luke has given us the substance
in Acts XX. 18-35 — which discourse is at once an indication of the
strong and flourishing condition of the Ephesian Christian commu-
nity and of St. Paul's abiding interest in and affection for the Church
there.
The next mention of Ephesus in connection with St. Paul is in
the Pastoral Epistles, written towards the end of the Apostle's
life. In I Tim. i, 3 ff., we read that Paul exhorted Timothy to
remain at Ephesus as head of that Church to teach and to correct,
while he himself went to Macedonia; and in the Second Epistle
to Timothy, written during the Apostle's last imprisonment in Rome
and shortly before his death, 'he recalls the kindness of the Ephesian
Onesiphorus (2 Tim. i. 18), and says he has sent Tychicus to Ephe-
sus (2 Tim. iv. 12).
Ephesus is mentioned twice in later Apostolic history, namely,
in Apoc. i. II and ii. i. There it was, after Timothy had passed,
that St. John the Evangelist, as Bishop of that see, spent his de-
clining years and wrote his Gospel and Epistles ; there he was heard
by Polycarp, Ignatius Martyr, and Papias; and there he died and
was buried about the close of the first century of our era.
The Church of Ephesus continued to exercise a great influence
for many centuries. It was the scene of the Ecumenical Council
of 431 and of the "Robber Synod" of 449, and at the end of the
fourth century its Bishop bore the title of Exarch or Grand Metro-
politan of Asia. Ultimately, however, the primacy of Asia was
taken over by the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Christian
community of Ephesus gradually declined with the rest of the city
to its present desolate state of a small Turkish village.
IV. To Whom Ephesians Was Addressed. It is extremely
difficult to decide for whom this letter was destined. A great variety
of opinions have been advanced, the merits of all of which it is
I
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 7
neither possible nor useful to discuss here. Hence we shall confine
ourselves to those which seem most likely, and which are or have
been most generally held.
According to tradition this Epistle was intended for the faithful
of the city of Ephesus, which St. Paul visited at the close of his
second missionary journey and where he spent over two years on
his third journey. In favor of this opinion we have: (a) the testi-
mony of all extant Manuscripts containing St. Paul's Epistles, which
— with the exception of the Vatican (B), the Sinaitic (S), the
cursive 67, and that of Mt. Athos recently found — read iv 'E^eVoi
(at Ephesus) in i. i ; (b) the title given this Epistle by every known
MS., which has "To the Ephesians" ; (c) the most ancient versions,
going back to the middle of the second century, which follow the
MSS. in reading "at Ephesus" in i. i, and which therefore seem
to indicate that this reading was already old when they were made ;
(d) the Muratorian Fragment in Rome, St. Irenaeus in Gaul, Ter-
tullian in Africa, and Clement in Alexandria. These Fathers ap-
pear to have held the Ephesian destination of this letter on the au-
thority of tradition, and not on the evidence of the MSS. before
them. Thus it seems that, at the end of the second century, tradi-
tion was wellnigh unanimous in affirming that this letter was written
for the faithful of Ephesus. Internal evidence, however, in sup-
port of this ancient opinion is, practically speaking, entirely lacking.
Against the Ephesian destination we have: (a) the indirect and
negative testimony of the four MSS. referred to above, two of
which are the oldest and best in existence, going back to about the
middle of the fourth century; (b) Marcion, about the middle of the
second century, who said this letter was addressed to the Laodiceans,
and who, since he could have had no dogmatic reason for saying so,
may have been guided by some ancient codex which read this way ;
(c) Tertullian, who, arguing against Marcion for the Ephesian des-
tination, was influenced only by tradition, making no reference to
the words "at Ephesus" in i. i, which must therefore have been
absent from the MSS. known to him; (d) Origen, St. Basil, and St.
Jerome, from whose writings we see that the phrase "at Ephesus"
in i. I was lacking in the MSS. they made use of. With regard
to the argument from Marcion, just given above, we are not obliged
to believe that he had before him a codex which read "to the Laodi-
6 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
ceans," for his opinion may have been based only on the reference
in Colossians to a letter at Laodicea (Col. iv. i6). However, all this
external evidence seems to show, at least, that the words eV 'E^cVy
of verse i of this Epistle are not authentic, and consequently do
not prove anything for the Ephesian destination of the letter.
Internal evidence is strongly opposed to an Ephesian destination.
For example, (a) this Epistle has no personal greetings of any
kind, which is nearly impossible to understand if Paul was writing
to Ephesus where he had lived and labored so long and so suc-
cessfully; (b) the tone of the letter is formal and distant, terms of
familiarity and endearment (like "beloved" and "brethren"), being
entirely absent; (c) there is no allusion to the Apostle's previous
relations with his readers (as in Thess., Gal., Corinth., etc.), but,
on the contrary, he seems to be unknown to the recipients of this
Epistle, he has only heard of their faith (i. 15), they have perhaps
heard of the ministry committed to him (iii. 2 ff.), and he hopes they
have been taught aright regarding Christ (iv. 20, 21). We cannot
imagine St. Paul addressing the Ephesians, either exclusively or in-
clusively, in this manner; and hence it seems to us that not only
was this letter not addressed solely to the faithful of Ephesus, but
it also could not have been written to any group of Churches which
would include Ephesus.
If, therefore, we are to follow the theory commonly accepted
nowadays (namely, that this was a Circular Epistle addressed to
a number of Christian communities in Asia Minor), we ought to
exclude the Church at Ephesus, and perhaps confine ourselves to
the faithful of Laodicea and Hierapolis. But here again we en-
counter difficulties. Since these cities were only a few miles from
Colossae, and must therefore have been affected by the same errors
as endangered the faithful to whom Colossians was sent, it is hard
to see why two letters so different in tone and object should have
been directed to readers so near together and so similarly circum-
stanced. We admit, of course, that this objection has weight only
in the supposition that Ephesians was addressed exclusively to the
Churches at Laodicea and Hierapolis, and not to a group of Churches
of which those two were only a part. If then we hold that we
have here a Circular Epistle, and yet exclude the Church at Ephesus
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 9
for the reasons given at the end of the preceding paragraph, and
also the Churches at Laodicea and HierapoHs because of their near-
ness to Colossae, what group of Churches unknown to St. Paul shall
we designate as readers of this letter? In reply it must be ob-
served, first of all, that it seems next to certain that the readers
addressed by this Epistle were living in Asia Minor somewhere and
not too far from Colossae, since Tychicus was the bearer of this
Epistle and of that to the Colossians at one and the same time.
Arguing thus, some scholars have concluded that this letter was
written for that rather isolated group of Churches in northeastern
Asia Minor, near the Black Sea, to which St. Peter addressed his
first letter (i Pet. i. i). The Ephesian designation given the letter,
we are told, was due to the fact that, when the official collection of
St. Paul's Epistles was prepared some time in the second century,
the copy which had been made at Ephesus when Tychicus first
arrived there with the original from Rome, and which naturally
bore the inserted reference to that central Church of Asia, was the
one that was chosen for the Canon and that was copied generally in
subsequent codices (cf. Ladeuze, Cath, EncycL, vol. V, pp. 487,
488; Revue Bihliquc, 1902, pp. 573-580.) This conjecture is worth
some reflection, but one may well ask why St. Paul sent the crown
of all his Epistles only to such a comparatively insignificant body
of the faithful.
In view of the unsatisfactory character of the conclusions so far
arrived at touching the destination of this letter, perhaps it is best
after all to hold with the majority of modern scholars that we have
in Ephesians a circular letter written to the various Churches of
Asia Minor, including Ephesus, Laodicea and HierapoHs, and that
the impersonal tone and distant, formal character of the Epistle are
to be explained by the very fact that so many of the faithful were
addressed, not a few of whom were strange and unknown to the
Apostle. Along with this opinion the words ev'Et^eo-u which are
found in so many MSS., can be explained quite reasonably as in
the preceding paragraph.
The opinion of Harnack, however, which Fr. Knabenbauer re-
garded as not improbable and which Dr. J, M. Voste, O.P., adopts
in his learned work on Ephesians, deserves our serious considera-
lo INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
tion. The opinion goes back to Marcion's view that our Epistle was
addressed to the Laodiceans. We give here a summary of Dr.
Voste's reasoning on this theory.
In the first place, the best text of verse i of this Epistle seems
to be defective, as if the name of a city which ought to be in it
had dropped out or had been purposely omitted. After the words
TOW ova-iv we should expect a noun, as in Rom. i. 7 ToX<i oZaiv iv
'V*t>firj, and in Phil. i. I roX^ ovariv iv ^tA-iWoij; (cf. also I Cor. i. 2;
2 Cor. I. i; Gal. i. 2; Col. i. 2). Therefore, it is concluded that
verse i of Ephesians ought to read : toTs ovmv iv AaoSiKta, k.t.X.
{to those that are at Laodicea, etc.). The phrase iv AaoBiKia, we are
told, was in time suppressed because of the unworthiness which
later crept into the Church of Laodicea, and to which St. John refers
in Apoc. iii. 14-19; but that it belongs there and that this Epistle
was consequently directed to the Laodiceans is further made prob-
able by the following references to the Church at Laodicea in the
Epistle to the Colossians:
1. "For I would have you know what manner of care I have
for you and for them that are at Laodicea, and whosoever have not
seen my face in the flesh" (Col. ii. i). Here we observe that, while
speaking to the Colossians, only the Laodiceans are expressly named.
2. St. Paul says of Epaphras: "For I bear him testimony that
he hath much labor for you, and for them that are at Laodicea,
and them at Hierapolis" (Col. iv. 13). These three cities — Colossae,
Laodicea and Hierapolis — were not far apart in the valley of the
Lycus River.
3. The Apostle says to the Colossians : "Salute the brethren who
are at Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in his house"
(Col. iv. 15). Here Hierapolis is not included.
4. Finally, the Apostle says: "And when this Epistle shall have
been read with you, cause that it be read also in the church of the
Laodiceans: and that you read that which is of the Laodiceans"
(Col. iv. 16). Here again there is question onl}- of the Churches
at Colossae and Laodicea, and both have received a letter from St.
Paul.
As Dr. Voste goes on to observe here, it is manifest from the
foregoing texts that the Churches at Colossae and Laodicea were
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS ii
intimately connected one with the other and in the heart of the
Apostle. And hence it would a priori be very strange if, while
the Epistle to the Colossians has been preserved, that to the Lao-
diceans should have been lost — all the more so, since, having been
read at Colossae, most likely a copy of it would have been made by
the Colossians. That no copy of a letter so important as this one
seems to have been should have come down to us, while that to the
Church of Colossae and even the little personal letter to Philemon
written at the same time have been preserved, borders on the in-
credible. But, on the other hand, if among the Epistles of St. Paul
that we have there is one which, as regards time of composition and
contents, is like our Epistle to the Colossians, though its traditional
inscription gives rise to various hypotheses, there results great proba-
bility that this is the Epistle to the Laodiceans.
Now, we have an Epistle to the Ephesians, written at the same
time as the Epistle to the Colossians and in many ways very much
like it, which seems certainly not to have been written to the Ephe-
sians but to some other Church. The suspicion, therefore, naturally
arises that this letter which now bears the title "to the Ephesians,"
but which in the best MSS. and in ancient tradition appeared with-
out any special inscription, is that lost Epistle of St. Paul's which
was sent to the Laodiceans. With this admission, we shall find no
difficulty in the absence of salutations and of particular character-
istics, because, as a matter of fact, the Laodiceans had never seen St.
Paul, and, moreover, certain things in the Epistle to the Colossians,
which was also to be sent to the Laodiceans, would pertain to the
latter.
Hence, it seems very probable that our Epistle to the Ephesians
in the beginning carried in its salutation the phrase iv AaoSixia and
that Marcion in the middle of the second century still read these
authentic words in his text. We can account for the early suppres-
sion of the Laodicean designation, as said above, by the great cor-
ruption which invaded the Church of Laodicea towards the end of
the first century (Apoc. iii. 14-19), and which rendered it no longer
worthy of so great a privilege and special distinction. This sup-
pression would naturally be soon forgotten at large, and in course
of time, when the collection of St. Paul's Epistles was made, the
illustrious name of Ephesus, the capital city of Roman Asia where
12 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
St. Paul had lived so long, was substituted for the omission, in
order to satisfy the grammatical construction ot the first verse of the
letter, as well as to give to this glorious Epistle a complete and specific
inscription, like those of St. Paul's other letters. The fact that not
all MSS. adopted the Ephesian inscription only proves that the
Epistle had for long been known to lack the name of any special
city or place.
The foregoing explanation is in substance the theory of Harnack
as given by Dr. Voste in his work on Ephesians (Introduction, pp.
i8 ff.) . As said above, this opinion was also accepted by Fr. Knaben-
bauer, S.J., as not improbable, and it has been followed by a number
of non-Catholic exegetes. To us it seems very plausible, though not
entirely free from difficulties. Perhaps it is open to fewer objec-
tions than any of the other explanations.
V. Authorship of Ephesians. This letter was circulated in the
Church to some extent by the end of the first century, at the close
of the second century it was in common use and widely knov^m, and
it was always ascribed to St. Paul as its author. In fact, the au-
thenticity of this Epistle was admitted without question by every
ancient authority that can now be cited. Thus, the Muratorian
Canon includes Ephesus among the Churches to which St. Paul
wrote letters. St. Irenseus quotes v. 30 as the words of "the blessed
Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians." Tertullian argues against
Marcion for the Ephesian destination of this letter. Clement of
Alexandria, Origen and St. Basil are equally explicit ; and Eusebius
includes this Epistle among the sacred writings which were ad-
mitted by the whole Church without hesitation.
It is even probable that we have an allusion to this Epistle in
Col. iv. 16, and a number of references to it in the First Epistle of
St. Peter. For the latter compare Eph. i. 3-14 with i Pet. i. 2;
Eph. i. 20 with I Pet. iii. 22; Eph. ii. 18-22 with i Pet. ii. 4-6; Eph.
iii. 10 with I Pet. i. 12; Eph. iv. 9 with i Pet. iii. 19; Eph. v. 22-
vi. 9 with I Pet. ii. i8-iii. 7. There are also quotations from and
allusions to this Epistle, or echoes of it, in the writings of St.
Ignatius Martyr, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Tatian, The Teaching
of the Twelve Apostles, and the Epistle of Barnabas.
Moreover, the heretics of the second century not only admitted
that St. Paul was the author of this letter, but they even cited it
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 13
as Sacred Scripture. Marcion, for example, included it in his Canon
(cf. St. Epiphanius, H(sr., xlii. 9), Valentine made use of it to
justify his own doctrine (cf. St. Iren., Adv. Hcer., i. 3, 8), Easilides
did likewise {Philosoph., vii. 26), and other heretics likewise had
recourse to it when they thought it served their purpose.
Among modern Rationalists and non-Catholic writers there are
some who have doubted or denied the authenticity of our letter,
but there is an equal if not a greater number who admit its genuine-
ness, or incline towards it. In the former group are Schleiermacher,
De Wette, Weizacher, Ewald, Baur, Holtzmann, Renan, Schwegler,
Davidson, Cone, Moffatt, Dobschutz, Pfleiderer, Clemen, Scott,
von Soden, etc. ; whereas in the latter group we find such names as
Weiss, Zahn, Shaw, Knowling, Lunemann, Lock, Robertson, Bacon,
Schenkel, Salmon, Godet, Harnack, McGiffert, Howson, etc. Dr.
Hort says he is sure that Ephesians bears "the impress of Paul's
wonderful mind." Jiilicher appears to be uncertain.
One of the main reasons for suspecting the authenticity of this
Epistle is based upon its similarity to Colossians, from which it is
concluded that one or the other or both are the work of some falsifier,
living perhaps early in the second century.
We may reply, in the first place, by freely conceding that the
resemblances between these two letters are many and striking. For
example, (a) the salutations are practically the same; (b) both have
the same general structure; (c) in both the principal subjects and
leading thoughts are much the same, the relations of Christ to His
Church and to the Universe being the dominant thoughts in Ephe-
sians and Colossians respectively; (d) there are many parallel pas-
sages, the same words, phrases and similitudes, and, in the prac-
tical part, the same counsels and exhortations. But are not these
similarities just what we should expect in two letters written by
the same author at about the same time to two Churches in prac-
tically the same spiritual condition and general environment? They
are both Captivity Epistles (Eph. vi. 20; Col. iv. 10), and Tychicus
is the bearer of them both (Eph. vi. 21, 22; Col. iv. 7-9), very prob-
ably to neighboring Churches known to him. Is it surprising, then,
that both letters should discuss similar themes in a similar style ?
In the second place, let it be observed that, while there are notable
resemblances between Ephesians and Colossians, there are also
14 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
marked differences. Thus, (a) Colossians is personal and concrete,
Ephesians impersonal and general in application, (b) The former
inclines to the controversial and polemical ; the latter is poetical and
mystical, and more Johannine than any other of the Pauline writings.
"In Colossians Paul is the soldier, in Ephesians the builder"
(Farrar). "Colossians is a letter of discussion, Ephesians of re-
flection. In the former we behold Paul in spiritual conflict, in the
latter his soul is at rest" (Findlay). (c) The former is Christ-
ological, dealing with Christ's relation to the universe ; the latter is
the ecclesiastical Epistle, treating of the relation between Christ
and the Church. Under this last heading there are five passages in
Ephesians which have no parallel in Colossians, namely, i. 3-14,
iv. 4-16, V. 8-14, V. 22-33, vi. 10-17. (d) There are twelve references
to the Holy Ghost in Ephesians, and only one in Colossians ; there
are nine quotations from the Old Testament in the former Epistle,
and none in the latter.
In view of the foregoing, it seems to us that no valid argument
against the Pauline authorship of Ephesians can be drawn from the
resemblances between that Epistle and Colossians. But our objec-
tors find another difficulty in the style and diction of this letter, where,
we are told, there are some forty strange words or expressions
(ttTTo^ Aeyo/tcva) that do not occur elsewhere, either in the writings
of St. Paul or in the whole New Testament ; and some forty more
which, while they are found elsewhere in the New Testament, are
not to be found in St. Paul. Moreover, it is objected that the style
here is dull and sluggish ; that it is overtaxed with phrases, clauses,
synonyms and qualifying epithets; and that it is lacking in the
sharpness, vigor, and overpowering eloquence so characteristic of
St. Paul.
In reply to the first difficulty it need only be said that peculiarities
of expression may be found more or less in all the letters of St.
Paul, and as frequently in those whose authenticity the Rationalists
admit as in the others. Thus, for example, we find ninety-six
aira4 Xeyofuva in the Epistle to the Romans ; ninety-one in i Cor. ;
ninety-two in 2 Cor. ; thirty-three in Gal. ; thirty-six in Philippians,
etc. On the other hand, it should be noted that this letter contains
many words not found in the New Testament except in the writings
of St. Paul, which is an additional, positive proof of its authenticity.
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 15
.A&j:egards peculiarities of style and composition, we can say that
these are easily and satisfactorily explained by a consideration of
the time, place, and conditions in which Paul wrote this letter, as
well as the circumstances of the faithful to whom he addressed it.
The Apostle was nearing the end of his eventful life; he was a
prisoner in Rome, the central city of a vast empire, and he had
leisure for meditation on the great mysteries that had been revealed
to him. He was writing to Churches unknown to him, at least for
the most part, with which he had no reason for discussion or con-
troversy, but which he wished to remind of the spiritual treasures
that were theirs. In language, therefore, which often takes on the
qualities and proportions of a hymn of adoration he unfolds to his
readers in this letter the wealth of sublime thoughts and reasonings
that flooded his soul. It is not wonderful, then, that his language
here becomes rich and overflowing, soaring up like a cloud of incense
to the very throne of God. Paul was writing from his prison cell
in Rome, but his heart and soul were with Christ in heaven; he
was enchained to a Roman soldier, but his mind swept over the vast
Roman domains and took in the conditions of all the Churches
scattered throughout the Christian world ; he was still bound to his
earthly tabernacle, but his thoughts penetrated to the "heavenly
places" and pondered the mystery, the plenitude, the light, the love,
the peace and glory of the Godhead as revealed in Christ and made
known to the Church.
There are few advocates today of the argument against the au-
thenticity of this letter which Baur, Schwegler and other Rationalists
based on the Epistle's relation to the Gnosticism of the second cen-
tury. First of all, it is well known now that the Gnosticism which
was a developed system in the second century had its beginning and
early growth in the time of St. Paul. On this point we need only
consult Irenaeus (Adv. Har., i. 23), Clement of Alexandria (Strom.,
vii. 18), and Eusebius (Hist. EccL, ii. 13 ; iv. 7).
In the second place, it is altogether doubtful whether there is any
allusion in the Epistle to the Ephesians to Gnosticism, as it appeared
in the second century. It is far more likely, on the contrary, that
the propagators of this heresy made deliberate use of some of the
expressions of St. Paul in this letter to help the spread and accep-
tance of their own doctrines.
i6 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
VI, Date and Place of Composition. At the close of Paul's
third missionary journey, while he was fulfilling a vow in the Temple
at Jerusalem, he was arrested by the Jewish authorities on a false
charge (Acts xxi. 26 ff.) and carried away as a captive to Csesarea,
where he was kept in prison for two years (Acts xxiii. 23-xxiv. 27).
At the end of this period, when the Roman Governor Festus was
about to bring him to trial, the Apostle asserted his Roman citizen-
ship and appealed to the tribunal of Cassar; and Festus, having
heard Paul's story and found him guilty of no crime, decided to
send him to Rome (Acts xxv. 1-27). After making the long and
perilous journey Paul with Luke finally arrived in the Eternal City
and was there kept in prison two more years (Acts xxvii. i-
xxviii. 31).
Now we shall assume that the Csesarean imprisonment occurred
58-60 A.D., that St. Paul set out from Caesarea for Rome in the
autumn of 60 a.d., arriving in the latter city in the spring of 61 a.d.,
and that consequently the Apostle's ensuing Roman captivity was
from 61 to 63 A.D. We accept these years, not because they are
certain or the only ones, but because they are just as probable as
(if not a little more so than) any others that may be given. With
these data premised, we ought not to find it difficult to fix the date
and place of composition, not only of Ephesians, but also of the
three other Captivity Epistles — Philippians, Colossians, and Phile-
mon— on account of the very close relationship between these four
letters.
As in the case of the three last-named Epistles, the Apostle was a
prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles when he wrote our letter (Eph.
iii. I ; iv. i ; vi. 20), and his imprisonment had lasted a considerable
time (Eph. iii. i ; vi. 22). Our letter was carried to its destination
by a certain Tychicus (Eph. vi. 21), who was at the same time en-
trusted with a similar letter to be delivered to the faithful at Colossae
(Col. iv. 6), and who therefore was recommended to both these
Churches in almost the same words. On this mission Tychicus was
accompanied by Onesimus, a fugitive slave from Colossas, whom
the Apostle was sending back with a letter of commendation to his
master, Philemon, a well-to-do Christian of that city (Col. iv. 7-9).
From these clear indications it seems evident that Ephesians, Colos-
sians, and Philemon were all written from the same place, during
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 17
the same imprisonment, and therefore about the same time. But
whether Rome or Csesarea was the place of Paul's captivity at this
time is still a disputed question, with the great weight of evidence
pointing to Rome. For, if we examine the letter to the Philippians,
we shall find that that Epistle was written either shortly before or
shortly after these other three, while the Apostle was in the same
imprisonment (Phil. i. 12 ff.), and that the indications are all Rome-
ward. Thus the reference to the prsetorium in Phil. i. 13, the rela-
tions between Jewish and Gentile Christians as reflected in Phil,
i. 15-20, the mention of Caesar's household in Phil. iv. 22, the free-
dom to preach and teach which St. Paul enjoyed (Phil. i. 12; Eph.
vi. 23; cf. Acts xxiv. 32 if., and xxviii. 31 ff.), are all much more
applicable to Rome than to Caesarea. Again, it must have been when
St. Paul was in Rome that he was expecting a speedy release ( Phlm.
22), for surely he was not expecting a release from Caesarea that
would soon enable him to visit Philemon in Colossae. Finally, the
points of contact between these four Epistles and the Pastoral
Epistles in phraseology, in Christology, in the stress laid on an organ-
ized Church and family life, etc., all indicate the later date, and so
favor Rome, during the Apostle's first captivity there between 61
and 64 A.D. (cf. Hastings, Diet, of The Bible, vol. I, p. 718).
In conclusion, then, we hold with the traditional opinion that not
only Ephesians, but also Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, were
written by St. Paul in the Eternal City, during his first Roman
captivity (61-63 a.d.).
VII. Occasion and Purpose. We have just seen that the
Apostle was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote this letter. Epaphras
had brought him news of the dogmatic and moral errors that were
springing up in the Church at Colossae and the neighboring cities.
Perhaps the Apostle had been accused of a lack of interest In those
Churches which he had not personally evangelized, and which had
not seen his face (Col. ii. 1-5). He had heard of the faith and
charity of the "Ephesians," and he was greatly pleased at this (Eph.
i. 15, 16) ; they also had heard of him and of his work among the
Gentiles (Eph. iii. 2 ff.).
While, therefore, dispatching Tychicus with a letter to the Colos-
sians, St. Paul seized the opportunity to send this letter to those
other Churches which he addressed in this Epistle, to remind them
i8 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
of their dignity as Christians and of the glorious life in Christ ; to
assure them that, though not evangelized by him, they were never-
theless members of the one vast Catholic Church which had been
predestined before the ages to unite all mankind, Jews and Gentiles,
in one common brotherhood living the life of God ; to exhort them,
consequently, to a higher activity and a greater unity in accordance
with God's eternal decrees and purposes for His Church ; to warn
them against the dangers of sin and possible errors which would
imperil their divine life here on earth and their sublime prospects
in the eternal life hereafter; and to stimulate them to ever greater
efforts in the pursuit of virtue and in the fulfillment of their various
duties. That such were the occasion and purpose of the letter to the
"Ephesians" an analysis of its contents seems to show, as well as
the hints that we can gather from the Epistle to the Colossians,
VIII. Argument and Division. In general, this Epistle con-
sists of a brief introduction, in which St. Paul greets his readers
in his usual manner (i. i, 2) ; a dogmatic part, in which he dis-
cusses God's eternal purpose, realized in Christ, of uniting all man-
kind, Jews and Gentiles, in the one Church of Christ (i. 3 — iii. 21) ;
a moral part, in which are outlined the duties incumbent upon the
members of the Church in the Christian life (iv. i — vi. 20) ; and a
conclusion, containing some personal matters and a benediction (vi.
21-24). A more detailed analysis of the dogmatic and moral parts
will help to a better understanding of the Epistle.
A. Dogmatic Part (i. 3 — iii. 21). — (a) A solemn act of thanks-
giving to God for our union with Christ (i. 3-14). In lyric fashion,
the Apostle begins by recalling the divine benefits for which Almighty
God from eternity has chosen and predestined us, that, namely,
through the grace of Christ we should be His holy and adopted chil-
dren (i. 3-6). It was Christ, he says, who in time carried out the
divine decree, redeeming us from our sins by His blood, and reveal-
ing to us the supreme mystery of God, which was to reconcile to
Himself all things in Christ (i. 7-10) ; for in Christ we have become
God's portion, both we Jews, who had the Messianic promises, and
you Gentiles, who by faith have also received the Holy Ghost, the
pledge of our eternal inheritance (i. 11-14).
(b) A prayer that the Ephesians may understand the glories of
being united to Christ in His Church (i. 13-23). In a special man-
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 19
ner the Apostle first thanks God for the faith and love which are
already characteristic of the "Ephesians" (i. 15, 16). He then
prays for a still greater outpouring of the Spirit upon them that
they may realize their Christian dignity and their future glory, as
well as the greatness of the divine power exerted in our behalf
(i. 17-19), and pre-eminently manifested in raising Jesus from the
dead, and in making Him Lord of the universe and head of the
Church, which is His mystical body (i. 20-23).
(c) The Gentiles' former heathen life and condition are con-
trasted with their present privileges in the Church of Christ
(ii. 1-22). Formerly the "Ephesians" were dead in their sins, walk-
ing according to the course of this world and obeying the lusts of the
flesh ; but God out of pure mercy raised them from their miserable
state to a participation in the resurrection and glorification of Christ,
by whose grace we are saved (ii. i-io). In order that the "Ephe-
sians" may understand the greatness of the grace they have received,
St. Paul bids them recall the state in which they were living before
their conversion, and to contrast that with the exalted benefits they
now enjoy through their union with Christ (ii. 11-13), who has
broken down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles and has
reconciled both the one and the other with the Father (ii. 14-18).
Henceforth the "Ephesians" are admitted to full membership in
the household of God and are made parts of His spiritual edifice
(ii. 19-22).
(d) A renewed prayer that the "Ephesians" may know and appre-
ciate the greatness of their Christian vocation (iii. 1-19). At the
thought of the call of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ, St.
Paul breaks forth in an act of thanksgiving (iii. i) ; but the very
mention of the Gentiles causes him to interrupt his prayer and to
digress upon the part his preaching and ministry have had in their
admission into the Church (iii. 2-13). Resuming his prayer
(iii, 14), the Apostle asks God out of the riches of His glory to give
the "Ephesians" spiritual strength and the grace necessary to be-
come perfect Christians (iii. 14-19).
(e) Doxology, which concludes the Dogmatic Part of the Epistle:
Glory to God in the Church, and in Christ Jesus, the head of the
Church, throughout all coming generations, to all eternity
(iii. 20, 21).
20
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
B. Moral Part (iv. i — vi. 20). — (a) The general character of
the Christian Ufe, as manifested in the diversity of gifts and func-
tions of the members of the Church within the one Church (iv. 1-16).
The Apostle, bound a prisoner in the Lord, exhorts his readers
to live a life worthy of their vocation in all charity, being careful
to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (iv. 1-6).
The diversity of the gifts of the Holy Ghost should not be an ob-
stacle to unity, but rather a means of greater solidarity, because all
the faithful are members of the one mystical body of Christ
(iv. 7-16).
(b) The contrast between the old life of paganism and the new
life of Christianity (iv. 17-24). The "Ephesians" must live no
longer as they did as pagans, in ignorance and impurity (iv. 17-19) ;
but, putting away the old man according to the flesh, they must
put on the new man according to God (iv. 20-24).
(c) Virtues required of all Christians (iv. 25-v. 21). Our life
and unity in Christ require that we refrain from the vices of lying,
anger, etc., and practice the contrary virtues (iv. 25-32), that we
be followers of God and imitators of Christ in our lives, avoiding
the works of darkness and walking as children of light (v. 1-14).
Let us be truly wise, using well our time, fulfilling the will of God,
filled with the Holy Spirit, etc. (v. 15-21).
(d) Admonitions for special classes in the Church (v. 22 — vi. 9).
After a general exhortation to obedience (v. 21), the Apostle now
takes up the duties of special classes in the Church, namely, those
of wives and husbands (v. 22-33), o^ children and parents (vi. 1-4),
and of slaves and masters (vi. 5-9) — all of which duties are to be
faithfully discharged for the sake of Christ and in Christ.
(e) The warfare of the Church (vi. 10-20). From a considera-
tion of things pertaining to the internal welfare of the Church,
St. Paul now turns to external needs and reminds his readers of
the battles that must be fought against spiritual forces without. Each
member of the Church must be prepared to do his part in this
warfare, and his weapons must be those of God Himself.
So much for the Dogmatic and Moral Parts. The Conclusion,
like the Introduction, has been noticed at the beginning of this
section.
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Of all the ancient commentators on Ephesians who lived before the Council
or Trent, St. Chrysostom stands far in the lead among the Greeks and St.
Thomas Aquinas is easily first among the Latins. St. Chrysostom, indeed,
is at all times the prince of commentators on St. Paul, the supreme master
who understood both the Apostle's mind and language as perhaps no one
else has ever understood them. And the Angelic Doctor, following in the
footsteps of the Patristic masters and commenting on all the Pauline Epistles,
has embodied in his works not alone the results of his own marvelous erudi-
tion and critical acumen, but also the best conclusions of the principal ancient
Fathers whose commentaries have come down to us. It is not too much to
say that St. Thomas is invariably correct in his analysis and explanation
of the text except when misled by a wrong reading of the Latin version
which he used. Had he possessed the fine critical editions of the Greek
New Testament which are now at our disposal, along with the other discov-
eries of modern research, he would without a doubt as far surpass all bur
present expositors as he did surpass those of his own day.
Next after St. Thomas, but over two hundred years later, we should place
Cardinal Cajetan, who was not only the greatest theological commentator
on the Summa Theologica, but was also a Scriptural exegete of a very high
order. He was objective, concise, and thoroughly independent in his exami-
nation of the sacred text. His commentaries cover all the Pauline letters.
After the Tridentine Council, until we reach modern times, the following
are in the first rank: Estius (1613), In Omnes Pauli Apostoli Epistolas
Commentarii; Justinianus (1622), Explorationes; Calmet (1757), Commeri'
taire, and the others mentioned by Cornely in his Introduction to the New
Testament and by Vigouroux in Diet, de la Bible.
In recent times there have been many Catholic commentaries on this
Epistle, of which the following are among the best : Bisping, Erkldrung der
Brief e an die Epheser, Philipper, und Kolosser (Munich, 1866) ; Padovani,
Comm. in Epist. ad Eph., Philip., Coloss. (Paris, 1892) ; Van Steenkiste,
Comm. in omnes S. Pauli Epist. (Bruges, 1899) ; Rohr, Les Epitres de
I'Apdtre Paul aux Col. et aux Eph. (Paris, 1905) ; Rickaby, The Epistles of
the Captivity, in Further Notes on St. Paul (London, 1911) ; Knabenbauer,
Comm. in S. Pauli Epist. ad Eph., Phil., Coloss. (Paris, 1912) ; Hitchcock,
The Epistle to the Ephesians (London, 1913) ; Sales in La Sacra Bibhia,
vol. II (Turin, 1914) ; Voste, Comm. in Epist. ad Eph. (Rome, 1921) ; Mac-
Evilly, Exposition of the Epistles of St. Paul, vol. II (7th ed., London, 1922) ;
Rickaby in Westminster Version of Sacred Scripture, New Testament, vol,
III (2nd ed., London, 1927).
Non-Catholic commentators on Ephesians are very numerous, and many
of them are very excellent. We recommend with some reservations the fol-
22 INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS
lowing: Macpherson, Comtn. on St. Paul's Epistle to the Eph. (London,
1892) ; von Soden, Die Brief e an die Kolosser, Epheser (Freiburg, 1893) ;
Abbott, The Epist. to the Eph. and Coloss., in The International Critical
Comtn. (London, 1897) ; Gore, The Epist. to the Eph. (London, 1898) ; Rob-
inson, St. Paul's Epist. to the Eph. (London, 1904) ; Shaw, The Pauline
Epistles (2nd. ed., Edinburgh, 1904) ; Westcott, St. Paul's Epist. to the Eph.
(London, 1906) ; Murray, The Epist. to the Eph., in The Cambridge Greek
Test. (London, 1914) ; Graham, The Epist. to the Eph., in New Comm. on
Holy Scripture (New York, 1928) ; Dodd, Ephesians, in The Abingdon Bible
Commentary (New York, 1929).
The Epistle to the Ephesians
CHAPTER I
INSCRIPTION AND EPISTOLARY GREETING, I, 2
I. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints who
are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
I, 2. St. Paul addresses his readers in the usual manner, asserting
his divine election and commission to preach the Gospel of Christ,
and wishing them grace and peace, which divine favors are respec-
tively the source and the fruit of their supernatural union with God
through Christ.
I. Paul. It is to be noted that, whereas in the other Captivity
Epistles Timothy's name is associated with Paul's, here, as in Rom.,
Gal., and the Pastoral letters, only the name of Paul is mentioned.
As Timothy had been with Paul at Ephesus and was therefore well
known to the Ephesians, the omission of his name in the greeting
of this Epistle is taken as an argument that the letter was not di-
rected to the Church of Ephesus (see Introduction, No. IV).
Apostle, that is, a legate to whom is committed a mission with
power and authority. Hence, the term implies more than messenger
and it is applied in the New Testament to those who have been desig-
nated to preach the Gospel. By this title, therefore, Paul claims to be
Christ's legate, sent and commissioned by Christ to preach the Gos-
pel. Thus, our Lord said : "As thou hast sent Me into the world, I
also have sent them into the world" (John xvii. i8).
By the will of God, that is, Paul's mission is both gratuitous
and divine, and not the result of his own merits or choice. He has
not taken the honor to himself, but has been called by God, as
Aaron was (cf. Heb. v. 4).
To all the Saints. The omnibus of the Vulgate is not repre-
sented in the Greek. "Saints," that is, those who by Baptism have
been consecrated to God and live in union with Jesus Christ.
23
24 EPHESIANS I. 2
2. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
At Ephesus. These words are wanting in some of the best
MSS., and are omitted by Origen, Basil, and other Fathers; they
are probably not authentic. Tertullian tells us that Marcion in the
second century knew this letter as the Epistle "To the Laodiceans,"
which may have been the correct inscription (see Introduction,
No. IV).
Faithful. This is a term frequently used by St. Paul. It desig-
nates those who with mind and heart have freely embraced the faith
of Christ, subjecting themselves to His will and service.
2. Grace . . . peace. This is Paul's usual salutation. Grace,
God's special help and favor, is the root and source of our super-
natural union with Him and with Christ, and peace is the blessed
fruit of that same union.
From God the Father, etc. In these words we have indicated
the author and the fountain-head of the blessing which the Apostle
imparts. Since the same divine favor is asked from God the Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ, we have here a proof of the divinity
of our Lord: He and the Father are one (John x. 30).
THE DOGMATIC PART OF THE EPISTLE, i. 3 — iii. 21
These three chapters constitute a sublime hymn of praise to God
for the special divine blessings that have been vouchsafed to the
whole world through Christ, our Redeemer and the Head of the
Church. The Apostle begins with an act of thanksgiving, which
recalls God's eternal decree of love in our behalf (i. 3-14) ,* then he
considers this decree as fulfilled in the Church, where the distinction
between Jews and Gentiles has been blotted out (i. 15 — ii. 22) ; next
he reflects on the special part that has fallen to him in revealing
this mystery to the Gentiles (iii. 2-13) ; finally, he utters the prayer
for the "Ephesians," begun in iii. i and continued in iii. 14-19 after
being interrupted by the digression of iii. 2-13, and closes with a
doxology (iii. 20, 21). See Introduction, No. VIII, A.
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS WE HAVE RECEIVED
THROUGH CHRIST, 3-I4
3-14. In St. Paul's time it was the custom to begin an ordinary
letter with thanksgiving and prayer. The Apostle conformed to this
EPHESIANS I. 3 25
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ:
convention in opening his Epistles, varying as a rule the wording
of the formula.
This whole section in the original forms but one sentence, consist-
ing of a long chain of clauses and constituting a sort of hymn in
three parts, of which each ends with the refrain, "to the praise
of his glory" (verses 3-6, 7-12, 13-14)? Verse 3 is an outburst of
praise to God for all the blessings conferred on us in Christ, and
the following verses are an amplification of this central thought
as it unfolds in meditation. As his conceptions evolve, the Apostle
ascribes to each of the three divine Persons of the most holy Trinity
the action which by appropriation belongs to Him in the work of our
redemption. Thus, in verses 3-6 he speaks of the eternal Father
who from eternity chose us as His adopted children ; in verses
7-i3a he considers the execution of this eternal decree in time
towards Jews and Gentiles through the meritorious blood of Christ ;
and in verses 13b- 14 he turns to the Holy Ghost who through grace
applies redemption to all, and whom believing we have received as
the pledge of our eternal inheritance.
3. Blessed, i.e., worthy of praise.
The God and Father, etc. More probably both "God" and
"Father" — and not the word "Father" only — govern the genitive
case that follows, because in Greek there is just one article, modi-
fying "God," and none before "Father"; so that the sense is:
"Blessed be our God and Father, who is the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ." Cf. John xx. 17: "I ascend to my Father and
to your Father, to my God and to your God."
Who blessed us, i.e., you Gentiles and us Jews, all of whom are
made partakers of the blessings of the Gospel. The reference is to
God's eternal purpose towards the elect, and hence we should read,
"Who blessed us," the definitely past tense.
With all spiritual blessings. The blessings now conferred on
the faithful in Christianity are spiritual, as opposed to carnal and
terrestrial goods, and as coming from the Holy Ghost and pertaining
to man's higher nature, such as redemption, remission of sins, filia-
tion, and the like. In the Old Testament the rewards promised were
temporal (cf. Gen. xxii. 17; Deut. xxviii. 1-13, etc.).
In heavenly places (literally. In the heavenlies) . This unusual
26 EPHESIANS I. 4
4. As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity.
phrase occurs four more times in this Epistle (i. 20, ii. 6, iii. lO,
vi. 12), but nowhere else ; and each time there is question of locality,
save the last, perhaps. These blessings therefore come from heaven
and lead to heaven, they are both present and future ; and they are
given "in Christ" — that is, through Christ, by virtue of our union
with Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life that lead to the
Father. Christ is the head, and we are the members of His mystical
body, the Church ; we share in His life. This doctrine of the union
of the faithful with Christ, their mystical head, is uppermost in this
section and throughout the whole Epistle. The phrase "in Christ"
is found twenty-nine times in the Pauline Epistles, and only three
times elsewhere, and that in i Peter. In forty-three other passages
of St. Paul we find the enlarged phrase, "in Christ Jesus," and four
times "in the Christ." Everywhere these phrases denote our close
union with Christ as members of His mystical body.
4. The Apostle now begins to explain God's eternal decree in
behalf of Christians. The Eternal Father chose us from eternity,
that we might be holy and immaculate in His eyes, and out of love
for us He freely predestined us to be His adopted children through
His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (ver. 4-6).
As. This word connects the preceding verse with the present
one, and the meaning is that the spiritual blessings which Christians
now enjoy are the logical consequence of God's eternal decree in
their regard.
He chose us, i.e.. He selected Christians, apart from the rest of
mankind, to be His special people, "the Israel of God" (Gal. vi. 16).
In Him, i.e., in Christ, as members of His mystical body. Chris-
tians are not conceived apart from Christ, their mystical head, either
in God's eternal decree or in time.
Before the foundation, etc., i.e., prior to all creation, from ever-
lasting.
That we should be holy, that is, graced with virtues and free
from vice. The reference is to an actual state of moral rectitude,
and not to a future condition, nor to a merely external and imputed
justice.
In his sight, i.e., in the eyes of God, who reads the secrets of
EPHESIANS I. 5 27
5. Who predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus
Christ unto himself : according to the purpose of his will :
the heart, to whom nothing is hid (Ps. vii. 9 ; Matt. v. 48, vi. 4, 6, 18 :
Heb. iv. 13).
In charity, i.e., in love. Whether this love is divine or human,
depends on the connection of this phrase with what precedes in the
verse or with what follows. Some authorities connect it with
"chose," and so there would be question of God's love which chose
us; but this explanation is not likely, as the verb "chose" is too
far separated from the phrase "in charity." Many others, ancient
and modern, connect the phrase with "holy and unspotted," and thus
the meaning would be that charity is the formal cause of our sanctifi-
cation, and that charity is at once the bond and the crown of Chris-
tian virtues. St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom, however, make
the connection with what follows in the next verse, "predestinated,"
and hence make the love of God for us the supreme cause of our
predestination to be His adopted children. In this whole section the
Apostle seems to be saying that love for us has been at the bottom
of God's free choice of us, and the motive of our predestination.
Thus also St. John says: "God so loved the world, as to give His
only-begotten Son, etc." (John iii, 16). Our adoption as children
through Christ, therefore, is due only to God's paternal love for us.
5. Who predestinated us. Those who connect "in charity" of
the preceding verse with this verse read as follows : "Who predesti-
nated us in charity." According to our way of thinking, predestina-
tion presupposes election, and election presupposes love. Thus, God
first loved us, then chose us, and then predestined us. It is to be
noted that there is question here, directly, only of predestination to
faith and grace in this life ; but of course, since faith and grace are
themselves ordained to eternal salvation and given for that purpose,
there would be also question here, indirectly, of predestination to
final salvation. In either sense the predestination is gratuitous, in
no way dependent on our merits.
Unto the adoption, etc. The proximate purpose of divine pre-
destination was that we might become adopted children of God.
The Son of God became man that men might become the sons of
God, as St. Augustine says (cf. Gal. iv, 4-6). Perfect adoption
consists in our transformation into the likeness of the glorious
28 EPHESIANS I. 6
6. Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he graced us in the
beloved.
risen Saviour in the life to come, and presupposes as a means to this
great end our present transformation by virtue into the Hkeness
of Jesus. The use of the term "adoption" as applied to Christians is
peculiarly Pauline. It is found five times in his Epistles (Gal. iv. 5 ;
Rom. viii. 15, 23, ix. 4; Eph. i. 5), and nowhere else in the Bible.
Through Jesus Christ. Our adoption as sons of God is con-
ferred through our Lord, as our Redeemer and Mediator : "You are
all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus" (Gal. iii. 26).
Unto himself, i.e., unto the Father, Our redemption originated
v^ith the Father and goes back to Him as its end. The eternal pur-
pose of the Father was "that we should be called, and should be the
sons of God" (i John iii. i). A less probable interpretation refers
"unto himself" to the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to the purpose, etc. Better, "according to the good
pleasure, etc." Here we have indicated the radical reason and the
true efficient cause of our redemption, election, etc., namely, the
gratuitous will of God. Hence St. Thomas says: "Praedestinationis
divinae nulla alia causa est, nee esse potest, quam simplex Dei volun-
tas. Unde patet etiam, quod divinse voluntatis praedestinantis non
est alia ratio, quam divina bonitas filiis communicanda."
The will of God is "the ultimate account of all divine procedure,
from the creature's point of view. Nothing in that Will is capri-
cious; all is supremely wise and good. But it enfolds an 'unseen
universe' of reasons and causes wholly beyond our discover}'; and
here precisely is one main field for the legitimate exercise of faith ;
personal confidence as to the unknown reasons for the revealed
action of a Known God" (Bishop Moule, Epistle to the Ephesians,
hoc loco).
6. Unto the praise, etc. Now the Apostle points out the final
cause of God's love, choice, predestination and adoption of us Chris-
tians. The divine will actuated by love was the prime moving
cause on God's part, and His glory is the final cause of the whole
divine process in our regard. "Grace" here means not so much the
supernatural gift of grace as the fountain of God's gifts, or His
liberality and benevolence ; and this benevolence of God towards us
is described as shining, or gloriously manifesting itself. Hence, the
EPHESIANS I. 7 29
7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins,
according to the riches of his grace,
final cause of our adoption as sons of God through Christ — that
to which our adoption was ordained as regards God — is praise, or
the public and jubilant exaltation in the sight of men and angels
of the divine munificence gloriously manifesting itself towards us
(Voste, Epist. ad Eph.).
B^ which, etc. The preposition iti of the Vulgate should be
omitted here, as it is not represented in the best Greek MSS., where
we read ^? (a genitive by attraction of the preceding noun x"'/'"'°^.
for the accusative or the dative). We should therefore translate:
"By which, etc."
He graced us. The verb here is aorist, referring to a definitely
past action. It is a rare verb which is found elsewhere in the New
Testament only in Luke i. 28, and its meaning here goes back to the
corresponding word in the verse, x<V*5» which we said meant benevo-
lence. Therefore the sense of the verb x^-P'-'''^^^ ^^ this passage
is to pursue with benevolence. Hence the meaning is that God, pur-
suing us with His benevolence, has rendered us lovable or gracious.
Explaining this verb St. Chrysostom says : "He not only delivered
us from sin, but He made us lovable"; and Theodoret has: "The
death of the Lord made us worthy of love."
In the beloved (eV tw yyairrjfiwit)) . In the Vulgate the words
filio suo are added as an explanation of dilecto. The meaning is
given by Monod : "The Son, lovable in Himself, is essentially The
Beloved ; we, unlovable in ourselves, are accepted because of, and in,
the Beloved ; and if we are called beloved in our turn, it is because
God sees us in His Son" {Aux Ephes., quoted by Moule, op. cit,
hoc loco). Thus, the grace of adoption has come to us, not on ac-
count of any merit of ours, but only through the merits of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. It is to be noted that St.
Paul is everywhere insistent on the mediatorial merits of Christ.
7. Having considered the eternal decree by which God chose and
predestined us to be His adopted children, the Apostle now pro-
ceeds (ver. 7-14) to speak of the execution of this decree in time.
"Loving us from eternity. He has rendered us lovable in time"
(Corluy). Jesus, the Incarnate Word, has redeemed us from sin
by His blood (ver. 7) ; in consequence we have received in the
30 EPHESIANS I. 8
8. Which he caused to abound in us in all wisdom and prudence;
supernatural order all wisdom and prudence (ver. 8), the supreme
mystery of the will of God to unite all things in Christ being made
known (ver. 9-10). All these things have happened to Jews and
Gentiles, called together into the New Israel (ver. Ii-I3a), the Holy
Spirit, the pledge of our eternal inheritance, being poured out on all
(ver. I3b-I4). Cf. Voste, op. cit., hoc loco.
In whom, i.e., in the beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ. In virtue
of our union with Him "we have redemption, etc.," that is, libera-
tion from the devil and sin, and from the anger of God, which
redemption our Saviour has purchased for us by the shedding of
His blood for us on the cross (Matt. xx. 28; Col. i. 14, 20; i Pet.
i. 18 ff.; I Cor. vi. 20, etc.). Our redemption has been effected
by the voluntary offering on the part of Christ of His life as a
ransom-price for our souls ; Christ died that we might live.
The remission of sins. This explains in what our redemption
consisted, namely, in the forgiveness of our sins (or, literally, tres-
passes of all kinds).
According to the riches, etc. This is a favorite phrase with St.
Paul, by which he wishes to show the immensity of God's goodness
and love towards us. It would have been a great favor merely to
have received God's forgiveness, and a still greater favor to have
received it through the giving of His divine Son for us ; but to be
forgiven at the price of the pouring out of the very blood of God's
only Son, this manifests a love for us on the part of the Eternal
Father which surpasses all bounds, and which is, therefore, "accord-
ing to the riches of His grace." The shedding of blood was an
acknowledgment of God's supreme dominion over life and death
which sin had challenged, suffering made atonement for transgres-
sion, and merit won back the graces lost (cf. Hitchcock, op. cit.,
hoc loco).
8. Which he caused to abound in us. The Greek here reads :
§s eirepiWevo-c, the genitive of attraction ^« being used for the ac-
cusative ^v. The subject of the verb is God, understood. Hence
we should read: "Which (grace) he (God) caused to abound in us."
In all wisdom, etc. The grace of God which has abounded in
our favor has not only procured for us remission of sins, but it
has also given us insight into the mysteries of the divine will.
EPHESIANS I. 9, lo 31
9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure, which he purposed in him,
10. In the dispensation of the fullness of times, to re-establish all things
in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him.
"Wisdom" (aro(f>ui) means a knovi^ledge of principles, and here it
has reference to a speculative knowledge of the great mysteries of
faith. "Prudence," or "intelligence" (<f>p6vr]<ni) , pertains to actions,
and is a practical knowledge of good to be done or evil to be avoided ;
prudence or intelligence is the wisdom of the just (Luke i. 17).
Some expositors think there is question here of the wisdom and
prudence which God has exercised, rather than of the wisdom and
prudence which He has communicated to the faithful ; but the com-
mon opinion and the context of verse 9 favor the latter view.
9. The Apostle now proceeds to show how God has made His
grace to abound in all wisdom and prudence in the saints, namely,
by making known to them and helping them to understand the
divine purpose, long concealed but now revealed through the In-
carnation, of uniting all things in Christ.
Having made known, etc. (yvw/atVas). The Greek word
(yvwpt^ctv) implies the revelation of hidden truths, and it occurs
frequently in St. Paul. The time referred to is the actual revelation
of the Gospel.
The mystery, etc., i.e., the hidden secret of His will or purpose
to unite all, Jews and Gentiles, in Christ — to make Christ the term
and, as it were, the synthesis of the whole re-established super-
natural order (Voste). The word fxva-TrjpCov occurs twenty-one
times in St. Paul, and six times in this Epistle. In the Vulgate it is
rendered eight times by sacramentum (including the present pas-
sage) , and at other times by mysterium. It would be better to trans-
late it everywhere by mysterium, and thus avoid the confusion arising
from the technical meaning now given to the word sacrament.
According to his good pleasure, i.e., according to the good
pleasure of the Father who has made known to the saints the hidden
purpose of His will.
Which he purposed in him, i.e., in the Son (cV awrm), the Mes-
siah. The Father's purpose was in Christ, the Son, inasmuch as it
was to be realized through the Son (omnia per Ipsum facta sunt, et
iterum omnia per Ipsum reconcilianda et restituenda sunt).
10. In the dispensation, etc. The Greek word oUowfua, here
32 EPHESIANS I. ii
II, In whom we also were called by lot, being predestinated according to
the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his
will;
rendered "dispensation," really means stewardship, house-manage-
ment; and the sense of this passage, in connection with the preceding
verse, is that, when sin had disrupted the primitive harmony of crea-
tion, the Eternal Father purposed or decreed to send His Son into
the world when the time determined by Himself had arrived, and
to make Him the supreme head and administrator of all things in
His spiritual household, the Church, for the purpose of reuniting
and reconciling all things to Himself through this same divine Son.
This work of recapitulating and reconciling all things in Christ
began with the Incarnation, but it will not be completed till the end
of the world, at the general resurrection.
All things, etc., i.e., men and angels, the material universe and
the spiritual, are all made subject to Christ, the supreme head of
the supernatural order, and all are to be reunited and reconciled to
the Father through Christ, since all are in need of this reunion and
reconciliation, all having been thrown into disharmony by sin. The
Greek verb here translated "to re-establish" means "to restore," "to
reunite." In the beginning all creatures — angels, men and the physi-
cal world — formed one grand, harmonious family all subject to
God. But sin disrupted this primeval unity and subordination of
part to part and of the whole to the Creator; and so the Eternal
Father sent His Son to reunite the dissevered parts of His Creation
and to restore the original harmony between the rational and the
irrational, earth and heaven, men and angels (cf. Rom. viii. 19 ff.).
Thus, the redemption equals creation in its extension. All things
were created through the Word, and all things must be summed
up and reconciled to the Father through the Word.
In him, i.e., in Christ, a repetition for the sake of emphasis;
but the phrase ought to be connected with the following verse.
II. In whom we also, etc. The et nos of the Vulgate is not
represented in the Greek, and hence the we here is not emphatic;
the Apostle is stressing not the persons that were called, but the
fact of their call to the Gospel, both Jews and Gentiles.
By lot. The meaning of the Greek here is to obtain an inheri-
tance, a portion, that is, to be made a part of God's inheritance, por-
EPHESIANS I. 12, 13 33
12. That we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped
in Christ:
13. In whom you also, after you had heard the word of truth (the gospel
of your salvation) ; in whom also believing, you were signed with the holy
Spirit of promise,
tion, lot. The Greek verb used here to express this allotment is
found nowhere else in the Greek Bible, but its meaning is clear from
the noun kXt^pos, lot (cf. also Deut. xxxii. 9). The Church is the
New Israel of God (Gal. vi. 16). The call to Christianity is gratui-
tous, altogether independent of our merits, and infallible ; it is in no
way fortuitous or due to chance. For we were "predestinated" to
this admission into the New Israel of God "according to the pur-
pose, etc.," that is, according to the free and independent choice
of the will of God. The Greek verb here used, cvepyeiv, signifies
the infallible efficacy of the divine action in moving all things to
their respective operations and ends.
The counsel, etc. In Greek PovXrj includes the deliberation of
the reason, whereas OiK-qfm means native, active inclination. God's
will is eminently free, but by no means arbitrary ; it acts according
to "counsel."
12. That we might be, etc. The final reason why God chose,
predestined, and called us is His own glory. The final reason for
every action of God must be Himself, because, as being all-perfect,
He can act only for the highest and most perfect end, and this obvi-
ously is Himself.
We who before, etc., i.e., we Jews. It is more probable that
the Apostle is speaking in this verse, not of Christians in general
who are living in the hope of Christ to come at the end of the world,
but of the Jews to whom the Messianic promises were given. To
the Jews, living in hope of the Messiah to come, was given the pre-
rogative of being first admitted into the New Israel of God, the
Church. We hold, then, that the reference in this verse is to Jewish
believers as against Gentile believers. The former, as having in-
herited and cherished the hope of the Messiah to come before the
Gentiles were aware of this blessing, have a sort of prior claim
with respect to the Gospel.
13. In whom you also, etc. Having spoken in the previous
verse of the Jewish Christians, the Apostle now turns to the Gen-
34 EPHESIANS I. 14
14. Who is the pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of acqui-
sition, unto the praise of his glory.
tile converts, who also have been called to share in the blessings
of the Gospel. Most probably the verb "were called" (as in ver. 11)
should be supplied to complete the first line of this present verse,
thus : "In whom you also were called, etc." Also the Gentiles have
been called through Christ, they have had preached to them "the
word of truth" (i.e., the Gospel), the purpose of which is their salva-
tion; they have also believed in Christ and in the Gospel, and in
consequence they have received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit prom-
ised by the Prophets and by Jesus as the seal and pledge of their
divine filiation. This sign or seal is impressed on the soul in the
Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. These two Sacraments,
of Baptism and Confirmation, were usually conferred together in
the early Church (cf. Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 4 fif., ii. 16 ff . ; John i.
32, vi. 27, etc.). Some authors take the second in quo of this verse
to refer to the Gospel rather than to Christ, but this does not change
the meaning.
14. Who is the pledge, etc. The Holy Ghost now given to
Christians is the earnest, or first installment, or part-payment of
the final and complete blessedness which will be theirs hereafter.
The Greek word dppafiuiv, here translated pledge, is Semitic in origin
and first meant something given as a guarantee of an agreement
between two parties, but which was to be surrendered upon the
fulfillment of the agreement. But by usage the word took on the
meaning of an earnest, or a certain part of the whole that is to be
paid in due time. This is the meaning of the word here.
Unto the redemption, etc., i.e., the Holy Ghost is now given
the Christians as the first installment of their full and final emanci-
pation as God's people and possession, acquired by the blood of
Christ. The saints are the property or possession of God, and they
have already received a part or foretaste of their future inheritance ;
the Holy Ghost has been given "them as part-payment until the
redemption is complete, that is, until our "acquisition," or future
possession, has been fully redeemed. "Charitas viae, quam hie
habemus per infusum Spiritum Sanctum, eadem numero est ac
charitas patriae, qua beati (misericordia Dei) possidebimus Deum in
coelo" (St. Thomas, la I Ice, Q. 67, art. 6).
EPHESIANS I. 15 35
15. Wherefore I also, hearing of your faith which is in the Lord Jesus,
and of your love towards all the saints,
Unto the praise, etc. The last end of all God's benefits and
gifts to us in His glory, that is, the praise of His glory in heaven.
God will be the supreme object of the praise of the saved here-
after, and all else will be an object of that universal chorus of exul-
tant song, inasmuch as it reflects God and His attributes. Thus did
the Psalmist describe the future, spiritual joys of the citizens of
Jerusalem, which was a type of the heavenly city : "And singing as
well as dancing they shall chant: All my fountains are in thee"
(Ps. Ixxxvi. 7).
AN ACT OF THANKSGIVING AND A PRAYER THAT THE SAINTS MAY
UNDERSTAND THE BLESSINGS THEY ENJOY IN CHRIST, I5-I9
15-19. Having considered the benefits which God from eternity
has bestowed on the "Ephesians," and also the privilege of their
call to the Gospel in time, the Apostle now thanks God for the faith
they have already received, and then goes on to pray for a further
outpouring of the Spirit upon them, to the end that they may fully
realize the divine prospects which are theirs, which God has in
store for them, and which will be given them according to the meas-
ure of His omnipotent power displayed in the exaltation of Christ.
15. Wherefore, i.e., because of the many divine benefits which
have been described above, namely, our election, predestination,
adoption, redemption, etc.
I also, hearing, etc., i.e., Paul, a prisoner in Rome, had heard
of the faith among the "Ephesians." This is taken as an argument
that this letter was not addressed to the Christians of Ephesus, among
whom Paul had lived so long and whose faith was known to him
personally. But others say that the Apostle is here alluding to
the increase and progress of their faith since he was with them.
Which is in the Lord Jesus, i.e., which reposes in Him and
on Him as a basis and foundation; or, less likely, which is main-
tained in union with Him.
And your love, etc. The word "love" here is wanting in some
good MSS., but it is found in other important ones and in all ancient
versions, and is therefore to be retained as a parallel to "faith."
$6 EPHESIANS I. 16-19
16. Cease not to give thanks for you, making commemoration of you irt
my prayers;
17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him:
18. The eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what the hope
is of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints,
19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who
believe, according to the operation of the might of his power,
The faith of the saints issues in love toward the brethren who
share that faith, that is, in a love of preference, one which favors
the Christians, but does not exclude love towards all men (2
Peter i. 7).
16. Cease not, etc. This is a frequent phrase with St. Paul,
especially at the beginning of his Epistles, and Egyptian papyri show
that similar phrases were used in epistolary greetings in pre-Chris-
tian times; with St. Paul, however, such words have a spiritual
meaning. The Apostle continually thanks God for the spiritual
benefits conferred on the saints, and he prays that these blessings
may be continued and extended.
17. In verses 17-19 we have the substance of St. Paul's prayer.
This is the Apostle's first prayer in this letter; a second prayer
occurs below in iii. 14-19, and a third in vi. 18-20,
That the God, etc. There should be no comma after
Deus in the Vulgate here. The meaning of the passage is : The God
whom our Lord Jesus Christ knew and manifested to the world
(John XX. 17; Matt, xxvii. 46; cf. above, ver. 3). The Arlans
abused this text to prove that our Lord was not divine ; and hence
some of the Fathers interpreted the words "of our Lord Jesus
Christ" as referring to the humanity of Christ.
The Father of glory, i.e., the author and source of all glory,
who possesses in Himself the fullness of glory and diffuses it in
the world outside the Godhead.
May give unto you the spirit, etc., not the Holy Spirit, but His
gifts, especially that of heavenly wisdom which penetrates into the
deep mysteries of God and ever reveals a fuller knowledge of the
Father, the Divine Being, whom to know, together with the Son
whom He has sent, is to know the secrets and the fullness of eternal
life (John xvii. 3; Matt. xi. 27).
18-19. The eyes of your heart, etc., i.e., that the Father of glory
EPHESIANS I. i8, 19 37
may give you (v. 17) enlightened eyes, or enlightenment of eyes,
so that you may thoroughly understand the following: (a) "what
Is the hope of his calling," i.e., what are the rewards to be hoped
for by those whom God has called to Christianity; (b) "what are
the riches of the glory, etc.," i.e., what are the treasures of glory
in heaven which God has prepared for Christians who, as children
of God, have become heirs of celestial riches; (c) "what is the
exceeding greatness of his power, etc.," i.e., what is the infinite
power of God which is able to confer on the saints all that God
has promised them as a result of their Christian faith. Thus, the
Apostle prays that his readers may grasp the hope of their calling,
the object of their calling, and the infinite power by which God is
able to fulfill His promises to the saints.
Heart, among the Semites and Hebrews, meant not only the
seat of the affections, but of intelligence also.
What, i.e., the essence or quiddity. There Is good MSS. evi-
dence for rejecting the "and" after "calling," thus making "the hope
of his calling" one question with "what are the riches of his glory,"
instead of there being two questions involved in those two clauses.
The glory of his inheritance, i.e., the state of glory which
Christ, the King of glory, has inherited and prepared in heaven
for the saints (John xiv. 2 ff.).
In the saints. I.e., in the Christians who are saved : "The suf-
ferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
to come, that shall be revealed in us" (Rom. viii. 18).
Of his power, etc., exercised in our sanctification and
glorification.
Who believe is in apposition with "us" ; the phrase is not to be
connected with the words that follow.
According to the operation, etc. These words go back to "the
exceeding greatness of his power," and the meaning Is : "according
to the working of the strength of his power."
Might of his power. This is an intensive phrase used to bring
out the power of God working within us ; nothing is impossible to
that divine power which was able to raise Christ from the dead.
God who calls us to the joys of the Infinite has infinite power to make
effective that call. See parallel passages in Col. i. 2y, and Rom.
ix. 23.
38 EPHESIANS I. 20, 21
20. Which he wrought in Christ, raising him up from the dead, and set-
ting him on his right hand in the heavenly places,
21. Above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST, 20-23
20-23. Speaking of the infinite power of God manifested in the
raising of Christ from the dead, the Apostle is, as it were, carried
out of himself, and bursts forth into a sublime act of praise of
the risen and glorified Saviour, sitting at the right hand of God in
heaven, elevated above all angelic powers or dignities, with all things
beneath His feet, being made the head of the Church, which is His
mystical body. In these verses our Lord's exaltation and supremacy
are proclaimed, first over the universe (ver. 2i-22a) and then over
the Church (ver. 22b-23).
20. Which he wrought. The reference is to the action of the
Eternal Father in raising our Lord from the dead.
In Christ, i.e., in the person and instance of Christ.
And setting him. Better: "making him to sit."
On his right hand, i.e., in the place of honor, sharing as the
Incarnate Son the throne of the eternal Father, which as God He
had never relinquished.
In the heavenly places, i.e., in a spiritual locality outside and
above our world of sense. Our Lord's glorified body is a real body,
and therefore it requires a real place in which to dwell. See above
on verse 3.
21. Above all principality, etc. The Apostle here mentions four
orders or classes or choirs of celestial beings above which Christ
in heaven is said to be exalted (cf. i Peter iii. 22, and below, iii. 10).
In Col. i. 16, we have a parallel passage where St. Paul adds the
order of "thrones," but omits the order of "virtue" here mentioned.
In that passage the thought is that Christ in His pre-existent glory
and divinity is the Creator of those angelic beings; whereas here
His Headship over them is the dominant thought. The division of
angels into nine orders and three hierarchies is due to the Pseudo-
Dionysius in his book On the Celestial Hierarchy, a notable work
which first appeared about 500 a.d., but which from then on exer-
cised a great influence till the close of the Middle Ages.
EPHESIANS I. 22, 23 39
22. And he hath subjected all things under his feet, and hath made him
head over all the church,
23. Which is his body, and the fullness of him who is filled all in all.
Every name, etc., is a Hebraism which signifies every creature
whatsoever, which can exist "not only in this world" (i.e., in the
time that precedes the Second Coming of Christ), "but also in that
which is to come" (i.e., the eternal and heavenly duration that will
follow the Second Advent) : over all creatures, present or to come,
Christ rules supreme (cf. Phil. ii. 9-1 1 ; Col. i. 13).
22. And he hath subjected, etc. An allusion to Ps. viii. 8,
where man is described as the crown of the visible world (cf. i Cor.
XV. 26 ff.; Heb. ii. 8 flf).
And hath made him head, etc. The Greek reads : "And gave
him to the Church head over all." The words "over all" show the
dignity and excellence of Christ whom the eternal Father has given
to the Church as its head. Our Lord made St. Peter the visible
head of the Apostolic College and of the Church, but He Himself
ever remains the supreme head, not only of the Church Militant,
but likewise of the Church Suffering and the Church Triumphant.
23. But Jesus is the head of the Church, not merely because He
governs it and has subjected all things to Himself, but also because
it is His mystical body. The Church exists by virtue of Christ its
head, and we its members live by His life. Hence, to injure un-
justly the Church and its members is to injure Christ, as Jesus af-
firmed to Saul the persecutor: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me, etc." (Acts ix. 4 ff.). St. Paul frequently speaks of the Church
as the mystical body of Christ (cf. Rom. xii. 5; i Cor. xii. 12 ff. ;
Eph. iv. 12-16, V. 23, 30; Col. i. 18-19, ii. 19).
The fullness of him, i.e., the totality or completion of Christ,
or that which renders Christ complete. The Greek word irXyjpwfui
here is obscure and has received various explanations, the most prob-
able of which we have just given in the preceding sentence. The
Church is the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the Church.
From this union of head and body there results one whole, which
is the mystical Christ. The Church, therefore, the body of Christ,
completes Christ ; or, to put it in another way, Christ, the head of
the Church, is completed by the Church. In other words, as in
the human body the members are the completion or complement
40 EPHESIANS II. i
of the head, since without them the head could not exercise the
different actions, so the Church, which is the body of Christ, is the
complement of Christ the head, because without it Christ would
not be able to exercise His office of Redeemer and Sanctifier of souls.
Who is filled. Here again the meaning is very obscure. The
verb to fill in the Greek of the present passage may be taken in the
middle or in the passive voice. If we take it as a middle, the meaning
would be that Christ for His own sake fills with all graces and
blessings the members of the Church, His mystical body. If the
verb be understood as a passive participle, the sense is that Christ,
God Incarnate, is incomplete without the Church, as a head is nec-
essarily incomplete without its body; and that, consequently, as
the Church grows in holiness and progresses in the fulfillment of
its divine mission, Christ, God Incarnate, is progressively
completed.
All in all, i.e., all things in all ways. Cf. St. Thomas, hoc loco;
Voste, op. cit., hoc loco; Prat, La Theol. de St. Paul, I, pp. 410 ff.
CHAPTER II
THE POWER OF GOD IS MANIFESTED IN THE NEW LIFE GIVEN TO
CHRISTIANS, I-IO
I. And you, when you were dead in your offences, and sins,
I -10. The Gentiles were formerly dead in their sins, and the Jews,
following after the lusts of the flesh, were no better; but God in
His mercy through Christ has raised up both the one and the other,
and made them heirs to heavenly thrones, in order that He might
manifest to the coming ages His infinite goodness. All this has been
gratuitous on His part, for we are saved by grace, and not by our
own natural works. Thus, we are new creatures in Christ, that
henceforth we may live lives worthy of our high calling.
I. And you. The connection with what precedes is clear; the
thought goes back to verse 20 of the preceding chapter, and is as
follows: As God gave new Hfe to Christ Jesus, raising Him from
the dead, so has He also given new life to you, raising you from
the death of sin to a life of grace. The phrases are suspended
EPHESIANS II. 2, 3 41
2. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that now worketh
on the children of unbelief :
3. In which also we all conversed in time past, in the desires of our flesh,
fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our thoughts, and were by nature chil-
dren of wrath, even as the rest:
here, having their subject ("God") in verse 4 and their verb ("quick-
ened") in verse 5, This suspended construction is characteristic of
St, Paul's nervous and vehement style.
When you were dead, etc., i.e., spiritually dead, bereft of the
principle of supernatural Ufe, which is the Holy Ghost dwelling
by grace in the soul.
2. Wherein, etc., i.e., in which state of moral death you lived
and wrought in your pagan past.
According to the course of this world, i.e., according to the evil
principles and customs of this present order of things, which is
under the sway and influence of Satan, who is "the prince of the
power of the air" (i.e., who is the ruler of the authority of the air,
or the evil ruler whose sphere of authority is the air, and who exer-
cises his nefarious influence "on the children, etc.," on those who
refuse to believe, or who reject the Gospel). Among the Jews the
air was popularly regarded as the abode of evil spirits, as heaven
was God's abode and the earth the place of man's sojourn. More-
over, Satan's legitimate sphere of activity is no longer in heaven
(Apoc. xii. 9; Luke x. 18) ; nor is it on the earth, which has been
reclaimed by the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Hence, the
Apostle speaks of it figuratively as being between heaven and earth
— in the air.
Power is more probably to be taken in an abstract sense for
domination, and "spirit," a genitive in Greek, is governed by
"prince," and means the mind or tendency by which the evil spirit,
Satan, is actuated.
Children of unbelief, or better, "sons of disobedience," is a
Hebraism to signify all those who do not accept the Gospel.
3. In which. This can refer to the "sins" and "offences" of
verse i, or to the "children of unbelief" of verse 2. If taken in the
latter connection, we should render "among whom,"
Also we all, i.e., the Jews, as well as the Gentiles.
Conversed, etc., i.e., lived and acted before they embraced
42 EPHESIANS II. 4
4. But God (who is rich in mercy), for his exceeding charity wherewith
he loved us,
Christianity. St. Paul is referring to the general unfaithfulness of
the Jews, in spite of their many privileges and graces (Rom. iii. 9) ;
he is not, of course, including faithful individual souls like the
Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Prophets, etc. But_the Jews as_
a class, he says, like the Gentiles, lived according to the evil in-_
^clinations of their lower nature and the perverse counsels of the
mind of the natural man, disregarding the will of God and the dic-
tates of an enlightened conscience. As a result, they were "by na-
ture children of wrath," i.e., by reason of the corrupt nature they
had inherited from Adam, which inclined them to the actual sins
of which they were personally guilty, they had become objects of
God's great displeasure, "even as the rest" (i.e., like the pagans).
We are said to incur God's wrath when by willful transgression
we put ourselves in opposition to His will ; the change is not in the
unchangeable God, but in us.
It is disputed whether_^^ nature" here is to be understood of
original sin, or of actual sins of wElch the Apostle has just been
speaking, or of both taken into the one account. _St_. Augustine took
the phrase to mean original sin, and this is the common op^inion^
But Dr. Voste thinks there is question here only of actual sins, since
the Apostle is speaking of sins in which the Gentiles "walked," and
in which the Jews "conversed" in times past — therefore, of sins
which both the Gentiles and the Jews had themselves committed.
The Jews and the Gentiles are both put in the same class here as
regards their sins, but that could not be with regard to original sin,
since the former, unlike the latter, were purified from it by circum-
cision before their conversion to Christianity. Of course, the innate
proneness to evil in both classes and in all men is best explained by
the doctrine of original sin.
4-6. The Apostle now goes on to say that, when both Jews and
(jentiles were spiritually dead because of their sins, God, moved
by His great love for them, "quickened" them (i.e., brought them
back to life), and "raised" them up from the grave of death, and
"made" them "sit together in the heavenly places" with the glori-
fied Christ (i. 3). All this has been done by grace, without any
merit on their part; and of course what is here said of Jews and
EPHESIANS II. 5-7 43
5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ
(by whose grace you are saved),
6. And hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in the
heavenly places, through Christ Jesus:
7. That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his
grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus.
Gentiles is also true of all men of all time who are regenerated
in Christ.
The compound verbs which appear here in the Latin and Greek
of verses 5 and 6, and which can be respectively rendered in Eng-
lish by co-vivified, co-raised, and co-seated, show the intimate union
that exists between Christ and the members of His Church, who
constitute His mystical body. We are with Christ as His companions,
and in Him as members of His mystical body, the Church. St. Paul
is speaking of our spiritual restoration and our sanctification by
which we are already admitted to a participation in the divine nature
and to a foretaste of life eternal; hence the use of the aorist, or
definitely past tense. Our glorification is already a fact in germ.
7. Here we have indicated the purpose of our present transforma-
tion by grace into the likeness of Christ, which is that in the life to
come beyond the grave the Eternal Father might show to the angels
and to the elect in heaven, where only so great a benefit can be
perfectly understood, the infinite treasures of grace which of His
own goodness He has bestowed on the saved through Jesus Christ,
and by reason of their union with Christ. The Apostle neyer_.tires
_of_repeating that all the graces and benefits we receive are given
and shall be given us "in Christ Jesus," and this is why the Church
always prays through Christ.
The phrase "in the ages to come" is understood by some inter-
preters to refer to the period during which the preaching of the
Gospel will go on in the present world, by others to all future periods
of development in God's kingdom ; but it is better to take it as al-
luding to heaven, where the goodness of God towards us will be
perfectly manifested and perfectly understood. We must not think
of "the world to come as a monotonous stretch of time. As the life
of God is pure activity without any element of inertia or passivity,
the life of those who will share in the Divine Nature will be active.
To us, wearied with labour, and burdened with care, heaven natu-
rally becomes a symbol of rest. But labour implies a strength unequal
44 EPHESIANS II. 8
8. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,
for it is the gift of God;
to perfect mastery of the work ; and the good, opposed to it, is
not rest or inactivity, but the play of an artist or a child. So we
may picture the life of God as one of play. And the life of the
Church in heaven may be imaged as that of God's kindergarten, the
knowledge of Him ever growing deeper, the vision of Him ever
growing fuller, and His glory ever growing brighter. We cannot
describe that life; but such an expression as 'the ages' implies a
history of period after period, in which God will more and more
exhibit the overflowing wealth of His grace by kindness to those in
union with His Incarnate Son" (Hitchcock, The Epistle to the
Ephesians, hoc loco).
8. In verse 5 St. Paul said we are saved hy grace, and now he
goes back to that thought and proves his assertion. Our justifica-
tion and our salvation are the result of grace, with faith as a
necessary condition (cf. Rom. iii. 22 flf.) ; and neither the faith that
precedes nor the justification or salvation that follows can be said
to be due in any way to our natural works, for the simple reason
that there is no proportion between these supernatural gifts and our
natural works ; they belong to diflFerent orders.
For. This word shows the connection with the preceding
verse, where it is said that God's favors to us are the consequence
of His bounty towards us.
You are saved. The Apostle now addresses his Gentile read-
ers, and hence changes to the second person.
Through faith, i.e., by means of faith, as a necessary condition
of their salvation.
And that. The pronoun "that" here is neuter in Greek, and
it is uncertain to what it may refer. St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome
and others referred it to "faith" ; but faith is a feminine noun.
It seems better, therefore, to make the reference be to the whole
preceding sentence, which declares in a positive manner that our sal-
vation is entirely the work of God's grace. To this general positive
teaching the Apostle then adds in a negative way that this salvation
is not of ourselves, "for it is the gift of God." That faith alone
is a pure gift of God is also certain (cf. 2 Cor. iv. 13; Phil. i. 29),
though that is not the main point here. St. Paul is accustomed to use
EPHESIANS II. 9-1 1 45
9. Not of works, that no man may glory.
10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
11. For which cause be mindful that you, being heretofore Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in
the flesh, made by hands :
the pronoun "that" (tovto) in reference to the preceding sentence,
and not to the preceding word (as in i Cor. vi. 8; Phil. i. 28) ; hence
we understand it here as referring to our deliverance by grace
through faith.
9. The conclusion of the preceding verse is further reinforced
in a negative way by saying here that our salvation is not the result
of "works" (i.e., of any natural works), whether of the Law (Rom.
iii. 28) or otherwise ; so that all the glory of our salvation may be
referred to God, and not to any man, "that no man may glory"
(i.e., boast that his salvation is due to himself). If anyone will
glory in this matter, let him glory in the Lord (i Cor. i. 31 ; 2 Cor.
X. 17; Gal. vi. 14). And the reason for this is immediately given.
10. For we are his workmanship, etc., i.e., we as Christians are
His making, for He has "created" us, as it were, anew "in Christ
Jesus" (i.e., as members of Christ's mystical body in the super-
natural order) "unto good works" (i.e., with a view to good works,
as an inseparable condition of our new creation in grace) ; which
good works God from eternity has decreed and prepared for us,
not to the exclusion of our free will, but presupposing the right use
of free will, for he adds "that we should walk in them" (i.e., God
has so prepared those good works for us that we should freely
do them in time).
THE GENTILES, TOGETHER WITH THE JEWS, ARE CALLED TO SHARE
IN THE BLESSINGS OF CHRIST IN THE ONE CHURCH, 11-22
11-22. St. Paul's pagan converts will better understand the exalted
life to which they have been elevated in the Church of Christ, if they
first recall their former miserable condition as Gentiles, then reflect
on the benefits they now enjoy, and finally compare their present
with their former state.
11. For which cause (i.e., since you have been redeemed without
any merit on your part) be mindful, etc. (i.e., remember your
46 EPHESIANS II. 12, 13
12. That you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the con-
versation of Israel, and strangers to the covenants, having no hope in the
promise, and without God in this world.
13. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who some time were afar off, are made
nigh by the blood of Christ.
former deplorable condition when you were "Gentiles in the flesh,"
that is, without even any external sign, like circumcision, of belong-
ing to God), when you were contemptuously called the "uncircum-
cision" by those who were "called circumcision in the flesh" — that
is, by the Jews, who bore on their bodies the external mark of
belonging to the commonwealth of God, but in many of whom this
physical mark was merely hand-made, and so without spiritual value,
since it is the circumcision of the heart alone that counts in the sight
of God (Rom. ii. 29; Col. ii. 11).
12. The Apostle continues the thought broken oflf after the phrase,
"be mindful that you" (verse 11). The Gentiles before their conver-
sion to Christianity were "without Christ" (i.e., apart from Christ),
inasmuch as they had not the Scriptures and prophecies which con-
tained the Messianic promises of a coming Redeemer; they were
"aliens, etc.," as being excluded from the theocratic kingdom and
Crom the family of God's chosen people; they were "strangers to
the covenants" (i.e., to the promises of a Messiah made by God
to Abraham and renewed to Isaac, Jacob, David, etc.) ; they were
without "hope in the promise" of a Redeemer to come, and hence
their best writers and philosophers all expressed the prevalent
thoughts and sentiments of sadness and despair, the deep unhappi-
ness at their existing state and the hopeless darkness of the future
outlook, holding that the best thing that could happen to man was
never to be born, and the next best thing was to die (cf. Mommsen,
Hist, of Rome, Eng. trans., vol. IV, p. 586) ; they were "without
God in this world" (i.e., without a correct knowledge of the true
God in a dark and sinful world), having obscured by their sins the
natural light of reason, and being devoid of the positive divine revela-
tion which the Jews possessed.
13. The Apostle has just briefly reviewed the sad state of the
Gentiles before their conversion to Christianity (ver. 11-12). Now
he will speak of their new and glorious condition as Christians,
and of the peace they enjoy in the Messianic Kingdom (ver. 13-18),
EPHESIANS II. 14 47
14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and breaking down the
middle wall of partition, the enmity in his flesh :
Formerly they were without Christ, but now they are "in Christ"
(i.e., living intimately united to the promised Messiah and in union
with "J^sus," the Saviour of mankind). In their previous condi-
tion as pagans, they "were afar off" from the kingdom of God,
being outside the citizenship of Israel and the covenants of prom-
ise; but now they "are made nigh, etc." (i.e., they have been incor-
porated in Christ by membership in His Church, through the merits
of the passion and death of Jesus). It was Christ's blood offered
in sacrifice for them, as for the whole world, that merited for these
Gentile converts their redemption and the consequent peace they
now enjoy in the Church of Christ : "This is my blood of the new
covenant, which shall be shed for many unto the remission of sins"
(Matt. xxvi. 28; Heb. ix. 12 ff.). The Apostle will now show how
this has been done by the pacifying work of Christ.
14. For he is our peace. Isaias (ix. 6) foretold that the Messiah
should be the Prince of peace. And Christ is said to be our peace,
first because, through the abrogation of the Mosaic Law with its
statutes and precepts, He has destroyed the barrier that made enmity
between Jew and Gentile (ver. 14-15) ; and secondly because He has
reconciled men with God by forgiving their sins (ver. 16). Thus,
He "hath made both one" (i.e., He has made the Jewish and the
Gentile sections of the human race one community), not by making
Gentiles Jews, but by elevating both to the supernatural order and
producing, as it were, a new race called Christians. The "middle
wall of partition" refers to the Mosaic Law which kept the Jews
separated from the Gentiles and was the cause of the enmity that
existed between them. The figure here was likely suggested by
the stone wall which separated the Court of the Gentiles from the
Temple Court of the Israelites. Any Gentile who dared to trespass
beyond this wall incurred the penalty of death.
Enmity. This word is more probably to be taken in apposition
to "middle wall of partition," and it signifies the reality of which
that wall was a figure. This enmity and its cause Christ has been
broken down and removed "in his flesh" (i.e., by means of His pas-
sion and death).
48 EPHESIANS II. 15, 16
15. Making void the law of commandments contained in decrees; that he
might make the two in himself into one new man, making peace ;
16. And might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, killing the
enmity in himself.
15. Some expositors connect "in his flesh" of the preceding verse
with -whsit foUovi^s here; but this does not affect the sense, since
it was by His passion and death that Christ both removed the bar-
rier between Jews and Gentiles and abrogated the Law with its
statutes and precepts.
Making void, etc., by abrogating the Mosaic Law which con-
tained numerous commands and ceremonies regarding foods, feasts,
etc.„ all of which were calculated to isolate Israel from the rest of
the world, and were figures or types of realities to come. With the
advent, therefore, of Christ and the Gospel these ancient precepts
and ceremonies were abrogated, as the shadow vanishes with the
appearance of the light (cf. Col. ii. 14-20). It must be understood,
of course, that the moral precepts of the Mosaic Law did not cease;
they were rather perfected and confirmed (Matt. v. 17; cf. Rom.
iii. 31 ; I Cor. iii. 14).
That he might make, etc. (better, "in order to create, etc.").
The purpose was not merely to unite Jew and Gentile, but from
the two to create a new human type that should be neither Jew nor
Gentile, but Christian. The Apostle uses the masculine plural here
(tov? Svo), because there is now question of two men, Jew and Gen-
tile, and not of two systems, Judaism and heathendom, as in ver. 14
where the Greek neuter is used. The justification or sanctification
of a soul is as much a generation in the supernatural order as the
production of the soul and the human organism is in the natural
order (cf. 2 Cor. v. 17).
In himself. Christ has united Jew and Gentile into one mysti-
cal body of which He is the head and life-giving source, thus "mak-
ing peace" between them.
16. A further purpose of the propitiatory death of Christ was to
reconcile both Jew and Gentile to God by means of the sacrifice of
the cross, having destroyed by His own suffering the enmity that
existed between them, and having united them both into one new
man "in one body," which is His Church.
In one body. By this phrase some understand the physical
EPHESIANS II. 17, 18 49
17. And coming, he preached peace to you that were afar off, and peace to
them that were nigh.
18. For by him we have access both in one Spirit to the Father.
body of Christ affixed to the cross ; but others with greater proba-
bility take the phrase to refer to the mystical body of Christ, the
Church.
In himself should more likely be "in it," the reference being
to the cross (cV dvT(^), rather than to Christ. The Greek, however,
can refer to either Christ or the cross (cf. Col. i. 19-22).
17. And when the Saviour came into this world, He preached
first in person to the Jews, and then through His Apostles to the
Gentiles, the Gospel of peace among all men and reconciliation to
God. The Gentiles were said to be "afar ofT," because they were
without the Law and the special revelation which the Jews possessed,
and in consequence of which the latter were said to be "nigh." The
perfect peace which Christ brought to the world, and of which He
spoke at the Last Supper (John xiv. 27, xvi. 33), rests on perfect
justice; and hence, as St. Thomas says, it is impossible to have
peace without justice. This peace of Christ which we enjoy is
the fruit of our reconciliation with God, and the cause of it the
Apostle will now explain in the following verse.
18. Christ is our peace, and He has given us peace because through
Him we, Jews and Gentiles, have been freed from our sins, ani-
mated by the Holy Ghost, reconciled to God, and thus introduced
to the Father. Note the mention here of the three Persons of the
Blessed Trinity. It is more probable that the word "access" here
should be given an active transitive sense, and so should be trans-
lated "introduction," because we have not ourselves come into the
presence of the Father, but Christ has introduced us; "we do not
come in our own strength, but need an introduction — Christ"
(Sanday, on Romans v. 1-2).
Robinson and some others understand "one Spirit" here to refer
to oneness of mind and heart among the Christians; but as the
unity of the body results from the unity of the head, so the unity
and concord of the faithful come from the unity of the Spirit by
which they are animated. Thus, this second explanation is included
in the first, and presupposes it.
50 EPHESIANS II. 19, 20
19. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners ; but you are
fellow citizens with the saints ; and the domestics of God,
20. Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief cornerstone:
19. In verses 19-22 St. Paul will show the difference between the
present and the former state of the Gentiles and their existing per-
fect equality with the Jews. He will illustrate this equality of
Gentiles with Jews in the Christian commonwealth by several differ-
ent metaphors — by a city or state, in which they enjoy the rights
of naturalized citizens ; by a household, in which they are members
of God's family ; by a building, of which they and the Jews are the
living stones and Christ the chief cornerstone.
Now therefore. The Apostle is going to draw a conclusion
from what he has just been saying in the preceding verses.
You are no more strangers, to the covenants of the promise
(ver. 12), and foreigners, i.e., aliens, without the rights of citizen-
ship in the spiritual commonwealth of God ; but you are fellow-
citizens, etc., i.e., full members of the mystical body of Christ and
of the household of God, together with those of Jewish origin;
you are all now inmates of the Father's house in Christ.
20. Built, etc., or better, "having been built upon the apos-
tles and prophets" of the New Testament as a moral foundation,
with "Jesus Christ himself" as the chief cornerstone of that founda-
tion, who thus gives coherence and fixity to it and to the whole
superstructure erected upon it. Having spoken at the end of ver.
19 of the inmates of the household of God, the Apostle in this verse
passes to the building itself. The past tense of the verb here shows
that the Gentiles became fellow-citizens in the New Jerusalem and
members of God's family at the time of their conversion (Hitch-
cock, op. cit., h. /.). It is more probable that the "foundation" here
refers to the apostles and prophets themselves, than to the doctrine
they preached (i Cor. iii. 10), since they are paralleled by "Jesus
Christ" which follows. Nor is it likely that we should take Christ
as the foundation here, as in i Cor. iii. 11, since just below He is
said to be the "chief cornerstone." We are likewise to understand
"apostles and prophets" to refer to the New Testament teachers
and ministers of the Word (Acts xi. 28, xv. 32; i Cor, xiv), rather
than to the Prophets of the Old Testament, as we judge from the
EPHESIANS II. 21, 22 51
21. In whom the whole building, being fitly framed together, groweth up
into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.
22. In whom you also are built together into a habitation of God in the
Spirit.
order of the words here, from the fact that both nouns are pre-
ceded by only one article in Greek, from the parallel passages in
Eph. iii. 5 and iv. 11, where the reference is certainly to New Testa-
ment prophets, etc. On the other hand, it is true that the Old Testa-
ment Prophets are frequently regarded in the New Testament as
Evangelists before the time (Luke xxiv. 25; Acts iii. 18, 21, 24,
X. 43; Rom. xvi. 26).
21. In whom (i.e., in which cornerstone, namely, Christ) the
whole building (i.e., every part of the Church, becoming more
intensely and solidly united, part with part and all the parts with
the foundation and head) groweth — i.e., becomes ever more and
more extended, as living stones are prepared and laid on living
stones (i Pet. ii. 5), rising to completion and perfection — into
a holy sanctuary, worthy of the divine presence that dwells
therein (cf. Apoc. xxi. 22), in the Lord (i.e., in Christ, who is the
living bond of unity, coherence, growth, and sanctity of the
entire Church). We have given what we consider the best and
most probable rendering of the passage, "the whole building,
being fitly framed together," the Greek of which is difficult and
is variously translated.
"Sanctuary" (Gr., wos), the more sacred part of the Temple,
where the divine presence is especially manifested, as distin-
guished from the courts and outer area (Upov).
22. In whom. The reference is again to Christ, the corner-
stone.
You also, i.e., you Gentile readers of this Epistle.
Are built. Better, "are being builded" together with the rest
of the Christians. The present tense is used in Greek, showing
that the process is going on but is not yet complete ; the Church
is becoming more extended without and more united within as
it gradually approaches its perfection and its goal as a permanent
habitation for the Divine Presence in its glorified state hereafter.
Into a habitation is parallel to "into a holy sanctuary" above,
and the thought is that of a building that is being perfected as an
52 EPHESIANS III.
abiding dwelling place for God in the world to come, where "God
shall be all in all" (i Cor. xv. 28).
In the Spirit, i.e., in the Holy Ghost, "who sanctifieth the elect
of God." "In the Spirit" is parallel to "in the Lord" of the pre-
ceding verse, and hence it is to be interpreted of the Spirit of God.
The Church is built on the Son, by the Holy Ghost, for the Father ;
and the description here given of it by St. Paul, from the revelation
he had received, began with a reference to the Messianic Kingdom
of the Old Dispensation (ver. 11-12), then proceeded to a reflection
on the peace now enjoyed in the Messianic Kingdom of the New
Dispensation (ver. 13-18), and finally terminates (ver. 19-22) with
a vision of the Messianic Kingdom of the New Jerusalem, where
a manifestation of the glory to come (Rom. viii. 18), supreme and
unimaginable, awaits all those who by perseverance in faith and
good works are destined to be heirs of the riches of God in heaven.
CHAPTER III
THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY THROUGH THE PREACHING OF
ST. PAUL, I- 1 3
I- 13. Having spoken in the first Chapter of this Epistle of God's
eternal purpose to unite Jewish and non-Jewish peoples in the one
Church of Christ, and having shown in the second Chapter how this
purpose has been realized in the present period of grace with its
prospect of glorious consummation in the Church Triumphant here-
after, the Apostle, according to his custom after such meditations on
the wondrous ways of God, begins a prayer of thanksgiving on
behalf of the "Ephesians"; but he has only begun (ver. la) when
he is somehow reminded of his chains and what has made him
a prisoner for Christ, and this causes him to digress (ver. ib-13)
to consider the part he has played in the realization of God's eter-
nal purpose to unite all the nations of the world in the one spiritual
fold of Christ, and to unfold again the unsearchable wisdom of
God hidden in the purpose of that divine mystery and age-old secret.
For a parallel parenthesis see Rom. v. 13-18.
EPHESIANS III. I, 2 53
1. For this cause, I Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles ;
2. If at least you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God
which is given me towards you :
1. For this cause, a phrase repeated again in ver. 14, where
Paul resumes his prayer ; it refers back to what he has been saying
in ii. 11-22.
I Paul is a characteristic way of introducing himself when he
is about to treat matters of grave importance or defend his authority
(cf. 2 Cor. X. I ; Gal. v, 2; Col. i. 23; i Thess. ii. 18; Phlm. 9, 19).
St. Chrysostom would insert "am" here after Paul, so as to read:
"I Paul am the prisoner, etc." But if this were the meaning, the
article before "prisoner" in Greek should be omitted. Hence, it is
better with Theodoret, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and all modern
interpreters to recognize the break in the sentence here and its re-
sumption at ver. 14.
The prisoner, etc., i.e., a prisoner according to the will of his
Master, and for the cause of his Master (Phlm. i, 9; 2 Tim. i. 8).
For you Gentiles, i.e., on behalf of you Gentiles, for preaching
to you the Messianic salvation and admitting you on a level with the
Jews in the Church of Christ (cf. Acts xxi, 21 ff.).
2. If at least you have heard. Abbott and many others hold
that these words prove that St. Paul was addressing readers per-
sonally unknown to him. Westcott thinks there is nothing in the
words to sustain such a conclusion. Moule believes we have here
"a phrase of almost irony, an illusion to well-known fact under the
disguise of hypothesis." Alexander says the words are expressive
of gentle assurance. As a compromise, Robinson holds they mean
that some, at least, of the readers were personally unknown to the
Apostle. Hitchcock explains that St. Paul first had the intention
of writing to the Ephesians, as he had written to the Colossians,
but that his outlook changed as he wrote, embracing the Churches
of the Lycus Valley and other Gentiles. Voste would translate:
"Since indeed you have heard, etc." If we explain the words as
conditional, as in Eph. iv. 21, we still may hold that they are rhetori-
cal, not implying any real doubt.
The dispensation of the grace, etc., better, "the stewardship
of the grace, etc." The Messianic Kingdom is a reign of grace,
and St. Paul was designated by Christ to be His steward in dis-
54 EPHESIANS III. 3-5
3. How that, according to revelation, the mystery has been made known
to me, as I have written above in a few words;
4. Whereby, as you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mys-
tery of Christ,
5. Which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it
is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit ;
pensing the Messianic grace to the Gentiles. Cf. i Cor. ix. 17;
Col. i. 24, 25,
3. The Apostle now begins to explain how the mystery of grace
was made known to him, that is, his apostleship among the Gentiles,
as he has explained above in ii. 11 ff.
How. The Vulg. quoniam should be quomodo, used to indicate
the object of St. Paul's ministry, namely, that the Gentiles were
to be fellow-heirs, etc. (ver. 6).
According to revelation, made to Paul directly on the road to
Damascus at the time of hisv conversion, and elsewhere later on
(Acts ix. 4 ff. ; Gal. i. 12, ii. 2; 2 Cor. xii. i, 7, etc).
The mystery, i.e., the purpose of God to save Gentiles as well
as Jews through Christ (ver. 5, 6).
As I have written, etc., in this letter (i. 4-14, ii. 4-9, 11-22).
4. Whereby, as you read, etc. The meaning is that, as they
read what he has already written in the first two Chapters of this
letter, they will perceive his deep insight into God's world-pur-
pose as revealed in the Incarnation of His Son, namely, the sal-
vation of the world by means of the cross and the incorporation
of the Gentiles with the Chosen People.
5. Which eternal purpose and deep mystery was never before
known to mankind as it is now revealed in the Gospel by means
of a special revelation communicated to chosen Apostles and
prophets whom the Holy Ghost has inspired and set apart in
order that they may make it known to the world.
Was not known, at all to the pagan world, and was only dimly
shadowed forth among the Chosen People, the most of whom did
not understand it.
Sons of men is a Hebraism meaning all men.
Holy apostles, etc., i.e., men especially selected and consecrated
for their supernatural work, but not necessarily sanctified per-
sonally. That there is question here only of New Testament
prophets is clear from the phrase "now revealed."
EPHESIANS III. 6-8 55
6. That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and
co-partners of the promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel :
7. Of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of
God, which is given to me, according to the operation of his power.
8. To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach among
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
In the Spirit, i.e., in the Holy Ghost, by whom the human
mediums were inspired.
6. St. Paul now gives a brief definition of the content of the long-
hidden mystery in so far as it pertained to the Gentiles, namely,
that God has made the Gentiles equal to the Jews as regards salva-
tion ; they are now "fellow-heirs" with the Jews to heaven, members
of the same mystical body, the Church, sharers in the same high
destiny "in Christ" (i.e., in vital union with Him), which was long
ago promised to Abraham and his offspring (Gen. xii. 3 ; Gal. iii. 8,
iv. 29 ; Rom. iv. 13, 16), and is now made manifest in the preaching
of the Gospel.
His promise of the Douai should be "the promise," according
to the best Greek and Latin texts.
7. The Apostle begins now to speak of the mission that has been
entrusted to him, the dispensation spoken of above in iii. 2. He has
been made a "minister" of the Gospel, not by his own choice or
because of his merits, but by a gratuitous gift of divine grace, which
made an Apostle out of a persecutor and gave him invincible strength
to pursue his vocation. The grace here referred to was a gratia
gratis data, a divine gift to be used for the benefit of others.
According to . . . according to. Note the parallelism : divine
grace made him a minister of the Gospel, and divine grace sustains
him in his work for the Gospel ; his vocation was a divine gift, and
his labors were the result of a divine operation, of God-given work-
ing power. Cf. Col. i. 29; Gal. ii. 8.
8. Here and in the following verse St. Paul will speak of the
purpose of his preaching.
To me. The thought of the greatness of the mission confided
to him by the grace of God reminds the humble Apostle of his
personal unworthiness and insignificance.
The least in the Greek is a word probably coined by the
Apostle himself, which literally means "leaster," or "more least."
Of all the saints, i.e., of all the Christians (cf. i Cor. xv. 8, 9).
56 EPHESIANS III. 9, 10
9. And to enlighten all men that they may see what is the dispensation
of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, who created
all things:
10. That now the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the
principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church,
St. Paul never forgets his past life as a persecutor, and the more
he realizes the greatness of the grace of God bestowed on him,
the more clearly his own unworthiness appears.
To preach, etc. Behold the grace and the mission vouchsafed
to Paul, to announce to the Gentile world the infinite treasures of
divine truth, love and power, which God has provided for mankind
through Jesus Christ.
Unsearchable, literally, "untrackable by footprints," untrace-
able, a word found only here and in Rom. xi. 33 in all the New
Testament ; it means incomprehensible. So vast are the treasures of
grace hidden in the Gospel and confided to the Church that they
utterly transcend our powers of understanding.
9. To enlighten, etc. Such was the further effect of Paul's
preaching of the Gospel, to make known to all men the divine plan,
hidden from eternity, of saving the whole world by means of the
human life, labors, sufferings, death, and glorious resurrection
of the eternal Son of God made man.
All men. The Greek word is omitted by some ancient MSS.
and good authorities, but the weight of authority favors its re-
tention.
Hidden from eternity, etc. Not until the coming of Christ,
the Messiah, was the divine economy relative to the salvation of
men actually and completely made known ; till then it was known
in its fullness only to the Godhead.
Who created all things. The Apostle adds this to remind his
readers that He who was able to create all things through the
Son in the beginning is now able to redeem all through the Son.
Some lesser authorities add, "by means of Jesus Christ," which
may be rejected as a gloss, Cf. Col. i. 25-27 for a parallel passage
to verses 8 and 9 here.
10. As it was the purpose of the preaching of Paul to make
known to the nations the revelation of the mystery hidden in God
from eternity (ver. 8-9), so in turn was it the purpose of that
revelation to make known to the world the unsearchable riches of
EPHESIANS III. II 57
II. According to the eternal purpose, which he made in Christ Jesus, our
Lord:
the Messiah and His stewardship, hidden from the beginning in the
Creator (ver. lo-ii), that is, "that now" (in contrast to the ages
that preceded the coming of the Christ) "the manifold wisdom of
God, etc." (i.e., the many-sided and infinitely varied wisdom of
God in providing for the salvation of man through the Incarnation
of the Son of God) might be made known through the Church to
the world of angelic intelligences, including both the good and the
evil angels.
Now (Vulg. nunc), omitted in the Douai, is expressed in the
Greek.
Manifold. Literally, "much variegated." The word is found
here only in the New Testament.
Principalities and powers, i.e., good and bad angels, according
to St. Chrysostom and the evidence of vi. 12 below (cf. also i. 21
above).
In the heavenly places. See on i. 3.
Through the church, in which the divided human family has
been united, and which contains and dispenses the treasures of
grace, thus continuing the work of the Redeemer till the end of time
in the sight of men and angels. "It is by no means repugnant that
through the work of Christ, which the Church continues and carries
out to the end of the present world, the infinite riches of the wis-
dom and mercy of the Redeemer should be successively manifested
to the angels themselves" (St. Thomas, h. /.).
II. According to the eternal purpose, etc., literally, "according
to the purpose of the ages, etc." The manifold wisdom of God was
hidden in the eternal purpose; and that purpose, running through
the whole course of the ages, has now been "made" (i.e., realized)
in "Christ Jesus, our Lord," sacrificed, risen, and enthroned for-
ever as the center and Sovereign of the universe; and with the
realization of the purpose the multifarious wisdom of God has been
made known in part already, and is continually being unfolded to
men and angels down to the end of the world. It is disputed whether
the words, "which he made," refer to the decree which God made
from eternity regarding future ages, etc., or to the execution of
that decree in time; but the context seems to favor the latter
explanation.
58 EPHESIANS III. 12, 13
12. In whom we have boldness, and access with confidence by the faith
of him.
13. Wherefore I pray you not to faint at my tribulations for you, which
is your glory.
12. St. Paul has just discussed the purpose of God's revelation
made known through the preaching of that revelation, which was
to disclose to heavenly intelligences the manifold wisdom of God,
as realized in Christ. Now, in verses 12-13, he will treat of the con-
sequences of that same revelation. The first of these consequences
is that in Christ, that is, by reason of our mystical union with Him,
"we have boldness, etc.," i.e., we now enjoy freedom of speech and
communication with the Father, "and access" (i.e., introduction) to
Him, not in fear, but in confidence (Rom. viii. 38 flF.), and this
through the faith we have in Christ.
The faith of him means the faith we have "in Him," as we
know from similar constructions in Mark xi. 22; Gal. ii. 16, iii. 22;
Rom. iii. 22, 26; Phil. iii. 9.
13. Another consequence of the revelation preached by Paul is the
sufferings it brought upon him ; but here he prays that his readers
may not grow remiss and faint-hearted as a result of the afflictions
he has to endure for preaching the Gospel to them ; for his sufferings
are their glory, inasmuch as they are an evidence of God's love for
them, since God was willing to permit His Apostle to endure so
much for their sakes: the privileges they enjoy and the afflictions
Paul has undergone that they might have those privileges indicate
how dear they are to God.
Wherefore, i.e., in view of your dignity and privileges, result-
ing from God's eternal decree realized in Christ.
I pray. This is more probably to be understood of a real prayer
to God for the Apostle's readers, as we gather from the similar use
of the verb in Eph. iii. 20 and Col. i. 9.
Not to faint should not be interpreted as applying to the
Apostle himself, who gloried in his tribulations and declared that
nothing could separate him from the love of Christ (Rom. v. 3,
viii. 38, 39; 2 Cor. xii. 10; Col. i. 24), but to his readers, to whose
glory it was that he had to suffer, and who therefore should not
be discouraged.
EPHESIANS III. 14-17 59
14. For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15. Of whom every paternity in heaven and earth is named,
16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be
strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inner man.
17. That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and
founded in charity,
ST. PAUL PRAYS THAT HIS READERS MAY BE STRENGTHENED IN
FAITH AND IN THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE, I4-I9
14-19. Having considered his ministry among the Gentiles, St.
Paul now continues his prayer interrupted in ver. ib. Prostrating
himself in mind before the Father of all, from whom all fathership
in heaven and on earth derives its name and its nature, he asks
that his readers may be interiorly strengthened by the Divine Spirit ;
that Christ by faith may dwell in their hearts; that, being rooted
and founded in charity, they may be able to comprehend with all
the faithful the full scope and extent of His love for us, which sur-
passes all our understanding; and that, finally, they may come to
embody in their own lives the full content of plenitude of God.
14. The Apostle resumes the prayer begun in verse i, but inter-
rupted by the long parenthesis of verses 2-13.
For this cause, i.e., in view of the grace given the Gentiles,
which makes them equal sharers with the Jews in Messianic benefits.
I bow my knees, etc., words denoting a humble and fervent
attitude of prayer, not necessarily expressed by the physical posture.
The "Father" is addressed because He is the creator and source
of all things. The words, "of our Lord Jesus Christ," should be
omitted, according to the evidence of the Greek MSS. and the best
Patristic authority.
15. Of whom every paternity, etc. St. Paul is stressing the com-
mon Fatherhood of God. Every paternity (irSxm imrpu) is named
from the father {iranQp), and all created fatherhood is but a reflec-
tion at best of the Fatherhood of God.
In heaven and on earth, i.e., among the angels in heaven and
the different nations of the earth ; every possible family derives its
name and has its being from the Father above. The angels are
said to be divided into different families according to their different
orders (Estius).
16-19. The Apostle comes back to the purpose for which he has
6o EPHESIANS III. i8, 19
18. You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth,
and length, and height, and depth :
19. To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge,
that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
figuratively bent his knees in prayer, and asks God to give his
readers strength, and this "according to the riches of his glory,"
I.e., in a manner beyond measure, or according to His infinite power
and goodness. In i. 19 St. Paul had prayed that his readers might
know "what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who
believe," and here he prays that they may be made mighty with
that power ; and his prayer now is a positive supplication correspond-
ing to the negative petition, "not to faint," of iii. 13.
By his Spirit, etc., i.e., that they may be strengthened by the
grace of the Holy Ghost in the higher or spiritual faculties of their
souls, in their conscience, understanding, imagination, and will — for
all of which the heart in Scripture is regarded as the seat. In fur-
ther and more determinate words, he prays "that Christ may dwell
by faith in their hearts" (i.e., that the presence of Christ in their
minds and wills may, by means of a faith which operates by charity,
become ever more perfect), so that "being rooted, etc." (i.e., being
firmly fixed in love of God), they "may be able to comprehend"
(i.e., mentally to perceive) "with all the saints" (i.e., in union with
the whole assembly of the faithful) "what is the breadth, etc." (i.e.,
the measurement or full extent of the Messiah's love for us Chris-
tians) ; that is to say, that they may even know how great is the
love of Christ towards us, so that, as far as it is possible for created
intelligences, they may have the strength at length to grasp in Beatific
Vision the fullness of the divine nature, that is, that they, the
members of Christ's mystical body, may be able to take in of the
divine nature, according to their capacity, as much as their Head,
in whom dwells the fullness of divinity corporally (iv. 13), per-
ceives according to His capacity.
It is obvious that the Christian perfection of his readers for which
St. Paul here prays can be attained in its fullness orJy in the life
to come beyond the grave, though the progress towards it should go
on here continually; and even in that other life of Beatific Vision the
soul, while perceiving and knowing in an ever-increasing measure
the love of Christ for it, can never fully grasp its divine object
EPHESIANS III. i8, 19 61
through all the ages of eternity, simply because the object is infinite ;
the created knowledge can never be commensurate with the increate
object ; the goal is ever being attained, but is never attained or attain-
able; and hence the Apostle says it "surpasseth all knowledge."
At first sight it sounds paradoxical that St. Paul should pray
that his readers may "be able to comprehend" and "to know" that
which he afterwards says "surpasseth all knowledge," but his mean-
ing is clear: he is praying for such a perception and such a knowl-
edge of the love of Christ for them and such a grasp of the divine
nature on their part as will be commensurate with their finite capaci-
ties, which can ever be increased and extended, but which, in the
nature of things, can never equal and exhaust their divine and in-
finite object. Forever the redeemed soul will find in God more to
know, more to love, more to adore ; and even at the farthest stretch
of the eternal years it will still be as far away from completely
comprehending or exhausting the overflowing ocean of God's in-
finite being as it was at its entrance into bliss. Here indeed is a
revelation that provides the only philosophy of life that has a clue
for the otherwise hopeless riddle of our present existence; that
rescues our poor life from its littleness and miseries and links it
with the tides of the Eternal ; that promises an ultimate and ade-
quate satisfaction to the endless reachings of the human mind and
the boundless longings of the human heart,
A further explanation of some words in these verses (16-19)
may be needed. Thus, "unto the inner man" is paralleled by "in
your hearts" in the following verse, and it means the higher spiritual
faculties of the soul — the domain of reason, thought, conscience,
will, etc., as said above.
By faith, i.e., by means of an implicit trust in all that has been
revealed, and this, not merely by a speculative adhesion of the mind
to revealed truth, but by a practical exercise in works of what one
believes, by a faith that lives by charity: "If any one love me, he
will keep my word, etc." (John xiv. 23 ff.).
Being rooted, like a tree of the Lord in the rich soil of the love
of God, and founded, like stones of the Temple on the same love.
In charity. It is disputed whether these words should go with
what precedes or with what follows ; and also whether there is ques-
tion of God's love for Christians or of the love Christians have for
62 EPHESIAiXS III. i8, 19
God. As to the first point, it seems that the participles "rooted"
and "founded" need determination, and therefore that the phrase
"in charity" should go with them. As to the second point, since the
Apostle is praying that his readers may understand Christ's love
for them, and since love is perceived by love and the more Christ
is loved the better He is understood, it would seem that the words
"in charity" ought to refer to the love Paul's readers have for
Christ.
May be able to comprehend, as far as a finite being can com-
prehend.
With all the saints, may be taken disjunctively or collectively,
as implying what each one of the faithful may be able to do, or
what all of them together can do, the knowledge and experience
of each individual soul adding to and enriching the knowledge and
experience of every other soul.
What is the breadth, etc., is probably an accumulation of terms
to express exhaustive measurement ; the Apostle wishes his readers
to perceive the love of Christ for them to the full extent of their
capacity. The object is not expressed after this clause, but we
have taken it to be love of Christ for the faithful, which will be
named just below. See Rom. viii. 39 for similar terms of measure-
ment relative to divine love : "Neither height nor depth, nor any
other creature, will be able to separate us, etc." Others, with the
Greek Fathers, take the object of the foregoing dimensions to be
the mystery of the salvation of all nations through Christ, treated
before in this and in the preceding chapters. Such, we are told,
is the meaning, because the words, "to know also," that follow indi-
cate an addition to the thought that precedes, and have their own
object distinctly expressed, namely, "the charity of Christ." But,
we may ask, is not that great mystery of the union of all peoples
in Christ the eflfect or the fruit of divine love, and therefore ulti-
mately to be resolved into that love? Moreover, the phrase, "to
know also," may be correctly rendered from the Greek, "and even
to know," which intensifies the thought just previously expressed,
without adding to it something new.
That you may be filled, etc. The fullness here intended may
be understood of God's own fullness, which is poured into our
souls according to our capacity to receive it : "Be ye perfect, as your
EPHESIANS III. 20, 21 63
20. Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we
desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us ;
21. To him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus, unto all genera-
tions, world without end. Amen.
heavenly Father is perfect, et<t." (Matt. v. 48) ; or it may be taken,
as in i. 23, of the fullness which is given to God through the Church.
We prefer the first meaning, which is that understood by St.
Thomas, St. John Chrysostom, and many others among modern
expositors.
DOXOLOGY, CLOSING THE DOGMATIC PART OF THE EPISTLE, 20-2I
20-21. As in the Epistle to the Romans (xi. 33-36), so also here
St. Paul terminates the Dogmatic Part of his letter with a solemn
ascription of praise to God. He has considered the great mystery
of the union of all nations in Christ, and his own ministry in the
revelation of that mystery ; he has asked much for his readers, but
he has done so with all confidence, because the Almighty Father
is able to do all things more abundantly than we can know or under-
stand. It is fitting, therefore, to bring these sublime considerations
to a close with words of praise to Him who has done so much for us,
and who is able to do infinitely more than we can conceive or desire ;
neither God's gifts nor His power can we fully comprehend.
20. According to the power, etc., i.e., according to the grace of
the Holy Spirit within us (cf. Rom. viii. 26; Col. i. 29).
21. To him, etc., i.e., to God all-powerful and our supreme bene-
factor be the external praise due to His wondrous works.
In the church, i.e., in the mystical body of Christ, which is the
theatre wherein are manifested principally the grace and mercy of
God.
And in Christ, the Head of the Church, from whom all graces
come to us.
Unto all generations, etc. Throughout all time and all eternity
the redeemed shall praise God for the graces and mercies He has
bestowed upon them in Christ.
Amen, so be it.
64 EPHESIANS IV, i
CHAPTER IV
THE MORAL PART OF THE EPISTLE, iv. I vi. 20
I. I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy
of the vocation in which you were called,
iv. I — vi. 20. The precepts of Christ follow from the doctrine
of Christ as conclusions from premises, so that rightly lived the
Christian life is nothing more than a vivid reflection of Christ's
teachings. So far in this Epistle the Apostle has spoken of Chris-
tians as predestined members of Christ's mystical body, as living
stones in God's temple, and as units in the divine household, destined
to a glory beyond all our imaginings. High, therefore, is their call-
ing; and he v^^ould have them walk worthy of it. To this end he
describes first in this Moral Part the general character of the
Christian life as lived in mutual charity and holiness (iv. 1-24) ;
then he treats of particular duties, whether pertinent to all or to
individual members of the Christian family (iv. 25 — ^vi. 9) ; and
finally he illustrates the life of Christians as a warfare (vi. 10-20).
See Introduction, No. VIII, B.
CHRISTIANS MUST WALK WORTHY OF THEIR VOCATION IN ALL
UNITY, iv. I-16
1-16. The Christian life imposes on its members the obligation of
preserving, by means of humility and loving forbearance, the spirit
of unity which has been given them in the Holy Ghost. All have
the same hope; all acknowledge one and the same Lord as their
head ; the same faith is common to all, expressed in one and the same
Sacrament of Baptism; and finally, all have the same heavenly
Father. There is a great diversity of gifts and functions in the
Christian society, but the Ascended Christ is the Source of them
all; and all have the one purpose, which is growth into perfect
EPHESIANS IV. 2, 3 65
2. With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another
in charity,
3. Careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace :
corporate unity, so that the Church will come to express in its own
life and maturity the life of Christ its divine Head.
I therefore. The Apostle is now going to deduce practical con-
clusions from what he has been saying in the first part of the Epistle ;
and hence he means to say that, in view of all the blessings and
privileges they enjoy as a result of their call to the faith, they
ought to do what he is about to exhort.
A prisoner in the Lord, or, as he said above in iii. i, "the pris-
oner of Jesus Christ," for having preached the Gospel.
Beseech you, etc. Better, according to the Greek, "exhort you,
etc." In view of the blessings they have received and of all Paul
has suffered for them and other Christians, they ought to lead lives
in conformity with their high dignity.
2. He now shows them practically what they must do to live lives
worthy of their calling as Christians, recommending four principal
virtues. They must practise: (a) "humility," which is opposed to
pride, a source of discord and the enemy of the peace of society;
(b) "mildness," which implies gentleness and submission under trial,
as opposed to anger and injurious conduct; (c) "patience," which
means long-suffering and forbearance with the defects of others and
with injuries received from others; (d) "charity," or love of neighs
bor, the root and supernatural spring of all the other virtues, which
makes easy the practice of all the others, and without which no
other virtue can be perfect.
3. Careful, etc. Behold the end to which is ordained the practice
of the four virtues just mentioned, namely, "the unity of the spirit,
etc.," i.e., concord of mind and heart, of thoughts and feelings ; and
this unity of souls is effected by the "bond of peace," which is the
tranquillity of order. This "bond (or co-bond) of peace" means the
peaceful union of souls, united by Christian love. It is the peace
of which our Lord spoke at the Last Supper: "Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you, etc." (John xiv. 27). Compare the
present passage with its parallel in Col. iii. 13-15 (cf. Hitchcock,
h. I.). It is more probable that "spirit" here is to be understood
of concord of minds and hearts rather than of the Holy Ghost (so
Sl Thomas, Estius, and others).
66 EPHESIANS IV. 4-6
4. One body and one Spirit ; as you were called in one hope of your
calling:
5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism :
6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all.
4. After commending the foregoing concord of souls, the Apostle
goes on to consider the elements from which the unity of the Church
results objectively. There are three intrinsic elements : one body,
one Spirit, one hope or end of our calling; there are three extrinsic
factors : one Lord, one faith, one baptism ; and finally, there is one
transcendent element or factor, whose universal action is exercised
in three ways: one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in us all (ver. 4-6). Cf. Voste, h. I.
Where there is "one body" (which is Christ's mystical body, the
Church), "one Spirit," which animates the Church (namely, the
Holy Ghost), and "one hope of your calling" (which is eternal
beatitude), there surely ought to exist oneness of mind and heart,
as said above. Some expositors take "Spirit" in this verse to mean
concord or harmony among the members of the Church ; but it is
more likely that it means the Holy Spirit, because there is question
now of the essential constitution of the Church and of that which
imites it objectively, from which subjective harmony among its
members should result, as an effect from its cause.
5. In the preceding verse the Apostle considered the intrinsic
elements of unity. Now he will treat of the extrinsic elements. The
faithful have one leader, Christ, whom they all obey and in whom
they are all united; they have the same objective law or faith in
Christ, by which they accept the same truths and observe the same
precepts; they have one and the same divine seal by which they
are made members of the one mystical body of Christ, namely,
Baptism.
6. Here we have the transcendent element of unity, "One God"
(from whom we all have the same nature) "and Father of all"
(uniting us all in one common brotherhood through adoption in
Christ), "who is above all" things (as governing all), "and through
all" (as pervading all), "and in all" (as sustaining all). It is better
to understand the adjective "all" here as neuter rather than mascu-
line (so Westcott, Robinson, Voste) ; and hence the Vulg. is arbi-
trary in varying from the one gender to the other. The nobis of the
Vulg. is not represented in the best Greek.
EPHESIANS IV. 7, 8 67
7. But to every one of us was given grace, according to the measure of
the giving of Christ.
8. Wherefore he saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; he
gave gifts to men.
7. So far the Apostle has considered the unity of the Church as
to its common elements; and now he will consider that which is
proper and special to individual members of the same mystical body,
namely, their different gifts and functions, all of which should tend
to the good of the whole (ver. 7-16).
To every one of us (i.e., to each one of the faithful who make
up the unity of the Church, and not to the ministers only) was
given grace (i.e., the special divine help to discharge certain
duties and offices in the Church, and this was done, not haphazardly
confusedly, but) according to the measure, etc. (i.e., according to
the work each one was to do in the Church in fulfillment of the
purpose of Christ, the Giver of that grace).
8. In this and in the two following verses the Apostle shows that
our Lord is indeed the distributer of the gifts spoken of in verse 7;
and to prove it he quotes in the present verse Psalm Ixvii. 19, which,
in its literal sense, refers to a temporal victory of the Jews over
their enemies through the help of Jehovah, but in its spiritual mean-
ing refers to the triumphal Ascension of our Lord into heaven after
achieving our redemption by His victory over sin and Satan. The
Psalmist is picturing Jehovah as ascending to His Sanctuary on
Mt. Sion after the victory of His people, and there accepting spoil
from His vanquished foes; and this is a figure of the Ascension
of Christ into heaven, following the completion of the work of our
redemption, and thence distributing His gifts to the faithful on the
Day of Pentecost. The munificence of Jehovah to Israel prefigured
the bounty of Christ bestowing His gifts on men. The Apostle is
probably quoting the Psalm from memory, and so does not give the
exact words either of the Hebrew or of the LXX of the Psalm.
He saith. Better, "It saith" (i.e., the Scripture says).
Captivity means "captives," the Hebrew abstract standing for
the concrete. But who are the captives in the application? If we
need to seek an application for this phrase, they are (a) mankind
wrested from the captivity of the evil one, Satan, or (b) the con-
quered evil spirits who had enslaved man until the coming of
Christ.
68 EPHESIANS IV. 9, 10
9. Now that he ascended, what is it, but that he also descended first into
the lower parts of the earth?
10. He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
He gave. In the Psalm we have "Thou didst receive," a dif-
ferent person and a different verb; but St. Paul, speaking in the
third person of our Lord, is using the words which the Psalmist
addressed to Jehovah in the second person. As Jehovah received
spoil from Israel's enemies, so did our Lord receive gifts to be
distributed "to men" (i.e., to the faithful).
9. The Apostle means to say here that the Ascension of Christ
into heaven presupposes His descent from heaven to this earth
at the time of His Incarnation; or to the lower parts of the earth,
to the Limbo of the dead, after His crucifixion ; or, if we take the
ascent to be previous to the descent, the meaning is that after our
Lord ascended into heaven. He later descended at Pentecost through
the Holy Spirit with His special gifts of grace to the faithful, or
in general to take up His dwelling in the souls of the just. But
St. Paul is saying that the descent was previous to the ascent, and
hence we must reject opinions that suppose the contrary. We should
hold, then, that the descent in question was either at the time of the
Incarnation when our Lord first came to this earth (so Knabenbauer,
Cajetan, and many non-Catholics), or when He visited the abode
of the dead between His own death and glorious Resurrection (so
St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, Estius, Voste, etc.). The latter
opinion is thought to be more in harmony with: (a) Pss. Ixii. 10,
cxxxviii. 15; Rom. x. 7; Acts ii. 27; i Peter iii. 19, iv. 6; (b) the
context of St. Paul, for in the following verse it is said that our
Lord "ascended above all the heavens," the contrary of which would
be to descend to the lowest parts of the earth: He ranged from
the lowest to the highest, thus visiting all, "that he might fill all
things" (ver. 10).
What is it? That is, "What does it imply?" The word "first"
agrees with the context, but is of doubtful authenticity.
10. He that descended (from heaven to earth, and even to the
lower parts of the earth, though His Incarnation) is the same also
that ascended, etc. (on Ascension Day, and took His seat on the
right hand of the Father), that he might fill all things (by the
EPHESIANS IV. II 69
II. And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evan-
gelists, and other some pastors and doctors,
exercise of His power and rule, and the influence of His grace,
especially in His Church). The person that ascended is the same as
the person that descended. The Son of God descended from heaven,
taking upon Himself our human nature; and the Son of man
ascended according to His human nature to the sublimity of immortal
life (St. Thomas, h. /.).
Above all the heavens. These words contain no approval by
St. Paul of the opinion of the Rabbins that there were seven heavens ;
the Apostle is merely emphasizing the supreme exaltation of the
Lord. It is true that in 2 Cor. xii. 2, St. Paul himself speaks of the
"third heaven," but there he is most likely only referring to the
immediate presence of God.
II. Returning to the thought of ver. 7, after the parenthesis of
ver. 8-10, the Apostle is now going to speak about the various gifts
bestowed by our Lord on certain ones among the faithful, and the
end to which these gifts are ordained (cf. also Rom. xii. 4-6; i Cor.
xii. 4 ff.). It is to be noted that the various names here designate
offices or functions rather than persons. Therefore, "apostles" are
those who had the gift of the apostolate, and most likely included
others besides the Twelve, like Paul, Barnabas, etc. (Rom. xvi. 7).
Prophets are those who taught, instructed, and exhorted others
(i Cor. xiv. 1-5), as well as foretellers of future events, like Agabus
(Acts xi. 27, 28, xxi. 10, 11).
Evangelists are not necessarily those only who wrote the Gos-
pels, but missionaries and preachers of the word among strangers
and infidels (John xxi. 15 ff. ; Acts xxi. 8; 2 Tim. iv. 5 ; i Peter
ii. 25).
Pastors and doctors. Before these two names in Greek there
is but one article ; whereas the article precedes each of the names
given before in this list. From this fact St. Jerome, St. Thomas,
and others have concluded that the care of souls and the office of
teacher go together, that he who is a pastor ought also to be a
teacher. But other commentators hold that there is question of
separate functions here not necessarily to be found in the same
person, just as there was above, and that St. Paul omitted the article
yo EPHESIANS IV. 12-14
12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christy
13. Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God ipto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fullness
of Christ;
14. That henceforth we b5 flD more children tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning
craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive;
before the last word here in his hurry to close the list (so Voste).
12. Here the Apostle points out the end or purpose of the ministry
just detailed. All those gifts and offices were "for the perfecting
of the saints" (i.e., for the purpose of equipping or fitting out those
on whom they were bestowed) "for the work of the ministry" (i.e.,
for the fulfillment of the duties they were to discharge among the
faithful), thus enabling all the members of the Church to do each
his full share by word, work and example towards "the edifying
of the body of Christ" (i.e., towards building up and perfecting the
Church, and spreading its work and influence over the world). The
word rendered "perfecting" occurs here only in the New Testament,
and most probably means "equipment," "preparation." Those who
translate it in the sense of "perfection" reverse the order of the
words in the verse and make "the perfecting of the saints" the end
and purpose of "the work of the ministry" and "the edifying of the
body of Christ."
13. Until does not here refer so much to time as to the ultimate
purpose or end to which all the charisms in question are ordained,
which end or purpose is "unity of faith" and a supernatural "knowl-
edge of the Son of God" ; so that by individual and corporate
spiritual growth, effort and influence the Church may come to realize
and express in her own life that mature and full-grown perfection
which is in Christ her divine Head. Christ is the standard or
"measure" of perfection toward which the individual Christian and
the Church as a whole must tend, and which, individually and col-
lectively, the faithful must, in so far as possible, endeavor to express
here on earth. Hence "age" here refers not to the years but to the
perfection of Christ.
14. The Apostle here states negatively what he said in a positive
manner in the preceding verse; there he showed how the Church
was to attain its perfection, and now he shows how it should avoid
EPHESIANS IV. 15, 16 71
15. But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him
who is the head, even Christ :
16. From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly conjoined to-
gether, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of
itself in charity.
what is opposed to its perfection. We must not henceforth exhibit
the mental weakness and ignorance of children, who are fickle and
inconstant, subject to the influence of all the false opinions and
changing novelties by which wicked, cunning, and crafty men try
to lead the unwary astray.
Tossed to and fro, etc. Better, "tossed about on the waves, and
carried round and round by every wind of doctrine," as so many
non-Catholics are, which is not a very safe way to reach the port
of salvation. "What St. Paul deprecated as the waywardness of
an undisciplined child, is now glorified as free thought" (Rickaby).
Xhe Vulgate, fliictuantes et circumferaniur, should read fluctuantes
et circumlati, to agree with the best Greek; and in nequitia should
be in fradulentia (the Greek word being a metaphor from cheating
at dice).
15. Instead of being deceived and led into error by evil and cun-
ning men, we must be followers of "the truth," i.e., we must confess,
love, and practise the truths made known to us by our faith; and
not only so, but our faith and works must be vivified by "charity,"
or the love of God, so that "in all things," or better, "as to all
things" (i.e., as to our whole being, our entire Christian perfection),
we may "grow up in him, etc.," i.e., increase and solidify our union
with Christ, our divine Head. The more we grow in perfection,
the more we come to resemble in all things Jesus Christ who is the
Head of the mystical body of which we are the members.
16. Having just spoken of Christ, the Head of the mystical body
which is the Church, the Apostle now goes on to describe the
growth and increase of that mystical body as it is united in charity
to Christ its Head.
The words "being compacted" down to "every part" inclusive
should be regarded as parenthetical, so that the main sentence reads :
"From whom the whole body maketh increase, etc." This verse
affords a typical example of St. Paul's compressed and pregnant
style, where in a few words a multitude of ideas are contained. It
-^2 EPHESIANS IV. 15, 16
is extremely obscure, as St. Chrysostom says, because the Apostle
wants to say everything at once. We find a parallel in Col, ii. 19.
From whom, i.e., from Christ, the fountain whence flows the
whole spiritual life of "the whole body," which is the Church, the
members of which "being compacted, etc.," i.e., being closely and
harmoniously connected, one with the other, and vitally conjoined
so as to form one organic whole and act as a unit. The words
"compacted" and "conjoined" are expressed by present participles
in Greek, and therefore convey the idea of a living, progressive
process of growth by which the Church is ever moving on in develop-
ment, strength, and perfection to its final consummation in heaven.
By what every joint supplieth. Passing over several different
and less likely opinions about the exact meaning of the Greek
word d^ry? (here rendered "joint") and cTrixoprj-yias (rendered "sup-
plieth"), we may hold the most probable meaning of the Apostle
to be that help descends from Christ the Head into the whole mys-
tical body through the joints by which the various members are con-
nected one with the other. As in the physical organism help comes
from the head to the different members through the joints or con-
necting physical links, so in the mystical body of Christ, the Church,
help is communicated from Christ the Head to the various members
(to the faithful) through the joints, i.e., through the various minis-
tries, gifts and functions spoken of above in verse 7; but the help
thus supplied is not the same for each member, but is "according
to the operation, etc." — that is, it is in proportion to the power or
supply of help given it by the Head, which supply or power is itself
proportioned to the capacity of each member and to the work each
particular member is given to perform. And all the members being
thus assisted and thus operating, it happens that the whole body
"maketh increase, etc." (i.e., grows in unity, strength, and effective-
ness), and all this through the vitalizing principle and power of
"charity."
CHRISTIANS MUST PUT OFF THE OLD MAN ACCORDING TO THE FLESH
AND PUT ON THE NEW MAN ACCORDING TO GOD, I7-24
17-24. At the beginning of the present Chapter St. Paul, starting
with the words "I therefore," proposed to deduce practical conse-
quences in conduct from the doctrines he had just previously laid
EPHESIANS IV. 17, 18 73
17. This then I say and testify in the Lord: that henceforward you walk
not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,
18. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of
God on account of the ignorance that is in them because of the bhndness of
their hearts.
dov^rn ; but after an exhortation to unity his intention was diverted
into a description, more dogmatic than moral, of principles funda-
mental to the unity of the Christian commonwealth, the Church (ver.
4-11), and to a consideration of the ideal Church as a whole
(ver. 12-14) and the harmonious interrelation of its members (ver.
15-16). Now resuming his original intention, expressed at the be-
ginning of the Chapter, he will take up the question of the personal
holiness of individual members of the Church, and explain it (a)
negatively, in reference to the Gentile life of ignorance and impurity
which they have discarded (ver. 17-19), and then (b) positively, in
regard to the new life of enlightenment and purity which they have
embraced as Christians (ver. 20-24).
17. This then I say, etc. The Apostle now resumes in a more
solemn manner the exhortation begun in verse i of this Chapter,
that his readers should lead lives worthy of their exalted vocation
as members of Christ's Church. The word here translated "testify"
occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts xxii. 26, and
in Gal. v. 3 ; it is a term of solemn appeal.
In the Lord, in whom we are all united, and from whom the
Apostle got his mission and authority.
That henceforth, etc., i.e., that you no longer live as you did
before your conversion, and as the pagans still live, "in the vanity,
etc.," i.e., in the state of intellectual and moral perversity wherein
they were unable to distinguish between moral good and moral evil.
For a description of this condition of the pagans see Rom. i. 18-32;
I Peter iv. 1-4. The Greek for "mind" here (voSs) embraces not
only the abstract theoretical faculty of thinking and reasoning, but
also the practical moral judgment of good and evil, as is evident
from the following verse.
18. In this verse St. Paul says that the "blindness" — or better,
"hardness" or "dullness" — of the hearts of the Gentiles, which made
them impervious to the divine overtures, was the cause of their
culpable "ignorance" of the will and law of God, and this ignorance
left their understanding darkened, with the result that they were
74 EPHESIANS IV. ich22
19. Who, being bereft of feeling, have given themselves up to lascivious-
ness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.
20. But you did not so learn the Christ ;
21. If at least you have heard of him, and have been taught in him, as the
truth is in Jesus :
22. To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is
corrupted according to the desire of error.
"alienated from the life of God," i.e., they lived lives not in con-
formity with the divine precepts, and far removed from the centre
and source of all spirituality and holiness. Thus, their willful sins
caused their hardness or dullness of heart, their hardness or dullness
of heart caused their ignorance and mental darkness, and this in
turn caused their alienation from the central source of grace and
spiritual life.
19. It is not surprising that the moral and intellectual state de-
scribed in the preceding verse should have left the pagans "bereft
of feeling" (anrjKyrjKorc^) , i.e., without remorse and indifferent, so
that they gave themselves up without restraint to all manner of
impurity and to the commission of all kinds of uncleanness "unto
covetousness," i.e., with a greediness (TrKtoyciia.) never to be satiated.
Some expositors understand irAeovclta here to mean sexual excess.
The desperantes of the Vulgate should be indolorii or indifferentes
to agree with the best Greek (St. Jerome).
20. In verses 17-19 the Apostle has shown his readers what their
life must not be as Christians ; now in verses 20-24 he will set
before them what the Christian life demands of them in a positive
way.
But you did not, etc., i.e., you were not so instructed in the
teachings of the Gospel of Christ at the time of your conversion
that you will allow yourself now to live as you lived as pagans.
21. If at least, etc. See above on iii. 2.
Have been taught, etc., i.e., have been taught in Christ's school,
according to the doctrine revealed by Him.
In Jesus, i.e., in the historical Jesus who was the prophesied
Christ. Only here in this Epistle does the name of Jesus appear
alone.
22. This and the two following verses in Greek begin with an
infinitive, "to put off," "to renew," "to put on," all of which go
back to what the readers of this Epistle "have been taught, etc.," in
verse 21. They have been taught — or rather, they were taught at the
EPHESIANS IV. 23, 24 75
23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24. And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice
and holiness of the truth.
time of their conversion — to put off the old sinful man inherited
from Adam, whose principles and mode of life were theirs as pagans,
and living according to which they became ever more and mon;
plunged into sin and error.
According to the desire of error, i.e., according to the dictates
of the passions, which are always false and deceitful, promising
joy and pleasure but ending in sorrow and pain.
23. To put off the old man (ver. 22) and to put on the nev^^
man (ver. 24) are really one act, and therefore they are expressed
by the aorist infinitive in Greek, signifying one definite act; but
to be renewed in the spirit, etc., is a progressive process, and as
such it is expressed by the Greek present infinitive (Westcott).
In the spirit of your mind. The meaning of this expression,
which occurs nowhere else, is not quite certain, though it is clear
that it refers to the human spirit or the mind, and not to the Holy
Ghost. It seems to indicate that mind, or part of the mind, which
through grace is subject to God, and which in justice and truth lives
according to God, in contrast to the vanity and perversity of mind
of the Gentiles (Voste).
24. It is not sufficient to put off the old man of sin which you
have inherited from Adam, but you must also "put on the new
man, etc.," i.e., the man who has been regenerated by the grace of
the Holy Ghost, and who having been created "according to God,
etc." (i.e., having been created in the beginning in the image and
likeness of God), imitates God in his new life of grace by keeping
the commandments which reflect the divine will and therefore God
Himself. This new man, or creation of grace, "is created in jus-
tice and holiness," i.e., he lives a life faithful tp the obligations he
owes to his neighbor (justice) and to the duties he owes to God
(holiness) — that is, a life which is in entire conformity with "the
truth" of the Gospel, as revealed in the Gospel.
THE VIRTUES CHRISTIANS MUST PRACTISE AND THE VICES THEY
MUST AVOID, iv. 25-vi. 9
iv. 25 — vi. 9. The Apostle is now going to show In a practical
way just what it means for Christians to have put on the new man ;
76 EPHESIANS IV. 25-27
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the truth every man with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another.
26. Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger;
27. Give not place to the devil.
that is, he is going to apply more in detail to Christian life and
conduct the principles he has laid down. He will treat first of pre-
cepts that are pertinent to all Christians, to Christian society in
general (iv. 25 — v. 21), and then of precepts that regard particu-
lar members of the Christian family, that regulate the Christian
home (v. 22 — vi. 9). In the remaining verses of the present Chapter
he speaks of some of the principal vices which the mutual charity
of Christians forbids, and of some of the virtues which that same
charity enjoins upon the members of the Church.
25. Wherefore, i.e., since you have put off the old man and put
on the new man who is characterized by justice and holiness, you
must be on your guard against falling back into the sins of your
former life; and first of all, you must put "away lying," because
this is so injurious to the neighbor, whom we are bound not to
injure but to assist, as being all members of the one mystical body
of Christ. Lying injures not only the neighbor, but oneself also, be-
cause we are all members of the same body, and that which in-
jures one part of the body is felt in all the parts; the injury of the
part reacts on the whole.
26-27. Another sin to be avoided is unreasonable anger, that is,
anger which springs from wounded personal feelings rather than
from repugnance at something objectively wrong, or which is out
of proportion to the objective harm done.
Be angry, and sin not. These words are from Ps. iv. 5, cited
according to the LXX. The meaning is : "If you have occasion to
be angry, be careful that your anger does not become sinful."
Let not the sun, etc. This is a proverbial expression, and it
refers not to the anger but to that which caused the anger in ques-
tion. The meaning is that the cause of anger should be removed
and the offence given should be repaired as soon as possible. The
Jewish day closed with the sunset.
Give no place to the devil. Excessive and prolonged anger
affords an opportunity for the devil to act, and to excite in the soul
.feelings of hatred, revenge, and the like. To agree with the Greek,
EPHESIANS IV. 28-30 77
28. He that stole, let him now steal no more ; but rather let him labor,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something
to give to him that suffereth need.
29. Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth ; but that which is good,
to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers.
30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God : whereby you were sealed unto
the day of redemption.
there should be no full stop at the end of verse 26, and verse 27
should read : "Neither give place, etc."
28. The next prohibition is not to steal ; on the contrary, let those
who through idleness or laziness were accustomed to steal as pagans,
or are now stealing as Christians, do some good manual work as a
remedy against this vice and as a means of earning something to
be given to those in need, in reparation for goods ill-gotten in the
past.
Stole is present tense in Greek, as if to imply that some among
the Christians had not yet given up their pagan habit of stealing.
29. The Apostle now turns to the conversation of Christians, pro-
hibiting foul speech of every kind, and enjoining "that which is
good, etc." (i.e., that which is calculated to edify the neighbor), so
"that it may administer, etc." (i.e., that it may be an occasion of
grace to those who hear it).
Evil. Literally, "rotten," which fitly described much of the talk
that was common in heathen society.
To the edification of faith. Better, according to the authority of
the best MSS., "to the building of the need," i.e., as necessity re-
quires, according to the demands of place, time, and person (St„
Jerome).
Grace here is understood by Theodoret to refer to that talk
which is agreeable and acceptable to the hearers; but it is better
to understand it in the ordinary Pauline sense of supernatural grace,
which will also include the other meaning.
30. Another reason for avoiding foul speech is that the Holy
Ghost may not be grieved, "whereby" (i.e., in whom and by whom)
both the speaker and the hearer of polluting speech "were sealed"
at the time of their conversion, when they received the Sacraments
of Baptism and Confirmation, both of which were usually con-
ferred together in the early Church.
Unto the day of redemption, i.e., until the general resurrection.
78 EPHESIANS IV. 31, 32
31. Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamor, and blas-
phemy, be put away from you, with all malice.
^2. And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even
as God hath forgiven you in Christ,
when we shall take full possession of our redemption. See on i. 14.
31. In this final prohibition St. Paul strikes at the root of the dif-
ferent vices he has been enumerating: this root is "malice," of which
those other sins were the manifestations.
Bitterness is an aversion arising from prolonged anger ; it is akin
to sulkiness.
Anger is a transient outburst of passion, whereas indignation,
or wrath, is a settled or chronic condition including the purpose of
revenge.
Clamor, as here meant, is a violent and angry assertion of one's
real or supposed rights and wrongs.
Blasphemy is taken literally from the Greek, but it would be
better to translate it in this passage by "reviling," since there is ques-
tion now of evil speech, not against God but against man.
Malice, i.e., malevolence or the desire to injure, is the root of
the sins just mentioned. Compare the parallel passage in Col. iii. 8.
32. The Apostle has just given some of the sins by which charity
is wounded; so now he will mention some of the opposite virtues
by which charity is preserved and exercised, adding the motive for
the practice of these virtues. He would have his readers be "kind"
(i.e., sweet and courteous to one another), "merciful" (i.e., tender-
hearted), "forgiving" (i.e., ready to pardon one another's oflFences),
and all this because "God hath forgiven" (or better, "did forgive")
them at the time of their conversion, "in Christ" (i.e., through the
merits of Christ). See parallel passage in Col. iii. 12-13.
CHAPTER V
PRECEPTS FOR CHRISTIANS IN GENERAL, I-2I
I -2 1. This Chapter continues the thought of the preceding Chap-
ter, and verses 1-2 here really belong at the end of Chapter IV,
with which they are so intimately connected. The Apostle has just
been saying that his readers, in forgiving one another, should imitate
EPHESIANS V. 1-3 79
1. Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children;
2. And walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and delivered himself for us,
an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness.
3. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much
as be named among you, as becometh saints :
God vi^ho has pardoned them for the sake of Christ; and now he
continues that thought, and makes the further plea that in their
relations with one another they should imitate the charity of Christ
who gave Himself as a sacrifice to God for us all.
Verses 1-21 here, apparently having in view pagan pleasures and
festivities, contain five commands mainly for self -guidance regarding
Christian love, light, wisdom, gladness and submission, as Chapter
iv. 25-32, contained five prohibitions regarding others.
1. God is our Father and we are His adopted children, and so
we ought to imitate Him in forgiving others as He has forgiven
ns ; the more we imitate our Father, the more we become like Him,
and consequently the more we are loved by Him.
Therefore connects this verse with the preceding Chapter.
2. The example of our Lord is now given as a motive for the
exercise of fraternal charity.
Walk in love, i.e., let charity be the animating and governing
principle of your lives, after the example of Christ who out of love
for us delivered Himself up to the death of the cross for our salva-
tion.
Loved us. The versions read thus, but a number of Greek MSS.
have: "Loved you."
An oblation and a sacrifice. The first word is more general, the
second more particular in meaning. The term "sacrifice" can also
stand for a bloody or an unbloody offering, and certainly the former
is not to be excluded here where the sacrifice of our Lord is in
question. The purpose of St. Paul here is to show the completeness
of our Lord's sacrifice, as being the antitype of both the bloody and
the unbloody sacrifice. Very probably the Apostle is alluding in this
passage to Ps. xxxix. 7, which is Messianic, and which is ex-
plicitly cited in Heb. x. 5.
An odor of sweetness is a sacrificial phrase taken from the
Old Testament (Gen. viii. 21 ; Lev. i. 9, 13, 17, etc.), and it simply
means that the sacrifice was pleasing and acceptable to God.
3. From the sublime thoughts just enunciated the Apostle now
.80 EPHESIANS V. 4-6
4. Or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose;
but rather giving of thanks.
5. For know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or
covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the king-
dom of Christ and of God.
6. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things
cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief.
descends to practical matters, and in verses 3-14 warns his readers
against sins of the flesh and works of darkness, so characteristic
of the pagan world. He has just been speaking of Christian love
in a positive way, and now he will speak of it negatively, by for-
bidding sinful love, whether sensual or avaricious. Impurity and
grasping self-assertion were central sins of paganism, and they are
condemned by the Apostle in all their forms; not only are they
not to be practised, they are not even to be named among Christians,
who by their profession are consecrated to the God of holiness,
purity, and justice.
4. Likewise the "saints" are to avoid all obscene and filthy lan-
guage, all foolish talk about immoral things, all jesting in the sense
of depraved pleasantry, which serves no good purpose and is un-
becoming; on the contrary, the mouths and tongues of Christians
should be filled with the praises of their Creator and Redeemer, in
thanksgiving for all His benefits.
5. For know you this, etc., is according to the best Greek read-
ing here, which may be translated as imperative or indicative. The
Apostle is going to speak of something his readers know very well.
Fornicator, as here used, means also adultery and every illicit
sexual union.
Unclean refers to private impurity.
Covetous person, i.e., inordinate lover of material wealth, a per-
son who makes a god of his money.
Which is a serving of idols. There are other Greek readings
of this clause, but that followed by the Vulgate is the most proba-
ble. Covetousness is a kind of real idolatry.
Hath inheritance, etc. Since the foregoing sinners serve illicit
and perishable things in preference to the true God, they must perish
with them, instead of sharing in the rewards of the elect of heaven.
6. The Apostle warns his readers not to be deceived and led into
error by any "vain" (i.e., empty and false) words or talk, regard-
ing the sins he has just condemned ; for because of those very sins
EPHESIANS V. 7-10 8l
7. Be ye not therefore partakers with them.
8. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk
then as children of the light.
9. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth;
10. Proving what is well pleasing to God:
the punishment of God "cometh," i.e., visits now and will continue to
visit in the future those rebellious ones who disobey and disregard
His teachings as contained in the Gospel. Cf, Col. iii. 6.
7. Be not. Literally, "Become not," sharers in their sins, else
you will be sharers in their punishment.
8. The Apostle now gives other reasons to show why the faithful
ought to avoid the sins mentioned above. Before their conversion
they were "darkness," i.e., the very embodiment of moral ignorance
and corruption ; but now as Christians they embody "light," pos-
sessing the truth of Him and living in union with Him who said:
"I am the light of the world, etc." (John viii. 12 ff.). Their lives,
therefore, ought to be in conformity with the knowledge and grace
they have received. This and the two following verses constitute
a parenthesis in which the Apostle is again contrasting (as in ii.
11-22 and iv. 17-24) the new condition of his readers with their
old condition,
9. Fruit of the light. The Textus Receptus and some other
lesser MSS. have: "fruit of the Spirit," which is certainly not the
best reading, as the context shows. It was doubtless introduced
from Gal. v. 22.
Is in, etc., i.e., consists in, etc.
Goodness is the quality by which a person Is good in himself
and shows himself benevolent to others: it is opposed to anger
(iv. 31)-
Justice, as here used and in general, is the rectitude of moral
acts, and in particular it is understood as the virtue which regulates
our dealings with our neighbor; it is opposed to avarice (v. 3).
Truth is the supreme rule of life, governing our obligations to
ourselves, our neighbor, and God; it is opposed to lying (iv. 25).
This verse is a parenthesis within the parenthesis of ver. 8-10.
Cf. Voste, hoc loco.
10. Proving, etc., i.e., testing all things by the touchstone of
God's will and good pleasure, and conforming in our actions to the
results thus ascertained.
&2 EPHESIANS V. 11-14
11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them.
12. For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to
speak of.
13. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light; for
all that is made manifest is light.
14. WTierefore he saith : Rise thou that steepest, and arise from the dead;
and Christ shall enlighten thee.
To God should be "to the Lord," according to the Greek, Thus,
our Lord is here supposed to be God, because He is made the judge
and norm of our actions : the judgment of the Lord is the judgment
of God. The parenthesis closes with this verse, and the thought
goes back to that of verse 7.
11. Here the Christians are warned not only to have no part in
the sinful works of the pagans, but by their own good lives and
example they are to register their disapproval of them. Perhaps
their disapproval is to be expressed also in words, if necessary; but
from the following verse it seems they are not even to speak of those
works, if this can be avoided. The sinful practices of the pagans
are said to be "unfruitful," as being devoid of all merit for eternal
life and deserving of eternal damnation; they are the opposite of
the fruits of the light (ver. 9).
12, The dark deeds here referred to are mentioned in Rom. xiii.
13, St. Paul is alluding to certain nocturnal feasts and mysteries
which the pagans celebrated with an idolatry and an immorality that
were unspeakable,
13. The Apostle is telling his readers that, whereas they were
formerly moral darkness because of their sins, they are now moral
light in the Lord (ver. 8), and that the spiritual radiance now ema-
nating from their good lives and example is able to convert the moral
darkness of the gross paganism around them into moral light like
themselves. Nothing can resist the influence and light of a truly
holy life ; spiritual light makes manifest sin and works of darkness,
and turns them from darkness to light ; everything that is thus made
manifest becomes light in its turn.
14, Wherefore he saith. Who saith? It is difficult to deter-
mine. Many moderns think the Apostle is here referring to some
ancient hymn or baptismal formula of the early Church, which was
well known to the faithful. Others think he is citing some apocry-
EPHESIANS V. 15-18 83
15. See therefore how you walk circumspectly, not as unwise,
16. But as wise : redeeming the time, because the daj-s are evil.
17. Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of
the Lord.
18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury; but be ye filled with
the Spirit,
phal work. With greater probability still others hold that we have
here a free citation of Isa. Ix. i : "Arise, be enlightened, O Jeru-
salem : for thy light is come, etc." The application is clear : Let those
who are asleep and dead in sin, arise, and they shall be enlightened
by Christ, and thus enabled in their turn to shed their light on the
pagan darkness around them.
15-17. The Apostle here tells his readers seriously to consider
and watch what kind of life they lead in the midst of the pagans
around them, that it may be, not the life of the unwise, but of the
wise, as becomes those who are enlightened and instructed by divine
grace and the light of the Gospel.
The fratres of the Vulgate is not represented in the Greek,
Circumspectly. Better, "accurately" or "carefully." Whether
we connect this adverb with "see" or with "walk" makes little if
any difference as to the meaning of the verse, which is clear.
Redeeming the time, i.e., letting no opportunity slip by them
of doing and saying what they could to further the cause of God
(Lightfoot), This they were to do because of the evils and tempta-
tions and of the evil days in which they lived. They should make
"the will of the Lord" their standard and their guide in all things.
The voluntas Dei of the Vulgate should be voluntas Domini to
agree with the Greek. Thus, the will of Christ is here made the su-
preme rule and norm of our actions, and consequently our Lord's
divinity is presupposed.
18. Another great sin of paganism was drunkenness, and St. Paul
often speaks of it in his letters (see Gal. v. 21 ; i Cor. v. 11, vi. 10;
Rom. xiii. 13; i Tim. iii, 3). An admonition against this sin was
opportune after the warning against impurity in the first part of
the Chapter; for drunkenness is a fruitful source of immorality of
all kinds. St. Jerome says: "In vino luxuria, in luxuria voluptas,
in voluptate immunditia est." Of course, per se, it is the excess in
the use of wine that is sin and that causes sin, but from use to abuse
in such matters the way is broad and easy, and many enter thereat^
84 EPHESIANS V. 1^21
19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles,
singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord ;
20. Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to God and the Father,
21. Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.
Instead of being filled with wine, the Apostle counsels his readers
to be filled with the Holy Ghost and His graces, from which there
will result a pure delight that leads, not to grief and sorrow, but
to enduring joy and happiness.
The sancto of the Vulgate, though supposed by the context, is not
in the Greek. That the Holy Ghost is here meant, and not merely
man's spiritual nature, is further made plain by referring to the
other passages in this Epistle where this same phrase occurs (i. 22,
iii. 5, vi. 18), and to the still more certain passages in other Epistles
(i Cor. xii. 3, 13; Rom. xv. 16). See also the parallel passage in
Col. iii. 15-17.
19. If the Holy Spirit fills the souls of the faithful, it will be
natural that the sacred exhilaration within them should burst forth
"in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles," i.e., in instrumental
and vocal music, arising not only from their lips, but also from their
"hearts to the Lord." This musical expression of fervor among the
assembled early Christians is spoken of in Acts iv. 24, 31, xvi. 25,
and was referred to by Pliny in his letter to the Emperor Trajan,
written between 108 and 114 a.d., when he said: "They [the Chris-
tians] are accustomed to meet before dawn on a stated day, and to
chant to Christ, as to a God, alternately together" (Epist. x. 97).
Of course, St. Paul here seems to be speaking of social gatherings
rather than of liturgical services.
20. According to his own custom, the Apostle now exhorts his
readers ever to thank God "for all things," both good and bad, be-
cause all have been ordained or permitted for the eternal good of
the elect by the God who created us and the Father who sent Christ
to redeem us; and this they were to do "in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ," our Mediator, through whom all our blessings come.
21. In this verse the Apostle inculcates Christian submission. In
grammatical form the verse goes with the preceding, but in sub-
stance it belongs to what follows, because with these words the
Apostle turns to the discipline of the home, assigning as the motive
of our submission, one to another, "the fear of Christ" (i.e., rever-
EPHESIANS V. 22, 23 85
22. Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord:
23. Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of
the church. He is the saviour of the body.
ence for Christ), who is to be our future judge. At the end of
verse 20 there should be only a comma in the Vulgate.
PRECEPTS FOR DOMESTIC LIFE; THE WIFE AND THE HUSBAND,
22-33
22-33. So f^r i" this Chapter the Apostle has been giving general
precepts regarding all Christians, but here he begins to treat of those
that pertain to particular states, taking up the duties of wives and
husbands in the remaining verses of this Chapter, and continuing
in the first nine verses of the following Chapter with a considera-
tion of the duties of children and parents and servants and masters
respectively. It is worthy of note that in each class the Apostle
starts with the weaker member and concludes his admonition with
a precept or precepts for the stronger member, speaking first to
wives and then to husbands, first to children and then to parents,
first to servants and then to masters. In each particular case the
spirit of Christ is to be the ruling principle; all precepts are to be
obeyed in Christ and for Christ, who is the head of the mystical
body of which Christians are the members. Thus, wives are to be
subject to their husbands as to the Lord (v. 22), children are to
obey their parents in the Lord (vi, i), servants are to obey their
temporal masters in the Lord (vi. 5). On the other hand, husbands
should love their wives as Christ has loved the Church (v. 25, 28,
33), parents are to bring up their children in the discipline and cor-
rection of the Lord (vi. 4), masters must remember that there is
the same Lord for all (vi. 9). See Voste, op. cit., hoc loco. This
section of our Epistle on domestic duties has a close parallel in Col.
iii. 18 — iv. I.
It was a revolutionary doctrine that St. Paul taught in this sec-
tion of the present letter, as also in the corresponding section of
the Epistle to the Colossians. He was writing to a strange mixture
of Greeks, Phrygians, Romans, Jews, and the like — all converts to
Christianity, but subject to and influenced by Roman rule. Up to
then women had been in a state of subordination and subjection
little better than dire servitude. In the Roman family the father
86 EPHESIANS V, 24
24. Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be
to their husbands in all things.
was the head who ruled with absolute and often tyrannical author-
ity over the wife, the children, and the slaves. His power was prac-
tically unlimited in the domestic circle, and he exercised it at times
by punishing, torturing, and even putting to death his children and
slaves, often for only trivial reasons; the wife fared but little better
than her children. Nor did Christian teaching effect much change
for the better in this severe discipline, generally speaking, until long
after the time of St. Paul. Under Antonius Pius (138-161 a.d.)
masters were made liable to accusation for the death of their slaves ;
the potestas mantis of the husband over his wife finally ceased under
Constantine and the other Christian emperors ; and under Valentinian
and Valens (about 364-375 a.d.) the chastisement of children was
restricted. Therefore, in asking consideration for wives, children,
and slaves, St. Paul had to proceed very cautiously, reminding them
of their duties first, so as not to produce an unfavorable reaction
to the teaching he wanted to give also to husbands, fathers, and
masters. These latter had to be weaned away gradually from their
pagan principles and customs, and imbued slowly with the new and
lofty doctrines of Christianity, illustrated by the example of Christ.
See Hitchcock, op. cit., hoc loco, 22-23.
Be subject. These words are not in the best Greek MSS., but
they are to be supplied from the preceding verse to complete the
sense. If St. Paul requires wives to be obedient to their husbands,
he is not less insistent on the husband's duty to love and protect
his wife (ver. 25, 28, 33), and on the perfect spiritual equality be-
tween wife and husband (Gal. iii. 28). The wife is to be obedient to
the husband in Christ, and the husband's headship is to be one of
love, modeled on the headship of Christ over the Church.
The saviour, etc. Christ is not only the head of the Church, but
He is also its "saviour," i.e., literally its "deliverer," "preserver,"
by His passion and death. In like manner, therefore, the husband is
bound to love, govern, protect and defend his wife.
The eius of the Vulgate in verse 23 is not expressed in the Greek,
but is required by the sense. See i Cor. xi. 3.
24. In all things. The Apostle is speaking to Christians, and
he is supposi-ng the husband's relation to his wife to be like the rela-
EPHESIANS V. 25-27 87
25. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and de-
livered himself up for it,
26. That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the
word,
27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot
or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
tion of Christ to the Church ; and consequently he is supposing the
husband will not command or require of his wife anything that is
not right and according to the law of God.
25. Verses 22-24 were addressed mainly to wives, but In verses
25-33 St. Paul speaks directly of the obligations of the husband.
Having treated first, though briefly, of the obligations of the wife,
he is now in a better position to dwell on the duties of husbands,
and this at greater length, as it was more needed. To the wife he
proposed the Church as a model, and now to husbands he will hold
up Jesus Christ as a model and a pattern according to which they
should regulate their treatment of and their dealings with their wives.
Husbands are to love their wives as Christ has loved His Church,
and they are to prove their love for their wives by sacrifice as
Christ proved His love for the Church by delivering Himself up in
sacrifice for It. The Church as a whole is here substituted for its
members.
26-27. The Apostle will now give the eflfect and purpose of
Christ's love and sacrifice for the Church, which were that He might
cleanse and sanctify it by the washing of Baptism, that He might
present it to Himself as a glorious spouse, and that it might live
and continue holy and without blemish in His sight.
Sanctify . . . cleansing. Both these verbs are in the aorist in
Greek, and hence do not signify distinct intervals of time ; cleansing
from sin and sanctifying are one and the same act and process,
or rather the negative and positive aspects respectively of the same
act.
The laver of water refers to the water of Baptism, "the laver
of regeneration, etc." (Tit. iii. 5), the figure being taken from the
bath of the bride before marriage among the Greeks.
In the word. Better, "accompanied by the word," i.e., accom-
panied by the verbal formula which gives specific meaning to the
water. The water thus becomes the matter, and the word or utter-
ance becomes the form of the Sacrament of Baptism. With less
88 EPHESIANS V. 28-30
28. So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that
loveth his wife, loveth himself.
29. For no man ever hated his own flesh ; but nourisheth and cherishcth it,
as also Christ doth the church :
30. Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
probability of correctness some interpret "word" here of the preach-
ing of the Gospel, or of faith, or of the profession of faith. The
vitcB of the Vulgate Is not expressed in Greek.
That he might present, etc. Our Lord cleansed and purified
the Church as a bride for Himself, and arrayed her in a glory w^hich
St. John exhausts symbolism to describe in Apoc. xix. 7 ff., xxi,
xxii. This sanctification of the Church is going on here on earth,
but its completion and perfection are reserved for the life to come.
28-29. The Apostle now applies to husband and wife what he has
just said about Christ and the Church,
So, i.e., in the same manner ; as Christ loved the Church in order
"that He might present it to Himself holy and without blemish,"
so should the love of husbands for their wives have in view their
sanctification ; and as Christ loves the Church as His mystical body,
so husbands should love their wives as being one flesh with them,
as constituting one body with them, of which the husband is the
head. The Apostle does not say: "Let husbands love their wives
as they love their own bodies, but because wives are to husbands
as their own bodies" (Voste).
He that loveth his wife loveth himself, and the reason is that
the wife is one with the body of the husband. From this it naturally
follows that a man should love his wife as he loves himself, as an-
other self ; and since it would be unnatural for anyone under normal
conditions to hate his own body and to be wanting in love and care
for it, so would it be unnatural for a man not to love and care for
his wife. Again the analogy of Christ enforces the argument.
No man ever hated, etc. The body is not to be hated or neglected,
except when it gets in the way of a higher good.
30. Here the Apostle passes from the impersonal to the first per-
son plural, showing that the Church of which he has been speaking
means its members, the Christians themselves ; and hence the reason
why Christ so loves the Church is that we Christians constitute it,
as members of His mystical body.
EPHESIANS V. 31, 32 89
31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave
to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.
32. This is a great sacrament ; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
Of his flesh, etc. These words are wanting in the best MSS.,
and are doubtless a gloss introduced from Gen. ii, 23.
31. This verse repeats Gen. ii. 24 according to the LXX, and shows
the intimate union that exists between married persons, and how
intimate consequently the love between them ought to be (cf. Matt.
xix. 5, 6). The verse is a Scripture proof of what the Apostle has
just said above in verses 28 and 29.
The suam of the Vulgate has no support in the Greek; and in
came una should be in carnem unam, as in the Greek, meaning "unto
one flesh," i.e., as one flesh.
32. This is a great sacrament. Better, "This mystery is great,"
i.e., a secret of the divine plan beyond the reach of unaided natural
powers. What is this mystery or divine secret? It is the mystical
or spiritual signification implied in conjugal union as created by
God, by which marriage became a type and figure of the union be-
tween Christ and His Church. The mere union of man and woman
in marriage is no mystery; the mystery is in what that union, as
created by God, signifies and typifies, and that is the union between
Christ and His Church. Therefore the Apostle says, "but I speak,
etc.," i.e., I speak with reference to Christ and His Church. Thus,
the intimate union of Christ with the Church was prefigured by the
union of man and woman in marriage; and hence in a zifide sense
matrimony, according to the intention of the Holy Ghost, has always
been, from the very beginning of human kind, a sacrament, i.e., a
sign of a sacred thing. But while from the union between Adam and
Eve were born children of man according to nature and in sin, from
the mystical union of Christ and His Church are born children of
God in grace; the human race is regenerated in the Holy Ghost.
There is not, then, question in this passage of a Sacrament of the
New Law in the strict sense (so Voste, hoc loco). The most we can
say, therefore, is that the sacramental doctrine of marriage is implied
in the Apostle's argument, though it is not explicitly taught ; and this
is what the Council of Trent (sess. XXIV) means by the word
innuit, which it employed to express St. Paul's sacramental teaching
in this Mssage.
90 EPHESIANS V. 33, VI. i
33. Nevertheless let every one of you also in particular love his wife as
himself: and let the wife reverence her husband.
33. Nevertheless. Better, "For the rest." In conclusion the
Apostle summarily repeats the precepts given above, asking each
married man to love his wife as his other self (ver. 28) and each wife
to reverence her husband in Christ (ver. 21).
CHAPTER VI
PRECEPTS FOR DOMESTIC LIFE: CHILDREN AND PARENTS, SERVANTS
AND MASTERS, I -9
I. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just.
1-9. In these verses the Apostle continues his instruction on Chris-
tian submission, begun at verse 21 of the last Chapter. Having
spoken of the mutual duties of husbands and wives, he now goes on
to insider those of children and parents (ver. 1-4), and of ser-
vants and masters (ver. 5-9). Children must obey their parents
(ver. 1-3), and parents must lovingly instruct their children in the
discipline of the Lord (ver. 4). Similarly, let servants be obedient
to their masters as to Christ, remembering that they will receive
a reward from God (ver. 5-8) ; and, on the other hand, let masters
be kind to their servants, reflecting that they themselves are ser-
vants of Christ, and that there is in heaven one Lord of all who
will judge all in justice and equity (ver. 9).
I. Obey your parents, etc. The Apostle is speaking to Christian
children and parents, but of course his words have a wider applica-
tion.
In the Lord. These words restrict the obedience of the children
and the commands of the parents to things in harmony with the law
of God, and they also indicate that the obedience of children should
be prompted by a supernatural motive. From this we may infer
the practice of infant baptism in the Apostolic Church, because the
Apostle seems to take it as understood that the children of Christian
parents were already baptized, therefore "in the Lord." The su-
preme example and model of such obedience was given by our Lord
Himself (Luke ii. 51): "For this is just," i.e., dictated by nature
and in conformity with the divine commands.
EPHESIANS VI. 2-4 91
2. Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with
a promise :
3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest he long-lived upon earth.
4. And you, fathers, provoke not your children to anger; but bring them
up in the disciphne and correction of the Lord.
2. The first part of this verse and verse 3 are from Exod. xx. 12,
and Deut. v. 16, verbatim according to the LXX.
Which is the first, etc., i.e., (a) the first in the Second Table
of the Law, for the First Table contains the commandments that
pertain to God, the Second those that pertain to men (Ambrosi-
aster) ; or (b) the first in dignity or the principal commandment,
having a promise annexed, which is immediately given. This is
the principal commandment for children, as comprehending the rest
(Voste). The clause, therefore, simply means: this is the prin-
cipal commandment for you children, and it has a promise attached
to it, as you can see from the words that follow.
3. These words of the Old Law refer directly to the promised
land of Palestine, but indirectly to heaven, of which Palestine was a
figure. It is to be observed regarding this promise that, since our
earthly life is subordinated to the good of life eternal, even obedi-
ent children are sometimes taken away by premature death lest they
should be contaminated by a wicked world (Wis. iv. lO-ii), while
bad children not infrequently enjoy length of days in order that
they may turn from an evil life and be saved.
4. And you, fathers, etc. The "you" here and in ver. 9 (Vul-
gate, vos) is not expressed in the Greek. The father is mentioned
as head of the family, but the mother's authority is included with
that of the father because of the oneness of husband and wife, as
explained above. The Apostle means to say that, while children
should be obedient to parents, the latter ought to show themselves
worthy of obedience, not by rigorous domination but by just and
gentle persuasion. And this applies to all superiors, who should
be guided in the control of others by justice and charity, instead
of being blinded by authority, which they at times unjustly exercise,
ignorant or forgetful of this full-meaning verse of St. Paul.
The discipline, etc., refers to moral formation in general accord-
ing to the will of Christ, and not according to one's own ideas, re-
gardless of the expressed divine will. Parents are stewards of Christ
as regards their children, and therefore are seriously bound to exer-
^ EPHESIANS VI. 5-9
5. Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to the flesh,
with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ :
6. Not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but, as the servants of
Christ doing the will of God from the heart,
7. With a good will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men.
8. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man shall do, the same shall
he receive from the Lord, whether he be bond, or free.
9. And you, masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatenings,
knowing that the Lord both of them and you is in heaven; and there is no
respect of persons with him.
cise in this capacity a faithful stewardship by word and example.
See Col. iii. 20-21 for a parallel passage.
5-8. In these verses St. Paul is admonishing "servants" (literally,
"slaves") to render to their human masters a conscientious and re-
spectful service which has its motive, not in personal or outward
advantage, but in a sincere desire to please their spiritual Lord and
Master, Christ, to whom their earthly lords are subordinated; and
which further looks forward with the eyes of faith to the heavenly
reward which Christ, the supreme Master and just Judge of us all,
will render to each one, "whether he be bond, or free."
9. The Apostle now admonishes masters to be animated by the
same supernatural motives toward their servants, seeing in them
the person of Christ and being kind and merciful to them, mindful
at all times that there is in heaven one Judge of all, slaves and
masters, Jesus Christ, who cares nothing for the titles and positions
of men, but will reward or punish according to the works each one
has done while in the flesh : we are all slaves of Christ, our common
divine Master, and all must appear before His judgment seat.
In this section, verses 5-9, it is worthy of note that St. Paul is
not speaking of the rights of slaves and masters respectively, but
of the obligations incumbent on each class of doing their respective
duties, one to the other: it is duties, not rights, that the Apostle is
emphasizing. For parallel passages see Col. iii. 22 — iv. i ; i Cor.
vii. 20-24.
THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT AND THE MEANS OF VICTORY, I0-20
10-20. After giving particular precepts for the home circle, St.
Paul now passes to the outer world and admonishes all Christians
to be ready for the warfare which must be waged against the enemies
EPHESIANS VI. 10-13 93
10. Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his
power.
11. Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the deceits of the devil.
12. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood ; but against principali-
ties and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the
spirits of wickedness in the high places.
13. Therefore take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to
resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect.
of their salvation. He first exhorts his readers to prepare for the
conflict (ver. 10-13) ; then describes the armor of the Christian
warrior (ver. 14-17) ; and finally reminds them of the necessity of
continual prayer and vigilance as the means of vanquishing Satan
and his hosts, and asks in particular that they would pray unceasingly
for himself and the spread of the Gospel (ver. 18-20).
10. Finally. Literally, "For the rest," i.e., as to what remains
to be said regarding necessary precepts.
Brethren is wanting in the best MSS., and is probably not au-
thentic, as it does not occur elsewhere as here used in this Epistle.
In the Lord, the one source of spiritual strength.
And in the might of his power, i.e., in His omnipotent power.
11. The armor of God, i.e., the spiritual panoply which God
has provided for our spiritual warfare and by which the necessary
strength is given us to win the combat against the secret attacks of
the devil.
To stand, i.e., to resist his wiles and temptations.
The devil. See on ii. 2.
12. It is necessary that our armor be strong, for our struggle "is
not against flesh and blood," i.e., against weak mortal men, "but
against principalities, etc.," i.e., against the evil spirits of darkness ;
"against the rulers of the world, etc.," i.e., against the demons who
are the leaders of the world of sin and moral darkness; "against
the spirits of wickedness," i.e., evil spiritual beings and forces, "in
the high places," i.e., in the place where these evil spirits dwell and
where our battle with them is waged (see on i. 3, ii. 2). For other
allusions to the Evil One and his mysterious authority over the world
of men, see Luke iv. 6; John xiv. 30, xvi. 11 ; 2 Cor. iv. 4; i John
V. 18.
13. Therefore, i.e., since our fight is so unequal, being against
evil spiritual forces and powers, the Apostle urges that we take up
94 EPHESIANS VI. 14-17
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having
on the breastplate of justice,
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:
16. In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to
extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit
(which is the word of God).
"the armor of God," i.e., that we make use of grace and the spiritual
resources at our disposal, so as to be "able to resist in the evil day,"
i.e., at the time and moment of temptation and hostile attack, with
the result that when the struggle passes we may be able "to stand
in all things perfect," i.e., firm and immovable in grace and virtue,
ready for the next attack.
14. The Apostle now begins to describe the various parts of the
Christian soldier's equipment, and his imagery is drawn partly from
the dress of the Roman soldiers who in turn had charge of him in
prison, and partly from two passages in Isaias where the Messiah
is described as a warrior (Isa. xi. 4, lix. 17). He speaks first (ver.
14-17) of defensive and then of oflfensive arms, giving a spiritual
meaning to each of the arms and each article of dress of the Roman
soldier. The Christian soldier must "stand" (i.e., be ready for the
conflict), having "truth" (i.e., sincerity and moral rectitude) for
belt, and "justice" (i.e., loyalty in word and action to the law of God)
as breastplate ; for shoes he must have readiness and alacrity of soul
to affirm "the gospel of peace" ; "faith" must be his shield, and the
inspired "word of God" his sword.
15. Preparation. The Greek for this word occurs here only in
the New Testament, and it most probably means readiness and alac-
rity of soul to preach the Gospel. Spiritual equipment gives the
meaning of the term as well as anything. St. Chrysostom says:
"The preparation of the gospel is nothing else than the best life."
16. In all things, etc. A lesser reading has "above all things,
etc.," which would mean that, besides all that has been just said,
we should take the shield of faith, etc. But "in all things, etc." is
the better reading ; and it means that in all the circumstances of our
life of warfare faith is our shield, the heavy armor of our souls,
by which we can ward off "the fiery darts of the wicked one," i.e.,
of Satan.
17. "The helmet of salvation" means our salvation, the salva-
tion offered us by Christ (Cajetan), or the hope of salvation (l
EPHESIANS VI. 18-21 95
18. By all prayer and supplication, praying at all times in the spirit, and
in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints:
19. And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth
with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel.
20. For which I am an ambassador in a chain, so that therein I may be
bold to speak according as I ought.
21. But that you also may know the things that concern me, and what I
Thess. V. 8). The helmet protects the head, and the salvation of-
fered us by our Lord is the pledge of our eternal inheritance. The
"sword of the Spirit" is "the word of God," i.e., the utterance of
God ; the two phrases are in apposition here, and they explain each
other : "The word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing
than any two-edged sword" (Heb. iv. 12).
18. Here the Apostle admonishes that we must pray at all times,
in all places, and for all persons, as a means of making really ef-
fectual the foregoing helps in the battle for salvation. All our help
comes from God, and prayer opens the door to God's treasure-house
of graces.
Prayer and supplication are perhaps used together here for the
sake of emphasis, though the former word can be distinguished from
the latter as meaning a general offering of our thoughts and desires,
while the latter has reference to our special petitions.
The Spirit. Literally, "in spirit," i.e., in the fervor of our souls
as animated and inspired by the Spirit of God.
For all the saints, as all are members of the same mystical body
whose head is Christ.
19-20. The Apostle now asks a part in the prayers of his readers
that he may be able courageously and efficaciously to preach "the
mystery of the gospel," i.e., the perfect equality of Jews and Gentiles
in the Messianic kingdom, the universality of the salvation of Christ.
It was for preaching this equal salvation for all men in Christ that
the Apostle was cast into prison ; and this made him, though a
prisoner, the representative of Christ the King in the imperial city,
"an ambassador in a chain," i.e., coupled by a chain around his right
wrist to the left of a Roman soldier in his hired lodging in Rome.
THE MISSION OF TYCHICUS, 21-22
21-22. These verses occur almost verbatim in Col, iv. 7-8.
You also. This phrase is understood to imply that Tychicus had
visited others before delivering this letter to its readers, namely, the
96 EPHESIANS VI. 22-24
am doing, Tychicus, my dearest brother and faithful minister in the Lord,
will make known to you all things:
22. Whom I have sent to you for this same purpose, that you may know
the things concerning us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23. Peace be to the brethren and charity with faith, from God the Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption.
Amen.
Colossians, and consequently it is concluded that the letter to the
Colossians was written before this one.
Tychicus was a native of Asia Minor, perhaps of Ephesus (Acts
XX. 4; 2 Tim. iv. 12). His name is found in inscriptions of Asia
Minor and Rome, on coins of Magnesia, thirteen miles from Ephe-
sus, and of Magnesia by Mt. Sipylus, where the Bishop of Ephesus
now resides, thirty-eight miles from his titular see (see Hitchcock,
Ephesians, p. 506; Lightfoot, Colossians, p. 234).
Whom I have sent, an epistolary aorist.
Concerning us, i.e., Paul and his companions in Rome.
That he may comfort your hearts, distressed by my imprison-
ment, and perhaps impending death.
BLESSING, 23-24
23-24. Contrary to his custom St. Paul gives his benediction to
third persons, "brethren," instead of second persons, "you."
With faith goes back to "charity," by which it is informed, and
to "peace," which is its fruit, as a gift from the Holy Ghost. The
single preposition before "God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"
shows that both constitute the common source of supernatural peace
and charity.
With all them that love is a circumlocution for "saints," and
it occurs only here.
In incorruption. Literally, "in incorruptness," i.e., with an en-
during, immortal love ; the expression refers back to "love." The
weight of evidence seems to be against the retention of "Amen"
here, though it makes a fitting close to so glorious an Epistle.
THE
EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
INTRODUCTION
I. Philippi. Philippi was a city in Eastern Macedonia on the
borders of Thrace, some eight or nine miles inland and to the north-
west from ancient Neapolis, its seaport on the JEgean Sea. Its
original name was Crenides, or Little Fountains, so called from the
springs which fed a great marsh to the south of the town. About
the middle or latter part of the fourth century B.C. it was taken>
enlarged, and fortified by Philip of Macedon, the father of Alex-
ander the Great ; and from him it received its later name.
Philippi was situated on a hill dominating a large and fertile
plain which stretched to the north and northwest of the city, and
it was cut off from the sea by a line of hills on its east and south-
east. It was, however, easily accessible from Neapolis through the
Via Egnatia, the great Roman highway, which ran through a de-
pression in the hills from Neapolis to Philippi and connected the
.^gean on the east with the Adriatic on the west.
In the neighborhood of Philippi were rich gold and silver mines
which offered the chief attraction to Philip of Macedon in his re-
founding of the city, and from which he drew the vast wealth needed
for his victorious military career. The city and the rest of the
dominions of Perseus, King of Macedonia, fell into the hands of
the Romans in i68 B.C., and in 42 b.c, on the plain of Philippi, Mark
Antony and Octavian (afterwards Augustus) in a decisive battle
defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, thus
bringing to an end the party that had hoped by the death of Caesar
to restore the old Roman republic. In commemoration of this vic-
tory the Emperor Augustus made Philippi a Roman military colony,
calling it after himself Colonia Julia Augusta Victrix Philip pensium,
and conferring upon it the jus Italicum, which gave its colonists the
97
98 INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS
right of constitutional government, independent of the provincial
governor, the right of proprietorship according to Roman law, and
exemption from poll and land taxes. As a Roman colony Philippi
had its own duumviri, or two supreme magistrates, the arpaTrjyoi
of Acts xvi. 20, 22, 35-38. Thus, the city became a center of Roman
influence, and with its public baths and theatres, its worship of
Diana, Sylvanus and Dionysus, its cosmopolitan character (combin-
ing as it did the life of Asia and the life of Europe), it was like
another Rome in miniature. St. Luke (Acts xvi. 12) called it the
chief city of the district, but its rank was seriously disputed by
Amphipolis, about thirty miles to the southwest, with the prece-
dence inclining to the latter city. The inhabitants of Philippi in St.
Paul's time were mostly Latin in origin, with a strong minority of
Macedonian stock and a sprinkling of other nationalities attracted
by the military and commercial importance of the place. There
were Jews also, but so few in number that they had not even one
synagogue. The town was destroyed by the Turks in later cen-
turies, and nothing remains of it now but some ruins,
II. The Church of Philippi. St. Paul came to Philippi from
Troas during the first part of his second missionary journey, around
51 A.D. (cf. Acts xvi. II ff.). His companions were Silas from
Antioch (Acts xv. 40), Timothy from Lystra (Acts xvi. i), and
very likely Luke from Troas — as we gather from Acts xvi. 10,
where the first person plural begins to appear in the narrative. The
Apostle was accustomed to begin his preaching in the houses of
Jewish worship, but Philippi seems to have had no synagogue, so
few and unimportant were the Jews there. On the Sabbath day
a little company of worshippers gathered for prayer beyond the
city gates on the bank of the River Gangites, and when St. Paul ap-
peared to address them he found that only a few devout women
made up the assembly. Of these the first to respond to his preach-
ing was a Gentile lady by the name of Lydia, a seller of purple
from Thyatira in Asia, who was living in Philippi for commercial
purposes. She was soon followed by the whole family of which
she was the mistress, and her house became the home of St. Paul
and the centre of the Christian community of the town (Acts xvi.
13-15). Among the other women attracted by the new preaching
was a slave girl, who, for the profit of her masters, discharged the
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS 99
functions of an oracle, giving answers to questions under a kind
of inspiration or faculty of divining. As she annoyed Paul by ac-
claiming him as he daily passed by to the place of prayer, the Apostle
finally turned and exorcised her; and the spirit of divination left
her, and she became a devout Christian. But the girl's masters,
stirred by their pecuniary loss, brought Paul and Silas before the
magistrates of the city, and had them scourged and cast into prison.
The innocence of the two prisoners, however, was vindicated the
first night by an earthquake which nearly destroyed the prison and
was the occasion of converting the Roman jailer and his whole
family. The magistrates also learning that Paul and Silas were
Roman citizens, whom it was unlawful to scourge, sent their lictors
to the prison to release the prisoners. At St. Paul's demand they
acknowledged their error, but besought him and his companions
to leave the town. This they consented to do after a meeting of
the brethren in the house of Lydia (Acts xvi. 16-40), while leaving
Luke behind to look after the newly founded but flourishing Church
of Philippi.
It is worthy of note that the Philippian Church was composed
mostly of Gentile converts, and that the earliest of these were women.
The female element seems to have continued strong there, as we may
gather from Phil. iv. 2, 3; and this may account for the absence
of doctrinal disputes in the Church, and especially for the great
kindness the Philippians always manifested toward St. Paul. They
were poor themselves, but at Paul's request they collected money
for the poor saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. viii. 3), they sent gifts
to Paul when he was in Thessalonica and in Corinth (2 Cor. viii.
9; Phil. iv. 15, 16), and again when he was a prisoner in Rome
(Phil. iv. 18).
St. Paul's next visits to Philippi were some years later, while
on his third missionary journey. The first was doubtless when
passing through Macedonia on his way from Ephesus to Corinth,
perhaps in the early summer of 57 a.d. (i Cor. xvi. 8; Acts xix.
23 ff., XX. I flf.), though we are not told explicitly of this visit.
It is very probable that it was at Philippi that St. Paul waited in
anxiety for the arrival of Titus from Corinth, and there wrote 2
Cor. after the arrival of Titus (2 Cor. ii. 12, 13, vii. 5, 6, viii. i, ix.
2, 4) . The third visit occurred the next spring when St. Paul, re-
loo INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS
turning from Corinth through Macedonia, arrived at Phihppi in time
for the Passover, there joined Luke again (as we conclude from
the resumption of the "we passages" in Acts), and then continued
his journey to Jerusalem (Acts xx. 5 ff.)- This is the last recorded
visit of the Apostle to the Philippian Church, but we may pretty
safely assume from the Pastoral Epistles that he paid a subsequent
visit there during his eastern travels, after being released from his
first Roman captivity, when journeying from Ephesus to Macedonia
(i Tim. i. 3). In fact, 2 Tim. iv. 13 seems to point to another
and still later visit to Philippi.
The next time we hear of the Church of Philippi is in the first
part of the second century, when St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch,
having been condemned to death as a Christian, passed that way
on his journey to Rome, where he was to be thrown to the wild
beasts. We know from his Epistles that his route lay through
Philadelphia, Smyrna, and Troas. From the last town, like St. Paul,
he must have passed over to Neapolis, and thence by the Via. Eg-
natia to Philippi. On his departure the Philippians wrote a letter
to the faithful of Antioch, consoling them for the loss of their
Bishop, and another letter to his friend Polycarp of Smyrna, ask-
ing him for as many of Ignatius' letters written in Asia Minor as
could be spared. Our knowledge of these events is derived from
St. Polycarp's reply to the Philippians, which is still extant. The
subsequent history of the Church of Philippi is unimportant, es-
pecially for our purpose here.
III. Occasion, Purpose, and Character of This Letter. As said
above, the Philippians possessed and always retained a particular
affection for and interest in St. Paul, due perhaps to the influence
from the beginning of devout women in the Church there. Although
not at all well-to-do themselves, they sent the Apostle money on
diflFerent occasions, as we have seen, and when they learned of his
imprisonment in Rome they sent Epaphroditus to him with gifts
and instructions to minister to his needs (Phil. ii. 25-29, iv. 18),
and to report on the condition of the Church at Philippi. Paul was
naturally very much delighted at the arrival of the beloved envoy
and the practical testimony he conveyed of continued devotion and
love on the part of the Philippians for their Apostle and founder
— aflFection which had already been shown repeatedly by the same
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS loi
community. The report given of the Church at Philippi seems also
to have been pleasing and generally satisfactory.
Not long after his arrival in Rome Epaphroditus fell seriously
ill, much to the distress of St. Paul as well as the Philippians, but
fortunately recovered in due time. As soon as he v^as well again,
the Apostle hastened to send him back to his home (Phil. ii. 26-30),
giving him at the same time this letter to the faithful and heads of
the Church at Philippi. The letter is an intimate expression of joy
and gratitude for the help given the Apostle by the Philippians and
for the loving sentiments that prompted it. But intermingled with
these familiar outpourings of the heart are a number of moral re-
flections and exhortations, based on the example of Christ and in
conformity with the teachings of the Gospel, particularly with regard
to charity and concord among all the faithful (Phil. i. 9-1 1, 26 ff.,
ii. 1-8, 13, 14, 16). St. Paul seemed especially disturbed over the
misunderstandings between Evodia and Syntyche, two prominent
women in the Church (Phil. iv. 2 fif.), and this is a distinct indication
of the influence of the female element among the faithful at Philippi.
He warns also against the evil influence, actual or possible, of Juda-
izers, and of those whose life is a scandal, and who make a god
of their belly (Phil. iii. 2-4, 18, 19). There is still another passage
in this Epistle which seems to point to some keen disappointment
at the lack of zeal and self-sacrifice manifested by some of the
Apostle's co-workers ; Timothy appears to be the only one that comes
up to the high standard of his requirements (Phil. ii. 19-23).
Since the letter is so very personal and familiar, these observa-
tions and counsels do not follow any particular order, but are set
down just as they occur to the Apostle as he writes. This Epistle
is one of the most intimate of St. Paul's writings. Here he addresses
his tried and trusted friends, and we get an idea of the overflowing
affection which was natural to him and one of the secrets of his
genius for friendship. He is deeply grateful for the gifts and the
love of the Philippians, but his acknowledgment is restrained by
his sense of duty as their Apostle and counsellor (Phil. iv. 1020).
IV. Date and Place of Writing. This aspect of the present
Epistle has been sufficiently discussed under the similar heading in
the Introduction to Ephesians. It is enough to say here that the
weight of argument and of authority shows that this letter was writ-
102 INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS
ten from Rome during Paul's first captivity there (61-63 a.d.),
either before or after the writing of the other Captivity Epistles —
Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. Whether this letter preceded
or followed those other Captivity Epistles is earnestly disputed, but
without any convincing conclusion one way or the other. For a
summary of the arguments on both sides see Moule, Introd. to
Philip plans, pp. 15 flf.
V. Authenticity and Integrity. All antiquity is unanimous in
accepting the authenticity and integrity of this Epistle. Apart from
quotations from it or references to it in the writings of Clement of
Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, The Shepherd of Hernias, etc. (cf.
Comely, Introduction, vol. IV, p. 491 ; Toussaint, Philippiens in
Diet, de la Bible), we have St. Polycarp early in the second century
writing to the Philippians and speaking explicitly of the letter or
letters (cViorroAai) St. Paul had sent them, some passages of which
Polycarp quotes in his own letter. Marcion included it in his Canon,
and the Muratorian Fragment, Irenseus, Clement of Alexandria,
and Tertullian expressly attribute it to St. Paul. After Tertullian
the testimonies are still more numerous and incontestable. As re-
gards modern scholars, the great majority concede without hesitation
that the Epistle as we have it is the work of St. Paul. In fact, its
authenticity and integrity were never questioned until the nine-
teenth century when Baur, followed by others of the German ration-
alistic school, denied that Philippians was the work of Paul. The
arguments, however, on which these critics have essayed to ground
their claims are of so little value now as to be rejected by all the
best rationalistic and Protestant scholars (cf. Jacquier, Histoire, etc.,
tom. I, pp. 349 ff . ; Vigouroux, Diet, de la Bible, Philippiens).
The language and style of the Epistle are also thoroughly Pauline.
Although there occur in it some forty strange expressions not found
elsewhere in St. Paul, that proves nothing, since the same phenom-
enon is true of the admittedly authentic letters of the great Apostle ;
and over against this we can cite the presence of many words, ex-
pressions, figures, and characteristics of writing which are acknowl-
edged to be peculiar to St. Paul.
Nor can any difficulty be found in the doctrine of this Epistle.
The theology is again Pauline throughout, as even so rationalistic
a writer as Holsten readily concedes. Attempts to find diflferences
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS 103
between the Christology of this Epistle and that of i Corinthians
and other Epistles, or between the doctrine of justification taught
here and that of Romans, have proved groundless and futile.
Some authors have felt there is a break in the unity of the Epistle
at iii. 2, which extends to iv. i, where Jews or Judaizing Christians
suddenly fall under the Apostle's severe censure. It is suggested
that this may be a fragment from some other letter of St. Paul's,
perhaps to the Romans, which somehow found its way into this
Epistle. But, in the first place, it is very hard to see how a part
of one letter could get into the middle of the roll of another letter
(for these letters were copied on rolls of parchment) ; and, in the
second place, to deny the integrity of one of Paul's Epistles because
of some sudden interruptions in the style or breaks in the con-
tinuity of the thought is to betray essential ignorance of the Apostle's
character and literary habits. Again, repetitions, like the double
conclusion in iii. i and iv. 4, instead of being difficulties against the
oneness of the document are only natural in a letter so familiar and
personal as is this one. It is little wonder, 'therefore, that small
success has attended the efforts made against the unity and integrity
of the Epistle to the Philippians; and we may well conclude this
section of our Introduction to this letter with the following testi-
mony concerning it of the Protestant scholar, McGiffert: "The
Epistle deserves to rank alongside of Galatians, Corinthians, and
Romans as an undoubted product of Paul's pen, and as a coordinate
standard by which to test the genuineness of other and less certain
writings" (The Apostolic Age, p. 393).
VI. Analysis of Contents. We have observed above that this
Epistle does not follow any very orderly plan, owing to its essen-
tially personal and intimate character. Dogma is not absent from
the letter, though it is not prominent, and when it does occur it is
intermixed with the moral exhortations, counsels and effusions which
constitute the bulk of the Epistle. We may, however, distinguish
in Philippians three main divisions: (a) an introductory part (i.
i-ii); (b) a body (i. 12 — iv. 9); (c) a conclusion (iv. 10-23).
A. Introduction (i. i-ii). Paul first addresses himself to the
faithful, bishops and deacons of Philippi, wishing them the grace
and peace which are from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus
Christ (i. i, 2). He then gives thanks to God for the many benefits
104 INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS
bestowed on the Philippians, who by their alms have had part in
the work of the Gospel and in the merits of his imprisonment (i.
3-8). Finally, he prays for their continual progress in sanctity and
Christian perfection (i. 9-1 1).
B. The Body of the Letter (i, 12 — iv. 9). The Apostle gives
his readers an account of his condition and that of the Church
in Rome: his bonds are a means for the spread of the Gospel.
Some indeed are preaching it out of envy and contention, others
out of charity ; but it makes no difference to Paul so long as Christ
be preached (i. 12-18). As for himself, he knows not whether
to prefer life to work for the good of souls, or death which will
unite him to Christ (i. 19-26).
As regards the faithful, he exhorts them to live lives worthy of
the Gospel he has preached to them, and in conformity with the
example he has given them (i. 27-30). He urges them especially
to unity and charity based on humility and self-denial (ii. 1-4), first,
in imitation of Christ who emptied Himself, assuming the condition
of a slave for our sakes and thereby meriting supreme exaltation
(ii. 5-1 1 ) ; and secondly, for the sake of their advancement in sanc-
tity and the glory they will thus give to him who labored for them
and is willing to die for their sakes (ii. 12-18).
St. Paul next tells the Philippians that as soon as his situation
will permit he will send Timothy to them, who is so reliable and so
devoted to them (ii. 19-24). Meanwhile he is returning Epaphro-
ditus, their trusted legate to him, whose recent illness, occasioned
by his work for Christ, has been a source of much anxiety both
to him and to them (ii. 25-30).
The Apostle, it seems, was about to close his letter — "as to the
rest, etc." (iii. i) — when suddenly, perhaps because of news just
brought him or because he has just recalled an important point,
he interrupts his thought and warns his readers against Judaizers,
citing again his own example. He has all the reasons for glorying
that these have, and more ; but he has despised all these things for
the sake of that justice and perfection which are secured, not by
the works of the Law, but by faith in Christ (iii. 2-1 1). Not that
he has attained this perfection, but that he is ever pressing on
towards it (iii. 12-14). Let the Philippians imitate him, looking
to the glory that is to come, and fly those who seek the goods of this
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS 105
world (Hi. 15-21). He closes the body of his letter with a series of
short exhortations to steadfastness and concord, and recommends
joy, peace and prayer, briefly recapitulating the duties of a Christian
life (iv. 1-9).
C. Conclusion (iv. 10-23). The Apostle terminates his Epistle
with renewed thanks for the gifts sent him, while stressing his de-
tachment from all earthly conditions and things and his total resig-
nation to God's will (iv. 10-19), with a doxology (iv. 20), and with
salutations and a blessing (iv. 21-23).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Among the Greek Fathers three commentators on this Epistle are of
premier importance : St. Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Vic-
torinus (see Migne, P. G.). St. Thomas ranks next among the Latins, as
combining with his own acute genius the best of Patristic lore. See Bibli-
ography for Ephesians.
Since the Council of Trent the best commentators on this Epistle down
to modern times were Cornelius a Lapide and Maldonatus. In recent times,
besides those commentators on all the Pauline letters and on the Captivity
Epistles in particular already recommended in the Bibliography for Ephesians,
the following among Catholics are deserving of special attention: Beelen,
Comm. in Epist. S. Pauli ad Philipp. (Louvain, 1852) ; Comely, Introd.
specialis in singulos N.T. libros (Paris, 1897) ; Miiller, Der Ap. Paulus
Brief an die Philip per (Freiburg, 1899) \ Sales, in La Sacra Bihbia, vol. II
(Turin, 1914) ; Jones, The Epistle to the Philippians, in The Westminster
Series (London, 1918).
Non-Catholic Commentators : Ellicott, A Critical and Grammatical Comm.
on St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians (London, 1888) ; Moule, The Epistle
to the Philippians, in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cam-
bridge, 1895) ; Vincent, Philippians and Philemon, in The International Crit.
Comm. (1897); Lightfoot, St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians (i6th ed.,
London, 1908) ; Du Buisson, in A New Comm. on Holy Script. (New York,
1928) ; Robertson, in The Abingdon Bible Comm. (New York, 1929).
The Epistle to the Philippians
CHAPTER I
INSCRIPTION AND GREETING, I, 2
I. Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ ; to all the saints in
Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.
I, 2. St. Paul together with Timothy, his trusted companion and
probably his amanuensis at this time, addresses in artless and atTec-
tionate terms the beloved faithful of Philippi and their spiritual
leaders, wishing them, in combined Greek and Hebrew forms, grace
and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus, their
Saviour.
I. Paul, the author of this letter. He omits the title "apostle"
here because there is no reason to require insistence on his divine
authority and mission. See on Rom, i. i.
Timothy, who was with Paul at this time and perhaps wrote down
the present Epistle, and who had helped the Apostle in founding the
Church at Philippi (Acts xvi. iff). For further particulars about
Timothy, see Introduction to i Timothy in this volume.
Servants. Literally, "slaves," but in a redeemed and figurative
sense of that degrading word.
Jesus Christ. There is more evidence for the reverse order of
these terms, "Christ Jesus." This title of our Lord is peculiarly
Pauline, occurring in the two orders about 165 times in his Epistles.
All the saints, i.e., all those who by their religious profession
have separated themselves from the world and consecrated them-
selves to God. The Apostle says "all," showing no distinction, and
no cause of distinction, such as factions or sects.
Philippi. See Introduction, No. L
With the bishops, etc. This is the only time St, Paul mentions
the clergy in the inscription of a letter. In early times the title
"bishop" was given to the heads of the various local churches,
106
PHILIPPIANS I. 2-5 107
2. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
3. I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you,
4. Always in all my prayers, making supplication for you all, with joy,
5. For your communication in the gospel of Christ from the first day unto
now,
whether they were bishops In the strict sense of the word or only
priests; the term here being in the plural doubtless means priests
or presbyters. See Acts xxi. 17, 28; Tit. i. 5-7; i Tim. iii. 1-13,
V. 17, where the terms "bishops" and "presbyters" are interchanged.
St. Paul names the bishops and deacons most likely because they
took the principal part in sending gifts and helps to him.
2. Grace . . . peace. See on Eph. i. 2.
God our Father, etc. The Father is the ultimate source of all
blessings, and Christ, His co-equal Son, is the medium and channel.
See also on Eph. i. 2.
THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER FOR THE PHILIPPIANS, 3-II
3-11. Here the Apostle begins to speak in the first person singular,
showing that the letter is his own, and not a joint work between
him and Timothy. He thanks God for the part the Philippians have
had in the work of the Gospel and in the merits of his sufiferings
(ver. 3-8), and he prays that they may continually progress in
spiritual knowledge and in the grace of Him to whom they owe
their spiritual life, so as to be perfect when the heavenly Bridegroom
comes to call them to their eternal rewards (ver. 9-1 1).
3-4. The Apostle assures his readers that in all his remembrance
of them he thanks God, who is the source of all their spiritual bless-
ings, and that in all his petitions it is a cause of joy to him to make
requests for them.
In all my prayers. Better, "In every request of mine."
5. He assigns the reason for his supplication with joy In their
behalf, namely, their "communication in the gospel, etc.," i.e., their
co-operation with him in the work of spreading the Gospel from
the first day they heard it preached up to the time this letter was
written. The reference is to the devotedness, labors, sufferings,
gifts, etc., by which they had participated with the Apostle in the
propagation and furtherance of the Gospel.
io8 PHILIPPIANS I. 6-8
6. Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work
in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus.
7. Indeed it is right for me to be so minded in regard of you all, for that
I have you in my heart; that in my bonds, and in the defence and con-
firmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace.
8. For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the heart of Christ
Jesus.
6. The Apostle now tells the Philippians that he feels certain that
God the Father who began in them the work of their redemption
and sanctification will complete the process, bringing it to perfec-
tion against the day of their deliverance from the present life. Thus,
he teaches the necessity of grace, not only to begin a good work
in the supernatural order, but also to continue it and to persevere
in it until death (cf. Cone. Trid., sess. VI, cap. 13).
A good work, i.e., their conversion to Christianity, which was
followed by their labor and zeal in behalf of the Gospel and St.
Paul.
The day of Christ Jesus is a frequent expression with St. Paul,
and refers to our Lord's coming in judgment, whether at the death
of the individual or at the end of time to judge the world. The
similar expression of the Old Testament, "the day of the Lord,"
meant the day of God's visitation of the earth in judgment and
redemption.
7. He gives the reason for the confidence expressed in the preced-
ing verse. It is perfectly right and natural that he should feel thus
toward the Philippians, because of his intimate and tender love for
them, and because, through the help they have given him, they are
sharers in the "grace" of his apostolate, whether exercised in
"bonds," i.e., in prison, or in "defence" of himself and of his preach-
ing against the accusations and calumnies of the Jews, or "in con-
firmation of the gospel," i.e., in explaining and proving the truth
of the Gospel before Jews and Gentiles (Acts xxviii. 23 ff.). "For
that I have you in my heart" may also be rendered "for that you
have me in your heart," i.e., he is mindful of them because they
also remember him.
The gaudii inei of the Vulgate should be grader mece, to agree
with the Greek.
8. As a proof of his ardent love for the faithful of Philippi St.
Paul now invokes God, who reads the heart, as his witness ; he loves
PHILIPPIANS I. 9-1 1 109
9. And this I pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowl-
edge and in all discernment,
10. That you may approve the better things, that you may be sincere and
without offence unto the day of Christ,
11. Filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory
and praise of God.
them all with the love wherewith Christ loves them; his heart is
one with the heart of his Master.
In visceribus of the Vulgate means with the most ardent love,
the Greek of which is properly rendered in English by "heart," as it
refers to the seat of tender and noble affections. The Greek also
reverses the order of Jesu Christi of the Vulgate here.
9. In verse 4 the Apostle told his readers that he prayed for them
all with joy. Now he tells them what he requested for them, namely,
that their "charity" (i.e., their love of God and their neighbor)
might continually increase and become ever more perfect "in knowl-
edge," i.e., in full, developed understanding (imyvuxTis) of Christian
virtues, and "in all discernment," i.e., practical judgment (alcrdrjo-t.^)
as to the application of those virtues in dealing with their neighbor.
10. This full knowledge and judgment St. Paul requests for the
Philippians in order that they may be able to appraise things accord-
ing to their true worth; that, distinguishing between the moral
values of their actions, they "may approve, etc.," i.e., that they may
test and choose those which are more excellent, with the result that
they "may be sincere" (i.e., pure and innocent in the sight of God)
"and without offence" (i.e., that their conduct may be no obstacle
or stumbling block to their neighbor).
In the day of Christ, i.e., when the Lord comes to judge and
reward them according to their works. See on verse 6 above.
11. The Apostle wishes the faithful not only to be innocent and
blameless, but also to be "filled with the fruit of justice," i.e., with
good works, which can be done only through the grace of Christ.
"Justice" here is better rendered "justness" or "righteousness,"
which implies a complete harmony between the soul and God ; it is
given through Christ. "Only so far as the life of the believer is
absorbed in the life of Christ, does the righteousness of Christ
become his own" (Lightfoot). Hence our Lord said: "I am the
true vine, etc." (John xv. iff.).
Unto the glory, etc. The glory and praise of God is the last end
no PHILIPPIANS I. 12
and true goal of all our charity, justice, good works, etc., as the
Apostle here reminds us.
THE BODY OF THE EPISTLE, 1. I2-iv. 9
i. 12 — iv. 9. The Apostle explains his personal situation and the
progress of the Gospel in the Eternal City, in spite of rivalry and
opposition (i. 12-26) ; and then, as if in response to news received,
he goes on to exhort his readers to be true to their calling in doing
and suffering for the sake of the Gospel, stressing the need of unity
and humility (i. 27 — ii. 4). In the practice of humility and in
bearing their sufferings they have the supreme example of Christ
Himself, who thus merited His exaltation to supreme Lordship
(ii. 5-1 1). It is therefore Christ that they should copy; and in so
doing they will reflect glory on their Apostle who has not labored
in vain and who is willing to die in their behalf (ii. 12-18). He
is sending to them at once Epaphroditus, Timothy will follow soon,
and shortly he hopes to come himself (ii. 19-30). Beginning his
final injunctions (iii. i), he digresses to warn against Judaizers, cit-
ing his own career (iii. 2-16), and against pagan self-indulgence
and a spirit of worldliness among Christians (iii, 17-21). Some
final exhortations close the body of the letter (iv. 1-9). See Intro-
duction, No. VI, B.
THE apostle's IMPRISONMENT HAS BEEN USEFUL FOR THE SPREAD
OF THE GOSPEL IN ROME, i. 12-26
12-26. It seems the Philippians had made known to Paul their
anxiety regarding the welfare of the Gospel, as a result of his
imprisonment; they feared the Gospel was suffering while he was
enchained. But the Apostle informs them here that the contrary is
the case, inasmuch as the success of his preaching in prison has
excited the jealousy of other preachers and thus stimulated them to
greater efforts. This is a cause of great rejoicing on his part. As
for his own prospects of release, he is confident that all will turn
out for the best. Personally he is torn between the alternatives of
dying and being with Christ, on the one hand, and living for the sake
of the Philippians, on the other hand. He seems to be confident of
the latter; he will again be with them to assist them and give them
joy in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS I. 12-14 III
12. Now, brethren, I desire you should know that the things which have
happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel :
13. So that my bonds are made manifest in Christ, in all the court, and in
all other places :
14. And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my bondi,
are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
12. St. Paul wishes the brethren of Philippi to know that his im-
prisonment, with all its circumstances and consequences, instead of
being a damage to the spread of the Gospel and a knowledge of
its teachings, has had rather the opposite effect; it has made the
Gospel better known, as he will now explain.
13. In the first place, the Apostle's imprisonment has become
known in its true significance, as the result of preaching Christ
as the promised Messiah and the Saviour of the whole world; he
is a prisoner not on account of any crime that he has committed,
not out of politics in which he has been implicated, but on account
of his identification with the cause of Christ. And this real cause
of his imprisonment has become known "in all the court" (better,
"throughout the whole praetorian guard"), through the many soldiers
who successively relieved one another in guarding the Apostle and
to each of whom he and his cause became well known and adver-
tised "in all other places" (better, "to every one else besides," i.e.,
to the whole imperial city, generally speaking).
We have taken "in Christ" to mean in the cause of Christ, for
the sake of Christ ; but it can also mean "through Christ," i.e., by
the counsel and provision of Christ. Taken in this latter sense,
the meaning would be that it was by Christ's divine intervention,
though all unseen, that the real cause of St. Paul's imprisonment
became widely known, and through this a knowledge of the Gospel
spread abroad. Other explanations of "in all the court" are less
likely.
14. Another salutary effect of the Apostle's chains was the infu-
sion of fresh energy into "many" (better, "the majority") of the
Christians in Rome who, having become timid and remiss in their
preaching and work for the Evangel, now beholding the zeal and
intrepitude of their fettered Apostle were exhibiting more energy
and fearlessness than ever before in behalf of the Gospel's saving
truths.
Brethren in the Lord means Christians, as distinguished from
Paul's brethren in the flesh, the Jews.
112 PHILIPPIANS I. 15-17
15. Some indeed, even out of envy and contention; but some also for good
will preach Christ.
16. Some out of charity, knowing that I am set for the defence of the
gospel ;
17. And some out of contention preach Christ not sincerely, supposing that
they raise affliction to my bonds.
There is sufficient MSS. evidence for omitting Dei of the Vulgate,
as a gloss explanatory of verbum.
15. Not all these preachers, however, were animated by the same
spirit.
Some may refer to Christian Judaizers, who, while not denying
at this time at least any point of revealed doctrine, were nevertheless
contending that the Mosaic observances were the necessary gateway
to the full benefits and perfect blessings of Christianity, and who,
witnessing the greater fame and success of Paul, were moved with
"envy" to emulate his influence and his preaching from prison.
But more likely these "some" were just certain members of the
Christian community of Rome who were ambitious and jealous of
Paul, a stranger who in so short a time had so great an influence
(cf. Lemonnyer, Ep. de S. Paul, II partie, pp. lo-ii). Certainly,
whatever these preachers were contending for, there was no ques-
tion at this time of a preaching of false doctrine on the part of
St. Paul's opponents, otherwise he could never have rejoiced over
their work for Christ (ver. 18) ; the Apostle had not forgotten what
he had previously written to the Galatians, i. 6-9, iii. i fif.
But there were other preachers who were altogether in sympathy
with the Apostle, and who were inspired by the zeal and influence
of his prison labors in behalf of the Gospel to greater eflPorts in their
own respective fields, thus affording added joy and consolation to
the Apostle's heart.
Good will here means sympathy for the things of God.
16-17. In these two verses the Apostle explains the motives by
which the two classes just mentioned were moved, the one to sup-
port and the other to oppose his preaching. The order of these
verses, 16 and 17, is inverted in some MSS., but the great weight
of authority favors the order of the Vulgate.
Some out of charity, etc., i.e., some of those preachers proclaimed
the Gospel out of love for St. Paul, knowing the divine commission
he had received, etc. ; but the others had a bad motive, being moved
PHILIPPIANS I. i8, 19 113
18. But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion, or by
truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and shall rejoice;
19. For I know that this shall fall out to me unto salvation, through your
prayers, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
by a spirit of partisanship or intriguing (c^ ipi6(.ia<;), and so tried
to lessen the Apostle's popularity and influence and keep hearers
away from him, thus adding to his "affliction," i.e., the distress of
being in prison, and so unable to go out and seek his audience and
refute his opponents.
18. But what then? That is, what difference does it make
whether those preachers were moved by good or by bad motives
in their preaching of the Gospel, so long as Christ was preached?
The Apostle was not seeking his own glory, but the glory of Christ;
and therefore it made little difference to him whether or not those
who promoted the cause of Christ liked or disliked him personally.
By occasion, or by truth, i.e., whether the Gospel was only a
secondary or the primary reason of their preaching. "Per occa-
sionem annunciat Christum, qui non intendit hoc principahter, sed
propter aliud, puta lucrum vel gloriam" (St. Thomas).
I rejoice, etc. If those opponents of the Apostle had been
preaching false doctrine of any kind, he could never have rejoiced
over their preaching in any sense of the word (see Gal. i. 6-9).
19. Besides the fact that Christ is being preached by Paul's ene-
mies, which is the primary cause of his rejoicing, the Apostle finds
a secondary cause for joy, now and in the future, in the thought
that his sufferings and afflictions, through the help of the prayers
of the faithful and the grace of the Holy Ghost, will contribute to
his eternal salvation and his greater blessedness in heaven.
It is worthy of note that, notwithstanding all his vast labors for
the Gospel, St. Paul rests the hope of his salvation, not on his own
merits, but on the prayers of others and the abundant supply of
grace of the Holy Spirit. That "salvation" here refers to his eternal
reward, and not to liberation from prison, or any lesser spiritual
good along the way to heaven, is clear from the usual meaning of
a-wTrjpia elsewhere (i.e., Rom. xiii. 11; i Thess. v. 8; Heb. ix. 28;
1 Peter i. 5).
Through your prayers. St. Paul often manifested his confidence
in the power and efficacy of intercessory prayer (e.g., Rom. xv. 30;
2 Cor. i. II ; I Thess. v. 25 ; 2 Thess. iii. i ; Col. iv. 3).
114 PHILIPPIANS I. 20-24
20. According to my expectation and hope ; that in nothing I shall be con-
founded, but with all confidence, as always, so now also shall Christ be
magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21. For to me, to live is Christ: and to die is gain.
22. But if to live in the flesh, this is to me the fruit of labor, and which
I shall choose I know not.
23. But I am straitened between two : having a desire to be dissolved and
to be with Christ, a thing by far the better :
24. But to abide still in the flesh, is more needful for you.
The supply. The Greek carries the idea of ample, abundant
supply.
The Spirit of Jesus Christ is none other than the Holy Ghost,
who proceeds equally from the Father and the Son, and who is
called sometimes the Spirit of the Father and sometimes the Spirit
of the Son (cf. Rom. viii. 9; Gal. iv. 6; John xiv. 16, 26, xv. 26,
etc.). Whether we are to understand here the Holy Spirit Himself
or His grace, makes little difference, since the two ideas would
come to the same thing. These final words are also a proof of
the divinity of our Lord, the Holy Spirit being His Spirit.
20. Through the prayers of the faithful and the grace of Christ
the Apostle is ardently hoping (such is the meaning of the Greek)
for eternal salvation, but on his own part he is going to see that
in nothing shall he be found wanting, that he will continue in the
future as in the past to preach the Gospel "with all confidence"
(i.e., freely and fearlessly), so that the glory of Christ shall con-
tinue to be manifested "in my body, etc." (i.e., by spending his
body and his energies for Christ, if he lives, or by the sacrifice of
his life in the cause of Christ if he is put to death). Why he will
not "be confounded" (i.e., disappointed), whether he lives or dies,
he explains in the following verses.
21. St. Paul had already told the Galatians: "I live, now not I;
but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. ii. 20). He was totally identified with
Christ ; Christ was the soul and centre of his life, the prime mover
in all his actions, the goal and term of all his aspirations; to the
Apostle "to live" was to labor for Christ and in union with Christ,
and thus augment his merits for heaven, while "to die" was to be
with Christ in glory and to enjoy his eternal reward.
22-24. The Apostle is confronted by the alternatives of dying and
being with Christ in glory, on the one hand, and of remaining in
this earthly life for a time and thus serving the interests of the
PHILIPPIANS I. 25, 26 115
25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, and continue
with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith :
26. That your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me by my coming
to you again.
Gospel and the Church, on the other hand ; and he knows not which
to choose, as there is great profit in either choice. So he is torn
between conflicting emotions, desiring the former, knowing that it
would be far better "to be dissolved" (or better, "to depart"), and
thus be forever with Christ in paradise, but feeling that the Philip-
pians need him, and that consequently he ought to remain on earth
a while longer.
This is to me the fruit of labor. The Greek is concise and
therefore somewhat difficult, but the meaning is clear : To continue
in this life would mean to the Apostle an occasion of fruitful labor
(KapTTos epyov) for the cause of Christ on earth.
Far the better, literally, "much more better," a phrase indicative
of St. Paul's strong preference to die and be with Christ. From
ver. 23 it is evident that the souls of the saints are admitted to the
presence of God immediately after death.
The necessarium of the Vulgate (ver. 24) is a comparative in
Greek, more necessary.
For you, better, "on account of you."
25-26. And having this confidence. The Greek means that the
Apostle is firmly persuaded, that he enjoys a feeling of personal
certainty. But with regard to what? That he is going to live and
see the Philippians again? If this is the meaning, it would seem
to be out of harmony with the uncertainty expressed just above in
verses 20-23, ^^^ '^^so with what he says below in ii. 17. The best
explanation seems to be that of St. Chrysostom and others, who
say that St. Paul is speaking above about the uncertainty of life
or death in his case, whereas here he is stressing the utility and
profit of the event, whichever it turns out to be: if he dies, he will
be with Christ in glory; if he lives, he will be a help and a source
of joy to the Philippians ; in any case the result will certainly be
good, of this he is firmly persuaded. In this explanation verse 25
is to be understood, in the light of the whole context, as condi-
tional. "This confidence" refers to what follows: if he continues
to live, he knows that he will be of great spiritual profit to the
Philippians, and will thus give joy to their faith.
ii6 PHILIPPIANS I. 27, 28
27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ; that, whether
I come and see you, or, being absent, may hear of you, that you stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind laboring together for the faith of the gospel.
28. And in nothing be ye terrified by the adversaries : which to them is a
sure sign of perdition, but to you of salvation, and this from God :
In me. The meaning is that St. Paul will be the occasion of
their rejoicing, all the more so because the Apostle's adversaries
have been trying to discredit him while he has been in prison.
AN EXHORTATION' TO LIVE GOOD LIVES AND TO CONTINUE THE GOOD
FIGHT FOR THE GOSPEL, 27-3O
27-30. At the close of the previous section St. Paul seemed to
express the likelihood of seeing the Philippians again ; but here he
exhorts them to be good citizens and live worthily of the Gospel
whether he sees them again or not. He wants them to be united in
mind and action in their fight for the saving truths they profess
and not to fear their adversaries, being assured that final victory
will be theirs. They are suffering for Christ's sake, and are waging
the same conflict which they beheld in their Apostle when he was
in Philippi and which still is his in Rome, as they know.
27. Just above the Apostle has spoken of his own condition and
prospects. Now he turns to the Philippians and tells them there is
only one thing that will trouble him, and that is if he should hear
something bad about them and their conduct. Wherefore he says:
"Let your conduct be worthy, etc.," — literally, "let your citizenship
be worthy, etc.," i.e., conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
Gospel of Christ, as citizens of heaven (iii. 20).
In one spirit, i.e., in unity of mind, heart, and way of acting, as
a result of the grace of the one Holy Spirit dwelling within you.
Some take "spirit" here to mean the Holy Ghost directly, and refer
to I Cor. xii. 13, Eph. ii. 18, where the identical phrase here used is
doubtless to be understood of the Holy Spirit. The effect will be
the same in either opinion, as St. Paul is speaking of religious
conduct.
Laboring, better, "striving" or "contending." The metaphor is
drawn from the prize-seeking contests in the amphitheatre.
28. The Apostle now tells the Philippians not to be "terrified by
the adversaries," i.e., the idol-worshippers and Jews of Philippi who
PHILIPPIANS I. 29, 30 117
29. For unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but
also to suffer for him ;
30. Having the same conflict as that which you have seen in me, and now
hear to be still mine.
persecute them, but to face them with courage and steadfastness.
Their calm fortitude, he says, since they are contending for the eter-
nal truth of the Gospel, will be, in the nature of things, "a sure sign"
of the ultimate overthrow of their foes and of their own spiritual
triumph.
Others explain "a sure sign" thus: the persecutions which they
inflict on you will be for them a cause of perdition and for you a
source of profit and salvation. The first explanation seems prefer-
able, and appears to imply that the opponents themselves are in-
wardly persuaded of the final loss of their cause. At best the pas-
sage is obscure.
And this refers to the whole idea previously expressed, namely,
their constancy in the face of opposition, which is not from their
own strength, but "from God," i.e., the gift of God.
29. In the preceding verse St. Paul encouraged the faithful by
saying that their very constancy in fighting and enduring for the
Gospel was an evident token of their eternal salvation ; and here he
bids them be reassured in the great privilege they enjoy as a gift
of God, not only in believing in Christ, but in having the high honor
"also to sufifer for him," i.e., in His behalf. If they suffer for
Christ and with Christ, they will also be crowned with Him.
30. Finally, the Apostle encourages his readers by reminding them
that in their sufferings they are sharing the lot experienced by him,
the founder of their Church, when he first preached the Gospel in
their city (Acts xvi. 20 ff.), and which he has been enduring in
Rome, as they "now hear," very likely from Epaphroditus, the
bearer of this letter.
CHAPTER II
AN EXHORTATION TO UNITY AND HUMILITY, I-II
i-ii. In verse 27 of the preceding Chapter St. Paul exhorted the
Philippians to unity of thought and action in their efforts for the
spread of the Gospel, and here (ver. 1-4) he goes back to that
ii8 PHILIPPIANS II. 1-3
1. If there be therefore any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of
charity, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration,
2. Fulfill ye my joy, that you be of one mind, having the same charity,
being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment.
3. Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in
humility, let each esteem others better than himself;
thought and appeals to his readers in still more earnest tones that
they should make full his joy by the practice and cultivation of
complete unity and harmony among them. This relationship of con-
cord among brethren, he goes on to say, must be grounded on
humility, on lowliness of mind. And since in the pagan world
humility was despised as a sign of degradation, as an abject and
groveling state suited only to the condition of slaves, he cites (ver.
5-1 1 ) the supreme example of Christ who, though He was the Son
of the eternal God Himself, took on Himself for our salces the form
of a lowly servant, even that of an outcast dying the most ignomini-
ous of deaths; and who in return for His extreme self-humiliation
merited an exaltation above all other names, whether in heaven, on
earth, or under the earth, that, namely, of supreme Lordship of
the world.
1-2. It seems St. Paul must have learned that there were at
Philippi some discordant elements among the Christians, arising
from ambition, pride, vainglory, self-seeking, and the like ; and hence
he appeals to them by the deepest spiritual sentiments and rela-
tionships between him and them to complete his happiness and joy
by exhibiting towards one another a spirit of concord and mutual
charity. He piles up his reasons of appeal in rhetorical fashion,
introducing each member by "if," not as though he doubted their
state of mind and heart, but only to strengthen his exhortation.
He means to say: "If there be any comfort in the fact that you are
Christians, if there be any consolation which charity can inspire, if
there be any reality in the common spiritual benefits and blessings
we enjoy in the Holy Ghost, if there be in you any tender feelings
of mercy and compassion; then complete the joy I have in you by
thinking alike, by exercising mutual charity towards one another,
by having one soul and mind in all you do." Of the phrases in verse
2 inculcating unity, Vaughan says St. Paul has multiplied them in
a "tautology of earnestness."
3. Here the Apostle indicates the obstacles to unity and concord
PHILIPPIANS 11. 4, 5 119
4. Each one not considering the things that are his own, but also those
that are other men's.
5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
of spirit, namely, "contention," i.e., a spirit of partisanship or fac-
tion, and "vain glory," i.e., the inordinate seeking of one's own inter-
ests and self-praise. Instead of being moved by such unworthy
impulses in their dealings with their neighbor, the Apostle urges
that they be guided by the Christian virtue of "humility," which
will teach them to see the good that it in everybody else while mak-
ing them conscious of their own defects, and will thus lead each one
of them to "esteem others better than himself." There is no one
so good as not to have some defects, and no one so bad as to be
devoid of all good qualities; and hence if we keep in mind our own
faults, on the one hand, and the good traits of our neighbor, on
the other hand, it is easy to esteem others better than ourselves
(St. Thomas, h. /.).
4. The Apostle gives another means of exercising fraternal
charity, and thus of promoting unity, namely, sympathy and a kindly
interest in the affairs of others.
The Vulgate sed ea, quce, etc., should read, sed et ea, quce, etc., to
agree with the Greek ; which shows that, while looking after our own
affairs with due attention, we should also take a helpful interest in
things that concern others.
5. In verses 5-1 1 St. Paul will illustrate and enforce the doctrine
he has been inculcating by the supreme example of the Saviour
in His voluntary incarnation, humiliation, and exaltation. Though
issuing from a practical exhortation, the passage is profound in its
doctrinal teaching and unsurpassed in its theological importance. In
these few verses we have summed up the whole history of Christ —
His nature and eternity as God, His incarnation with its humiliating
consequences, and His glorious triumph and exaltation. The fact
that St. Paul, in order to enforce some of the simplest moral duties,
makes an appeal to such profound mysteries shows, on the one
hand, the natural and intimate connection between Christian theo-
logical teaching and practical Christian life ; and, on the other hand,
how thorough and profound must have been the instruction given
the early Christians by the Apostles and how these great doctrines
of the divinity, incarnation, etc., of Christ formed a part of that in-
I20 PHILIPPIANS II. 6
6. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
to God.
struction, and were, at the writing of this letter, apparently so well
understood as to need only to be stated in their broad outlines to
be grasped in their meaning and application.
Let this mind, etc. The enim of the Vulgate at the beginning
of this verse is not represented in the best Greek. The Apostle
wishes to say that, if his readers will have the same attitude of mind
and soul which our Lord had at the time of His incarnation, all
that he has requested in the verses just preceding will be easily
and readily complied with.
In Christ Jesus, i.e., in the Divine Person who was God from
eternity, who was eternally predestined by the Eternal Father as the
Christ to be, and who became incarnate in time to save mankind
from their sins.
6. Jesus Christ is here described in His eternal, pre-existent life as
God.
Who refers to the single Personality, who is one and the same
both in His pre-existence and in His earthly life.
Being {{mdpx<Jiv) . The Greek participle emphasizes the pre-
existence of Christ.
In the form of God, i.e., having the nature, essence, inward being
of God; for such is the meaning of "form" (jxop<f)'j) here. Thus,
before His incarnation Christ, or the Divine Person who became the
Christ, pre-existed in the Divine Nature, as the eternal Son of the
eternal Father.
Thought. This is a human way of expressing the Son's attitude
regarding the surrender of His position of equality with God in order
to become man; not that He actually gave up anything that be-
longed to Him as God, but that His Divine Person in the incarnation
took upon Himself the lowly form of human nature.
Robbery. The Greek word for "robbery" (dp-rrayfjios) occurs only
here in the Greek Bible, and may mean (a) the act of robbing or
seizing by force; or (b) the matter of robbery, or thing to be
seized. The latter is the meaning here, and it conveys the idea of
holding to a thing with a tenacity and jealousy that would make
one unwilling to surrender it. There is no question here of un-
lawful possession, but only of anxiously clinging to what rightfully
PHILIPPIANS II. 7 121
7. But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the
likeness of men, and in habit found as a man,
belongs to one. The sense of the whole phrase is that the eternal
Son, at the prospect of His becoming man, did not so cling to His
dignity and equality with God the Father in His divine nature as
to be unwilling to become incarnate, thus assuming an inferior state
as man. *
Fr. Rickaby says the phrase "equal to God," or "on equality with
God," does not regard the relation of the Son to the Father, but the
relation of the Word to the nature which He chose as man; and
he explains ovx apvayfiov as (He) "made no hurry." In his view
the passage means that our Lord did not at once insist on appear-
ing as man in His glorified human nature, but delayed it till after
His Resurrection (Further Notes on St. Paul, h. /.).
Having spoken of the divine nature and dignity of the Son, the
Apostle will speak in the two following verses of His humiliation
in His earthly life.
7. But emptied himself, by becoming man, by taking for a time
an external human form which veiled, as it were, the Divinity that
He possessed as God, and deprived Him of the external prerogative
of glory to which as God He always retained His right. On this
phrase, "he emptied himself," St. Thomas says: "Hoc est intelli-
gendum secundum assumptionem eius quod non habuit ; sicut enim
descendit de coelo, non quod desineret esse in coelo, sed quia incepit
novo modo esse in terra, sic etiam se exinanivit, non deponendo
divinam naturam, sed assumendo naturam humanam." How the
Son "emptied himself" (kenosis), the Apostle describes in the three
phrases that follow :
(a) by "taking the form of a servant," literally, "of a slave,"
i.e., taking the nature of man. With regard to God all creatures
are servants or slaves, even the angels. The word "form" here is
the same as in verse 6 above, and hence means nature, essence, etc. ;
(b) by "being made in the likeness of men," i.e., appearing like
other men, since He had the same nature as other men. The Divine
Word, without ceasing to be God, assumed human nature, uniting
the natures of God and of man in the one Divine Person, and ap-
peared externally just like other men;
(c) by "being in habit found as a man," i.e., being recognized as
122 PHILIPPIANS II. 8, 9
8. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death
of the cross.
9. For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name
which is above all names :
a man in His outward form and manner of acting by all His com-
patriots and associates (e.g., by eating, drinking, etc., like other
men). In the preceding verse the Apostle affirmed the Divinity of
Jesus Christ, and here he affirms the true humanity of the same
Divine Person, shovi^ing that Christ was both true God and true man.
Cf. Sales, h. I.
8. Having described the way in which the Divine Word emptied
Himself, the Apostle will now show the extreme humility and self-
abasement to which He subjected Himself in the human nature
which He assumed : He became "obedient" to the will of His
heavenly Father "unto death," and that, not an ordinary death, but
one of shame and horror, namely, "the death of the cross." The
expression "unto death" expresses the degree of His obedience. St.
Paul wishes his readers to learn from this example of full and
supreme self-abnegation on the part of their Master the humility,
charity, and self-denial that will bring them peace and concord.
9. In verses 9-1 1 we have a description of the exaltation of our
Lord, corresponding to His kenosis. We have already seen the
extreme degree to which He emptied and humiliated Himself in
obedience to the will of His eternal Father, and now we shall see
what recompense He received.
For which cause, etc., i.e., as a reward for our Lord's extreme
and voluntary abasement He was exalted by the Eternal Father to a
dignity beyond any that exists or can exist below the Divinity Itself.
That our Lord merited this supreme exaltation. He Himself declared
on the day of His resurrection : "Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things, and so to enter into his glory?" (Luke xxiv. 26). His
own great saying was fulfilled in His case : "He that shall humble
himself shall be exalted" (Matt, xxiii. 12; Luke xiv. 11, xviii. 14).
Hath exalted him, above all other creatures, placing Him in the
highest position of honor and authority next to the Godhead (cf.
Eph. i. 21 ff. ; Col. iii. i ; Heb. i. 13; Rom. viii. 34, xiv. 19; etc.).
Name stands here for power, dignity, majesty; and therefore a
name "above all names" means a dignity and a majesty greater than
anything that is possible below the Divinity Itself. By "name" here
PHILIPPIANS II. 10, II 123
10. That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,
11. And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is
in the glory of God the Father.
the Apostle does not refer to our Lord's proper name, Jesus, which
was given Him long before His exaltation and was recognized by
men, and which was common to many other men (Estius).
10. The purpose of the exaltation of Jesus is now given.
That in the name of Jesus, etc., i.e., so great a dignity and honor
was bestowed on our Lord in order that all creatures might bow
before His revealed majesty and adore Him as Lord of the world
and Saviour of mankind.
Every knee should bow is a phrase signifying supreme adora-
tion (cf. Isa. xiv. 24; Rom. xiv, 11; Eph. iii. 14). The human
nature of Christ, as being hypostatically united to the Word, de-
serves the same adoration as the Divinity of the Word Itself.
Of those that are in heaven, etc., i.e., of angels in heaven, of
men on earth, and of those who are in their graves (Theodoret),
and even of the demons (St. Chrysostom). Most likely all created
things are in view here. See Apoc. v. 12 ff., James ii. 19, for refer-
ences to all creatures, including the demons. The phrase "under
the earth" means the underworld, the realm of the dead, of dis-
carnate spirits. The pious custom of bowing the head at the men-
tion of the name Jesus has at least indirect sanction from this verse.
11. The same thought is continued and developed.
That every tongue, etc., i.e., that all nations and peoples shall
praise and honor the Son as they do the Father, recognizing the
same glory in the Son as in the Father, as is said in John v. 23.
But the Greek of this passage is as follows: "That every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." In this reading the direct object of the confession is the
universal sovereignty and therefore the Divinity of our Lord, and
such a confession or recognition of the Son is ordained to the glory
of the Father as to its last end : it is to the glory of the Father to
have a Son to whom all things are subjected (Theophylact), the
praise of Christ the Lord is to the glory of the Father (Estius).
Thus, our Lord Himself said: "Father, the hour is come, glorify
thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee" (John xvii. i).
In verses 5-1 1 here we have the following dear teachings: (a)
124 PHILIPPIANS II. 12
12. Wherefore, my beloved (as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but much more now in my absence), with fear and trembling
work out your salvation.
the Divinity of Jesus Christ and His consubstantiality with the
Father; (b) the true humanity of Christ; (c) the union of two
natures in the one Divine Person; (d) the merit of our Lord's sac-
rificial obedience and death. In consequence we also have here the
refutation of the following errors: (a) Arianism, which denied the
consubstantiality and equality of the Son with the Father; (b)
Sabellianism, which denied the plurality of persons in God ; (c)
Nestorianism, which held that there were two persons in Jesus
Christ; (d) Eutychianism, which taught only one nature in Christ;
(e) Docetism, which attributed to our Lord a fantastic and not a
real body; (f) Apollinarism, which said the body of Christ was not
like our bodies. Cf. St. Thomas, h. I.
EXHORTATION TO PERSEVERANCE IN HOLINESS, I2-l8
i2-i8. With the example of Christ's humility to guide them, and
the example of Christ's exaltation to encourage them (Lightfoot),
the Apostle appeals to the Philippians obediently and reverently to
work out their salvation in co-operation with God, the source of all
their graces. Keeping themselves blameless in a world of sin, they
must be as a light to others on the way to heaven, thus shedding
glory on their Apostle in the day of Christ's coming. Even if he
is to be poured out as a libation in the sacrifice for their faith,
the Apostle says he rejoices, and he bids them also to rejoice with
him.
12. Wherefore. The Apostle deduces a practical conclusion from
what he has been saying about the self-denial and obedience of
Christ. He first praises his beloved Philippians for the obedience
they have always shown in being faithful to his teachings and the
precepts of the Gospel, and then goes on to exhort them to still
greater faithfulness and efforts in his absence, because their perils
are increased by the very fact that he is not present to warn them
of dangers and to prescribe remedies and helps as he did when with
them. They must work out their salvation "with fear and trem-
bling," i.e., with great solicitude for their own spiritual welfare and
a reverential fear of offending God. In thus admonishing his read-
PHILIPPIANS II. 13 125
13. For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish,
according to his good will.
ers the Apostle was only prescribing what he practised in his own
case, as we see in i Cor. ix. 2y, x. 12. From this exhortation it is
clear that we can co-operate with the grace of God in effecting
our salvation, and also that no one can be absolutely sure, without
a special divine revelation, of persevering to the end in God's favor.
13. The Apostle now adds the reason why they are to work out
their salvation with fear and trembling, namely, because the busi-
ness of their salvation is not simply a matter of their own strength,
but depends on God both as to its wish and accomplishment, so that
without the grace of God they can neither desire nor do anything
in the way of supernatural salvation. Thus it is the grace of God
that produces in us "to will" (i.e., the efficacious determination to
perform supernatural good) and "to accomplish" (i.e., the execution
of that determination) ; and this grace God gives, not because He is
obliged to give it, but because it is His "good will" (i.e., it is an
act of pure benevolence on His part). It follows, then, that God can
withdraw this grace if we are unfaithful to it.
And this efficacious movement on the part of God, far from
destroying our liberty, presupposes it, otherwise the Apostle could
not have just told his readers to work out their salvation with fear
and trembling. On this subject St. Augustine says: "Certum est
nos velle cum volumus, sed ille facit ut velimus bonum. . . . Certum
est nos facere cum f acimus, sed ille facit ut facimus praebendo vires
efficacissimas voluntati . . . et ipse ut velimus operatur incipiens,
qui volentibus cooperatur perficiens. . . . Ut ergo velimus sine nobis
operatur, cum autem volumus et sic volumus ut faciamus nobiscum
cooperatur, tamen sine illo vel operante ut velimus vel cooperante
cum volumus, ad bona pietatis opera nihil valemus" (De gratia et lib.
arh., 16, 17).
In these two verses, 12 and 13, the Apostle teaches the follow-
ing: (a) that of ourselves we cannot be sure of persevering in
good; (b) that faith without works is not sufficient for salvation;
(c) that good works can merit salvation; (d) that these good works
are done by our free will; (e) that free will is not sufficient of itself
to perform good works, but must be moved by grace, without which
we can do nothing useful for eternal life (see Cone. Trid., sess. VI,
De mstipcatione) . Cf. Sales, h. I.
126 PHILIPPIANS II. 14-18
14. And do ye all things without murmurings and disputings ;
15. That you may become blameless, and sincere children of God, without
reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation ; among whom
you shine as lights in the world,
16. Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ, be-
cause I have not run in vain, nor labored in vain.
17. Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your
faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all.
18. And for the selfsame thing, do you also rejoice, and congratulate
with me.
14-16. As contributing to the work of their salvation, therefore,
the Apostle now admonishes his readers to avoid all "murmurings"
against God because of their lot as Christians, and all "disputings"
and wranglings with one another about the ways of divine provi-
dence; so that their lives may be an example to the pagans among
whom they live and a shining light in the moral darkness that sur-
rounds them. Thus they will be living as becomes their dignity
as "children of God" (i.e., as Christians), and will be "holding
forth the word of life" (i.e., the teachings of the Gospel) as the
sure and safe guide to the true and only real life (John vi, 6, 9;
Acts v. 20 ; I John i. i ) ; and this will redound to the glory of their
Apostle, showing that he has not labored for them in vain, when
Christ comes to judge all mankind at the end of the world,
17-18. St. Paul expected to see the Philippians again, but he
speaks here as if he considered his execution a possibility; and in
that event he says that, even if he is to "be made a victim, etc."
(better, "to be poured out" as a libation over the "sacrifice and
service" of their faith), he will rejoice, and he assumes that they
will also rejoice with him, as sharing his spirit of martyrdom. St.
Paul is picturing the Philippians, in their character as Christian
believers, as a "sacrifice" ; he regards their lives as a "service" or
sacerdotal ritual ; and he is looking upon his own life-blood, in his
possible martyrdom, as an accompanying libation. His figurative
language may refer to the Jewish sacrifices or to the pagan sacri-
fices, with both of which his converts must have been familiar.
ST. PAUL IS GOING TO SEND TIMOTHY AND EPAPHRODITUS TO PHILIPPI,
19-30
19-30. In this familiar letter the Apostle has given his readers
advice, he has written about himself — what he hopes and fears as
PHILIPPIANS II. 19-22 127
19. And I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy unto you shortly, that
I also may be of good comfort, when I know the things concerning you.
20. For I have no man so of the same mind, who with sincere affection
is solicitous for you.
21. For all seek the things that are their own, not the things that are Jesus
Christ's.
22. And ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the father, so hath
he served with me in the gospel.
regards his future — and now he speaks of the two faithful disciples
whom he is sending to Philippi. Timothy, his most reliable co-
worker, who is also deeply interested in the Philippians and well
known to them, will come as soon as St. Paul learns how things
are going to turn out in his own case ; and then he himself hopes
to come before long (ver. 19-24). He is sending to them at once
Epaphroditus, who has been so kind and helpful to him, and who
for the sake of the Gospel has been seriously ill, as they know to
their sorrow. May they be cheered by his coming, may they receive
him with gladness, and honor all such self-sacrificing workers for
God (ver. 25-30) !
19. In the Lord. All Paul's hopes, thoughts, emotions, activities,
etc., repose in divine help.
Timothy, who had helped to found the Church at Philippi (Acts
xvi. 3 fif.).
Shortly, i.e., as soon as Paul knows the outcome of his trial.
20. He now gives the reason why he will send Timothy, namely,
because he has no one "so of the same mind, etc.," i.e., no one who
can equal Timothy in zeal and solicitude for the welfare of the
Philippians. Paul is not comparing Timothy with himself, at least
directly, but with his other workers; Timothy excels them all in
interest for the faithful of Philippi, and in that respect of course he
more closely resembles his great master.
21. A further reason is given for sending Timothy.
For all seek, etc. The Apostle is referring to his immediate
circle of workers, most of whom apparently had not always shown
the spirit of utter self-denial and self-forgetfulness which his own
invincible character demanded: they were inclined at times to seek
their personal ease and safety. Perhaps he had Demas and those
like him in mind (2 Tim. iv. 10; cf. Col. iv. 14; Phlm. 24).
22-24. And ye know the proof of him, i.e., they know his worth
128 PHILIPPIANS II. 23-29
23. Him therefore I hope to send unto you immediately, as soon as I scn
how it will go with me.
24. And I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall come to you shortly.
25. But I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, m^
brother and fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, but your apostle, and he hath
ministered to my wants.
26. For indeed he longed after you all: and was sad, for that you had
heard that he was sick.
27. For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death ; but God had mercy on him ;
and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28. Therefore I am sending him the more speedily: that seeing him again,
you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.
29. Receive him therefore with all joy in the Lord; and treat with honor
such as he is;
from his zealous labors with St. Paul at Philippi (Acts xvi. 3, xvii.
14. 15).
As soon as I see, etc., i.e., as soon as he knows the issue of
his Roman trial. He expects to be released, and then he will follow
Timothy to Philippi.
25. The Apostle begins here to speak of Epaphroditus, whom the
Philippians had sent to Rome with gifts (iv. 18), and whom he
now considers it "necessary" to send back to Philippi for the reasons
given below in verses 26-27.
Epaphroditus is mentioned only here and in iv. 18. St. Paul
speaks of him as a "fellow-soldier," i.e., a companion in the battle
against the enemy of souls and the faith. He was the Philippians'
"apostle," i.e., their messenger to St. Paul in Rome.
26-27. These verses assign the reason for the return of Epaphro-
ditus to Philippi. He desires to return for he knows the Philip-
pians are anxious about him, and St. Paul wishes him to go back
for the same reason. Had death taken him in his illness, another
great sorrow would have been added to the sorrows of the Apostle's
imprisonment.
28. Less sorrowful. His soul was never free from sorrow.
Hence he says "less sorrowful," not "without sorrow." St. Paul
is more concerned over the happiness of the Philippians than over
his own ; to add to their joy will mean more to him than to retain
the presence and helpfulness of their messenger to him, much as he
desires the latter.
29. Treat with honor, etc., i.e., hold in high esteem all such
zealous and loyal Gospel-workers.
PHILIPPIANS II. 30, III. I 129
30. Because for the work of Christ he came to the point of death, hazarding
his life, that he might fulfill that which on your part was wanting towards
my service.
30. The work of Christ, i.e., the long journey to Rome and the
labors and fatigue endured at Rome in behalf of St. Paul and the
Gospel.
Hazarding, etc. Literally, "gambling, etc.," i.e., he risked his
life in order to supply by personal effort what it was impossible for
the Philippians to do for St. Paul in the eternal city, and which
in their enforced absence they required him to discharge in their
name.
CHAPTER III
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE AND A FALSE GOSPEL, I-16
I. As to the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you, to me indeed is not wearisome, but to you is necessary.
1-16. Before bringing his letter to a close St. Paul wishes once
more to remind his readers of the dangers of the Judaizers, Those
self-appointed seducers go about with their insolent ways, evil prac-
tices, and false doctrines, boasting of their fleshly, hereditary priv-
ileges, while lacking all true spirituality. If it were a question, he
says, of trusting in the flesh, he could surpass them all ; but he has
renounced those perishable privileges, along with every other impedi-
ment, in order that he might gain Christ and know Him, that he
might attain to that justness which is through faith in Christ, and
that, by imitating the life of His master here below, he might be
crowned with Him hereafter. He says he has not yet attained to
that desired perfection, but he is pressing on towards it; and he
exhorts those of his readers who are likewise minded to do the
same, keeping faithful to the standard they have attained.
I. As to the rest. This is a formula which St. Paul often uses
to bring his letters to a close, or to introduce a new topic or the last
topic of a series. Very likely he was about to terminate this Epistle,
bidding his readers "rejoice in the Lord," the fountain of all true
joy, when he remembered the Judaizers, who were disturbing the
peace of the Church at Philippi and becoming more audacious be-
cause he was in prison. Therefore, he takes pains to warn the faith-
130 PHILIPPIANS III. 2-5
2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, who in spirit serve God ; and glory in
Christ Jesus, not having confidence in the flesh,
4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinketh
he may have confidence in the flesh, I more ;
5. Being circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe
ful against them, repeating the "same things" (i.e., the same admoni-
tions) which he had given before, very probably in other letters he
had written them that have not come down to us.
Necessary. Better, "advantageous," "useful."
2. Beware of dogs. More literally, "Look at the dogs," i.e..
Look out for them. With great emphasis and indignation the
Apostle now turns to denounce the Judaizers, describing them as
"dogs," to indicate their insolent, barking, and unclean character ;
as "evil workers," whose conduct would destroy the work of Christ ;
as those "of the concision," ironically alluding to their false notion
of circumcision which consisted in mere physical mutilation devoid
of spiritual significance. It is more probable that we have here three
distinct descriptions of one class of persons than an indication of
three different classes, representing respectively Gentiles, self-seek-
ing Christian teachers, and unbelieving Jews.
3. In contrast to these boasters of mere physical mutilation, the
Apostle says "we are the circumcision," i.e., the truly circumcised,
having the circumcision of the heart (Rom. ii. 28-29), of which he
proceeds to give the three characteristics.
Who in spirit serve God. Better, "who worship by the Spirit
of God," i.e., who, moved by God's own Spirit, render to God a
service that is worthy of Him.
And glory in Christ Jesus, the source of all justification and
the sole author of salvation.
Not having confidence in the flesh, i.e., in carnal rites and
observances which were given only for a time, until Christ should
come.
4-6. In verses 4- II the Apostle will show the Judaizers that he
opposes their carnal privileges, not because he himself did not
possess them, and indeed in the highest degree, but because they
were unable to effect justification — a state of soul which could be
obtained only through Jesus Christ.
If any other, etc. He means to say that, if it were of any use,
he has more reason to put his trust in hereditary privileges than
PHILIPPIANS III. 6-9 131
of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; according to the Law, a Pharisee;
6. According to zeal, persecuting the church; according to the justice that
is in the law, conversing without blame.
7. But the things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for
Christ.
8. Furthermore I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowl-
edge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I suffered the loss of all things,
and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ,
9. And may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law,
but that which is of the faith of Christ, which of God, justice in faith:
any of those false teachers, as the following will show. He was
"circumcised" in infancy, as the Law required; he was "of the
stock of Israel," the true covenant race ; "of the tribe of Benjamin,"
i.e., a descendant of that beloved son of Jacob whose tribe gave
Israel her first king and remained faithful to Juda at the disruption
of the kingdom; he was a "Hebrew of Hebrews," having always
retained the language and customs of his race, whereas the Hellen-
ists spoke Greek and largely adopted the customs of the Gentiles;
he was by choice "a Pharisee," and therefore a zealous and rigorous
observer of the Law of Moses ; he went so far in his zeal for Juda-
ism that he actually persecuted "the church of God" ; he gave such
scrupulous attention to the observance of the Law that his life
was "without blame" in so far as the Law could make it so.
The Dei of the Vulgate in verse 6 should be omitted, according
to the best Greek.
7. But all those Jewish prerogatives, which meant so much to
him among the Jews, he has come to regard as "loss," i.e., as use-
less, and even a hindrance to the possession of Christ, in whom
alone justification and salvation are to be found.
8. The Apostle augments his statement. Not only those Jewish
privileges, but also all similar things of the flesh, he has considered
as useless and damaging in comparison with the surpassing spiritual
benefits that have come to him through knowing his Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, for whose sake he "suffered the loss of all
things," at the time of his conversion, counting them all as "dung"
(better, as "refuse," i.e., as of no value) in order that he might
"gain Christ," the secret and source of all graces and benefits. The
present tense, "may gain," is used only because the past experience
is projected into the present.
9. The same truth is stated in another way.
132 PHILIPPIANS III. 10
10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fel-
lowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death,
May be found. Again the past experience is spoken of as pres-
ent, so vividly is it realized.
Not having my justice, etc., i.e., a justice which is acquired from
the works of the Law and by one's natural powers ; "but that which
is of the faith, etc.," i.e., that justice which God gives on account
of the faith one has in Jesus Christ ; faith is the foundation of this
justice or justness, and God is its author and giver.
The Jesu of the Vulgate here is not according to the best Greek.
lo. Returning to the thought of verse 8, the Apostle further
explains the reasons and advantages of his rejection of Judaism
with all its privileges.
Here in verse lo he assigns a threefold end or purpose he had
in seeking to "gain Christ" and to "be found in him," having that
justice which is through faith in Christ: (a) "that I may "know
him," i.e., that he might have an intimate, practical knowledge of
Christ, God and man, the source of all knowledge and the model of
all virtues ; (b) that he might know "the power of his resurrection,"
i.e., the power of the risen, glorified, immortal Christ, by whom we
have been reconciled with God (Rom. iv. 24-25), who is the earnest
of our own resurrection (i Cor. xv. 20; i Thess. iv. 14), and who
has sent us the Holy Spirit with his manifold graces, thus uniting
us intimately to Himself (John vii. 39, xx. 22; Acts ii. 33) ; (c)
that he might have "the fellowship of his sufferings, etc.," i.e., that
he might bear his own afflictions and sufferings for the sake of
Christ, and with the help of Christ's Holy Spirit, as his Master
had borne His cross for him, and this he desires as a means of
entering into a full, practical and fruitful knowledge here on earth
of the risen, glorified Christ. The way to the living Christ is that
marked out by Christ Himself: "H we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified with him" (Rom. viii. 17) ; "Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory?" (Luke
xxiv. 26).
Sufferings, patiently borne for Christ and in union with Christ,
are the royal way that leads to Christ now reigning in glory after
His triumph over sufferings and death through the power of His
resurrection ; and it is by thus entering upon and continuing in this
PHILIPPIANS III. 11-13 133
11. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the
dead.
12. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect: but I
follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also appre-
hended by Christ.
13. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing
way of suffering that one's life becomes "conformable" to the death
of the Master: "Always bearing about in our body the mortifica-
tion of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in
our bodies" (2 Cor. iv. 10).
11. The end and purpose of this fellowship with Christ's suf-
ferings and conformity to the Master's death, and indeed of all that
the Apostle has related from verse 7 to now, was that he might,
by all his sacrifices and sufferings, attain to the glorious "resurrec-
tion which is from the dead," by which in body and soul he would
be made like to his glorified Redeemer and thereafter forever asso-
ciated with Him..
The resurrection here in question is the General Resurrection of
all the just at the end of time, of which Christ's resurrection was
the pledge. St. Paul's hypothetical manner of speaking in this
verse, "if by any means, etc.," indicates the great difficulty of attain-
ing to that blessed state and the consequent uncertainty connected
with it, apart from the help of God.
12. In verses 12-17 the Apostle cites his own example as an ex-
hortation to his readers that they should increase their efforts to at-
tain Christian perfection. It might be concluded from all he has
said (ver. 7-1 1) about his sacrifices in order to acquire justice
before God, and about his sufferings in union with Christ in order
to reach the supreme goal of life, that he had reached a state of
perfection in which further effort is unnecessary. Hence he hastens
to observe in this present verse that he has not yet attained to this
perfection, that much remains to be done, that, far from resting
on his merits, he is bending every effort, like the runners in the
Greek stadium, to win his prize, which is fully and perfectly to
possess Christ, who took strong and lasting possession of him at
the time of his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts ix. 3 ff.).
I follow after. Better, "I press on."
The Jesu of the Vulgate is not in the best MSS.
13-14. The thought of the preceding verse is amplified, again
134 PHILIPPIANS III. 14-16
/ do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to
those that are before,
14. I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of
God in Christ Jesus.
15. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded; and if in
anything you be otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.
16. Nevertheless whereunto we are come, that we be of the same mind,
let us also continue in the same rule.
under the figure of the runners in the stadium. The Apostle tells
the Philippians that, instead of considering himself perfect or to
have reached his goal, he is using every energy, like an athlete in
a contest, to press on to the mark and to win the prize, which for
him is eternal life with Christ in heaven.
Forgetting the things, etc., i.e., not stopping to think of his
labors, his virtues, his merits ; and "stretching forth, etc.," i.e., ever
seeking new opportunities for growth in the grace and the knowl-
edge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter iii. 18). The
Greek word for "prize" is found only here and in i Cor. ix. 24,
in the New Testament; and it means eternal glory in both places.
The "vocation" or call to this "supernal" or heavenly prize is from
God the Father "in Christ," i.e., through the merits of Christ.
15. From the two preceding verses it may be inferred that there
were some at Philippi who thought they had arrived at perfection,
and that consequently they had nothing further to do in spiritual
ways. If this was the case, we can see a touch of irony in the
term "perfect" here; and the Apostle wishes to say: "Let those
who think themselves perfect remember that religious perfection
consists in a holy dissatisfaction with one's present state, combined
with a constant effort to press on."
And if in anything you be otherwise minded, etc. He means
to say that, if there were those who sincerely disagreed with him
in this matter, God would yet enlighten them, either directly through
the Holy Ghost, or through the teaching of their spiritual leaders.
16. Nevertheless, etc., i.e., as to what we have already attained
about divine things (Estius), or as to the standard of life we have so
far reached, let us continue according to it, and press on. There
is a slight difference between the Vulgate and the best Greek reading
of this verse. According to the latter, the sense is: "While some
of you may be in need of further light on certain points, I recom-
PHILIPPIANS III. 17-19 135
17. Be ye united followers of me, brethren, and observe them who so walk
even as you have our model.
18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you
weeping), that they are enemies of the cross of Christ;
19. Whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory
is in their shame ; who mind earthly things.
mend that you order your lives in accordance with the truth you
have so far attained, avoiding dissensions of any kind." Of course,
the Apostle uses the first person plural to soften his words.
Ut idem sapiamus of the Vulgate, while according to some less
important Greek MSS., may be regarded as a gloss. Likewise the
word regula. Our ordinary English version follows the Vulgate.
A WARNING AGAINST BAD EXAMPLE, I7-2I
17-21. St. Paul feels obliged to place before his readers as a
standard of life and conduct his own example and that of his com-
panions. He has warned them before with sorrow of those whose
worldly excesses are a contradiction of their profession, who are
enemies of the cross of Christ, and whose end is destruction. As
a safeguard against such debasing influences, he reminds the Philip-
pians of their high destiny as to their bodies as well as their souls ;
for their home is in heaven, whence in due time their Saviour
will come to transform by His almighty power their present fleshy
tabernacles into spiritual and imperishable bodies like His own.
17. And observe them who so walk, etc., i.e., take note of those
Christians who live according to the model we have given them.
The Apostle is referring to the example he and his companions and
associates have given.
In the Vulgate imitatores should be co-imitatores, to agree with
the Greek.
18-19. For many walk, etc. It Is disputed whether the "many"
here means Judaizers or bad Christians, but most probably the
latter are in question. Both indeed would be "enemies of the cross
of Christ" — the former, by insisting on legal observances, for if
justice is from the Law then Christ died in vain (Gal. ii. 21), and
the latter, by their moral excesses, for those who are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with its vices and evil desires (Gal. v. 24). But
it is much more natural to understand St. Paul to be moved to
tears over those who had once been good Christians and had de-
136 PHILIPPIANS III. 20, 21
20. But our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the
Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ,
21. Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of
his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all
things unto himself.
generated, than over those like the Judaizers who had never been
true to Christ.
I have told you often, vihen at Philippi.
Whose end is destruction, i.e., for whom final and eternal ruin
and loss is reserved. "Destruction" or perdition (dfrwXeia) here is
the same as in Phil. i. 28. It means the utter loss of blessedness,
the very antithesis of salvation (<r<oTi7pta) ; and as blessedness or sal-
vation is eternal, so must be this "destruction" or perdition of the
damned: "And these shall go into everlasting punishment; but the
just, into life everlasting" (Matt. xxv. 46). See on 2 Thess. i. 9.
Whose glory is in their shame, i.e., who glory in the very things
of which they ought to be ashamed. Those who think the Judaizers
are meant here take "shame" to be circumcision (St. Augustine) ;
St. Chrysostom thinks "shame" refers to sins of uncleanness.
20. Having mentioned the characteristics of bad Christians, the
Apostle will now give the marks of those who are faithful.
But. The Greek has ydp here; but since St. Paul is contrasting
the lives of good and bad Christians, the sense requires a particle of
contrast, like "but" or "whereas"; the thought of this verse goes
back to verse 17.
Our conversation, literally means "our manner of living," but
the Apostle means "our home," "our country"; the true Christian
walks the earth, but his thoughts, aims, hopes, and desires are in
heaven and in things that lead thereto.
We look for. Better, "we eagerly expect," as with "outstretched
neck and upturned eyes" (Rickaby).
21. The true Christian looks forward to the glorious time of his
complete deliverance, both of body and of soul; when Christ will
come at the end of the world and transform our present miserable,
suffering bodies into glorious, immortal temples like His own glori-
fied body (i Cor. xv. 40-49) ; when the risen Saviour will exercise
that power in our regard by which, as God, He will rule and domi-
nate all things (i Cor. xv. 25-27).
PHILIPPIANS IV. I, 2 137
CHAPTER IV
EXHORTATION TO VARIOUS VIRTUES AND HOLY THOUGHTS, I -9
1. Therefore, my beloved brethren, and my desired; my joy and my crown,
so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
2. I beg of Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of one mind in the
Lord.
1-9. After all the Apostle has said in the last part of the preceding
Chapter, his exceeding love for the Philippians manifests itself in
endearing terms, asserting that they will be his garland of victory
and joy in the day of Christ's coming to judge the world. He ex-
horts them to steadfastness ; he entreats Evodia and Syntyche, espe-
cially, to have no dissension, asking his loyal comrade to assist these
latter, since they, like Clement and his other fellow-workers, have
been so faithful to him in labors for the Gospel. Then to all he
recommends joy in the Lord, forbearance towards all men, freedom
from anxiety, prayerf ulness and thankfulness ; and he assures them
that, if they practise these virtues, the peace of God will take up
its abode in their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (ver. 1-7).
Finally, recapitulating, he begs them to feed their minds on all
that is true and good, wherever it may be found, asking them in
practice to obey his precepts and imitate his example as a sure way
to heavenly peace (ver. 8-9).
I. Therefore. This verse concludes what the Apostle has been
saying in the preceding Chapter, most probably in verses 17-21.
My beloved . . . my desired. The corresponding words in the
Vulgate here should be in the positive, instead of the superlative
degree, to harmonize with the Greek. The Apostle is exhorting
the Philippians to steadfastness in Christian life and conduct as in-
culcated by him and his companions, for he wishes to present them
to Christ as his achievement in the final judgment.
2. This verse seems to show that the two ladies mentioned occu-
pied a prominent place in the work of the Philippian Church, and
138 PHILIPPIANS IV. 3-5
3. And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who
have labored with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow
laborers, whose names are in the book of life.
4. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.
5. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
that some dissension had arisen between them. They are not men-
tioned elsewhere.
3. Companion. Literally, "yoke-fellow," i.e., fellow-worker. It
is unknown who he was. Perhaps he was Epaphroditus ; or pos-
sibly the Greek word here (cnJtvyos) is a proper name, and should
be rendered "Syzygus."
Those women. Literally, "them" (avrats), i.e., the two ladies
spoken of in the preceding verse.
Clement, perhaps a resident of Philippi, though he is identified
with Clement of Rome by many of the Fathers.
The book of life, i.e., God's eternal register in heaven (Apoc.
xiii. 8, XX. 12) ; it is God's certain knowledge of those who are pre-
destined (St. Thomas). The metaphor is taken from the custom
in antiquity of keeping in a register the names of all the people
of a country or town (cf. Exod. xxxii. 32; Isa. iv. 3; Dan. xii. i).
4. Speaking to all, the Apostle repeats his exhortation of iii.
I, bidding his readers "rejoice in the Lord always," on account of
the many spiritual blessings they now enjoy and that are prom-
ised them both here and hereafter by the Saviour who has redeemed
them ; there is never wanting to them a motive of spiritual joy.
5. As an effect of their spiritual joy, they are to manifest their
"modesty" (i.e., their gentleness and sweetness of character) "to
all men," even to those whom he had before called enemies of the
cross of Christ (St. Chrysostom) ; with all they are to deal in a
kindly manner, thus showing the value and loveliness of the religion
they profess.
The Lord is nigh. This assigns the great cause of their joy;
"a man rejoices at the coming of a friend" (St. Thomas). Hence
this phrase is to be connected with what precedes, and the Greeks
understood it of the General Judgment. Others think it refers to
the ever-present grace and help of God (so St. Thomas). The
former opinion is more probable: Christ is coming to judge and
crown us for our patience and spirit of sweet endurance ; the Apostle
often speaks of the final judgment as if it were close at hand, in
PHILIPPIANS IV. 6-8 139
6. Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.
7. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, will keep
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8. For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest,
whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good
report, if there be any virtue, if any praise — think on these things.
order that his readers might keep it ever in their minds (a Lapide,
Knabenbauer, etc.).
6. Anxious soUcitude is an impediment to joy, and hence the
Apostle now admonishes, "be nothing solicitous" (i.e., have no anxi-
eties) either as regards goods you lack or evils you bear, but in
every work and condition have recourse to God "by prayer and sup-
plication" (i.e., with fervor and perseverance), not forgetting pray-
ers of "thanksgiving," for God is ever ready to hear your worthy
"petitions," and will always grant what you ask, or something bet-
ter. God never fails to answer in some way prayers that are prop-
erly made, though He will not give us what is not for our good ;
and gratitude for favors received disposes God to grant more
favors.
7. The effect of prayer that is properly made is peace of mind
and soul.
The peace of God, i.e., the peace whose author and giver is God.
Which surpasseth all understanding, i.e., which is supernatural,
and therefore cannot be produced by human means or understood
by those who have not experienced it.
Will keep. Literally, "will guard," like a sentinel at a gate,
"your hearts and minds" (i.e., your feelings and thoughts) "in
Christ Jesus," our spiritual citadel. St. Paul is speaking in military
terms.
8. Coming now to the end of the body of his letter, St. Paul sum-
marizes the things he wishes his readers seriously to consider and
meditate on. The subjects indicated are quite general, pertaining
to pagan morality as well as Christian virtues.
True, i.e., genuine, sincere.
Modest, i.e., becoming, seemly.
Just, i.e., according to the norms of right dealing.
Holy, i.e., pure, elevated, free from debasing elements.
Lovely, i.e., lovable, gracious.
I40 PHILIPPIANS IV. 9, lo
9. The things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and
seen in me, these do ye, and the God of peace shall be with you.
ID. Now I rejoice in the Lord exceedingly, that now at length your thought
for me hath flourished again, as you did also think; but j'ou were busied.
Of good report, i.e., winning the esteem and approval of men,
in the sense of i Tim. iii. 7: "He must have a good testimony of
them that are without"; and of 2 Cor. viii. 21 : "We forecast what
may be good not only before God, but also before men."
Virtue, a very general term summing up the first four qualities
just named, and found only here in St. Paul. It embraces all that
is virtuous in any way.
Praise, also a very general term summing up the last two quali-
ties named above, and meaning, worthy of approbation, praiseworthy.
The last two qualities are paraphrased as follows by Lightfoot :
"Whatever value may reside in your old heathen conception of
virtue, whatever consideration is due to the praise of men."
The disciplincc of the Vulgate is not according to the best
Greek MSS.
9. St. Paul has just given his readers ample food for meditation;
and, before telling them to put these lofty thoughts into practice,
he calls attention to his own example, to what they have seen in
him and heard about him from others, in order to malce it plain
that he is not asking them to do what is too hard or impossible. If
they will follow his advice, "the God of peace" will be with them,
to help them and to enable them to relish the possession of true
tranquillity of soul.
CONCLUSION, 10-23
10-23. Having closed the didactic part of his letter, St. Paul now
turns to personal matters. He thanks the Philippians for the gifts
they sent him, recalling the privilege they have had in sharing,
through their charity, in his labors and afflictions ever since they
first had the Gospel preached to them, assuring them that he needs
nothing further and that God will repay them in glory. Offering
greetings from himself and his companions, he then imparts his
blessing.
10. The Apostle rejoices with a holy joy at the gifts the Philip-
PHILIPPIANS IV. II-I4 141
11. I speak not as it were for want. For I have learned, in whatsoever
state I am, to be content therewith.
12. I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound : every-
where, and in all things I am instructed both to be full, and to be hungry;
both to abound, and to suffer need.
13. I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.
14. Nevertheless you have done well in communicating to my tribulation.
plans have sent by Epaphroditus, not so much because they have
succored him, but because by their charity they have profited
spiritually.
That now at length, etc. Some see in these words a slight
rebuke, as if the faithful at Philippi had been guilty of neglect in
the Apostle's regard ; but the real meaning is that a change for the
better in their temporal circumstances or opportunities had enabled
them to assist the Apostle once more as they had done in the past ;
they had the will to help all along, but they had been impeded.
As you did also think, etc., i.e., they did continue to care for
him, they wanted to come to his assistance, but opportunity was
lacking.
11-13. In these verses the Apostle tells the Philippians that the
gladness he experienced over their gifts was not due to his want
or to the relief they gave him; for he has learned in the school of
Christ to be content wherever he is, or with whatever he has, be it
little or much, be he in need or in affluence. He has arrived at this
state of spiritual peace and equanimity, not by his own efforts, but
by reason of his union with Jesus Christ and the supernatural power
given him by his Master : all his strength is from Christ.
I am instructed. Better, "I have been initiated," a phrase often
used with reference to pagan mystery cults, initiation into which was
a slow and difficult process. It means here that St. Paul through
faith, and perhaps by divine revelation, had learned the secret of
the peace and contentment of mind which he describes in these
verses. The Apostle was well aware of the great truth that it is
what a man is that he carries into the future life, and that he leaves
behind what he has here.
14. Nevertheless. From what the Apostle had just said the
Philippians might conclude that he was not pleased with their gifts,
and hence he now praises their liberality.
J42 PHILIPPIANS IV. 15-18
15. And you also know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel,
when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as con-
cerning giving and receiving, but you only:
16. For unto Thessalonica also you sent once and again for my use.
17. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your
account.
18. But I have all, and abound : I am filled, having received from Epaphro-
ditus the things you sent, an odor of sweetness, an acceptable sacrifice,
pleasing to God.
In communicating, etc., i.e., in taking a share in his affliction;
because they thus made themselves worthy to have a share also in
his rewards.
15-16. He recalls their liberality of the past, which began with
the first preaching of the Gospel at Philippi. And this singular
honor belongs to the Philippians alone of all the Churches evangel-
ized by St. Paul.
No church communicated with me, etc. The Apostle is here
using commercial language, and his meaning is that no other Church
gave him material aid in exchange for his spiritual benefits (of. I
Cor. ix. 11).
For unto Thessalonica, etc. Scarcely had the Apostle left the
Philippians on his way to Greece than they sent him gifts, and that
several times, while he was yet in Macedonia (Acts xvii. 1-5). From
no other Church, however, did he ever accept aid, as he tells us
himself (2 Cor. xi. 7-9).
17. While praising the prompt liberality of the faithful of Philippi,
St. Paul here, as in verse 11, is careful to remind them that he is
not seeking help for himself, but rather the spiritual benefit of the
Philippians ; he rejoices at the merits they are gaining by their kind
charity.
18. Again he forestalls a possible misunderstanding. In saying
that he seeks in the gifts of the Philippians abundant spiritual fruit
for them, it might seem to be implied that he wanted them to send
him more. Therefore he here assures them that he has all that
he needs, and more than he needs.
An odor of sweetness. The alms of the Philippians were not
only acceptable to the Apostle, but were also pleasing to God, like
a sweet-smelling sacrifice (cf. Gen. viii. 21 ; Exod. xxix. 18; Ezech.
XX. 41).
PHILIPPIANS IV. 19-23 143
19. And my God will supply all your want, according to his riches in glory
in Christ Jesus.
20. Now to God and our Father be glory world without end. Amen.
21. Salute ye every saint in Christ Jesus.
22. The brethren who are with me, salute you. All the saints salute you;
especially, they that are of Caesar's household.
23. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
19. The Apostle now assures the PhiUppians that, in return for
their material gifts to him, God will repay them with spiritual treas-
ures ; and this, not according to their merits, but "according to his
riches," which He will lavish on them "in glory," i.e., in their
heavenly home above. "His riches in glory" are the fruit of "the
riches of his grace" (Eph. i. 7).
In Christ Jesus, i.e., by reason of their union with Christ.
The impleat of the Vulgate should be implehit, to agree with the
Greek.
20. The words just spoken about the rewards of the PhiUppians
cause the Apostle to break into a doxology in gratitude to the Giver
of all good things, who is also "our Father."
Glory. Better, "the glory," as in the Greek, meaning the glory
which belongs to God.
World without end is a Hebraism, meaning for all eternity.
Amen, so be it.
21-22. St. Paul sends first his personal salutations to each Chris-
tian of the Church at Philippi; then subjoins those of his imme-
diate circle; and finally, those of all the Roman Christians, espe-
cially those of "Caesar's household," who were "probably slaves and
freed men attached to the palace" (Lightfoot). The mention of
these last personages shows how widespread and powerful was the
influence of the Gospel, which had penetrated even into the royal
palace.
23. The Apostle concludes his Epistle with his accustomed bless-
ing, which was very likely an autograph.
THE
EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS
INTRODUCTION
I. Colossae. Colossae was an ancient city of southwestern
Phrygia in the Roman Province of Asia. It was situated in the val-
ley of the Lycus River about one hundred and twenty miles east
from Ephesus and on the great highway of trade between the East
and the West of the ancient world. At one time it enjoyed consider-
able importance, but declined with the foundation and growth of
Laodicea, some ten miles to the west, about the middle of the third
century B.C. Besides the wealth and prosperity which developed
in the closely adjacent Laodicea, other factors which contributed to
the decline and ruin of Colossse were the earthquakes that repeatedly
shook it and the fame and attractiveness of Hierapolis, the Sacred
City, situated only thirteen miles to the northwest. Hierapolis, the
birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus and the later residence
of the Apostle Philip of Bethsaida, was a pleasure and health resort
and a centre of pagan worship.
In the time of St. Paul Colossae was but a small town or mere
village, lacking any special industry or commercial importance. Its
inhabitants, therefore (largely Phrygian, intermingled with Greeks
and some Jews), had more leisure time than was wholesome for their
spiritual welfare : they talked and speculated too much, and so devel-
oped some erroneous doctrines by attempting to express Christian
ideas in the terms and forms of philosophic and religious thought
then current in Phrygia and in Asia Minor generally. Repeated
raids and devastations by the Saracens during the seventh and eighth
centuries completed the destruction of Colossae and the town be-
came a heap of ruins. Nothing remains of it now. The Lycus
still flows through the valley, but the city once overhanging it on
the upper part of its course, and forever distinguished by the letter
of St. Paul, has long ago ceased to exist.
Z44
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 145
II. The Church of Colossae. Since in the time of St. Paul the
town of Colossse was far inferior in wealth, population and general
importance to the neighboring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis,
one may naturally ask why he addressed an Epistle thither. It was
doubtless the least important place to which the Apostle ever wrote
any of his letters that have come down to us. Nor had he ever
been there himself, as seems clear from Col. i, 4, 6-8, ii. i. In his
journeys from the East through Asia Minor to the West it appears
that he always kept to the "upper coasts" (Acts xix. i), following
the Cayster route, which was shorter, and so easier for foot travel-
lers like himself. Why, then, this Epistle to Colossae, and not to
Laodicea or Hierapolis? The obvious and chief explanation seems
to lie in the fact that Colossae was the home of Epaphras, Philemon
and Onesimus, three special friends of St. Paul. Political and com-
mercial relations were close between Colossae and Ephesus, and it
must be that Epaphras and Philemon had come in contact with
Paul and had been converted by him early during the Apostle's
sojourn in the latter city. These two then carried the faith back
to Colossae, their own city. In fact, it seems clear from Col. i. 7, 8
that Epaphras became the founder of the Church in his native town ;
and from Phlm. 2, 3 it is plain that Philemon actively co-operated
in propagating the new religion, even lending the use of his own
house for the gatherings of the faithful. Onesimus, Philemon's
runaway slave, met St. Paul in Rome, and was converted by him
shortly before the writing of this Epistle.
Moreover, the errors combated in this Epistle, though doubtless
not confined to Colossae, appear to have been especially prevalent
there, owing to its situation on the great highway of trade, and in
particular to the comparatively leisurely life of its people. It is
true that Laodicea was similarly situated, but its much greater popu-
lation and intensive life of business allowed less time for the sim-
mering of new thoughts and new ideas and the development of
fanciful theories in religious matters. But the letter to Colossae
and the ministry of Epaphras were by no means to be confined to
the one town, but were to be extended to Laodicea and to the whole
Lycus valley. It is reasonably certain that Epaphras evangelized
that entire district, for St. Paul expressly says of him: "I bear
him testimony that he hath much labor for you, and for them that
146 INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS
are at Laodicea, and them at Hierapolis" (Col. iv. 13). St. Paul
also expressly ordered that this letter be read in the Church of
Laodicea (Col. iv. 16).
Another reason why this letter was sent to Colossse, rather than
to the larger and more important city of Laodicea, is that very prob-
ably our Epistle to the Ephesians was in reality sent to the Lao-
diceans, and that St. Paul was referring to it in Col. iv. 16. This
probability we have already discussed in the Introduction to Ephe-
sians, No. IV.
III. The Occasion and Purpose of This Letter. From what
has been said already, we can see how the new religion was likely
to spread apace in Colossae, and how, owing to the character of its
mixed population, there might be dangers to the purity and integrity
of the faith there. And so it happened, as a matter of fact. Condi-
tions became in a few years so serious that, when St. Paul was a
prisoner in Rome the first time, Epaphras, the founder and head
of the Church of Colossae (Col. i. 7, 8, iv. 12, 13), deemed it nec-
essary to go all the way to the Eternal City for the purpose of ex-
plaining the situation to the great leader and master.
Of course, the report given by Epaphras of Colossian conditions
was not at all one of entire complaint and apprehensiveness ; for the
charity and faith of the Church as a whole were sufficiently en-
couraging to evoke St. Paul's express commendation (Col. i. 8, ii. 5).
But false teachers had appeared and were sowing the seeds of doc-
trines which, if not checked, would imperil the faith they had re-
ceived in its purity from their founder and his co-workers.
Just who these false teachers were and what their doctrines were
in detail it is extremely difficult to determine ; a multitude of con-
flicting opinions have been advanced. From the Epistle (Col. ii.
8-23), however, we can gather the main outlines of the errors in
question. In the first place, there were Judaizers who, perhaps
claiming a higher way of perfection, wished to introduce the ob-
servance of the Law of Moses and rabbinical traditions, such as
the ordinances regarding Sabbaths, new moons, etc., and the prohibi-
tion to eat, drink, taste, or even touch certain things, on the assump-
tion that matter is evil. On the other hand, there were errors of a
semi-Gnostic type tending to detract from the dignity of Christ,
holding that the angels were superior or at least equal to Him, and
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 147
that we must have access to God through them. All these errors I ^
were of Jewish origin, as the best Catholic and non-Catholic scholars | •
agree, and as is plain from the allusions to Jewish observances, '
feasts, regulations, and the like.
Now, St. Paul wrote the present letter to correct such pernicious
teachings and to give the faithful of Colossae a true conception of
Christian life and practice, based on a correct understanding of the
relation of Christ to God, to the universe, and to the Church. This
he does first by a clear presentation of the true doctrine about Christ,
which robbed the false teachers of the very foundation of their
errors. Christ, he says, is our Redeemer and Saviour; He is the
image of the invisible God ; all things have been made in Him and
by Him, and all consist in Him ; He is the first-born from the dead,
the head of the Church, and He exercises primacy over all things ;
He is the universal Mediator through whom alone peace and recon-
ciliation have come to all; He is the explanation and the consum-
mation of all God's dealings and mysterious dispensations and the
hope of our future glory (Col. i. 14-27) ; in Christ, finally, are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. ii. 3-7). Thus, by
a positive teaching of the truth does St. Paul attempt, in the first
place, to correct the false doctrines that were spreading among the
faithful of Colossse. His method of correction, in the second place,
is by attacking more directly their errors, showing the futility and
emptiness of a false ethical system which they vainly tried to dignify
as a "philosophy" (Col. ii. 8-23). All this will more clearly appear
from an examination of the contents of the Epistle.
IV. Analysis of Contents. The Epistle to the Colossians is
divided into four parts: an introduction (i. 1-8), a dogmatico-
polemical part (i. 9 — ii. 23), a moral part (iii. i — iv. 6), and a
conclusion (iv. 7-18).
A. Introduction (i. 1-8). Following his customary form of salu-
tation (i. I, 2), St. Paul assures his readers of his prayers of thanks-
giving to God upon the report he has received of their Christian
virtues of faith in Christ, of love towards one another, and of hope
arising out of the Gospel preached to them (i. 1-5). The world-
wide message has come to them, as to others, and has borne fruit,
following the preaching of it by Epaphras, the Apostle's faithful
minister, who has now brought this good news to Rome (i, 6-8).
148 INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS
B. DoGMATico- Polemical Part (i. 9 — ii. 23). The report given
by Epaphras has enabled St. Paul to give his prayers for the Colos-
sians the needed direction. Hence he begins by praying that they
may receive a fuller knowledge of God's will and eternal purpose,
in order that they may live more holy lives ; for, as this knowledge
deepens, their lives will become spiritually more fruitful (i. 9, 10).
The strength to do this will come from God Himself (i. 11). For
the children of God share the light that is every Christian's in-
heritance; and from the darkness in which once they lived God
has transferred them into the kingdom of His own beloved Son,
through whom we have been redeemed and delivered from our
sins (i. 12-14).
The Apostle next speaks of the person of Christ and of His
supreme dignity (a) with respect to the invisible God, of whom
He is the eternal image, (b) with respect to all creation, of which
He is the first-bom, the source, the creator, and the head, and (c)
with respect to the Church, His redeemed creation, of which He is
the beginning and mystical head through His death on the cross
(i. 15-20). May the Colossians, therefore, once dead in sin and
enemies of God but now sharing in the graces of Christ's redemp-
tion, strive to lead blameless lives, which will be possible only if
they hold fast to the faith they have received which is preached
everywhere, and of which the Apostle is in a special sense the
minister (i. 21-23) '
The reference to the share in Christ which the Colossians now
enjoy induces St. Paul to explain to them his own part in this divine
work. His very sufferings, united to those of Christ, help to further
the work of the Church ; and his relation to his readers is a part
of God's plan for their salvation (i. 24, 25). This union of Chris-
tians with Christ is a myster)^ before hidden but now revealed to
all the faithful, and extended beyond the Jews to the Gentile world
(i. 26, 27). This is the message which Paul is commissioned to
preach, not to a privileged few, but to every man, to all the world;
and it is for this that he labors through the power God gives him
(i. 28, 29). St. Paul writes thus of his labors that the Colossians
may understand his interest in them and in those that have never
seen him, and to explain why he prays for their enlightenment (ii.
1-3). He warns them against a specious error (ii. 4) ; he is with
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 149
them in spirit, and he rejoices too to know of the steadfastness of
their faith in Christ (ii. 5) . Let them, therefore, continue to advance
in the faith they have been taught, fixed and unwavering, and be
ever more thankful for it (ii. 6, 7).
So far the Apostle has been refuting the false teaching at Colossae
by a positive statement of the truth. Now he will attack more ex-
plicitly the errors that endanger them. These are partly dogmatic
and speculative (ii. 8-15), partly practical (ii. 16-23). Let the
Colossians not be deceived by systems which, claiming the plausible
name of "philosophy," are wholly of this world, and not according
to Christ, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity and from whom
the Colossians have received all the spiritual benefits they enjoy
(ii. 8-15).
False doctrines at Colossse have naturally been followed by false
practices. The new teachers have been insisting on Jewish legal
observances, which have no longer any value for Christians (ii.
16, 17) ; they have been teaching a false humility and a wrong cult
of angels, forgetting that Christ is the head of all (ii. 18, 19) ; and
the practical asceticism they have been inculcating is useless and vain
(ii. 20-23).
C. Moral Part (iii. i — iv. 6). Basing his teachings on the prin-
ciples just laid down in the dogmatic part of his letter, St. Paul
now begins to treat of the duties of the Christian life in general
(iii. 1-17) and in particular (iii. 18 — iv. i), after which follow some
leading precepts addressed to all the faithful (iv. 2-6).
Those who have become Christians ought to live for heaven, in
union with their risen Lord, awaiting His second coming in glory
(iii. 1-4). They should, therefore, put ofl the old man of sin with
his evil deeds, and put on the new man of grace, growing more and
more into the likeness of Christ, and into a state where there is no
longer any distinction of nationality or class, but where Christ is
supreme over all (iii. 5-1 1). This new man includes the practice
of the gentler virtues, and especially of charity and a good intention
in all we do (iii. 12-17).
In the next place the Apostle gives particular directions for various
relationships of life — for wives and husbands (iii. 18, 19), for chil-
dren and parents (iv. 20, 21), for servants and masters (iii. 22 —
iv. i). Some general counsels addressed to all the faithful, espe-
ISO INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS
cially as regards prayer and prudence, terminate the moral part of
the Epistle (iv. 2-6).
D. Conclusion (iv. 7-18). The letter closes with a commenda-
tion of Tychicus and Onesimus, the messengers by whom it was sent
to Colossae (iv. 7-9), a number of personal salutations (iv. 10-15),
some recommendations (iv. 16, 17), and a blessing (iv. 18).
V. Authorship and Integrity of Colossians. The genuineness
of the Epistle was never questioned until Meyerhoff and Baur in the
first part of the nineteenth century began to raise objections to it.
Antiquity was unanimous in its favor. It was expressly attributed
to St. Paul by the Canon of Muratori, and was quoted by Justin
Martyr, by St. Irenaeus, by Clement of Alexandria, by Origen, and
by Tertullian. It is found in the first collections of St. Paul's
Epistles, and in the early versions, like the Itala and the Peshitto.
Marcion included it in his Canon, and the Valentinians and other
early heretics quoted it as Scripture. There are traces of it in Clem-
ent of Rome, in the Epistle of Barnabas, in St. Ignatius and St.
Theophilus of Antioch, in Polycarp, etc.
As to later and recent writers, it can be said that the authenticity
of this Epistle has been admitted, not only by all Catholics, but also
by the best Protestant and rationalistic scholars, such as Weiss,
Godet, von Soden, Jiilicher, Harnack, Zahn, Lightfoot, Sanday,
Moffatt, Adeney, etc. In short, the external arguments in favor of
Colossians are so strong, and they are so thoroughly supported by
the internal evidence, that the objections brought forward by a few
critics, like Meyerhoff, Holtzmann and Baur, have found scant favor
even in the most radical circles. For example, to attempt to find
difficulties against the authorship of this letter on the ground that
its style differs in certain places and in some respects from that
of earlier Epistles, or that it contains certain terms not found else-
where in St. Paul, or that the Christology is here more highly devel-
oped, or that the errors dealt with must have been of later date, or
that this letter is too similar to Ephesians to have been written by
the same author — to advance these and such like objections is to
ignore or to set at naught all the facts in the case as disclosed to
us by everything we know about St. Paul himself, with his rich and
versatile character and command of language, about the occasion
and purpose of this letter, about the development and history of
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 151
Gnosticism in its Judaic and Greek forms, and about the time, place
of composition, circumstances, etc., of the Epistles to the Ephesians
and the Colossians.
In this connection the student may read what we have said on
the authorship of Ephesians, for there things have been discussed
that are pertinent here.
Nothing of any great moment can be said against the integrity of
this letter, though Dr. Hort believes that Chapter II has not come
down to us entirely uncorrupted; and this seems likely, espe-
cially with regard to ii. 18, 23, where the readings are so many
and so difficult. In conclusion, therefore, we may say with Dr.
Sanday and the best modern authorities that Colossians is distin-
guished by an unbreakable unity and a genuine Pauline character.
VI. Date and Place of Composition. These questions have been
sufficiently treated under the same heading in our Introduction to
Ephesians. As said there, the connection between the Ephesian
Epistle and those to the Colossians and Philemon is extremely close.
The literary affinity between the first two is remarkable. Tychicus
is the bearer of both of them, and he is accompanied by Onesimus,
who is carrying the letter to Philemon (Eph. vi. 21 ; Col. iv. 7~9)'
The same persons send greetings in Colossians and Philemon, namely,
Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke and Demas. In fact, all the
proper names that occur in the letter to Philemon are found also
in the Epistle to the Colossians, with the exception of Philemon
himself and Appia, most probably his wife. Philemon is not greeted
in Colossians because a separate letter had been addressed to him
at the same time. Hence it seems beyond doubt that these three
letters must have been written from the same place and about the
same time, that is, from Rome, while St. Paul was in prison there,
61-63 A.D. See Introduction to Ephesians.
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Besides the commentaries on this Epistle already mentioned in the Bibli-
ography for Ephesians, we call attention to the following among Catholics :
Messmer, Erkldrtmg des Kolosser-briefes (Brixen, 1863) ; Henle, Kolossa und
der Brief des Apostels Panltis an die Kolosser (Munich, 1887) ; Sales, in
La Sacra Bibbia, vol. II (Turin, 1914).
Among non-Catholics we have those already given in the Bibliography
for Ephesians and Philippians, namely, von Soden, Abbott, and Shaw ; and
in addition we have Bleek, Vorlesungen iiber den Briefe an die Kolosser,
Philemon (Berlin, 1865) ; von Hofmann, Die Briefe Pauli an die Kolosser
und an Philemon (1870) ; Klopper, Der Brief an die Kolosser (Berlin,
1882) ; Maclaren, The Epistle to the Colossians (London, 1887) ; Lightfoot,
St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (8th ed., London,
1892) ; Moule, The Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Colossians and
to Philetnon, in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge,
1906) ; Williams, The Epistle to the Coloss. (Cambridge, 1907) ; Crafer,
Colossians and Philemon, in A New Comm. on Holy Script. (New York,
1928) ; Dodd, Colossians and Philemon, in Abingdon Bible Comm. (New
York, 1929).
«Sa
The Epistle to The Colossians
CHAPTER I
GREETING AND THANKSGIVING, 1-8
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy the
brother,
2. To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, who are at Colossae.
3. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, praying always for you,
1-8. Following his customary form, St. Paul, in company with
Timothy, salutes the faithful of Colossae, assuring them of his con-
stant prayers of thanksgiving to God in their behalf on account of
their faith in Christ, their charity towards one another, and the con-
sequent reward awaiting them hereafter. This hope of future
blessedness came to them with the preaching of the Gospel truth;
and with them as elsewhere, from the time of its first preaching,
this worldwide message of salvation has yielded a great spiritual
harvest. It was Epaphras, Paul's beloved comrade, who preached
the Gospel to the Colossians, and who has now brought news of
them to him in Rome.
1-2. For a nearly identical greeting see Eph. i. i.
Timothy. See Introduction to i Tim., No. I. Timothy was
associated with Paul at this time in Rome, and probably he wrote
down this letter as the Apostle dictated it.
Faithful brethren, i.e., fellow-Christians, who were full of active,
living faith.
Colossae. See Introduction, No. I.
In the Vulgate of verse 2 Jcsu should be omitted, as in the Greek.
3. Grace be to you and peace, etc. See on the same sentence
in Eph. i. 2.
IS3
154 COLOSSIANS I. 4-8
4. Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have towards
all the saints,
5. For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard
in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6. Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth
forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and
knew the grace of God in truth.
7. As you learned of Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for
you a faithful minister of Christ,
8. Who also hath manifested to us your love in the Spirit.
And from the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nearly equal MSS.
evidence for the omission or the retention of this phrase here, which
is found in Eph. i. 2,
We give thanks, etc. The meaning is that, as often as he and
Timothy prayed, they gave thanks to God for the Colossians' life
of faith and love ; or that, as often as they prayed for the Colossians,
they thanked God for the spiritual benefits the latter enjoyed.
4. The reason for his prayer of thanksgiving is now assigned,
namely, the Colossians' faith in Christ and their charity to their
brethren.
Hearing, from Epaphras (ver. 8).
5-6. For the hope, etc., i.e., on account of the hope, etc. There
is question here, not of hope, but of the object of hope, of the thing
hoped for, the reward awaiting the faithful life hereafter; and so
it is disputed whether St. Paul is thanking God for the reward in
store for the virtues and good works of the Colossians, as well as
for their faith and love, or whether this hoped-for reward is the
basis and motive of their active faith and love. The former ex-
planation seems to be the meaning here (cf. Knabenhauer, hoc loco).
Which you have heard, etc. Better, "whereof you have heard,
etc."
In the word, etc., i.e., in the announcement or preaching of the
Gospel which was given them (ver. 6), and which everywhere in
the whole Roman world is a growing and fruit-bearing seed, as
it has been with them ever since they first "heard and knew" (i.e.,
understood and recognized) "the grace of God" (i.e., the contents
of the Gospel) "in truth" (i.e., as it is in reality).
7-8. Epaphras, a resident and perhaps also a native of Colossa;
COLOSSIANS I. 7, 8 155
and, if not the founder of the Church there, at least one of the
chief workers in it. He is mentioned below in iv. 12 and in Phlm.
23. Tradition makes him the first Bishop of Colossae. It is unlikely
that he is to be identified with Epaphroditus, spoken of in Phil,
ii. 25, iv. 18, though his name is an abbreviation of the latter's.
Fellow-servant, i.e., companion in the service of Christ, who
preached the Gospel at Colossae, and who now has brought to Paul
and his companions in Rome a report of the love the Colossians
have for them.
The Jesus of the Vulgate (ver. 7) is not in the Greek.
DOGMATICO-POLEMICAL PART OF THE EPISTLE, 1. 9 — H. 23
i. 9 — ii. 23. The Apostle prays that the Colossians may grow in
knowledge of God's will and purpose in their regard, so as to be
able to increase correspondingly the spiritual fruitfulness of their
lives, aided by the strength He gives them. They must thank the
Eternal Father who has made them members of His kingdom
through the redemption wrought by His Son (i. 9-14).
He next describes the person and work of Christ, who is the
image of the unseen God, the Creator of all things, the Head of the
Church, and the Saviour by whose redemptive merits all things
have been reconciled to the Father (i. 15-20). May the Colossians
show in their conduct the benefit of the redemption they have re-
ceived by leading holy and blameless lives, which will be possible
only if they hold fast to the faith preached to them, of which Paul
is the minister (i. 21-23) •
The Apostle then explains his sufferings for Christ and his com-
mission to preach to the whole world God's age-old mystery, now
made manifest to Christians through Christ, of uniting Jews and
Gentiles in the one Church of Christ (i. 24-29) . This is why he prays
for the unity, charity, and purity of faith of the Colossians, Lao-
diceans, and all who have not seen his face (ii. 1-7).
Let the Colossians be on their guard against false teachers among
them, whose erroneous speculations will lead them away from
Christ, their true head and redeemer (ii. 8-15), and will plunge
156 COLOSSIANS I. 9-12
9. Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray
for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will,
in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:
ID. That you may walk worthy of the Lord in all things pleasing: being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:
11. Strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory, unto
all patience and long-suffering with joy,
12. Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers
of the lot of the saints in light:
them into practices that are useless, false, and vain (ii. 16-23). See
Introduction, No. IV, B.
THE apostle's PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS, 9-I4
9-14. The report of the Colossians given to St. Paul by Epaphras
has enabled the Apostle properly to direct his prayers for them.
Accordingly he prays that they may receive a clearer knowledge of
the divine will and purpose, to the end that they may lead lives more
pleasing to God and more fruitful in good works, thus manifesting
the results of the blessings of redemption they have received.
9. Therefore, i.e., in view of the report given by Epaphras in the
preceding verses 4-8.
We heard it, i.e., heard of their faith in Christ (ver. 4).
Cease not to pray, etc., means to pray frequently, as in Rom. i.
9; I Thess. i. 2, ii. 13, v. 17; 2 Tim. i. 3.
Wisdom is such an illumination of the mind as to enable the
judgment to go back to the supreme cause of things, and, thus en-
lightened, to direct particular things to their proper ends (Cajetan).
Understanding is that perception of things which enables us
rightly to grasp their nature and character, and thence to formulate
rules for action. The term "spiritual" here qualifies both wisdom
and understanding, showing the Spirit of God to be the source of
both.
ID. This verse gives the purpose of the gifts just requested for
the Colossians.
The Deo of the Vulgate should be Domino, according to the
Greek.
II. Besides a deeper knowledge of God's will and divine mys-
teries, the Apostle asks that the Colossians may also be strengthened
COLOSSIANS I. 13, 14 157
13. Who delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into
the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14. In whom we have redemption, the remission of sins ;
from on high, so as to be able to resist all their temptations and bear
all their trials.
According to the power of his glory, i.e., in a manner worthy
of His supreme nature as manifesting itself.
Unto all patience, etc., i.e., the effect of the divine power im-
plored is to enable the faithful to bear their suffering and trials
with a spirit of holy endurance and perseverance, and with a joyful
heart. The phrase "with joy" more properly belongs to what imme-
diately precedes than to what follows.
In the Vulgate we should read in omnem patientiam et longani-
mitatem, to agree with the Greek.
Giving thanks to the Father, etc., as becomes dutiful and grate-
ful children whom the heavenly Father, the fountain and source of
all blessings, has admitted to a share in the glorious inheritance of
the saints, which is a life of grace here and eternal beatitude here-
after. This kingdom to which we are admitted in Baptism is "in
light," as opposed to the kingdom of darkness over which Satan
presides* (Eph. v. 8, vi. 12 ; i Thess. v. 5 ; Rom. xiii. 12).
The Deo of the Vulgate is not in the Greek.
13-14. These verses show how the Father has made us Chris-
tians "worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light." It
was by delivering us from the power of sin and Satan and making
us members of the kingdom of His beloved Son, through the re-
deeming blood of that same divine Son.
Power of darkness, i.e., the dominion of Satan who rules that
part of the world which has not been regenerated by Christ.
Delivered . . . translated. These verbs are aorist in Greek, the
first expressing the negative and the second the positive aspect of
the one and same process of regeneration and sanctification.
Kingdom means the Church Militant.
Son of his love is a Hebraism meaning beloved Son.
Per sanguincm eius of the Vulgate is not according to the best
Greek MSS. ; it was perhaps introduced here from Eph. i. 7, which
see.
158 COLOSSIANS I. 15, 16
15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature :
16. For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones, or dominations or principalities, or powers — all
things were created by him and unto him.
THE SUPREME DIGNITY OF CHRIST, 1 5-23
15-23. In the preceding verses St. Paul has shown, against the
false teachers who were trying to pervert the Colossians, what great
blessings we owe to our Lord. And now in this section he goes fur-
ther, and shows that Christ is the image of the invisible God, anterior
to all creation; the Son in whom and by whom all things were
created and are sustained. And not only is the Son the
head of the universe, but He is also, in a very special manner, the
head of the Church; in Him dwells the fullness of Divinity, and
through His sacrificial death on the cross all things have been recon-
ciled to the Father (ver. 18-20). The Colossians are included in this
redemption, for they were formerly enemies of God, but have now
been reconciled to the Father through the atoning death of the Son.
The goal of this reconciliation was that they might be spotless before
God here and now; and this they will continue to be, if only they
hold fast to the faith which they have received, which is the same
everywhere, and of which Paul is the minister (ver. 21-23) .
15. Verses 15-20 here are the most important part of the
present Epistle. They constitute a compendium of Christology, and,
taken in conjunction with Eph. i. 20-23, Phil. ii. 6-1 1 and Heb. i.
I ff., they represent St. Paul's most sublime writings relative to
the person and dignity of Christ (Sales, hoc loco).
Who is the image, etc., i.e., the inward utterance and perfect
expression of His Father, the Word of God (Rickaby, h. i). Christ
is the substantial and perfect image of the Eternal Father, having
the same divine nature and essence and having been begotten as
the Eternal Son of the Father from eternity: "Philip, he that
seeth me, seeth the Father also" (John xiv. 9).
The first-born of every creature, i.e., born of the Eternal Father
from eternity, as is clear from the two following verses.
16. That the Son was begotten before all ages, before anything
was created or made, is now proved; "for in him," as effects are
in their cause, "were all things created," i.e., produced and brought
COLOSSIANS I. 17, 18 159
17. And he is before all, and in him all things consist.
18. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the
first-born from the dead ; that in all things he may hold the primacy ;
into being; which shows that He existed prior to and above all
creation, all succession, all becoming.
In heaven and on earth, etc., i.e., everything in the whole created
universe was made by the Son. To emphasize his doctrine against
the false teachers who were denying Divinity to the Son and main-
taining a chain of angelic mediators between God and the world,
the Apostle repeats at the end of the verse that "all things were
created by him," as by their first cause, "and unto him" (cts airov),
i.e., for Him, as their final cause and goal.
Thrones, dominations, etc. See on Eph. i. 21.
17. To stress the pre-existence and pre-eminence as well as the
creative power of Christ, the Apostle here repeats against the false
teachers that the Son was prior and superior to all created things,
and that all were not only created by Him, but are maintained in
their existence by Him.
Consist. Better, "stand together," hang together, cohere; all
things were created by the Word, and all continue in existence and
are conserved by Him.
The Vulgate ante omnes should be ante omnia, denoting all crea-
tion, as in the Greek.
18. Christ is not only the creator and conserver of all things in
the universe, but He is also the creator of the new spiritual order
of things inasmuch as He has repaired and redeemed all things;
for He is the Founder and Head of that mystical body which is
His Church (see on Eph. i. 22).
Who is the beginning, i.e., the efficient cause and creator of
that organization which is the Church; He is the fountain and
author of grace and glory.
The first-bom from the dead, i.e., the first in time to be raised
from death to a glorious and immortal life, thus becoming the prin-
ciple and model of the final resurrection of all who belong to Him.
Just above, in ver. 15-16, it was said that Christ was the "first-born"
of all things in general, that is, the creator of all, and here it is
said that He is the "first-bom" of His redeemed creation. In both
orders, the natural and the supernatural. He holds "the primacy"
of p)ower and dignity ; He is the creator of all things in the natural
i6o COLOSSIANS I. 19, 20
19. Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all the fullness
should dwell ;
20. And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace
through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and
the things that are in heaven.
order, and He is the redeemer and saviour of all in the super-
natural order of grace and glory.
19. Here and in the following verse the Apostle further shows
how the Word holds the primacy in all things. First, "because in
him, etc.," i.e., at the time of the Incarnation it pleased the Father,
or God, that "all the fullness" of Divinity, and consequently of
grace and truth (John i. 14), through the hypostatic union of the
divine and human natures in the one Person of the Word, should
take up its permanent abode in Christ.
The Father is not expressed in Greek, but it is most natural to
take it as the subject of the verb "hath well pleased" in view of
the subject in verses 12 and 13 and the context of verses 15-18.
Fullness, i.e., plenitude, totality — "the fullness of the Godhead,"
as it is expressed in ii. 9 below. See on Eph. i. 23.
Should dwell. The Greek implies permanency of dwelling.
20. In the second place, it has pleased God the Father "through
him" (i.e., through Christ) "to reconcile all things unto himself"
(cf. Rom. V. 10; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19). These references to Rom. and
2 Cor. show that we should understand eis ovtov here to mean the
Father rather than the Son.
Making peace through the blood of his cross. The meaning
is that through the sacrificial death of the Son on the cross peace
was effected with the Eternal Father (cf. Rom. v. i).
Both as to the things that are on the earth, etc. See on Eph.
i. 10. The Apostle is stressing the point here, against the false
teachers at Colossae, that Christ is the one and only medium of
reconciling with the Father all things, spiritual and material, human
and angelic. Men, indeed, needed reconciliation in the strict sense
of the word; but as regards the material creation and the angelic
world see on Eph. i. 10. Here, however, there is no question of
reconciling men and angels with one another, but of reconciling all
with God the Father. Therefore, to explain how the sacrificial
death of Christ effected reconciliation and peace between the angelic
world and the Father some have had recourse to the meaning of
COLOSSIANS I. 21-23 161
21. And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind
in evil works,
22. Yet now he hath reconciled you in the body of his flesh through death,
to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him :
23. If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immovable
from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all
the creation that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister.
Eph, iii. 10, and explain the difficulty in the sense of that passage.
Thus, men are really cleansed and restored to divine favor, while
angels acquire greater know^ledge and joy as a result of man's
salvation (so Knabenbauer, h. /.). Others think that reconciliation,
as applied here to angelic beings, must be taken in a wide sense,
meaning that Christ's propitiation brought the world of angels into
closer union with God, thus making them less alien than they had
been before that august event (so Alford, Moule, etc.).
21-22. In verses 21-23 St. Paul applies to the Colossians what
he has been saying in general regarding the redemptive work of
Christ. Formerly, in their pagan state, they also had been alienated
from God ; their mental attitude was hostile to Him, as was proved
by their evil deeds. But now they have been reconciled to the
Father through the atoning sufferings and death on the cross of
God's only Son.
In the body of his flesh, etc., i.e., in His own mortal, passible
body, as distinguished from His mystical body, the Church: "For
God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, etc."
(2 Cor, v. 19).
To present you holy, etc. The purpose of this reconciliation
was the sanctification of the Colossians, so that they might appear
in the sight of God here and now free from vice of every kind and
adorned with all virtues.
23. Here the Apostle tells the Colossians that they will continue
in their holy state only if they preserve unsullied the faith which
they have received from Epaphras, and which is the same as that
preached everywhere else by St. Paul and his disciples.
Grounded and settled, etc. See on Eph. iii. 17.
The hope of the Gospel, which is eternal salvation.
Which is preached, etc. St. Paul wants to assure the Colossians
that the Gospel they have heard is the same as the authentic Gospel
preached elsewhere.
i62 COLOSSIANS I. 24
24. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that
are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is
the church.
Whereof I am made the minister. Some think these words
were added to show the identity between the Gospel preached by
Paul and that delivered by Epaphras ; but it is more likely that they
were intended as a link between what the Apostle has been saying
and what he is about to say regarding his work in behalf of the
pagans.
THE apostle's COMMISSION, 24-29
24-29. Paul tells the Colossians that he is suffering on their ac-
count, but that this is a source of joy to him since his afflictions
help the Church to contribute her part toward the sufferings of
Christ ; for God has commissioned him a servant of the Church for
the purpose of making known the long-hidden mystery that Gentiles,
as well as Jews, are to be embraced in the one Church of Christ,
thus becoming heirs of heavenly glory. This is the universal doc-
trine St. Paul proclaims, laboring and striving with the help of
divine power.
24. The qui of the Vulgate at the beginning of this verse is not
supported by the best Greek MSS. St. Paul will explain in the
verses that follow (up to ii. 3 inclusive), why he is writing to a
Church he has not founded, nor ever visited.
Now I rejoice, etc. The Apostle is in prison for preaching to
pagans the same Gospel that the Colossians have received, and he
rejoices on their behalf, because of the spiritual benefits his afflic-
tions bring to them and to the Church.
Fill up those things, etc. Better, "fill up on my part (avravanXijpSy)
those things, etc." The Apostle does not mean to say that his
labors and sufferings on behalf of the Gospel added anything to
the efficacy and satisfactory value of Christ's atoning sacrifice and
death on the cross, which, being superabundant and infinite, were
more than sufficient for the redemption of all mankind, and of
many more worlds than ours (St. Thomas). But by "the suffer-
ings of Christ" he means here the fatigue, labors, persecutions, and
the like, endured by our Lord in His public life and ministry, which,
as they were the lot of Christ, the head, during His brief mortal
COLOSSIANS I. 25, 26 163
25. Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God,
which is given me towards you, that I may fulfill the word of God,
26. The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but
now is manifested to his saints,
existence, must also be the lot of His mystical body, the Church,
till the end of time; it is these sufferings of Christ's mystical body
that must be supplied by the Apostles and their true followers
throughout the history of the Church. Our Lord labored, preached
and suffered for a time for the spread of the Gospel, and His
Church must continue through its ministers to labor, to preach and
to suffer for all time for the same purpose, thus vicariously sup-
plying to the ministry of Christ what was not possible for our Lord
in person to supply. This is the obvious and natural meaning of
this great passage. But the Greek Fathers explain it otherwise.
Admitting that the passion of our Lord was entirely sufficient to
save all mankind, they hold that its fruits are not applied to all
except through the sufferings of the saints ; and hence what is "want-
ing of the sufferings of Christ" is their application through the
trials and tribulations which the Apostles and the faithful endured
and continue to endure for Christ's sake and in union with Him.
In my flesh, i.e., in St. Paul's own body. The Apostle endured
in his own body and person many grievous sufferings and afflictions
for the sake of the Gospel and the Church.
25. Whereof, i.e., on behalf of which, namely, the Church, he
has been "made a minister," or servant, "according to the dispen-
sation," or stewardship, committed to him by God Himself for the
benefit of the Colossians, as of all other pagans. The Colossians
were embraced by Paul's ministry, for to him it was given to "fulfill
the word of God," i.e., to spread the teachings of the Gospel, to
found Churches etc. everywhere, especially among the Gentiles
(Rom. XV. 19; I Cor. xiv. 36; 2 Cor. ii. 7), that he might "present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (ver. 28).
26. The mystery, i.e., the "word of God," or the teaching of the
Gospel, spoken of in the preceding verse. This mystery, or secret,
undiscoverable by natural means, was the salvation of all men.
Gentiles as well as Jews, through Christ and the revelation made
by Him, and the union of all men in the one Church of Christ.
See on Eph. iii. 2-9.
To his saints, i.e., the faithful, both of Jewish and pagan origin.
i64 COLOSSIANS I. 27, 28
27. To whom God hath willed to make known the riches of the glory of
this ministery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28. Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in
all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
2^. To whom God hath willed, etc. These words show that the
revelation of the great secret was a free and gratuitous act on the
part of God.
The riches of the glory, etc., i.e., the wealth of divine goodness
and mercy which has been manifested in the conversion of the
Gentiles even more than in that of the Jews, for the latter had a
revelation of the Messiah to come and of a future life.
Which is Christ, i.e., this mystery or the riches of this mystery
is all in Christ, in whom are contained all the divine counsels
regarding human salvation and all the blessings promised to man.
In you, i.e., among you, and in your hearts by faith (Eph. ii.
12 ff.).
The hope of glory, i.e., Christ is their and our hope of glory
and eternal beatitude; He is the author and source of all good for
time and eternity.
In the Vulgate there should be no comma after Christus, but one
may be placed after vobis.
28. Such is the Christ whom St. Paul and his companions preach,
the sole and all-sufficient author and means of salvation here and
of future blessedness hereafter, whose hidden mystery has been
made known to all men for the salvation of all. The Apostle is
criticizing the false teachers at Colossae who were insisting on the
necessity of legal prescriptions, on an exaggerated cult of angels,
and on an initiation into perfection which was confined to a select
few.
Every man. St. Paul repeats these words three times in this
verse in order to stress the universality of salvation for all, Gentiles
as well as Jews.
In all wisdom may mean, (a) that St. Paul and his helpers cor-
rected faults and explained doctrine with all the knowledge with
which they were endowed, or (b) that they disciplined and in-
structed every man in a perfect knowledge of God, so as to enable
each one to live a life worthy of God.
That we may present, etc. The scope of Apostolic discipline
COLOSSIANS I. 29, 11. i 165
29. Wherein also I labor, striving according to his working which he
worketh in me in power.
and teaching was to make every man perfect in the faith and love
of Christ.
29. Here the Apostle tells us that the end and purpose of all his
labors and struggles, like those of an athlete in the arena, was to
render every man perfect in Christ, and that the secret of his endur-
ance and success was to be found, not in his own strength and
merits, but in the grace of Christ which was efficacious in him.
Striving. The Greek of this word contains a reference to the
contest of the athletes in the arena. Cf. 2 Tim. ii. 9; iv. 7.
CHAPTER II
WHY PAUL WRITES TO UNKNOWN CHURCHES, I-7
I. For I would have you know, what manner of care I have for you and
for them that are at Laodicea, and whosoever have not seen my face in the
flesh:
1-7. St. Paul writes to the Colossians and their neighbors of
Laodicea, though he has never seen them, in order that they may
be united in charity and have a full understanding of that divine
secret of which he has been speaking. The secret is to know God
and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John xvii. 3). The Apostle
is anxious about his unknown readers, because of the specious
errors that are abroad among them. Though absent in body, he is
spiritually present with them, and he rejoices at the solid battle
front their faith is presenting to the enemy. They have learned the
truth about Christ, and may they show it in their lives, and ever
abound in thanksgiving!
I. The first three verses of this Chapter are intimately connected
with the end of the preceding Chapter, and they explain St. Paul's
"labor" and "striving" in behalf of the Colossians and their neigh-
bors whom he had not seen. The Apostle's zeal and solicitude went
out to all Christian communities, and especially those of Gentile
origin (2 Cor. xi. 28).
Care means rather "struggle," according to the Greek.
Laodicea. See Introduction to this Epistle, No. II.
i66 COLOSSIANS II. 2-4
2. That their hearts may be comforted, being instructed in charity, and
unto all riches of fullness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mys-
tery of God the Father and of Christ :
3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4. Now this I say, that no man may deceive you by loftiness of words.
2. The Apostle here tells the purpose of his solicitude and pray-
ers for his unknown correspondents, namely, "that their hearts may
be comforted," i.e., that they may be admonished and strengthened
in faith, as there is question of doctrine and of guarding against
errors ; that "being instructed in charity," or rather, "being bound
together in charity" (i.e., in Christian love), they may attain to a
full understanding of the mystery which God the Father has re-
vealed to us in Christ. The phrases "unto all riches, etc." and
"unto the knowledge of the mystery, etc." are parallel, one to the
other, and explain each other.
The last words of this verse, "of God the Father, etc.," are vari-
ously read in the MSS., versions, and Fathers; but the sense is
clear in any reading. Perhaps the best reading is that of the
Vatican MS. and St. Hilary: rov Oiov, Xpiarov.
Christ is in apposition with "mystery."
3. The Mystery of God which St. Paul would have his readers
grasp is none other than Christ, in whom are contained all the
riches of divine and human wisdom and knowledge. As God, Christ
possessed infinite wisdom and knowledge, and as man His knowl-
edge was superior to that of men and angels. The faithful, there-
fore, need not go to other teachers or masters, nor give heed to
the doctrines preached by the false teachers in the name of angels ;
let them hear and follow in all things Jesus Christ, who is the way,
the truth, and the life. "Jesus Christ is a great Book. He who
can indeed study Him in the word of God will know all he ought
to know. Humility opens this Divine Book, faith reads in it, love
learns from it" (Quesnel, quoted by Moule, h. /.).
4. The Apostle comes now to the case of the Colossians, showing
that what he has been saying was intended to put them on their
guard against the false teachers, who have been trying to deceive
them by plausible arguments.
Nov^r this I say, doubtless refers to what he has said in the verses
just preceding about the mystery and wealth of knowledge which
are in Christ.
COLOSSIANS II. 5-7 167
5. For though I be absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you; rejoicing
and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith which is in
Christ.
6. As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in him,
7. Rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, as also you
have learned, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
In place of in suhlimitate, other good MSS. of the Vulgate have
in subtilitate ; the Greek has, "in persuasiveness of speech."
5. St. Paul knows the state of things at Colossse, and, though
absent in body, he is present vi^ith the faithful in mind and heart;
and he rejoices at the resistance they are offering to the false
teachers.
Order . . . steadfastness. Better, "orderly array . . . solid
front." These are military terms, perhaps suggested by the soldiers
of the Praetorian Guard by whom in their turn the Apostle was
surrounded at this time.
6. As therefore, referring to what he has just said about their
firm faith. In this and the following verse the Apostle is stressing
the need of continuing united to Christ, or persevering in the faith
which the Colossians received from Epaphras, their apostle and
master, and of shaping their lives according to its teachings.
The Lord. This expression shows that the historic Jesus was
also the Christ, the Messiah, and the sovereign and universal Mas-
ter. See on Eph. iii. 11 ; Phil. ii. 11.
7. Rooted . . . built, two metaphors — one taken from a tree
firmly fixed in the ground and the other from a house strongly
constructed — to enforce again the necessity of adhering to Christ,
the sole principle of the supernatural life; and the means of this
union is the faith, as they "have learned" it from Epaphras. See
on Eph. iii. 17, ii. 22.
In it, i.e., in faith, producing the full fruit of faith.
The Vulgate in illo should be in ea, to agree with the Greek,
though some MSS. have simply, "abounding in thanksgiving," It
was entirely becoming that the faithful should be abundantly grate-
ful for the gift of faith and for the rich blessings it brought them.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE FALSE TEACHERS IS OPPOSED TO CHRIST, 8-23
8-23. St. Paul now directly considers the so-called philosophy of
the false teachers among the Colossians, and he finds it is in oppo-
i68 COLOSSIANS 11. 8
8. Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit : ac-
cording to the traditions of men, according to the elements of the world,
and not according to Christ :
sition to Christian principles in doctrine and in practice. It is based
on human traditions and worldly elements, instead of following
Christ, in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead, in whom the
Colossians will find all they need for salvation, and who is superior
to all powers. In Christ they have received the true circumcision,
which is of the heart, having been buried with Him in Baptism and
risen with Him through faith to a new life. Yes, when they were
dead in their sins, God gave them new life in Christ, pardoning
them their offences and liberating them from the burdens of the
Law. It was the victory of the cross that cast off the principalities
and powers, and led them away in triumphal defeat (ver. 8-15).
Therefore, the Colossians must not be judged by regulations and
observances which were only shadows of the reality which is Christ.
Nor let them be cheated of their prize by a wrong asceticism and
worship of angels which would lead away from Christ, the head
of all; for it is through Christ alone that the Church attains that
full growth which is of God. Since, then, the Colossians have died
to the elements of the world, they should pay no need to those
things which perish in the using. These precepts and doctrines of
men have an outward appearance of value, but they are really
impotent against sensual indulgences (ver. 16-23).
8. Cheat you. Better, "make you his spoil," or "spoil you."
Philosophy here is to be understood in a wide sense, as embrac-
ing a system of teaching in religious matters. Thus it was often
used in antiquity, as when Philo speaks of the Jewish religion and
the Law of Moses as a philosophy {Leg. ad Caium, 23, 33) ; and
Josephus applies the same name to the doctrines of the Pharisees,
Sadducees, and Essenes {Ant., xviii. i, 2). There is no thought
in this passage of belittling true philosophy, which is the fruit of
correct reasoning from sound principles.
Vain deceit. The false teachers pretended to have a superior
wisdom to communicate, but which in reality was empty and far
removed from truth. Instead of coming from God, or divine reve-
lation, or the use of right reason, their so-called philosophy was
based on "the traditions of men" (i.e., mere human opinions) and
COLOSSIANS 11. 9-1 1 169
9. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead corporally;
10. And you are filled in him, who is the head of all principality and
power :
11. In whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with
hands, in the despoiling of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of
Christ :
"the elements of the world" (i.e., certain Jewish rites and institu-
tions, which were regulated by the Jewish calendar, such as new
moons, sabbaths, and other recurring festivals). See below, on ii.
16. Other authorities think the term "elements" here is used in a
technical sense "for spiritual beings supposed to animate and pre-
side over the elements of the physical universe, and generally con-
ceived as resident in the heavenly bodies" (so Dodd, in Abingdon
Bible, h. /.). It seems best to say with Fr. Rickaby that "it was
not the mere observance of Jewish festivals, but beyond that the
positive cultus of the heavenly bodies or of angels as controllers
of those bodies, that displeased St. Paul" {Further Notes on St.
Paul, h. /.).
9. The faithful must not seek spiritual knowledge and help out-
side of Christ, for in Him dwells the "fullness of the Godhead,"
i.e., the totality of deity.
Corporally, i.e., corporally, totally, entirely. See on i. 19 above.
Others explain "corporally" to mean, not figuratively, but substan-
tially and personally; or with a bodily manifestation (Lightfoot).
10. As the fullness of deity is in Christ, making Him all-perfect,
the faithful can find in Him all they need for their salvation and
religious perfection; they need not seek elsewhere. Christ is the
"head of all principality, etc.," i.e., all angels are subject to Him
and inferior to Him.
11. The false teachers were advocating circumcision of the body
as a means to spiritual perfection ; but St. Paul reminds the Colos-
sians that in virtue of their union with Christ they have already
received the real, interior, spiritual circumcision, which is of the
heart, and which alone counts before God. This spiritual circum-
cision consists "in the despoiling, etc.," better, "in the stripping off
of the fleshy body," i.e., in the cutting away of the lower instincts
and appetites in man, in the putting ofif of the old man of sin
(Rom. vi. 6).
The word sed in the Vulgate should be omitted.
I70 COLOSSIANS II. 12-14
12. Buried with him in baptism, in whom also you are risen again b}' faith
in the operation of God, who raised him up from the dead.
13. And you, when you were dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, he quickened together with him, forgiving us all offences :
14. Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which
was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening
it to the cross :
12. The Apostle explains when and how the Colossians received
the circumcision of Christ. It took place at the time of their
Baptism, when their immersion in the water signified their death
and burial to sin, and their coming out of it represented their resur-
rection to a new life of grace. See on Rom. vi. 4 flf.
By faith, etc. In order that Baptism may confer spiritual life,
faith in the power of God who raised Jesus to life is required in
adults who have the use of reason (Rom. i. 17).
Who raised him, etc. The Apostle mentions the resurrection of
Jesus, because this mystery is fundamental to Christianity.
13. Such is the circumcision of Christ, which is conferred through
Baptism ; and now the Apostle will apply to the Colossians what he
has been saying on this subject, recalling first to their minds their
former miserable condition of soul as pagans.
The uncircumcision of your flesh means their unregenerate state,
in which they obeyed the promptings of the flesh (Eph. ii. 3).
He quickened, etc., i.e., God the Father raised you to new, spir-
itual life, "with him" (i.e., with Christ), when by faith you became
united to Christ in Baptism. According to the best Greek AISS.,
the Vulg. should read donans nobis; the forgiveness of sins was
something common to all converts, Jewish and Gentile.
14. Blotting out, etc., is parallel to the preceding phrase, "for-
giving us all offences" (ver. 13), and means that God had
cancelled the indebtedness which our sins had caused to be regis-
tered against us.
Handwriting of the decree. Better, as in R. V., "the bond
written in ordinances," i.e., the signature of obligation to observ-
ance, whether expressed in the "ordinances," or "orders," or "de-
crees" of the Mosaic Law for the Jews (Deut. xxvii. 15-26) ; or
in the dictates of the natural law and conscience for the pagans
(Rom. ii. 12, 14, 15).
The reference then is primarily to indebtedness incurred by the
COLOSSIANS II. 15 171
15. And despoiling the principalities and powers, he hath exposed them
confidently in open shew, triumphing over them in him.
Jews in violating the decrees and prescriptions of the Law of
Moses, but secondarily also to that incurred by the Gentiles in
violating the law written on their own hearts. Therefore, when the
Apostle says, "which was contrary to us," all are included, all were
under the curse of law, Gentiles as well as Jews. See on Eph. ii.
15. Now God, through Christ, has destroyed this account that
stood against us, taking it "out of the way," in which it stood
between us and God ; and this He did by "fastening it to the cross"
of Christ, on which our Lord suffered and atoned for all our sins
and transgressions.
The Vulgate chirographum decreti should be made to agree with
the Greek, which has tois 8dy/xa<riv (dative) ; hence we should read
decretis, and understand a chirographum which was expressed in
or based on "decrees," or "orders," or "ordinances."
15. As God through Christ has quickened us, forgiving our of-
fences and blotting out the handwriting that was against us (ver.
13-14), so has He spoiled, exposed to contempt and derision, and
triumphed over the hostile powers that had held man captive. It
was through the Law that those principalities and powers were able
to enslave man (Gal. iii. 19, iv. 9, 10) ; and hence those agencies
met their defeat when our Lord by His death on the cross abol-
ished the Law, bringing it to an end.
Principalities and powers. These two terms are used above
(i. 16, ii. 10) in a favorable sense for good angels, but here they
are taken in an evil sense for demons, as in Eph. vi. 12.
Exposed them confidently. Better, "made a show of them with
outspokenness," i.e., exposed them publicly to ridicule and contempt,
leading them as captives in triumphal procession (^pta^/Jcvo-a? airow).
The Latin confidenter and palam are a rendering of the Greek
iv -irapprja-La] and in semetipso should be in eo (iv airw), i.e., in Christ,
or In the cross. It is not certain whether the subjects of the verbs
in verses 13-15 should be understood to be God or Christ, but it
seems better, in the light of the context, to take God as the sub-
ject. God triumphed over the enemies of man through Jesus Christ
by means of the cross of Christ.
172 COLOSSIANS II. 16-19
16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of
a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath,
17. Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.
18. Let no man seduce you, wilHng in humiUty and reHgion of angels,
walking in the things he hath seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his
flesh,
19. And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and
bands, being supplied with nourishment and compacted, groweth unto the
increase of God.
16-17, So far, in verses 8-15, St. Paul has been opposing the
erroneous speculations of the false teachers, and now, in verses
16-23, he will attack their false asceticism. He warns his readers
not to be disturbed about their neglect of outworn Mosaic observ-
ances regarding food and drink, the Jewish festivals, such as the
New Moon, the Sabbath, and the like, the importance of which the
false teachers were stressing and magnifying. All these things were
good in their day, tinder the Old Law, as foreshadowing the reality
to come, which was Christ; but now that Christ has come, these
things are done away; they are a hindrance to be avoided.
The Vulgate sabbatorum is according to the Greek, but o-ayS/Sara,
though plural in form, is singular in meaning (Matt. xii. i ; ]\Iark
i. 21, iii. 2; Luke iv. 16, etc.).
18-19. Here the Apostle admonishes the Colossians to beware of
the pretentious humility and superstitious cult of angels advocated
by the false teachers.
Let no man seduce, etc. Better, "let no one rob you of your
prize," i.e., of eternal hfe (see Phil. iii. 14), by tempting you to
forsake Christ.
Willing in humility, etc., i.e., delighting in an artificial, volun-
tary self-abasement and an obsequious service of angels. Those
"heretics" taught that man was so miserable and far removed from
God that intermediaries between him and God were necessary; and
consequently to these intervening beings, whom they called angels,
they attributed a part in the work of man's creation and redemp-
tion which was as absurd as it was untrue.
Walking in the things, etc. More literally, "taking his stand
on things he has seen," i.e., preferring his alleged visions and revela-
tions to the Apostolic Gospel. Such is the best reading of this pas-
sage, though other good authorities think a "not" has dropped out
COLOSSIANS II. 20-22 173
20. If then thou be dead with Christ from the elements of this world,
why are you under decrees as though living in the world?
21. Touch not, taste not, handle not;
22. Which are all unto destruction by the very use, according to the pre-
cepts and doctrines of men.
of the text before "seen," and that we should read, "taking his stand
on things he has not seen," i.e., pretending to a knowledge of angels
and of the spirit world which has no real basis. This is the reading
followed by the Vulgate.
In vain puffed up, etc. Better, "foolishly puffed up with his
fleshly mind." The false teachers were full of pride, and, while
alleging superior knowledge about spiritual things, their thoughts
in reality were low and carnal, mere earthly dreams.
And not holding the head, etc., i.e., not keeping intimately united
to Christ, the head of the Church, from whom the members derive
their organic unity, power and growth.
From whom the whole body, etc. Better, "from whom the
whole body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and
ligaments, grows with the increase that is of God." The meaning
is that all vital unity and spiritual growth among the members of
the Church must come from Christ, who is the head of the Church
and the only source of spiritual supply. See on Eph. iv. 16.
20-22. In verses 20-23 the Apostle shows the futility of the
ascetical practices preached by the "heretics" at Colossse.
If then you are dead, etc. The connective "if" here, as later in
iii. I, does not express doubt or conjecture, but rather assumption;
it assumes the death in question to be a fact. Since the faithful in
Baptism have mystically died with Christ and so have been freed
"from the elements of this world" (see above, on ii. 8), why should
they still continue to live as if subject to these ancient rites and
ceremonies, which enjoined that they should "touch not, taste not,
etc." (Lev. xi. 4 ff., xv. iff.)? These prohibitions, which the false
teachers were endeavoring to enforce, did not affect permanent
moral principles, but rather things material that perished with the
using; and now that the Law of Moses has been abrogated, they
have no divine authority or sanction, but are "according to the
precepts and doctrines of men," i.e., according to human opinions
and human traditions.
174 COLOSSIANS II. 23
23. Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in superstition and
humility, and not sparing the body; not in any honor to the filling of the
flesh.
Which are all unto destruction by the very use. This sen-
tence is best treated as a parenthesis.
The quid decernitis of the Vulgate (ver. 20) is passive in Greek;
hence we have rendered, "why are you under decrees?" The pre-
cepts of verse 21, ne tetigeritis, etc., are singular in Greek, which
better expresses the ridiculousness of the practices for each indi-
vidual.
23. Which things, etc. These precepts and doctrines of the
false teachers had an external appearance of wisdom by reason of
the worship of angels, humility, and bodily rigor, which they super-
stitiously and pretentiously implied ; but they were of no value with
God, and rather tended to serve than to curb the full gratification
of the passions of man, since they were only external and separated
from the true source of all genuine spirituality, which is Christ.
Not in any honor, etc. Far better in the R. V., which reads:
"Not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." Such seems
to be the meaning of a difficult verse, the text of which has prob-
ably been corrupted in transmission. See Knabenbauer, h. I. ; also
Sales, Moule, and Crafer in A New Com. on Holy Script., h. I.
CHAPTER III
MORAL PART OF THE EPISTLE, iii. I — Iv.l6
iii. I — iv. 6. In the Moral Part of the Epistle to the Colossians St.
Paul, arguing from the principles he has laid down in the Dogmatic
Part, takes up the duties of the Christian life in general, showing
what life in union with the Risen Lord demands, first in a negative
and then in a positive way (iii. 1-17). Next he treats of relative
duties, pertinent to particular states (iii. 18 — iv. i), concluding with
some precepts addressed to all Christians (iv. 2-6). See Introduc-
tion, No. IV, C.
COLOSSIANS III. 1-4 175
1. Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above;
where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God :
2. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.
3. For you are dead; and your hfe is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ shall appear, who is our life, then you also shall appear
with him in glory.
CHRISTIANS MUST EXHIBIT NEWNESS OF LIFE, ill. I-I7
iii. I-I7- After having directly attacked the errors of the pseudo-
doctors and shown their baneful and futile consequences (ii. 8-23),
the Apostle now returns to the positive teaching of ii. 6, 7, pointing
out that Christians share in the risen life of their Lord, and that
consequently new and higher motives should dominate their activi-
ties. Being dead to the lower things, they are now centred in
Christ, and will appear with Him hereafter in glory (ver. 1-4).
This new life requires in a negative way a breaking with all the
sins of their pagan past (ver. 5-9), and on its positive and practical
side an ever fuller growing into the likeness of Christ, and into a
state where Christ is supreme for all mankind (ver. lo-ii). More-
over, this new life involves a practice of those virtues which
Christ's example has taught, especially charity, which is the bond
of perfection, and unity, which couples the members of the Chris-
tian society with their divine Head. May the message of Christ
be fruitful in them, making itself vibrant in their hearts and vocal
in their music ! All their undertakings must be performed in their
Master's name, and thus they will be rendering continual thanks
to God the Father who has conferred all blessings on us through
Christ (ver. 12-17).
1-2. As an antidote to the doctrines of the false teachers who
were imposing material things as a means of spiritual progress, St.
Paul here tells his readers to lift their thoughts above where Christ
their Head is seated, as a king on his throne, ready to dispense His
gifts and graces to His subjects.
If. See above, on ii. 20.
Be risen, etc. See on ii. 12.
At the right hand, etc., i.e., the place of power and authority.
3-4. The Apostle now gives the reason why all the thoughts and
desires of the faithful should be above. In Baptism they died to
the world and things of earth, and their supernatural life, like the
life of their Risen Saviour, is hidden from the sight of men; but
176 COLOSSIANS III. 5-8
5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
unclcanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service
of idols.
6. For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief,
7. In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.
8. But now put you also all away anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy,
filthy speech out of your mouth.
at the end of time when Christ appears in glory to judge the world,
then their hidden life shall also be made manifest.
In verse 4 of the Vulgate we should have vita nostra, instead of
vita vestra, according to the best Greek,
5. The faithful must master and hold at bay those evil tendencies
of their nature which would destroy their hidden life and lead them
away from Christ. The Apostle mentions here, as in Eph. v. 3, 5,
some of the sins and vices to which they were most inclined, and
which therefore they must especially guard against. See on Eph.
V. 3, 5-
Your members vvrhich are upon the earth most likely refers to
the vices which he proceeds to enumerate, and which are all in the
accusative or objective case following "mortify" (Knabenbauer,
h. /.).
Covetousness . . . the service of idols. Lightfoot says that
"covetousness" here is to be taken in its ordinary sense, as greed
for material gain, and that the Greek word of itself never denotes
sensual lust. But that the word lends itself to a connection with
sensual ideas appears from a comparison of this passage with Eph.
iv. 19, V. 3, 5 ; I Thess. iv. 6; i Cor. v. 11. "Service of idols"
would then refer back to all the sins just enumerated. Cf. Moule,
h. I.
6. The Apostle warns his readers of the punishment that is in
store for the vices just spoken of.
Upon the children of unbelief is not in the best Greek, but is
probably to be retained on good documentary evidence. See on
Eph. V. 6.
7. In which can refer to the "children of unbelief" of the pre-
ceding verse (in which case we should translate "among whom"),
or to the vices mentioned in verse 5 ; more probably the latter.
When you lived, etc., refers to the time before their conversion.
8. See on Eph. iv. 29, 31.
COLOSSIANS III. 9-14 177
9. Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his
deeds,
ID. And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, accord-
ing to the image of him that created him.
11. Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircum-
cision, Barbarian nor Scs^thian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all.
12. Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels
of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience :
13. Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a
complaint against another : even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you
also.
14. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of per-
fection :
9. The old man, etc. See on Eph. iv. 22, 24, 25.
10. The Apostle has just been enumerating sins vvrhich Christians
must avoid. But it is not enough to weed out vices ; virtues must
be planted in.
The new. See on Eph. iv. 24.
Who is renevi^ed, etc. The regenerate life is one of progress,
growling into ever fuller knowledge and more perfect love of God,
of Christ, and of our duties as Christians (2 Cor. iv. 16).
According to the image, etc. As man in the natural order was
made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. i. 26-28), so in his
regeneration does he come to express that image, but in a far more
perfect manner (Gal. vi. 15).
11. In this new state of regenerated humanity the old distinctions
of races and conditions of men are wiped out, and all are united
in one mystical body of which Christ is the head and the faithful
the members.
Barbarian was a contemptuous term, applied in pre-Augustan
times to all who did not speak Greek ; later it signified all who were
devoid of Roman and Greek culture.
Scythian meant the worst of barbarians. The Scythians were
much like the modern Turks, and the Greeks and Jews regarded
them "as the wildest of wild tribes" (Moule).
12-14. St. Paul has given just above a short list of sins illustra-
tive of those to which the Christian has died; and now (ver. 12-
17) he will mention some of the typical virtues which should char-
acterize the life of grace. Since Christians are the chosen people
of God and the recipients of His special graces and favors, they
178 COLOSSIANS III. 15-18
15. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, wherein also you are
called in one body: and be ye thankful.
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom teach-
ing and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles,
singing in grace in your hearts to God.
17. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.
18. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behooveth in the Lord.
ought to manifest in their lives those virtues which are in keeping
with their privileged state.
Bowels of mercy, a Hebrew expression, means tenderness of
heart, sentiments of compassion.
Charity is the queen of virtues, the silver cord which binds all the
others together, and without which every other virtue is imperfect.
See on Eph. iv. 2, 32 ; i Cor. xiii.
The habete of the Vulgate before "charity" is not expressed in
the Greek, but some verb, like have or put on, is understood.
15. See on Eph. ii. 11-22, iv. 1-6.
Rule in your hearts. The Greek for "rule" here means a mod-
erator, or an umpire in an athletic game. In place of exultet, the
Vulgate should have regnet.
And be ye thankful, for the many divine benefits and graces of
your vocation. Perhaps "grateful" would be a better word than
"thankful" here.
16. Word of Christ, i.e., the message of the Gospel. The more
the teachings of Christ penetrate the heart, the more will charity,
peace, and gratitude abound among the faithful. The phrase "in
all wisdom" more probably goes with what follows, and hence there
should be no comma after sapientia in the Vulgate.
Admonishing, etc. See on Eph. v. 19.
17. Christians by their Baptism and consecration to God have
become the property of their divine Master, they are one with Him ;
and consequently all they do and say should be in conformity with
this holy relationship. This is the way to render continual thanks
to God the Father.
ADMONITIONS FOR DOMESTIC LIFE, iii. l8 — IV. I
iii. 18 — iv. I. St. Paul speaks here of the mutual duties of wives
and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters. Though
COLOSSIANS III. 19-25, IV. 1-3 179
19. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them.
20. Children, obey your parents in all things ; for this is well pleasing to
the Lord.
21. Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be dis-
couraged.
22. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not
serving to the eye, as pleasing men, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God.
23. Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to
men:
24. Knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance.
Serve ye the Lord Christ.
25. For he that doth wrong, shall receive for that which he hath done
wrongfully: and there is no respect of persons with God.
briefer, his treatment is practically identical with w^hat he has in
Eph. V. 22 — vi. 9, on which see commentary for an explanation of
the present passage.
CHAPTER IV
GENERAL PRECEPTS ADDRESSED TO ALL CHRISTIANS, 2-6
1. Masters, do to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that
you also have a master in heaven.
2. Be instant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving:
3. Praying at the same time for us also, that God may open unto us a
door of speech to speak the mystery of Christ (for which also I am bound) ;
2-6. In these concluding words of the Moral Part of the Epistle
to the Colossians St. Paul first counsels prayer and thanksgiving in
general for all, and in particular for himself, that he may be able
to make the best of his opportunities (ver. 2-4). He then advises
tactfulness in dealing with pagans, zeal in the use of time, and
graciousness in speech (ver. 5-6).
2. Be instant in prayer, i.e., let your prayers be continual, for
prayer is the very breath of the soul.
With thanksgiving. He does not deserve new benefits who is
not grateful for those received, says St. Thomas.
3. The Apostle asks the faithful to pray for him that he may
have opportunity to preach the Gospel.
A door of speech. Better, "a door for the word," i.e., the oppor-
tunity of preaching the Gospel.
i8o COLOSSIANS IV. 4-8
4. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.
5. Walk with wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time.
6. Let your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt : that you may
know how you ought to answer every man.
7. All the things that concern me, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faith-
ful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord, will make known to you ;
8. Whom I have sent to you for this same purpose, that he may know the
things that concern you, and comfort your hearts,
The mystery of Christ, which was that the Gospel was to be
announced to the Gentiles.
I am bound, i.e., imprisoned, chained to a Roman sentinel; and
all because he had preached the Gospel. See on Eph. iii. 3-9.
4. The Apostle asks for help that he may discharge his obligation
of preaching the Gospel as he is required by his divine commission :
"Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel" (i Cor. ix. 16).
5. Discretion in dealing with non-Christians was of the greatest
importance, lest obstacles to preaching the Gospel should arise.
Redeeming the time, i.e., letting no opportunity pass of doing
good.
6. The faithful should cultivate grace and tact in speaking with
pagans, so as to give edification and be able to answer questions
that may be put to them about the faith.
CONCLUSION OF THE EPISTLE, 7-18
7-18. Tychicus will bear this letter to the Colossians, accompanied
by Onesimus, their fellow-townsman; and both will tell the faith-
ful at Colossae all the news about the Apostle and his companions
in Rome (ver, 7-9). Those who are with Paul in the Eternal City
join him in sending greetings to the Colossians and he asks that his
greetings be extended to the faithful at Laodicea, to Nymphas, and
to the church that is in his house (ver. 10-15). This letter should
be read at Laodicea, and the one sent to the Laodiceans should be
read at Colossae. Archippus should be reminded of his duty. Paul
pens the final words and his blessing with his own hand (ver.
16-18).
7-8. See on Eph. vi. 21-22. Tychicus was the Apostle's trusted
messenger (Tit. iii. 12; 2 Tim. iv. 12).
That he may know the things that concern you. A better
reading of this passage is: "That ye may know our condition."
COLOSSIANS IV. 9-1 1 i8i
p. With Onesimus, a beloved and faithful brother, who is one of you. All
things that are done here, they shall make known to you.
10. Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin
german of Barnabas, touching whom you have received commandments;
if he come unto you, receive him :
11. And Jesus, that is called Justus: who are of the circumcision; these
only are my helpers in the kingdom of God ; who have been a comfort to me.
9. Onesimus, a slave of Philemon at Colossse, who deserted his
master and fled to Rome, virhere he was converted by St. Paul. See
Introduction to Philemon.
Brother, i.e., a fellow-Christian.
Who is one of you, i.e., a Colossian. Not all the Colossian
Christians, however, were or had been slaves; many of them were
freeborn.
10. Paul now includes the salutations of those companions who
were with him in Rome (ver. 10-14). The first three — Aristarchus,
Mark, and Justus — were of Jewish origin; the other three were
Gentile helpers, that is, converts from paganism — Epaphras, Luke,
and Demas. Aristarchus was a Thessalonian, who had been with
Paul at Ephesus, and had accompanied him to Jerusalem, and after-
wards to Rome (Acts xix. 29, xx. 4, xxvii. 2).
My fellow-prisoner perhaps means here only that Aristarchus
was closely associated with Paul in the latter's imprisonment in
Rome (Phlm. 24).
Mark, or John Mark, the companion of Paul and Barnabas on
the first missionary journey, the cousin of Barnabas, and the author
of the Second Gospel (Acts iv. 36, xii. 12, xv. 37, 39).
Touching whom, etc. Perhaps this means that Mark was un-
known to the Colossians, or that his former estrangement from St.
Paul had left him under some suspicion with the faithful.
11. And Jesus, etc. He is not otherwise known to us. The
Hebrew form of his name was Jehoshua, or Joshua,
Who are of the circumcision, i.e., converts to Christianity from
Judaism. Some think Aristarchus was of Gentile origin, on account
of Acts XX. 4.
These only are my helpers, etc. Probably he means the leaders
among the Jewish Christians, or those only of his own nationality
who gave him special help.
i82 COLOSSIANS IV. 12-17
12. Epaphras saluteth you, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus,
who is always solicitous for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect,
and full in all the will of God.
13. For I bear him testimony that he hath much labor for you, and for
them that are at Laodicea, and them at Hierapolis.
14. Luke, the beloved physician, saluteth you; and Demas.
15. Salute the brethren who are at Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church
that is in his house.
16. And when this epistle shall have been read with you, cause that it be
read also in the church of the Laodiceans : and that you read that which is
of the Laodiceans.
17. And say to Archippus : Take heed to the ministry which thou hast
received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.
12-13, Epaphras was the Apostle of the Colossian Church, and
perhaps the founder of the other two Churches of the Lycus Valley
also.
And full. Another and better reading here gives "fully assured,"
i.e., with a conscience that is entirely and certainly illuminated re-
garding the will of God.
Laodicea . . . Hierapolis. See Introduction to this Epistle,
No. I.
14. Luke, the writer of the Third Gospel.
Demas was probably a Thessalonian. He is mentioned here
without affection, and later forsook St. Paul for love of the world
(Phlm. 24; 2 Tim, iv. 10).
15. Nymphas was a Laodicean, who was doubtless well-to-do,
and had a large house where the faithful were accustomed to gather
for worship. His name is probably an abbreviation of Nympho-
dorus.
His house. Another good reading has "their house," referring
to Nymphas and his family.
16. See Introduction to Ephesians, No. IV.
17. Archippus was probably the son of Philemon (Phlm. 2),
and likely assistant to Epaphras in the Church at Colossae. He must
have been in sacred orders, as St. Paul speaks of "the ministry"
he had "received in the Lord." The Apostle's word of admonition
to him seems to indicate either that he was just beginning, or that
he was not sufficiently attentive to his duties, Cf. 2 Tim.
iv. 5.
COLOSSIANS IV. i8 183
18. The salutation of Paul with my own hand. Be mindful of my bonds.
Grace be with you. Amen,
18. The Apostle affectionately closes the letter with his own hand.
He asks the Colossians to remember the imprisonment he is suffer-
ing for having preached the Gospels to the Gentile world. His
blessing is short, as in i and 2 Tim. Perhaps the "Amen" should
be omitted.
THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON
INTRODUCTION
I. Philemon. This correspondent of St. Paul's, to whom the
Apostle addressed the shortest but one of the most beautiful of his
letters, was most probably a native of Colossae. It is very likely
that he owed his conversion to St. Paul, some time during the lat-
ter's long residence at Ephesus (Phlm. 19; Acts xix. 26). The
Apostle speaks of him as his dear and intimate friend, and calls
him his "fellow-laborer" (Phlm. i, 13, 17, 22). That he was a
man of means appears from the facts that he owned slaves, that
he was charitable and hospitable to his fellow-Christians (Phlm.
2, 5-7), that he was able to give a part of his house for the use
of the faithful (Phlm. 2), and that St. Paul could feel free to ask
him to prepare a lodging for him on his forthcoming visit to Colossae
(Phlm. 22).
According to tradition Philemon became a Bishop of Colossae
(Apost. Const., vii. 46), and was martyred there in company with
Appia, Archippus, and Onesimus during the Neronian persecution
(Mencea of Nov. 22). It is most probable that Appia was his
wife, and Archippus his son or brother, since only these three are
addressed by name in this purely personal and private letter ( Phlm.
I, 2). It would seem that Archippus was employed in some minis-
terial capacity in the Church of Colossae (Col. iv. 17).
II. Occasion and Purpose of This Letter. As we have just
seen, Philemon was an intimate friend of St. Paul's who was likely
converted by the Apostle during the latter's long residence in
Ephesus, and who had subsequently done much for the Gospel.
Being evidently a rich man, he doubtless had many slaves, one of
whom, Onesimus, perhaps after robbing his master (Phlm. 18),
had fled away to Rome. It is highly probable that Onesimus had
met St. Paul in Ephesus, having accompanied his master thither
from his home in Colossae, or that at least he had heard of the
184
INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON 185
Apostle from his master, and perhaps from others. At any rate,
this fugitive to Rome somehow got in touch with St. Paul there,
and was converted to the faith by him (Phlm. 10, 11).
Observing the fine qualities of his new convert, the Apostle would
have gladly retained him for service in Rome (Phlm. 10, 13), but
he knew the fugitive's first duty was to his master; and he also
knew that death was the ordinary punishment for a runaway slave.
St. Paul therefore sends Onesimus back to Philemon, accompanied
by Tychicus and bearing this letter in which he very gracefully and
tactfully pleads pardon for the offender and requests that he be
taken back in kindness by his master. This the Apostle asks both
as a personal favor to himself (Phlm. 9, 11, 14), and on the ground
that Onesimus is now a brother in Christ, a fellow-Christian
(Phlm. 16). He even hints at the emancipation of the fugitive,
fearing to request it openly and directly (Phlm. 21).
III. Date and Place of Composition. This letter was written
in Rome during St. Paul's first captivity there, between 61 and 63
A.D. For arguments, see under the same heading in the Introduc-
tions to Ephesians and Colossians.
IV. Authenticity of This Epistle. Because of the non-doctrinal
contents of this letter, its brevity, and its personal and private char-
acter, we should not expect it to be quoted by the Apostolic Fathers,
nor widely recognized in public at an early date. And yet the
external evidence in favor of its genuineness is relatively strong.
It is found in the Muratorian Fragment and in the Old Latin and
Syriac Versions; it was recognized by Origen, by TertuUian, by
Eusebius, by St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom ; Marcion in-
cluded it in his Canon ; and it is found in the oldest collections of
St. Paul's Epistles.
The internal evidence is also above all serious questioning. In
vocabulary, phraseology and style, it is remarkably like the other
letters of St. Paul and, in particular, like the three other Captivity
Epistles, written about the same time. All the best non-Catholic
scholars of today ascribe the letter to St. Paul without hesitation.
V. Slavery. This was a universal institution in all ancient na-
tions. It was a marked feature of Graeco-Roman civilization, where
slaves constituted the vast bulk of the population, especially in the
later centuries of Greece and Rome. In fact, the social standing of
i86 INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON
Roman masters was rated according to the number of their slaves.
The slave's condition in both Greece and Rome was that of a piece
of property, like a horse, an ox, or a tool of any kind, only with
this degrading difference in Rome that the slave was often made to
serve the immoral and unnatural desires and purposes of his wicked
master. Thus, behind a thin veneer of culture and civilization,
which was confined comparatively to a few, the condition of man-
kind in antiquity was for the most part unnatural, degrading, and
horrible.
This was the situation that confronted our Lord and the Apostles,
and, while internally they were uncompromisingly opposed to slav-
ery and all its attendant evils, they adjusted themselves to it politi-
cally and externally for the time being, lest by attacking the evil
directly they should bring upon themselves and the Gospel the fierce
wrath of the existing powers to the utter destruction of rising
Christianity and the loss of all hope of future betterment and the
emancipation which the preaching of the Gospel was sure to effect
in the oncoming centuries. The Gospel was a leaven, it was a vital-
izing seed which, if planted among the nations, was sure to work
and grow and bear its fruit in due time. Hence it was all-important
not to do anything which would prevent or limit the planting of
this transforming seed among mankind everywhere; but in this
submission to existing conditions over which they had no immediate
control we must never attempt to see any approval of slavery by
our Lord or the Apostles. That institution, as it existed in the
pagan world, was diametrically opposed to the equal rights to life,
liberty, grace, pursuit of happiness, etc., which the Gospel message
guaranteed to all men without distinction ; and hence it was only
necessary that the Gospel be preached, understood and practised in
order to bring about the eventual doom of human slavery. That
such has actually been the case in all civilized countries where
Christianity has penetrated and exerted its influence, the testimony
of mankind and history are our witnesses.
For a longer and more satisfactory discussion of this question of
slavery in ancient times and the attitude of the Gospel and the
Church towards it, see Lightfoot, Colossians and Philemon, pp.
317-327; Moule, Introd. to Philemon, Chap. IV, in Cambridge Bible
For Schools and Colleges.
INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON 187
VI. Analysis. Short as this letter is, it may be divided, like the
other Epistles of St. Paul, into (a) an introduction (ver. 1-7),
(b) a body (ver. 8-22), and (c) a conclusion (ver. 23-25).
The introduction consists of a salutation (ver. 1-3) and thanks-
giving for Philemon's love and faith (ver. 4-7). In the body of the
letter St. Paul requests Philemon to receive back the runaway with
kindness (ver. 8-17), assuring him that this will greatly please the
writer, who hopes to visit him soon in Colossas (ver. 18-22). The
conclusion contains final salutations and a benediction (ver. 23-25).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The chief Patristic commentaries on Philemon are those by Theodore of
Mopsuestia (edited by Swete, vol. II), St. Chrysostom and St. Jerome, as
found in Migne. For other Catholic commentators consult those cited in
the Bibliographies for Ephesians and Colossians, Toussaint in Vigouroux,
Diet, de la Bible, Camerlynck, in The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Non-Catholic commentators on this Epistle will also be found in the
Bibliographies for Ephesians and Colossians.
Other general works are : H. Wallon, Histoire de I'esclavage dans I'antiquit^
(Paris, 1897) ; P. Allard, Les esclaves chretiens (Paris, 1900) ; Vigouroux,
Esciavoge, in Did. de la Bible.
The Epistle to Philemon
ONE CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION, I -7
1. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, a brother: to Philemon,
our beloved and fellow-laborer;
2. And to Appia, our sister, and to Archippus, our fellow-soldier, and to
the church which is in thy house :
3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
4. I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my
prayers,
5. Hearing of thy charity and faith, which thou hast in the Lord Jesus,
and towards all the saints :
6. That the communication of thy faith may be made evident in the
acknowledgment of every good work, that is in you in Christ.
1-7. Paul, a prisoner in Rome, addresses Philemon, a well-to-do
Colossian, and his household, wishing them g^ace and peace, and
thanking God for the charitable manifestation of Philemon's faith
in behalf of the poor Christians. May the Christians derive from
their practical experience of the fruits of faith as produced by
Philemon a fuller appreciation of the power of the Gospel ! The
report of it all has rejoiced the Apostle.
1-2. Timothy. See Introduction to i Tim., No, I.
Philemon . . . Appia . . . Archippus, etc. See Introduction to
this letter, No. I.
3. See on Eph. i. 2.
4. Thanksgiving and intercession were a part of the epistolary
convention of St. Paul's time, but they have a deeper meaning in his
Epistles. See on Eph. i. 15, 16.
5. Philemon's active faith in behalf of the Christians at Colossae
explains St. Paul's thanksgiving to God.
Charity and faith embrace the whole Christian life.
6. The Apostle here explains what he asks in prayer for Philemon,
188
PHILEMON 7, 8 189
7. For I have had great joy and consolation in thy charity, because the
bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.
8. Wherefore though I have much confidence in Christ, to command thee
that which is to the purpose,
namely, "that the communication, etc.," i.e., that the fellowship or
share the faithful have had in the charitable distribution of material
and spiritual goods on the part of Philemon, may produce around
him a true appreciation or recognition of the power of the Gospel
in "every good work" (i.e., in practical results) "in Christ Jesus"
(i.e., for the glory of Christ).
Evident is according to the Vulgate, but the Greek requires
"effectual." The operis of the Vulgate is not expressed in Greek,
but may be retained as implied.
In you. Perhaps a better reading is "in us," and the meaning
then is "in us Christians, in our relation to Christ." A better reading
also omits "Jesus" here.
7. The report of Philemon's charity was another reason for the
Apostle's prayers of thanksgiving.
The word "bowels" among the Hebrews represented the seat of
tender feeling; hence "hearts" is a better translation of the sense
here and in similar passages of Scripture.
BODY OF THE LETTER, 8-22
8-22. Paul pleads with his friend Philemon to receive back his
rtmaway slave who has become a Christian while in Rome (ver.
8-21), and asks that a lodging be made ready for himself in prepara-
tion for his forthcoming visit to Colossae (ver. 22).
8-12. St. Paul is commending the faith and charity of Philemon,
which are well known and highly appreciated; and in view of so
fine a reputation he makes his plea for the fugitive slave, Onesimus.
Wherefore though I, etc. The Apostle means to say that, in
virtue of his authority as an Apostle of Christ, he could command
Philemon to do his Christian duty by Onesimus and pardon him,
but, relying on the faithful charity of which Philemon has given
so much proof, he prefers to exhort him to receive back the runa-
way, who now as a Christian is profitable, not only to his master,
but to Paul also.
8. Confidence. Better, "boldness."
190 PHILEMON 9-14
9. For charity sake I rather beseech since I am such an one as Paul, an
old man, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus.
ID. I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bonds,
Onesimus,
11. Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable
both to me and thee,
12. Whom I have sent back to thee. And do thou receive him as my own
heart :
13. Whom I would fain retain with me, that in thy stead he might have
ministered to me in the bonds of the gospel:
14. But without thy counsel I would do nothing; that thy good deed might
not be as it were of necessity, but voluntary.
To command. More literally, "to command in plain speech."
Which is to the purpose. Better, "what is fitting."
9. Charity may refer to the deeds of charity which Philemon
has been performing, or to the love of friendship existing between
him and St. Paul.
Beseech. Better, "exhort."
An old man. Paul's age and afflictions will appeal to Philemon.
The Vulgate cum sis talis ought to be cum sim talis, as in the
Greek, referring to Paul as "an old man," or as "an ambassador"
(R. V. Margin), i.e., an envoy of Christ in prison, which would
mean that he is no ordinary man who is petitioning Philemon for
mercy to Onesimus.
10. I have begotten, in Baptism.
11. Unprofitable. Onesimus means "Useful" or "Helpful." But
when he deserted his master, and perhaps robbed him besides,
Philemon considered him "unprofitable," to say the least. Now,
however, by his conversion he has greatly benefited St. Paul, and
will be of great profit in his future faithfulness to Philemon.
12. I have sent back, an epistolary aorist, as also in ver. 19.
And do thou receive. These words are wanting in some of the
best MSS.
My own heart. See above, on ver. 7.
13-14. St. Paul says Onesimus was so useful to him in Rome
that he would have liked to retain him, but that he would not pre-
sume to do so without the free consent of Philemon.
Thy good deed. The reference may be to Philemon's wellknown
kindness, on which Paul could have presumed in retaining Onesimus ;
but more likely to the pardon which Paul hoped Philemon would
freely grant Onesimus.
PHILEMON 15-21 191
15. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season from thee, that thou
mightest receive him again for ever:
16. Not now as a servant, but instead of a servant, a beloved brother,
especially to me, but hov^r much more to thee both in the flesh and in the
Lord.
17. If therefore thou count me a partner, receive him as myself.
18. And if he hath wronged thee in any thing, or is in thy debt, put that
to mj- account.
19. I Paul have written it with my own hand : I will repay it : not to say
to thee, that thou owest me thy own self also.
20. Yea, brother. May I enjoy thee in the Lord : refresh my heart in
Christ.
21. Trusting in thy obedience, I have written to thee: knowing that thou
wilt also do more than I say.
15-16. He departed. Better, "he was parted," i.e., ran away.
For a reason. The Apostle suggests that perhaps it was provi-
dential that Onesimus left his master, since that was the occasion
of his conversion to Christianity, and his consequent usefulness to
St. Paul as a helper in the work of the faith, and his double useful-
ness to Philemon "in the flesh" (i.e., as a member of Philemon's
family) "and in the Lord" (i.e., as a Christian).
17. St. Paul now asks Philemon, in virtue of the faith and charity
that are common between them, to take Onesimus back as if he
were the Apostle himself.
A partner, i.e., a sharer in the same faith and charity.
18-19. If he hath wronged thee, etc. This would seem to imply
that Onesimus had in some way caused his master a loss, for which
Paul is willing to compensate the latter.
I have written it, etc. St. Paul for the moment takes the pen
into his own hand, as a sign of the earnestness of his promise to
make up any loss sustained by Philemon on account of Onesimus ;
but in doing so he does not forget that he is the Apostle Paul to
whom Philemon owes his conversion to Christianity — a debt which
he can never pay.
Not to say to thee, etc. Better, "to say nothing of thine owing
me thy very self."
20. May I enjoy thee in the Lord. Better, "let me have this
profit from thee in the Lord." There is a play on the words here,
for Onesimus means profitable.
My heart. See above on verse 7.
The Vulgate in domino should be in Christo, as in the Greek.
21. St. Paul appeals to the Christian obedience of Philemon to
192 PHILEMON 22-25
22. But withal prepare me also a lodging. For I hope that through your
prayers I shall be given unto you.
23. There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;
24. Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke my fellow-laborers.
25. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
grant his request in behalf of Onesimus, and "more" — hinting, per-
haps at the latter's liberation from the state of slavery.
22. Philemon can hardly refuse what St. Paul asks, since their
relations are so intimate, and to stress this intimacy at this psycho-
logical time, the Apostle asks Philemon to be ready to give him
hospitality on his forthcoming visit to Colossae.
CONCLUSION OF THE LETTER, 23-25
23-25. St. Paul in closing includes the greetings of his com-
panions in Rome, who are the same as those mentioned at the close
of Colossians (iv. 10-14), with the exception of Jesus who was called
Justus. The blessing is for Philemon and his household, as in
verse 2.
THE TWO EPISTLES
TO THE THESSALONIANS
INTRODUCTION
I. Thessalonica. Thessalonica, the modem Saloniki, in ancient
times was called Thermae, from the hot mineral springs found in its
vicinity. It was situated on the northwestern part of the Thermaic
Gulf, and the Via Egnatia, the great Roman highway of trade, ran
through it from East to West. The Athenians occupied and de-
stroyed it during the Peloponnesian War in 421 B.C., but about a
century later (circa 315 B.C.) it was rebuilt by Cassander, who gave
it the name of his wife, Thessalonica, the half-sister of Alexander
the Great. After the Battle of Pydna on the plains of Philippi in
168 B.C., Thessalonica surrendered to the victorious Romans, and
it was made the capital of the second of the four districts into which
Macedonia was then divided. Later, when these four districts were
united into one province, Thessalonica became the capital and
metropolis of all Macedonia. In 42 B.C. the Romans made it a free
Greek city with the privilege of electing its own magistrates, whom
St. Luke, with noteworthy historical exactitude, called by the un-
usual and technical name of politarchs, or rulers of the city (Acts
xvii. 6).
In the time of St. Paul, Thessalonica was the most flourishing
and populous city of Macedonia. Its inhabitants were chiefly Greeks,
but the Romans were also there in large numbers, besides a numerous
colony of Jews, who had their own synagogue (Acts xvii. i, 4).
II. The Church of Thessalonica. St. Paul with Silas, and per-
haps Timothy also, came to Thessalonica during the first part of
his second missionary journey, following his expulsion from Philippi
(Acts xvii. I ff.). On the Sabbath he entered the synagogue there,
and began to preach to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah as
foretold in their Scriptures. Though his efforts were largely un-
193
194 INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS
availing, he continued thus to reason with them for three weeks,
winning some of them over to the faith, and converting a large num-
ber of Greek proselytes and not a few leading ladies. But the
majority of his fellow-countr}'men were steadfast in resisting him,
and, being moved with jealousy, they finally compelled him to leave
the synagogue. He then continued his ministry in private homes
and through personal interviews, and it seems that the house of one
Jason (Acts xvii. 5) became the chief place of worship and instruc-
tion for the Gentiles who desired to hear him.
How long the Apostle remained at Thessalonica, we do not know.
But from the Epistle we can see that his stay there must have been
longer than the three weeks implied in the narrative of Acts
(xvii. 2). Some few months, at least, must have been required for
the establishment of a Church so flourishing as this afterwards
proved to be. He could not devote all his time to preaching either,
because he and his companions, by personal manual labor, had to
earn their own living besides (i Thess. ii. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 8). And
his preaching was thorough and effective, as we shall see from the
analysis of the Epistle. So fruitful, indeed, was the ministry of
Paul and his fellow-workers in that Macedonian capital that the
envy of the Jews forced them out before their work was finished.
These enemies of St. Paul accused him to the magistrates of the
city of preaching a king contrary to Caesar, and nothing was left the
Apostle and his co-workers but to withdraw. This they did under
cover of darkness, proceeding to the neighboring town of Berea.
III. Occasion and Purpose of These Letters, (a) i Thessa-
LONIANS. St. Paul's ministry at Berea was short but rich in results
(Acts xvii. 10-13), and he left Silas and Timothy there to continue
the work he had begun, as he proceeded to Athens. In the latter
city his preaching was nearly a failure. He therefore soon sent word
to Silas and Timothy to come to him at once (Acts xvii. 15). They
came without delay, bringing news of continued or fresh persecu-
tions at Thessalonica, so that both Paul and his two companions had
a mind to return there forthwith to console and encourage the faith-
ful, but they could not (i Thess. i. 6, iii. 3, ii. 17, 18). So Paul
and Silas decided to send Timothy to the troubled Church, while
Paul passed on to Corinth and Silas returned, perhaps to Berea or
some other part of Macedonia (i Thess. iii. 2; Acts xviii. i).
INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS 195
Not long after St. Paul had arrived at Corinth, he was rejoined
by Timothy, who brought a report of conditions in Thessalonica.
On the whole the news was favorable. Notwithstanding persecu-
tions, the faith had continued strong, so that the brethren there were
an example to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia ( i Thess.
i. 4 ff.). But there were also some errors and abuses that needed
correcting. It seems that the Apostle's authority and the methods
of his ministry had been questioned in certain quarters (i Thess.
ii. 1-12). Some were in danger of lapsing back into their pagan
vices, while others were idle and restless, waiting for the Parousia
(i Thess. iv. 1-12). Still others were troubled over the fate of
relatives and friends who had died before the Coming of the Lord ;
and certain ones had grown careless as a result of the Parousia being
too long delayed (i Thess. iv. 13 — v. 11). It seems there was also
some disorder or lack of respect for those in authority (i Thess.
V. 12-15).
It was upon receipt of such news as the foregoing that St. Paul,
in company with Silas and Timothy, wrote the present letter. He
and his two associates hope to come to Thessalonica soon ; but in
the meantime they send this letter to express their satisfaction at
the good news reported, to defend their own conduct and authority,
and to correct the existing abuses and errors.
(b) 2 Thessalonians. Shortly after the receipt of the first letter
to the Thessalonians word was brought St. Paul at Corinth, perhaps
by the bearer of that Epistle, about the most recent conditions in
Thessalonica and the eflfect in that city of the letter just received.
Persecution had continued to rage more furious than ever, and
yet faith and charity were increasing (2 Thess. i. 3-5). But the
Parousia was still a disturbing question, and in this respect the first
letter seems to have made matters worse, instead of better. Some
of the faithful had become so convinced of the imminence of the
"Day of the Lord" that they had abandoned their daily duties, and
had given themselves over to prayer and meditation, living on the
charity and bounty of others. In their assemblies there were excite-
ment and disorder, and there was danger that the whole Church
would be thrown into confusion. These misguided members claimed
the authority of St. Paul for their beliefs and teachings, and it
seems there was in circulation a forged letter, purporting to be from
196 INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS
the Apostle himself (2 Thess. ii. 2, iii. 6-14). In view of these
conditions, St. Paul, with Silas and Timothy, writes this second
letter to the Church at Thessalonica to comfort and encourage the
faithful there, to clear up misunderstandings regarding the Second
Coming of the Lord, to strengthen discipline, and to recall the idle
to their accustomed daily duties and labors.
IV. Date and Place of Writing. All authorities, ancient and
modem, are pretty well agreed that these two letters were written
at Corinth during the Apostle's long stay in that city of over eigh-
teen months on his second missionary journey (Acts xviii. i S.).
The precise dates will depend on the system of chronology one
adopts. But in our Introduction to Philippians we have said that
Paul founded that Church around 51 a.d. He then passed on to
Thessalonica, where, as observed above, he must have tarried for
several months in order to establish so flourishing a Church. Being
forced to leave, he next went to Berea and thence to Athens, spend-
ing but a short time in each of those cities, and finally came to
Corinth. His arrival, therefore, in this last-named city was not very
long after he had left Thessalonica. But before he would write
this first letter we must allow time for Timothy's mission to Thessa-
lonica and his return to Paul at Corinth, for the spread of the faith
of the Thessalonians to various parts of Macedonia and Achaia and
their manifestation of charity to all the brethren in all Macedonia,
for the occurrence of a number of deaths in the Thessalonian
Church, etc. (i Thess. i. 7-8, iii. 6, iv. 10, 13). All this would
require some time. But, on the other hand, we cannot make the
writing of this first letter too late, as sufficient time must be allowed
for the dispatching of the second letter also from Corinth during
the Apostle's same sojourn there. Of course, it is clear that no
great length of time intervened between the composition of the two
letters, and this is admitted by all authorities who concede the
genuineness of the second letter. Thus, Paul had the same asso-
ciates in writing the second as in writing the first letter, and the situ-
ation at Thessalonica was about the same. It seems reasonable,
therefore, to conclude that i Thess. was written some time during
52 A.D., and 2 Thess. in the latter part of the same year or in the
first part of the following year. These dates fit in with the chro-
nology we have adopted, and they are as likely as any others that
INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS 197
might be given, if not a little more so. At any rate, these are the
oldest of St. Paul's letters, unless we hold the rather doubtful
opinion that Galatians was his first Epistle. See Introduction to
Galatians in vol. I.
The opinion of some ancient authorities and codices that i Thess.
was written from Athens is based on a misunderstanding of i Thess.
iii. 1-6, and is contradicted by the express statements of Acts
xviii. I, 5. Equally unfounded is the view of Baur, Ewald, Bunsen,
and certain other non-Catholics, who hold that our second letter pre-
ceded the first to the Thessalonians. A simple examination of the
two letters is sufficient to refute such a theory ; for it is plain that
the first letter treats of the foundation of the Church at Thessalonica
while the second is dealing with its development, and the teachings
of the latter presuppose those of the former.
V. Authenticity, (a) i Thessalonians. The external and
the internal evidence in favor of the genuineness of this Epistle is
so strong as to place it beyond all question ; and consequently among
modern exegetes there is now practically no one who has any diffi-
culty on this point.
The first and oldest testimony for i Thess. is 2 Thess., which
presupposes it, and which was written not long after it. Next come
the Apostolic Fathers and early Christian documents, such as
Ignatius Martyr, Polycarp, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,
and The Pastor of Hernias — in all of which can be found citations
from or pretty certain allusions to this Epistle (cf. Funk, Patres
apostolici, pp. 640 flf.). After these, we find explicit reference to
it in the Muratorian Fragment ; Marcion included it in his Canon ;
it is frequently cited by Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, St. Justin
Martyr, and Tertullian ; and Eusebius, the faithful witness of primi-
tive tradition, included it among the fourteen Epistles of St.
Paul (cf. Comely, Introd., III., pp. 480 ff.). This Epistle is also
found in the best ancient MSS., and in the old Latin and Syriac
versions.
Internal evidence is not less conclusive in establishing the authen-
ticity of this letter. The style and doctrine are Paul's throughout,
and the Apostle's character, as known from his other Epistles, is
clearly manifested here. It is true that Baur and his followers of
the Neo-Tiibingen School rejected this letter on purely internal
198 INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS
grounds ; but the reasons they brought forward in support of their
position are not worthy of any serious consideration. For example,
they said it was lacking in doctrine; that ii. 14-16 was an exaggera-
tion, or else referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 ;
that the eschatological teaching given here was not to be found in
the Epistles that are admittedly Pauline, etc.
As to the first objection, we need only look at the Epistle to see
that just the contrary is true. For here all the leading doctrines are
characteristic of St. Paul, such as the death and resurrection of
Jesus (i. 10, iv. 14, v. 10), His Divinity and Sonship (i. 9, 10), the
resurrection of the body (iv. 15-18), sanctification by the indwelling
Holy Spirit (iv. 8), the call of the nations to the kingdom of Christ,
the Church (ii. 12), the mediatorship of Christ (v. 10), etc.
In ii. 14-16 St. Paul is simply saying that the converts in the
Thessalonian Church are suffering the same things from their fellow-
countrymen as the converts in Judea suffered from their compatriots,
and that the blindness and perfidy of the latter have brought upon
them the curse of God for time and eternity. There is nothing
un-Pauline in this method of argumentation.
If eschatology occupies a larger place in this and in the following
Epistle than in the other later Epistles of St. Paul, it is simpl}'
because there was a need for it in the Thessalonian Church which
did not exist to the same degree elsewhere, or that, since his hearers
and readers so grossly misunderstood him in these Epistles, he
thought it best to say less about it in later times. The Apostle always
adapted his letters to the needs and conditions of the particular
Church to which he w^as writing and to the requirements of circum-
stances. These difficulties, therefore, are purely subjective and
worthless ; and they are rightly disregarded by modern scholarship.
(b) 2 Thessalonians. The external evidence in favor of the
authenticity of this letter is even stronger than that in support of
the first one. The testimony of the MSS. and of the versions is
the same, but the early Fathers and apologetic writers are clearer
and more explicit in regard to this Epistle. The internal evidence
here is also very strong; so strong, indeed, that such critics as Har-
nack and Jiilicher have admitted the letter to be Paul's on purely
internal grounds. Thus, the contents of the Epistle is closely
linked with i Thess. ; the vocabulary, style, and structure are re-
INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS 199
markably similar; the transitions, outbursts of prayer, and other
characteristics are unmistakably Pauline. In fact, the similarity be-
tween these two Epistles is so marked that certain critics, like Holtz-
mann, Weizacher, Schmiedel, and others have denied the genuine-
ness of 2 Thess, for that very reason, maintaining that it is the work
of some clever forger of the second century. But, as there is no
other support for such an opinion, it can be simply set aside as un-
warranted.
The greatest objection to the authenticity of this letter is based
on the diflference in its teaching regarding the Parousia. The
objectors tell us that the two Epistles are in contradiction on this
question — that i Thess. teaches the imminence of the Parousia,
whereas 2 Thess. makes it far removed. To this we reply, in the
first place, that St. Paul had no definite revelation regarding the
time of the Second Coming of the Lord, and hence did not and could
not teach anything definite about it. In the second place, there is
no contradiction in what he has to say on the subject in the two
Epistles: he merely makes clearer in the second letter what was
misunderstood in the first.
Another difficulty is that 2 Thess. is more Jewish than i Thess.,
and so must either be the product of a forger, or it was written
first. Even if we grant the reason for this objection, it proves noth-
ing more than that there were Jews at Thessalonica, which we
admit, and that Paul had them more in mind in writing the second
letter than when he wrote the first one ; perhaps they were causing
more trouble. Harnack explains this difficulty by saying that i
Thess. was directed more expressly to the Gentile section and 2
Thess. to the Jewish group in the Thessalonian Church. But it seems
hardly necessary to say so much ; for, on the one hand, the Jewish
element in 2 Thess. is only slightly more pronounced than in i Thess.,
and we know, on the other hand, that the Thessalonian Church was
predominantly Gentile from the beginning.
We conclude, therefore, by accepting the verdict of all the best
modern scholars that the authenticity of these two Epistles to the
Thessalonians can be admitted without hesitation. They stand
among the best attested letters of St. Paul. And this we can hold
in spite of the fact that in certain notable respects these Epistles
are the least Pauline of all the letters that have come to us from
200 INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS
the great Apostle. For here we search in vain for such character-
istic PauHne doctrines as justification by faith, the propitiatory
death of Christ, the abrogation of the Law by grace, the relation of
the Law to grace, and the like. Personal and historical elements
abound in these letters, especially in i Thess., as we shall see from
the following analysis.
VI. Division of Contents, (a) i Thessalonians. Besides a
salutation (i. i) and a conclusion (v. 25-28), we may divide this
Epistle into two main parts, one personal and historical (i. 2 —
iii. 13), and the other hortatory and doctrinal (iv. I — v. 24).
A. The salutation here (i. i) is unusually familiar and friendly,
omitting all titles and references to controversy. The Apostle and
his companions are addressing friends.
B. In the personal and historical section (i. 2 — iii. 13) the writers
first give thanks for the good condition of the Church in Thessa-
lonica (i. 2-10), and then in a general way defend the character of
their ministry in Thessalonica against certain charges that have been
circulated to their discredit (ii. 1-12). After that follow renewed
thanks for the success of their preaching among the Thessalonians,
who have withstood persecution as boldly as did the Christians of
Judea (ii. 13-16). Having been obliged to leave their new converts,
the Apostles would have gladly returned to them, had that been
possible (ii. 17-20) ; and in their anxiety they did send Timothy,
who, on his return, brought most consoling news (iii. i-io). The
Apostles, therefore, pray that God may soon grant them a visit to
the Thessalonians, and that in the meantime the faithful there may
increase in spiritual perfection (iii. 11-13).
C. In the hortatory and doctrinal part (iv. i — v. 24) the Apostles
warn the faithful against all forms of impurity, and exhort them
to brotherly love and to an active, industrious life which will secure
them independence and respect (iv. i-ii). They need not worry
about their friends who have died before the Coming of the Lord,
for all good Christians are united with their Risen Saviour, and
those who have died first will meet Him ahead of those who are alive
when He comes (iv. 12-17). The time of the Parousia is uncertain,
and so it behooves all to hold themselves ready (v. i-ii). Let all,
subjects and superiors, be faithful in the fulfillment of their respec-
tive duties (v. 12-15). Finally, some various injunctions regarding
INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS 201
joy, prayer, and other spiritual matters, with a special prayer for
the Thessalonians, terminate this part of the Epistle (v. 16-24).
D. The conclusion contains a request for prayers, a final saluta-
tion, a special recommendation, and a benediction (v. 25-28).
(b) 2 Thessalonians. This Epistle has only three short Chap-
ters, and these are so divided in our Bible as fitly to represent the
thought.
A. Again the Apostle and his companions first salute the faithful
of Thessalonica (i. i, 2). Then follow thanksgiving for the faith
and love of the Thessalonians, and an assurance that God will re-
ward them for their patient endurance of suffering and punish their
persecutors in His own good time (i. 3-10). The Apostles assure
their converts that they are always praying for their spiritual prog-
ress and perfection (i. 11-12).
B. The Second Chapter is doctrinal, and deals with the Parousia,
which is the main subject of this letter. Let the faithful not be
deceived into thinking that the Day of the Lord is at hand (ii. i, 2) ;
for certain extraordinary signs must precede, and until these appear
there is no reason for alarm (ii. 3-1 1). Meanwhile, let the Thessa-
lonians continue steadfast in their faith and in the performance of
good works (ii. 12-16).
C. The Third Chapter contains first a request for prayers, and
an expression of confidence in the spiritual progress of the Thessa-
lonians (iii. 1-5). Then the Apostles warn the brethren against
certain disorderly members who were indulging in idleness; and
they support their censure by appealing to their own contrary con-
duct of laboring for their living while preaching the Gospel in Thes-
salonica (iii. 6-12). Let the brethren, therefore, continue in well-
doing, and endeavor to correct the disorderly (iii. 13-15).
D. The Epistle closes with good wishes, a final salutation written
by Paul with his own hand, and a blessing (iii. 16-18).
INTRODUCTION TO THESSALONIANS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
^As always among the Greeks, St. Chrysostom is the leading commentator
also on these Epistles. After him, and dependent upon him, we have Theo-
dore of Mopsuestia (edited by Swete), Theodoret, St. John Damascene,
Thcophylact, etc., as given in Migne, P.G. The ancient Latin Fathers did
not write express commentaries on these two letters, and hence what they
have given us is confined to particular texts. In fact, there is no Latin
commentary of first rank on Thessalonians before St. Thomas Aquinas,
who, as everywhere on the Epistles of St. Paul, has bequeathed to us here
a wealth of profound erudition and marvelous insight. After St. Thomas
Cardinal Cajetan doubtless comes first among all ante-Tridentine Latin com-
mentators. Cajetan, however, as Dr. Voste remarks, was greater as a theo-
logian than as an exegete.
After the Council of Trent down to modern times the leading Catholic
commentators on these Epistles were Estius, S.J. (1613), Justinianus. S.J.
(1622), and Calmet, O.S.B. (1757). Following these in more recent years
we have many fine works on Thessalonians, such as those by Drach (1871),
Schafer (1890), Padovani (1894), Lemonnyer (6th edit., 1908), Toussaint
(1910), Knabenbauer (1913), Sales (1914), Voste (1917)-
Recent non-Catholic writers on these Epistles are also numerous. The
best among them are the following: Lightfoot, Biblical Essays, vi, vii, and
Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul (1895) I Milligan, St. Paul's Epistles to
the Thessalonians (1908); Findlay, in The Cambridge Greek Test. (loii);
Frame, in The International Crit. Comm. (1912) ; Plummer, Comm. on I
Thess. (1917); Jones, in A New Conim. on Holy Script. (1928); McCown,
in Abingdon Bible Comm. (1929).
302
The First Epistle to The Thessalonians
CHAPTER I
GREETING, AND THANKSGIVING FOR THE STATE OF THE CHURCH AT
THESSALONICA, I-IO
I. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, in
God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:
I-IO. With the briefest salutation found in all his Epistles St.
Paul, in company with Silvanus and Timothy, greets the Thessa-
lonian Church according to his usual manner. He then stresses his
continued interest in them, recalling their faith and love, the circum-
stances of their conversion, their exemplary conduct, and their well-
known and widespread reputation as outstanding Christians.
I. The form of address which St. Paul adapted in this, the earliest
of his letters, was afterwards observed in all his Epistles, though
he later enlarged and varied it according to conditions and circum-
stances.
Paul. In the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, as in the letters
to the Philippians and Philemon, St. Paul omits his title of "apostle,"
because there was no reason to assert his authority in messages so
friendly and personal. He also omits here "servant of Jesus Christ,"
out of reverence for Silas or Silvanus who, after the Council of
Jerusalem, was called one of the chief brethren (Voste).
Silvanus, always so called by St. Paul, but spoken of in Acts as
"Silas" (Acts xv-xviii). He joined St. Paul at Antioch (Acts xv.
22, 23), accompanied him on his second missionary journey, and
helped in the foundation of the Church at Thessalonica (Acts xv.
22 ff., xvi. 19, 29 ff., xvii. i-io).
Timothy. See Introduction to i Tim., No. I.
The Church of the Thessalonians. See Introduction to this
letter, No. U.
303
204 I THESSALONIANS I. 2-4
2. Grace be to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for you
all; making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing,
3. Being mindful of the work of your faith, and labor, and charity, and
of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our
Father :
4. Knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election:
In God the Father, etc. The single preposition "in" here shows
that to Paul's mind there was perfect equality in divine nature be-
tween the Father and our Lord.
2. For an analysis of the first main part of the Epistle (i. 2 —
iii. 13), see Introduction, No. VI, B.
Grace . . . peace. See on Eph. i. 2.
We give thanks, etc. See on Eph. i. 16.
Without ceasing, i.e., continually. Some cormect this phrase
with the following, but it makes better sense to join it to what goes
before, as in our version.
3. The Apostle now tells why he "gives thanks to God" for the
Thessalonians, namely, because of the practical manifestations of
their faith, love, and hope — the three theological virtues which con-
stitute the essence of the Christian life (cf. i Cor. xiii. 13). Here
in his first Epistle St. Paul teaches what he teaches always else-
where, that faith must be conjoined with works, it must be active:
"Faith without good works is dead" (James ii. 17). The faith of
the Thessalonians was manifested in labors of love and in endurance
of temporal losses in view of eternal rewards for which they hoped.
4. The call of the Thessalonians to the faith and to membership
in the Church of Christ is another reason why St. Paul gives thanks
to God. These great spiritual benefits are a sure proof that they
are "beloved of God," i.e., specially favored by God in being selected
from among others for faith in Christ. With St. Paul call or voca-
tion and election really mean the same thing, namely, admission to
the faith and privileges of the Gospel, but call regards rather the
terminus ad quern, and election the terminus a quo; the faithful
were elected by God to be called to the faith. In St. Paul, therefore,
both terms have reference to a supernatural gift of God ; and in the
present text the word "election" has to do with membership in the
Church. The question of final salvation is, then, only indirectly
touched upon in this place, inasmuch as one who is elected and called
is on the way to final salvation. See Voste, Thessalonians, h. I.
I THESSALONIANS I. 5-9 205
5. For our gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power
also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what
manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.
6. And you became followers of us, and of the Lord; receiving the word
in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost :
7. So that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and
in Achaia.
8. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in
Macedonia, and in Achaia, but also in every place your faith which is
towards God is gone forth, so that we need not to speak anything.
9. For they themselves relate of us, what manner of entering in we had
unto you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and
true God,
5. St. Paul here gives a reason for his conviction that the Thessa-
lonians have been admitted to the privileges of faith and grace in
the Church of Christ, recalling the circumstances of their conver-
sion; for he and his companions preached the Gospel to them with
a "power" and efficacy which only the Holy Ghost could supply, and
with an "assurance" that was characteristic of the Apostolic preach-
ing everywhere. This his readers know.
6. The election of the Thessalonians was also made manifest in
the generous way they received the preaching of the Apostles, in
the persecutions they steadfastly endured for the Gospel, and in the
holy joy they exhibited amid their trials.
7. The result of the whole-hearted response of the Thessalonians
to the preaching of the Gospel was that they became an example and
a model in faith to all the other Greeks.
Macedonia and Achaia were the two provinces into which the
Romans had divided Greece.
8. For from you, etc., i.e., from your city. The international
character of Thessalonica made it easy for the faith of the Chris-
tians there to become widely known; and this is what Paul means
by the somewhat hyperbolical expressions, "in every place" and "so
that we need not to speak anything."
9. For they themselves, etc., i.e., those Christians from "every
place" are full of the report of the preaching of Paul and his com-
panions among the Thessalonians, and of the consequent success of
that preaching.
How you turned, etc, from the service of pagan gods to that
of the true God.
2o6 I THESSALONIANS I. lo, 11. 1-4
10. And to wait for his Son from heaven (whom he raised up from the
dead), Jesus, who hath dehvered us from the wrath to come.
10. The purpose of the conversion of the Thessalonians, Uke that
of all others, was that they might be in readiness for the coming of
Christ, our Redeemer and Judge, whether at the hour of death or
at the end of the world.
Who hath delivered. Better, "who delivereth." The present
tense indicates that the work of salvation is continuous.
The wrath to come, i.e., God's chastisement for sin.
CHAPTER II
THE apostles' MINISTRY AT THESSALONICA IS DEFENDED, I-I2
1. For yourselves know, brethren, that our coming among you was not in
vain,
2. But having suffered many things before and been shamefully treated
(as you know) at Philippi, we had courage in our God, to speak unto you
the gospel of God in much carefulness.
3. For our exhortation was not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deceit;
4. But as we were approved by God that the gospel should be committed
I-I2. After recalling the abundant spiritual fruit of the Apostles'
preaching at Thessalonica, which was due to the grace of God, St.
Paul now turns to a defence of his own and of his companions'
motives and conduct while there. His Jewish opponents, who had
driven the missionaries from Thessalonica, had doubtless circulated
calumnies and stories about them ; and so the Apostle in these verses
replies to their charges. He tells how he and his helpers labored
there in spite of persecution, how free they were from self-interest,
and how tenderly they cared for their converts.
1-2. St. Paul recalls the fearless manner in which he and his com-
panions, Silvanus and Timothy, after having been scourged and im-
prisoned at Philippi (Acts xvi. 22-40) came and preached the Gospel
at Thessalonica.
In much carefulness. Better, "with much solicitude," or, as the
Old Latin has it, "amid much conflict."
3-8. In these verses the Apostles' preaching at Thessalonica Is
further explained. Their appeal arose not from "error" or delu-
I THESSALONIANS 11. 5-10 207
to us: even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who proveth our
hearts.
5. For neither have we used, at any time, the speech of flattery as you
know ; nor taken an occasion of covetousness, God is witness :
6. Nor sought we glory of men, neither in you, nor of others,
7. Whereas we might have been burdensome to you, as the apostles of
Christ; but we became little ones in the midst of you, as a nurse cherishing
her children :
8. So desirous of you, we would gladly impart unto you not only the
gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you were become most dear
unto us.
9. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil : working night and
day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you, we preached among you
the gospel of God.
10. You are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and without
blame we have been to you that have believed:
sion ; nor was it prompted by "uncleanness," i.e., unworthy and
sordid motives and purposes, as was often the case with the worship
of the heathen (e.g., the worship of Aphrodite at Corinth, where
St. Paul was now writing) ; nor was "deceit" or fraud used to carry
and enforce their message. The Apostles discharged their ministry
as men "approved by God" and entrusted by Him with the preach-
ing of the Gospel, who sought above all things to please God, the
Judge of their hearts. They did not try to gain the favor of men
by "flattery," nor make their ministry the occasion of material gain
or of the praise of men, though they had a right to support for
their labors and to respect and honor as "apostles of Christ." In-
stead of asserting their authority and making demands on the Thes-
salonians, the Apostles conducted themselves as children among
them, and were desirous of communicating to their converts, not
only the Gospel, but even their own lives, if that had been neces-
sary. In verse 7 "little ones" (vi^moi) is according to the best Greek
reading, instead of T^irtoi, which means "gentle." The sense is the
same in either case.
9-10, Again St. Paul Invokes the testimony of the Thessalonlans
themselves to prove the sincerity of purpose with which the Apostles
preached the Gospel to them, how, namely, in addition to the fatigue
of the ministry, they worked with their own hands for their tem-
poral support, so as not to be a burden to their converts, and how
blameless at the same time their conduct was.
2o8 I THESSALONIANS II. 11-13
IX. As you know in what manner, entreating and comforting you (as a
father doth his children),
12. We testified to every one of you, that you would walk worthy of God,
who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
13. Therefore, we also give thanks to God without ceasing: because, when
you received from us the word of the hearing of God you received it not
as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God, which worketh
in you that have believed.
II-I2. In verse 7 above St. Paul compared his tender care of the
Thessalonians to that of a nurse-mother, lovingly watching over
her children ; and now he likens the solicitude he had for them to the
vigilance of a father, exhorting, encouraging, and adjuring each and
all of them to live lives worthy of the God who has called them
to membership in His Church here on earth and to a participation
of His unveiled glory hereafter in heaven. Such conduct on the
part of the Apostles while they were at Thessalonica should con-
vince his readers of the sincerity and purity of their aims in preach-
ing to them.
RENEWED THANKS FOR THE STEADFAST ZEAL OF THE THESSALONIAN
CONVERTS, 13-16
13-16. Having described the conduct of the Apostles at Thessa-
lonica, St. Paul now thanks (jod for the manner in which the con-
verts there received the Gospel message, and the courage and strength
with which they endured the persecutions of their own countrymen,
as their fellow-Christians in Palestine had stood up tmder the perse-
cutions of the Jews. Knowing that the Jews were also at the bottom
of the troubles at Thessalonica, the Apostle denounces them with a
severity unparalleled elsewhere in his Epistles.
13. Therefore we also, etc. The Thessalonians were witnesses
of the zealous labors of the Apostles, and now the Apostles thank
(jod for the generous response to their preaching on the part of
the converts at Thessalonica. They received the Gospel through the
Apostles, but they recognized it as the "word of God" Himself, and
this word or divine message produced the fruits of faith in their
lives.
The word of the hearing of God, i.e., the Gospel message.
I THESSALONIANS II. 14-16 209
14. For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which
are in Judea, in Christ Jesus in that you have suffered the same things from
your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews,
15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have perse-
cuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men;
16. Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to
fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God has come upon them to the
uttermost.
In the Vulgate qui operatur should be quod operatur, to agree with
the Greek, where the relative refers to "word" and not to "God."
14. The converts, therefore, must not become discouraged at their
persecutions, as if the Gospel they had received was not divine, for
they are only suffering from their own pagan townsmen what the
Christians in Judea experienced at the hands of the Jews (Acts
vi. 9 ff., viii. I ff., ix. I If.). Paul was aware that the persecutions
at Thessalonica were also instigated by the Jews (Acts xvii. 5, 13).
15-16, The unusual severity of these verses has led some critics
to deny their authenticity, but without reason. St. Paul was simply
citing facts, and his language is not so harsh as that used by the
Lord Himself against the same people (Matt, xxiii. 3-37), and that
employed by St. Stephen (Acts vii. 51 ff.). The persecutions at
Thessalonica, for which the Jews were responsible, moved the
Apostle to make this withering review of their principal crimes of
the past. They had used the Romans as their instruments to kill
"the Lord Jesus" ; they had killed "the prophets," as our Lord had
said (Matt, xxiii. 3-37; Acts vii. 51 ff.) ; they had "persecuted" Paul
and his companions, driving him and them from place to place (Acts
xii. 50 ff., xiv. 4 ff., xvii. 5 ff.) ; they were no longer God's beloved
people, and had become the enemies of all men, trying to keep
from them the saving Gospel of Christ, thus filling up the measure
of their sins and calling down upon them the wrath of God to their
own utter destruction.
To fill up, in a consecutive sense, as a result.
Always, i.e., now as in the past.
Has come, in their exclusion from the Messianic kingdom.
To the uttermost seems to refer to the exclusion from Messianic
benefits and to the coming downfall of Jerusalem and the dispersion
of the Jews as a nation in the year 70 a.d. If this latter event is
210 I THESSALONIANS II. 17, 18
17. But we, brethren, being taken away from you for a short time, in sight,
not in heart, have hastened the more abundantly to see your face with great
desire.
18. For we would have come unto you, I Paul indeed, once and again :
but Satan hindered us.
referred to here, St. Paul was speaking prophetically, of the future.
Of course, Paul teaches in Rom. xi. 25-32 that Israel will finally re-
turn to the God of her fathers, but that will be just before the end
of all things here below and the final judgment of the world.
THE apostles' DESIRE TO REVISIT THE THESSALONIANS, I7-2O
17-20. In the two preceding verses St, Paul has been led away
from the main purpose of this part of his letter to a vigorous de-
nunciation of the Jews who were persecuting the Christians and
obstructing his work for the Gospel. Now he returns to the thought
of the Thessalonians, and tells them how after his expulsion from
their city he had desired to return, but had been variously impeded
by Satan. The Thessalonians are his joy and will be his crown in
the day of Christ's coming.
17. Being taken away, etc. Better, "being bereaved of you,'*
as a parent that had lost his children.
Have hastened the more abundantly, etc. The meaning is:
(a) the longer we were from you, the more we desired to see you
(Lightfoot) ; or (b) the more we are impeded from seeing you,
the more we strove to come to you (Milligan) ; or (c) the more
we thought we should soon see you, the more ardent became our
desire to see you (Voste).
18. We would ... I, Paul, etc. It is disputed whether St. Paul
is here speaking for himself and his companions, or for himself
alone. It seems better to take it that Paul and his companions were
eager to visit the Thessalonians, and that Paul personally had made
up his mind to do so more than once, but Satan prevented him
(Findlay, hoc loco).
Satan, the Evil One, probably stands here for all the forces that
resisted the Gospel. The reference in this instance may be to the
Jews, or to physical illness, or to both.
I THESSALONIANS II. 19, 20, III. i 211
19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you, in
the presence of the Lord Jesus at his coming?
20. For you are our glory and joy.
19-20. From the desire to see his converts St. Paul passes in trans-
port to the great moment when he will render an account for them
to the Supreme Judge. They are his hope, and at the coming of
his Saviour and Judge they will be his joy and crown — ^his proud
boast that he has not labored in vain (Phil. ii. 16, iv. i). In this
verse we have the first explicit mention of the Parousia, or Second
Coming of Christ, which is uppermost in this and the next letter.
The Christum of the Vulgate (ver. 19) is not expressed in the
Greek.
CHAPTER III
timothy's visit to thessalonica and its results, 1-13
I. For which cause, forbearing no longer, we thought it good to remain
at Athens alone,
1-13. This whole Chapter really belongs, by connection of thought
and matter, to the last section of the preceding Chapter. In his
anxiety St. Paul did send Timothy to visit and encourage the new
converts at Thessalonica. When the Apostle was with them, he
had foretold the trials to which they should be subjected, and he
was fearing what effects these troubles may have had on their faith.
But Timothy on his return gave a most comforting report, for
which the Apostle thanks God from the bottom of his heart. Night
and day he prays that he himself may be able to visit them, to make
up what is wanting to their faith. May God grant him this favor,
and may the Thessalonians meanwhile increase and abound in broth-
erly love towards all, so as to make ever greater progress in holi-
ness, in preparation for the coming of the Lord!
I. In verses 1-5 St. Paul tells the Thessalonians that because of
his great love for them and his anxiety about their spiritual wel-
fare he sent Timothy from Athens to visit them, since he could
not go himself.
213 1 THESSALONIANS III. 2-5
2. And we sent Timothy, our brother, and the minister of God in the
gospel of Christ, to confirm you and exhort you concerning your faith,
3. That no man should be moved in these tribulations: for yourselves
know that we are appointed thereunto.
4. For even when we were with you, we foretold you that we should
suffer tribulations, as also it is come to pass, and you know.
5. For this cause also, I, forbearing no longer, sent to know your faith,
lest perhaps he that tempteth should have tempted you, and our labor should
be made vain.
We thought it good, etc. The Apostle is most probably referring
to himself and Silas, though some expositors think he is here using
the epistolary plural. It is not likely that St. Paul ordered Timothy
to go directly from Berea to Thessalonica before conferring
with him, and probably Silas, also, at Athens. See Introduction,
No. III.
2. Minister. This is according to the best Greek reading. Some
lesser authorities have "co-worker."
In the gospel of Christ, i.e., in the Gospel that is from Christ.
3. That no man, etc. The purpose of the mission of Timothy
was to strengthen the converts against their temptations.
In these tribulations, which they were suffering for the Gospel.
That we are appointed thereunto. These words have led some
to think St. Paul was referring just above to his own "tribulations,"
which he feared would be a scandal to the new converts; but this
is a less likely opinion, as appears from the following verse. He
simply means that suffering is the lot of all who will follow Christ :
"Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God"
(Acts xiv. 21) ; "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suf-
fer persecution" (2 Tim. iii. 12).
4. The knowledge and experience of the Thessalonians verifies
St. Paul's prediction.
5. To show his anxiety about their tribulations, St. Paul here
repeats that his personal interest in the Thessalonians caused him to
send Timothy to them. He feared for their faith in the midst of
sufferings, lest Satan may have prevailed against them, thus render-
ing his own labors in their behalf of no avail.
He that tempteth, i.e., Satan, who tempts to evil (Matt. iv. 3;
I Cor. vii. 5).
Should have tempted you. Better, "had tempted you," refer-
ring to a past fact, of which St. Paul had little doubt.
I THESSALONIANS III. 6-11 213
6. But now when Timothy came to us from you, and related to us your
faith and charity, and that you have a good remembrance of us always,
desiring to see us as we also to see you ;
7. Therefore we were comforted, brethren, in you, in all our necessity
and tribulation, by your faith,
8. Because now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
9. For what thanks can we return to God for you, in all the joy where-
with we rejoice for you before our God,
10. Night and day more abundantly praying that we may see your face,
and may accomplish those things that are wanting to your faith?
11. Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus, direct our
way unto you,
6-8. Being alone at Corinth and all uncertain about conditions
at Thessalonica, St. Paul was in a state of great anxiety when
Timothy joined him there, bringing glad tidings of the faith, charity,
and personal affection for Paul of the new converts. This report
of their faith was a source of comfort to the Apostle in his own
trials and afiBictions, and gave him new life to press on in his labors.
Related to us. Better, "brought us glad tidings," as if preaching
the Gospel to him.
Now we live, i.e., he felt his tired and wearied life renewed.
9-10. St. Paul knows not how to thank God for the report about
the Thessalonians, and he says his prayer is unceasing that he may
be able to visit them in person and make up what may be wanting
in their faith; his stay with them had not been long, and hence
there was need on their part of more religious instruction, theo-
retical and practical. For a similar reason the Apostle at a later
date wanted to visit the Church in Rome (Rom. i. 11),
II. Verses 11 -13 conclude the first main part of the Epistle. In
these verses St. Paul prays to God, first for the Apostles, that they
may be enabled to visit the Thessalonians (ver. 11) ; and secondly,
for the converts, that they may increase in charity (ver. 12), and
may be found blameless in the day of Christ's coming (ver. 13).
The second main part of the letter likewise closes with a prayer
to God (v. 23-24). Cf. Voste, hoc loco.
God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus. The Christus
of the Vulgate is not in the Greek. Unity of action is here attrib-
uted to the Father and our Lord in directing the free actions of men
for a supernatural purpose, and therefore their equality in divine
nature is implied. See 2 Thess. ii. 16-17, where the same doctrine
214 I THESSALONIANS III. 12, 13
12. And may the Lord multiply you, and make you abound in charity
towards one another, and towards all men, as we do also towards you :
13. To confirm your hearts without blame in holiness, before God and
our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints.
Amen.
is even more explicitly stated. How clear this doctrine was to the
mind of St. Paul in these the first of his letters, and therefore in
the earliest of New Testament writings !
Direct our way, etc. Better, "make straight our way," by re-
moving all impediments.
12. May the Lord multiply, etc. Better, "may the Lord make
you to increase, etc." Here again divine action is attributed to our
Lord. As the Apostles are animated with charity towards the Thes-
salonians, so may the latter be towards "one another, and towards
all men," for Christ died for all !
The in vobis of the Vulgate should be in vos, as in the Greek.
13. To confirm your hearts, etc. The reference is to the action
and grace of the Lord spoken of in the preceding verse. The Apostle
prays for the internal, as well as the external perfection of his
readers.
Before God, etc., i.e., in the sight of God the Father.
At the coming, etc., i.e., when our Lord, accompanied by His
holy angels, comes to judge the world. The Apostle wishes his
converts to be arrayed with all the virtues of sanctity when the
Lord comes in judgment.
With all his saints. What is the meaning of "saints" here?
Some authorities, like Ambrosiaster, Flatt and Hofmann, referring
the phrase back to "without blame in holiness," think all the faithful,
living or dead, are meant; Findlay and others say only the holy
dead are in question; Lightfoot and Milligan hold that we should
understand both angels and the blessed dead; Knabenbauer, Voste,
and most modern commentators teach that only angels are to be
understood in this passage.
The reasons for this last opinion are that in all the eschatological
passages of the Old and New Testaments and in the apocryphal
books only angels are mentioned as accompanying the coming
Messiah, Moreover, the dead who have died in the Lord seem
to be excluded from a part in the glorious coming of the Messiah,
according to i Thess. iv. 15. It is true that certain New Testament
I THESSALONIANS IV. I, 2 215
passages speak of "the saints" as having part in the judgment of
the world ; but we must not confuse the judgment with the glorious
advent of the Christ, which is to precede the judgment. See Voste,
hoc loco.
CHAPTER IV
THE HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL PART OF THE EPISTLE, iv. I V. 24
1. For the rest therefore, brethren, we pray and beseech you in the Lord
Jesus that, as you have received from us how you ought to walk to please
God, as indeed you do walk, that you may abound the more.
2. For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.
iv. I — V. 24. In this second main part of his letter St, Paul first
exhorts his readers to flee different kinds of sin and to cultivate
various virtues (iv. i-ii). He next treats of the final appearance
of Christ (iv. 12 — v. ii). Finally, he makes certain recommenda-
tions, and utters a prayer for the Thessalonians (v. 12-24). See
Introduction to this letter, No. VI, C.
EXHORTATION TO A CHRISTIAN LIFE, I- 1 1
I-II. In his prayer for the Thessalonians at the close of the
preceding Chapter St. Paul had prayed that his converts might
abound in charity and lead a blameless life (iii. 12-13). Now, after
calling attention to teachings he gave when founding their Church,
he comes to particulars, first admonishing them to avoid impurity
in all its forms (ver. 1-8), and then urging them to brotherly con-
duct, to industry, and to the need of giving good example to non-
Christians (ver. 9-11).
1. For the rest is a formula of transition often used by St. Paul,
directing attention to something else that is to follow.
We pray and beseech you, etc. The Apostle exhorts his readers
to continue to live according to the teachings he gave them when
he first evangelized them, and to strive for ever greater progress.
The Vulgate, sic et ambuletis, should read sicut et ambulatis, to
agree with the best Greek ; in the ordinary Greek the phrase is
omitted.
2. St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the norms of life and
conduct which he gave them had as their ultimate authority and
sanction the "Lord Jesus," the divine Master of us all.
ai6 I THESSALONIANS IV. 3-5
3. For this is the will of God, your sanctification ; that you should abstain
from fornication;
4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sancti-
fication and honor:
5. Not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles that know not God :
3. In verses 3-8 the Apostle exhorts the converts to chastity of
life.
This is the will of God, i.e., this is what God wants in you,
namely, that you sanctify yourselves. The Greek for "will" is with-
out an article, and so means the will of God in particular, not in
general.
Fornication was extremely common in the pagan world, and it
was regarded generally with indifference by all classes. Hence the
necessity of admonishing the new converts that God wished them to
abstain from this vice, to which doubtless many of them had been
addicted in their pre-Christian lives.
4. This verse states the positive side of what was stated nega-
tively in the preceding verse. The Christians must know how to
control themselves, so as not to degrade their own bodies by im-
purity. It is uncertain whether "vessel" here means one's own body
or one's wife. The former meaning is held by Tertullian, St. John
Chrysostom, Ambrosiaster, and many other ancients, and by Mil-
ligan, Findlay, the Westminster Version of Sacred Scripture and
other moderns ; while the second meaning is given by St. Augustine,
St. Thomas, Estius, Le Camus, Knabenbauer, Voste, and others.
The first opinion would seem to agree better with what is said
in the preceding and in the following verse; but in favor of the
second view it is maintained that o-kcvos usually means wife, that
so it was used by St. Peter (i Pet. ii. 7), and that the verb that
follows it here (KTa<rdcu) means to acquire, to procure and not to
possess. In 2 Cor. iv. 7, however, o-xcvot is used for body. At any
rate, St. Paul's exhortation is general, and has to do with every
sort of personal purity, whether in or out of the married state. See
on I Cor. vii. 2 in vol. I of this work.
5. Here St. Paul says the Christian must not be carried away by
the unregulated impulses of his lower nature, like the Gentiles, whose
ignorance of God led them into all manner of sexual excesses (Rom.
i. 19 ff., ii. 14 ff.). Whether the Apostle is speaking in this verse
of conduct in the married or in the unmarried state, depends on the
meaning given "vessel" in the preceding verse.
I THESSALONIANS IV. 6-10 217
6. And that no man overreach, nor circumvent his brother in business,
because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you
before, and have testified.
7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.
8. Therefore, he that despiseth these things, despiseth not man, but God,
who also hath given his Holy Spirit unto you.
9. But as touching the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write
to you, for yourselves have learned of God to love one another.
10. For indeed you do it towards all the brethren in all Macedonia, But
we entreat you, brethren, that you abound more,
6a. Overreach. Better, "transgress," which in the original may
be taken either as intransitive (in the sense of going beyond lawful
bounds, and therefore of sinning) or as transitive (as governing
"brother," and so of neglecting his rights). The context favors the
first meaning in the sense of going beyond the limits of lawful matri-
mony, of invading the rights of another Christian's home by the
commission of adultery.
Brother means Christian, for whom St. Paul is chiefly concerned,
though his teaching does not exclude others.
In business. Better, "in the matter," i.e., the Christian Is not
to offend against his brother "in the matter" of purity, as the con-
text shows. Great authorities, however, ancient and modern, are
pretty equally divided in explaining in negotio of the Vulgate as re-
ferring to commercial matters — to business — and to matters of purity.
The context favors the latter meaning.
6b-8. In these verses the Apostle gives three reasons on the
part of God why Christians should avoid sins of impurity, namely,
because God is the avenger of them, because He has called us to
sanctification, and because He has given us the Holy Ghost, who
is offended and outraged by impurity and injustice of every kind:
"Know you not that you are the temple of God, etc." (i Cor. iii. 16).
Despiseth these things, i.e., rejects or defies the call of God to
"sanctification."
In nobis (ver. 8) of the Vulgate should be in vos, according to
the best Greek MSS., thus referring to all Christians in general,
rather than to the Apostles only, as the recipients of the Holy Spirit.
9-ioa. St. Paul lauds the charity of the Thessalonians who, being
taught in this matter by God's grace, need not his instruction. In-
deed, their love for one another has been manifested by deeds of
charity throughout all Macedonia.
lob-ii. After praising the worthy for their charity, the Apostle
2i8 I THESSALONIANS IV. ii, 12
11. And that you use your endeavor to be quiet, and that you do your
own business, and work with your own hands, as we commanded you ; and
that you walk honestly towards them that are without ; and that you want
nothing of any man's.
12. Now we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that
are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope.
turns to another group who were abusing the hospitality of others,
living on alms in idleness, in expectation of the imminent coming
of the Messiah, going about disturbing others, and giving bad ex-
ample to outsiders (2 Thess. ii. i, iii. 11).
Do your own business, etc. This shows that many of the con-
verts were of the working classes.
As we commanded you. When Paul was instructing the Thessa-
lonians, he had said that, if anyone would not work, the same should
not eat (2 Thess. iii. 10).
That you walk honestly, etc., i.e., that you conduct yourselves
in an honorable manner before those who are not Christians, whether
Jews or Gentiles.
In Greek a new verse begins at "and that you walk honestly, etc.,"
thus making 18 verses in this Chapter, instead of 17, as in the Vul-
gate. So it happens that verse 11 in the Vulgate equals verses 11
and 12 in the Greek.
THE FATE OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED, I2-I7
12-17. Following the moral exhortations of the preceding section,
St. Paul now takes up some of the difficulties of the Thessalonians,
as reported to him by Timothy. In this present section he discusses
the condition of those of the faithful who have passed on before the
advent of the Messiah. The converts must not worry about their
beloved dead, thinking they will not have part in the glory of the
Coming Lord. They will rise as Christ rose, and indeed will meet
their Saviour before the living do. After that, the living will join
them and be caught up together with Christ, to be forever with Him
in glory. Let these thoughts be their comfort.
12. Now we will not have you ignorant, brethren, etc. This
is a customary manner with St. Paul of introducing a subject of great
importance. The Thessalonians had misunderstood the Apostle's
teaching about the Second Coming of Christ; they thought they
were to live to see it in their own time. And since some among
I THESSALONIANS IV. 13, 14 219
13. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again; even so them who
have slept through Jesus, will God bring with him.
14. For this we say unto you in the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them who
have slept.
them had recently died, they were profoundly grieved, thinking their
loved ones would thus never witness or share in the glories of the
Parousia, St. Paul bids them not to sorrow, as if they did not
believe in the resurrection of the dead, as if they were pagans. Of
course, he is condemning immoderate sorrow only.
Them that are asleep. This is "a characteristic, but not original
Christian designation of the dead" (McCown, in Abingdon Bible,
hoc loco).
13. The reason why the Thessalonians should not give way to
inordinate sorrow is that the faithful dead are to rise again, and
the proof of this is to be found in the Resurrection of Christ.
The sainted dead form one mystical body with Christ, of which
He is the head. And since the head is risen, the members must
also rise.
If we believe means "since we believe," as is evident from the
context and from St. Paul's teaching elsewhere, especially in i Cor.
XV. The Apostle is speaking only of the resurrection of the just,
because he is consoling the Thessalonians for their dead who have
died in Christ, and it is only these that shall have part in the glorious
advent of the Saviour and enter into His kingdom of bliss. The
unjust shall also rise, but only to be judged and die the second
death.
14. St. Paul here tells the Thessalonians that, when Christ comes,
those who are living at the time shall not enjoy any precedence over
those who shall have died, and this he affirms "in the word of the
Lord," i.e., as a doctrine communicated to him directly by Christ
Himself.
That we who are alive, etc., i.e., those who survive, who are
living at that time. The Apostle is speaking rhetorically in the first
person plural, and so he is not to be understood as including him-
self and his companions among those who were to witness the
Parousia. That he had no idea of teaching the imminent advent
of Christ is clear from what he says below in v. 2, in 2 Thess. ii. i ff.,
and from the teaching of the Lord (Matt. xiii. 32 ff. ; Acts i. 6 ff.)
220 I THESSALONIANS IV. 15, 16
15. For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven with command-
ment, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God:
and the dead who are in Christ, shall rise first.
16. Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up together with
them in the clouds to meet Christ, into the air, and so shall we be always
with the Lord.
to which he was always faithful. And this is the explanation given
his teaching here by all the Greek and Latin Fathers, and after
them by St. Thomas, Estius, and all the leading Catholic com-
mentators. In fact, to imply that St. Paul was in error in this
matter would be to destroy the nature of divine inspiration and
Biblical inerrancy. See Decision of Biblical Commission on this
subject, June 18, 1915.
15. For the Lord himself, etc. As the Lord ascended visibly
into heaven, so shall He appear at the end of the world (Acts i. 11).
With commandment, etc., as a general issuing orders to his
troops. These expressions are to be understood figuratively, as de-
scribing the conditions and phenomena that shall accompany the
Lord as He descends from heaven to call the dead to life. The
Apostle is using eschatological language common among the Jews,
and which was also employed by our Lord (Matt. xxiv. 30 ff.).
Cf. Knabenbauer and Voste, hoc loco.
And the dead who are in Christ, etc., i.e., those who have died
in union with Christ shall first rise, so as to be on an equality with
those who are living, then will take place the transformation of the
living saints, and this will be followed by the rapture of all with
Christ, to be with Him evermore in glory (ver. 16). What a con-
soling doctrine for the bereaved Thessalonians 1 By the word "first"
St. Paul does not mean that the resurrection of the just will pre-
cede the general resurrection (about which he is not talking), but
that the resurrection of the holy dead will be prior to the trans-
formation of the saints who are living at the time.
16. Then we who are alive, etc. St. Paul repeats with emphasis
the thought of verse 14. He seems to say plainly that those saints
who are alive at the time of the Parousia will not die, but will be
transformed and taken, together with the righteous dead already
raised to life, into glory with Christ. The Greek Fathers and many
modem interpreters so understand the Apostle ; and this interpreta-
tion agrees with the correct reading and meaning of i Cor. xv. 51,
I THESSALONIANS IV. 17, V. i 221
17. Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words,
on which see commentary in vol. I of this series. To be consistent,
we should explain "we who are alive" here as in verse 14, that is,
as referring, not to St. Paul and his companions then living when
the Apostle was writing nor to others then living with whom he
compares those then dead, but to those just who will be living when
the Lord comes in glory. Hence follows the conclusion that the
righteous who are alive at the Second Coming of Christ to judge
the world will pass to glory without dying, and this is what the
Apostle was referring to in 2 Cor. v. 4. For further argument and
a consideration of the opposing opinion on this subject, see vol. I
of this series, on i Cor. xv. 51.
Shall be taken up together with them, etc. As Jesus ascended
into heaven enveloped in a cloud (Acts i. 9), and as He shall come
again "in the clouds of heaven" (Matt. xxiv. 30), so the just at the
end of the world shall be transported by supernatural power beyond
the clouds to meet the Lord in His regal majesty, and with Him
to enter into glory for evermore.
17. In view of the consoling words he has just written (ver.
13-16), St. Paul bids his readers to take heart and be comforted
in the loss of their dear ones.
CHAPTER V
THE DAY OF THE LORD IS UNCERTAIN, I-II
I. But of the times and moments, brethren, you need not that we should
write to you ;
I-II. Behind the immoderate sorrow of the Thessalonians over
their dead lay their false notion of the imminence of the Parousia.
The Apostle, therefore, now reminds them of the teaching of the
Lord Himself regarding the uncertainty of that august event, the
coming of which will be like that of a thief in the night, "as the
pains upon her that is with child" (ver. 1-3). Wherefore, it be-
hooves us all to watch and to be ready to join Christ when He comes
(ver. 4-10). Let the converts, then, comfort one another and edify
one another (ver. 11).
I. The times and moments. These two expressions, taken from
222 . 1 THESSALONIANS V. 2-7
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall so come
as a thief in the night.
3. For when they say, peace and security; then sudden destruction comes
upon them, as the pains upon her that is with child, and they shall not
escape.
4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief.
5. For all you are the children of light, and children of the day; we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
6. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do; but let us watch, and be sober.
7. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunk, are
drunk in the night.
familiar Biblical phraseology, are most probably intended to signify
the precise time of the Parousia. Cf . Acts i, 7 ; Matt. xxiv. 36 ; Mark,
xiii. 32.
2. Yourselves know perfectly, etc., i.e., they had been well in-
structed on these points by St. Paul's preaching to them.
The day of the Lord, i.e., the time of His Second Coming in
glory. The expression is a familiar one in St. Paul's writings, and
also with the Prophets of the Old Testament. The visitation of
Christ to judge the world will take place suddenly and unexpectedly,
like the coming of a thief in the night, and none will escape (cf.
Matt. xxiv. 43; Luke xii. 39, 40).
3. For when they say, i.e., when the unbelieving, those who are
in darkness, say, etc. The punishment will fall when least expected.
See Matt. xxiv. 36-39; Luke xxi. 34; Ezech. xiii. 10.
The dixerint, superveniet, and effugient of the Vulgate are all
present tense in Greek.
4-5. In verses 4-10 the Apostle stresses the need of vigilance on
the part of the faithful. In these two verses he tells the saints that
they are no longer in moral darkness, as before their Baptism (Eph.
V. 8), and as are the faithless; and therefore they need not fear the
suddenness of the Lord's Coming or its consequences. Verse 5 but
repeats in a positive way what is said negatively in verse 4.
We are not, etc. For a similar change of persons from the sec-
ond to the first see Gal. iii. 25-26; Eph. ii. 2, 3, 13, 14, v. 2, etc.
6. Therefore introduces with emphasis the conclusion to be
drawn from what has just been said.
Watch ... be sober refer respectively to the performance of
good works and abstention from evil.
7. Night is the normal time for sleep, and also for revelry ; hence
I THESSALONIANS V. 8-11 223
8. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, having on the breastplate of
faith and charity, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
9. For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but unto the purchasing of
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10. Who died for us, that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together
with him.
11. For which cause comfort one another; and edify one another, as indeed
you do.
St. Paul's warning against the excesses of the pagans in either the
one or the other.
8. The breastplate. The Apostle passes from the metaphor of
the Hght to that of the armor of the soldier. For the application
of this imagery, see on Eph. vi. 11-17. Here the Apostle speaks
of only two defensive arms of the soldier, namely, the "breastplate"
and the "helmet" ; and he likens them to the virtues of faith, hope
and charity, which are the foundation of the Christian life and of
all perfection. Hope is the central thought in this Epistle.
Salvation {a-mrrjpia) here means eternal salvation of the soul, the
enjoyment of God's eternal kingdom hereafter.
9-10. The Apostle now gives the reason for the certainty of our
hope, namely, because God in calling us to Christianity has not des-
tined us for damnation, but for eternal salvation through the merits
of Jesus Christ, "who died for us," thus acquiring us as His prop-
erty and making us His possession, so that whether "we watch or
sleep" (i.e., whether we live or die), we belong to Him, by grace
in this life and in glory hereafter! Therefore, whether we be living
or dead at the time of the Parousia, we shall be Christ's. These
last words show that St. Paul had no idea whether he and his com-
panions should be alive or dead when the Parousia would take place ;
it might come while they were living and it might come after they
were dead. Which it was to be, did not matter. The one thing that
did matter was that they should be at all times one with Christ.
See Knabenbauer, hoc loco.
II. In view of all that has been said about the Coming of the
Lord from Chapter iv. 13 up to now, the Apostle exhorts his readers
to "comfort one another," i.e., to continue to comfort one another,
as they have been doing. He loves to praise his readers when they
deserve it.
224 I THESSALONIANS V. 12-14
VARIOUS ADMONITIONS AND A PRAYER FOR THE THESSALONIANS, 12-24
12. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labor among you,
and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13. That you esteem them more abundantly in charity, for their work's
sake. Have peace with them.
14. And we beseech you, brethren, rebuke the unquiet, comfort the feeble-
minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men.
12-24. Following the treatment of the dogmatic question about
the Parousia, St. Paul now comes to various moral exhortations.
Similar admonitions were given in Chapter iv. i-ii ; but there they
were for individuals, whereas here they are for the whole com-
munity. The first group are social, and have to do (a) with the
duties of the faithful toward their ecclesiastical superiors (ver. 12-
13), and (b) with the duties incumbent on those superiors as re-
gards their subjects (ver. I4-15). The second class of admonitions
is religious, relating (a) to joy, prayer and thanksgiving (ver. 16-
18), and (b) to the use of charisms (ver. 19-22). A prayer for the
Thessalonians closes this part of the letter (ver. 23-24).
12. In this verse the Apostle addresses the faithful of Thessa-
lonica, admonishing them "to know," i.e., to recognize and appre-
ciate the authority, and to obey the doctrine and instructions given
them by their ecclesiastical superiors, who are their servants "in
the Lord." We have here "a clear testimony, from the earliest
writing of the New Testament, to the existence in the Church at the
beginning of a ministerial order — a clergy (to use the language of
a later age) as distinguished from the laity — charged with specific
duties and authority" (Findlay).
13. Not only should the faithful recognize the authority and heed
the teaching of their church superiors, but they should also esteem and
love them highly on account of their labors in behalf of the faithful.
Have peace with them, i.e., with the clergy. This is according
to the reading of the Vulgate and some of the best Greek MSS.,
but there is another and better Greek reading which has: "Have
peace among yourselves."
14. In this and in the following verse St. Paul is addressing the
bishops and priests of the Church at Thessalonica, as is evident from
the admonitions he gives and as the best ancient and modem ex-
positors admit.
I THESSALONIANS V. 15-21 225
15. See that none render evil for evil to any man; but ever follow that
which is good towards each other, and towards all men.
16. Always rejoice.
17. Pray without ceasing.
18. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.
19. Extinguish not the spirit.
20. Despise not prophecies.
21. But prove all things ; hold fast that which is good.
We beseech. Better, "we exhort."
The unquiet, i.e., those idle and restless ones who, in expecta-
tion of the imminence of the Parousia, were going about disturb-
ing others.
The feeble-minded, i.e., those in anxiety about the coming of
the Lord and the fate of their dead.
The weak, i.e., the infirm in faith.
15. This verse enunciates a cardinal Christian principle often em-
phasized by our Lord Himself (cf. Matt. v. 39 ff., 44 ff. ; Luke vi.
2y). It was especially needful for the Thessalonians, who were
persecuted by the Jews and pagans both.
16-18. In these verses St. Paul gives three religious admonitions
pertinent to all Christians, (a) They should always rejoice, even in
adversity, because of the reward awaiting them in the hereafter;
(b) they should pray continually, not only by the habit of making set
prayers at specific times, but also by a spiritual intention and direc-
tion that should pervade all their activities; and (c) they should
give thanks to God for all things, both good and bad, because all
have been ordained for their spiritual welfare, and, if accepted in
the right spirit, will redound to their greater good, at least in the
life to come. Furthermore, thanksgiving for benefits received is one
of the surest means of obtaining more favors.
For this is the will of God. It is uncertain whether these words
refer to all three of the foregoing admonitions, or only to the duties
of prayer and thanksgiving, or only to that of thanksgiving.
In Christ Jesus, etc. He means to say that such is the will of
God in their regard as manifested in or through Christ Jesus; or,
according to others, this is what God wishes from those who are in
Christ, i.e., who are Christians.
19-21. The Thessalonians are not to suppress or despise the char-
226 I THESSALONIANS V. 22-24
22. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves.
23. And may the God of peace himself sanctify you in all things; that
your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless in the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24. He is faithful who hath called you, who also will do it.
ismatic gifts, such as speaking with tongues and prophesying, which
the Holy Ghost was wont to pour out on many of the converts in
the Early Church ; but all of them are to be tested by their fruits.
It was easy for some to allege false revelations and visions, espe-
cially about the imminence of the Parousia.
The spirit is referred by some to all the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
including sanctifying grace; but here the reference is more likely
to the charisms spoken of at greater length in i Cor. xii-xiv.
Prove all things most likely refers not only to the gifts just
spoken of, but to all actions of every kind, good and bad, as would
be natural in an exhortation of this kind at the close of a letter.
22. Here the Apostle exhorts his readers to keep themselves from
every kind of evil.
23-24. Again, at the end of this second main part of his letter, as
at the end of the first main part (iii. 11-13), the Apostle prays to
God that, by His grace, the Thessalonians may continually advance in
holiness, and be found ready when the Lord comes.
God of peace, i.e., God who is the author and source of peace,
and who will therefore be able to put at rest the Thessalonians dis-
turbed by fear of the imminence of the Parousia.
Sanctify you in all things, i.e., as to all virtues.
Spirit, soul, body. The "body" is the seat of the senses, whose
operations are to be directed in accordance with the law of God.
The "soul" {^xv) is the principle of physical life and of sensible phe-
nomena, and the seat of the passions. The "spirit" (Trvev/xa) is the
principle of the superior, spiritual life. As through the body we
have contact with the material world, so through the spirit do we
communicate with the invisible world of spirits and with God.
The Apostle's prayer for the Thessalonians rests on God who "is
faithful" to the work He has begun. It was He who called and
admitted them to the faith, and He will provide all that is necessary
for their sanctification, so that they may be found worthy in the
day of His coming.
I THESSALONIANS V. 25-28 227
25. Brethren, pray for us.
26. Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27. I charge you by the Lord, that this epistle be read to all the brethren.
28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
CONCLUSION, 25-28
25-28. In conclusion the Apostle asks the prayers of the faithful
for himself and his companions, sends his salutations, directs that
this letter be read in public for the benefit of all the Christians, and
gives his blessing.
25. Pray for us. Some MSS. add "also," showing that, as he
prayed for them, they in turn should pray for him.
26. With a holy kiss. It is possible that this was a liturgical
practice in Judaism before St. Paul's time. Such it was, at any
rate, in the Christian Church a century later (cf, Justin Martyr,
ApoL, i. 65). See on Rom. xvi. 16; i Cor. xvi. 20.
27. Paul directs that this letter be read aloud in church, as the
Law and the Prophets were read in the synagogue, so that all the
faithful may benefit by it. This was the first Apostolic letter to be
sent to a whole Church; and since many of the members were
troubled about the Parousia, there was a special reason why all
should know what their Apostle had to say on so momentous a
question.
In the Vulgate the sancti before fratres, though supported by good
MSS., seems strange in St. Paul as a designation for Christians used
together with the term "brethren," and so should more probably
be omitted.
28. The Apostle closes with his usual blessing, which varies in
length in different letters. The Greeks used to terminate their let-
ters with a wish for good health; but St. Paul is more concerned
with the souls of his readers than with their bodies, and hence wishes
them "grace." The "Amen" is probably liturgical.
The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians
CHAPTER I
THE APOSTLE GREETS THE THESSALONIANS AND CONSOLES THEM, I-I2
1. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in
God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Grace unto you, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
3. We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as it
is fitting, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of you
all towards each other aboundeth:
4. So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your
patience and faith and in all your persecutions and tribulations, which you
endure,
I-I2. After saluting the faithful at Thessalonica (ver. 1-2), the
Apostle first thanks God for their faith, charity, and patient en-
durance of persecutions (ver. 3-4), and then describes the just judg-
ment of God, which will reward them for their virtue and punish
their oppressors (ver. 5-10). He concludes by assuring them that
their Apostles are always praying for them, to the end that God
may make them worthy of the call He has given them (ver. 11-12).
1-2. The greeting here is the same as in i Thess., save that the
more intimate word "our" precedes "Father" in this inscription,
and the added words "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ" here designate the source of divine "grace and peace."
.In the Vulgate of verse 2 nostra should be omitted, according to
the best Greek.
3-4. We are bound, etc. The Apostles feel they are under a
personal obligation of thanking God at all times for the great in-
crease in the faith and charity of the Thessalonians, which remain
steadfast and progress in the face of persecution.
So that we ourselves, etc. It was the patience of the Thessa-
lonians in the midst of sufferings and afflictions — a patience that
arose out of their firm faith — that gave St. Paul, Silvanus, and
228
2 THESSALONIANS I. 5-7 229
5. A sign of the just judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy
of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer;
6. Seeing it is a just thing with God to repay tribulation to them that
trouble you,
7. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven, with the angels of his power
Timothy their reason for glorying; these Apostles had co-operated
with God in giving them their glorious faith, which has become an
example and a model "in the churches of God," i.e., throughout the
whole Christian Church, "not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but also in every place" ( i Thess. i. 8) .
In the Vulgate of verse 4 et before nos should be suppressed.
5. A sign, etc. These words are in apposition to what has just
been said about the sufferings of the faithful. The Apostle wishes
to say that the patient sufferings of the Christians for their faith
are a token "of the just judgment of God, etc.," i.e., they are a proof
that present conditions are not the final order of things, that a
day will come when goodness shall have its reward and sin its
punishment.
The kingdom of God here means the kingdom established by
Christ, with special reference to the hereafter.
The Vulgate in exemplum would better be simply indicium or
argumentum. See on Phil. i. 27-28.
6. In verses 6-10 the Apostle shows that in the life to come
God will give an eternal reward to those who have suffered for
His sake, and, contrariwise, eternal punishment to unrepentant sin-
ners. The general, solemn and liturgical character of these verses,
consisting of parallel members, is thought to point to a primitive
Christian hymn of which St. Paul was making use in this passage.
Seeing. Better, "indeed" or "since indeed," expressing not doubt
but absolute certainty; the justice of God demands that He requite
sinners for the sufferings they inflict on the just. It is an applica-
tion of the lex talionis.
7. Affliction is in store for those who afflict the faithful (ver. 6b),
and relief for those who are afflicted ; sinners are to be paid in their
own kind: "And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou
didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil
things, etc." (Luke xvi. 25 ; cf. Matt. xxvi. 52 ; Apoc. xiii. 10). And
this is to take place "when the Lord Jesus, etc.," i.e., at the Second
Coming of our Lord to judge the world.
230 2 THESSALONIANS I. 8, 9
8. In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and
who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9. Who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power,
With the angels of his power, i.e., attended by angels as min-
isters of His pov^er and executors of His will.
8. In verses 8-10 the judgment of the wicked is described in lan-
guage and imagery which reflect the Old Testament, and, as said
above, in a rhythmical structure which has led many scholars to
think we may have here an adaptation of a primitive Christian hymn.
In a flame of fire, or as another good reading has it, "in a fire
of flame." The sense is the same in either reading. It is better to
join these words with what has just preceded, as descriptive of the
manner in which our Lord will appear at the final judgment. In
the Old Testament flaming fire often accompanied the manifesta-
tions of God as legislator and judge. Here it is a symbol of the
divine majesty and anger, of His glory and power which nothing can
resist.
Giving vengeance, etc., i.e., dealing out punishment to all wilful
unbelievers in God and in the Gospel of Christ, whether Jews or
Gentiles: "He that believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark xvi.
16) ; "He that doth not believe is already judged, etc." (John iii.
18-19). God's vengeance, or revenge, means nothing more than
doing justice to sinners, who have wilfully brought on themselves
all their woe. This is why God reserves revenge to Himself : "Re-
venge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom. xii. 19; Deut.
xxxii. 35 ; Heb. x. 30). When we undertake to revenge a wrong, we
are often influenced by passion, and so are more than likely to be
unjust ; not so God, whose essence is justice itself, and whose ways
are altogether righteous.
9. Who shall suffer, etc. Better, "who will pay the penalty in
eternal ruin." The Greek for "eternal punishment" {o\e6po<! oiwvios)
means "destruction without end." The term oKeOpos is found else-
where only in the apocrj^phal work 4 Mach. x. 15, and it corresponds
to the "everlasting fire" of Matt, xviii. 8, xxv. 41, and Jude 7; to
the "eternal punishment" of Matt. xxv. 46; and to the "eternal judg-
ment" of Heb. vi. 2. See Voste, hoc loco, and on Phil. i. 28, iii. 19.
From the face of the Lord, words borrowed from Isa. ii. 10,
19, 21. The meaning, according to St. Chrysostom and others, is
2 THESSALONIANS I. lo 231
10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made won-
derful in all them who have believed (because our testimony among you
was behaved) in that day.
that the appearance of the Lord will cause the destruction and pun-
ishment of the wicked : "The sight of their Judge and His Almighti-
ness, robed in fire and attended by His host of angels, will drive
these wicked men, terror-stricken, into ruin" (Findlay). But the
common opinion, which is that of St. Thomas, Bisping and many
others, understands the foregoing words to refer to the pain of
loss or exclusion from the divine presence: the wicked will suffer
everlasting punishment far removed from the presence of the Lord ;
thus, their punishment will consist principally in the loss of God,
the source and fountain of every good that can contribute to man's
happiness and satisfy the ceaseless longings of his soul.
And from the glory of His power, i.e., the wicked shall be
removed far from that divine glory which has its source in God's
infinite power, and which Jesus Christ will communicate to His
elect according to their capacity to receive it.
10. When He shall come, etc. The punishment of the wicked
just described will take place when our Lord comes "to be glorified
in His saints," i.e., when, at the end of the world, He appears in
His glory and imparts that glory to those faithful souls who have
believed in Him and proved their faith by the performance of
good works, and who will be, as it were, the mirror of His own
glory: 'T am glorified in them" (John xvii. 10) ; "But we all be-
holding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into
the same image, etc." (2 Cor. iii. 18) ; at which same time He will
"be made wonderful in all them who have believed," i.e., the saints
at that glorious time, seeing with astonishment the undreamed-of
blessedness which their faith has brought them, will marvel at their
Saviour through whose grace they have attained their sanctity and
amassed their merits.
Because our testimony among you was believed, I.e., the Thes-
salonians will reap this great reward because they believed the Gos-
pel which St. Paul and his companions had preached to them. This
sentence is a parenthesis, and it should be so indicated in the Vulgate.
In that day. With great emphasis these words are placed at the
end of the verse, in order again to remind the readers of the time
232 2 THESSALONIANS I. ii, 12
11. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would make
you worthy of his vocation, and fulfill with power all the good pleasure
of his goodness and the work of faith ;
12. That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in
him, according to the grace of our God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
of the solemn manifestation of the Lord and the fulfillment of the
events just described in this and in the preceding verses.
11, In verses 11-12 St. Paul says that his continual prayer for his
readers is that they may be made worthy of their lofty vocation, and
that Jesus Christ may be glorified in them and they in Him.
Our God, i.e., the God of us all.
Of his vocation, i.e., of the call He has given you, so that one
day you will be found worthy of the reward of glory to which you
have been chosen.
And fulfill with power all the good pleasure, etc., i.e., power-
fully fill you with a desire of every good that a righteous will could
wish for (St. Thomas) and that faith can effect.
12. The final purpose of the Apostle's prayer and of the sanctifi-
cation of the faithful is that our Lord may be glorified in them, and
that they in turn may be glorified in Him through the outpouring
of His glory upon them in the beatific vision (cf. John xvii).
The name stands for the person, according to Semitic usage.
According to the grace, etc. The grace of God, communicated
through Jesus Christ, is the source of the sanctification of the
faithful.
CHAPTER II
THE PAROUSIA IS NOT YET, I-II
i-ii. The faithful must not be disturbed about the Coming of
the Lord, for certain signs, yet far off, must first precede that grand
event. There must come first a great religious revolt, and then
the man of sin. Antichrist, must appear, as was explained before
in the Apostle's preaching. This mystery of iniquity is already at
work, but something holds back the full exercise of his power. He
shall eventually be conquered by Christ coming in His glory, but
he will first show great signs and wonders and seduce many.
2 THESSALONIANS II. 1-3 233
1. And we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and of our gathering together unto him :
2. That you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither
by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as by us, as if the day of the Lord
were at hand.
3. Let no man deceive you by any means, for unless there come the revolt
first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,
1. Touching the coming of our Lord, etc., i.e., on behalf of the
Parousia, or Second Coming of Christ to judge the world.
And of our gathering together, etc. Better, "and of our being
gathered together, etc.," referring to the reunion of the living and
the dead at the coming of our Lord at the end of the w^orld (i Thess.
iv. 17, V, 10).
The Vulgate nostrce congregationis should read circa nostram
congregationem.
2. The Apostle asks the Thessalonians that they be calm and peace-
ful, that they do not lose their "sense" (i.e., their prudent and sober
judgment), nor be greatly disturbed, as if the Parousia were at
hand.
By spirit, i.e., by any pretended revelation or prophesy attributed
to the Holy Ghost.
Nor by word, i.e., any utterance or teaching based on a pre-
tended revelation or prophesy, or on some utterance of the Apostle,
misinterpreted or falsely attributed to him.
Nor by epistle, as by us (is hCyjfxw), etc., i.e., any spurious
letter circulated in the name of Paul, or false explanation of his
first Epistle to the Thessalonians. Let none of these sources of error
lead them to think the Second Advent is upon us.
The missam of the Vulgate is not expressed in the Greek.
3. There is nothing in the writings of St. Paul more obscure
and difficult of explanation than verses 3-1 1 here. This is due
partly to the eschatological events here described as going before
the Parousia, about which the Apostle speaks nowhere else; partly
to the fact that he assumes his readers to be thoroughly familiar
from his oral teaching with the obscure points in discussion ; and
partly to the veiled terms in which those mysterious events are ap-
parently of set purpose expressed. As a result, we cannot be too
certain of the correctness of some of the expositions given.
The first warning is, "let no man deceive you," i.e., lead you into
the mistake of thinking the Parousia is present.
234 2 THESSALONIANS II. 4
4. Who opposeth, and is lifted up against all that is called God, or that
is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself as
if he were God.
By any means, whether by any of the three ways mentioned in
verse 2, or in any other way ; and the reason for this is immediately
given by adding, "for unless there come a revolt first," i.e., a falling
away from God (dTroo-raorui), etc. That "revolt" or apostasy here
means a religious defection or falling away from God is the opinion of
St. Thomas and all modern interpreters. It will be the first of the
great events that shall precede the Parousia. The Apostle, becoming
absorbed in a description of the "man of sin," forgets to complete
his sentence, "for unless, etc."; but it is clear that its completion
would be, "the Day of the Lord will not come," or something similar.
Such ellipses are frequent with St. Paul, who was accustomed to
speak and to dictate his letters, as they are also common with many
public speakers. The use of the definite article before "revolt"
(^ aTToa-Taaui) shows that the Apostle was referring to a definite re-
ligious falling away known to his readers: "For many will come
in my name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and they will seduce many, etc."
(Matt. xxiv. 5 fif.).
And the man of sin be revealed. This is the second great event
that shall go before the Parousia. The "man of sin" is doubtless
to be identified with Antichrist (i John ii. 18, 22, iv. 3 ; 3 John 7),
whose other-world character is evident from the fact that he is to
"be revealed." He is described: (a) as to his nature, "the man of
sin"; (b) as to his fate, "the son of perdition"; (c) as to his ambi-
tion, which will be to take the place of God and to be worshipped
as God (ver. 4).
In the best Greek MSS. "man of sin" is read as "the man of law-
lessness," who is spoken of in verse 7 below as "the mystery of
lawlessness," and in verse 8 as "the lawless one." This "man of
sin," who will be the impersonation and personification of sin, this
"man of lawlessness," in whom will culminate the lawlessness and
godlessness of a godless world, is not Belial or Satan, but some
emissary of Belial or Satan, as is clear from verse 9 below.
Son of perdition is a Semitic expression indicating the eternal
destiny in final damnation of Antichrist (John xvii. 12).
4. Who opposeth, and is lifted up, etc. The verbs here are
present participles in Greek, but the meaning is best expressed by
2 THESSALONIANS II. 5, 6 235
5. Remember you not that, when I was yet with you, I told you these
things ?
6. And now you know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his
own time.
rendering with the Westminster Version, "who shall oppose and
exalt himself against all, etc." The object of this opposition will
be Christ (St. Jerome and many moderns), and hence St. John in
his First Epistle styles the adversary in question as Antichrist (i
John ii. 18, 22, iv. 3). This archenemy of Christ will deny the
true God and spurn false gods, so as to appropriate all worship to
himself, pretending that he is the one and only God to whose adora-
tion and service all sanctuaries are to be devoted, or rather prosti-
tuted. St. Paul's description of him recalls several similar char-
acters of the Old Testament, namely, Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan.
xi. 36-37), the prince of Tyre (Ezech. xviii. 2), and the king of
Babylon (Isa. xiv. 13-14).
So that he sitteth, etc. Better, "so as to take his seat in the
temple of God." The word "temple" here more probably is not
to be understood literally of the Temple of Jerusalem nor of the
Church of God, but should be taken as a mode of speaking by
which the usurpation of all divine adoration and honor on the part
of Antichrist is expressed (so Knabenbauer, Voste and others) :
he will have it appear that he is God Himself, the only true God,
therefore "showing himself as if he were God." On the deification
of the Roman Emperors, see Findlay, hoc loco, in Cambridge Bible.
jn the Vulgate supra omne would better be contra omne, and
ostendens se tanquam, etc., should be gerens se ut Deus.
5. By way of mild rebuke St. Paul asks the Thessalonians how
it is that they have so soon forgotten what he told them relative
to these matters when he was preaching to them in person.
These things, i.e., the great apostasy and the manifestation or
appearance of Antichrist. Until these things occur, the Parousia
will not take place.
6. In verses 6-7 the Apostle refers to what holds back the man of
sin, and consequently the dawn of the last day. These verses are
very obscure, because here again the Apostle is supposing his readers
to be familiar with the instruction he had given them on this point.
Now is understood in a logical sense by some authorities, as if
236 2 THESSALONIANS II. 7
7. For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now
holdcth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way.
to say : things being so, "now" you know, etc. ; but it is better to
take the term in its strict temporal meaning, as opposed to the future
revelation and working of Antichrist (Voste).
What withholdeth, i.e., what powerfully retards, or keeps back
the appearance of Antichrist. What was this restraining influence
(to KaT^xoy)? In verse 7 it is spoken of as present and as masculine
in gender, 6 Karej^wv apn; and so it would seem to be some personal
force existing at the time this letter was written. St. Augustine
confessed that he did not know what it was. According to the com-
mon opinion among the ancients, to which moderns are inclining,
it was "the restraining power of law and order, especially as these
were embodied in the Roman Emperor or Empire" (Jones, in New
Com. on Holy Script. ) . In favor of this opinion it is said that the
Apostle is assuming that his readers know well what he means from
the instruction he had given them by word of mouth, and that here
he only hints at it, refraining from open speech, so as not to com-
promise himself and his cause with the Imperial Government, which
would be roused to persecution by any prediction of its downfall.
But if fear of Rome accounts for his veiled manner of speech in
his letter, how could he have spoken more openly to the Thessa-
lonians in oral discourse without being in danger of detection and
exposure to the Roman authority ? Theodoret thought the restrain-
ing agency was the Decree of God that Antichrist should not ap-
pear until the time appointed for him should arrive. Others have
suggested the Holy Spirit as the restraining personal power. Fr,
Prat in his Theol. of St. Paul, vol. I, pp. 114-117, thinks it is St.
Michael, who, with his heavenly host, wages continual war against
Satan on behalf of the elect, and who will be the herald of the
resurrection and the final judgment. Still others think it is the
preaching of the Gospel which must encompass the world before the
end of time. Perhaps it is the living, fervent faith of Christians,
which will dechne and grow cold before the end (Matt. xxiv. 11-13).
That he may be revealed in his own time, i.e., that he may
appear at the time decreed by God.
7. In this verse St. Paul says that Antichrist, here called "the
mystery of iniquity," or according to the Greek "the mystery of
2 THESSALONIANS II. 8, 9 237
8. And then that wicked one shall be revealed whom the Lord Jesus shall
kill with the spirit of his mouth; and shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming, him
9. Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and
signs, and lying wonders,
lawlessness," is now operating in secret, and will continue to do so
until the agency that restrains him be removed. His means of opera-
tion now are doubtless through heresies, errors, persecutions, and
the like, which are but the preparation for his unbridled reign.
Only that he who now holdeth, etc. Far better, according to
the Greek, "until he who now restrains be taken out of the way."
In the Vulgate the phrase tantum ut, etc., should read, tantuni
donee qui detinet. adhuc de medio fiat (Voste) .
8. In verses 8-1 1 St. Paul speaks of the coming of Antichrist,
of his malevolent works, and of the reason why God will permit
him so to harass the world.
And then, i.e., when the restraining Influence has been removed.
That wicked one, i.e., "the man of sin," "the son of perdition"
(ver. 3), Antichrist.
Shall be revealed, i.e., shall come forth from his mysterious con-
cealment, from his other-world realm, whence now he works secretly.
Whom the Lord Jesus shall kill, etc. Again, as in verse 4, St.
Paul reverts to the use of Old Testament language, referring now
to the imagery of Isa. xi. 4 to describe the fate of Antichrist and
the triumph of Christ over him. This powerful enemy of mankind
the Lord Jesus will destroy by the issuance of a simple command,
by a glance of his countenance; as in the beginning the Almighty
spoke and creation leaped into being, so at the end He will need
but to speak, but to appear in His majesty, and the great enemy
will be laid low forever.
The brightness of his coming refers to the Parousia or Second
Coming of Christ (i Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 10, iv. i, 8; Tit. ii. 13).
9. The Apostle began to speak of the appearance of Antichrist in
verse 8a, but immediately interrupted his description to portray his
destruction by the command and presence of our Lord. Now he
returns to the thought of 8a, and describes the coming and working
of the great enemy. As Christ will have His glorious appearance,
so will Antichrist have his contrary appearance, the operation of the
latter being altogether opposed to that of the former : first, as to its
principle, which will be "Satan" ; secondly, as to its intimate nature.
238 2 THESSALONIANS II. lo, ii
10. And in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish; because they
receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God
shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying:
11. That all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have
consented to iniquity.
which will be "lying" ; and thirdly, as to its end or purpose, which
will be "seduction" (cf. Voste, h. /.).
Whose coming is according, etc. The present tense Is used for
the future. Antichrist will be the instrument of Satan, whom Satan
will empower to produce all kinds of signs and wonders for the
purpose of deceiving his victims.
Power, signs, wonders. A miracle is said to be a "power"
(Svva/xK), when considered as to its origin or cause; it is a "sign"
(o-7//iiciov), when considered as to its purpose or end; it is a "won-
der" (tc/mis), when considered as to its extraordinary nature, which
excites the admiration of men.
10. This verse describes the purpose of Antichrist and designates
his victims. His activities will be directed to the deception and
perdition of all men, but will be efficacious only with "them that
perish," i.e., those whose lives and works have fitted them for per-
dition; "because they receive not the love of the truth," i.e., they
refuse to accept and do not want the teachings of the Gospel; in
punishment for which "God shall send them the operation, etc.,"
i.e., God shall punish them by permitting them to be led to put their
faith in errors and lies ; they did not want the truth of the Gospel ;
they refused to believe the miracles of Christ; so they will receive
instead the wicked teachings and gross errors of powerful deceivers.
In the Greek, verse ii begins with "Therefore God shall send,
etc.," and there are thus ly verses in this chapter in Greek, instead
of i6 as in the Vulgate and our version.
11. The final reason is now given why God will permit the decep-
tion of the victims of Antichrist, namely, "that all may be judged,
etc.," i.e., that all may be condemned who have preferred iniquity
to the truth of the Gospel. According to St. Paul, sin leads in its
train its own punishment (cf. Rom. i. 24-28). The wicked who
have preferred sin, iniquity, lies, will receive like things in com-
pensation ; and God will employ Satan and Antichrist as instruments
for their punishment; they will be made the dupes of their own
wickedness.
2 THESSALONIANS II. 12, 13 239
12. But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, for that God chose you firstfruits unto salvation, through
sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth
13. Whereunto also he called you by our gospel, unto the purchasing of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THANKSGIVING, EXHORTATION AND PRAYER, I2-l6
12-16. St. Paul now turns away from the thought of the repro-
bate to think of the elect and the spiritual blessings of which they
have been the willing objects, believing in the Gospel and consenting
to the truth; and he says that for them who have been chosen by
God and sanctified and ordained to eternal life, he and his com-
panions ought always to give thanks to God (ver. 12-13). He ex-
horts his readers to steadfastness in what they have received from
him, whether by preaching or by letter; and then offers a prayer
that they may be comforted and strengthened in faith (ver. 14-16).
12. But we, i.e., Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Brethren, beloved of the Lord, as contrasted with the sad vic-
tims of delusion and unbelief.
For that God chose you, etc. The reading "firstfruits" here is
according to the Vulgate, the Vatican, and some other good MSS.,
and means that the Thessalonians were among the first people in
Europe to accept the Gospel (cf. Phil. iv. 15; Rom. xvi. 5; i Cor.
xvi. 15). Instead of "firstfruits," we find in the Sinaitic, Alex., and
other good MSS. the reading, "from the beginning," which means
that God chose the Thessalonians for the Gospel and salvation from
eternity (Eph. i. 4; Col. i. 20).
Unto salvation. This is the end to which God's eternal choice
was ordained.
Through sanctification, etc. Behold the means of salvation,
namely, the sanctifying grace of the Holy Ghost, on the part of
God, and faith in the Gospel accompanied by good works, on the
part of man. The expression "sanctification of the spirit" may be
understood objectively, as meaning the sanctification of our souls ;
or it may be taken in a subjective and causal sense to signify the
sanctification which is from the Holy Ghost. Both interpretations
come to the same thing.
The Dei of the Vulgate should be Domini.
13. Whereunto, etc., i.e., to which faith and sanctification God
240 2 THESSALONIANS II. 14-16
14. Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you
have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.
15. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God and our Father, who
hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope in
grace,
16. Exhort your hearts, and confirm you in every good work and word.
called the Thessalonians in time, through the preaching of the
Apostles, "unto the purchasing, etc.," i.e., to the end that they might
have a share in the eternal glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
14. Therefore, brethren, etc., i.e., since you are called to so
great a destiny.
Stand fast in the faith and practice of your religion.
And hold the traditions, i.e., the instructions, the dogmatic and
moral teachings, which we have given you, "whether by word" of
mouth, "or by our epistle," i.e., i Thess. In these last words we
have a plain case against the teachings of Protestantism, that Scrip-
ture is the only source of divine revelation, to the exclusion of what
has been passed down by word of mouth or tradition. On this pas-
sage St. Chrysostom says: "From this it is clear that the Apostles
did not give everything through Epistles, but many things also not
in writings; and these also worthy of faith. Wherefore, we also
regard the tradition of the Church as worthy of faith. It is tradi-
tion, seek nothing further."
15-16. Since the Thessalonians could not of their own strength
continue firm in their faith, St. Paul now prays God to give them
the necessary grace.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, etc. Our Lord is here
mentioned before the Father, as in 2 Cor. xiii. 13 and Gal. i. i, be-
cause He is the way to the Father. On these words St. Chrysostom
remarks: "Where now are those who say that the Son is less than
the Father, because He is named after the Father in the grace of
washing?" St. Paul heartens his readers by reminding them that
our Lord and God the Father have loved them from all eternity,
and have given them "everlasting consolation" in the midst of tribu-
lations through the "good hope" they have of possessing one day
the joys of heaven ; and this divine love God has for them, as well
as the hope He has given them, is "in grace," i.e., is gratuitous, the
result of pure mercy on His part. Therefore the Apostle prays
that God would "exhort," i.e., comfort their hearts in the midst of
2 THESSALONIANS III. 1-3 241
tribulations, "and confirm," i.e., strengthen them in the pursuit of
every good work. It is to be observed that the verbs "exhort" and
"confirm" here are in the singular, following the mention of our
Lord and God the Father, which shows that the action of our Lord
is identical with that of the Father, and therefore that He is one
with the Father in nature and substance.
CHAPTER III
MUTUAL INTERCESSION, I -5
1. For the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run,
and may be glorified, even as among you ;
2. And that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men ; for all men
have not faith.
3. But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen and keep you from evil.
1-5. The Apostle now requests prayers for himself and his com-
panions (ver. 1-2). He assures the Thessalonians of God's faithful-
ness and of his own confidence in them (ver. 3-4), and prays once
more for them (ver. 5).
1. For the rest. See on i Thess. iv. i.
That the word of the Lord, etc., i.e., that the teaching of the
Gospel may spread rapidly without impediment in the world.
And may be glorified, i.e., may be acknowledged and may pro-
duce the fruit of life among all men, as it has done "among you."
The Dei of the Vulgate should be Domini, to agree with the Greek.
2. St. Paul's second request is that he and his companions "may
be delivered from perverse and evil men," very likely referring to
his Jewish opponents at Corinth at this time (Acts xvii. 13 flF., xviii.
6 flF.). It is not surprising that opposition should be encountered,
"for all men have not faith," i.e., comparatively few embrace the
faith, and this for two reasons, namely, because faith is first of all
a free gift of God, and secondly, because men are indisposed and
do not want faith.
3. After requesting their prayers, the Apostle now turns his
thoughts to the Thessalonians themselves, assuring them that, how-
ever strong their enemies may be, "the Lord is faithful" to His
promises (i Cor. i. 9), and that, having called them to the Gospel,
He will not be wanting in His grace to "strengthen" them in the
242 2 THESSALONIANS III. 4-6
4. And we have confidence concerning you in the Lord, that the things
which we command you both do and will do.
5. And the Lord direct your hearts into the charity of God and the
patience of Christ.
6. And we charge you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and
not according to the tradition which they received of us.
pursuit of good and protect them against the incursions of "evil,"
or better, "the evil one," probably alluding to the last petition of
the Lord's Prayer (Matt. vi. 13; Luke xi. 4).
Again, read Dominus for Deus in the Vulgate.
4. We have confidence concerning you, etc. The Apostle is
speaking in the present tense, and seems to be preparing his readers
for the more severe counsels he vi^ill give them in verse 6. He
means to say that he is relying on their good w^ill, assisted by God's
grace v^hich is never wanting to the v^ell-disposed, for he adds, "in
the Lord," the author of all grace.
5. After expressing his confidence in their good will to do all in
their power, St. Paul now prays that God will make up to them
whatever may be lacking on their part by moving and directing their
hearts "in the charity of God, etc." It is not certain whether there
is question here of the love which God has for us and the patience
of which Christ gave us an example, or of the love we have for
God and the patient expectation of the coming of Christ. The latter
opinion is thought to be more probable (Cajetan, Voste).
In charitate et patientia of the Vulgate should be in charitatem et
patientiam, according to the Greek.
CORRECTION FOR DISORDERLY MEMBERS, AND EXHORTATION
TO THE LOYAL, 6- 1 5
6-15. Idleness at Thessalonica on the part of many who were
looking for the early arrival of the Parousia had become worse since
the reception of i Thess. These disturbers are now more sternly
rebuked by the Apostles, with an appeal to their own example, who
worked for their own living while preaching the Gospel (ver. 6-12).
After rebuking the disorderly and troublesome, the Apostles address
the good members, encouraging them to perseverance in works of
faith and asking them to avoid the disobedient (ver. 13-15).
6. We charge you, brethren, etc. Speaking in the name and
2 THESSALONIANS III. 7-10 243
7. For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we were not
disorderly among you ;
8. Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but in labor and in
toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you:
9. Not as if we had not power, but that we might give ourselves a pattern
unto you to imitate us.
ID. For also when we were with you this we declared to you : that, if
any man will not work, neither let him eat.
with the authority of our Lord, the Apostles now command the
Thessalonians to avoid all those whose moral conduct (ver. 11) is
not according to the written and oral teaching which the Thessa-
lonian Church has received. They therefore issue a species of ex-
communication against those idle and disturbing members of the
Church, who, on pretext of the imminence of the Parousia, have
given up their regular pursuits and are living on the charity of their
neighbors. These directions, however, are to be executed in charity
and for the spiritual benefit of the offenders (ver. 14-15).
The tradition, etc. See above, on ii. 14.
They received. This is the older reading; but some authorities
prefer another good reading, "you received." There is little sup-
port for "he received," as in the Authorized Version. For a more
real excommunication, see i Cor. v. 5 ; i Tim. i. 20.
7. In verses 7-9 the Apostles appeal to their own conduct and
example while at Thessalonica as a model which the faithful should
imitate.
Disorderly means idle, living on other people, as explained in
the following verse.
8. Eat any man's bread is a Hebraism meaning "to partake of
food," "to feast," "to live on." In order not to be any burden to
the faithful the Apostle and his comrades worked day and night to
make their own living. Cf. i Cor. ix. 15 ff. ; 2 Cor. xi. 7 ff. ; i Thess.
ii. 9 ff.
9. It was not that the Apostles had not the right to demand tem-
poral support for their spiritual services, but that they might give
the faithful an example of self-denial in things legitimate for the
sake of the Gospel.
10. These things St. Paul and his companions had inculcated, not
only by example, but also by their express teachings while at Thessa-
lonica.
244 2 THESSALONIANS III. 11-15
11. For we hear there arc some among you, who walk disorderly, work-
ing not at all, but curiously meddUng.
12. Now we charge them that are such, and beseech them by the Lord
Jesus Christ, that, working with silence, they would cat their own bread.
13. But you, brethren, be not weary in well-doing.
14. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed:
15. Yet do not esteem him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
That, if any man will not work, etc. This was probably a
proverbial expression, based on the rule of Gen. iii. 19: "In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, etc." It is to be noted
that the Apostle says "will not work," and not "can not work";
for the sick and disabled have a right to charity and care by others.
Mere idleness for the sake of pleasure is here condemned
authoritatively.
11-12. We hear, etc. The tense is present in Greek, as it should
also be in the Vulgate, which shows that the Apostle had recent
news from Thessalonica regarding those disturbing persons who,
instead of working and attending to their own affairs, were going
about interfering with the affairs of others. In solemn words he
admonishes them to be quiet and to earn their own living.
13. The Apostle now turns his attention to the faithful members
of the Church at Thessalonica, and exhorts them to continue "in
well-doing," which most probably means simply perseverance in vir-
tuous living (so Voste and moderns generally), though the older
commentators, Knabenbauer and others think the Apostle is here
referring to doing works of charity, giving alms, and the like.
14-15. In these verses, while enjoining social and religious ostra-
cism for the contumacious Christians, St. Paul makes it clear that
his purpose is for the good of the guilty persons, that they may be
led to see the error of their ways and won to better behavior. There-
fore, verse 6 is to be explained in the light of these verses.
CONCLUSION, 16-18
16-18. In closing his letter St. Paul wishes peace and the divine
presence to all the faithful at Thessalonica ; he salutes them in his
own handwriting, as a sign of the genuineness of this Epistle, and
embraces all in a final blessing.
2 THESSALONIANS III. 16-18 245
16. Now the Lord of peace himself give you everlasting peace in every
place. The Lord be with you all.
17. The salutation of Paul with my own hand; which is the sign in every
epistle. So I write.
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
16. In view of the disturbance which has upset the Thessalonian
Church, St. Paul now asks our Lord, the author of peace, to give
the faithful there lasting peace of mind and soul.
In every place. This is also the reading of the Gothic version
and of the MSS., A,D,F,G; but the majority of the best Greek MSS.
and the Syriac and Coptic versions have : "In every way."
The Lord be with you all, including the disorderly.
17. The salutation of Paul with my own hand. He means to
say that he sends this greeting to them in his own handwriting, as
a mark of the authenticity of the letter. It was the custom of the
time to dictate letters to amanuenses, and this also seems to have
been Paul's uniform practice. But here he writes the greeting at
the end so that there will be no danger of falsification on the part
of anyone at Thessalonica, where a false letter, pretending to be
from him, appears to have been in circulation (ii. 2). It is probable
that St. Paul wrote with his own hand the whole letter to Philemon
(ver. 19), and perhaps that to the Galatians also (Gal. vi. 11).
Cf. Voste, h. I.
Which is the sign in every epistle. The reason for this precau-
tion is probably to be found in the forged letter that was being cir-
culated by misguided members of the Thessalonian Church, who
claimed that it had come from Paul himself (cf. Introduction,
No. Ill, b).
So I write, i.e., this is my handwriting.
18. The final benediction is the same as in i Thess. and in Rom.
xvi. 20, save that the word "all" is added here, so as not to appear
to exclude the well-intentioned but disorderly members of the
Thessalonian Church.
THE PASTORAL EPISTLES
INTRODUCTION
1. Pastoral. For over two centuries now the two Epistles of
St. Paul to Timothy and the one to Titus have been commonly known
as "Pastoral Epistles." The term "pastoral" was, indeed, applied
to the letters to Timothy by St. Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth
century ; but its general currency as pertaining to these three letters
seems to date from the time of Paul Anton (1726). The term is
an appropriate one inasmuch as these Epistles were addressed by
the great Apostle to the heads of Churches in their capacity of pas-
tors of souls, whose duty it was to oversee, guide and instruct those
committed to their care, to guard against error and preserve the
purity of apostolic teaching, to set by example a high standard of
Christian life and character, and to provide through careful selec-
tion, training, and ordination successors to carry on the glorious
preaching and work of the Gospel when they themselves should be
called to their rewards.
Though written for specific times and particular conditions perti-
nent to their own age, these Pastoral letters are invaluable to us
and to all succeeding ages for the information they supply regarding
primitive church organization and discipline, early heresies, the
qualifications of Christian teachers and leaders, the duties of pastors,
the ideals of zeal and devotion that should ever animate the bearers
of the priestly office, and for the information they afford regarding
the last years and activities of St. Paul. In a very special sense,
therefore, these letters impress upon the Christian priest and bishop
the necessity at all times of taking a spiritual view of his office, life
and work, and of the weighty responsibility that rests upon him and
the consequent necessity of keeping ever in close contact with his
Master, to whom he must render an account of his stewardship, and
from whom, if he is faithful, he may, like St. Paul, expect a crown
of glory when his labors are over.
246
INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES 247
II. Authenticity of the Pastorals. Before beginning this dis-
cussion, "it will be convenient to remark in this place that these
three Epistles are so closely linked together in thought, in phrase-
ology, and in the historical situation which they presuppose, that they
must be counted as having all come into being within a very few
years of each other. The general consent of critics allows that they
stand or fall together; and it is therefore not always necessary to
distinguish the indications of the existence of one from those of the
existence of another. We may speak generally, without loss of accu-
racy, of evidences of knowledge of the Pastoral Epistles if we come
upon reminiscences of any one of them. And so, in investigating
their literary history, we consider them not separately, but together"
(Bernard, Introd. to The Pastoral Epistles, p. xii., in Cambridge
Greek Test.).
For Catholics the question of the Pauline authorship of these let-
ters is beyond dispute. In fact, no one ever doubted that Paul was
their author until the beginning of the last century, when certain
German and other scholars began to attack them, chiefly on internal
grounds. Since that time the Pastorals have been under fierce fire,
and they have been more generally rejected by non-Catholic critics
than any other letters of St. Paul except Hebrews.
That prior to the last century the authenticity of these Epistles
was universally accepted is admitted by all the best non-Catholic
scholars. The following are some worthwhile testimonies : "There
never was the slightest doubt in the ancient Church that the Epistles
to Timothy and Titus were canonical and written by Paul" (Dean
Alford). "Traces of their circulation in the Church before Mar-
cion's time are clearer than those which can be found for Romans
and Second Corinthians" (Zahn). "These Epistles are as well at-
tested by external or historical evidence as the other Epistles of
Paul" (De Wette). "The witness of the Early Church to their
place in the New Testament canon and their Pauline authorship is
as clear, full and unhesitating as that given to the other Epistles"
(Findlay). "The work of no ancient classic author has such strong
external and internal proof of its genuineness. . . . We may be sure
that these Epistles are not a fraud" (Bishop Vincent). "The exter-
nal attestation of the Epistles is quite on a par with that of the
other Paulines" (Weiss).
248 INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES
Indeed, if we just briefly glance at the external evidence in the
ancient Church in favor of these Epistles, we shall see that the fore-
going testimonies are well founded. For allusions to their wording
or quotations from them are to be seen in the writings of Clement
of Rome and the Epistle of Barnabas (end of first century), of
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch (circa, no a.d.), of Polycarp (c. 117),
of Justin Martyr (c. 140), of Heracleon (c. 165), of Hegesippus
(c. 170), of Athenagoras of Athens (c. 176), of Theophilus of An-
tioch (c. 181), and St. Athenagoras (end of second century).
Besides these authorities, we find many others at the same time or
immediately following them who accepted the Pastorals without a
sign of hesitation, such as Tertullian, Irenaeus, Clement of Alex-
andria, Origen, etc. They are also found in the Muratorian
Fragment, in the old Latin and Syriac versions, and in the list of
Pauline Epistles accepted by Eusebius. Many other ancient wit-
nesses might be added to this catalogue, but they would all be to the
same efiFect, with the exception of a few early heretics — like Marcion,
Valentine, Basilides — who, as Clement of Alexandria (Strom.,
ii. 11) said, rejected these letters because they were contrary to their
own false doctrines.
The internal evidence in support of the Pastoral Epistles, which
is also very strong, will appear from an examination of the objections
that are brought against their genuineness by modern non-Catholic
scholars. For these objections, while not at all unanswerable, are
of sufficient weight to demand our attention and serious thought.
It is true, as has been said in part already, that many of the best
non-Catholic authorities of the last as well as of the present century
find nothing in these letters that can shake their Pauline authorship,
so thoroughly established by external proofs from the beginning
down to the first half of the last century. Among these authorities
may be mentioned Adeney, Alford, Lightfoot, Hort, Findlay, Ram-
say, Sanday, Plummer, Farrar, Godet, Gilbert, SchaflF, Shaw, Lange,
Weiss, Zahn, Wiesinger, and many more. Against the genuineness
of the Pastorals we may mention the following: Baur, Davidson,
Holtzmann, Meyer, Jiilicher, Weizsacker, Hatch, Schwegler, Bey-
schlag, and Schenkel — all of whom believe these Epistles were writ-
ten by some one who lived at a later date. But there is another large
INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES 249
and increasing class of critics who take a middle position on this
question. They are of the opinion that we have here documents
containing genuine Pauline fragments and unpublished notes which
a later writer incorporated into his own work and issued under
Paul's name in order to give it greater influence and authority.
Among these writers are : Ewald, Harnack, Bacon, Harrison, Haus-
rath, Deissmann, Moffatt, McGiffert, and others.
With this outline of the problem before us we may now proceed
to examine the principal objections to the Pauline authorship of these
letters.
III. Objections to the Authenticity of the Pastorals. First
Objection. The historical and biographical data given in the Pas-
torals cannot be fitted into the life of St. Paul as detailed in the
Book of Acts.
But they do not need to be so fitted. Who has said that the Acts
ever pretended to give us a complete history of Paul or of anyone
else? This objection proceeds from false suppositions, namely, that
we have a complete account of St. Paul's life in the Acts of The
Apostles, and that he was put to death at the end of his first Roman
captivity. As^ a matter of fact, from St. Luke's record of the
Apostle's arrest in Jerusalem and his later imprisonment in Rome
and from the letters written by St. Paul during his first captivity
there, we have every reason to accept the testimonies of Clement of
Rome, the Muratorian Fragment, the Acta Pauli, etc., that the
Apostle was not only released but that he actually afterwards visited
Spain, as he had intended to do (Rom. xv. 24). St. Jerome, St.
Chrysostom, Theodoret, and many other Fathers also tell us that
Paul preached in Spain. Moreover, at his first arrest, there was no
serious charge brought against him (Acts xxviii. 18 flf,), and in
Rome he enjoyed great liberty (Acts xxviii. 30, 31), and seemed
reasonably sure of being released and of being able to revisit the
East (Phlm. 22; Phil. ii. 19-24). Harnack, Lightfoot, Weiss and
others, therefore, rightly maintain that no proof can be given to show
that the Apostle was not released from his first Roman captivity,
and that, consequently, the historical data of the Pastoral Epistles
(except II Tim.) can be referred to in the years following 63 or
65A.D.
250 INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES
Second Objection. There is a large percentage of strange words
and phrases in these Epistles that are not found in other letters of
St. Paul, nor elsewhere in the New Testament.
This should cause no difficulty. There are many words and ex-
pressions that are peculiar to every Epistle of this most versatile
writer; and if the Pastorals have a greater number than the other
letters, this can be quite satisfactorily explained by the difference of
the persons addressed, the subjects treated, the Apostle's advancing
years, his associates when writing, etc.
Third Objection. Great numbers of favorite Pauline words are
absent from these letters.
But why should it be otherwise, if in later years he was treating
of different subjects, writing to different persons, and subject to a
different environment as he wrote? But are these favorite words
absent only from the Pastorals, or also from the other genuine
Epistles of St. Paul ? Moffatt has made a list of these words ; and
Dr. Ahem, having examined every one of them, has found that with
a single exception they are all absent from one or several of the
admittedly genuine letters of St. Paul, and that the exceptional word
occurs but once in some of them (cf. Ahern, Timothy, in Catholic
Encyclopedia, vol. XIV, p. 728a).
Nor should we be disturbed at the absence in the Pastorals of
many small words, like enclitics and prepositions ; for it is conceded
that the Apostle was not uniform in his use of them in his other
letters, and that when treating practical matters, like those of the
Pastoral Epistles, he was at all times sparing of these little words
and particles. Hence Jiilicher says that no argument can be drawn
from the absence of these words.
Fourth Objection. The style of these Epistles is very different
from St. Paul's usual manner of writing.
It is different from the argumentative and doctrinal parts of the
Apostle's other letters, but it is so similar to the style of the practical
sections of those other Epistles that not a few writers have jumped
to ^e conclusion that we have in the Pastorals a composition of
many authentic but unpublished Pauline fragments. Bishop Light-
foot's study of the style of these Epistles led him only to the con-
clusion that they were all three written about the same time, and
INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES 251
that a considerable period must have intervened between them and
the other Epistles of St. Paul.
Fifth Objection. There are noticeable differences of theology
here.
And this is what we should expect, since St. Paul is writing, not
from an argumentative or controversial, but from a practical view-
point. The Apostle is here giving Timothy and Titus practical
directions and counsels; he is not discussing the deep problems of
theology, nor giving instructions in Christian doctrine to his thor-
oughly schooled disciples. His former teachings are presupposed
as the basis of the Christian life, and the moral instruction he now
imparts differs from that of his earlier letters only in so far as new
conditions and circumstances demand it.
Sixth Objection, The church organization implied in the Pas-
torals was not so advanced in the time of St. Paul.
If the organization and church discipline of these letters were an
advance on those of the Apostle's earlier Epistles, this is again just
what we should expect, for these were his last writings and things
were moving rapidly in those formative days. But it is hard to
find on this point anything in these letters which cannot also be
found in the Acts and other Epistles. Thus, in the very beginning
of their ministry we see that the Apostles, by prayer and the laying
on of hands, set aside deacons who were to assist them in their work
(Acts vi. vii). And Paul and Barnabas on their first mission, after
they had preached and instructed, confirmed the souls of the disciples
and ordained priests in all the Churches they had established (Acts
xiv. 20-22). In Acts xi. 30 we see that priests (presbyters) were
associated with the Apostles at Jerusalem, and that it was they to
whom Paul and Barnabas sent the alms for the poor in Judea. In
Acts XV. 2 we read that priests were assisting the Apostles at Jeru-
salem when Paul and Barnabas went up for the first Council of the
Church, and they were with St. James at the reception of St. Paul
in the Holy City (Acts xxi. 18). In Thessalonica and Corinth we
know that definite arrangements were made for organization and
discipline (i Cor. v. 1-5; i Thess. v. 12). At Miletus at the close
of his third journey St. Paul addressed bishops and priests (Acts
XX. 28). To the Ephesians he spoke of "apostles, prophets, evan-
252 INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES
gelists, pastors, and doctors" (Eph. iv. ii). Many other instances
might be cited, but these are enough to show that the church organi-
zation and discipHne implied in the Pastorals were found at an earlier
date everywhere. Of course, it was only natural that, as time went
on and the number of Churches and converts increased, there would
be need for greater organization and a stricter and more detailed
system of government and discipline.
Seventh Objection. Timothy and Titus are addressed in these
Epistles as if they were young, immature and untried disciples,
whereas they were grown men of mature years who had been in-
structed by St. Paul and had long borne heavy responsibilities.
Our first reply to this apparent difficulty is that in the Roman
world men were considered youths until they were forty-six years
old. Until they were seventeen, boys were called children. But,
in the second place, we should remember that Paul was an old man
at this time, and he had known Timothy and Titus from their early
years; they always seemed young to their old master. Moreover,
they were comparatively young to undertake alone the weighty
charges which were theirs at Ephesus and Crete, and were indeed
youths in doctrine and experience as compared with Paul.
Eighth Objection. The false teaching condemned in these
Epistles seems to be the Gnosticism of the second century.
The most that can be said in support of this difficulty is that
the developed Gnosticism of the second century had its beginning
in St. Paul's time, and that he was warning against its incipient
errors (i Tim. iv. 1-5; 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18; 2 Tim. iii. 8, 13). But from
I Tim. i. 7, and Tit. i. 14, iii. 9, it appears that the false teaching
was Jewish, and that the "old wives' fables" condemned in i Tim.
iv. 7, and in 2 Tim. iv. 4, were such as we find in Jewish Midrash
and apocryphal books like the Jewish Haggadoth and the Book of
Jubilees. We do not know any system of Gnosticism which corre-
sponds with the errors condemned in the Pastorals, and the fact
that St. Irenaeus and others use these Epistles against the Gnostics of
their time is no proof that St. Paul had them in mind when he wrote
(cf. Ahem, in Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. XIV, p. 731 a; Hort, in
Judaistic Christianity, pp. 130-146). The second-century Gnostics
hated and despised the Old Testament, while the false teachers of
the Pastorals were Judaizers who claimed to be authorities and right
INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES 253
interpreters of the Law of Moses (i Tim. i-7). Hence, it may be
seriously doubted whether the Jewish ideas and teachings condemned
in these letters had much, if anything, to do with the Gnosticism of
the second century (cf. Gigot, Introd. to The Pastorals, in West-
minster Version of the Sacred Scripture, p. xv).
Ninth Objection. St. Paul in Acts xx. 25, said to the Ephe-
sians : "I know that all of you shall see my face no more."
But St. Paul was not uttering an infallible prophecy at this time ;
he was simply expressing his own personal opinion as a man
(Beelen).
Tenth Objection. The writer of these Epistles was oblivious
of Paul's teaching about the fatherhood of God, the union of the
believer with Jesus, the power and witness of the Holy Spirit, etc.
But Timothy and Titus were perfectly familiar with these doc-
trines, and there was no need to discuss them at this time. The
Apostle had other matters to deal with here. However, he had
not forgotten these old subjects, even in the Pastorals, as we see
from I Tim. i. 15, ii. 6; 2 Tim. i. 2, ii. 13; Tit. i. 4, iii. 4, 5, 7.
Other minor objections might be adduced against the authenticity
of the Pastoral Epistles, but we think we have said enough to
convince any unbiased mind that these letters are genuine. All
external evidence is decidedly in their favor as authentic Pauline
documents, and the internal evidence is all that could be reasonably
required. Most of the objections that are raised can also be brought
to a greater or less extent against the admittedly genuine 'Pauline
letters, and very reasonable solutions can be given to the others.
We conclude, therefore, by affirming with the Biblical Commis-
sion of June 12, 191 3, that both internal and external evidence
prove these letters to be genuine and canonical Epistles of St. Paul,
that there is nothing in the fragmentary hypothesis of recent writers
or in the objections raised by critics to weaken the traditional view
regarding the authenticity of these Epistles, and that we can safely
affirm that they were written between the Apostle's liberation from
his first Roman captivity and his death.
INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL EPISTLES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Besides the commentaries on all the Epistles of St. Paul which have been
referred to in the Bibliography for Ephesians, we give here only some of
the others that are most useful.
The chief Patristic commentaries are those of St. Chrysostom, Theodore
of Mopsuestia (edited by Swete, Cambridge, 1882), Theodoret, St. Jerome,
and Ambrosiaster (see Migne, P.G. and P.L.).
Later Catholic commentators are : Bisping, Erkldrung der drei Past.
(Munich, 1866) ; Gmoulhic, Les epitres past., etc. (Paris, 1866) ; Padovani,
In Epist. ad Thess. et ad Tim. (Paris, 1894) ; In Epist. ad Titum, etc. (Paris,
1896) ; Belser, Die Brief e des Apost. Paulus an Tim. und an Tit., etc. (Frei-
burg, 1907) ; Sales, in La Sacra Bihbia, vol. II (Turin, 1914) ; Brown, in
The Westminster Series (London, 1917).
Of the many modern non-Catholic commentators on the Pastoral Epistles
we would give the following: Humphreys, The Pastoral Epistles, in The
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge, 1897) ; Bernard, The
Pastoral Epistles, in The Cambridge Greek Test. (Cambridge, 1899) ; Lilley,
The Pastoral Epistles (Edinburg, 1901) ; Weiss, Tim. und Tit. (Gottingen,
1902) ; Ramsay, Historical Comm. on i and 2 Tim. (Expositor, March and
April, 1911) ; Vernon Bartlett, The Historical Setting of the Pastoral Epistles
(Expositor, January-April, 1913) ; St. John Parry, The Pastoral Epistles
(Cambridge, 1920) ; A. E. Burn and H. L. Goudge, in A New Comm. on
Holy Script. (New York, 1928) ; W. J. Lowstuter, The Pastoral Epistles, in
The Abingdon Bible Comm. (New York, 1929).
954
THE TWO EPISTLES
TO TIMOTHY
INTRODUCTION
I. Timothy. Of St. Paul's many faithful disciples Timothy
seems to have been the one dearest to his heart and most according
to his own mind. He wrote of him to the Philippians as follows:
"I have no man so of the same mind, who with sincere affection is
solicitous for you. For all seek the things that are their own, not
the things that are Jesus Christ's" (Phil. ii. 20, 21). Timothy was
born at Lystra in Lycaonia of a Greek father and a Jewish mother,
named Unice (Acts xvi. i; 2 Tim. i. 5). It seems that his father
died young, and the child was reared and carefully trained in the
Old Testament Scriptures by his devout mother and grandmother.
It would appear also that these three embraced Christianity when
St. Paul preached at Lystra on his first missionary journey (Acts
xiv. 6 ff.). Timothy was about sixteen or seventeen years old at
this time, and, when Paul revisited Lystra on his second journey,
he chose the youthful and devoted convert as a special companion
and helper in the work of the Gospel, having first circumcised him
to facilitate his work among the Jews, and ordained him by the
laying on of hands (Acts xvi. 1-3; i Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6, 7).
Thereafter, from the frequent mention of his name in the Acts and
in the Epistles, we see that he was almost constantly with the
Apostle. Whether or not he was with his master during the latter's
imprisonment at Caesarea and on the voyage thence to Rome, we
do not know ; but it is certain that he was in the Eternal City while
St. Paul was imprisoned there the first time, because his name
appears in the opening verses of the Captivity Epistles — Philippians,
Colossians and Philemon. He was also with the Apostle during the
interval between the two Roman imprisonments; for it was at this
time that St. Paul appointed him Bishop of Ephesus (Eusebius,
ass
256 INTRODUCTION TO i AND 2 TIMOTHY
Hist. Ecci, III, iv, 6; Apost. Constit., vii, 46), and left him in
charge of that important see. When the Apostle was nearing his
end during his second captivity in Rome, he wrote to Timothy to
make haste to come to him before winter (2 Tim. i. 4, iv. 8, 21).
After this we know no more about him, save from tradition, accord-
ing to which he was martyred at Ephesus in his old age for inter-
fering with the celebration of a licentious heathen feast. St. Jerome
tells us that his body was brought to Constantinople and buried
there. His feast, as that of a Martyred Bishop, is celebrated in the
Latin Church on January 24. He has been declared a Saint also
by the Greek, Armenian, Coptic, and Maronite Churches.
We may get an idea of St. Timothy's character from what is
said of him in the Acts and especially in the Epistles, from the
duties entrusted to him and the labors performed by him, and from
the great love St. Paul bore him. He was intelligent, innocent,
gentle, timid, and yet sufficiently strong, courageous, and fearless
when virtue and religion were at stake. He could not so well brave
the rough world and wicked opponents as did St. Paul, and yet by
the grace of God, though trembling and naturally fearful, he could
go when necessary into the thick of the battle. Paul could always
depend upon him to do his best, in spite of his shrinking disposi-
tion and delicate health. He was ever the Apostle's "beloved son,"
tried and true, full of faith and hope and love. He had found the
more excellent way, and by the grace of God he walked in it through-
out his days. Cf. Heyes, Paul and His Epistles, pp. 465 flF. ; Pope,
Student's "Aids" to the Study of the Bible, vol. Ill, pp. 235 ff.
II. Occasion, Time and Place of Writing, (a) i Timothy,
In his discourse to the clergy of Ephesus at the close of his third
missionary journey, St. Paul predicted that false teachers would
arise among them, "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them" (Acts xx. 29, 30). And later, when he was a prisoner
in Rome, he doubtless heard that those disturbing spirits were
already at their work. After his liberation, therefore, he and Tim-
othy made it a point to go to Ephesus for the purpose of applying
a remedy. But it happened that St, Paul soon had to go into
Macedonia, and so he left Timothy behind, hoping before long to
rejoin him at Ephesus. Counting on an early return, he had not
given Timothy full instructions, and since he was delayed in Mace-
INTRODUCTION TO i AND 2 TIMOTHY 257
donia longer than had been expected, he wrote this first letter to
assist his disciple in combating the false teachers, to give him rules
regarding the careful choice of ministers of the Gospel, and to
recall to his mind the principal duties of a faithful pastor of souls
(i Tim., i. 2, 3, iii. 14, 15, iv. 7, 13 ff., vi. 4 ff.).
As regards the date of this letter and the place whence it was
written, we may say with all those who admit its authenticity that
it was composed about the year 65 a.d., while St. Paul was in
Macedonia after leaving Timothy at Ephesus (i Tim. i. 3, iii. 14,
15). If, as we suppose, the Apostle was liberated from his Roman
imprisonment about the end of 63 a.d., and that he probably went
immediately to Spain for a short visit and then proceeded with
Timothy to Ephesus, it would be about 65 a.d. before we should
find him in Macedonia writing this letter.
It is idle to try to maintain that the journey of St. Paul to
Macedonia here spoken of was the same as that given by St. Luke
in Acts xix. 21 fif. ; for before this latter journey the Apostle had
already dispatched Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia, and was
himself remaining at Ephesus, though intending to follow them
later into Macedonia on his way to Corinth. Furthermore, at the
time mentioned by St. Luke the Ephesian Church was not suffi-
ciently developed to receive such mature instructions regarding the
clergy as were given by St. Paul to Timothy in this Epistle.
(b) 2 Timothy. St. Paul was in prison in Rome for the second
and last time when he wrote this pathetic but beautiful letter, tell-
ing of the hopelessness of his case and of his loneliness, with no
one but Luke as his companion. He recalls the years of labor and
the ties of affection that have bound him and Timothy together in
a passionate love for the common cause of their Master, refers to
a few of the false teachers and urges his beloved Timothy to come
to him before winter to receive final instructions about his office
and duties and the work which he will have to carry on henceforth
without the aid of his spiritual father.
The letter is intensely personal and affectionate in tone, more so
than any other of the Apostle's Epistles. The great preacher is
about to lay down his life's labor, and he is solicitous only that it
be faithfully carried on when he is gone. As for himself, he looks
death in the face fearlessly, confident of the glorious issue. Labor
258 INTRODUCTION TO i AND 2 TIMOTHY
for Christ has been the one grand passion of his life. He has
fought a good fight, he has finished his course, he has kept the
faith; and his crown is waiting for him (2 Tim. iv. i ff.).
We are justified, therefore, in holding that this Epistle was writ-
ten shortly before the Apostle's death, probably in 67 a.d., which is
the traditional year of his martyrdom.
III. Division of Contents, (a) i Timothy. After an intro-
duction (i. I, 2) and a conclusion (vi. 20, 21), this letter may be
divided into a number of instructions given by St. Paul to Timothy,
as follows :
A. In this first instruction (i. 3-20) the Apostle begins by stress-
ing the duty of combating the errors of the false teachers (3-1 1) ;
and then to encourage Timothy he makes a personal digression,
showing the saving power of the Gospel as manifested in his own
conversion (12-17). Returning to the thought of verse 3, he re-
minds Timothy of the charge committed to him of guarding the
interests of Christ as revealed in the Gospel (18-20).
B. In the second instruction (ii. 1-15) two thoughts come up for
consideration, first, the Christian's duty of praying for all men,
since Christ died for all (1-7) ; and, secondly, the proper ordering
of public prayer, and the place and work of women in the saving
ministry of the Church (8-15).
C. In the third instruction (iii. 1-16) St. Paul directs attention
to the officials and other workers in the Church — bishops, priests,
deacons, etc. — and tells Timothy first what sort of men ought to be
chosen for the ranks o'f the clergy, especially as regards conduct
and character (1-7) ; and secondly, what ought to be the qualifica-
tions of deacons and good women who are to assist the clergy (8-
13). In his anxiety that all may go well with Timothy, St. Paul
sends these instructions on ahead of the visit he hopes soon to make
to the Church of Ephesus (14-16).
D. In the fourth instruction (iv. 1-16) Timothy is warned against
heretics and their false teachings (1-5), and admonished to nourish
his own soul by the solid doctrine that sustains and quickens faith,
and to show by the example of his personal life the spiritual excel-
lence of the Gospel (6-16).
E. The fifth instruction has to do with the administration of
discipline in certain special cases (v. i — vi. 2). Here the Apostle
INTRODUCTION TO i AND 2 TIMOTHY 259
teaches Timothy how he is to deal with the old and the young of
both sexes (v. i, 2), with widows (v. 3-16), with the clergy (v.
17-25), and finally with slaves (vi. i, 2).
F. The sixth and last instruction (vi. 3-19) returns to the sub-
ject of i. 3, again warns Timothy to be on his guard against the
teachers of unsound doctrine (3-10), exhorts him to be faithful to
his call and his trust as a true teacher (11-16), and adds a few
words concerning riches and their proper use (17-19).
(b) 2 Timothy. This Epistle consists of an introduction or
greeting (i. i, 2), an exhortation (i. 3 — ii. 13), an instruction (ii.
14 — iv. 18), and a conclusion containing greetings and a blessing
(iv. 19-22).
A. In his introduction to this letter (i. i, 2), St. Paul recalls the
great privilege he has enjoyed in being elected by God to preach
the Gospel, and greets Timothy, his beloved convert, who has so
long been associated with him in this privileged work.
B. In the first main part of the Epistle (i. 3 — ii. 13), the Apostle
begins by thanking God for the graces that have been accorded
Timothy, and exhorts him to stir up within him the grace he re-
ceived at his ordination (i. 3-14). He then refers to those from
Asia who have forsaken him, and prays for his faithful friend,
Onesiphorus, who was probably dead at this time (i. 15-18).
Finally, Timothy is exhorted to be diligent in the discharge of his
duties, and to be ready to suffer for the Gospel (ii. 1-13).
C. In the second main part of this letter (ii. 14 — iv. 18), St.
Paul first instructs Timothy how he is to become the kind of work-
man that God would have him be. Holding fast to the great central
truths of the Gospel, he is to avoid useless wranglings and con-
tentious disputes, which are to no profit ; he is to eschew the foolish
desires of youth and to practise solid virtues, and by prudent,
patient and tactful methods he is to lead the erring to repentance
and to saving ways (ii. 14-26). But after insisting on these neces-
sary qualifications of the workman of Christ — namely, undivided
devotion to his Master, loyalty to Gospel teaching, willingness to
suffer for the cause, and the practice of his own preaching on the
part of Timothy — St. Paul now proceeds to warn his disciple that
worse things are yet to come, and forthwith describes the character
and the sins of evil men who will appear in the days ahead to shake
26o INTRODUCTION TO i AND 2 TIMOTHY
the faith and pervert the multitudes (iii, 1-9). But Timothy will
be equipped to meet these emergencies by holding to the doctrine
he has received, by being ready to suffer for the faith as Paul has
done, and by drawing help and strength from the Sacred Scriptures
(iii. 10-17). The Apostle's work is finished, and he now issues a
final charge to Timothy to be faithful to his duty of preaching the
Gospel in the critical days ahead, and to be exact in the fulfillment
of all his sacred trusts. As for himself, his end is at hand, his
reward is waiting for him (iv. 1-8). He is alone with Luke: some
have left him, others have been sent on duties elsewhere (iv. 9-12).
A few final requests and observations close this part of the letter
(iv. 13-18).
D. In the conclusion (iv. 19-22), St. Paul sends greetings to a
number of persons at Ephesus, makes special mention of Erastus
and Trophimus, urges Timothy to hasten his coming to him, in-
cludes the greetings of several of his friends in Rome, and termi-
nates his last Epistle with a unique blessing, probably in his own
handwriting.
The First Epistle to Timothy
CHAPTER I
GREETING AND INSTRUCTION TO TIMOTHY, 1-20
I. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of
God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope :
1-20. St. Paul left Timothy in charge of affairs in the Church of
Ephesus as he himself made a journey into Macedonia. Timothy
was young, delicate in health, and naturally timid; and there was
reason for apprehension as to how he might get on with the false
teachers at Ephesus, if St. Paul was long delayed in returning to
him. The Apostle, therefore, decided to send a letter to him. In
the opening section he first greets his beloved son (ver. 1-2) ; then
repeats the warning against false teachers he had given before leav-
ing him (ver. 3-1 1), citing his own conversion on the road to
Damascus as an instance of the power of the Gospel to assist Tim-
othy in his work and to correct the erring teachers (ver. 12-17) ;
and terminates by reminding the youthful bishop of the charge that
has been committed to him as a true teacher of the doctrines of
Christ (ver. 18-20).
I. Paul an apostle, etc. St. Paul thus asserts his apostolic au-
thority at the beginning of nine of his letters — in all, therefore,
except Phil., Phlm., i and 2 Thess., and Heb. This he does in
order to give greater weight and solemnity to his words, not only
with the faithful and to those to whom he is writing, but also and
especially with the false teachers or enemies whom, as in the pres-
ent Epistle, he is combating.
The commandment, i.e., the divine command by which the apos-
tolic office has been laid upon him.
God our Saviour. The title "Saviour," as attributed to God the
father, is peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles, where it occurs six
261
262 I TIMOTHY I. 2, 3
2. To Timothy, his true son in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God
the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. As I desired thee to remain at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia,
that thou mightest charge some not to teach otherwise,
times, reminding us that the Eternal Father is the ultimate source
and fountain of salvation, and that Jesus Christ, to whom St. Paul
usually attributes this title, is the divine medium through which the
Father's salvation is conveyed to us.
Christ Jesus our hope, i.e., the object and foundation of our
hope. It was not Moses or the Law of Moses, as the Judaizers
taught, but Jesus Christ through whom we are to be saved.
2. Timothy. See Introduction to i Tim., No. I.
His true son in faith, seems to indicate that Timothy had been
instructed in the faith and baptized by St. Paul ; Timothy was St.
Paul's spiritual child, and such he always remained to the venerable
Apostle.
Grace, mercy, and peace. See on Eph. i. 2. The word "mercy"
is here added to the salutation, as in 2 Tim. i. 2, perhaps because
the aged Apostle now felt the greater need of this most attractive
and conspicuous attribute of God, and also in order to draw atten-
tion to the source of "grace" and "peace."
The dilecto of the Vulgate ought to be vero or sincere, as in the
Greek.
3. In verses 3-1 1 St. Paul reminds Timothy of the charge he
had given him before leaving him at Ephesus, namely, that of
combating the false teachers.
As I desired, etc. In characteristic fashion St. Paul leaves his
sentence unfinished, as he seeks to pour out the stream of thoughts
that flood his mind. We should naturally expect some termination
like this: "So now I admonish you." No forger could have con-
structed such a Pauline sentence, without leaving a trace of his
falsification. Some authorities think the apodosis of this sentence
is in verse 18, "this precept I commit to thee, etc.," but the inter-
vening passage is too long to make such a view likely.
It may be asked here whether this order given to Timothy "to
remain at Ephesus" might not have occurred some time during the
period covered by the Acts. The answer is in the negative ; for the
Acts mention only two occasions when St. Paul was at Ephesus
I TIMOTHY I. 4, 5 263
4. Not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which furnish ques-
tions rather than the edification of God, which is in faith.
5. Now the end of the commandment is charity, from a pure heart and a
good conscience and an unfeigned faith.
(Acts xviii. 19-22, and xix, i ff.). On the first of these visits the
Apostle was not going to Macedonia, but was on his way East, to
Caesarea in Palestine, The second time he was indeed going to
Macedonia, whither he had already dispatched Timothy, instead of
leaving him behind at Ephesus.
That thou mightest charge some, etc. St. Paul does not name
these false teachers, but they were evidently Christians.
Not to teach otherwise. Better, "not to teach another doctrine,"
i.e., an irrelevant, an heretical doctrine. The Greek word for
"another doctrine" occurs only here and in vi. 3, below, in the
Greek Bible ; and its meaning here is not so much heretical as irrele-
vant, as mischievous in practice, and therefore conducive to heresy.
4. Fables were most probably Jewish legends (Tit. i. 14), such
as are frequently found in the Talmud; and genealogies were
extravagant, legendary stories about the ancient patriarchs, such as
we find in the Book of Jubilees. Speculation on these useless sub-
jects would lead away from the great truths of faith and the prac-
tical realities of Christian life ; and thus vast harm would be done
to the Church and to souls.
The edification of God (i.e., the upbuilding of the Church of
God), which is in faith (i.e., which is based on the truths of faith).
The "edification of God" is according to the ordinary Greek, the
reading of the Latin Fathers, and a number of western versions,
and it gives a good sense; but the best Greek MSS. and the Greek
Fathers have "the dispensation of God," i.e., the divine plan of
salvation by means of faith, to which vain speculations about fables
and genealogies would be injurious. The sense is practically the
same in either reading.
5. In contrast with the irrelevant teaching just condemned, Tim-
othy is now reminded that "the end of the commandment" (i.e.,
the scope or aim of the charge entrusted to him, which is the prac-
tical teaching of the Gospel) "is charity" (i.e., love for one's fellow-
man and his welfare), and this love comes (a) "from a pure heart,"
which, in Hebrew thought, was the spring of moral thought and
264 I TIMOTHY I. 6-9
6. From which things some going astray, are turned aside unto vain bab-
bling,
7. Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things
they say nor whereof they affirm.
8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully,
9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for the just man, but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and
profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-
slayers,
emotion; (b) from "a good conscience," or the practical judgment
between right and wrong; (c) from "an unfeigned faith," i.e., a
sincere and honest faith, which regulates man's relations with God
and is the reason and basis of the love of the neighbor.
6. The false teachers have neglected "charity," "a pure heart,
etc." (ver. 5), with the result that they have abandoned themselves
to all sorts of vain and useless talk. The Greek verb which ex-
presses "going astray" here is peculiar to the Pastorals, being found
again only in i Tim. vi. 21, and in 2 Tim. ii. 18; and the Greek
for "vain babbling" is found only in this place in the Greek Bible.
7. Those unpractical and misguided leaders posed as "teachers of
the law," i.e., of the Law of Moses, the principles and meaning
of which they did not understand themselves. This reference to
the Law shows that the errors in question had their root in Judaism,
and that the false teachers were therefore Christian Judaizers.
8. In verses 8- 11 St. Paul digresses to explain the nature and
purpose of the Mosaic Law, and of all law, for that matter, so as
not to be understood as opposing that which was good.
But we (in contrast to the ignorant Judaizers) know that the
law is good, provided it be used "lawfully," i.e., according to its
nature and spirit, taking account of that in it which has only a
temporal purpose and that which is of permanent value, and of
that which is weighty and that which is trivial and irrelevant. The
ceremonial part of the Mosaic Law was intended to prepare the way
for and to lead to Christ, and now that Christ has come it has no
place in the Christian life, but is rather an impediment and a hin-
drance. On the other hand, the moral precepts of the Law are
permanent and good, and are not to be covered up and obscured
by useless speculations and irrelevant discussions.
9. Knowing this. He now explains how the Law should be
expounded by him who would "use it lawfully."
I TIMOTHY I. 10, II 265
10, For fornicators, for them who defile themselves with mankind, for
men-stealers, for hars, for perjured persons, and whatever else is contrary
to sound doctrine.
11. This is according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which
hath been committed to my trust.
That the law is not made, etc., i.e., the Mosaic Law, as accom-
panied by threats and chastisements, was not framed or enacted for
Christians who are justified from sin, for these fulfill the precepts
of the Law, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love ; and
consequently the Law, as embodying threats and punishments, is
of no use to those who have become Christ's.
But for the lawless, etc., i.e., for sinners, who are ruled by their
passions, the Law with its threats of chastisement is necessary.
The Apostle now sketches a list of such sinners as he has in
mind. Thus, the Law is for "the lawless," those who disregard
all law ; the "disobedient," those who are unwilling to submit to any
rule ; "the ungodly and sinners," those who have no fear of God ;
"the unholy and profane," those who act as if God did not exist.
With this last class the Apostle begins a more definite description
of the sinners he has in view, following the order of the Decalogue.
Murderers of fathers, etc. The meaning of the Greek is rather
that of dishonoring parents and of hateful feelings against one's
neighbor, and hence of violating the fourth and fifth command-
ments.
10. Fornicators, etc. Sexual and unnatural sins are now men-
tioned, that is, violations of the sixth commandment.
Men-stealers, i.e., slave-stealers, one of the worst crimes accord-
ing to Roman Law, and punishable by death according to Mosaic
Law (Exod. xxi, 16; Deut. xxiv. 7). This sin was a violation of
the seventh commandment.
And whatever else is a general formula to include any other sins
that have not been explicitly enumerated, as in Rom. xiii. 9; Phil,
iv. 8.
Sound doctrine means wholesome teaching, the contrary of that
of the false teachers. The word for "sound" here is peculiar to the
Pastoral Epistles, and the Greek term for "doctrine" occurs fifteen
times in these letters.
11. This is according. The Apostle explains what he means by
the "sound doctrine" of which he has just spoken. It is in con-
266 I TIMOTHY I. 12, 13
12. I give him thanks who hath strengthened me, even to Christ Jesus
our Lord, for that he hath counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry;
13. Who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and contumelious.
But I obtained mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief:
formity with "the gospel of the glory of the blessed God," i.e., the
Gospel which announces and manifests the glory, wisdom, good-
ness, mercy, etc. of God, who in Himself is infinitely happy, and
who one day will make us partakers of His glory and blessedness,
as He has promised in the Gospel (cf. Sales, h. I.). The word
fmKdpio<: here applied to God is found only in this passage and in vi.
15 below in the whole Bible. It means that God possesses in Him-
self the fullness of bliss or blessedness.
Which has been committed, etc. Better, as in the Westminster
Version, "wherewith I have been entrusted," in contrast to the false
teachers who have received no divine commission. This last phrase
is characteristic of St. Paul (cf. Rom. iii. 2; i Cor. ix. 17; Gal. ii.
7; I Thess. ii. 4; Tit. i. 3).
12. The mention of the Gospel entrusted to him induces the
Apostle to make a personal digression in verses 12-17, reflecting
on his own life, and thanking God for the grace vouchsafed to
him in spite of his unworthiness, while incidentally vindicating his
authority against the Judaizers and proclaiming the saving mercy
of Jesus Christ.
Who hath strengthened me, with His grace, not only at the
time of my conversion, but throughout my ministry as an Apostle.
Christ Jesus. This is the order of these words everywhere in
this Epistle, It is the Anointed of God (Christ) who is the Saviour
(Jesus) of mankind.
Faithful, i.e., trustworthy, through the grace of Christ (i Cor.
vii. 25).
The ministry. The Greek word for "ministry" here in the time
of St. Paul meant the apostolate, whereas in the second century it
had come to designate the order of deaconship. Hence we have in
the use of the word here an argument for the early date of this
letter. St. Paul would hardly be speaking of himself as having
been called to the deaconship.
13. Although he acted out of ignorance and misdirected zeal,
1 TIMOTHY I. 14-16 267
14. Now the grace of our Lord hath abounded exceedingly with faith
and love which are in Christ Jesus.
15. Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus
came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.
16. But for this cause have I obtained mercy: that in me as first Christ
Jesus might shew forth all patience, for an example to them that shall be-
lieve in him unto life everlasting.
St. Paul can never forget or cease to regret that he opposed the
cause of Christ, persecuted the Church, and outraged the rights of
men (Acts vH. 58 ff., ix. i ff., xxvi. 9; i Cor. xv. 9; Phil. iii. 6).
His sins were only material, but he will not excuse his blind conduct.
Contumelious means a wanton aggressor of men's rights (Acts
xxii. 4).
The Dei of the Vulgate is not in the Greek.
14. Abounded exceedingly. The Greek for this expression is
found only here in the Greek Bible, St. Paul means to say that
the grace of God in him went beyond his conversion and made him
an Apostle besides (Rom, v, 20), He mentions "faith," as opposed
to his former infidelity, and "love," as opposed to his former hate
and persecution of the Church of Christ.
15. Faithful is the saying, i.e,, worthy of all belief. This is a
formula peculiar to the Pastorals; it is found elsewhere in these
letters in iii. i and iv, 9 below, in 2 Tim. ii. 11, and in Tit. iii. 8,
It is used to introduce a truth of great importance.
And worthy of all acceptation, i,e,, worthy to be accepted by
everyone. The Greek for this expression is found again in the
Bible only in iv. 9 below.
That Christ Jesus came, etc. This is the great truth the Apostle
would teach, and it shows that the primary purpose of our Lord's
coming to the earth in the Incarnation was to save sinners.
Of whom I am the chief, a characteristic expression of St. Paul
(cf. I Cor. XV. 9; Eph. iii. 8), and not so much hyperbolical as
expressive of a vivid appreciation of the degradation of sin, on the
one hand, and the awful holiness of God and the preciousness of
grace, on the other hand; and the Apostle is not speaking in the
past but in the present tense. It is only the great Saints who can
rightly apprehend sin and appreciate grace.
16. The Apostle explains why God has shown him so great mercy
268 I TIMOTHY I. 17, 18
17. Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be
honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
18. This precept I commit to thee, son Timothy; according to the prophe-
cies concerning thee, that thou war in them a good warfare,
in spite of his sins, namely, that he might be an example or illustra-
tion to others of the "patience," i.e., the longsuffering and gracious
mercy of Christ in bearing with all poor sinners who "believe in
Him," the consequence of whose faith in Christ Jesus will be "life
everlasting."
In me as first, i.e., as chief of sinners (ver. 15).
An example. Literally, "an outline sketch." The Greek word
is found only here and in 2 Tim. i. 13 in the whole Bible.
17. The Apostle now, after reflecting on the divine goodness and
mercy, breaks out into a characteristic doxology, which is not a
prayer or an aspiration, but a reverent and thankful statement of
the divine glory (Bernard),
To the King of the ages, i.e., to the everlasting God. The same
expression is found elsewhere in the Bible only in Tobias xiii. 6,
ID, and Apoc. xv. 3.
18. In verses 18-20 St. Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the good
fight for the faith, to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and not to
allow himself to be led away by the example of the false teachers.
This precept most probably refers to the injunction of verses
3-4 against the false teachers.
The prophecies may refer to predictions made about Timothy
at the time St. Paul chose him for the work of the Gospel at Lystra
(Acts xvi. 3), or at the time of his ordination (i Tim. iv. 14).
These prophecies were certain revelations made by the Holy Ghost
to St. Paul or to some of the faithful, as often happened in the
Early Church, concerning the fitness of the person in question for
the work of the ministry. Thus were St. Paul and Barnabas se-
lected by a special revelation of the Holy Ghost to preach the
Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts xiii. i ff.).
That thou war, etc. The purpose of recalling to Timothy the
charge committed to him and the prophecies that were uttered con-
cerning him is to encourage him to fight like a good soldier of
Christ to maintain against the false teachers the purity and integ-
r'ltji of the faith.
I TIMOTHY I. 19, 20, 11. I 269
19. Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made
shipwreck concerning the faith.
20. Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered up
to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
19. The Apostle now explains what is required in order to fight
the good fight, namely, "faith," i.e., the Christian faith, and a well-
instructed conscience, accompanied by sanctity of life; Timothy
must hold to sound doctrine and live in conformity with that doc-
trine. Some, failing to do this, have lost the faith.
20. Here are mentioned two of those who had lost the faith.
Hymenaeus, who denied the resurrection of the dead, is spoken
of as a heretic in 2 Tim. ii. 17.
Alexander, a Christian heretic, is not to be identified with Alex-
ander the Jew mentioned in Acts xix. 33-34; but he may be the
same person as the individual spoken of in 2 Tim. iv. 14 as a per-
sonal enemy of St. Paul's.
Delivered up to Satan, i.e., excommunicated from the Church
(i Cor. V. 5), thus leaving him exposed to the temptations and
tortures of the Evil One, that he might be disciplined for his sins
against our Lord.
CHAPTER II
GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, I-15
I, I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all men:
I- 1 5. St. Paul enjoins that prayers of various kinds be offered
for all men, because it is the will of God that all men should be
saved, as is evident from the fact that God is one, that there is
only one supreme mediator between God and man, and that Christ
grave Himself as a ransom for all. This is the Gospel which St.
Paul is commissioned to preach (ver. 1-7). He next prescribes
the manner in which these prayers should be offered, and lays down
rules for the conduct of women in the public assembly (ver. 8-15).
I. First of all. This expression in Greek occurs only here in
270 I TIMOTHY II. 2-4
2. For kings and for all that are in high stations, that we may lead a
quiet and a peaceable life in all piety and chastity.
3. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,
4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to knowledge of the
truth.
the New Testament, and it shows the primary importance of prayer
as a means of avoiding evil and progressing in good (St. Thomas).
There is question here of public, liturgical prayers, and it is not
easy to distinguish between the first three mentioned. Perhaps if
there is need of a distinction at all, we may regard "supplications"
as made for oneself, "prayers" as acts of adoration, and "interces-
sions" as prayers offered for others.
2. For kings, etc., i.e., for all those who exercise lawful public
authority. This attitude toward civil authority was especially neces-
sary for the early Christians, lest they should be suspected of dis-
loyalty and be subjected to persecution. Cf. Rom. xiii. i fT.
Piety. The Greek for this word occurs here for the first time
in Paul's letters, and it is used frequently hereafter in the Pas-
torals.
Chastity would better be "gravity" or "reverence," to correspond
with the Greek term here employed, which is also peculiar to the
Pastorals.
3. The enim of the Vulgate here is not well supported in the
Greek.
God our Saviour. See on i. i, above.
4. The Apostle now explains why prayer for all men is pleasing
and "acceptable in the sight of God" (ver. 3), namely, because God
desires all to be saved. According to His primary intention and
antecedent will, God wishes the salvation of all men without excep-
tion; but man, by the misuse of his free will, has the mysterious
power of changing God's original plan for him, so to speak; and
hence it happens that, when man freely chooses not to be saved,
God has recourse, in our way of thinking and speaking, to a sec-
ondary intention and consequent will in man's regard, according to
which He also wishes that man shall not be saved. This is our
poor way of explaining, as best we can, a profound mystery. But
when all is said and done, it is certain that no one is saved except
I TIMOTHY II. 5, 6 271
5. For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man
Christ Jesus,
6. Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times.
by the grace of God, and no one is lost except through his own
fault (see on Rom. ix. 12 ff.). This text of St. Paul is a clear
refutation of the heretical opinions of Calvin and Jansenius, the
first of whom taught that, previously to all thought of demerit on
man's part, God predestined some men to hell ; and the second of
whom said that Christ did not merit salvation for all men, having
died only for the predestined (see Cone. Trid., sess. VI, De justifica-
tione, can. 173.
And come to knowledge of the truth, which is the necessary
means of salvation, the way to life eternal. The phrase "knowledge
of truth" is peculiar to these Pastoral Epistles (cf. Heb. xi. 26).
5. In verses 5-6 the Apostle proves that God wishes the salva-
tion of all men, (a) because God is one, the first cause and final
end of all, and as such stands in the same ultimate relation to all;
(b) because there is only one supreme mediator between God and
man, namely, Christ Jesus, who in the same divine Person has
united the natures of God and man; (c) because Christ offered
Himself as the one supreme ransom for all men (Eph. i. 12, ii. 14;
Col. i. 20; Heb. viii. 6, ix. 14, xii. 14).
The man Christ Jesus. St. Paul stresses the fact that our Lord
was man, for it was only as man that He was able to pay the price
of our deliverance ; and had He not been God at the same time, He
could not have given to His death and sacrifice an infinite value,
which showed at once the perfection and completeness of His sac-
rifice for us and the extent of God's love for man.
It is unreasonable for Protestants, in view of this verse, to deny
all value to the invocation and intercession of the Saints, for it has
always been the teaching of the Church that the mediation of the
Saints is founded upon and derives all its value from the mediator-
ship of Christ. Properly understood, this is a very reasonable
doctrine. Cf. Cone. Trid., sess. XXV, De invoeatione sanctorum.
6. The Apostle now explains how Christ is our mediator, and
how He reconciled man to God.
Who gave himself. It was not His death, but Himself that the
Vjz 1 TIMOTHY II. 7-9
7. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle (I say the truth,
I lie not), a doctor of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8. I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands,
without anger and contention.
9. In like manner women also in decent apparel : adorning themselves with
modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly
attire.
Saviour gave as "a redemption" (or better, "a ransom") for all, i.e.,
a price that would be required to redeem a slave was paid for all
without exception (Rom. iii. 24). The Greek for "redemption"
here (ivnXvrpov) occurs nowhere else, though its meaning is con-
tained in Matt. xx. 28, and Mark x. 45. The prefix dvTi before
Avr/jov means "in place of," thus signifying the vicarious character
of our Lord's sacrifice, who took our common human nature in
order to suffer for us all, that is, in place of us all.
A testimony in due times. The meaning is that the incarnation
of the Son and the redemption wrought by Him in the fullness of
time completes the revelation begun in the Old Testament of God's
eternal purpose regarding man's salvation, and is a witness of the
friendly will of God that all should be saved.
7. With unexpected emphasis the Apostle here asserts his divine
appointment to teach and preach the Gospel of universal salvation.
In faith and truth, i.e., in the Christian faith and the true
teaching of the Gospel.
8. After having explained in verses 5-7 the reasons why we
should pray for all men, the Apostle now in verses &-12 gives in-
structions regarding the manner of making and of assisting at
public prayers.
That men pray, instead of women (ver. 9), in the public as-
semblies.
Lifting up hands, referring to the posture of prayer among the
Jews, and also among the early Christians, as we learn from the
writings of Clement of Rome, Clement of Alexandria, and the
representations in the Catacombs.
Without anger, etc., i.e., free from those internal dispositions
that are alien to the spirit of prayer. The word "contention" refers
to controversial disputations.
9. The reference is still to public worship, at which women are
I TIMOTHY II. 1014 273
10. But (as it becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11. Let a woman learn in silence, with all subjection.
12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to use authority over the man,
but to be in silence.
13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14. And Adam was not seduced; but the woman being seduced, was in
transgression.
to appear w^ith that decency and modesty of dress and demeanor
that become their sex.
Sobriety. Better, "self-control," referring to woman's natural
inclination to vanity in dress. It is indeed the duty of v^^omen to
try to appear attractive, but always with modesty and decency,
otherwise they defeat their very purpose in the eyes and judgment
of every right-minded person (cf. i Peter iii. 3 ff.). St, Chrysostom
used to ask the women of his congregation: "Have you come to
assist at a ball ?"
10. Here the Apostle says the kind of attire that most becomes
a Christian lady is the garment of good works. Special stress is
put on good works all through the Pastoral Epistles, doubtless
because these were often obscured and lost sight of on account of
the zeal displayed by the false teachers for controversy and useless
doctrines. The Greek word for "godliness" occurs only here in
the New Testament.
11-12. St. Paul is speaking of women's conduct in the public
religious gatherings of the faithful, where to teach was an exer-
cise of authority which belonged to men only. Women were not
to teach in these public assemblies of the Christians, and this Apos-
tolic ordinance was renewed in the Fourth Council of Carthage in
398 (cf. I Cor. xiv. 26 ff.). This prohibition, however, did not
forbid women to teach the young privately, as we know from 2
Tim. iii. 14, and Tit. ii. 3 (cf. Acts xviii. 26; i Cor. ix. 5; Phil,
iv. 3 ff-)-
Nor to use authority over man, etc., i.e., in the public affairs
of the Church.
13-14. The Apostle now gives two reasons why women are not
to teach and exercise authority over men in the public assemblies
of the faithful ; the first of which is drawn from the order in which
man and woman were created (Gen. ii. 7, 18-23), and the second
274 I TIMOTHY 11. 15
15. Yet she shall be saved through child-bearing; if she continue in faith
and love and sanctification, with sobriety.
from the history of the Fall (Gen. iii. 11-13). Adam was created
before Eve, and Eve vi^as formed from Adam to be his helpmate.
Again, at the time of the Fall, it was Eve who showed her weak-
ness and unreliability in being seduced by the tempter, whereas
Adam sinned with open eyes, fully conscious of what he was doing ;
the woman, therefore, is not a safe guide. Eve transgressed by
putting faith in the serpent, and Adam by imitating the transgres-
sion of Eve.
15. Although woman is excluded from the office of public teach-
ing and from the exercise of the sacred ministry, she will never-
theless be saved by the faithful discharge of the duties that belong
to her sex, the chief of which is the bearing and rearing of children
in God's fear and favor. But just as Adam, in punishment for
his sin, must earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, so Eve, in
consequence of her sin, will have to bring forth her children with
pain and suffering (Gen. iii. 16-18). St. Paul, as is clear, is speak-
ing of matrimony as the natural and normal state of woman; but
he has by no means forgotten a superior state of virginity to which
woman may be called, and of which he treated when writing to
the Corinthians (i Cor. vii. 7 ff.).
If she continue, etc. The Greek has, "if they continue, etc.,"
i.e., women in general, or perhaps the reference is to the husband
and wife, living the life of "faith and love and sanctification, etc."
Mere child-bearing, without the practice of the necessary Christian
virtues of faith, love, etc., which make for woman's sanctification,
will never save any woman ; it is child-bearing accompanied by the
practice of these virtues that will save her.
With sobriety. Better, "with self-control," as above in verse 9.
I TIMOTHY III. I 275
CHAPTER III
ST. PAUL EXPOUNDS THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUISITE FOR THE
OFFICIALS AND OTHER WORKERS IN THE CHURCH, I-16
I. Faithful is the saying: If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth
a good work.
1-16. In this third section of his first letter to Timothy, the
Apostle, turning from a consideration of the general directions he
has just been giving for the whole Church, descends more to par-
ticulars and discusses the personal and moral requirements which
should be found in bishops (ver. 1-7), and in deacons and deacon-
esses (ver. 8-13). His imperative insistence on the high personal,
moral and ethical equipment of those who are to take a leading
part in the government and work of the Church springs from the
very nature and from the high and holy character of this organi-
zation to which God has committed His truth for the enlightenment
of the world and the salvation of mankind (ver. 14-16).
I. Faithful is the saying. See on i Tim. i. 15. This phrase here
more probably goes with what follows, "if a man desire, etc."
Desires, i.e., aspires to. The Greek equivalent is found elsewhere
in the Bible only in Heb. xi. 16, but it is common with profane
writers.
Bishop. Literally, "overseer," "superintendent." In Titus i. 5,
7 the term seems to be used convertibly with "presbyter," although
there the "bishop" of verse 7 can be understood as embracing the
"presbyter" of verse 5, since the bishops were doubtless chosen from
among the presbyters, and in later times elected by the latter. At
any rate, everywhere in the New Testament these terms are applied
only to those who, having received a special sacramental consecra-
tion, are placed in charge of churches with power to preach, cele-
brate the divine mysteries, etc. (cf . Acts xx. 28 ; Phil. i. i ; i Tim.
iii. 2; Tit. i. 5, 7). Hence, under the term "bishop" here St. Paul
probably includes also priests ; and this would explain why he passes
276 I TIMOTHY III. i
in the next section (ver. 8-13) to speak of deacons, omitting all
separate mention of priests as such.
There are some authorities who hold that during the lifetime of
the Apostles they alone were the real bishops, and that those who
are spoken of as "bishops" or "presbyters" were simple priests
associated with the Apostles as missionary companions. Others
think only bishops were consecrated, that is, that all priests re-
ceived at their ordination the plenitude of Holy Orders, being at
once elevated to the episcopate. See Sales, h. I., and the other
authors cited by him on this question. But both of these conclusions
seem to disagree with the distinction which is made or can be made
everywhere in the New Testament between the terms cTrtb-Kowo? and
Trpeo-^vrepos, and the distinction in persons and functions which the
Apostolic Fathers made and took for granted between bishops,
priests and deacons. The term irpca-pvrepo^ is common in the Old
Testament and in the Gospels and Acts, and seems, therefore, to
have been of Jewish origin ; while iiria-Koiroi, though frequent in the
LXX, appears to have come from paganism where it was a common
title of office in Greek societies and guilds. Of course, both these
titles and offices were spiritualized in the Church in accordance
with the elevated spiritual powers and functions which they implied
and which were conferred in ordination.
Dean Bernard has a learned and convincing chapter on the dis-
tinction made in the New Testament and in the earliest Fathers
and Apostolic writers between the terms eVto-Koiros and Trpev^vrtpo^
and their respective functions. He shows that there are only two
passages in the New Testament (Acts xx. 28; Titus i. 7) "which
even suggest the interchangeability of the terms iiria-Koiroi and
irpta-pvripo<:," and that these "are susceptible of explanations which
fall in with the supposition that the words represent distinct func-
tions (which might on occasion be discharged by the same indi-
vidual)." And thus he does "not regard these passages as incon-
sistent with the conclusions to which all the other evidence points."
After a careful review of all the evidence the learned Dean comes
to the following conclusions : " ( i ) the episcopate and presbyterate
were distinct . . . ; the difference in name points to a difference
in duty, although no doubt many duties would be common to both,
especially in primitive and half-organized communities; (2) the
I TIMOTHY III. 2 277
2. It behoveth therefore a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife,
sober, prudent, of good behavior, chaste, given to hospitality, a teacher,
bishops were originally selected by the presbyteral council, and
probably from their own body; (3) there were often several bishops
in one place, the number being a matter non-essential; (4) a con-
spicuous part of the bishop's duty was the administration of worship
— the \etTovpyui in the largest sense ; he is above all things an official,
the representative of his Church and the director of its discipline"
(Introd. to Pastoral Ep., Chap. V, in Cambridge Greek Testament').
Of course, the Council of Trent has settled for us the divine
origin of the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the deaconate.
A good work, i.e., an excellent office, but one of labor and
responsibility rather than of honor, as St. Augustine remarks {De
Civitate Dei, xix. 19).
2. Since the office of bishop is so high and excellent, only those
should be elevated to it who are worthy. St. Paul, therefore, now
begins to enumerate some of the outstanding moral and ethical
qualities which candidates for the episcopate should possess. Nearly
the same qualifications are given in Titus i. 6-9.
Husband of one wife does not mean that a bishop had to be
married, but that if he was married and his wife died he should
not remarry. That such is the correct interpretation of this pas-
sage is made certain by the parallel clause in v. 9 below. All other
explanations are decidedly unsatisfactory. Second marriages were
looked upon as a sig^ of incontinence and self-indulgence, and so
as unbecoming the high spiritual office of a bishop. General celibacy
for the clergy was not practicable in the early years of the Church,
when all the members were converts from Judaism or paganism
and were usually already married; and hence the law of celibacy
for the clergy was enacted later, though it was counselled in i
Cor. vii.
Sober, i.e., temperate in demeanor rather than in appetite, for
of this latter temperance there is question in the next verse, "not
given to wine."
Given to hospitality, which was especially necessary in those
times when the faithful were often despoiled of their possessions,
persecuted, and driven from place to place.
A teacher. One of the principal duties of a bishop was to teach
278 I TIMOTHY III. 3-6
3. Not given to wine, no striker, but modest, not quarrelsome, not cov-
etous, but
4. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all chastity, —
5. (Indeed if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he
take care of the church of God?) ; —
6. Not a recent convert, lest being puffed up with pride, he fall unto the
judgment of the devil.
and preach, though in later times the functions of teaching and
preaching seem to have devolved more upon the priests (presbyters).
3. No striker. Better, "not a brawler," i.e., not given to the use
of hurtful and injurious w^ords.
Not covetous. St. Jerome says : "Ignominia omnium sacerdotum
est propriis studere divitiis" (Ad Nepot., Ep. 52, no. 6).
4-5. In case the candidate for the office of bishop was married
and had children, it was well first to see how he governed his own
household, before allowing him to rule in "the church of God."
With all chastity. Better, "with all reverence," as in ii. 2. The
phrase here is probably to be connected with "having," rather than
with "children." Verse 5 is parenthetical and gives the reason for
the direction contained in verse 4. A bad father of a family will
make a bad ruler in the Church, and one of the chief functions of
a bishop is to rule.
6. Not a recent convert, i.e., not recently converted to Christi-
anity. The Greek for "recent convert" is found in the New Testa-
ment only here.
Puffed up, etc. Better, "beclouded, etc." The expression is
common in Greek literature, but is found only here in the Bible.
Unto the judgment, etc., i.e., into the same condemnation as
that passed on the devil for his pride (cf. Isa. xiv. 12-14; Ezech.
xxviii. 11-17). Some authorities claim that in verses 6-7 here the
context requires that we should take the phrase "of the devil" as
a subjective, instead of an objective genitive, meaning the condem-
nation passed by the 8ia/3o\os, and not that pronounced on him ; and
that the word "devil" means here slanderer or accuser (as in iii.
II below; 2 Tim. iii. 3; Tit. ii. 3). In this interpretation the
slanderer or accuser would be "one of those people, to be found
in every community, whose delight is to find fault with the de-
meanour and conduct of anyone professing a strict rule of life"
I TIMOTHY III, 7-9 279
7. Moreover he must have a good testimony of them that are without,
lest he fall into reproach and a snare of the devil.
8. Deacons in like manner chaste, not double-tongued, not given to much
wine, not greedy of filthy lucre,
9. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.
(Bernard, The Pastoral Epistles, h. L, in Camb. Bible) ; and so
the candidate for the office of bishop must try to regulate his Hfe
in such a manner as not to fall under the "judgment" or condemna-
tion of slanderers, Cf. Bernard, op. cit., ad locum.
7. The bishop, as the chief representative of the Church, must
also have a good reputation with his heathen neighbors; otherwise
he cannot hope to make converts to the faith, he is apt to lose
prestige among the faithful themselves, and thus he becomes exposed
to "reproach and a snare of the devil." For the interpretation of
this last phrase, see above on the preceding verse.
8. In verses 8-13 St. Paul treats of the qualifications for deacons
and deaconesses.
Deacons in like manner. The verb is to be supplied from verse
2, "it behooveth." The same construction occurs again in verse 11
below, speaking of the "women." It is noticeable that "deacons"
is plural, whereas "bishop" above in verse 2 and in Titus i. 7 is
singular. While both these classes belonged to the sacred ministry,
it is clear that the bishop was a person of higher rank and author-
ity, and that the deacons were only helpers and assistants to whom
was entrusted the administration of temporal affairs in the Christian
community. For the election and duties of deacons, see Acts vi.
I ff.
Chaste, i.e., reverent, grave in their character and manner of
acting.
Not double-tongued, i.e., not saying different things to different
people (Pengel).
Not greedy of filthy lucre. The reference is to the illicit dis-
posal of the funds of the Christian community, the administration
of which was entrusted to the deacons.
9. Holding, rather than preaching, the truths of the Gospel,
which constituted the object of faith.
The "mystery of faith" means the secret of salvation, long kept
concealed from mankind, but now revealed to the world in Christ.
Thus, Christ Himself is "the mystery of faith" (cf. Col. ii. 2),
28o I TIMOTHY III. 10-13
10. And let these also first be proved ; and so let them minister, having no
crime.
II The women in like manner chaste, not slanderers, but sober, faithful
in all things.
12. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, who rule well their children
and their own houses.
13. For they that have ministered well shall secure for tliemselves a good
degree, and much confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
In a pure conscience. There must be harmony between the faith
professed and the conscience, and this appHes not only to deacons
but to all Christians.
10. And let these also (as well as the bishops, ver. 7) be proved
(i.e., found worthy), in the estimation of the community.
Having no crime, i.e., being irreproachable in their lives.
11. The women were doubtless deaconesses, like Phoebe of Rom.
xvi. I. Women in general could not be meant, as that would be
out of harmony with the context, which is speaking of persons
connected with the sacred ministry. Nor could we understand the
wives of the deacons, for if that were so we should expect in Greek
the possessive pronoun their, relating them to the "deacons," their
husbands. These deaconesses "in like manner" (i.e., as well as
the deacons) are to possess the qualifications that will fit them for
their duties as helpers in the work of the sacred ministry.
12. See on verse 2 above, where the same injunctions are laid
down for bishops.
13. For they that have ministered well, etc., i.e., the deacons
that have faithfully discharged their office shall merit thereby pro-
motion to a higher degree of office in the hierarchy, namely, to the
order of priesthood or of the episcopate.
Other authorities explain "a good degree" as a stepping stone to
greater influence and repute among the faithful, rather than as a
promotion to higher office, since we do not know that deacons were
regularly, if at all, promoted to the priesthood in the Apostolic
Church. Still others think there is question in this place of the
deacons acquiring a higher degree of merit in this life or of greater
glory hereafter. But this last opinion is excluded by the words that
follow, "and much confidence, etc.," which evidently mean that
deacons, by their promotion to higher office or their acquisition of
greater influence in the community, will be able to preach with
I TIMOTHY III. 14-16 281
14. These things I write to thee, hoping that I shall come to thee shortly:
15. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to
behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God,
a pillar and ground of the truth.
16. And evidently great is the mystery of godliness : who was manifested
in the flesh, was justified in spirit, appeared unto angels, was preached
among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
greater zeal and courage the faith which has its roots "in Christ
Jesus."
14-15. These things, i.e., the instructions he has just given in
Chapters ii and iii about pubHc worship and the officers of the
Church.
Shortly. Literally, "more speedily."
The church, i.e., the society of all the faithful under their legiti-
mate pastors and superiors.
Of the living God, as opposed to the dead gods of the pagans
(i Thess. i. 9).
A pillar and ground, etc., i.e., the Christian society which is
plainly visible, like a pillar in the air, and as unshakable in the
truth it teaches as the solid ground on which great material struc-
tures are erected. The words afford a clear proof of the visibility
of the Church and of its infallibility in guarding and teaching the
truth of the Gospel. St. Paul is speaking here about the Church
Universal, and not about any local community or congregation.
16. Having spoken of the truth confided to the Church, the
Apostle now sums it all up in a brief verse on the mystery of Christ
the Redeemer, which verse was probably taken from a Christian
hymn that was in use in the Early Church.
And evidently great, etc. Better, "and admittedly great is the
mystery of piety," which was spoken of in verse 9 above as "the
mystery of faith," and which Is none other than Jesus Christ, who
is thus described because all true piety toward God and all real
religion are founded on faith in Jesus Christ, God and man. Christ
"was manifested in the flesh," i.e., was made man; He "was justi-
fied in spirit," i.e., by His words and works He was proved to be
what He claimed to be, namely, God and man; or He was proved
to be the true Son of God by His powerful resurrection from the
dead (Rom. i. 3-4) ; He "appeared unto angels," who adored Him
at His entrance into the world (Heb. i. 6), who ministered to Him
282 I TIMOTHY IV. i, 2
in His mortal life and were witnesses of His resurrection and
ascension, and who saw His work in the call and conversion of the
Gentiles (Eph. iii, 10; i Pet. i. 12) ; He "was preached among the
Gentiles," i.e., among the nations of the world; He was "believed
in the world," in spite of Satan and his agents to the contrary ; He
was "taken up in glory," on the day of His ascension (Acts i. 9-10),
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father evermore.
CHAPTER IV
ST. PAUL ADVISES TIMOTHY REGARDING THE FALSE TEACHERS, I-16
1. But the Spirit manifestly saith, that in future times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils,
2. Through the hypocrisy of those speaking lies, men seared in their own
conscience,
I -16. In this Fourth Chapter the Apostle warns against the false
teachers and their errors, and tells Timothy how he is to deal with
them, reminding him of his duty as regards his personal conduct.
1. But. This adversative seems to go back to the thought of
verse 15 of the preceding Chapter, and to show that, although the
Church is the pillar and ground of truth, heresies will come from
some of her children.
The Spirit, i.e., the Holy Ghost, whether alluding to the prophe-
sies of our Lord (Matt. xxiv. 4 ff.), or to the words of some con-
temporary Christian prophet, or to a private revelation made to the
Apostle himself by the Holy Ghost.
Doctrines of devils, i.e., doctrines inspired by demons.
The noz'issimis of the Vulgate is a wrong rendering of the Greek,
which simply means "future" or "after," i.e., times future to the
speaker or writer.
2. Through the hypocrisy of those speaking lies, i.e., the demons
are to exercise their influence through lying human agents. The
Greek for "speaking lies" is found only here in the Greek Bible ;
likewise the term "seared," which in the phrase means that those
false teachers had the brand of sin in their own conscience, though
they pretended zeal and holiness on the outside before men.
I TIMOTHY IV. 3-6 283
3. Forbidding to marry, to abstain from foods, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and by them that have
known the truth.
4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is
received with thanksgiving,
5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6. These things proposing to the brethren, thou shalt be a good minister
of Christ Jesus, nourished up in the words of faith, and of the good doc-
trine which thou hast learned.
3. The exaggerated asceticism of the false teachers held that
marriage was bad in itself and to be avoided, and also taught absten-
tion from food on the ground that matter was bad, having been
produced by an evil principle, as the Gnostics and Manicheans later
taught quite openly; whereas, according to the true doctrine of
Christianity, marriage is good (i Cor. vii. i ff.), and all food, as
coming from God, is good and is to be eaten with thanksgiving to
the Giver of all good things (Gen. i. 31). It is only the abstention
from marriage and food as the result of false principles that St.
Paul is condemning ; they are not bad in themselves, though celibacy
is to be preferred to matrimony (i Cor. vii. 7 ff.) and fasting from
right motives is good.
To abstain from foods. We must understand before this ellipti-
cal phrase some word like command ; so that the full reading would
be, "commanding to abstain from foods."
The faithful, as contrasted with the unbelieving Jews.
By them that have known the truth, as contrasted with the
false teachers and the weak, half-instructed Christians (Rom. xiv.
21).
4-5. The falsity of the erroneous teaching is now pointed out.
Everything God has made is good in itself (Gen. i. 31), and also
in its relation to man, despite the fall (Rom. viii. 20), provided it
be received with thanksgiving.
For it is sanctified by the word, etc. This means that food
was sanctified by the blessing said over it before eating, which
blessing or prayer was made up of Scripture phrases taken from
the Old Testament.
6. In verses 6-1 1 St. Paul tells Timothy what his attitude should
be toward the false asceticism.
These things, i.e., what he has just been saying in verses 4-5.
If Timothy will set these principles before the faithful committed
284 I TIMOTHY IV. 7-10
7. But avoid foolish and old wives' fables; and exercise thyself unto
godliness.
8. For bodily exercise is profitable to little, but godliness is profitable to
all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to
come.
9. Faithful is the saying and worthy of all acceptation;
10. For therefore we labor and are reviled, because we hope in the living
God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful.
to his care, he vi^ill "be a good minister, etc.," in the w^idest sense
of the word "minister," as embracing all his duties as a real servant
of Christ, nourished w^ith the true faith and the sound doctrine he
has learnt.
7. Timothy is to reject the false teachings of the heretics and
discipline himself in piety.
Old wives. The Greek wrord is found only here in the Bible, but
it occurs in profane writers; it means anile, like an old woman.
Fables, or myths. See on i. 4.
Exercise, i.e., discipline, alluding to the athletic games.
8. The Apostle now assigns the reason for the advice just given.
Bodily exercise, such as that of the arena or the race course,
affords a limited and a passing benefit to the physical constitution
and leads to a temporal reward (i Cor. ix. 25); "but godliness"
benefits the whole man, body and soul, "having the promise, etc.,"
i.e., causing or producing the present spiritual life, which is the
foretaste of the enduring life to come hereafter (Matt. vi. 33, xix.
29; Mark x. 30).
9. See above, on i. 15. The reference is to what he has just said
about godliness in verse 8, as the context shows.
10. A proof that "godliness" or piety is profitable for the present
and the future life is in this, that it enables its possessors to toil
and suffer in view of the rewards that "hope in the living God"
holds out to them.
We labor, in the sense of toil or wearing fatigue, alluding to
the contests in the arena.
Are reviled. A better reading has: "We struggle."
The living God. See on iii. 15.
The Saviour of all men, etc. See on ii. 3-4. It is only as
regards "the faithful," i.e., in those that are really faithful, that
God's will to save is fully realized; in them His grace is efficacious.
I TIMOTHY IV. 11-14 285
11. These things command and teach.
12. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the faithful
in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.
13. Till I come, attend unto reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine.
14. Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy,
with the imposition of the hands of the priesthood.
11. These things, i.e., what he has been saying in verses 7-10,
Timothy is to insist on with authority.
12. In verses 12-16 St. Paul gives Timothy advice regarding his
personal behavior. Timothy was not forty years of age at this
time, and had been associated with St. Paul some fifteen years. He
was young in comparison with the Apostle, who was then sixty or
more. Moreover, in ancient times a man was considered young
until after forty. St. Paul himself was spoken of as a young man at
the martyrdom of St. Stephen (Acts vii. 57), when he must have
been thirty years old at least.
Young people in authority are apt to be criticised and even de-
spised by older persons, unless shining virtues supply in them for
the lack of age. Hence, the aged Apostle tells the youthful bishop
to be an example to the faithful in his outward actions and manner
of life, and also in the internal virtues that grace the soul and
ennoble the character. The classic Greek word for "chastity" is
found only here and in v. 2 below in the New Testament. It means
chastity of life and purity of motive.
13. St. Paul hopes to come to Ephesus soon, but meanwhile Tim-
othy is to be faithful to the custom of reading and explaining the
Scriptures in public, and to the exhortation or preaching that fol-
lowed that reading, which should be grounded on solid doctrine or
teaching. Although the injunction here is primarily to the public
reading of the Sacred Scriptures to the faithful in their assemblies,
it does not exclude but rather presupposes private reading and
study.
14. Timothy is exhorted not to fail to exercise the spiritual gifts
he received from God at the time of his ordination and consecration
as bishop through the imposition of St. Paul's hands (2 Tim. i. 6).
This verse and 2 Tim. i. 6 are the classic passages to prove that
Holy Orders is a Sacrament (see on i Tim. i. 18). The reference
in the present verse is to the episcopal consecration of Timothy in
286 I TIMOTHY IV. 15, 16, V. 1-3
15. Meditate upon these things, be wholly in these things, that thy profiting
may be manifest to all.
16. Take heed to thyself and to doctrine: be earnest in them. For in
doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
the presence and with the approval of the Ephesian elders, accord-
ing to the best authorities.
15. Timothy is to "meditate," i.e., ponder what St. Paul has been
telling him regarding his office and personal duties, and thus make
continual progress in the development of his own character and in
the consequent better quality of his work.
16. Finally, St. Paul bids Timothy watch over himself and to be
careful how he presents the doctrine he has received from the
Apostles ; and the result of this proper attention to self and to his
duties towards others will be his own and their salvation.
CHAPTER V
HOW TIMOTHY IS TO DEAL WITH VARIOUS CLASSES IN THE
CHURCH, 1-25
1. An elderly man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father; younger men,
as brethren :
2. Elderly women, as mothers; young women, as sisters, in all chastity.
3. Honor widows that are widows indeed.
1-25. St. Paul now instructs his disciple how he is to act with
the different classes of persons that make up the body of the Church,
namely, (a) older and younger men and women (ver. 1-2) ; (b)
widows, as to their maintenance (ver. 3-8), as an organized body
of helpers in the Church (ver. 9-10), and as to those who are still
young (ver. II-16) ; (c) the clergy, their dignity and discipline
(ver. 17-25)-
1-2. Rebuke not, i.e., do not treat severely or harshly.
Young women, etc. St. Jerome says : "Either equally ignore, or
equally love all girls and virgins of Christ."
3. Honor is here used not only in the sense of esteeming, but
also in the sense of assisting, taking care of, as is evident from
such passages as Matt. xv. 4-6 ; Acts vi. i ; i Tim. v. 17.
I TIMOTHY V. 4-6 287
4. But if any widow have children, or grandchildren, let her learn first to
govern her own house, and to make a return of duty to her parents ; for
this is acceptable before God.
5. But she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, let her trust in God, and
continue in supplications and prayers night and day.
6. But she that liveth in pleasures is dead while she is living.
Widows that are widows indeed, i.e., women that have lost
their husbands, that are destitute, and that have no relatives who
can support them; such as these Timothy is told to assist out of
the funds of the Church. Widows were a very destitute class
among the Jews, and still more so in the Early Church.
4. Those widows are not to look to the Church for their support
who have living relatives that can give them what they need.
Let her learn, etc. This is according to the reading of the
Vulgate, and the meaning is that, if a destitute widow has children
or grandchildren, she should give them her services, looking after
their upbringing, training, education, etc., and through these offices
receive her own support. But the Greek reads differently, as fol-
lows: "Let them first learn to practise piety, etc." This suits the
context better, and the meaning is that living young relatives of
destitute widows should assist them and take care of them as a
matter of filial duty, remembering what their parents and relatives
did for them when they were dependent and helpless in their in-
fancy and early years. Respect to parents is the first duty of
children, and the care of one's own household and relatives, when
these latter are in need, is likewise a primary obligation binding
those who have means sufficient to help (see ver. 8 below).
5. The characteristics of the true widow are now described.
A widow indeed, i.e., one who has no relatives to support her,
who is alone without helpers, should put her hope in God and give
herself to continual prayer. Instead of, "let her trust in God," the
Greek reads, "has her hope in God," i.e., she has put all her hope
in God as her sure refuge and strength. See the story of the
widow Anna in Luke ii. 36 flf. It is a widow of this sort that
deserves help from the Church, to which she makes return by her
many prayers.
6. In contrast to the pious widow, who deserves help from the
Church, "she that liveth in pleasures," i.e., she that lives wantonly,
■288 I TIMOTHY V. 7-10
7. And these things enjoin, that they may be blameless.
8. But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of
his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.
9. Let a widow be chosen of no less than threescore years of age, who
hath been the wife of one husband,
10. Having testimony for her good works, if she have brought up chil-
indulging in unlawful pleasures, is spiritually dead, and deserves
no help from the Church.
The nam of the Vulgate should be replaced by an adversative
conjunction, to agree with the Greek,
7. And these things, i.e., what he has just said in verses 5-6.
The et hoc of the Vulgate should be et h<sc, as in the Greek.
That they may be, etc., i.e., that the children and grandchildren,
spoken of in verse 4 and alluded to in verse 8, may be blameless
by giving help and support to their destitute relatives.
8. The Apostle now announces a general principle, which is illus-
trated by the duty spoken of in verse 4. If any one neglects to
care for his needy and dependent relatives, and especially those of
his own family, he has already denied the faith in practice; and
he is worse than pagans, because even these unbelievers, in response
to the dictates of the natural law, provide for their helpless rela-
tions.
9. There is most likely question in this verse of a special class
of widows to whom special duties were entrusted, such as the care
of the sick, orphans, and the like. For a possible allusion to this
class of women in the Early Church, see Polycarp {Phil, iv) and
Ignatius {Smyrn., 13). Their duties were analogous to those re-
quired of deacons, and the condition placed on them in regard to
marriage was similar to that for bishops and deacons (see above
on iii. 2, II, 12). Yet, they were not the same as deaconesses, as
we shall see.
Be chosen. Literally, "be enrolled," i.e., placed on the list.
Three score years of age. This condition seems to show that
the widows in question constituted a special class; for, on the one
hand, the Church would not deny help to all destitute widows until
they were sixty years old, and, on the other hand, it would be
unreasonable to require that deaconesses be so old before being
admitted to active work.
10. Here are mentioned further qualifications required of those
I TIMOTHY V. 1 1 -1 3 289
dren, if she have received to harbor, if she have washed the saints' feet,
if she have ministered to them that suffer tribulation, if she have dihgently
followed every good work.
11. But the younger widows reject. For when they have grown wanton
against Christ, they will marry,
12. Having damnation, because they have made void their first faith.
13. And withal being idle they learn to go about from house to house,
and are not only idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things
which they ought not.
widows whose names were to be put on the church list. It was the
dispositions manifested by these works rather than their actual
performance that counted.
If she have brought up children, not necessarily her own.
If she have washed, etc. To wash the feet of guests was a
necessary complement of hospitality among the Orientals (Matt.
xxvi. 6; Luke vii. 44), and an act of extreme humility (John
xiii. 5 ff.).
11. In verses 11 -15 St. Paul explains the reasons why certain
widows should not be put on the church list. It is supposed that
the women thus listed are enrolled for life in the service of the
Church; and if they are younger than sixty, they will want to
change and remarry "when they have grown wanton against Christ,"
i.e., when they have grown tired of the life to which they have
engaged themselves. The Greek word for "grown wanton" is found
only here, and the figure is that of a young animal that has tired
of its yoke and has become restive through fullness of vigor.
In the Vulgate, in Christo would better be contra Christum.
12. Those widows who had been enrolled on the church list had
consecrated themselves to a work for Christ which was incom-
patible with remarriage; and to break the pledge they had thus
freely made would bring upon them the guilt of being unfaithful
to their first troth, which was to the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Damnation here means the guilt of unfaithfulness. The punish-
ment of eternal damnation is not at all necessarily involved or
implied in this instance; although, if there is unfaithfulness to
Christ in one direction, it can easily spread to every direction and
to all matters. . ,
13. Another reason is now given why young widows should not-
be listed for church work. Going about as their duties would re-
quire, they would turn the opportunity of doing good into one of
290 I TIMOTHY V. 14-17
14. I will therefore that the younger should marry, bear children, be mis-
tresses of families, give no occasion to the adversary to speak evil.
15. For some are already turned aside after Satan.
16. If any of the faithful have widows, let him minister to them, and
let not the church be charged, that there may be sufficient for them that
are widows indeed.
17. Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honor,
especially they who labor in the word and doctrine;
mischief and trouble-making in families and between neighbors,
thus doing no end of harm and disgracing the Church. St. Paul
was doubtless speaking from experience. The Greek word for
"tattlers" is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, and that
for "busybodies" occurs only here in St. Paul.
14. Therefore, i.e., in view of the reasons assigned in verses
1 1- 13, the Apostle expresses the wish that those young widows, and
all young women for that matter, who cannot live continently (l
Cor. vii. 9), should marry. His desire in this matter must be
qualified by what he says in i Cor. vii. 8, 40, where he recommends
virginity in preference to marriage, if the danger of incontinence
be excluded. The context shows he is still speaking of widows in
this verse.
Be mistresses of families is in Greek "rule their household."
Give no occasion to the adversary, i.e., to the Jews and pagans
around, who would be only too ready to criticise Christians.
15. The Apostle's advice is based on experience; for "already"
some of those young widows who had given themselves to Christ
and His work, had turned to a life of dissipation, perhaps forsaking
the faith.
16. If any of the faithful. The best reading of this phrase is
"if any believing woman" (si qua fidelis, in Latin), though there is
good evidence in the MSS., versions, and Fathers for "if any be-
lieving man or woman." The context seems to show that the refer-
ence is to those destitute young widows who do not remarry and
whose age prevents them from being enrolled on the list of the
Church. These should be cared for by their relatives, when pos-
sible, so that the church funds may be used to help those who are
widows indeed, that is, who have no one else to relieve them in
their need.
17. In verses 17-25 St. Paul tells Timothy how he is to treat the
clergy.
I TIMOTHY V. 18-20 291
18. For the scripture saith: Thou shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth
out the corn; and, the laborer is worthy of his reward.
19. Against a priest receive not an accusation but under two or three
witnesses.
20. Them that sin reprove before all, that the rest also may have fear.
Priests, literally, "elders" (presbyters). See on iii. i. There
is not question here, as in verse i above, of elderly men, but of
officials of the Church, whether priests or bishops.
Double honor is a Hebraism meaning here more ample mate-
rial rev^ard or provision. Those of the clergy vi^ho fulfill their
duties faithfully should be well taken care of by the Church, and
especially those who preach the Divine Word and teach the doctrines
of faith to others. This verse seems to distinguish between those
who were engaged in preaching and those who were occupied in
ministerial work, and to show that some of the presbyters of the
Pastoral Epistles did not teach. See St. Cyprian (Epist., xxix) on
the presbyteri doctores.
18. The first quotation of this verse is from Deut. xxv. 4, and
is found also in i Cor. ix. 9. The second quotation is not in the
Old Testament, but occurs in Luke x. 7 (cf. Matt. x. 10). Could
St. Paul at so early a date be quoting St. Luke as Scripture on a
level with the Old Testament? Hardly so; and yet possibly so.
The best explanation seems to be that this second quotation was a
familiar proverb to which both St. Paul and our Lord appealed to
enforce a moral principle. "The Scripture saith" then would apply
only to the first quotation.
19. In verses 19-21 St. Paul explains to Timothy how he is to
deal with priests who have been guilty, or suspected of some fault.
Receive not an accusation, etc. This rule was laid down in
Deut. xix. 15 as a norm for all, and it is especially necessary for
the clergy, both on account of their dignity and the danger of accu-
sation to which their high and responsible offices expose them. For
an appeal to this same general principle see 2 Cor. xiii. i ; Matt.
xviii. 16; John viii. 17 (cf. Deut. xvii. 6).
20. Them that sin, etc. There is question here of public sins
on the part of the clergy, as the context shows. These offenders
are to be reproved by Timothy in the presence of all the presbyters,
that all may take warning for their own conduct. The case men-
tioned in Matt, xviii. 15 has to do with private sins between private
individuals.
292 I TIMOTHY V. 21-25
21. I charge thee before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that
thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to
either side.
22. Impose not hands lightly upon any man, neither be partaker of other
men's sins. Keep thyself pure.
23. Do not still drink water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake,
and thy frequent infirmities.
24. Some men's sins are manifest, going before to judgment ; and some
men they follow after.
25. In like manner also good deeds are manifest; and they that are other-
wise, cannot be hid.
21. I charge thee, etc. Better, "I solemnly charge thee, etc."
The same solemn formula occurs again in 2 Tim. ii. 14, iv. i.
The elect angels, i.e., the heavenly messengers whom God has
chosen to do His special bidding and to look with care after the
affairs of men (cf. i Tim. iii. 16; i Cor, iv. 9).
These things, i.e., the precepts of verses 19-20.
22. Impose not hands, etc. The majority of the best commen-
tators see in these words a warning against ordaining unworthy
candidates to the sacred ministry. The general context also favors
this view. Imposition of hands is the regular New Testament
phrase to signify ordmation (i Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6; Acts vi.
6, xiii. 3).
Neither be partaker, etc., by carelessly ordaining unworthy per-
sons.
Keep thyself pure, i.e., free from responsibility for others' sins
and guiltless in your personal and private life. That the foregoing
words, "impose not hands, etc.," have reference to the reconciling
of public penitents is very improbable.
23. Do not still drink water. More literally, "be no longer a
water-drinker," in the sense of a total abstainer. St. Paul is
cautioning Timothy against too much mortification, to which he
seems to have been inclined, because of his naturally delicate health.
This verse, like 2 Tim. iv. 13, "is a little touch of humanity which
is a powerful argument for the genuineness of the Epistle in which
it is found" (Bernard, op. cit., h. /.).
24-25. Timothy is given two final maxims by which he is to be
guided in judging the character of his candidates for the ministry.
First, Paul says the sins of some men are evident before investi-
gation, while the sins of others are brought out by investigation;
I TIMOTHY VI. I, 2 i293
secondly, in like manner, some good works are conspicuous, and
those that arc not cannot be kept hidden if full investigation be
made, Timothy, therefore, is to proceed cautiously in his choice of
persons for the sacred ministry.
CHAPTER VI
THE DUTIES OF SLAVES TO THEIR MASTERS, WHETHER HEATHEN OR
CHRISTIAN, 1-2
1. Whosoever are servants under the yoke, let them count their masters
worthy of all honor; lest the name of God and his doctrine be blasphemed.
2. But they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, be-
cause they are brethren ; but serve them the rather, because they are faithful
and beloved, vi'ho are partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.
1-2. In Eph. vi. 5-9 and Col. iii. 22 — iv. i, St. Paul had already
treated at length of the mutual duties and relations of slaves and
masters. Here, however, he speaks only of slaves, doubtless be-
cause there was somehow more cause for treating only of the one
class. He was not in any way approving of slavery, for it was his
repeated teaching that in Christ there was "neither bond nor free"
(Gal. iii. 28) ; like the other Apostles, he was simply taking the
existing conditions of society as he found them, and adapting him-
self to them as the circumstances required. See on Eph. vi. 5-9;
see also Introduction to Philemon, No. V.
The slaves addressed in both of the present verses were Chris-
tians ; and St. Paul tells Timothy to instruct those slaves to conduct
themselves with all respect and obedience toward their heathen
masters, so as to reflect credit on their profession as believers in
God and followers of Christ; any failure in their duties as slaves
would only cast discredit on their religion.
The Domini of the Vulgate should be Dei, as in the Greek.
In the second verse the masters also are Christians, and this fact
calls for even better service on the part of their slaves.
Because they are faithful and beloved, i.e., because those mas-
ters are Christians, and consequently beloved by God, This is the
reason why their Christian slaves should render them special service.
Who arc partakers of the benefit. This does not mean the
294 I TIMOTHY VI. 3-5
3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the sound words of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and to that doctrine which is according to godHness,
4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but sick about questions and strifes of
words; from which arise envies, contentions, blasphemies, evil suspicions,
5. Conflicts of men corrupted in mind, and who are destitute of the truth,
supposing godliness to be gain.
benefit of redemption which the masters enjoy by being Christians,
nor the benefits which the masters confer on their slaves, but the
improved and special service which those masters receive from the
fidelity and obedience of their slaves. Therefore, translate the sec-
ond part of the verse with the Westminster Version as follows:
"But serve them all the more, for that they who claim their good
service are believing and beloved."
These things, i.e., the directions just given about slaves, or per-
haps all the instructions so far given in this letter, Timothy is to
"teach and exhort."
CLOSING INSTRUCTIONS TO TIMOTHY, 3-2I
3-21. In the closing section of his letter (ver. 3-21) St. Paul
utters renewed warnings against the false teachers (ver. 3-5),
speaks of the vanity and perils of wealth (ver, 6-10), personally
exhorts Timothy to the practice of virtue and the preservation of
the teachings he has received (ver. 11-16), issues a charge to the
rich of Ephesus (ver. 17-19), and terminates by recalling to Tim-
othy the principal thought of the Epistle and imparting his blessing
(ver. 20-21).
3-5. Teach otherwise, i.e., teach a different doctrine from that
taught by St. Paul (see on i. 3).
And consent not to the sound words, etc., i.e., to the true
teaching contained in our Lord's words.
And to that doctrine which is according to godliness, i.e., which
teaches the true way in which God is to be worshipped. The false
teaching the Apostle has in mind, therefore, is out of harmony with
that which Timothy is to "teach and exhort" (ver. 2). The false
teacher himself and the practical results of his teaching are next
described (ver, 4-5),
He is proud, knowing nothing, about that which he ought to
know, and which constitutes the true doctrine; he is "sick" from
feeding his mind on unwholesome speculations and disputes which
I TIMOTHY VI. 6-10 295
6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7. For we brought nothing into this world, and certainly we can carry
nothing out.
8. But having food and wherewith to be covered, with these we are
content.
9. For they that will become rich, fall into temptation, and into a snare,
and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into de-
struction and perdition.
10. For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting
have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.
consist only in words, and which resuh in envy of rivals, quarrels
with opponents, suspicions of unworthy motives, and the like. Such
men, "corrupted in mind," pervert the Gospel and subordinate piety
and the worship of God to material gains.
In the Vulgate of verse 5, qucestum esse pietatem should be re-
versed, pietatem esse qucestum, as the position of the article and
the order of the words in the Greek indicate.
6. While "godliness" or piety is not to be prostituted to material
gain, there is, nevertheless, great gain in its possession, for it
teaches one to be content with what one has, not desiring to have
more (Phil. iv. 11- 13).
7. He now explains why man ought to be content with little in
this world. Material goods serve only for the present life ; we
come into the world without them, and we must leave them behind
when we die. It is only what a man is in himself — his spiritual
attainments, his character, his good or bad habits — that he takes
with him into the next world ; all else he leaves behind at death.
8. Food and raiment are the chief necessities of our material
existence, but we must remember that we are far more than these,
and that we are not to be over-anxious about them (Matt. vi. 25 ff.).
9. It is the desire for wealth and an inordinate attachment to
material things that St. Paul is here condemning, the disastrous
consequences of which are clearly attested to by history and expe-
rience. Those whose minds are set on wealth are exposed and
expose themselves to many perils.
Destruction, etc. See on Phil. i. 28, iii. 19 ; 2 Thess. i. 9.
The diaboli of the Vulgate is not in the best Greek.
10. In rhetorical language the Apostle stresses the peril of a love
of material wealth. It is "the root," or, as in the Greek, "a root
of all evils," i.e., of all moral evils, inasmuch as it will induce a
296 I TIMOTHY VI. 11-14
11. But thou, 0 man of God, fly these things: and pursue justice, godli-
ness, faith, charity, patience, mildness.
12. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou
art called, and didst make the good confession before many witnesses.
13. I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ
Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession :
14. That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
person to commit any evil or sin to attain it, when the passion be-
comes all-absorbing. At all times the love of money is fraught vi^ith
very dangerous consequences, and if it does not go so far as to lead
one away from the faith, it nevertheless chills the spirit of religion,
and deadens a person to the appeal of the higher things of the
mind and soul.
11. St. Paul now exhorts Timothy to flee the love of money and
its attendant evils, and to pursue virtue.
Man of God is the regular Old Testament expression for a
prophet or ruler of God's people (i Kings ix. 6; 3 Kings xii. 22,
xiii. iff.).
12. Fight the good fight. The metaphor is taken from the
athletic games, and is frequently employed by St. Paul (i Cor. ix.
24; Phil. iii. 12, 14; 2 Tim. iv. 7). "Fight" is in the present tense
in Greek, showing the constant struggle; while "lay hold" is aorist,
to indicate the single act.
Whereunto thou art called, etc., doubtless refers to Timothy's
baptism, and to the confession then made of the Divinity of Jesus
Christ. Some think the confession referred to was at the time of
Timothy's ordination or consecration as bishop.
13-14. St. Paul now charges Timothy before God, the Creator,
"who quickeneth all things" (better, "who preserveth all things in
life") and before His Son Jesus Christ, "who gave testimony, etc."
(i.e., who made the good confession of His divine Kingship and
Sonship in the presence or at the time of Pontius Pilate, Matt,
xxvii. 11; Mark xv. 2; Luke xxiii. 3; John xviii. 33 flf.), to prac-
tise, profess, and defend the faith ; it is this divine example of our
Lord that will enable Timothy to "keep the commandment without
spot," i.e., the commands and precepts, implied or expressed, which
were laid on him at the time of his baptism or ordination (ver. 12).
Unto the coming, etc., i.e., till the Second Coming of the Lord
in glory. The Greek word for "coming" here is found again in the
I TIMOTHY VI. 15-19 297
• 15. Which in his times he shall shew who is the Blessed and only Mighty,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16. Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no
man hath seen, nor can see; to whom be honor and empire everlasting.
Amen.
17. Charge the rich of this world not to be high-minded, nor to trust in
the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who giveth us abundantly all things
to enjoy,
18. To do good, to be rich in good works, to give easily, to communicate
to others,
19. To lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time
to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.
New Testament only in 2 Thess. ii. 8; but it occurs often in the
LXX. On the other hand, St. Paul uses a great variety of expres-
sions to describe the Second Advent (cf. i Thess. ii. 2; i Cor. i. 8,
V. 5; Phil. i. 10; 2 Tim. i. 12, etc.).
15-16. The Second Coming or final manifestation of Jesus Christ
will occur "in his times," i.e., in the season known only to him.
Who is the Blessed and only Mighty, etc. It is probable that
these words and those of verse 16, which constitute a magnificent
doxology, belonged to a primitive hymn. The phrase "King of
kings arid Lord of lords" is found also in Dan. iv. 34 (cf. Deut. x.
17; Ps. cxxxv. 3). God alone has essential and underived immor-
tality ; He dwells in light because He is light ; and He cannot be
seen as He is in Himself by mortal man in this life, nor in the life
to come save as the human soul is elevated and strengthened by the
light of glory.
17. In verses 17-19 St. Paul returns to the thought of verses
9-10, directing his words, no doubt, to the well-to-do of Ephesus,
whose pursuit of wealth he had interfered with years before (Acts
xix. 25 ff.
The rich of this world. Better, "those who are rich in the
present world," as contrasted with those who lay up treasure for
the world to come (ver. 19 below). They must not put their trust
in riches, which are uncertain, but in God, who has given them all
they have, to be enjoyed indeed but also to be used for the other
good purposes which he proceeds to mention in the following verses.
The vivo of the Vulgate is not in the best MSS., and the brackets
are unnecessary.
18-19. Wealth is not only for the pleasure of its possessor, but
298 I TIMOTHY VI. 20, 21
20. Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the pro-
fane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called,
21. Which some professing, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with you. Amen.
it is also to be used for the benefit of others, and thus to enable
its owner to become spiritually rich.
To give easily ... to communicate. The two equivalent Greek
expressions do not occur elsewhere in the Greek Bible, and they
signify a ready hand and a ready heart in giving. Thus, to use
wealth for the benefit of others is to lay up treasure for the life
to come (Matt. vi. 20), the only true life.
2021. In conclusion, St. Paul addresses solemn words to Tim-
othy, admonishing him diligently to guard the faith he has received
and to pass it on unsullied. This he will be able to do by avoiding
in his own teaching, and rebuking in others, vain and useless specu-
lations and subtleties of knowledge, falsely so called, which the
false teachers professed to have, and so have erred from the faith.
Keep that which is committed to thy trust. Better, "guard
the deposit," i.e., the deposit of faith.
Profane novelties of words. Better, "profane babblings," i.e.,
empty, useless talk; the Greek word for "babblings" occurs only
here and in 2 Tim. ii. 16. The words for "oppositions" and "falsely
so called" are not found elsewhere in the Bible, but are common
in profane Greek.
Which some professing, etc., i.e., which empty babblings and
subtleties the false teachers have professed to their own spiritual
destruction. The Greek for "have erred" is aorist, indicating a
definite and final loss.
The Apostle terminates his letter with a brief blessing. The
tecum of the Vulgate is vobiscum in the best Greek MSS.
The Second Epistle to Timothy
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION AND GREETING, 1-2
1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, according to the
promise of the life, which is in Christ Jesus.
2. To Timothy my beloved son : grace, mercy, and peace, from God the
Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
1-2. Again, as in the first letter, asserting his Apostolic authority
and divine election to preach the Gospel, St. Paul salutes Timothy,
his beloved child, whom he has begotten in Christ Jesus.
1. See on i Tim. i. i.
By the will of God, as in i Cor. i. i ; Eph. i. i ; Col. i. i. St.
Paul was not a self-appointed Apostle, but a vessel of divine elec-
tion.
According to the promise, etc., means that the aim and purpose
of St. Paul's election and call to the Apostleship was to proclaim
the fulfillment in Christ of the promises of eternal life which were
given in the Old Testament.
2. See on i Tim. i. 2.
THE APOSTLE THANKS GOD FOR TIMOTHY'S FAITH, AND EXHORTS THE
YOUNG BISHOP TO BE READY TO SUFFER, 3-I4
3-14. St. Paul first thanks the God of his forefathers for Tim-
othy's faith, asserting his remembrance of him in his prayers and
his desire to see his devoted son (ver. 3-5). He then exhorts him
to rekindle the grace of his ordination and to be courageous in
laboring and suffering for the Gospel, relying on that divine power
whereof God has already given us a manifestation in the gratui-
tous salvation imparted to the world through Christ (ver. 6-10).
For his election to preach the Gospel and his faithful discharge of
his duty Paul now languishes in prison and faces death, but his
999
300 2 TIMOTHY I. 3-6
3. I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure
conscience, as without ceasing I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers,
night and day,
4. Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled
with joy,
5. Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt
first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain
that in thee also.
6. For which reason I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God
which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.
faith is undaunted. Let Timothy Ukewise hold fast to the faith
taught him, and be true to his trust (ver. 11-14).
3-4. St. Paul thanks God for Timothy's faith (ver. 5), as he
remembers him in his prayers every day and every night ; and he
is longing to see him, recalling the tears that v^ere shed at their
parting.
Whom I serve, etc. The Apostle's Jev^rish opponents had ac-
cused him of betraying the religion of his ancestors, but he here
asserts that the God v^hom he serves is the same God that his fore-
fathers adored, and that his service of Him is pure and free from
self-interest, unlike their service of that same God of whom they
boast.
5. It was the recollection of the readiness and generosity with
which Timothy received the faith from his mother and grandmother
that moved St, Paul to give thanks to God (ver. 3).
Unfeigned, i.e., unmixed with error or hypocrisy.
Which also dwelt first, etc., i.e., Lois (most likely the mother
of Unice) and Unice embraced the faith first, when Paul preached
at Lystra (Acts xiv. 6, xvi. i), and under their instruction Tim-
othy readily followed their example. It would seem that Unice was
a widow at the time of Timothy's circumcision, and this is prob-
ably the reason why St. Paul does not make any mention of her
husband in his Epistles.
6. For which reason, etc. Having reminded Timothy of the
alacrity with which he had received the faith, the aged Apostle now
exhorts him to "stir up" — more literally, "kindle to fresh flame"
(the word occurs onlv here in the New Testament) — the sacra-
mental "grace of God" which he received when Paul ordained him,
and which remains with him still (cf. i Tim. iv. 14). Timothy
was naturally timid and may have been somewhat remiss in the
2 TIMOTHY I. 7-9 301
7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love
and of sobriety.
8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of
me his prisoner ; but endure your share of suffering for the gospel, according
to the power of God;
9. Who hath saved us and called us by his holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world,
exercise of his sacred powers. But perhaps St. Paul is only anxious
that his young disciple will ever be courageous and faithful in spite
of difficulties. The Council of Trent (sess. XXIII, cap. 3) cites
this verse to prove that Holy Orders is a true Sacrament.
7. In this verse the Apostle gives the reason why Timothy should
rekindle in himself the grace of his ordination ; for God has given
his chosen Apostles the graces and powers necessary for a faithful
and rigorous fulfillment of all their duties, however great the ob-
stacles they may encounter.
Us refers to Paul and Timothy both. St. Paul includes himself
so as to soften his words. In giving His Apostles the Holy Ghost,
God has endowed them with the spirit (a) of "power," to dis-
charge all their offices and to encounter all difficulties, (b) of "love,"
to endure all things patiently for Christ's sake, (c) of "sobriety"
(better, "wisdom" or "prudence") in dealing with others, and
therefore in the exercise of discipline.
8. Timothy must not be ashamed to bear witness to Christ in
preaching the Gospel ; nor should he be ashamed of his master who
is in prison for preaching the Gospel. On the contrary, he must be
willing to endure his share of suffering, along with Paul, for the
sake of the Gospel, not trusting in his own strength, but in the
"power of God," which will never fail him.
The collabora of the Vulgate does not express the sense of the
Greek, which means "suffer with," i.e., to take one's share in suf-
fering for the Gospel. The word is found only here and in ii. 3
below in the Greek Bible.
9. A proof that God will never fail His faithful followers is to
be seen in the fact that it is He who has already freely saved us
from our sins and called us to holiness of life. All this He has
done, not in virtue of any works or merits of ours, but in virtue of
His own eternal plan and purpose and by the help of His saving
grace, which from eternity He determined to carry out and bestow
302 2 TIMOTHY I. 10-12
10. But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus
Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incor-
ruption by the gospel:
11. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and teacher of
the Gentiles.
12. For which reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed.
For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep
my deposit unto that day.
on us in Christ. The Apostle here indicates the two causes of our
salvation, namely, the eternal cause, which was divine predestina-
tion, or God's eternal purpose to show us mercy; and the temporal
cause, which is sanctifying grace (St. Thomas).
Not according to our works. This phrase at once tempers the
stress put on good works in the Pastoral Letters and shows against
the Pelagians the existence and the gratuitousness of the grace by
which we are led to faith and salvation.
But according to his own purpose, etc. From all eternity God
predestined our salvation and the means to that end, which means
were the merits and grace of Christ. Hence it was that the Incar-
nation of Christ was predestined from all eternity, and that in
Christ from all eternity God prepared for us the grace which is at
length conferred, and by which we are sanctified and saved in time.
See on Eph. i. 3-6; Tit. iii. 5; Rom. viii. 30, ix. 12.
The liberavit of the Vulgate ought to be salvavit, as in the Greek.
ID. God's eternal purpose and the grace He prepared for us from
eternity have now been made manifest to us "by the illumina-
tion, etc.," better, "by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,"
i.e., through the Incarnation of our Lord in time, who by His pas-
sion and death for us on the cross has satisfied God for our sins,
and has destroyed sin and death, the eflfect of sin (Rom. vi. 2^),
thus making known to us through the revelation of the Gospel the
spiritual life of the soul and the future resurrection of the body.
11. Having spoken of the Gospel, St. Paul now encourages Tim-
othy (ver. 11-12) by citing his own experience and example. It
was for preaching this very Gospel to the world that he is now a
prisoner.
The Vulgate in quo should be ad quod, i.e., for which Gospel, etc.
12. For which reason, etc., i.e., for preaching which Gospel the
Apostle is now a prisoner in chains.
Have believed. The perfect tense shows the continued unshaken
faith and confidence in his Saviour.
2 TIMOTHY I. 13, 14 303
13. Hold the form of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in
faith and in the love which is in Christ Jesus.
14. Keep the good deposit through the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us.
My deposit. The Greek word for "deposit" here is found in
the New Testament only in the Pastoral Letters. It occurs again
in verse 14 below and in i Tim. vi. 20; and from these parallel
passages we can safely conclude that its meaning here is the Gospel
teaching which Paul has been commissioned by God to preach, and
which in turn he has entrusted to Timothy to keep and to teach.
The Apostle's stay in this world is now very short, but he is certain
the Gospel will not suffer with his passing; for the Almighty God
who gave it to him to preach is able to preserve it inviolate and
uncorrupted till the end of time, till the day of the General Judg-
ment.
Others understand "deposit" to mean Paul's faith, which he is
sure God will preserve unshaken till the end. Still others think the
expression refers to the Apostle's labors, sufferings and fatigues,
which the Lord will change to a crown of glory in the Day of
Judgment.
13-14. Timothy is earnestly exhorted to guard faithfully the Gos-
pel teaching which he has been taught by St. Paul; and the means
by which he will be able to do this are faith and love, assisted by
the grace of Christ. The word for "form" is found only here and
in I Tim. i. 16 in the New Testament, and it means "model," "pat-
tern," "norm."
Which thou hast heard. These words show that the doctrines
of faith are contained not only in what is written, but also in the
unwritten words of Apostolic tradition.
In faith, etc. Here we have indicated the means by which the
sound doctrine can be preserved; it can be done only through the
grace of Christ and His Holy Spirit.
In the Vulgate there should be a comma after audisti, instead of
after fide.
ST, PAUL COMMENDS A FAITHFUL FRIEND, IS'lS
15-18. The Apostle reminds Timothy that certain former fol-
lowers turned away from him when he needed their help, mention-
ing two In particular, who were probably now back in Ephesus,
their own city. Unlike these deserters, his true friend, Onesiphorus,
304 2 TIMOTHY I. 15-18
15. Thou knowcst this, that all they who are in Asia, turned away from
me : of whom arc Phigellus and Hcrmogcnes.
16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, because he hath
often refreshed me, and hath not been ashamed of my chain ;
17. But when he was come to Rome, he carefully sought me, and found me.
18. The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day; and
in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou very well
knowest.
who had been kind to him in Ephesus, also stood by him in his
need in Rome. He seems nov^ to be dead, and the Apostle com-
mends him and his household to the mercy of God.
15. All who are in Asia. This does not mean all the Christians
of Asia Minor, but certain ones who were at this writing in Asia,,
and who had been with St. Paul and had abandoned him at a
critical time, whether before his arrest in Troas or as the time of
his trial in Rome was drawing nearer. Of the two here mentioned
we know nothing further, except that Hermogenes is spoken of
in the beginning of the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla as
"full of hypocrisy." Timothy must be on his guard against such
as these.
16-17. St. Paul prays for the household of Onesiphorus, which
was at Ephesus (iv, 19).
Give mercy, a phrase occurring only here in the New Testament
Refreshed. This word also is found only here in the New Testa-
ment, but the corresponding substantive is used in the LXX of
Psalm Iv. 12, where it means a place of refreshment.
He carefully sought me. It was not easy to find St. Paul at
this time in Rome, where many prisoners were held for trial, and
when he was not allowed to enjoy a private lodging as during his
first captivity (Acts xxviii. 16).
18. In verse 16 St. Paul prayed for the household of Onesiph-
orus, and now he utters a prayer to our Lord for the man himself,
that God the Father may show him mercy on the Day of Judgment.
The obvious implication here seems to be that Onesiphorus was
dead. The Jewish practice of praying for the dead is thoroughly
established by 2 Mach. xii. 43-45 ; and that this practice was taken
over from the Jews by the early Christian Church, as in the light of
Christ's revelation it realized the full implication of the consoling
underlying doctrine, is clear from many sepulchral inscriptions in the
Catacombs and elsewhere.
2 TIMOTHY II. I, 2 305
CHAPTER II
TIMOTHY IS EXHORTED TO FAITHFULNESS AND PATIENCE, I-I3
1. Thou therefore, my son, be strengthened in the grace which is in Christ
Jesus :
2. And the things which thou didst hear of me by many witnesses, the
same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also.
1-13. The Apostle's end is near. He exhorts Timothy to be
strengthened in grace and to pass on to other faithful workers the
truths he has learned from his master. Timothy's fidelity and devo-
tion must be like that of a good soldier who wishes to please his
leader; he must be like the athlete who adheres to the rules of his
game in order to win the prize, like the husbandman who toils
faithfully that he may reap a good harvest (ver. i-6). The Lord
will help him to understand his heavy responsibility ; and his duties
will become ever more clear if he keeps in mind the Resurrection
of Christ, which is according to the Gospel for which Paul suffers.
The word of God cannot be stopped; and hence St. Paul endures
all things for the sake of the salvation of the elect. We have God's
word for it that we shall not suffer for Him in vain (ver. 7-13).
1. Therefore refers back to the unfaithfulness spoken of in verse
15 of the preceding Chapter, and aims to impress on Timothy the
need of the grace of Christ for a faithful fulfillment of his duties.
2. Didst hear. The aorist refers to something definitely past,
for which see verse 13 of the preceding Chapter.
By many witnesses, or "through many witnesses," or "in the
presence of many witnesses" (St. Chrysostom). The Apostle is
alluding to the instruction he had given Timothy in the presence of
others, perhaps at the time of the latter's ordination (i Tim. iv.
14, vi. 12; 2 Tim. i, 6), and also to his own preaching of which
Timothy and many more had been frequent hearers, and of which
Timothy had heard indirectly from others. All this teaching of the
Apostle, which Timothy has heard and learned, he is to transmit
to other faithful custodians, who in turn are to teach it to the
3o6 2 TIMOTHY 11. 3-7
3. Endure your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4. No man being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular busi-
nesses, that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself.
5. For he also that striveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he
strive lawfully.
6. The husbandman that laboreth must first partake of the fruits.
7. Understand what I say, for the Lord will give thee in all things under-
standing.
faithful in general. Here again we have a strong argument for
the authority of unwritten Apostolic tradition.
3. In verses 3-6 St. Paul endeavors to stimulate the zeal of
Timothy by citing the example of a soldier, of an athlete, and of
a husbandman, whose devotion and efforts for temporal success the
young bishop is to emulate for success in spiritual things.
Endure your share, etc. See above on i. 8.
A good soldier, etc. See on Eph. vi. 14 ff. As Jesus Christ,
our divine Captain, suffered and died for the Gospel, so all His
faithful followers, and especially His ministers, must be ready to
suffer and die for the Gospel.
4. The singleness of devotion needed for success as a soldier of
Christ requires as a consequence that one keep oneself free from
entanglements in temporal affairs.
Secular businesses is in Greek "the affairs of life," i.e., of this
present temporal life (tov jStov); we cannot serve God and mammon.
That he may please him, etc. The Greek is "that he may please
him who enrolled him as a soldier." The verb here, meaning "to
enroll as a soldier," is not found again in the Greek Bible.
5. The Greek of this verse is as follows: "Again, if any man
strive as an athlete, he will not be crowned unless he strive accord-
ing to the rules." St. Paul was fond of appealing to the Olympic
games to illustrate the spiritual contest (see below iv. 7; i Tim. vi.
12 ff. ; I Cor. ix. 25 ff.). See on i Cor. ix. 25 ff.
6. The thought in this and the two preceding verses is that dis-
cipline, labor and toil are the necessary conditions of success in
temporal enterprises, and therefore in spiritual undertakings also.
First, i.e., he that labors strenuously will have his reward ahead
of him that does not labor so well ; or, according to others, the
meaning is that he who would be successful must first put forth
the required efforts. See on i Tim. v. 17. The verb for "partake"
here does not occur elsewhere in St. Paul's writings.
7. Without making application of the three illustrations just
2 TIMOTHY II. 8-12 307
8. Be mindful that Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead, of the seed
of David, according to my gospel.
9. Wherein I suffer evils, even unto bonds, as an evildoer; but the word
of God is not bound.
10. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also
may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory.
11. Faithful is the saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall live also
with him :
12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him : if we deny him, he will
also deny us :
given, St. Paul tells Timothy to reflect on them attentively and the
Lord will make him understand their pertinence to himself.
All things, that are necessary for a faithful discharge of Tim-
othy's duties.
8. Timothy will be encouraged and sustained in his labors and
trials by keeping ever in mind his Risen Saviour, who is at once
the pledge and the exemplar of our own glorious future state.
Of the seed of David, i.e., the Risen Saviour, who is the centre
and source of the New Dispensation, took His humanity from the
stock of David, according to the hopes and promises of the Old
Dispensation. See on Rom. i. 3.
According to my gospel, i.e., the teaching just enunciated is
according to the doctrine Paul has been commissioned to preach.
The Dominum of the Vulgate is not in the Greek.
9. To help Timothy to bear his trials for the Gospel, the Apostle
now cites his own sufferings for the same cause ; but he observes
that, while he may be impeded from working, the Gospel preaching
cannot be restrained: it is being done by other workers and is
spreading over the world.
The laboro of the Vulgate does not express the Greek, which
means 'T suffer evils," or "am ill-treated."
10. Therefore, i.e., since the Gospel is going forward, the Apostle
gladly endures all his sufferings, that all of God's chosen ones may
have a share in the saving graces of the Gospel, which Christ has
provided, and whose ultimate issue is eternal glory. The "elect"
here are all those whom God would have come to a knowledge of
the truth and whom He would save unto life eternal.
11-12. Faithful is the saying. See on i Tim. i. 15, iii. i, iv. 9,
This formula in the present passage without doubt refers to the
words that follow here and in verse 13, which seem to be a portion
of an ancient hymn on the glories of martyrdom, and which at the
3o8 2 TIMOTHY II. 13, 14
13. If we believe not, he continueth faithful, he cannot deny himself.
14. Of these things put them in mind, charging them before God to con-
tend not in words, for it is to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
end of verse 12 become a quotation of our Lord's words in Matt.
X. 23, and Luke xii. 9. These quotations are given as an incentive
to courage and patience in suffering in union with Christ in view
of the glories to come in heaven. See on i Tim. iii. 16; Rom. vi.
3, viii. 17 ff. ; I Cor. xii. 26; Eph. i. 2^, etc.
13. If we believe not. Better, "if we are unfaithful," in refus-
ing to accept the doctrines God has revealed to us, "he continueth
faithful," i.e., true to His promises to reward the good and punish
the wicked ; for "he cannot deny himself," by going counter to His
nature and the laws He has established.
THE APOSTLE COUNSELS TIMOTHY FURTHER, I4-26
14-26. Timothy is admonished to avoid irrelevant controversies,
which only distract from the main truths of revelation and do much
harm to the faith. He is to preach the sound doctrine by word and
example, remembering the fatal mistakes of Hymenseus and Phil-
etus who, in their wranglings about the resurrection, fell into error
themselves and upset the faith of others. In spite of such false
teachers, the relations God has established with man remain un-
shaken: He knows who are His, whom He has predestined for
salvation; and all those who have been thus chosen must manifest
it in their lives by a free and complete rejection of sin and all
unrighteousness (ver. 14-19). As in a large house there are many
vessels, some for honorable and some for dishonorable purposes,
so it is with the Church and its members. Timothy must see that
he is a vessel of the former class by fleeing degrading sins, prac-
tising Christian virtues, and keeping company with the good. He
must be peaceful, gentle, patient, and thus by meek methods lead
the erring to better ways (ver. 20-26).
14. Of these things, etc. Timothy should remind men of the
need and the reward of courage and patient endurance spoken of
in the preceding verses, charging them before God to avoid contro-
versy, which only leads to the ruin of the faith of the hearers. The
2 TIMOTHY II. 15-18 309
15. Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
16. But shun the profane babblings; for they will grow much towards
ungodliness,
17. And their speech will spread like a cancer: of whom are Hymenaeus
and Philetus,
18. Who have erred from the truth, saying that the resurrection is past
already, and they subvert the faith of some.
word for "subverting" occurs only here in the New Testament, but
it is found in the LXX.
W^e have corrected the translation of this verse so as to agree
with the best Greek, and the Vulgate should be corrected likewise.
15. Timothy by his example will best show others how God is
to be served, and to this end he must see that his work be of such
quality as to merit the approval of his Master. The word here
rendered "rightly handling" does not occur again in the New Testa-
ment; but it is found twice in the LXX (Prov. iii. 6, xi. 5), where
it conveys the idea of making a straight road, or more literally, of
•'cutting stones square to fit," as for a road or building. The trans-
lation given in our version seems to express the meaning here,
where Timothy is told to deliver the teachings of the Gospel prop-
erly and correctly without yielding to error of any kind.
16. The profane babblings, i.e., of the false teachers.
They will grow, etc. The subject of the verb here is the false
teachers, as is evident from the following verse ; they will go from
bad to worse.
We have revised the English of this verse so as to conform to
the Greek, and the Vulgate needs a similar revision.
17. The Apostle here describes the baneful progress of the de-
moralizing talk of the false teachers, which "will spread" (literally,
"will have pasture") like a cancer. The word for "cancer" is found
only here in the Bible. Hymenasus is mentioned in i Tim. i. 20.
Of him or Philetus we know nothing further.
Serpit of the Vulgate should be future, as in the Greek.
18. It appears that the two heretics just mentioned, like the
Gnostics after them and some so-called preachers of the Gospel
today, gave a mystical explanation of the doctrine of the resurrec-
tion, denying its physical reality and holding that it consisted in the
soul's transition from error to truth, from a state of sin to a state
3IO 2 TIMOTHY II. 19, 20
ig. Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal: the
Lord knoweth who are his; and let every one depart from iniquity who
nameth the name of the Lord.
20. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver,
but also of wood and of earth ; and some indeed unto honor, but some unto
dishonor.
of grace. Their false conclusion was probably drawn from such
passages as Rom. vi. i flf., Col. ii. 12, and the like.
In the Vulgate subverterunt should be present tense,
19. Despite the errors and aberrations of some members of the
Christian society, the Church itself remains firm and unshaken, for
it is the pillar and ground of truth (i Tim. iii. 14-16) ; and this
solid and immovable character of the Church is distinguished by
two seals or fundamental truths, namely, the predestination by God
of the salvation of the elect and the free acceptance of grace and
the rejection of sin on the part of the faithful. The first of these
truths is announced in the words of Num. xvi. 5 ; the second, more
freely, in Num. xvi. 26, Isa. xxvi. 13, Hi. 11, and other passages.
God knows who are to be with Him in glory ; and those who would
belong to Christ here and hereafter, must keep themselves free from
the corruption of error and false teachers.
Who nameth the name, etc., i.e., he that professes to belong to
Christ must see to it that his life corresponds with his profession.
20. The metaphor now changes. In the preceding verse the
Apostle spoke of the faithful as the stones with which the Church
is built (i Cor. iii. 10-15), but here he regards them as utensils
which go to make up the furnishings of the same great house (Rom.
ix. 19-24). St. Paul is probably forestalling now a misunderstand-
ing of what he said in the preceding verse, from which it might be
wrongly concluded that only good members would be found in the
Church; hence the adversative conjunction with which this verse is
introduced. We are admonished here, as in Matt. xiii. 24 flF., that
we must expect to find in the Church both good and bad members
and varying degrees of goodness and badness in those members;
and that some will be saved, while others will be lost if they do
not repent of their sins. The grace of God makes it possible for
all to be saved, but the abuse of free will makes it possible for
some to be lost ; none will be saved without the grace of God, and
no one will be lost without his own fault.
2 TIMOTHY II. 21-26 311
21. If any man therefore cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel
unto honor, sanctified and profitable to the Lord, prepared unto every good
work.
22. But flee thou youthful desires, and pursue justice, faith, charity, and
peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23. And avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they beget
strifes.
24. But the servant of the Lord must not wrangle : but be mild towards
all men, apt to teach, patient,
25. With meekness admonishing them that resist, if peradventure God may
give them repentance to know the truth,
26. And they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by
whom they are held captive at his will.
21. Cleanse himself from these. It is uncertain w^hether "these"
refers to the false teachers or to their erroneous teachings. The
sense would be the same in either case. The servant of God must
keep himself fit for the work of His Master; a higher motive for
holiness he can hardly have.
22. Speaking now more directly to Timothy, St. Paul admonishes
him to guard against the passions and desires (eiri^v/xia?) which are
apt to allure a young man, and to pursue those virtues which make
for the finest Christian character. The word for "youthful" is
found only here in the New Testament.
23. See on i Tim. i. 4; 2 Tim. ii. 16-18. The term "unlearned"
occurs only here in the New Testament, and means "uneducated,"
"untaught," and so "ignorant."
24-25. Special qualities of every servant of the Lord, and in par-
ticular of the Christian minister, are here stressed. First, he must
be apt to teach, then patient with those who are difficult, and finally
meek with those who resist ; and all this with the consistent purpose
of fitting his hearers and subjects for the acceptable time of God's
grace. The word here translated "patient" does not occur elsewhere
in the Greek Bible, and the term "peradventure" is found only here
in St. Paul.
Veritati in the Vulgate of verse 25 is not represented in the
Greek.
26. May recover themselves, better "may return to soberness."
The phrase is expressed by one verb in Greek, which does not occur
elsewhere in the Greek Bible.
From the snares of the devil, etc. The rest of this verse causes
a difficulty because of the use of two different pronouns in Greek
312 2 TIMOTHY III. I, 2
(avTovi and tKtCvov), both of which are referred to the devil by some
scholars, as in our version and in the Westminster Version. The
Revisers refer the first pronoun to "the servant of the Lord" of
verse 24, and the second to "God" of verse 25. Still others refer
avTov to the devil and ckcivov to God, thus making the whole verse
read quite literally from the Greek : "And may return to soberness
out of the snare of the devil, having been caught alive by him (the
devil) unto his (God's) will," i.e., to do God's will. The verb "to
catch alive" is found only here and in Luke v. 10 in the New
Testament.
CHAPTER III
EVIL DAYS AHEAD, I -9.
1. Know also this, that in the last days shall come dangerous times.
2. Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blas-
phemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked,
1-9. In order to impress more forcefully on Timothy the need
of cultivating undivided devotion to Christ, loyalty to the teachings
of the Gospel, readiness and courage to suffer, and a Christian
character that would exemplify his faith and be an inspiration to
all with whom he might come in contact, the Apostle now warns
him of frightful evils to come, when all manner of revolting sins
will be rampant, committed by men who pretend to be godly but
who will never be able to come to a knowledge of the truth, being
depraved in mind and reprobate as regards faith, like Jannes and
Jambres of old. Against these, who are already appearing, Timothy
must be on his guard and fight, though their wickedness will be cut
short as soon as their true character becomes known.
I. The last days are not to be limited to the times just before
the Second Coming of the Lord ; for the evils that will darken those
days are already present to some extent (ver. 5), though their
number and extremity will increase as the end of the world draws
near.
2-4. For a somewhat similar list of vices see Rom. i. 29-31.
Lovers of themselves. The Greek expression here does not
occur elsewhere in the Greek Bible. Inordinate self-love is the root
2 TIMOTHY III. 3-7 313
3. Without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful,
without kindness,
4. Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of
God;
5. Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power
thereof. Now these avoid.
6. For of these are they who creep into houses and lead captive silly
women laden with sins, who are led away with divers desires,
7. Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth.
of all vices, and is rightly placed at the beginning of the catalogue
that follows.
Blasphemers should rather be "railers," meaning evil-speakers
against men rather than against God.
Without peace. Better, "implacable." The v^ord is found only
here in the Bible.
Without kindness. Better, "without love for the good." The
word occurs only here.
Lovers of pleasure more than of God. Literally, "lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God." There is a play on the words
in Greek, and the two substantives do not occur elsewhere in the
New Testament.
5. From this and the following verses we see that the corruptions
in question were already a present danger, which Timothy was to
avoid. The most dangerous characteristic of these evil men is their
semblance of piety, which makes their influence the more seductive,
while internally they are devoid of all religion; they are wolves in
sheep's clothing (Matt. vii. 15).
6-7. These false Christians appeal to the weaknesses and suscep-
tibilities of silly and unstable women as proselytes and propagators
of their errors, knowing that these weaker creatures, being them-
selves sin-laden, will welcome any teaching that gives promise of
easing their consciences, and that they will be the most effective
mediums through which to spread false teachings.
Divers desires. The reference is not only to fleshly lusts, but
to those of the spirit also, such as curiosity, love of novelty, and
the like, which cause these flighty women to run after false rather
than true teachers of religion. These people are endlessly seeking
and discussing religious matters, but they never attain to a knowl-
edge of the truth, because their seeking is neither with a sincere and
pure heart nor in the right direction.
314 2 TIMOTHY III. 8-10
8. Now, as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the
truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
9. But they shall proceed no farther; for their folly shall be manifest to
all men, as theirs also was.
10. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
longsufFering, love, patience,
8. The Apostle now cites an incident of Jewish history illustra-
tive of that which was taking place in Ephesus at this time.
Jannes and Mambres (or Jambres) are the traditional names of
two of King Pharaoh's principal magicians who opposed Moses and
tried to duplicate his prodigies, thus hardening Pharaoh's heart
against the demands of the people of Israel (Exod. vii. Ii ff., viii.
7). These two names are not mentioned in Scripture, but they
have come down variously transcribed from tradition. They are
mentioned in the Targum of Jonathan on Exod. vii. 11, in the
Talmud (Buxtorf, Lex Chald. talm. rabh., pp. 945 ff.), in Pliny
(Hist, nat., xxx. i), in Apuleius of the second century {Apol., p.
544), in Eusebius (PrcEp. evang., ix. 8), and in Origen (In Matt.,
xxvii. 9). As these two resisted Moses, so do the false teachers at
Ephesus resist the Gospel, being "corrupted in mind" (i.e., perverted
in their judgment of the truth) and "reprobate concerning the
faith" (i.e., heretics, who have lost the faith).
9. While these wicked men always grow worse in their evil ways
(ii. 16 above and ver. 13 below), nevertheless their wickedness will
not prevail against the truth any more than did the efforts of the
Egyptian magicians prevail against Moses (Exod. viii. 18-19). ^o
intellectual victor^' can ever be won against faith rightly under-
stood ; for God is the author of both the truths of faith and the
intellectual faculties of man, and truth is not contradictory.
TIMOTHY IS ABLE TO MEET THE SITUATION, IO-I7
10-17. Timothy is equipped to encounter and deal with the diffi-
culties that now confront him, and with worse ones that may arise
in the future ; for he has before him Paul's example and that of
all those who desire to live piously in Christ Jesus, he has been
instructed by Paul himself, and the Sacred Scriptures are always
at his disposal for his guidance and comfort.
lO-ii. St. Paul is near to death and is writing a private letter to
his dear son in the faith ; and to encourage him to suffer and endure,
2 TIMOTHY III. 11-14 315
11. Persecutions, aflflictions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at
Iconium, and at Lystra: what persecutions I endured, and out of them all
the Lord delivered me.
12. And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.
13. But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, erring and
driving into error.
14. But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing from whom thou hast learned them;
he Speaks openly and familiarly about his ovi^n teaching, manner of
life, and sufferings. He mentions in particular v^hat he endured
in the cities of Southern Asia Minor, because Timothy himself w^as
from Lystra and was more familiar with these persecutions of his
master than with the more severe ones later endured at Philippi
and elsewhere.
But thou, in contrast with the false teachers.
Purpose, i.e., the aim he had in all his actions.
Antioch, Iconium, Lystra. See Acts xiii. 50, xiv. 2 ff., xiv.
18 ff.
The Lord delivered me. This fact is mentioned so that Timothy
will not lose courage in his sufferings and trials.
12. Timothy will be further encouraged to suffer willingly and
gladly for the Gospel by reflecting that such is the lot of all whose
habitual desire and effort it is to live that life which is in Christ
Jesus: "And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake,
etc." (Matt. X. 22) ; "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for
justice' sake, etc." (Matt. v. 10).
13. See above on verse 9.
But evil men, etc. In contrast with the godly of the preceding
verse, the wicked and impostors will go from bad to worse, because
they have no persecution to suffer. This may be the meaning here,
though some expositors think this verse gives the reason of the
preceding: the good are persecuted because of the progress of the
wicked in evil.
Seducers. More literally, "imposters," "wizards." The word
occurs only here in the Greek Bible. Probably these deceivers prac-
tised magical arts at Ephesus (Acts xix. 19).
14. In contrast with the impostors, Timothy must continue firm
in the faith which he has received, being mindful of those by whom
he was taught it.
3i6 2 TIMOTHY III. 15, 16
15. And that from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which
can instruct thee to salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16. All scripture is inspired of God and profitable to teach, to reprove, to
correct, to instruct in justice;
And hast been assured of. This is the meaning of the Greek
here, which the Vulgate has missed.
Knowing from whom, etc. The best Greek reading makes
"whom" plural in this phrase, and hence the reference is to St.
Paul and Timothy's mother and grandmother (see above, on i. 5).
The Vulgate a quo should be a quibus.
15. The Jews were obliged to teach the Scriptures to their chil-
dren (Exod. X. 2, xii. 26; Deut. iv. 9, etc.), and the Rabbins en-
joined that this instruction should begin when they were five years
old. Thus, Timothy's Jewish mother had taught him the Old Testa-
ment from his infancy.
The holy scriptures. The best Greek reading here retains the
article. This is the only passage in the New Testament where the
adjective Up6s is applied to the Scriptures, meaning sacred as op-
posed to profane writings. But to Upa ypap.iw.ra was a quasi-techni-
cal expression signifying the Old Testament Scriptures, as we
learn from Philo {Vita Mos., Ill, 39, and Frag, in Exod., Mangey's
ed., II, 657, and cap, de Vit., cont. 3) and from Josephus {Ant.
Proem. 3 and X, 10, 4). Clement of Alexandria was the first
Christian writer to apply this phrase to the New Testament (Strom.,
I, 20, § 98). Cf. Bernard, op. cit., h. I.
Which can instruct thee, etc. Better, "which can make thee
wise unto salvation." Other books impart knowledge, but the
Divine Scriptures give also wisdom — a wisdom that is not of this
world; but for their true and full meaning they must be studied in
the light of the faith of Jesus Christ, because they are all directly
or indirectly ordained to Christ, and speak directly or indirectly of
His Person, ministry, life, work. Church, etc.
16. We must understand this verse in the light of the preceding
one, and hence "scripture" here must mean the Old Testament.
Moreover, the word ypa^v, scripture, occurs some fifty times in the
New Testament, and everywhere it means the Old Testament.
All scripture. It is better to translate "every scripture," mean-
ing each and every part of the Old Testament.
2 TIMOTHY III. 17 317
17. That the man of God may be perfect, furnished unto every good work.
Inspired of God, etc. We may translate as in the Douai version,
since the verb is not expressed in Greek; but it is perhaps better
to render, "is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, etc." St.
Paul seems to be impressing on Timothy the usefulness of the Holy
Scriptures, as inspired by God, for wisdom unto salvation (ver.
15) and for teaching, reproving, correcting, etc. (ver. 16). If we
adopt the first rendering, it will mean that St. Paul is taking the
inspiration of Scripture for granted by Timothy, and is insisting
here on its profitableness for teaching, reproving, etc. In either
case the inspiration of the Old Testament and all its parts is certain
to the mind of St. Paul. The word here translated "inspired" does
not occur elsewhere in the Greek Bible, but is common in Greek
literature. It was first applied to the New Testament by Clement
of Alexandria (Strom., VII, 16, § loi).
Four uses of Scripture are here stressed: (a) "to teach," the
truths of faith; (b) "to reprove," or refute the errors against faith;
(c) "to correct," vices and sins; (d) "to instruct in justice," by
giving practical norms for the practice of virtue and the attainment
of sanctity.
17. The final result for Timothy of a study of the Divine Scrip-
tures will be to fit him for a perfect discharge of his ministry.
Man of God. See on i Tim. vi. 11. Here the expression means
the minister of Christ, as the context shows.
Perfect. The Greek word is a common one, but it is found only
here in the Bible.
Unto every good work, pertinent to his ministry.
CHAPTER IV
A LAST APPEAL TO TIMOTHY, 1-8
1-8. Now that the end is drawing near, the aged Apostle, feeling
his days are numbered and his work is done, adjures Timothy
incessantly to continue the labors of the ministry and to bear up
under its trials, being prepared for the onslaughts of future false
teachers. As for Paul himself, he is about to pour out his blood
3i8 2 TIMOTHY IV. 1-4
1. I charge thee, before God and Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living
and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom:
2. Preach the word : be instant in season and out of season : reprove, en-
treat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.
3. For there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but according to their own lusts they will heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears:
4. And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be
turned unto fables.
as a sacrifice for the cause; but he is ready and his reward is
waiting for him. The just Judge will never fail him, nor anyone
else who has lived and labored for the cause.
1. St. Paul in verses 1-4 solemnly charges Timothy so much the
more to preach the word of God as the wicked stray farther from
the truth.
I charge thee, etc. See on i Tim. v. 21.
The living and the dead. See on i Thess. iv. 16-17.
His coming, in General Judgment to render to each one accord-
ing to his works.
His kingdom, which the good will be invited to share. The
word "coming" and "kingdom" are accusatives of adjuration in
Greek and form part of the Apostle's oath.
2. The word, i.e., the Gospel message (Gal. vi. 6; Col. iv. 3).
This Timothy is to proclaim incessantly, in order that all may hear
it and have the opportunity to embrace its teachings.
In doctrine. Preaching without doctrine is of little value, since
it lacks substance and leaves rebuke and exhortation without a
reason and basis.
3. The reason is now given why Timothy must redouble his zeal ;
for during his own lifetime there will be persons who, following
their own lusts and craving for novelties, will reject sound doctrine ;
they will repudiate and turn away from the dogmas of the Church,
and instead will seek out teachers whose doctrines appeal to the
passions and lower appetites. In our own time this is precisely
what is taking place. Multitudes are now ridiculing the very notion
of dogfma as old-fashioned and out of date, and are running after
those preachers who justify artificial birth-control, trial marriages,
divorces, and similar disorders.
Having itching ears, i.e., they will be eager for all kinds of
novelties.
4. Fables. See on i Tim. i. 4, iv. 7.
2 TIMOTHY IV. 5-8 319
5. But be thou sober, labor in all things, suflFer hardship, do the work
of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry.
6. For I am even now ready to be sacrificed : and the time of my de-
parture is at hand.
7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith.
8. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the
Lord the just judge will render to me in that day; and not only to me, but
to them also that love his coming.
5. The Vulgate of this verse should be made to read as we have
corrected the EngUsh, following the Greek. In the face of the
difficulties just described, Timothy is to be prudent and well poised
in all things, to endure hardship, to preach the Gospel, and faith-
fully to fulfill all his duties as a minister of Christ, entrusted with
his master's business.
Evangelist. See Acts xxi. 8; Eph. iv. il.
Ministry. See on i Tim. i. 12.
6. The secret of the Apostle's anxiety about Timothy's prepared-
ness, zeal, readiness to suffer, etc., is now revealed; the old cham-
pion of the Gospel is going to leave him very soon, he is looking
into his open grave.
Ready to be sacrificed. Better, "being poured out In sacrifice,"
i.e., he was about to shed his blood as a sacrifice to God, as the
drink-offering of wine used to be poured out as a libation to God
in certain of the old Jewish sacrifices (Num. xv. i-io) ; the Apos-
tle's death is at hand.
My departure. Another image to signify the imminence of his
death.
The Vulgate resolutionis does not express the Greek, which means
"departure," as in 2 Mach. ix. i ; Luke xii. 36.
7-8. The metaphors are here drawn from the arena and the race-
course. Like a strong athlete, the Apostle has fought the good fight
in defence of the faith (i Tim, vi. 12) ; like a faithful runner in
the race, he has completed the course ; he has fulfilled all his duties
and preserved the deposit of faith entrusted to him. Now he is
ready for the crown, the reward with which the Lord, his just
Judge, will recompense him.
This reward is called "a crown of justice," because it has been
merited; it is something due the Apostle in justice. Here we have
an explicit proof that the just, by means of good works performed
in the state of grace, can merit eternal life de condigno. And yet
320 2 TIMOTHY IV. 9, 10
9. Make effort to come to me quickly. For Demas hath left me, loving
this world, and is gone to Thessalonica ;
10. Crescens into Galatia, Titus into Dalmatia.
it remains true that the joys of heaven are a gratuitous gift; for
God from eternity has gratuitously predestined the just to life
eternal, and in time He gratuitously confers on them the grace by
which they work out their salvation and merit eternal rewards.
Cf. Cone. Trid., sess. VI, can. ^2.
In that day, i.e., on the day of the Last Judgment. Immedi-
ately after death the Apostle, as is the case with all the just, re-
ceived his crown, but the crown of life will not shine in all its
splendor till the final judgment is over, when the body will have
its reward along with the soul.
SOME PERSONAL MESSAGES, 9-I8
9-18. St. Paul bids Timothy to make haste to join him in Rome;
for Demas has deserted him, and all his other companions, save
Luke, have been dispatched to other places. He requests Timothy
to bring with him Mark and certain effects that had been left behind
at Troas, and warns him against Alexander the coppersmith (ver.
9-15). At his first hearing all deserted him, but the Lord stood
by him and strengthened him that he might have time to complete
his work (ver. 16-18).
9. Timothy was to come to St. Paul by way of Troas and the
great Via Egnatia from Philippi to Dyrrachium, and thence to
Brundisium. This would require some time, but it seems the Apos-
tle thought his life would be spared long enough for Timothy to
make the journey,
Demas, who was a Gentile convert, was with St. Paul during
the first Roman captivity (Phlm. 24). He is also mentioned in
Col. iv. 14. For fear of being associated with Paul at this critical
time and most likely for business purposes also, he forsook him
and returned to Thessalonica, probably his native town. His name
is an abbreviation of Demetrius, which Lightfoot tells us occurs
twice in the list of politarchs of Thessalonica.
10. Crescens, of whom we know nothing further from St. Paul.
Tradition says he became a Bishop of Gaul.
Galatia, most probably the Asiatic province by that name, though
2 TIMOTHY IV. 11-13 321
11. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he
is profitable to me for the ministry.
12. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13. The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring
with thee, and the books, especially the parchments.
Gaul was sometimes called Galatia, and some few MSS. read Gaul
here.
Titus, the Bishop of Crete, to whom St. Paul had already ad-
dressed a letter.
Dalmatia, a part of the Roman province of lUyria on the eastern
coast of the Adriatic.
11. Luke, who was with St. Paul also during the first captivity
(Col. iv. 14), and who wrote the Third Gospel and the Book of
Acts. All the other companions and disciples of the Apostle had
left him.
Mark, the author of the Second Gospel, who was also with St.
Paul during the first Roman imprisonment (Col. iv. 10), but who
at this time must have been some place along the route Timothy
would take going to Rome from Ephesus.
For the ministry, i.e., for the work of the Gospel, or probably
for personal service in place of Tychicus (Eph. vi. 21 ; Col. iv. 7;
Acts XX. 4).
12. Tychicus, who had been the bearer of the letters to the
Ephesians and Colossians (Eph. vi. 21; Col. iv. 7), very probably
was taking this present Epistle to Timothy in Ephesus and was to
remain in that city to look after the affairs of the Church there
during Timothy's absence. Tychicus is also mentioned in Acts xx.
4; Titus iii. 12.
I have sent is very likely an epistolary aorist.
13. The cloak, probably a heavy outer garment for winter wear.
Some translate the word "wrapper," meaning a satchel for carrying
or protecting books.
Carpus, an otherwise unknown Christian of Troas.
The books, i.e., rolls of papyrus, a kind of writing material gen-
erally used in the first century for writing letters of ordinary im-
portance. Paul wrote on papyrus but his Epistles were later
copied on vellum rolls.
Parchments, i.e., rolls of vellum, a much more valuable and
durable writing material made from the skins of animals. Prob-
ably the parchments contained the Old Testament Scriptures, and
322 2 TIMOTHY IV. 14-17
14. Alexander the coppersmith hath done me much evil : the Lord will
reward him according to his works :
15. Whom do thou also avoid, for he greatly withstood our words.
16. At my first defence no man stood with me, but all forsook me: may
it not be laid to their charge.
17. But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that by me the preach-
ing may be completed, and that all the Gentiles may hear; and I was de-
livered out of the mouth of the lion.
the papyrus was used by the Apostle for his letters. This would
explain the early disappearance of the original copies of the latter,
because papyrus was not a very durable material like parchment.
From the way St. Paul speaks in this verse and in verse 20 below
It is sufficiently evident that he is referring to a recent visit to Asia
Minor, doubtless between the two Roman Captivities, and not to
his sojourn there years before, of which there is question in Acts
XX. 6.
14. Alexander. See on i Tim. i. 20. Perhaps this enemy of
St. Paul's lived at Ephesus or was there at this time, but had been
in Rome testifying against the Apostle.
The Lord will reward, etc. These words are from Psalm Ixi.
12, but the reading which makes them an imprecation here is less
probable.
15. He greatly withstood, etc. The aorist points to a definite
occasion, very probably during St. Paul's trial in Rome when the
Apostle was defending his cause and the preaching of the Gospel.
16. At my first defence. It is remarkable that St. Chrysostom,
St. Thomas, and many modern commentators take these words to
refer to the Apostle's first Roman captivity, and verse 17 to his
preaching between the two Roman captivities. It seems more con-
sistent with the context to refer them to his first hearing or the
first stage in his trial before his judges (called in Roman law the
prima actio) during the second and last imprisonment in Rome.
At this crisis no one came to his defence, doubtless out of fear and
human weakness, as the words that follow would indicate.
17. By the grace and help of God St. Paul was not condemned
at his first hearing, but was given another chance of explaining
himself and his cause, and thus of completing the preaching of the
Gospel there in Rome, the official centre of the empire and of the
world.
Out of the mouth of the lion expresses the extreme peril from
which he was delivered, though many of the Fathers understood
2 TIMOTHY IV. 18-22 323
18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
19. Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20. Erastus remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.
21. Make haste to come before winter. Eubulus and Pudens, and Linus
and Claudia, and all the brethren, salute thee.
22. The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
the reference to be to Nero. This same phrase is found in Psalm
xxi. 21 ; Dan, vi. 20.
18. The Apostle is confident of his final liberation from all evil
and his reception into Christ's heavenly kingdom, though the gate-
way will be martyrdom.
The tense of liberavit of the Vulgate, instead of the future, has
little support in the MSS., and so should be changed.
FINAL FAREWELL, 1 9-22
19. Prisca and Aquila are first mentioned in Acts xviii. 2 ff.,
then in xvi. 3, and i Cor. xvi. 19. They were probably among the
first Christians in the Roman Church. Prisca is the same as Pris-
cilla.
The household of Onesiphorus. See above, on i. 16.
20. Erastus was probably the same person spoken of in Acts
xix. 22, who accompanied Timothy from Ephesus to Macedonia;
he is hardly to be identified with the Erastus of Rom. xvi. 23.
Trophimus is mentioned in Acts xx. 4, xxi. 29. He was a
Gentile Christian of Ephesus. St. Paul left him at Miletus some
time between the first and second Roman imprisonments.
21. St. Paul urges Timothy to come to him before winter, either
because the traveling would be harder in winter, or because he felt
that winter would bring the end of his life. The Apostle sends the
greetings of a number of persons whose acquaintance Timothy had
apparently made during his stay in Rome when St. Paul was a
prisoner there the first time. Of the four names here given we
know nothing for certain, except that Linus was the first successor
of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome (Irenaeus, Adv. Hcbt., iii. 3; Euse-
bius, Hist. Eccl., iii. 2).
22. The blessing is to Timothy and the whole Church at Ephesus ;
it is not like any other blessing at the end of the Apostle's Epistles.
The Jesus Christus and the Amen of the Vulgate are not in the
best Grgsk.
THE EPISTLE TO TITUS
INTRODUCTION
I. Titus. After Timothy, Titus was one of the most favored
disciples of St. Paul. Strange to say, his name does not appear in
the Book of Acts ; but from this Epistle, as well as from Galatians
and Second Corinthians, we learn the part he played in the early
history of the Church, what important offices were entrusted to
him, and how capable a man he was. He was a Greek by birth
(Gal. ii. 3), and probably a native of Antioch. St. Paul addresses
him as his "beloved son" (Tit. i. 4), from which it is argued that
the Apostle very likely had converted and baptized him. He accom-
panied the Apostle and Barnabas to the Council of Jerusalem (Acts
XV. I flf. ; Gal. ii. i), where the question of the Mosaic observances
was discussed and it was decided that Titus and other Gentile con-
verts need not submit to circumcision and the Jewish ceremonial
law. Whether or not he joined St. Paul on the latter's second mis-
sionary journey, we are not told ; but later, on the third journey,
he was with the Apostle at Ephesus, and was thence dispatched to
Corinth about a year before the writing of 2 Corinthians to arrange
for the collection of alms for the poor in Jerusalem, perhaps con-
veying to Corinth at the same time our i Corinthians (2 Cor. viii.
6, 10, xii. 18). A little later, when serious troubles arose in the
Church at Corinth, Titus was again St. Paul's envoy to investigate
matters and report to him (2 Cor. ii. 12, 13, vii. 6, 7). The two
met in Macedonia, and as a result of the report given by Titus
St. Paul there wrote 2 Corinthians and sent Titus back to Corinth
with it, asking him to make final arrangements for the collection
to be sent to the faithful in Jerusalem (2 Cor. viii. 6, 16, 17).
Thus it appears that Titus was charged with three important
visits to the Church of Corinth ; and from this Epistle we know
that to him was entrusted by St, Paul the organization of the
Church of Crete, of which he was made the bishop (Tit. i. 5), that
334
INTRODUCTION TO TITUS 325
he was afterwards summoned to Nicopolis in Epirus where the
Apostle had determined to spend the winter (Tit. iii. 12), and that
finally, during the last Roman captivity, he was sent on a mission
to Dalmatia (2 Tim. iv. 10). According to tradition, he returned
again to his bishopric in Crete, where he continued to exercise his
episcopal office till his death at the age of ninety-four. He was
buried at Gortyna, but some centuries later the Venetians carried
away his head to Venice, and there it is now preserved as a relic
in St. Mark's Cathedral.
From the more impersonal and business-like tone of this letter,
as compared with the letters to Timothy, it is concluded that Titus
was older than Timothy, and also a stronger personality and a more
capable worker than the "beloved son." He had a hard mission in
Crete, for the Cretans were a wayward and perverse people, given
to lying, gluttony, indolence and sensuality; but Titus was able to
handle them. He was a vigorous and efficient administrator, and yet
tactful and prudent in the exercise of his strength and authority.
The few personal notes that appear in this letter show the high
regard in which he was held by St. Paul, and the unreserved con-
fidence which the Apostle was able to place in him. Titus had less
need for personal guidance and instruction than the more timid
and youthful Timothy, and still the counsels and directions given
him in this Epistle are very similar to those in the Epistles to Tim-
othy. Of course, his task was doubtless more difficult than Tim-
othy's, but he was equal to it.
It is hard to understand how so great a disciple of St. Paul's
should not have been mentioned by St. Luke in the Book of Acts.
Fr. Pope has very plausibly explained this remarkable omission
by suggesting that Titus was St. Luke's brother, and that, just as
St. John in the Fourth Gospel is silent about his relatives, so Luke
makes no mention of his relatives in the Acts. For the development
of this argument, see Pope, Student's "Aids" to the Bible, vol. Ill,
pp. 241 if.
II. Occasion, Date and Place of Composition. The reasons
which prompted the writing of this letter were much the same as
those that occasioned the First Epistle to Timothy. Paul had left
Titus in Crete as bishop of that see (Tit. i. 5), and the charge was
a difficult one, owing partly to the character of the population
326 INTRODUCTION TO TITUS
(who were a mixture of Asiatics and Greeks, lazy, superstitious,
and unreliable), and partly to the presence of false teachers, and
partly to the mischief of Judaizers — all of whom were causing
trouble (Tit, i. 10-16, iii. 10, 11). Apparently Titus, feeling the
need of advice in his difficult circumstances, wrote to Paul, and
this letter is the Apostle's reply. It "might be summed up in the
word 'discipline.' Titus is to teach sound 'doctrine,' he is to organ-
ize the Church in the island, to ordain fit men, to avoid idle dispu-
tations, and to be firm" (Pope op. cit., p. 243).
We cannot say for certain just when this Epistle was written, but
in all probability it was composed some time between the two
Roman captivities — ^perhaps shortly after the writing of i Timothy,
in the year 65 a.d. It must have been at this period that St. Paul
visited Crete with Titus, and left the latter there as bishop to
organize the Church and reform the discipline. It seems certain,
however, that this visit by Paul and his disciple was not the first
evangelization of the Island of Crete, since this letter presupposes
the spread of the Christian community there and the existence of
heresies and other disorders, which Titus was to correct (Tit. i.
6-1 1, 14, ii. i-io, iii. 9). Perhaps the faith was first carried to the
island by some of those Cretans who were present at the first
Christian Pentecost (Acts ii. 11). It is also apparent that St. Paul
did not tarry long in Crete at this time. Having surveyed the
situation and the conditions, he left Titus there with general in-
structions, then proceeded to visit the Churches in Asia Minor,
Greece, and Macedonia, and wrote this Epistle on his way to
Nicopohs (Tit. iii. 12). St. Jerome says explicitly that the letter
was written from Nicopolis itself.
III. Analysis of Contents. Besides an introduction (i. 1-4) and
a conclusion (iii. 12-15), this letter has three parts which constitute
its body (i. 5 — iii. 11).
A. Introduction (i. 1-4). Here St. Paul, first asserting his
apostolic authority, addresses Titus as his beloved son, who shares
with him the peace and grace of God that are bestowed in Jesus
Christ.
B. First Part (i. 5-16). After referring to the reason why he
left Titus in Crete, the Apostle gives instructions relative to the
requirements for Sacred Orders in those who are to become priests
INTRODUCTION TO TITUS 327
and bishops (5-9), insisting especially on the necessity of soundness
of doctrine because of the presence of false teachers and the char-
acter of the Cretans (10-16).
C. Second Part (ii. 1-15). St. Paul now recalls to Titus what
he is to teach the faithful, young and old, of both sexes (i-io), all
of whom are to fulfill their respective duties from supernatural
motives, because of the grace of God that has been given us and
the glory that awaits us in the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ
(11-15).
D. Third Part (iii. i-ii). In this last part the Apostle ex-
plains to his disciple what in particular he should teach the Cretans,
namely, obedience to authority (i), love of one's neighbor (2-7),
and the practice of good works (8-1 1).
E. Conclusion (iii. 12-15). St. Paul makes plans to facilitate
Titus' joining him at Nicopolis, asks him to provide for Zenas and
Apollo, adds a final exhortation to good works, and bestows his
blessing.
The Epistle to Titus
CHAPTER I
INSCRIPTION AND GREETING, I-4
I. Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of the elect of God and the acknowledging of the truth which is
according to godliness
1-4. The introduction to this letter is somewhat longer than usual.
St. Paul asserts his divine authority to preach the faith to God's
chosen ones, that they may sanctify themselves and thus become
worthy of the promise of eternal life which was given long ago and
has now been revealed through the Gospel. Paul is the preacher of
this heavenly message according to the command of God, and he
writes to Titus as a son in Christ, since they both share that com-
mon faith and the resultant peace and grace which God bestows
in Christ Jesus.
I. Servant of God, a phrase found only here in St. Paul's let-
ters, and therefore a mark of the genuineness of the Epistle since
no forger would be likely to use a strange expression in the very
first line of his letter.
An apostle, i.e., a commissioned agent. The Apostle proclaims
his authority and commission on account of the false teachers in
Crete.
According to the faith. This points out the purpose of the
Apostle's commission, which was to preach the faith "of the elect
of God," i.e., the faith common to all Christians, which all mankind
are called to share, so that all may come to a knowledge of the
truth "of the Gospel," which truth "is according to godliness," i.e.,
it teaches us how to worship God as we should and live according
to His will.
328
TITUS I. 2-4 329
2. Unto the hope of life everlasting, which God, who lieth not, promised
before the times of the world,
3. But hath in due times manifested his word in preaching, which is com-
mitted to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour:
4. To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and
peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.
2. Unto the hope, etc. The purpose of the Apostle's preaching
and of the Gospel truth which he proclaims is to stimulate the
hope of life eternal which the ever-truthful God "promised before
the times of the world," i.e., from all eternity (see 2 Tim. i. 9).
This last phrase is understood by some expositors to refer to the
promise made in Old Testament times to the Patriarchs and Proph-
ets, but the first explanation is thought to be more probable.
3. The construction here is difficult, but the meaning is clear
enough. The promise to give eternal life to the elect, which God
had decreed from eternity, was made manifest in due time in the
preaching of the Gospel message, which Paul had been commis-
sioned to preach by God Himself.
God our Saviour. See on i Tim. i. i.
4. Titus. See Introduction to this Epistle, No. I.
The common faith, which was the bond of their spiritual rela-
tionship.
Christ Jesus our Saviour. In the preceding verse we had "God
our Saviour," which shows that our Lord is true God.
DUTIES DEVOLVING UPON TITUS, 5-16
5-16. St. Paul has left Titus in Crete to set things in order, and
to this end one of the first things that should engage the attention
of the young bishop will be the appointment of proper church
officials, priests and bishops of high moral and spiritual character,
whose doctrine is above question and whose manner of living is a
perfect reflection of that doctrine (ver, 5-9). This is at all times
necessary, but especially so in conditions such as confront Titus in
Crete, where there are abroad certain false teachers, the worst of
them Jewish, who for the sake of money are circulating ideas and
discussing questions that are unsettling the faith and demoralizing
the lives of Christians. The Cretans are only too much disposed to
vice and disorder, and hence Titus must sharply rebuke those false
330 TITUS I. 5-9
5. For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the
things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also
appointed thee :
6. If any be without crime, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children, not accused of riot, or unruly.
7. For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God : not arro-
gant, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of
filthy lucre :
8. But given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober, just, holy, continent;
9. Embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he
may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to convince the gainsayers.
and misleading guides, and recall the faithful to soundness of doc-
trine and Tightness of conduct. Those false teachers are defiled
from within, and they deny by their lives the God whom they pro-
fess with their lips (ver. 10-16).
5. For this cause, etc. St. Paul refers to a time when he and
Titus visited the Island of Crete together, which must have been
between the first and second Roman imprisonments. We cannot
identify this visit with the passing glimpse of Crete which is re-
lated in Acts xxvii. 7-13, when Paul as a prisoner was on his way
to Rome from Caesarea; for at that time it seems the Apostle did
not land at all.
The things that are wanting, i.e., the reforms that St. Paul was
unable to complete before he was called away.
Priests. See on i Tim. iii. i.
As I also appointed thee, i.e., as St. Paul had instructed him
to do when leaving him there.
6-9. These verses are nearly identical with those of i Tim. iii.
1-7, on which see notes.
Faithful children, i.e., children who are Christians.
Not accused of riot, i.e., of riotous and profligate living.
A lover of good, i.e., of everything good. The word occurs only
here.
Just, holy. These qualities, though understood, are not men-
tioned in I Tim. iii. 1-7.
Embracing that faithful word, etc., i.e., that teaching which was
taught by our Tord and the Apostles. Throughout these letters St.
Paul is insisting on the need of sound doctrine, sound teaching,
sound faith (cf. t Tim. t. 10, vi. 3, 20: 2 Tim. i. 13. iv. 3; Titus i.
9, 13, etc.).
And to convince, etc. If a bishop or priest is not a master of
TITUS I. 1013 331
10. For there are many disobedient, vain talkers, and seducers ; especially
they who are of the circumcision :
11. Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for the sake of base gain.
12. One of them, a prophet of their own, said : The Cretans are always
liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies.
13. This testimony is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they
may be sound in the faith;
sound doctrine himself, how can he convince unbelievers and refute
heretics? He must first know^ and be persuaded himself before he
can teach and persuade others.
10. In verses 10-16 St. Paul gives two more reasons why he
requires in the clergy of Crete the qualifications just enumerated,
namely, because of the presence in the island of many false teach-
ers, and because of the perverse character of the Cretans.
Disobedient. Better, "insubordinate," to the teachings of the
Gospel and their lawful superiors.
Vain talkers is one word in Greek, and it occurs only here in
the Bible.
Of the circumcision, i.e., Christian converts from Judaism : these
were causing most of the trouble. See on 2 Tim. ii. 16-18.
Btiam of the Vulgate is not in the best Greek.
11. Who must be reproved. The Greek reads: "Whose mouth
must be stopped."
Who subvert, etc. These false teachers carry their pernicious
doctrines into families and upset whole households, putting one
against another ; and all this is done for the sake of the money they
thereby get, which is therefore rightly called "base gain."
12. One of them, i.e., one of the Cretans.
Prophet. This title the Greeks were accustomed to give to their
poets, who were thought to be inspired by the gods. The Cretan
poet here alluded to was Epimenides, who lived about 600 B.C., and
the verse quoted is from his Minos. The first part of this verse
was later quoted by the Alexandrian poet Callimachus (300-240
B.C.) in a hymn to Zeus, and applied to the false Cretan story that
Zeus (the Greek Jupiter) was killed and that his tomb was in the
Island of Crete. The verse seems to have been well known as an
accurate description of the character and conduct of the Cretans.
13. Without qualification the Apostle accepts the testimony of
Epimenides regarding his fellow-Cretans; but of course this is to
332 TITUS I. 14-16
14. Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who
turn themselves away from the truth.
15. All things are dean to the clean; but to them that are defiled, and to
unbelievers, nothing is clean; but both their mind and their conscience are
defiled.
16. They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny him;
being abominable, and incredulous, and to every good work reprobate.
be understood of the people generally, and in particular of the false
teachers, who are to be "rebuked sharply" for the sake of the faith
which they are imperilling.
14. Jewish fables. See on i Tim. i. 4,
Commandments of men. See on i Tim. iv. 6; Col. ii. 21 ; Matt.
XV. 2 flF.
Who turn away, etc. The Greek reads : "Who turn their backs
upon the truth."
15. Soundness in faith and soundness in morals are linked to-
gether in the Pastoral Letters ; and of course the contrary is equally
true : bad teaching leads to bad living. The Cretan Judaizers were
drawing distinctions between clean and unclean foods according to
Old Testament prescriptions ; but St. Paul would have them under-
stand that all foods in themselves, as created by God, are good and
pure, and that it is only the wrong intention and the wrong mind
which make them bad or unclean.
16. These Judaizers of Crete, like all the Jews, were proud of
their knowledge of the true God, in contrast with the Gentiles who
worshipped idols, but by their false teachings and false practices
they really denied God and became abominable in His sight, useless
for every good work.
CHAPTER II
TITUS* TEACHING OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF PERSONS, I-I5
I- 1 5. Here St. Paul tells Titus that the best way to correct the
unwholesome teachings of the false guides in Crete will be to set
before the people the simple positive doctrines of the Gospel as
regards all classes, old and young of both sexes ; and in doing all
this Titus must show himself an example in doctrine and practice,
so as to disarm adversaries. Even slaves and servants, by their
TITUS II. 1-4 333
1. But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine:
2. That the aged men be sober, chaste, prudent, sound in faith, in love,
in patience.
3. The aged women, in like manner, in holy attire, not false accusers, not
given to much wine, teaching well:
4. That they may teach the young women to be wise, to love their hus-
bands, to love their children,
obedience, honesty, and fidelity, may be an ornament in all respects
to the doctrine of their God and Saviour (ver. i-io). These teach-
ings of the Gospel are entirely within the power of all to practise ;
for we have as helps the grace of God which has been manifested
for the salvation of all mankind, and the glorious prospect of seeing
hereafter the Saviour who gave Himself for us that He might free
us from all sins and perfect us in every good work. Let Titus
preach these things with all authority (ver. 11-15).
1. In contrast with the false teachers who were unsettling whole
households by their fables and the commandments of men (i. 11,
14), Titus is to instruct the faithful in the sound doctrine of the
Gospel which has come from God.
2. The Apostle now begins to indicate in the concrete what he
means by the "sound doctrine" that Titus is to teach. And first,
as regards older men, they should practise those virtues which in
a special manner become their years and which age sometimes
makes hard.
Aged men. Though the Greek word here used is different from
that employed in i Tim. v. i, the meaning is the same. See note
there.
3. Aged women, a Greek word found only here in the Canonical
Scriptures, but the same in meaning as the similar word in i Tim.
v. 2.
In holy attire. Better, "devout in demeanor," referring to
habits of mind and heart, as well as outward actions and appear-
ance.
False accusers, i.e., slanderers.
Not given to much wine, as was too often the case among pagan
women.
Teaching well, i.e., privately in families. See on l Tim. ii.
10-12.
4. The Apostle now points out the object and motive of the good
334 TITUS II. 5-8
5. To be discreet, chaste, sober, having a care of the house, gentle, obedient
to their husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6. Younger men, in like manner, exhort that they be sober.
7. In all things shew myself an example of good works, in teaching, in
integrity, in gravity,
8. The sound word that can not be blamed, that he who is in opposition
may be afraid, having no evil to say of us.
teaching on the part of older women spoken of at the end of the
preceding verse; they are to exercise this good office on younger
women, especially young married women, so as to instruct them in
the duties peculiar to their state.
To love their husbands, etc. Quite literally, "to be husband-
lovers, children-lovers." The first Greek substantive is found only
here in the Greek Bible, and the second only here in the New
Testament. Love is the domestic source of strength and influence
for married women ; it is like a central heating plant which warms
and cheers the whole person and extends its radiation to all around.
5. Having a care of the house. It is disputed whether we should
read here, quite literally, "keepers at home" or "workers at home."
The former is descriptive of the ideal wife among the Greeks, and
hence very probable ; but the latter has the support of the best MSS.,
and so it is to be preferred.
That the word of God, etc. The conduct and example of Chris-
tian wives would have great influence on pagan outsiders; hence
they should give no occasion for adverse criticism.
6. Sober, i.e., sober in mind and conduct. The Greek word here
literally means "wise"; it may also be translated "self-control."
7. In all things. St. Jerome and some other authorities join
these words to the end of the preceding verse. Titus, like every
bishop, is to be an example to all (i Tim. iv. 12; i Peter v. 3) —
but especially to younger men — in blameless conduct and sound
teaching.
8. The sound word, etc. Titus' discourse or preaching must
reflect the soundness of his doctrine.
That cannot be blamed is one word in Greek, and means "irrep-
rehensible" ; it is found elsewhere in the Bible only in 2 Mach. iv. 47.
That he, etc., i.e., that the adversary may be silenced. A simple
presentation of the true doctrine will shame the enemy.
TITUS II. 9-13 335
9. Exhort servants to be obedient to their masters, in all things pleasing,
not gainsaying,
10. Not defrauding, but in all things shewing good fidelity, that they may
adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11. For the grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all men;
12. Instructing us that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should
live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world,
13. Looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great
God and our Saviour Christ Jesus,
9-10. See on Eph. vi. 5-9; i Tim. vi, 1-2.
11. The Apostle nov^^ (ver. 11-14) gives reasons why Christians
should observe the precepts he has been enjoining, namely, first,
because the grace of God has appeared in the Incarnation of God's
only Son, "bringing salvation to all men" (ver. 11-12), and sec-
ondly, because by observing those precepts and living holy lives we
prepare ourselves for the glorious coming of our Saviour (ver.
13-14).
The aorist "appeared" indicates the definite appearance of the
Saviour at the time of His Incarnation. The adjective here trans-
lated "salvation" does not occur elsewhere, and it is to be connected
with "all men."
12. The purpose of the Incarnation was to save us from our sins
and to teach us the way to heaven.
That denying, etc. This phrase expresses the negative duties
of the Christian life, while the following words, "we should live,
etc.," express the positive requirements of the same life. The
words "soberly, justly, godly" embrace all our Christian obligations
— to ourselves, to our neighbor, and to God.
13. The practice of the holy life taught us by our Saviour carries
with it the right and privilege on our part of looking forward one
day to a glorious realization of our hope, that is, of seeing the
blessed object of our hope, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Coming would be better translated "appearing," and the absence
of the article before it shows its close connection with "hope"; its
Greek equivalent is found only in the Pastoral Letters and in 2
Thess. ii. 8, and it refers to our Lord's Second Coming everywhere,
except in 2 Tim. i. 10, where it means His First Advent. Since,
therefore, the word "appearing," here as everywhere, is applied to
our Lord and never to God the Father, and since there is only one
33^ TITUS II. 14. 15
14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and might cleanse to himself a chosen people, zealous for good works.
15. These things speak, and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let
no man despise thee.
preposition governing "great God" and "Saviour Jesus Christ," it
is next to certain that the Apostle in this verse is speaking only of
our Lord, and not of God the Father and our Lord. That he should
speak of our Lord as "the great God" is only to emphasize the
glory of His coming. We have, therefore, in this verse an implied
but solemn proof of the divinity of our Lord.
14. Who gave himself, etc. See on Eph. v. 2; i Tim. ii. 6.
Redeem, cleanse. These vv^ords express respectively the nega-
tive and positive aspects of the one process of sanctification.
From all iniquity. Literally, "from all lavi^lessness."
A chosen people, i.e., a people who would be His own property
or possession. This is the meaning of the Greek. The language
here is from Psalm cxxx. 8, Exod. xix. 5, Deut. vi. 6, xiv. 2, etc.,
where God's choice and formation of Israel as His own people are
in question.
15. The foregoing exhortations and precepts Titus must preach
and announce with full power and authority, and he must not hesi-
tate to rebuke the wayward and disobedient, for he speaks not as
a private person but as God's minister and in God's name. See
on I Tim. iv. 11-12.
CHAPTER III
WHAT THE CRETANS ARE TO DO, WHAT THEY ARE TO AVOID, I-II
i-ii. In this last section of his letter St. Paul gives Titus certain
counsels which he is to set before all the faithful of Crete. They
are to be obedient to authority, helpful to others, and considerate
of outsiders, remembering their former sinful state out of which
God's pure mercy and grace delivered them, thus making them heirs
of eternal life (ver. 1-7). Titus must insist that being a Christian
carries with it the obligation of producing fruit in good works.
Useless discussions are to be avoided, and those who persist in
them are to be shunned (ver. 8-1 1).
TITUS III. 1-5 337
1. Admonish them to be subject to princes and powers, to obey, to be
ready for every good work.
2. To speak evil of no man, not to be litigious but gentle, shewing all
mildness towards all men.
3. For we ourselves also were some time unwise, incredulous, erring, slaves
to divers desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating
one another.
4. But when the kindness and love for men of God our Saviour appeared,
5. Not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his
mercy, he saved us by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy
Ghost ;
1. Admonish them, i.e., the Christians of Crete.
Princes, powers, i.e., both the supreme and subordinate authori-
ties. The Cretans w^ere notorious for sedition.
Dicig of the Vulgate is not in the Greek.
2. The graces of Christianity are to be shown to outsiders, as
well as to fellow-Christians. Gentleness "is the indulgent considera-
tion of human infirmities" (Aristotle, quoted by Lock).
3. In verses 3-7 the Apostle reminds the Christians of Crete of
the reasons why they should be charitable and kind towards all men,
even sinners. They themselves were once in a pitiable condition
(Rom. i. 30 ff.), and it is only through the goodness and mercy of
God that they have been saved.
Some time, i.e., before we were Christians.
Unwise, incredulous, etc. Let the Christians of Crete, whether
of Jewish or Gentile origin, reflect on their own past non-Christian
lives, and they will find no reason for boasting, but rather every
reason to feel humble and to be kind to their pagan neighbors. The
common Greek word for "pleasures" occurs only here in St. Paul,
and the term for "hateful" is not found elsewhere in the Bible.
4. Over against the malice and hatefulness of men St. Paul sets
the kindness and love of God. We have revised the wording of
the verse in accordance with the Greek, and the Vulgate should be
likewise changed.
God our Saviour is here applied to God the Father, as in i Tim.
i. I. The goodness and love of the Eternal Father towards us have
been manifested in the Incarnation of our Lord and in our justifi-
cation.
5. Before describing the works of God's love in our behalf the
Apostle affirms their absolute gratuitousness, stating that our justifi-
338 TITUS III. 6-8
6. Whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ
our Saviour,
7. That, being justified by his grace, we might be heirs according to hope
of life everlasting.
8. Faithful is the saying: and these things I will have thee affirm con-
stantly: that they who believe in God may be careful to excel in good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men.
cation and salvation are not due to any meritorious works done by
us, whether in the state of nature or under the Mosaic Law, but
only and entirely to the pure mercy of God (cf. Rom. iii. 20 ff . ;
2 Tim. i. 9; Eph. ii. &-10) ; and the medium or instrumental cause
employed by Almighty God to confer on us the graces of justifica-
tion and salvation is "the laver of regeneration and renovation,"
i.e., the Sacrament of Baptism.
Of the Holy Ghost, to whom is attributed the work of our spir-
itual regeneration and renovation, as being a work of love. See
on 2 Tim. i. 9.
6. Since the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son
by way of love, we attribute to Him works of love ; but that our
justification and salvation are in reality the work of the whole
Divine Trinity is evident from this verse.
Whom means the Holy Ghost, of whom there has just been
question ; and "he" means God the Father, who is the subject of
the whole sentence, God the Father in Baptism has abundantly
poured into our souls the Holy Ghost, i.e., sanctifying grace and
the other gifts of the Divine Spirit, which Jesus Christ by His
sufferings and death has merited for us.
7. That indicates the final purpose of the justification we have
received through the rich outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon our
souls in Baptism, which is to make us "heirs of life everlasting."
This final and glorious issue of our spiritual lives we now possess
in hope.
8. The Apostle concludes the exhortation of verses 3-7 by incul-
cating the performance of good works, on which he is ever insisting
throughout the Pastoral Epistles.
Faithful is the saying, i.e., worthy of all belief, referring to what
he has been saying in the verses just preceding; these truths St.
Paul wishes Titus to preach constantly, so that the faith of his
hearers may be living and fruitful in good works.
TITUS III. 9-12 339
9. But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and striv-
ings about the law. For they are unprofitable and vain.
10. A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, avoid,
11. Knowing that he that is such an one, is perverted and sinneth, being
condemned by his own judgment.
12. When I shall send to thee Artemas or Tychicus, make haste to come
unto me to Nicopohs. For there I have determined to winter.
These things, etc., i.e., the truths he has been stressing.
9. In verses 9- 11 St. Paul tells Titus to avoid the foolish ques-
tions and quarrels of the heretics and the heretics themselves. See
on I Tim. i. 4, vi. 4, and 2 Tim, ii. 23, where the same advice is
given.
10. Heretic. According to its primary meaning this word means
one who makes divisions, factions — therefore, a factious person.
But since there is question now of doctrine and of adhering stub-
bornly to error, it seems the term must here be given the strict
meaning it came to have in later times. The adjective does not
occur again in the New Testament, but the corresponding sub-
stantive is found in a number of places in St. Paul and the Acts.
11. He now explains the reason why the pertinacious heretic is
to be avoided. Such a one "is perverted," i.e., beyond hope of
repair, because he has separated himself from the foundation which
is faith ; he is "condemned by his own judgment," because it is his
persistence in error that has put him out of the Church.
CONCLUSION, 12-15
12-15. St. Paul provides helpers to take Titus' place during the
latter's temporary absence from Crete, and he asks Titus to look
after the wants of Zenas and Apollo. He warns the Cretans against
their chronic habit of idleness, sends greetings and good wishes, and
imparts his blessing.
12. Artemas, of whom we know nothing further for certain.
According to tradition he became Bishop of Lystra.
Tychicus. See on 2 Tim. iv. 12; Eph. vi. 21; Col. iv. 7; Acts
XX. 4.
Nicopolis, most probably the city of that name in Epirus, which
at this time was an important place built by Augustus after the
battle of Actium, deriving its name from that victory. There was
340 TITUS III. 13-15
13. Send forward Zenas, the lawyer, and Apollo, with care, that nothing
be wanting to them.
14. And let our men also learn to excel in good works for necessary uses,
that they be not unfruitful.
15. All that are with me salute thee : salute them that love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all. Amen.
also a Nicopolis in Cilicia and in Thrace ; but neither of these would
agree so well with 2 Tim. iv. 10, where it is said that Titus had
gone to Dalmatia. It is clear from the closing words of this verse
that St. Paul was entirely at liberty at this time. Ramsay thinks
he meant to make Nicopolis a centre for preaching in Epirus and
that he was arrested there. The opinion seems probable.
13. Zenas, mentioned only here. He apparently was skilled in
Jewish or Roman law. Tradition says he became Bishop of Dios-
polis and was the author of an apocryphal work known as "The
Acts of Titus."
Apollo, the eloquent Alexandrian preacher, of whom there is
question in Acts xviii. 24, xix. i ; i Cor. i. 12, iii. 4, etc.
14. As a last word St. Paul emphasizes the need of industry
and the performance of good works on the part of the Christians
of Crete.
15. All that are with me, etc., i.e., his traveling companions and
co-laborers.
Salute them, etc., i.e., the Christians of Crete, who were united
to the Apostle and his companions by the same "faith," i.e., loyalty
to Christ and His teachings. The blessing is to Titus and the whole
Church of Crete.
Dei and Amen of the Vulgate are not represented in the Greek.
THE EPISTLE TO THE
HEBREWS
INTRODUCTION
I. Authorship and Canonicity. From the beginning the ques-
tion of the authorship of this Epistle has been a very vexing one.
In the East, however, until the appearance of Arius in the fourth
century, the letter seems to have been regarded everywhere as St.
Paul's, though the form in which it is expressed was by some
thought to be due to one of the Apostle's disciples. In the West
it was known very early, for it is frequently quoted and referred
to by Clement of Rome in his letter to the Corinthians written
about 95 A.D., and The Pastor of Hermas also seems to have been
acquainted with it {Vis., II, iii., 2; Sim., I, i. fT.). But until after
the middle of the fourth century the Latin Fathers were disinclined
to accept it as an authentic Epistle of St. Paul's.
The main reasons for these doubts about the authorship of He-
brews were: (a) the absence of Paul's name and the customary
greeting at the beginning; (b) remarkable differences in the lan-
guage and style of this letter as compared with the other letters
of St. Paul; (c) the fact that the writer in several places (ii. 3;
xiii. 7) seems to speak as if he were not an Apostle, but rather
belonged to the second generation of Christians; (d) a subject-
matter different in many respects from the subjects commonly
treated in the other Pauline Epistles.
Observing these differences Origen said the thoughts and ideas
of the letter were St. Paul's, but that the form in which they were
expressed was furnished by someone else. "Who really wrote the
Epistle," he says, "God knows. The statement of some of our
predecessors is that Clement, Bishop of the Romans, wrote the
Epistle; others say that Luke, the author of the Gospel and the
Acts, wrote it" (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., VI, xxv, 11-14). Clement
341
342 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
of Alexandria said the letter was St. Paul's ; that the Apostle wrote
*it in Hebrew and St. Luke translated it into Greek; that the style
was similar to the style of Acts; and that St. Paul's name was
probably omitted from the address so as not to antagonize the Jews
who were prejudiced against the Apostle (Eusebius, Hist. EccL,
VI, xiv, 2-4; Strom., vi, 8). The authority of the presbyter Pantae-
nus is cited to the same effect (Eusebius, Hist. EccL, VI, xiv).
Likewise Denis of Alexandria, Alexander of Alexandria, St. Atha-
nasius, and all the other Fathers and ecclesiastical writers of the
Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Palestine, and Cappadocia, affirm
that St. Paul was the author of this Epistle. See Westcott, The
Epistle to the Hebrews, London, 1906, pp. Ixii-Ixxii.
In the West the case was different. As we have said above, this
Epistle was known at an early date to St. Clement of Rome, and
perhaps also to The Pastor of Hermas, both of whom seem to
have accepted its authenticity. But later it was regarded with sus-
picion until the fourth century. St. Philastrius {Hcer., LXXXIX)
gives us the reason for this change of attitude, namely, because
some of its doctrines were not understood, because of its rhetorical
style, and because the Novatians abused its teaching on penance.
Thus it appears that Hippolytus, Irengeus, and the Roman presbyter
Caius did not look on the Epistle as the work of St. Paul (Eusebius,
Hist. EccL, VI, xx). Nor is it found in the Muratorian Canon.
St. Cyprian says St. Paul wrote only to seven Churches, and so
seems to exclude the Epistle to the Hebrews {De exhort, mart., XI).
Tertullian calls it the work of Barnabas {De pudic, 20), as does also
the Codex Claromontanus.
In the fourth century, however, the Epistle to the Hebrews began
to be regarded as St. Paul's, even in the West; and by the end of
that century it was pretty generally accepted as one of the authentic
letters of the great Apostle. Thus, while St. Jerome and St.
Augustine admitted it with some hesitation and the Council of
Carthage (397 a.d.) spoke of "the thirteen Epistles of St. Paul,
and one by the same to the Hebrews," nevertheless it was cited as
St. Paul's by St. Hilary, St. Ambrose, Rufinus, Innocent I in his
Catalogue of the Canonical Scriptures (401 a.d.), the Fifth Council
of Carthage, etc. (cf . Sales, La Sacra Bihhia, vol. II, p. 437 ; Pope,
Student's "Aids" to the Study of the Bible, vol. Ill, pp. 256 ff.).
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 343
In brief, we can say that from the end of the fourth century until
the rise of Protestantism this Epistle was accepted as a genuine
work of St. Paul's by all Churches and ecclesiastical writers both
in the East and in the West. Even the Reformers, while subjecting
the Epistle to a fresh examination, did not generally reject it until
the nineteenth century. Today, however, on account of the reasons
given above, its authenticity is denied by all non-Catholics, some
assigning as the real author Barnabas, others Luke, others Clement
of Rome, others Apollo, others Priscilla assisted by her husband
Aquila, etc.
For Catholics the question is a closed one, inasmuch as we must
hold that Hebrews is not only divinely inspired, but that it is
Pauline in origin, as containing the doctrine and teaching of St.
Paul. We are not obliged to believe that St. Paul actually supplied
the exact language and style in which the doctrines are expressed ;
although on this latter point we must be prepared to accept further
possible pronouncement by the Church (cf. Decrees of the Biblical
Commission, June 24, 1914).
Of course, the divine inspiration or canonicity of a letter or
passage of Scripture does not require that it should have been
actually written by an Apostle, as we see in- the cases of the Gospels
of St. Luke and of St. Mark. Hence, whatever the doubts about
the composition and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, its
canonicity and divine inspiration remain unquestioned and have
always been admitted, although in the West it was for a time not
used in public nor included in certain lists of the Pauline Epistles,
for the reasons given above from St. Philastrius. And while St.
Jerome was aware of the doubts entertained by some of the Latins
regarding the canonicity of Hebrews, he himself accepted it without
question since, as he observes, older writers had no hesitation in
admitting it (Comm. in Matt., xxvi. 8, in Isa., vi. 2, 9; Ep. cxxix.,
3, etc.). Likewise, St. Augustine was moved to admit the Epistle
as divine because of the unanimous acceptance of it by the Eastern
Church {De peccats. merit, et remiss., i. 27). Hence we may say
that from the time of the Council of Hippo in 393 and the Council
of Carthage in 397 the whole Church received this Epistle both as
canonical and authentic. Even Protestant scholars, all of whom
now reject the Pauline authorship of this letter, admit its divine
344 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
inspiration and canonicity. Speaking of the different views enter-
tained regarding it by the East and the West in the early centuries,
Dr. Westcott says : "Experience has shown us how to unite the con-
clusions on both sides. We have been able to acknowledge that the
apostolic authority of the Epistle is independent of the Pauline
authorship. The spiritual insight of the East can be joined with
the historic witness of the West."
At first sight the position of the Catholic Church regarding the
authenticity of the Epistle to the Hebrews may seem somewhat
astonishing in the face of all non-Catholic scholarship, which today,
as just said, rejects the Pauline authorship of this letter altogether.
But if we keep in mind the external arguments so far adduced in
favor of that authorship, and consider further some of the internal
facts which point in the same direction, we shall be able to see the
entire reasonableness of the position the Church has taken in this
matter. For here, in spite of differences of style and language, we
shall see much of the teaching of St. Paul everj-where.
Thus, in the first place, there is the same doctrine about Christ,
whom the writer represents as the brightness of the glory and the
image of the Eternal Father through whom God has created and
sustains all things (Heb. i. 3; Col. i. 15; Phil. ii. 7; Rom. viii. 34).
This Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Heb. i. 3; Col. i.
17) ; He is superior to all the angels (Heb. i. 5, 6; Eph. i. 21) ; and
has received a name that is above all names (Heb. i. 4; Phil. ii. 9).
Moreover, He humbled Himself in order to redeem us (Heb. ii.
14, 15; Phil. ii. 8) ; He shed His blood for our sakes (Heb. ix. 14,
18; Rom. V. 9) ; He regards us as brethren (Heb. ii. 11 ; Rom. viii.
17) ; He is the source of all the graces we have received (Heb.
iv. 16; Rom. i. 5 ff.) ; etc.
Secondly, there is the same teaching about the Old Law, which
was given through angels (Heb. ii. 2; Gal. iii. 19), which was a
law of fear and bondage (Heb. ii. 15, xii. 18-21 ; Gal. v. i ; Rom.
viii. 15), which was only a figure and a shadow of things to come,
and was therefore impotent to justify men (Heb. viii. 5, ix. i ff , ;
Col. ii. 17; Rom. iii. 21, viii. 2-4). Justification is only through
faith in Christ Jesus (Heb. x. 38, xi. 6, xii. 2; Rom. i. 17, iii. 28),
etc.
Thirdly, we find here so much of the same teaching in practical
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 345
matters. For example, the author exhorts his readers to live in
peace with all men (Heb. xii. 14; Rom. xii. 8) ; they must practise
hospitality (Heb. xiii. 2; Rom. xii. 13), exercise patience (Heb. vi.
12, X. 36; Rom. V. 3, 4), and give themselves to prayer (Heb. iv.
16; Eph. vi. 18), etc.
Finally, even in the matter of language and style there is a strik-
ing similarity in many places betvi^een this letter and other letters
of St. Paul. First of all, we have here, as in those other Epistles,
many digressions from the main arguments. Thus, for example,
after showing in Chapter i the superiority of Christ to the angels,
the writer digresses in Chapter ii to call attention to the necessity
of observing the New Law to whose Author God has subjected all
things, and to discuss the significance of the sufferings of Christ.
Again, in Chapter iii the author shows in the first six verses the
superiority of Christ to Moses, and then enters upon a long digres-
sion (iii. 7 — iv. 16) in which he discusses the necessity of seeking
the rest of Christ and the means to obtain it. From v. 11 to vi.
20 there is another extended digression warning against relapse and
describing the perils involved in forsaking the faith of Christ. In
X. 19-39 we have a further strong appeal for faith, hope and charity,
followed by a solemn warning of the dreadful fate of those who
give up their Christian profession.
It is true that some expositors do not consider these passages as
real digressions, since they belong to the main object which the
writer has in mind, namely, to check the tendency to relapse from
the Gospel back into Judaism ; but whether we call them digressions
or mere applications of his teaching, they do deviate from the line
of argument, and to that extent they are digressions.
And not only in the digressions, but also in the texts of Scripture
cited and in the manner in which they are used, do we find many
and striking resemblances between this and other Epistles of St.
Paul. Compare, for instance, Heb. i. 3, 13 ff. with Rom. viii. 34
ff. ; Heb. ii. 6-8 with i Cor. xv. 27 flF. ; Heb. x. 38 with Rom. i. 17
and Gal. iii. 1 1 ; Heb. x. 30 with Rom. xii. 19 ; Heb. xii. 14 with
Rom. ix. 7 ff. We have the same examples of the faith of Abraham
(Heb. xi. 19; Rom. iv. 17), and of the incredulity of the Israelites
In the desert (Heb. iii. 8, 9; i Cor. v. 9, 10). The word of God
is a two-edged sword (Heb. iv. 12; Eph. vi. 17). The Church is
346 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
the house or temple of God (Heb. iii. 2-6; i Cor. iii. 9 ff.). The
Christian life is a warfare (Heb. x. 32, xii. i ; i Cor. ix. 24, 27
and Gal. v. 7). The faithful are divided into two classes, one of
beginners who need milk and the other of adults who can take
strong food (Heb. v. 13, 14; i Cor. iii. i, 2, xiv. 20 flf.).
Many other resemblances between this and the rest of the Pauline
letters might be cited ; but these are enough to show why the
Church, basing its conclusion on both internal and external evidence,
insists that St, Paul was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The distinctive features of the letter can all be explained quite
satisfactorily without denying the Pauline authorship. Thus, it is
reasonable to say that Paul's name was omitted from the introduc-
tion in order not to antagonize his enemies among the Jews. The
differences of style and language are accounted for by the disciple
whom Paul employed to express his thoughts and ideas in literary
form. If at times the author associates himself with his readers
and speaks to them of their predecessors in the faith, this does not
prove that he belonged to the second generation of Christians, but
shows only that he was using a more familiar and forceful method
of writing, as he did also in Rom. xiii. 11 ff., or (if we assume that
the Epistle was addressed to the Christians of Jerusalem) that he
was deferring to those who had known the Lord in the flesh.
As regards the doctrines treated in this Epistle, we can see from
what has been said above that much of the teaching of the admit-
tedly Pauline letters is here repeated under another form, while the
rest is naturally explained by the different purpose which prompted
this letter and the readers to whom it was directed. The doctrine,
or rather the aspects of doctrine, which St. Paul gives in each of
his Epistles is always determined, as we should expect, by the
people addressed and by the conditions and circumstances in which
those people lived at the time he wrote. Hence it would be absurd
to expect him to give the same identical doctrine to all the Churches
to which he wrote. But this is very far from saying that there is
a contradiction between the teaching of this Epistle and the other
Epistles of St. Paul. There is no such contradiction, either on the
surface or underlying the surface of this letter. It cannot be shown
that there is anything taught in Hebrews which is out of harmony
with the Apostle's teaching elsewhere. On the contrary, as we saw
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 347
above, this letter has much in common with the admitted teaching
of St. Paul as found in his other Epistles. So much so, indeed,
that those who here postulate another author must at least admit
that he was saturated with the Apostle's doctrines.
As a final argument in favor of the Pauline authorship of He-
brews, we may observe that the letter closes with the Apostle's
usual salutations and good wishes, and that the author speaks inti-
mately of his beloved disciple Timothy, who has recently been given
his liberty (cf. Sales, op. cit., vol. II, pp. 438 ff.).
11. Time and Place of Composition. The best and most recent
non-Catholic scholars date this Epistle between the years 60 and
96 A.D. This allows a wide margin, and one which can be easily
trimmed down to a considerable extent from the terminus a quo.
Thus, the letter was certainly written by or before 95 A.D., because
it was freely quoted about that time by Clement of Rome in his
Epistle to the Corinthians. More than this, it must have been
written before the year 70 a.d., for it clearly assumes that the
Temple was still standing and that the priests were still carrying
out the Jewish sacrificial ritual in all its completeness and splendor
(viii. 4, ix. 6-9, 13, X. I ff., xiii. lo). The writer is fearful lest his
readers be seduced by the attractiveness of the ancient services to
abandon their new faith ; whereas, "had the temple been destroyed,
and the old worship brought to an end with no hope of revival, he
would have had to hand so obvious and complete a vindication of
his root principle that the old covenant was doomed to disappear
and be merged in the new order, that it is inconceivable he should
not have made use of it in the epistle, still less that he should have
talked as if the Jewish cultus were still in operation" (S. C. Gay-
ford, in A New Commentary on Holy Scripture, II, p. 597).
Again, this Epistle must have antedated the outbreak of the
Jewish War in 67 a.d., since it contains no mention of so great
an event ; while, on the other hand, it gives clear indication of hav-
ing followed not long after some special persecution of the faithful.
If it was written to the Jewish Christians of Palestine, as seems
very probable, the persecution which included the death of James
the Less, the Bishop of Jerusalem, in 62 a.d., would explain very
well the sufferings and trials of the faithful which occasioned the
Epistle, and would give us a date around 63 a.d. This was the time
348 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
when St. Paul was expecting an early release from his first Roman
captivity, and it would fit in nicely with Heb. xiii. 23, where the
writer expresses the hope of seeing his readers soon in company
with Timothy. From this passage it also appears that Timothy was
at the time absent on some mission and the writer was waiting for
him to return shortly ; and we know from Phil. ii. 19 that St. Paul
was going to send Timothy on a mission to the Philippian Church,
and that Timothy was to return to him with a report of conditions
in Philippi. All this makes it very probable that Hebrews was
written shortly before or shortly after St, Paul's release from his
first Roman captivity around the end of 63 a.d.
But if we hold, with many modern writers, that Hebrews was
addressed to Jewish converts in Rome, we shall have to assign the
Neronian persecution or the persecution under Domitian as the one
from which the faithful were suffering. In the first supposition the
Epistle could be dated between 64 and 67 a.d., but it is objected
that Heb. x. 32-34 is too mild a passage to be descriptive of the
horrors endured by the Christians under Nero, and hence cannot
refer to that persecution. The same objection may be made to the
second supposition, which would put the date of the Epistle between
80 and 90 A.D. This latter date would also destroy the Pauline
authorship of the letter, unless it were maintained that Paul wrote
or dictated its entire substance before his death and charged some
one of his disciples (say, Barnabas) to put it in form and publish
it, or have it published, years after the Apostle's death — a supposi-
tion which it would be difficult to establish with any degree of
probability. As regards the passage in x. 32-34, it should be noted
that those verses seem to refer to sufferings long past as an in-
centive to the readers of the letter to bear with patience and courage
their present trials, and that consequently those verses are not a
descripion but rather an illustration of the persecution which the
faithful were enduring when this Epistle was written.
As to the place of composition, we may assign Rome or some
other city of Italy, relying on the words of xiii. 24, "the brethren
from Italy salute you." Rome is the traditional place of origin.
The inscription at the end of the Codex Alexandrinus reads "from
Rome." The Syriac or Peshitto version gives Italy as the place of
writing.
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 349
III. Occasion and Readers of This Letter. From the contents
of this letter it is clear that it was written to Christian converts
from Judaism who were suffering much because of their new faith,
and who consequently were sorely tempted to fall back into Judaism,
thus committing the awful sin of apostasy. The writer's purpose,
therefore, is to hearten and console his readers, and to warn them
against lapsing into the Mosaic worship. The Christian faith, he
says, is not only the fulfillment of all the Old Dispensation promised
in figure and shadow, but it is God's perfect and final revelation to
man, guaranteed by the Son of God Himself (i. 2, 3, 8-10). And
as for suffering, that same Incarnate Son has provided an example,
winning victory over death by suffering and humiliation (xii. 2 ff.).
We must, therefore, be ready to endure anything and to forego
everything rather than abandon this New Covenant to which we
have been admitted and the blessings of which we have been privi-
leged to taste.
According to the title given this Epistle in all the ancient MSS.,
it was addressed "to the Hebrews," that is, to Christian converts
from Judaism. This does not mean, however, Jewish Christians in
general, wherever they might be in the world, but a particular group
of converts. The writer speaks to them in a particular manner,
regretting the slowness of their Christian development (v. 11, 12),
yet praising their charitable services to the saints (vi. 10, 11) ; they
have had their peculiar history and experiences, their present con-
ditions are particular and individual, and the writer hopes to visit
them soon (xii. 4 ff., xiii. 19, 23). The author, therefore, is ad-
dressing a particular group of Jewish Christians, and not Hebrew
converts in general.
But where this community lived is another question, upon which
scholars are not agreed. Some have thought the Jewish Christians
of Alexandria were the first recipients of this Epistle. The main
reason for this opinion is that the Muratorian Canon mentions a
letter of Paul's to the Alexandrians — a poor argument indeed.
Modern non-Cathohc opinion favors Rome. The chief arguments
in support of this view are : (a) Clement of Rome quoted this letter
about the year 95 in his own letter to the Corinthians, and he is
both the oldest Christian writer outside the New Testament and
the first one to quote this Epistle, as far as we know; (b) the pas-
350 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
sage in xiii. 24, "The brethren from Italy salute you," is under-
stood to refer to Italian friends of the Roman community who were
in contact with the author of this letter when he was writing from
some other part of Italy, or from some other country where Italians
were living.
But here again the contents of the Epistle will be our best guide.
We see that the writer is addressing a Church that is well organ-
ized, and that is made up entirely of Jewish converts (iii. 12, vi.
4-8, X. 24, 25, 29, xii. 25, xiii. 7, 24) ; there is no question of har-
monizing divergent elements, or of warning the readers against the
idolatry and vices of paganism, but only of the danger of abandon-
ing the humble cult of Christianity for the elaborate Jewish ritual
which was then being carried out in all its splendor. Furthermore,
the author assumes that his readers are perfectly familiar with his
detailed description of the Tabernacle and the Levitical ceremonies
and worship, and that they understand without explanation his
words : "J^sus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own
blood, suffered without the gate" (xiii. 12). Again, the recipients
of this Epistle have been Christians for a long time (v. 12) ; the
Gospel was preached to them by the Apostles (ii. 3) ; they have
suffered persecution for their faith, but have not yet poured out
their blood as some of their leaders have done (x. 2^, xii. 4, xiii. 7).
Now, what locality and community of Christians could so per-
fectly correspond to the foregoing facts and implications as the
City of Jerusalem and the Jewish converts of Palestine? The
Church in Jerusalem was founded on the first Pentecost Sunday.
There persecution soon spread, claiming in due time such leaders in
the faith as St. Stephen, St. James the Greater, James the Less, the
first bishop of that see, etc. "There alone the Levitical worship
was known to all by the daily offering of sacrifices and the great
celebrations of the Day of Atonement and of the other feast-days.
There alone this worship was continuously maintained according to
the ordinances of the Law until the destruction of the city in the
year 70" (Fonk, in Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. VII, p. 182). It_
seems to us, therefore, far more probable than otherwise that Jewish
converts of Palestine, and especially of Jerusalem, were the imme-
diate recipients of this letter to the IJ^rfiws. Cf. Sales, op. cit.,
pp. 440 ff.
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 351
Against this opinion it is objected that the Epistle was written in
Greek, whereas a letter to Christians in Palestine would more likely
have been composed in Aramaic. The objection has little weight,
since Greek was freely spoken in the Holy Land, along with
Aramaic, long before this letter was written; and also since St.
Paul was accustomed to write his letters in Greek. Most likely the
disciple to whom the Apostle entrusted the composition of the
Epistle was far more ready in Greek than in Aramaic, for the writer
seems to be using his native tongue.
It is also objected that the author of this Epistle is speaking of
an ideal Judaism, Temple, and Levitical ritual. But, in the first
place, it may be asked why his fears are so real if there is question
only of something ideal. Why is he so fearful that his readers
may lapse into Judaism, if there is not a real one that attracts them?
If his description is ideal and not real, then he is painting a picture
so vivid and attractive that he would seem to be inciting his readers
to do the very thing he is warning them against. In the second
place, we may observe that, whether ideal or real, his description
presupposes the same degree of accurate knowledge as regards
Judaism and its ritual, and that this could not be so easily and
naturally explained in any opinion which does not make Jerusalem
and Christian converts of Palestine respectively the destination and
the readers of this Epistle.
IV. Language and Style. It was the opinion of Clement of
Alexandria that St. Paul wrote this letter in Hebrew and that one
of his disciples translated it into Greek, but all critics are now
agreed that it was composed in Greek. Antiquity knows nothing
of any Hebrew copy of the Epistle, and all the oldest versions that
we know of were made from the Greek. Furthermore, all citations
of the Old Testament are from the Septuagint. There are also
peculiar turns of expression, idiomatic uses, plays on words, etc.,
which it would be impossible to explain if the letter had not origi-
nated in Greek.
The use of words here is also peculiarly rich and varied. The
Epistle contains 168 terms which occur nowhere else in the New
Testament, 40 words which are not in the Septuagint, and 10 words
which are found in neither classical nor Biblical Greek. The writer
is also fond of compound words.
352 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
The style of the letter is the best in the New Testament. All
authorities have noticed and acknowledged its purity and elegance-
It would seem, therefore, that Origen voiced the judgment of the
best critics when he said that the thoughts and ideas of Hebrews
are those of St. Paul, but that the language and style were supplied
by someone else.
V. Analysis of Contents. The Epistle to the Hebrews is both
speculative or intellectual and practical or moral, but these different
elements are so closely intermingled as to make impossible a very
clear-cut and connected division of either. The main arguments
are followed by digressions consisting of moral applications, exhor-
tations, and the like. The Epistle also begins without the customary
address, though it has an introduction. We may divide it as fol-
lows: Introduction (i. 1-3); Doctrinal Part (i. 4 — x. 18); Moral
Part (x. 19 — xiii. 17) ; Conclusion (xiii. 18-25).
A. The Introduction (i. 1-3) contains the theme of the Epistle,
namely, the superiority of the New Covenant revelation, made
through Christ, to the Old Covenant revelation, made to the Patri-
archs through the Prophets.
B. In the Doctrinal Part (i. 4 — x. 18) the author essays to prove
his thesis, namely, that the New Dispensation is superior to the
Old. This he does by showing: (a) that Christ, the author and
mediator of the New Covenant, is far superior to the Angels through
whose ministry the Old Law was given (i. 4 — ii. 18) ; (b) that He
is superior to Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant (iii. i — iv.
13) ; (c) that the Priesthood of Christ is superior to the Levitical
priesthood (iv. 14 — x, 18). This last point is thus proved: (a)
from the dignity of the Person who is the High Priest of the Chris-
tian Dispensation, namely, Christ (iv. 14 — vii. 28) ; (b) from the
place in which the functions of this Priesthood are exercised, namely,
the heavenly Sanctuary (viii. 1-5) ; (c) from the greater excellence
of the Covenant of which this Priesthood is a part, namely, the
Gospel (viii. 6-13) ; and (d) from the superior dignity of the
Victim that is offered in sacrifice by the High Priest of the New
Law, namely, Christ Himself (ix. i — x. 18).
C. In the Moral Part (x. 19 — xiii. 17) we have the practical
consequences of the foregoing doctrines and the moral lessons that
are to be deduced from the Epistle, consisting of exhortations to
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 353
perseverance in faith (x, 19 — xii. 29) and to the practice of various
virtues (xiii. 1-17). Here the Apostle first exhorts his readers in
a general way to the practice of faith, hope, and charity, warning
them again of the dreadful consequences of apostasy (x. 19-31),
and reminding them of the beautiful constancy in faith, in spite of
persecution, which they exhibited in the early part of their Christian
lives (x. 32-39). Since faith is so important, he then proceeds to
describe it, and to show its fruits and efficacy by an appeal to the
glorious faith of the ancient Patriarchs, Abel, Henoch, Noe, Abra-
ham, etc. (xi. 1-40). From this he draws the conclusion that his
readers must imitate the faith of these heroes of the past and bear
their sufferings bravely (xii. 1-13) ; they must seek after peace with
all men, and pursue holiness and practise vigilance (xii. 14-29) ;
they must exercise themselves in the virtues of charity and chastity,
and fly covetousness (xiii. 1-6) ; finally, they must remember the
teaching they have received and be obedient to their prelates, who
have to render an account of their souls (xiii. 7-17).
D. In the Conclusion (xiii. 18-25) the Apostle begs the prayers
of his readers and prays for them (xiii. 18-21) ; he asks them to
accept his "word of consolation," tells them that Timothy is set
free, expresses his hope of coming to them soon, and terminates
with the salutations of "the brethren from Italy" and his Apostolic
blessing (xiii. 22-25).
INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
For a fairly complete bibliography on this Epistle, extending from the
Patristic age to recent times inclusively, see that by E. Jacquier in Vig-
ouroux's Diet, de la Bible, vol. Ill, coll. 551-552. In particular we would
draw attention to the commentaries by St. Chryscstom, St. Thomas and
Cardinal Cajetan, among the older Catholic works; and to the following by
more recent Catholic writers: Ribera, Comm. in Epist. ad Hebrceos (Sala-
manca, 1598) ; Tena, Comm. et disputatio in Epist. ad Hebr. (Toledo, 1611) ;
Klee, Auslegung des Briefe an die Hebr. (Mainz, 1833) ! Maier, Komm. uber
den Briefe an die Hebr. (Freiburg, 1861) ; Zill, Der Brief an die Hebr.,
etc. (Mainz, 1879) ; Paneck, Comm. Beati Pauli Apost. in Epist. ad Hebr.
(Innsbriick, 1882) ; Schafer, Erkldrung des Hebr. (Miinster, 1893) ; Pado-
vani, Comm. in Epist. ad Hebr. (Paris, 1897) ; Huyghe, Comm. in Epist. ad
Hebr. (Ghent, 1901) ; Heigl, Verfasser des Brief cs an die Hebr. (Frei-
burg, 1905) ; Seisenberger, Erldrung des Brief cs an die Hebr. (Ratis-
bon, 1909) ; Sales, in La Sacra Bibbia, vol. II (Turin, 1914) ; Boylan, in
The IVesttninster Series (London, 1924).
Of the many recent non-Catholic commentators on this Epistle we would
mention the following: M'Call (London, 1871) ; Moulton (London, 1878);
Farrar, in Cambridge Greek Test. (Cambridge, 1893) ; Meyer-Weiss (6th
ed., Gottingen, 1897) ; Westcott (3rd ed., London, 1906) ; S. C. Gayford, in
A Neiv Comm. on Holy Script. (New York, 1928) ; H. T. Andrews, in
Abingdon Bible Comm. (New York, 1929).
354
The Epistle to The Hebrews
CHAPTER I
THE SUPERIORITY OF THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION, I-3
I. God who, at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoke in times past
to the fathers by the prophets, last of all,
1-3. With no personal references or salutations, as was customary
in ordinary letters, the author here plunges at once into the theme
of his book, stating immediately the thesis he intends to prove,
namely, that the New Covenant is more excellent than the Old
Covenant. The writer here replies to the twofold question: What
is the relation between the Old Testament and the New, between
Christ and God? The revelation of the Old Testament was frag-
mentary and piecemeal, having been given at widely separated
times, through a great variety of means and agents, and at most it
was incomplete; whereas the revelation of the New Testament is
complete and final, having been given to the world through God's
own Son, whom the Father made the heir of all things, through
whom the world was created, who is of the very essence of Divin-
ity and conserves and sustains all creation, and who, having re-
deemed mankind, is now seated as man in the place of honor and
majesty at the Everlasting Father's right hand.
I. God. By the use of this term the author, from the very
outset of his letter, professes his belief in and assures his readers
of the divine origin of the Old Testament Dispensation; the same
God who spoke of old through the Prophets has spoken of late
through His Son.
At sundry times, etc. The meaning is, fragmentarily, by many
partial revelations; and by a great variety of methods and means
of communication. God revealed Himself and His will gradually,
part by part, according to the increasing capacity and fitness of the
human race to receive His unveiling. Under the pre-Gospel dis-
zss
356 HEBREWS I. 2
2. In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.
pensations He spoke first to Adam, then to Noe, then to a great
array of succeeding messengers, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses,
David, and the long line of Prophets strictly so called; and His
message to these patriarchs, legislators, historians, and seers was
delivered in many ways — by words, by dreams, by visions, by sym-
bolic actions, and the like.
In times past, i.e., under the old dispensations; the writer has
especially in mind the Old Testament Dispensation, from Abraham,
the Father of the Hebrew people, to Malachy, the last of the Old
Law Prophets.
The fathers, i.e., the ancestors of the writer and the readers of
this Epistle,
Prophets. The term is here used in a wide sense, embracing all
those who, before the Gospel era, received revelations from God to
be communicated to mankind.
2. In contrast with the many mediums and methods employed
for communicating divine messages to man under the Old Testa-
ment Dispensation, the Gospel revelation has been made through
one person and in one way only, namely, through Christ, the Incar-
ate Son of God. The superiority and finality of the new revelation
are here set over against the fragmentariness and incompleteness
of the previous revelations.
In these days, i.e., in the period which has succeeded to the era
of the Prophets and inaugurated the Messianic age. This period
is also called "the fullness of time" (i Cor. x. 11; Gal. iv. 4; 2
Tim. iii. i), because in it God has given His complete and final
revelation, a revelation to which nothing shall be added in this
world, though it will be more and more unfolded and explained
by the teaching of the Church as time goes on and as necessity
requires.
By his Son. Literally, "in a Son," i.e., in one who, unlike the
Prophets, had the very nature of God Himself, and who conse-
quently is the natural "heir of all things." But the Son whom the
Father "hath appointed heir of all things," i.e., the Lord Jesus
Christ, has two natures, divine and human; and according to His
divine nature He needed not to be made an heir, but was from
eternity the natural heir of the ^Father, whose common essence,
HEBREWS I. 3 357
3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the very image of his sub-
stance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, having made a
purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high,
power, dominion, etc. He shared. It was, therefore, according to
His human nature that the Son was "appointed heir of all things"
by the Eternal Father, received from the Father "all power in heaven
and on earth" (Matt. xi. 27, xxviii. 18; John xiii. 3, xvii. 2), and
had all things put under His feet, as had been promised far back
in Old Testament days (Psalm viii. 8), and as St. Paul has repeat-
edly taught in his other letters ( i Cor. xv. 26 ; Eph. i. 22 ; Phil. ii.
9), Of course, this supreme and universal dominion over all things
will not be exercised to its full extent by our Lord until His Second
Coming at the end of time (ii. 8 below; i Cor. xv. 24 ff.).
By whom also he made the world. The Son is considered here
according to His divine nature, in which He is equal to the Father,
having the same power and operation. Creation, like all the works
of God ad extra, is common to all the three Divine Persons; and
hence the Son or the Holy Ghost is just as much the efficient cause
of creation as the Father is. See on Col. i. 16.
The world. Literally, "the ages," which means all the things
of time. The cosmos is the material world considered in its order,
beauty and harmony.
3. Having spoken in the preceding verse of what the Father has
done for and through the Son, the author in this verse goes on to
describe the Son in Himself, in His relation to the Father, and in
His work and triumph as man. Two figures are employed to
describe the Son as God; first. He is "the brightness of his glory,"
or better, "the effulgence of his glory," i.e., the shining-forth of the
light and majesty of the Father, somewhat as the light streams from
the sun, though substantially and infinitely more perfectly. He is
Light of light and God of God, as we say in the Creed. The same
figure is used in the Book of Wisdom to describe Uncreated Wis-
dom (Wis. vii. 26). In this phrase we are taught the following
doctrines: (a) that the Son is consubstantial and co-eternal with
the Father, and yet distinct from Him; (b) that the Son proceeds
from the Father by nature, and not through the Father's free will ;
(c) that the Father in generating the Son does not sufifer any change
or imperfection. Cf. St. Thomas and Theophylact, h. I.
The very image of his substance. This second figure used to
358 HEBREWS I. 3
describe the Son is different. "Image" here means the impress made
on a seal by a stamp cut by a die, which therefore exactly repro-
duces the original in all its perfection; and the application of the
figure would be that the Son has the same identical nature, sub-
stance, perfections, and all else that the Father has, except of
course the relationship of paternity by which He is distinguished
from the Father. Thus, our Lord said to Philip: "He that seeth
me seeth the Father also" (John xiv. 9).
Substance means God's being, nature, essence.
Upholding all things. The writer now begins to describe the
work of the Son, first, as regards all creation, of which He is the
sustainer and conserver (see on Col. i. 17), and then as the Re-
deemer of man. The Son is not only the creator of the universe,
He is also its conserver, in whom "all things consist" (Col. i. 17).
The word of his power means the command of His power, or
His powerful command, by which He sustains all things.
Having made a purgation of sins means when He had cleansed
mankind from their sins, alluding to the Jewish sacrifices or sin
offerings on the Day of Atonement, when the priest made a purifi-
cation of sins by sprinkling some of the blood of the victims upon
the mercy-seat.
Sitteth on the right hand. More literally, "sat down," or "took
his seat on the right hand." The metaphor describes our Lord's
entry as man into peaceful and triumphant possession of His king-
dom and His session in the highest place of honor next to the
Divinity (see on Eph. i. 20; Col. iii. i). By His sufferings and
death our Lord not only satisfied for our sins, but also merited for
Himself as man the highest exaltation (see on Phil. ii. 8 ff. ; Luke
xxiv. 26).
In these opening verses are indicated the three Messianic offices
of our Saviour: Prophet (ver. 1-2), Priest and King (ver. 3).
CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO THE ANGELS, 4-I4
4-14. With verse 4 begins the Dogmatic Part of the Epistle (i.
4 — X. 18), on which see Introduction, No. V, B. In these verses
and in Chapter ii the writer shows the superiority of Christ to the
angels, which is his first great argument in proof of his thesis,
namely, the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old. In this
HEBREWS I. 4 359
4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more
excellent name than they.
present section he first states his proposition, that Christ is superior
to the angels (ver. 4), and then proves it by showing (a) that
Christ is the natural Son of God (ver. 5-6), and (b) that the angels
are only ministering spirits, whereas Christ is the King, Creator,
and triumphant Lord of all things (ver. 7-14).
To appreciate the force of the argument developed in the rest of
this and in the following Chapter, we must bear in mind that accord-
ing to Jewish tradition and belief the old revelation, known as the
Old Law, was given by God to Moses on Sinai through the hands
of angels (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Acts vii. 53; Gal. iii. 19) and to the
people of Israel through Moses, and that, consequently, the angels
and Moses were the intermediaries of the Old Law; whereas the
new revelation has been given to the world through Christ, who is
the Son of God and the Creator of the angels and of all things,
and that therefore the New Law must be far superior to the Old
Law: the superiority of the medium or mediator proves the supe-
riority of the revelation.
4. Being made. Better, "having become," i.e., the Son having
become in His human nature, from the first moment of the Incar-
nation, as much superior to the angels as His name is greater than
theirs. According to St. Chrysostom and other Greek Fathers,
"having become" here means "having been shown to be." The
expression would thus refer to the glorification which our Lord
merited by His passion and death (John xv. 8; Rom. i, 4; Phil,
ii. 9), by which He was shown to be the true Son of God.
So much, a classic expression in Greek and characteristic of this
letter; it is not found in the other Epistles of St. Paul.
Better means a superiority of perfection and excellence. The
word occurs thirteen times in this Epistle but only three times in
the other Pauline letters, and then somewhat differently.
Hath inherited, as man. See on Phil. ii. 9.
A more excellent name, which was that of Son of God, and
which our Lord received according to His human nature from the
first moment of the Incarnation, but which according to His divine
nature He possessed from eternity. The author says that our Lord
"inherited" this name, to show that it was due Him by reason of
36o HEBREWS I. 5, 6
5. For to which of the angels hath he said at any time : Thou art my Son,
this day I have begotten thee? And again: / will be to him a Father and he
shall he to vie a Son?
6. And again, when he brringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he
saith: And let all the angels of God adore him.
His origin, and not by grace (St. Thomas), The name "angel"
means messenger, legate; but Jesus Christ has the name of Son
of God; therefore, His name is far superior to that of the angels.
5. In verses 5-14 the Apostle cites seven texts of the Old Testa-
ment, of which the first three prove that our Lord was the true
Son of God (ver. 5-6), the next three that He was King and
Creator (ver. 7-12), and the last that He is seated on the right hand
of the Father (ver. 13-14). These texts constitute five arguments
showing the superiority of Christ to the angels.
It may be said here once for all that the author of this Epistle
invariably quotes the Old Testament according to the Septuagint
version, and never according to the Hebrew original ; his Bible was
the LXX. And this was the usual practice of St. Paul.
The two texts cited in the present verse are respectively from
Psalm ii. 7 and 2 Kings vii. 14. Psalm ii is understood as Mes-
sianic in its literal sense throughout the New Testament (Acts iv.
25, 28, xiii. 33; Apoc. ii. 27 fif., xii. 5, xix. 15), and hence in the
words, "Thou art my Son, etc.," the Eternal Father is addressing
His Son, whom He has begotten from eternity. The expression
"this day" signifies the abiding present of eternity, where there is
no past or future; the opinion which understands it of the time of
our Lord's Resurrection or Ascension has little support.
In the second quotation the Prophet Nathan, speaking in the
name of God, is announcing to King David that the honor of build-
ing a Temple to God will be reserved to one of his successors,
whose throne will be eternal and to whom God will be "a Father,
etc." In their literal sense the Prophet's words refer to King
Solomon, but in their spiritual sense, which is that intended by the
Holy Ghost, they refer to the Messiah, of whom Solomon was a
figure and in whom alone they can be understood in their full sig-
nificance. The argument from these two texts is that, while the
angels may be spoken of in Scripture as sons of God in a wide
sense, as adopted sons, they are never so addressed in the strict
and natural sense of the term in which it is here applied to Christ.
6. And again. According to some, these words are used to intro-
HEBREWS I. 7 361
7. And to the angels he saith : Who maketh his angels winds and his minis-
ters a flame of fire.
duce another Scripture quotation, and the words that follow refer
to our Lord's First Coming at the time of the Incarnation, which
was announced by an angel (Luke ii. 10 ff.) ; but the majority of
interpreters understand the reference to be to our Lord's Second
Coming in judgment at the end of the world, and make the verse
read: "And when he again bringeth the first-born, etc." The Scrip-
ture references are to Psalm xcvi. 7, and the LXX of Deut. xxxii.
43, which describe the Coming of the Lord in judgment. The
argument is that God commands the angels to worship Christ, which
shows how far they are inferior to Him, who deserves the worship
of latria. As God, our Lord is the "only-begotten of the Father'-
(John i. 14), but as man He is "the first-born amongst many
brethren," i.e., adopted brethren (Rom. viii. 29).
Into the world, which belongs to the Son by inheritance.
He saith, i.e., God the Father said.
And let all the angels, etc. The "and" is not in Psalm xcvi. 7,
but it is in the LXX of Deut. xxxii. 43. The Psalmist, describing
Jehovah who comes to judge the world, invites all the angels to
adore Him. St. Paul here shows the words have a Messianic sense,
and so applies them under divine inspiration to our Lord, true God
and true man, the Supreme Judge of the living and the dead.
7. The third argument shows (ver. 7-9) the pre-eminence of the
Son over the angels from the fact that they are but servants and
ministers of God, essentially changeable in their nature ; whereas
the Son is an eternal ruler, an anointed king, who Himself is called
God.
The reference in this verse is to Psalm ciii. 4, which in the
Hebrew does not seem to speak of angels, but of the forces of
nature which God uses as His agents. The LXX translators, how-
ever, who knew the meaning of the original, and who may have
had a different Hebrew MS. before them, interpreted the "mes-
sengers" of the Hebrew as "angels" ; and St. Paul by his adoption
of the LXX rendering shows that such can be the meaning of the
original.
And to the angels, etc. The meaning is: "And with reference
to the angels he saith."
362 HEBREWS 1. 8, 9
8. But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for evrr and cvcf: a sceptre of
justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9. Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Who maketh his angels, etc., i.e., who makes use of His angels
and His ministers as He does of the winds and flaming fire ; the
angels, like the inanimate things of nature, are but instruments in
the hands of God to do the bidding of His will.
8-9. But to the Son, etc. The meaning is : "But with reference
to the Son," our Lord Jesus Christ, how differently do the Scrip-
tures speak ! For the Psalmist, in the Messianic Psalm xHv. 6-7,
addresses the Son as God, seated on an eternal throne and holding
in His hand a sceptre, the symbol of His regal power which He
exercises with justice. This Messiah King, the Psalmist says, has
"loved justice," and has come into the world to make men just and
to teach them how to live justly by doing the will of God in all
things; He has "hated iniquity," and in order to satisfy for man's
sins has died on the cross.
Therefore, i.e., for all this justice and faithfulness on the part
of the Messiah, God the Eternal Father has "anointed" Him with
the oil of coronation and perfect triumph above all the angels. The
Psalmist uses the metaphor of anointing here to show that our
Lord, the Messiah, was a king and a priest; because it was cus-
tomary in the Old Testament to anoint kings and priests for their
office. As man, our Lord was anointed by the Eternal Father from
the first moment of His Incarnation, inasmuch as He then received
the plenitude of the graces and gifts of the Holy Ghost; but the
crowning here in question probably alludes to the glorification which
took place at the Ascension, but which will not be realized in all
its fullness till the end of time (i Cor. xv. 24 ff. ; Phil. ii. 8 ff.).
Oil of gladness refers to the perfumed oil which at times in Old
Testament days was poured over the head of those who deserved
special honor (Ps. ciii. 15; Isa. Ixi. 3). Here it signifies the su-
preme glory and exaltation which our Lord enjoyed after His
triumph over suffering and death.
Above thy fellows. The meaning is that the anointing which
the Messiah received from the Eternal Father was far superior to
that conferred on any kings of earth or angels of heaven or faith-
ful members of His kingdom. The "O God" of verse 8 and the
HEBREWS I. 1014 363
10. And : Thou in the beginning, 0 Lord, didst found the earth; and the
works of thy hands are the heavens.
11. They shall perish, but thou shall continue; and they shall all grow old
as a garment,
12. And as a vesture shall thou change them, and they shall be changed;
but thou art the selfsame, and thy years shall not fail.
13. But to which of the angels said he at any time : Sit on my right hand,
until I make thy enemies thy footstool?
14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who
shall receive the inheritance of salvation?
"God" of verse 9 both refer to the Messiah. To translate in verse
8, "thy throne is God," would be possible, but the sense would not
be so good.
10-12. The fourth argument is drawn from Psalm ci. 25-28, where
the Psalmist is describing Jehovah as the omnipotent and immutable
creator of all things, including the angels, and which St. Paul here
applies to Christ, showing that Christ is God.
And. After this word we must understand and supply something
like the following: "The Scripture says, etc." The heavens and
all creatures that God has made will grow old and pass away, but
God, the creator of all, remains ever the same.
Shalt thou change them. Literally, "shalt thou roll them up."
13-14. The final argument is taken from the Messianic Psalm
cix. I, which describes the Messiah as a triumphant king seated at
the right hand of God in heaven after having subdued all opposi-
tion. No such words as those of the Psalmist could ever be ad-
dressed to angels. Christ is the author of human salvation; the
angels are but ministering spirits sent forth to do God's errands
in rendering service to men.
Sent is a present participle in the original, showing the continual
ministry of the angels. All the angels are alike in this, that they
are ministering spirits, and all their ministries are ordained to the
salvation of the elect.
364 HEBREWS II. 1-3
CHAPTER II
APPLICATION OF THE PRECEDING ARGUMENT, I-4
1. Therefore ought we more diligently to observe the things which we
have heard, lest perhaps we should let them slip.
2. For if the word spoken by angels became steadfast, and every trans-
gression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,
3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? which having
begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him,
1-4. The Apostle interrupts the line of his argumentation to make
a practical application in these verses of the dogmatic teaching he
has just given. Since Christ is far superior to the angels, it follows
that we ought to give much greater heed to His doctrines than to
those of the Old Law, which was revealed through the medium of
angels. If transgression and neglect of the former Dispensation
were so severely punished, what will be the chastisement for disre-
gard of this new means of salvation, which was first proclaimed
by the Lord Himself, then passed on to others, and all along has
been confirmed by miracles and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
I. Therefore, i.e., because of the more excellent character of the
New Law.
Which we, etc., i.e., which we Christians have received through
the Gospel.
Lest perhaps, etc. Better, "lest we drift away," under the stress
of persecution.
2-3. The word spoken by angels, etc. According to Jewish
belief and teaching the Old Law was delivered through the instru-
mentahty of angels (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Ps. Ixvii. 17; Acts vii. 53;
Gal. iii. 19).
Became steadfast, etc., i.e., had such a sanction that all its trans-
gressions were severely punished. If such was the binding force
of the Old Law, how shall we Christians escape severe punishment
if we neglect so great a means of salvation as that provided in the
HEBREWS II. 4, 5 365
4. God also bearing them witness by signs, and wonders, and divers
miracles, and distributions of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.
5. For he hath not subjected unto angels the world to come, whereof we
speak.
Gospel of Christ? This Gospel was first promulgated by the Lord
Himself, and was afterwards "confirmed unto us, etc.," i.e., was
made certain to us Christians by the Apostles of that same Lord.
All non-CathoHc scholars take this last statement of verse 3 as a
certain proof that this Epistle was not written by St. Paul, who
always insisted on the primary, direct, and independent character
of the Gospel he preached (Acts xxii. 10, xxvi. 16; Gal. i. i, 12;
I Cor. xi, 23, XV. 3, etc.). On the assumption, however, that the
Epistle was addressed to the Christians of Jerusalem, the statement
is a natural deference to the testimony of those who had heard and
associated with our Lord in the flesh.
4. The preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles was accompanied
by divine interventions manifested through miracles (Acts ii. 22;
Mark xvi. 29; Rom. xv. 19; 2 Cor. xii. 12; 2 Thess. ii. 9) and the
outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Ghost (i Cor. vii. 17, xii. 8 ff. ;
Rom. xii. 3).
Divers miracles. More literally, "manifold deeds of power."
ANOTHER PROOF OF CHRIST'S SUPERIORITY TO THE ANGELS, 5-9
5-9. The Apostle here returns to the argument broken off at i.
14, and gives an additional proof to show that Christ is superior
to the angels, namely, because He is to be Lord of the world to
come, that is, of the Messianic Kingdom, as is clear from the spir-
itual sense of Psalm viii. For a brief space of time Christ humbled
Himself in His sufferings even below the angels, but this was only
that He might triumph in the end as Lord of all.
5. For. The thought now goes back to i. 14, though we may
establish a very good connection between this verse and what imme-
diately precedes as follows : those who offend against the Gospel
Dispensation will be more severely punished than were those who
sinned against the Old Law, because Christ is the head of the
Messianic Kingdom, and it is clearly worse to sin against the Head
and Master than against the servants of the Master (cf. St. Thomas,
366 HEBREWS II. 6
6. But one somewhere hath testified, saying: What is man, that thou art
mindful of him: or the son of man, that thou visitest himf
He hath not subjected, etc., i.e., God the Father has not made
subject to angels but to Christ the Messianic Kingdom, which begins
with the Church MiUtant in this worid and is perfected in the
Church Triumphant in the next world.
The world to come was a common phrase among the Jews to
signify the Messianic Kingdom, as when Isaias foretold that the
Messiah was to be "father of the world to come" (Isa. ix. 5).
6-8. In these verses the Apostle cites Psalm viii. 5-7, which in
its spiritual sense proves that the Messianic world is to be subject
to Christ and not the angels. Literally, the Psalmist is speaking
of mere man and the natural world, and he is saying that as com-
pared with God, and materially as compared with the physical
universe around him, man is indeed insignificant ; but when consid-
ered as made in the image and likeness of God, as the recipient of
God's supernatural gifts and as possessing a spiritual and immortal
soul, he is only a little less than the angels and is superior to all ma-
terial creation. And even though man, in his present fallen condition,
has lost control of material things and has to some extent become
enslaved by them, he will regain in his glorified state the dominion
over the material world which at first was his in the state of inno-
cence.
In the spiritual sense of these verses of Psalm viii, which the
Apostle is here applying, the Psalmist is speaking of the ideal man,
Christ Jesus, and of the Messianic world ; and he means to say that
as man, as to His human nature, Jesus was inferior to God, and
in the humiliation and suffering of His humanity He was even
below the angels ; but that through suffering and death He attained
to a glory and honor far superior to that of angels and became the
supreme Head and Lord of the Messianic Kingdom, with all crea-
tures beneath His feet.
6. But one somewhere, etc., i.e., the Psalmist in Psalm viii. 5-7,
which was well known to the Jews, and which St. Paul had already
made use of in a Messianic sense in i Cor. xv. 26-28 and in Eph.
i, 22.
Son of man means the same as "man," to which it is parallel.
That thou visitest him, with so many graces and blessings.
HEBREWS 11. 7-9 367
7. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels: thou hast crowned
him with glory and honor, and hast set him over the works of thy hands:
8. Thou hast subjected all things under his feet. For in that he hath sub-
jected all things to him, he left nothing not subject to him. But now we
see not as yet all things subject to him.
9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, because
of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that, through the
grace of God, he might taste death for all.
7-8. In the state of innocence man held in control all material
things, all of which were subject to him.
A little, i.e., in degree ; but in the application to Christ the mean-
ing is for a "little while," i.e., while in His suffering state our Lord
was "a little lower than the angels."
Angels is Elohim in the Hebrew, meaning God; but that the
signification here is angels we are assured by the LXX and the
Targum.
Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor. In their appli-
cation these words refer to our Lord's resurrection and ascension,
upon which have followed the preaching of the Gospel and the
glorification of the Saviour throughout the world by all peoples.
And hast set him over the works, etc. This clause is not in
some of the best MSS., and so is probably a gloss here introduced
from Psalm viii.
But now we see not as yet, etc. Man in his glorified state will
regain the dominion over nature and the material world which he
enjoyed in the state of innocence but lost by sin. In a similar way,
all things are not yet perfectly subject to the rule of Christ, since
sin and infidelity rebel against His authority; but there will come
a time when He will exercise His supreme sovereignty, when all
the just will freely obey Him forever and the unjust will be forced
to submit to Him.
9. In this verse we are told the reason for our Lord's humilia-
tion in His Incarnation, earthly life, passion, sufferings, and death;
He thus was made a little lower than the angels, that is, for a
short time He was made inferior to the angels, in order that by
"the grace of God," i.e., as a gratuitous gift of God, He might
merit His own exaltation as man and our salvation (see Luke xxiv.
26; Phil. ii. 8 ff.).
Might taste death is a Semitic figure of speech, meaning to die. ..
368 HEBREWS II. lo, ii
10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, when he was bringing many children into glory, to perfect through
suffering the author of their salvation.
11. For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of
one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:
For all, i.e., for all men; our Lord died for all men without
exception (see on i Tim. ii. 6).
WHY CHRIST SUFFERED, IO-18
10- 1 8. In these remaining verses of Chapter ii the Apostle di-
gresses to explain our Lord's humiliation, why it was that He be-
came incarnate and suffered, thus for a time becoming lower than
the angels. It was all for our sake and our salvation. Sorrow,
sufferings, and death in our fallen state are necessary conditions
of human life; and He who was to be the Saviour of men must
share their nature and sad experiences, in order that He might
overcome the power of death, the instrument of Satan, that He
who was sinless Himself might satisfy for the sins of His breth-
ren and be a rescue for those who are tempted and sorely tried.
10. Here we are told that it was becoming, though not necessary,
that God (who is the final as well as the efficient cause of all things),
when bringing men to salvation, should will that Christ, the Saviour
of men, should share in their common lot of suffering. God could
have chosen other means of saving the world, but for His own wise
reasons He has made the way of suffering the royal road to glory.
To perfect. The meaning of the Greek is to "lead to a destined
goal." This verb occurs nine times in the present letter, but not
once in the best reading of the other Pauline Epistles.
The adduxerat of the Vulgate is the translation of an aorist
participle, but according to the context it would be better rendered
by the present tense here. It is a question of leading to salvation
in time, rather than in God's eternal decree. See on Eph. ii. 5-7.
11, Having stated the suitableness of the lot of suffering for the
Saviour of mankind, the writer goes on now in verses 11-14 to give
the first reason for his statement. It is this: Christ has the same
nature as men; but men are subject to suffering and death; there-
fore, it was becoming that Christ should experience suffering and
deatli.
HEBREWS II. 12, 13 369
12. / will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the church
will I praise thee.
13. And again : / will put my trust in him. And again : Behold I and my
children, whom God hath given me.
Both he that sanctifieth, etc., i.e., Christ, the author of our sal-
vation, and those who are saved have the same origin, namely, God ;
and having consequently the same nature, they belong to the same
family and are brethren. Hence it is that the Saviour, though
infinitely superior to other men because of the union of the divine
and human natures in the one Divine Person of the Word, does
not disdain to address men as His brethren, as the Scripture quota-
tions in the two following verses show.
All of one, i.e., from the one God ; less probably, from one man,
Adam, as some authorities say.
12. This verse is a quotation from the Messianic Psalm xxi. 23.
Our Lord Himself quoted from this Psalm while hanging on the
cross (Matt, xxvii. 46; John xix. 24). After having described the
humiliation and bitterness of His passion in this greatest of the
Passion Psalms, the Messiah looked forward to the glorious issue
of it all, to His resurrection and triumph, and in praise and thanks-
giving to God for His delivery He declares in the present verse
that He will proclaim the divine goodness and mercy to His "breth-
ren," i.e., to His disciples, and to all the faithful gathered together
for worship. The history of the Christian Church and of the Gos-
pel verify the fulfillment of the Messiah's promise.
13. In two more citations, drawn from Isaias vili. 17-18, the
Apostle wishes to show that Christ really partakes of our nature.
Isaias was a figure of the Messiah, and so the latter's experience
was foreshadowed in that of the former. In the first of these
quotations our Lord is represented as showing His need of trusting
in God, as Isaias did, thus proving that He had a human nature
which was subject to suflfering and in need of succor (Matt, xxvii.
43).
In the second citation, which is from Isaias vlii. 18, the author
draws a parallel between Isaias and his two sons, on the one hand,
and the Messiah and His "children," i.e., mankind, whom God had
committed to His care, on the other hand; the Messiah bears a
relation to men similar to that which Isaias bore to his two sons.
370 HEBREWS II. 14-16
14. Therefore because the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he
also himself in like manner hath been partaker of the same, that, through
death, he might destroy him who had the empire of death, that is to say,
the devil;
15. And might deliver them, who through the fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to servitude.
16. For nowhere doth he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abra-
ham he taketh hold.
that is, He has their nature, and so must have part in their suffer-
ings and attain His destiny through suffering.
14-15. In this verse the Apostle gives another reason why Jesus
should suffer and die like other men, namely, in order to deliver
mankind from the bondage of the fear of death.
Because the children (i.e., mankind) are partakers of flesh and
blood, i.e., have a suffering, mortal nature, the Saviour would also
have such a nature and go through the agony of death. These
words and those that follow prove the reality of our Lord's human
body against the Docetae, who maintained that the Saviour's body
was only a phantasm.
That, through death, he might destroy, etc. It was Satan that
led man into sin, and by divine decree the punishment of sin was
death (Gen. iii. 19; Wis. ii. 23-24; Rom. v. 12). According to
Jewish conceptions, death meant separation from God and interrup-
tion of loving intercourse between the soul and its Maker (Num.
xvii. 13, xviii. 5 ; Ps. vi, xxix, etc.) ; and hence, before Christ came,
mankind were in bondage of the fear of death. But by dying our
Lord proved that death was the gateway to life and the prelude to
a glorious resurrection of the body and a happy eternity (i Cor.
XV. 21 ff. ; Apoc. i. 18). Thus, death, Satan's instrument of terror,
has been turned into a means of defeat; for by death Christ has
fully atoned for man's sin and thrown open wide to all faithful
souls the portals of life without end. The verb "might destroy"
here is a common one with St. Paul, occurring some twenty-eight
times in his other Epistles.
16. In this verse the writer tells us that, since our Lord came to
redeem mankind and not angels. He took human and not angelic
nature.
For nowhere (ov yap h-qirov) means "certainly," "surely." The
word S^irov is found only here in the Greek Bible.
HEBREWS II. 17, 18 371
17. Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his breth-
ren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things per-
taining to God, that he might be a propitiation for the sins of the people.
18. For in that, wherein he himself hath suffered and been tempted, he is
able to succor them also that are tempted.
Take hold means, literally, "take by the hand," i.e., help, succor ;
the Saviour came into the world to succor those who had sprung
from Abraham, the father of all God's faithful people, of all those
who should believe in Him, Jews and Gentiles alike (Rom. iv. 16-
17, ix. 6 ff. ; Gal. iii. 6 ff., vi. 16).
17. Wherefore. The Greek word is common in this Epistle, but
it is not found elsewhere in St. Paul. Since Christ came to the
world to help men, it was becoming that He should be like them
"in all things," except sin (below, iv. 15), that is. He should have
the same human nature, be subject to the same trials and sufferings,
etc. The expression, "all things," must not be understood to em-
brace anything incompatible with our Lord's divinity, grace, or mis-
sion. Hence not only sin, but also inclination to evil, ignorance,
and the like must be excluded from this statement.
That he might become, etc. Here we have still another reason
for the humiliation and sufferings of Christ, namely, that He might
be able to feel our needs and miseries, and thus be able the more
easily to enter into our lives and be our mediator with God. He
was to be our "high priest, etc.," i.e., He was to occupy a position
in the New Covenant similar to that of the High Priest of the Old
Covenant; He was to be, therefore, "merciful" (i.e., full of sym-
pathy and understanding for our needs and miseries) and "faithful"
(i.e., trustworthy in the fulfillment of all His duties and functions)
"in things pertaining to God" (i.e., in all religious matters that have
to do with man's relations to God), the most important of which
was to "be a propitiation, etc." (i.e., to offer an atoning sacrifice to
God for sin), as the Jewish High Priest's chief function was to
offer an atoning sacrifice on the great Day of Atonement "for the
sins of the people" (Lev. iv. 15 ff., xxvi. i ff.). As the great
Jewish sacrifice was a propitiation for the sins of the Jewish people,
so the sacrifice which Christ offered was a propitiation for the sins
of all mankind ; the former was a type of the latter.
18. In the preceding verse the writer touched on the central
thought of the whole Epistle, namely, the high-priestly work of
372 HEBREWS III. i, 2
Christ in being a propitiation for our sins. But the motive of the
Incarnation was not only to offer an atoning sacrifice for the sins
of men, but also in order that the Saviour might Himself enter into
our sufferings and trials, so as to be able to succor us who "are
tempted," i.e., who are subject to the sorrows and trials of life and
death. Temptation as applied to our Lord here does not mean in-
citement to sin, of which there could be no question, but trial, as
in the wilderness and Gethsemane especially, and throughout our
Lord's life in general. The thought of this verse is also character-
istic of the Epistle.
CHAPTER III
CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO MOSES, 1-6
1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, consider
the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus ;
2. Who is faithful to him that made him, as was also Moses in all his
house.
1-6. Here we have the second great argument in proof of the
Apostle's thesis. We must bear in mind that his thesis is the supe-
riority of the New Dispensation to the Old. The argument to prove
this in the two preceding Chapters was the superiority of Christ,
through whom the New Law was given, to the angels, who were
the mediators in the giving of the Old Law (see on i. 4-14). In
these opening verses of the present Chapter the argument is that
Christ is superior to Moses, the founder of the theocracy, who deliv-
ered to the people of Israel the Law received on Sinai,
Since Christ has been proved superior to the angels, it might
seem unnecessary to prove that He is superior to Moses ; that con-
clusion ought to follow as an a fortiori inference. But it was not
so to the Jewish mind, which regarded Moses above the angels;
for the Jews thought that through Moses they had received God's
final and complete revelation to mankind. It was, therefore, neces-
sary to prove to them that Christ had a greater authority than
Moses enjoyed.
1-2. Wherefore, i.e., since Christ has our human nature and is
our great high priest, full of mercy and compassion for our suffer-
HEBREWS III. 3, 4 373
3. For this man was counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, by so
much as he that hath built the house hath greater honor than the house.
4. For every house is built by some man; but he that created all things
is God.
ings and miseries, the writer invites his readers to fix their eyes
on Jesus, who is God's messenger to us and our mediator with
God, and who, like Moses, was faithful in fulfilling all His duties.
The deduction here is an inference from what has been said in the
two previous Chapters.
Holy brethren is a form of address peculiar to this Epistle, but
see Rom. i. 7 ; Eph. i. i ff. ; Acts ix. 13.
Partakers, etc., i.e., sharers in the faith and grace of Jesus Christ.
Of our confession, i.e., of the faith we profess.
Who is faithful. The readers of this Epistle who were tempted
to disloyalty are to keep in view as their model the loyalty oi
Jesus, "who was faithful to Him that made Him," i.e., who was
loyal to God who invested Him with the high offices of "apostle,"
in preaching God's revelation to the world, and of "high priest,"
to oflfer up an atoning sacrifice for mankind.
As was also Moses in all his house, i.e., as Moses was faithful
in teaching and governing the people of Israel (Deut. iv. 5; Exod.
xl. 16; Num. xii. 7), who were called the house of God, as in verse
6 below the Christian society is called the family of Jesus Christ
(cf. I Tim. iii. 15; Eph. ii. 21 ; i Peter iv. 17, where the Christian
community is spoken of as the house of God). It is to be noted
that Christ's superiority as regards God's people is far greater than
that of Moses; for Moses was faithful in all the house of God as
a servant (ver. 5), whereas Christ was faithful over the whole
house of God as the son in his own house (ver. 6).
3-4. For goes back to "consider" of verse i.
This man, i.e., Jesus. The Apostle's first argument here Is as
follows: Moses was only a part of God's house, that is, of the
House of Israel in its covenant relation, though he was indeed a
principal part as being God's direct representative and administrator
in the whole theocratic family; but Jesus Christ was the builder,
that is, the creator and establisher of the whole family of God
including Moses, and is consequently deserving of so much greater
honor than Moses as the architect is far superior to the thing he
has made.
374 HEBREWS III. 5, 6
5. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which were to be said;
6. But Christ as Son over his house: which house we are, if we hold
firm to the end our confidence and the boasting of our hope.
Hath built. The Greek verb means not only to build, but to
furnish and establish.
Every house is built by some man, etc. In Chapter i Jesus was
described as the creator of the world ; here He is spoken of as the
builder of the family or community of God. God has made the
Church, as He made the universe, through Christ. In this family
of God Moses was but the chief administrator of the orders and
sovereign will of Jesus Christ.
5-6. The second argument here is this : Moses was only a servant
in the family of God; Christ was the Son of God in that family,
and as such heir and master of it.
His house in both verses means God's house, which is the
Church. There is continuity and identity, along with development,
in God's house both under the Old and under the New Covenant;
the Jewish Church was the type, the Christian Church is the anti-
type of the same divine establishment.
For a testimony of those things, etc. There are two explana-
tions of this passage: (a) it was the duty of Moses as a servant
to make known to the people of Israel all of God's messages to
him; (b) the Mosaic legislation and the ceremonies instituted by
him pointed to Christ and were a preparation for Christ and the
Gospel, and through them, therefore, Moses bore testimony to
Christ.
Which house we are, etc. These are familiar Pauline words
(cf. 2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. ii. 21-22). The writer here warns his
readers who were in danger of relapse that membership in the
house and family of God and the enjoyment of its privileges are
dependent on our perseverance in unshaken confidence in the pro-
fession of our faith and in the firm hope of future rewards to the
end of our lives.
Boasting of our hope (a peculiarly Pauline expression), i.e., a
boasting that arises from strong hope.
In the Vulgate of verse 6 sua should be eius, referring to God ;
and sumus nos should be reversed.
HEBREWS III. 7 375
7. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith : Today if you shall hear his voice,
EXHORTATION TO PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH, 7-I9
7-19. Again, as in Chapter ii. 1-4, the writer interrupts his argu-
ment to make a practical appeal to his readers (which extends from
iii. 7 to iv. 13) to continue firm in their faith, lest they incur a
fate similar to that which befell the Israelites of old. Through
their unbelief the Israelites of the desert were excluded from
entrance into the Promised Land and condemned to die there in
their wanderings; they never attained their destined repose in the
place which God had prepared for them and wanted them to have,
had they remained faithful. In like manner, if Christians lose their
faith, they will never know the joy and repose of heaven to which
they have been called and of which the Promised Land of Palestine
was a type and figure.
This practical exhortation, which runs through the rest of the
present Chapter and the greater part of the next, is said to be one
of the finest specimens of a sermon or homily and "one of the
most perfect examples we possess of the method of preaching in
the apostolic age. The author takes a text, expounds its meaning,
draws out the ideas involved in it, and then makes a practical
appeal to his hearers" (Prof. Andrews, in Abingdon Bible Com-
mentary, h. /.).
The exhortation is based on the second part of Psalm xciv, verses
8-11, in which the Psalmist appeals to the people of Israel to give
heed to the voice of God and show themselves faithful to the com-
mands of God, lest for their sins they fall under the divine dis-
pleasure and punishment, as did the Israelites of old in the desert.
In verses 7-11 the Apostle gives the text of the Psalm; in verses
12-14 he applies the words of the Psalm to his readers, showing
great concern and fear lest any of them should surrender the Chris-
tian faith and revert to Judaism; and in verses 15-19 he explains
the meaning of the text, and shows how it was lack of faith on the
part of the ancient Hebrews in the desert that excluded them from
entrance into the Promised Land.
7. Wherefore. All that follows this word, down to verse 12, is
a long parenthesis containing the text of the Psalm ; and hence this
conjunction does not find its dependent verb till verse 12. The
376 HEBREWS III. 8-11
8. Harden not your hearts, as at the provocation, in the day of temptation
in the desert,
9. Where your fathers tempted me with tests and saw my works
10. Forty years: For which cause I was offended with this generation, and
I said: They always err in heart. And they have not known my ways,
11. So I have sworn in my wrath: If they shall enter into my rest.
connection is as follows: Since no one can belong to the house
and family of God unless he remains firm in faith and hope, it is
necessary, according to the counsel given in Psalm xciv to the
people of Israel, that you Christian brethren should take heed lest
any of you abandon the faith you have received.
As the Holy Ghost saith is a regular formula to introduce an
inspired Scripture, of which the Holy Ghost is the primary author.
Today is emphatic by its position and means the acceptable time
of salvation.
8. Harden not your hearts, etc., i.e., do not be stubborn and
resist the grace of God appealing to your hearts, as you did at
Meribah, the place of strife, and as at Massah, the day of trial, in
the desert. In the original Hebrew of the Psalm "provocation"
and "temptation" are names of places, Meribah and Massah. At
the time in question the Israelites were suffering for want of water
in the desert, and they murmured against Moses (Meribah) and
tempted God by doubting His providence and His goodness (Mas-
sah). See Exod. xvii. 1-7 and Num. xx. 1-13, where these facts
are narrated.
9. In this verse God begins to speak to the Israelites in the first
person, recalling to their minds how their faithless forefathers
"tempted," i.e., put Him to trial by doubting His power and good-
ness to help them, though they had been witnesses of His miracles
in their behalf for forty years.
10. Forty years. In the Hebrew text these words are joined to
the preceding verse, but in the LXX and St. Jerome they are con-
nected with what follows, m.eaning that for forty years the Lord
was "offended with this generation," i.e., with the faithless Jews
in the desert. As a matter of fact, all during their wanderings in
the wilderness the Israelites had grieved the Lord by their doubts.
Their hearts were perverse, and they paid no heed to God's "ways,"
i.e., to His precepts, transgressing them at will and in all manners.
11. As a result of their lack of faith, God took a solemn oath
HEBREWS III. 12-14 377
12. Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart
of unbelief, to depart from the living God.
13. But exhort one another every day, whilst it is called today, that none
of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14. For we are made partakers of Christ; yet so, if we hold the begin-
ning of our substance firm unto the end.
that the Israehtes of the desert should all die in their wanderings
with the exception of Josue and Caleb, as narrated in Num. xiv.
27 ff., xxxii. 10 if. ; Deut. i. 34.
If they shall enter is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "they shall not
enter."
My rest, i.e., the place of repose promised and prepared for them,
which in the literal sense was the land of Canaan that the Hebrews
were to occupy and enjoy after the fatigue and wanderings of the
desert; but in the spiritual sense here applied, "my rest" means
celestial beatitude, the eternal Sabbath of heaven, as explained
below, in iv. 1-4.
12. The writer now applies the foregoing Psalm verses to his
readers (ver. 12-14), warning them in this verse of the danger of
apostasy, which, like all personal moral evil, begins in the heart.
13. The Apostle exhorts h>s readers to give mutual encourage-
ment to one another by word and example constantly throughout
their lives, while they have the opportunity : "Whilst you have the
light, believe in the light, etc." (John xii. 36; cf. Luke xix. 44).
The deceitfulness of sin. Sin is always a delusion, promising
pleasure and satisfaction but leading to sorrow and pain; luring to
happiness but terminating in grief. The sin directly in question
here is that of unbelief and apostasy, against which the writer is
warning.
14. By the faith and grace of Christ to which we have been
admitted through Baptism we have become incorporated into Christ,
thus partaking of His life and blessings now, with the hope and
promise of a fuller share in His divine life hereafter in the world
to come ; but this is only on condition that we retain unshaken to
the end of our lives the foundation of all these present and future
graces and benefits, namely, our Christian faith.
If we hold the beginning, etc., i.e., if we hold fast to the faith
of which we made profession at the time of our conversion.
Substance is a literal translation of the Greek word here used.
378 HEBREWS III. 15-19
15. While it is said, Today if yuu shall hear his voice, harden not your
hearts, as at the provocation.
16. For some who had heard did provoke; but not all that came out of
Egj'pt by Moses.
17. And with whom was he offended forty years? Was it not with them
that sinned, whose carcasses were overthrown in the desert?
18. And to whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest,
but to them that were incredulous?
19. And we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.
at least in its later meaning ; but according to the sense of the
present passage it would probably be rendered better by "confi-
dence,"
15-16. In verses 15-19 we have an explanation of the Psalm
passage quoted above in verses 7-1 1. The author tells us who those
people were with whom God was angry ; they were the people of
Israel whom Moses had led out of Egyptian bondage, but whose
bones were left bleaching in the wilderness on account of their sins
of unbelief.
While it is said. Better, "when it is said." We shall under-
stand these two verses much better if we take them as going to-
gether, putting a comma at the end of verse 15, and, with most
modern commentators, make verse 16 consist of two interrogations
as follows: "Who were they who heard (the voice of God), and
provoked (him) ? Were they not all those who were led out of
Egypt by Moses?" Of the 600,000 Israelites that were led out of
Egypt, only Josue and Caleb remained faithful and were permitted
to enter the Promised Land (Num. xiv. 38; Josue xiv. 8-9).
17. Those Israelites who sinned by unbelief in the desert per-
ished there in the wilderness, and their corpses were left to rot
in the sun. See Num. xiv. 29, with which compare i Cor. x. 5, 8.
18. Incredulous, better, "disobedient." The Israelites were not
only unbelieving, but disobedient ; and for these sins they were
excluded from the land which God had promised them (Exod. xvi,
xvii ; Num. xiv, xxi).
19. We see, etc., i.e., we know from history. They tried to enter
the Promised Land, but the favor of God was not with them and
all the adults failed and perished in the desert, except Josue and
Caleb (Num. xiv. 28-5).
HEBREWS IV. 379
CHAPTER IV
god's rest still awaits those who would enter into it, 1-13
1-13. The writer warns his readers not to miss the opportunity
of entering into God's rest; for the promise still holds good, and
we who have heard the Gospel message have the chance which the
ancient Israelites lost through lack of faith. By embracing the
faith we have taken the first step toward making the promised
rest our own. God's promise of rest for His people is enduring,
and it has been renewed in different ages, God Himself entered
upon it at the completion of the work of creation, but He wants
to share it with humanity. It was offered to the Israelites of old,
but they missed it through disobedience and unbelief. Again it was
repeated in the time of David, but without avail. And the very
fact that the promise was repeated in the Davidic period, long after
the occupation of Palestine by Josue, shows that the rest in ques-
tion meant more than the possession of the land of Canaan; it is
nothing less than a sharing in God's sabbath-rest, which began at
the close of creation (ver. i-io).
The author then seriously admonishes his readers to see that they
do not lose their opportunity as did their forefathers. And he
warns them that the word of God (that is, the revelation God has
given to mankind) is an energizing, penetrating message; it is like
a two-edged sword, having one edge of promise and hope, the other
of judgment and retribution; it covers man's exterior actions and
conduct, and also judges the very thoughts and intentions of his
heart and mind. Nothing, he says, is hidden to God; our very
souls are naked before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an
accounting (ver. 11 -13).
The inference from these final words is that, to be condemned, it
is not necessary that we be guilty of open disloyalty, unbelief or
apostasy, since mere internal acts of this kind are enough to bring
us under God's judgment of condemnation.
38o HEBREWS IV. 1-3
1. Let us fear therefore lest the promise being left of entering unto hi«
rest any of you should be thought to be wanting.
2. For unto us also it hath been declared, in like manner as unto them.
But the word of hearing did not profit them, not being mixed with faith
in those things they heard.
3. For we who have believed, are entering into rest ; as he said : So I have
sworn in tny wrath: If they shall enter into my rest; and this indeed though
the works from the foundation of the world were finished.
1. The readers are warned not to miss their opportunity of
entering into God's promised rest, for the promise still holds good.
The promise being left, i.e., being still unrealized.
2. Here the writer tells his readers that to them, as well as to
the ancient Israelites, the glad tidings of a future rest have been
preached, and that the latter missed their chance because they re-
ceived the message without faith; they did not believe the things
they heard. Faith in the hearer is as necessary as in the preacher,
if supernatural results are to be obtained.
Not being mixed with faith, etc. The best reading here has:
"Since it was not united with faith in those who heard," i.e., since
those who heard the promise of rest did not have faith in it.
3. Here the Apostle tells us that "we who have believed," i.e.,
we who have accepted the Gospel, have already fulfilled the condi-
tion of entering into God's rest, which is eternal beatitude ; for the
Psalmist informs us in Psalm xciv that God took an oath to exclude
from His rest the Israelites of the desert because of their disbelief,
not because the promise of the rest was not still open to those who
would fulfill its conditions, since indeed it had been open from the
beginning, from the day on which God finished the work of creation.
So I have sworn, etc., a quotation of Psalm xciv. 11, where the
Psalmist says that God took a solemn oath to exclude from His
rest the ancient Israelites because of their lack of faith (see on
iii. 11). The Psalmist's exhortation to his contemporaries not to
harden their hearts and thus incur exclusion from God's rest is a
proof that the rest in question was something beyond the land of
Canaan, which they already possessed ; it was a sharing in that
rest which God had entered upon at the completion of the work of
creation, namely, celestial beatitude.
The ingrediemur of the Vulgate should be present tense, as in
the Greek.
HEBREWS IV. 4-IO 381
4. For somewhere he spoke of the seventh day thus: And God rested the
seventh day from all his works.
5. And in this place again: // they shall enter into my rest.
6. Seeing then it remaineth that some are to enter into it, and they, to
whom it was first preached, did not enter because of unbelief,
7. Again he fixes a day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as
it is above said: Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8. For if Josue had given them rest, he would never have afterwards
spoken of another day.
9. There remaineth therefore a sabbath-rest for the people of God.
10. For he that is entered into his rest, the same also hath rested from
his works, as God did from his.
4-5. The last words of the preceding verse are now explained by
citing two texts of Scripture, the first from Gen. ii. 2 (where it is
said that the rest of God began at the completion of the work of
creation) and the second from Psalm xciv. 11 (where God said
that the disbelieving Israelites should not have part in His rest).
For somewhere, i.e., in Gen. ii. 2. See on ii. 2 above.
God rested, i.e., He ceased to create.
And in this place again, i.e., in Psalm xciv. 11.
If they shall enter, etc., i.e., they shall not enter, as in verse 3
above and in iii. 11.
6-10. In these verses the writer tells his readers that God in-
tended His rest for some, at least, and that those who were first
invited to share it came short of it through unbelief. Hence it was,
he says, that centuries later, in the time of David, the invitation
was again issued; and this later call, so long after the entrance
into Canaan under Josue, showed that the rest intended was not
the mere possession of the country of Palestine, but a sharing in
God's own eternal rest, on which He entered at the close of the
work of creation.
Unbelief. Better, "disobedience."
Saying in David, i.e., in the Psalm attributed to David, namely,
in Psalm xciv.
For if Josue had given them rest, etc., i.e., if the promised rest
had been limited to the land of Canaan, God would not have issued
another invitation, as He did through the Psalmist.
A sabbath-rest for the people of God, i.e., for Christians. The
word "sabbath" means rest from labor ; Christians have the oppor-
tunity through faith of participating in God's own eternal and
383 HEBREWS IV. 11-13
11. Let us therefore strive earnestly to enter into that rest, lest any man
fall into the same example of unbelief.
12. For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than
any two-edged sword, and reaching unto the division of the soul and the
spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
13. Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight; but all things are
naked and open to his eyes, to whom our speech is.
blessed rest. From verse 10 it is clear that the eternal rest of God
is not secured merely by embracing the faith, but presupposes and
follows upon labor in faith ; as God rested only after labor, so it
must be with us.
11. In verses 11-13 the Apostle concludes the exhortation begun
in iii. 7 above. Since so great a reward is waiting for us in the
hereafter, we should exert every effort to attain it, remembering
the terrible fate that befell the ancient Israelites for their disbelief.
12. Here and in the following verse the writer gives the reason
why we should strive with all our might to enter into the rest to
which God has invited us. For God has not spoken in vain; His
"word" (i.e., the manifestation of His will in revelation) is not
dead and inert, but "living," like God Himself, and "effectual" (i.e.,
producing its effect in reward or punishment) and "more piercing,
etc." (i.e., penetrating more deeply into our whole being), than any
two-edged sword can penetrate the human body, thus searching the
inmost thoughts of the mind and emotions of the heart.
Soul and spirit are but two aspects of the same principle, the
former being the source of physical and sensible life and the latter
the source and spring of the higher, intellectual life.
13. The thought passes from God's word of revelation to God
Himself. As God's word penetrates the soul through and through,
so does His gaze ; He and His word are alike in searching the whole
being of every creature.
Open. More literally, "laid bare." The metaphor is taken from
the sacrificial altar, and means to bend back the neck of the sacri-
ficial victim so as to expose the throat fully, in order that the priest
or offerer might cut the throat.
To whom our speech is. These words are best explained by
the Greek Fathers, St. Thomas, and others, who take them to mean :
"to whom we must render an accounting" in the judgment of all
our thoughts and actions.
HEBREWS IV. 14 383
14. Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed through the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Verses 12-13 here should be compared with Isaias xlix. 2, Iv.
lo-ii. Wis. vii. 22-23, xviii. 15-16, Prov. v. 4, Eph. vi. 17, Apoc.
ii. 16, xix. 15, with which they have many points in common.
CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST, THE HIGH PRIEST OF THE NEW
DISPENSATION, I4-16
14-16. In these verses the Apostle introduces his third principal
argument to prove the superiority of the New Dispensation to the
Old, namely, the High-priesthood of Christ, which he had already
mentioned in ii, 17 and iii. I, but which will now occupy the rest
of the dogmatic part of the Epistle (iv. 14 — x. 18). He has proved
so far that Christ, the Mediator of the New Dispensation, is supe-
rior to the angels (i. 4 — ii. 18) and to Moses (iii. i — iv. 13), who
were the intermediaries in the giving of the Old Law. Now he
will show that the priesthood of Christ is far more excellent than
the priesthood of the Old Law (iv. 14 — x. 18).
In the remaining verses of the present Chapter the Apostle says
that, since we now have a High Priest who has passed into the very
presence of the Father and who has sympathy for us, having expe-
rienced all our sorrows save sin, we must approach the throne of
grace with all confidence, so as to receive mercy and the grace
we need.
14. Having therefore, etc., i.e., In view of what has been said
above (ii. 17, iii. i), it is clear that we have a High Priest, and
indeed a great High Priest, who is far superior to the angels and
Moses of the Old Law. And in contrast with the High Priest of
the Old Dispensation, who was accustomed once a year on the Day
of Atonement to pass behind the veil of the Temple into the Holy
of Holies, into the presence of the Ark which was a symbol of the
divine presence, this High Priest of the New Dispensation, who is
Jesus the Son of God, "hath passed through the heavens," i.e.,
behind the curtain which separates this world from the unveiled
presence of God, and into the very presence of the Father Himself.
Let us, therefore, hold fast to the faith we profess. The readers
of the Epistle were in danger of losing their faith.
384 HEBREWS IV. 15, 16
15. For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our
infirmities, but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
16. Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid.
15. And not only has our High Priest entered into the very pres-
ence of the Godhead, thereby estabhshing for us direct communica'
tion -with, the Father, but He also retains close relationship v^rith us
and feels for us, because He has lived our life, experienced our
sorrows and labors, and has allow^ed Himself to be tried in all
things like ourselves, apart from sin.
Unlike ourselves, who suffer from the effects of original sin, our
Lord's temptations were all from without and not at all from
within, because there was with Him always perfect harmony be-
tween His body and His soul, between His flesh and His spirit.
Since our Lord was tempted, He knows how to sympathize with
us in our temptations ; and since He was sinless, He is able power-
fully to plead for us.
16. As our High Priest is seated in the presence of the Father,
enthroned above the heavens, and yet is able to sympathize with
us and knows all our needs, we can go with confidence to His
throne of grace, seeking mercy for our infirmities and the help we
need at all times.
Throne of grace is likely an allusion to the mercy-seat above
the Ark, between the wings of the cherubim (Exod. xxv. 21),
where God manifested Himself in a special manner.
CHAPTER V
JESUS POSSESSED THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A HIGH PRIEST, I-IO
I -10. Every High Priest must, first of all, have the same nature
as those for whom he is to act as priest ; secondly, he must be able
to understand and have sympathy with human frailty; and thirdly,
he must have received a divine call (ver. 1-4). Now all these
qualifications were found in Jesus Christ: He was made a priest
by the Eternal Father at the time of the Incarnation, when He
became the divine mediator between God and man, and in the days
of His flesh He showed His love and sympathy for mankind and
was perfected as man by suffering, thus, through His sacrifice of
HEBREWS V. 1-5 385
1. For every high priest taken from among men, is appointed for men in
the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices
for sins,
2. Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err,
because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
3. And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer
for sins.
4. Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called
by God, as Aaron was.
5. So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high
priest, but he that said unto him : Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten
thee.
obedience, becoming the source of eternal salvation for all who
follow Him (ver. 5-10).
1. Every High Priest must be chosen by God "from among men,"
i.e., he must have the same nature as men, and be appointed by
God on behalf of men "in the things that appertain to God," i.e., in
all that has to do with divine worship, "that he may offer, etc."
These last words indicate the principal function of the High Priest.
Gifts and sacrifices, when used together as here, mean respec-
tively offerings of inanimate objects (such as grain and the fruits
of the earth) and animal sacrifices. Taken together, they embrace
the whole range of Jewish sacrifices, but the second term here is
restricted to sin offerings.
2. Have compassion. Literally, "feel for with moderation," "be
gentle with."
Ignorant and that err, i.e., those who do not well understand
their duty and who are seduced by passion.
With infirmity, moral as well as physical, as is evident from the
following verse. There is question of the Jewish High Priest.
3. Not only the Jewish High Priest but also the other priests of
the Old Dispensation were under the necessity of offering sacrifices
for their own sins, as well as for those of the people (Lev. iv. 3-12,
xvi. 6-1 1 ). Our Lord, being sinless, is the perfect High Priest to
plead for His people.
4. No man should take upon himself the dignity of the priest-
hood, thus becoming the representative of men with God, unless he
has received a divine call, such as was given to Aaron and his sons
(Exod. xxviii. i ff., xxix. 4 ff. ; Num. iii. 10, xvii. 6, 8, etc.).
5. In verses 5-10 the Apostle applies to our Lord the qualifica-
tions of a true High Priest, beginning with the last mentioned, and
386 HEBREWS V. 6, 7
6. As he saith also in another place : Thou art a priest for ever, according
to the order of Melchisedech.
7. Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up
prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was
heard for his reverence.
showing in this and the following verses how our Lord was called
to the priesthood by God. The writer insists on the proof of our
Lord's call because, according to His human nature, He was de-
scended through King David from the tribe of Juda, and not like
the Jewish High Priests from the tribe of Levi.
So Christ also, etc. Even the Son of God, when He became a
priest to mediate between God and mankind, did not take that high
honor to Himself, but was called to it by His Father, as is proved
in the first place from the Messianic Psalm ii. 7. The words of
this Psalm here quoted are understood as addressed to our Lord by
the Eternal Father at the moment when He became incarnate ; for
it was then that He became a Mediator between God and man, and
so was called to the priesthood. While on earth, our Lord per-
formed priestly functions, offering Himself at the Last Supper and
on Calvary ; but from verses 9 and 10 here we gather that the official
seal, as it were, was not put on His priesthood until after the Resur-
rection and Ascension,
This day I have begotten thee. Though our Lord was the
eternal Son of the eternal Father, He was begotten as man at the
moment of the Incarnation.
6. The consecration of our Lord as priest at the moment when
He became incarnate is expressly stated in the Messianic Psalm
cix. 4, the full significance of which passage is developed in vii. i
fif. below. Psalm cix is Messianic in its literal sense. In it the
Messiah is described as a king, as an eternal priest, and as a power-
ful conqueror who will subject all things to Himself.
According to the order, etc. The meaning can be: (a) "accord-
ing to the likeness or type of Melchisedech," as in vii. 11 below;
or (b) "according to the manner or style or fashion of Melchi-
sedech," as in vii. 15, 17 below. See on vii. i ff.
7. The reference in this verse is to the whole sacrifice of Christ,
which began with the agony in the garden and terminated with His
sufferings and death on the cross. Compare this and the following
verse with Phil. ii. 5 ff.
HEBREWS V. 8, 9 387
8. And whereas indeed he was Son, he learned obedience by the things
which he suffered :
9. And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of
eternal salvation,
Who refers to our Lord ; and the phrase, "in the days of his
flesh," means His human, mortal Ufe, when He shared our common
experience of grief, suffering, and death.
Offering up prayers, etc. Perhaps there is no great distinction
to be made between "prayers" and "supphcations" here, though the
former term may be more definite and the latter more general in
character. "Supplications" also carries with it here the thought of
greater fervor and intensity.
Offering up, as a priest; the word is the same as that used in
verse i for "offering gifts and sacrifices."
To him that was able, etc., i.e., to God the Father.
From death. Better, "out of death." Our Lord was not saved
from dying, which He did not pray for, but from the effects of
death, from the corruption and dominion of death ; and this latter
was the object of His prayer. Others say, however, that the object
of our Lord's petition was perfect resignation and submission to
the divine will. In either case He "was heard"; for He calmly
resigned Himself to the divine will and plan, meeting death without
fear, and on the third day He arose to a glorious and immortal life,
thus triumphing over death and its powers.
For his reverence. Better, "because of his reverential fear,"
i.e., because of the fear, combined with reverence, with which He
submitted to the divine will.
8. Though our Lord was the Son of God and the Creator of the
world, He submitted Himself as man entirely to the Father's will
in all things, and learned obedience in an experimental way by the
trials and tests of suffering which He endured. It was only experi-
mentally that our Lord could be said to learn anything, for in Him
were all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge from the very
beginning of His incarnation (see on Col. iii. 3) ; and hence it was
only as His obedience was put to test and trial by actual suffering
that He is here described as learning "obedience by the things which
he suffered."
9. Our Lord's sacrifice of obedience as man had a twofold effect;
for Himself it brought to completion and perfection His experimen*
388 HEBREWS V. lo, ii
10. Called by God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedech.
11. Of whom we have much to say, and hard to be inteUigibly uttered,
because you are become weak to hear.
tal training as a High Priest, which terminated in His resurrection
and glorification (Phil. ii. 8 ff.) ; and for man it became the cause
and principle of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, by
following His law and practising His precepts.
Being consummated. Better, "being made perfect," as a High
Priest; the allusion is to our Lord's glorification after the resur-
rection.
10. Since our Lord has all the characteristics of a High Priest,
He is rightly addressed by the eternal Father as a "high priest
according to the order of Melchisedech." These last words serve
as a transition to the proof in Chapter vii of the superiority of the
priesthood of Christ to the priesthood of the Old Law ; but before
entering on that proof the writer stops to discuss the sublimity and
difficulty of the subject, the slowness and imbecility of his readers,
the dangers in which they live, the duty of persevering in the faith,
etc. (v. II — vi. 2o).
Called is better rendered "proclaimed," or "designated," or "ad-
dressed." The verb occurs only here in the New Testament.
THE DIFFICULTY OF EXPLAINING THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF
CHRIST, II-I4
II-14. The author says that the High Priesthood of Christ is
going to be hard for him to expound, because of Its abstruse nature
and because of the weakness and slowness of his readers. They
have had the faith long enough to be teachers of it themselves, but
the actual facts of their condition are that they need someone to
teach them the elements of their religion ; spiritually they are mere
children.
11. Of whom. Better, "on which point," referring to the High
Priesthood of Christ, of which that of Melchisedech was a type.
The subject will be difficult to expound because of its loftiness and
because the readers have grown slow and dull of understanding In
spiritual matters ; they have neglected their faith, and are suffering
the consequences.
HEBREWS V. 12-14 389
12. For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to
be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God, and you
are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13. For every one that is a partaker of milk, is unskillful in the word of
justice, for he is a little child.
14. But strong meat is for the perfect, for them who by custom have their
senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil.
12. You have need to be taught, etc. Perhaps it is better to
read, "you have need that someone teach you, etc." The sense is
practically the same in either reading.
The first elements of the words of God, i.e., the rudiments of
the Christian revelation.
13. Neophytes in the school of God are not able to understand
such high doctrines as the High Priesthood of Christ.
The word of justice is thought, more probably from the context,
to mean the correct use of ordinary speech; though it may mean
the preaching of justice, which is the solid Christian doctrine of
the perfect (ver. 14), embracing the whole field of Christian
teaching.
14. Solid Christian doctrine is for those who are mature in faith,
for those who by long practice and habits have disciplined their
minds and hearts so as to be able to distinguish between the true
and the false, between moral good and moral evil.
CHAPTER VI
THE ELEMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, I-3
1-3. The writer has just told his readers that, whereas they
should be full-grown men in faith, they are but infants. Now,
while exhorting them to advance beyond the rudiments, he repeats
the elementary principles of Christian instruction which formed the
basis of their first schooling in the doctrines of faith and practice.
These principles were: (a) repentance for sins and faith in God;
(b) teaching about different kinds of baptism and the laying on of
hands; (c) the doctrine of the resurrection and the eternal judg-
ment. These principles represented the minimum of instruction
given to all converts and required of a Christian, but the writer
390 HEBREWS VI. 1-3
1. Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us press
on to things more perfect, not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith towards God,
2. Of the doctrine of baptisms and the imposition of hands, and of the
resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.
3. And this will we do, if God permit.
would have his readers press on to a complete development of
them.
1-2. The word of the beginning of Christ is a literal translation
of the Greek, but the phrase means the elementary teaching con-
cerning Christ.
Not laying again the foundation, i.e., not repeating the elemen-
tary instruction which was given to catechumens.
Dead works, i.e., sinful acts and deeds.
Faith towards God, i.e., in the unity and trinity of God, the
Creator and Redeemer of mankind.
Baptisms. The plural here may refer to the difference between
the Baptism of Christ, on the one hand, and that of John and the
various Jewish washings, on the other hand ; or to the triple immer-
sion which was a characteristic feature of the rite in the beginning.
Imposition of hands, i.e., Confirmation, which in early times fol-
lowed immediately after Baptism.
Resurrection and eternal judgment, pertaining to the end and
final goal of life, were naturally included in the instruction given
to catechumens.
3. And this will we do, i.e., "press on to things more perfect,"
to a fuller understanding of the teachings of Christ (ver. i).
THE PERIL OF APOSTASY, 4-8
4-8. In these verses the Apostle stresses the hopeless condition of
those who, having embraced the Christian faith and tasted its super-
natural fruits, fall away from it, thus crucifying anew the Son of
God and making a mockery of Him (ver. 4-6). He concludes his
warning by an illustration drawn from nature : those who embrace
the faith and keep it are like a fertile field which absorbs the rain
and produces fruit, and receives in turn a blessing; while they who
yield no fruit of faith and grace are like a barren land, useless in
God's sight, and deserving only His curse (ver. 7-8).
HEBREWS VI. 4-6 391
4. For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted
also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5. And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world
to come,
6. And have fallen away, to be renewed again to penace, crucifying again
to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery.
4-6. The Apostle is describing here the blessings of the call to
Christianity; and he says that those who have once experienced
them and have given them up to the extent of rejecting the primary
truths and principles of Christian teaching, are beyond the hope of
salvation, simply because they have willfully thrown over the essen-
tial means of saving their souls.
For it is impossible, etc. The completion of this sentence is in
verse 6, "to be renewed again, etc." The majority of the older
Fathers and commentators understood the Apostle to be speaking
here of the impossibility of receiving a second time the Sacrament
of Baptism, once the Christian faith with all its implications had
been abandoned. But St. Jerome and nearly all modern expositors
believe there is question in this passage of the moral impossibility
of recalling to repentance those who have willfully given up the
faith; it is not because they cannot be reclaimed, but because they
will not — they do not want to be recalled from their second sleep
of death.
Illuminated, by the reception of Baptism, which translated them
from the realm of darkness to the region of light.
The heavenly gift, i.e., the graces and benefits of redemption.
Partakers of the Holy Ghost, i.e., sharers in the gifts and
charisms of the Holy Spirit, which were imparted in Confirmation.
And have tasted the good word of God, i.e., have experienced
the sweetness of the graces of the Gospel.
The powers of the world to come, i.e., the powers of healing,
casting out evil spirits, and working miracles in general, which
were possessed by the early Christians.
And have fallen away, i.e., committed the sin of apostasy, totally
and finally rejecting the Christian religion with all its spiritual
graces and blessings.
To be renewed again, etc. This translation, which follows the
Vulgate, is entirely wrong and misleading; the verb is active in the
Greek, and so gives the meaning that the impossibility in question
392 HEBREWS VI. 7-9
7. For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it,
and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth
blessing from God.
8. But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is reprobate, and very
near unto a curse, whose end is to be burnt.
9. But, beloved, we hope of you the better things and nearer to salvation,
though we speak thus.
is on the part of the preacher, and not on that of the believer. The
meaning is that it is morally impossible for a preacher to awaken
again to repentance those who have willfully rejected the Gospel
after having once fully accepted it and experienced its wondrous
gifts and blessings. Such conscious perverts, as far as in them
lies, repeat the crucifixion of Christ and expose again to the scorn
and mockery of the unbelieving world the Christ who died for
us all. Their sin is like that against the Holy Ghost (Matt. xii.
31 ff.) ; it is an open offence against the known truth and manifest
light.
To themselves, i.e., to their own destruction.
The connection between these verses and those that immediately
precede is this: Let us pass over the elementary teachings about
Christ, which are superfluous for the believing and useless for those
who have apostasized. It is impossible by an elementary instruc-
tion to call the latter back to faith, for they have received that
instruction and have willfully turned their backs upon it.
7-8. In these verses the Apostle means to say that those who make
use of the gifts of grace which they receive, receive further graces
and blessings from God; while they who abuse the gifts of God,
become useless and are accursed of the Giver of all good things.
Cf. Matt. vii. 17-19.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE, 9-I2
9-12. After the terrifying doctrines of the preceding paragraph
concerning those who lapse and give up the faith, the writer now
hastens to encourage his readers, assuring them that he does not
expect such things of them. God will never forget their love and
the charity they have shown to the saints. May they manifest the
same eagerness in realizing to the full the meaning of Christian
hope, and follow the example of those who through faith and
patience have inherited the promises of God !
9. The harsh words just uttered about the lapsed do not apply
to the readers of this Epistle, except as a warning of what might
HEBREWS VI. 10-12 393
10. For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love
which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minis-
ter to the saints.
11. And we desire that every one of you shew forth the same carefulness
to the accomplishing of hope unto the end,
12. That you become not slothful, but followers of them who through
faith and patience inherit the promises.
happen. Therefore, the writer addresses them as "beloved," and
can hope from them works fruitful unto salvation.
The dilectissimi of the Vulgate should be dilecti, as in the Greek.
lo. The Apostle's hope for his readers is grounded on their
works of charity in behalf of their fellow-Christians, which charity
had for its motive the love of God, for the works were performed
"in his name." The meaning of the verse is that, in view of the
good works of the faithful performed out of love for God, the
Lord in justice will give them the grace and help necessary to
persevere in the faith.
This verse proves, therefore, that good works done in a state
of grace can merit de condigno an increase of grace in this life and
eternal glory in the Hfe to come.
11-12. While the readers of this Epistle are zealous and active
in works of charity, there is reason to exhort them to show equal
zeal and confidence as regards hope. They must keep vividly before
them at all times the glorious prospects of their future rewards,
and not allow tribulations and sufferings to cause them to relax in
doing good. Thus they will become imitators of the saints who have
gone before them, whose steadfast faith enabled them to triumph
over every obstacle and so obtain the rewards which God had prom-
ised them. Examples of these heroes will be found in xi. i ff. and
xii. I fif., below.
The hereditabunt of the Vulgate should be in the present tense.
THE CERTAINTY OF OUR PROMISED INHERITANCE, I3-2O
13-20. Having just spoken of the promises of God, the author
now goes on to show the inviolability of God's word of promise.
When God promised to bless Abraham and his seed, he says. He
confirmed His promise with an oath, so as to make it doubly sure
and convincing. When men wish to strengthen a promise by an
oath, they call on one greater than they, namely, God, to stand as
guarantee of their contract; but since there is no one greater than
394 HEBREWS VI. 13-15
13. For God making promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater
by whom he might swear, swore by himself,
14. Saying: Unless blessing J shall bless thee, and multiplying I shall multi-
ply thee.
15. And so patiently enduring he obtained the promise.
God, the divine promise made to Abraham had to be assured by
an oath in which God swore by Himself. Thus, by two unchange-
able things, namely, God's promise and the oath by which He made
it doubly secure, we Christians are assured of the fulfillment of
our hope of future blessedness; for our hope reaches behind the
veil that separates this world from the world to come, and has its
anchor in eternity, where God who has made the promise dwells,
and where Jesus, our Forerunner, has entered to offer to the Father
the merits of His sacrifice for us, having become a High Priest
forever according to the order of Melchisedech.
13-15. By introducing the case of Abraham the writer wishes to
show that the blessings promised Christians are surely attainable
through a patient and faithful fulfillment of the obligations which
faith imposes upon us here. The example of Abraham proves this,
for to him God made the promise with an oath to bless him and
his posterity; and this promise in its literal sense was fulfilled at
least in part during the earthly life of the patriarch, and in its
spiritual sense it has been completely accomplished in the person
of Christ and the blessings that the Saviour has brought to the
world.
God making promise to Abraham. See Gen, xii. 2-3, xiii. 14-
17, XV, 5 ff., xvii. 5 ff., xxii. 16-17.
Unless blessing, etc. This is the Hebrew manner of introducing
an affirmative oath, and the repetition of the words gives a superla-
tive meaning; thus, the sense of the passage is: "I will surely bless
thee, I will surely multiply thee."
And so patiently enduring, etc. Many years intervened between
the promise made to Abraham and the birth of Isaac, the child of
promise (Gen, xii. 4, xxii. 5), and yet the faith and hope of the
patriarch remained unshaken; but in a spiritual sense the promise
began to be realized without delay, for Abraham was justified and
saved through the merits of Christ to come (xi. 13, 39, below),
and he thus became the father of all that believe (Gal. ii. 16; John
viii. 56).
HEBREWS VI. 16-19 395
16. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and an oath for con-
firmation is the end of all their controversy.
17. Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the
promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath,
18. That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to
lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge to hold
fast the hope set before us,
19. Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which
entereth in even behind the veil;
16-18. In these verses the writer shows that the promise made
to Abraham appertains to Christians, for in them it finds its com-
plete iulfillment. Among men, he says, it is customary when mak-
ing a promise of something serious to take an oath by calling on
God to bear witness that they intend to carry out what they have
promised, thus making God a party to their contract. An oath thus
puts an end to all further controversy, and places a seal on that
which is promised. Hence, God, in order to impress on men His
determination to bless all the real descendants of Abraham, con-
firmed and strengthened His promise by an oath, swearing by
Himself since there was no one greater by whom to swear. This
promise has been fulfilled, and the blessing has been conferred
through Christ, the Messiah, through whom faith and grace are
given in this life and glory in the life to come.
The heirs of the promise, i.e., faithful Jews, and especially
Christians, who by faith are the true descendants of Abraham (Gal.
iii. 29).
Two immutable things, i.e., the promise and the oath. God's
oath made His promise more secure and certain only in the eyes
of men; but He chose this solemn manner of strengthening His
promise in the eyes of men, in order that we Christians "may have
the strongest comfort" in taking refuge in the hope that God will
fulfill His promise of conferring on us eternal rewards (Rom. viii.
24; Col. i. 5). We take refuge in hope of the future life from the
sin, sorrow, and trials of the present life.
19. Which, i.e., hope. Our hope is "sure and firm," because it
is anchored in heaven, where God is in His heavenly shrine.
Behind the veil, i.e., behind the veil which separates God's pres-
ence from this world; the allusion is to the veil which hung before
the Holy of Holies in the Temple, into which the High Priest
entered once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
396 HEBREWS VI. 20
20. Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for
ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
20. Not only is our hope anchored in the divine presence, in the
heavenly sanctuary, but Jesus our Forerunner has entered there to
prepare a place for us (John xiv. 2-3) and to be our advocate with
the Father (ix. 24, below).
Made a high priest, etc. By these words the writer skillfully
makes a return to the subject of the High Priesthood of Christ,
which was first introduced in iv. 14-16 and continued in v. i-io,
but interrupted by the long digression of v. 11 — vi, 20. This theme
will now be treated in the four following Chapters, up to the end
of the dogmatic part of the Epistle (x. 18).
CHAPTER VII
THE SUPERIORITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST, 1-28
1-28. The author now returns to the third great argument in
proof of his thesis, that the New Dispensation is superior to the
Old. This argument is based on the superiority of the Priesthood
of Christ to that of the Old Law. The Apostle had already intro-
duced it in iv. 14-16, and had continued it in v. i-io, but then felt
it necessary to interrupt his main line of thought in order to give
warning of perils to be guarded against and to offer words of
encouragement to his readers. Now, however, he will take up this
argument and show the force it contains for his purpose. First,
referring to the narrative of Gen. xiv. 18-20, he places before us
a picture of Melchisedech, emphasizing those features in the
patriarch which showed the superiority of his type of priesthood
to that of the Levitical order (ver. 1-3). Next he shows the supe-
riority of Melchisedech to Abraham (ver. 4-10). In the third
place, he discusses the inferiority of the Levitical priesthood, which
was superseded by the perfect priesthood of Christ (ver. 11-25).
Finally, summing up his arguments, he shows that Christ is the
ideal High Priest (ver. 26-28).
HEBREWS VII. 1-3 397
i. For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God,
who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed
him:
2. To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by
interpretation, is king of justice, and then also king of Salem, that is, king
of peace:
3. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither be-
ginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the son of God, continueth
a priest for ever.
1-2. In these two verses the writer points out the positive out-
standing characteristics of Melchisedech : he is a king and a priest,
and he receives tithes. His name means "king of justice"; and
Salem, his city, means "peace." Therefore, the heavenly attributes
of justice (righteousness) and peace are associated with his person,
and these are the qualities so often combined in prophetic pictures
of the Messiah (Isa. ix. 7, xi. ; Psalms Ixxi. 1-3, 7, Ixxxiv. 10 ;
Zach. ix. 9 flf. ; Mai. iv. 2).
It is disputed whether "Salem" stands for Jerusalem or for a
town near Sichem in the vicinity of Gerizim. The question is of
no importance for the author's argument, whose only point is that
the word means "peace."
Most high God means the true God.
Who met Abraham, etc. After Abraham had defeated the hos-
tile kings from the north who had made war on Sodom and carried
away plunder and captives from the cities of the plain, and was
returning from the neighborhood of Damascus, whither he had
pursued the enemy, he passed through the little domain of Melchi-
sedech ; and here it was that Bera, King of Sodom, met Abraham
and thanked him for his help, and that Melchisedech brought forth
bread and wine and blessed Abraham and thanked God for the
victory over the invaders (see Gen. xiv. 1-20).
Divided the tithes, etc. In acknowledgment of the blessing he
had received, Abraham gave tithes to Melchisedech of all the spoils
he had recovered from the defeated foes.
3. The silence of Scripture about the origin and destiny of
Melchisedech makes him an appropriate figure of the Son of God,
who as God had no mother and as man no father, whose generation
no man knows, and whose eternal life is without beginning or end.
In the mention of "genealogy" we likely have an allusion to the
398 HEBREWS VII. 4-6
4. Now consider how great this man is, to whom even Abraham the
patriarch gave tithes out of the principal things.
5. And indeed they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priest-
hood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the
law, that is to say, of their brethren, though they themselves also came out
of the loins of Abraham.
6. But he, whose pedigree is not numbered among them, received tithes
of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
Levitical priesthood, which with scrupulous care had always to
trace its descent back to Aaron.
But likened unto the Son of God, i.e., the silence of Scripture
about Melchisedech's father, mother, birth and death, when mysti-
cally interpreted, gives him an eternal character and makes him
eminently typical of the Son of God; and as he was a priest, and
Scripture makes no mention of his death, it is understood that
he continues a priest forever. The Apostle is here alluding to the
directly and universally accepted Messianic Psalm cix, which in
verse 4 speaks of the Messiah as a priest forever according to the
order of Melchisedech.
4-6. In verses 4-10 the Apostle shows the superiority of Melchi-
sedech to Abraham. So extraordinary was his dignity that "even
Abraham the partiarch," i.e., the father of the chosen people of
God, paid him tithes "out of the principal things" (literally, "of
the top of the heap," i.e., of the best of the spoils which he had
taken in war). This act on the part of the founder and father of
the Jewish race showed that he recognized in Melchisedech his
superior. Unlike the priests of the Levitical order, who had a right
under the Law of Moses to exact tithes from their own people,
though they themselves were also children of Abraham, this patri-
archal priest, who lived before the Law, could require tithes from
Abraham, and his right was not questioned. It was the Law of
Moses that gave the Levites the right to tithes, whereas Melchi-
sedech had a right independent of and anterior to that Law. More-
over, Melchisedech tithed Abraham himself, whereas the Levites
tithed only the children of Abraham. Another sign of the personal
dignity of Melchisedech was the blessing that he imparted to the
patriarch to whom had been given the divine promises of blessings
for all mankind (Gen. xii. 2-3, xiii. 14 flf., xvii. i ff., xxii. 15 ff.).
The sons of Levi who receive the priesthood. Not all the
HEBREWS VII. 7-12 399
7. And without all contradiction, that which is less is blessed by the better.
8. And here indeed men that die, receive tithes ; but there he of whom it
is witnessed that he hveth.
9. And, so to speak, even Levi who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham ;
10. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedech met him.
11. If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the
people received the law), what further need was there that another priest
should rise according to the order of Melchisedech, and not be called ac-
cording to the order of Aaron?
12. For when the priesthood is changed it is necessary that a change also
be made of the law.
descendants of Levi were priests, but only those who were of the
family of Aaron; all the rest were called Levites, and their duties
were concerned with the material ministries of the Temple.
Whose pedigree is not numbered, etc., i.e., who in no way be-
longed to the tribe of Levi.
7. A benediction, as such and at the time it is given, is always
the sign of superiority in the one who imparts it to the one who
receives it. Therefore, Melchisedech in blessing Abraham showed
his superiority to the patriarch and to the Levites who descended
from him.
8. Another sign of the superiority of the priesthood of Melchi-
sedech is in this, that, whereas the Levitical priests die one after
another, he lives forever, at least in so far as the testimony of
Scripture is concerned : Scripture tells us that they die, but makes
no mention of his death; it speaks of their successors, but sayr,
nothing about his.
9-10. Even Levi and the Levites, who received tithes from their
own brethren, paid tithes to Melchisedech in the person of Abraham
their father, and they and their priesthood, therefore, are inferior
to him and his priesthood.
The phrase "so to speak" is found only here in the New Testa-
ment, but it is classical and Philo frequently employs it.
11-12. In verses 11-19 the Apostle points out the failure and in-
effectualness of the Levitical priesthood and of the Old Law which
had grown up around it, and in verses 20-25 he shows the perfec-
tion and effectiveness of the priesthood and the new code introduced
by Jesus.
If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood, etc. The
ancient code had grown up around the Levitical priesthood, which
400 HEBREWS VII. 13-16
13. For he, of whom these things are spoken, is of another tribe, of which
no one attended on the altar ;
14. For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Juda, in which
tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.
15. And this is yet far more evident if according to the simihtude of Mel-
chisedech there ariseth another priest,
16. Who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but
according to the power of an indissoluble life.
was its centre and core ; it depended on the priesthood for its
efficacy and success; if the priesthood failed, the whole system
became void and useless. But the Levitical priesthood did fail, it
did not secure moral perfection for men; and this is why the
Psalmist in Psalm xciv. 4 proclaims the advent of a new system in
the Messiah which would be independent of the hne of Aaron and
according to the order of Melchisedech. Since, therefore, the Law
centred about the priesthood and depended on it, it follows that,
when the priesthood failed, the whole legal system also failed and
became obsolete and useless.
13-14. For he, of whom, etc., i.e., the Messiah, who is the sub-
ject of Psalm xciv. As a matter of fact, the Levitical priesthood
has failed, and with it the entire old system has gone, in so far as
it depended on the priesthood. Nor is there to be any reformation
of the discarded code; for He whom the Psalmist announced as
the author of a new priesthood and a new law was of the tribe of
Juda, and had nothing to do with the ancient tribe of Levi which
provided the ministers of the old altar. Since, then, our Lord is a
priest, and not of the tribe of Levi but of the tribe of Juda, it
follows that the Law has been superseded, because a new priest-
hood has arisen.
Our Lord. See on i Tim. i. 14; 2 Tim. i. 8,
15-16. And this is yet far more evident, i.e., that the ancient
Levitical system had to go, and that it had to be superseded by a
new priesthood, is evident not only from its imperfection and from
the fact that a new priest was to arise outside the line of Levi
(ver, 11-14) ; but also, and even more so, is this evident when we
see arise another priest who. is constituted in a wholly different
manner, in no wise depending on the Law, but being made accord-."
ing to the type and fashion of Melchisedech ; not deriving His
priesthood from carnal and external descent, but from "the power
HEBREWS VII. 17-22 401
17. For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of
Melchisedech.
i8. There is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because
of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof,
19. (For the law brought nothing to perfection) but a bringing in of a
better hope, by which we draw nigh to God.
20. And inasmuch as it is not without an oath (for the others indeed
were made priests without an oath ;
21. But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath
sworn, and he will not repent. Thou art a priest for ever) ;
22. By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
of an indissoluble life." The Greek expression for "far more evi-
dent" here is not found elsewhere in the New Testament.
Not according to the law, i.e., not according to the Mosaic legis-
lation, which required that the priests should come from the family
of Aaron in regular succession. This prescription of the Law of
Moses was called "a carnal commandment," because it referred to
mortal men who transmitted the priesthood from father to son
according to carnal descent, or because it was merely external and
subject to earthly limitations and human relationships. The priest-
hood of Christ, on the contrary, is not dependent on something
external and changeable, but is derived from a power which is in-
ternal and depends on a life which is eternal, and therefore un-
changeable. The Greek for "indissoluble" occurs only here in the
New Testament.
17. The Psalmist (Ps. cix. 4) had foretold that the Messiah
should be a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech,
and our Lord by His risen and immortal life has fulfilled this
prophecy; He conquered death in His resurrection, and now He
liveth evermore.
18-19. Now we have given the reason why the Levitical code and
the ancient legislation came to an end: they were impotent to pro-
duce moral perfection, they could not effect man's justification from
sin and lead him to eternal salvation; and in this sense they were
weak and unprofitable. But the Law was not altogether useless,
for it was a shadow of things to come and a prelude to a higher
hope by which we draw near to God. It is the New Law and the
priesthood of Christ that lead to perfection and to eternal life.
2022. The superiority of the priesthood of Christ to the Levitical
system is further proved from the fact that it was instituted with
402 HEBREWS VII. 23-25
23. And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of
death they were not suffered to continue ;
24. But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priest-
hood.
25. Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that rome to God by
him, always living to make intercession for us.
a solemn oath on the part of God, whereas the priests of the Old
Law were constituted such without an oath. An oath is used only
in matters of greater importance, and it gives firmness and stabil-
ity to the thing sworn to. Speaking through the Psalmist (Ps.
cix. 4), God took an everlasting oath that Christ was to be a priest
forever. In proportion, therefore, as the priesthood of Christ rests
on the solemn oath of God, in the same proportion is our Lord
made the surety of a more excellent covenant than that which
existed under the Old Dispensation.
For the others, i.e., the Aaronic priests.
But this with an oath, etc., i.e., Christ our Lord was made a
priest by God the Father who, in the words of Psalm cix. 4, said
to Him with a solemn oath which He will never revoke: "Thou
art a priest for ever."
By so much is Jesus, etc. Since the priesthood of Jesus has
been set up with an oath, it follows that the whole New Testament
which centres about that priesthood has also been established with
an oath, and our Lord is our assurance that the promises contained
in the New Law will be fulfilled ; it is He who has satisfied for our
sins and merited for us the graces by which we can keep His com-
mandments and save our souls.
Here in verse 22 we have for the first time the introduction of
the idea of a New Covenant or Testament, which is developed in
Chapter viii.
23-25. The author now gives other reasons to show how the new
priesthood is superior to the old. In the old system the priests were
many in number and were always succeeding one another, because
death was constantly thinning their ranks ; there was no permanency
about them, and their office was consequently transitory. But in
the new system we have one supreme Mediator who abides forever,
and whose priesthood does not change. Thus, it follows from this
perpetual and unchanging priesthood of the New Law that Jesus
CJhrist, our great High Priest, is able "to save for ever" (i.e., at
HEBREWS VII. 26-28 403
26. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent,
undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27. Who needeth not daily as the other priests to offer sacrifices first for
his own sins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, in offering
himself.
28. For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity; but the word of
the oath, which followed the law, setteth up the Son who is perfected for
evermore.
all times) those who draw near to God through Him ; He is always
living "to make intercession for us" (i.e., to exercise His priesthood
in our behalf).
The words translated "for ever" (ver. 25) may also be rendered
"to the uttermost," i.e., completely, in the fullest degree.
The human priests of the New Law are but vicars of Jesus Christ,
ministers employed by Him to discharge in His name certain visible
and external functions here on earth; and the sacrifice which they
offer is identical with His sacrifice.
26-28. The author now returns to the thought of Jesus Christ as
High Priest, having established the superiority of His priesthood
to that of the Levitical system. Christ is indeed the ideal High
Priest, because He possesses perfect intrinsic holiness and is entirely
apart from sin and sinners; He surpasses in sanctity all creatures
and is seated above the heavens at the right hand of the Father
Almighty. Unlike the Levitical priests who were under the neces-
sity of offering sacrifices continually, first for their own sins and
then for the sins of the people, Christ had no sins of His own to
expiate, and for the sins of the people He offered Himself once
and for all.
The reason why the Jewish priests had to offer sacrifices for
their sins was that the Law of Moses chose as its priests men who
were subject to moral infirmity, men who were sinners; but the
High Priest of the New Law, whom the Eternal Father constituted
such with an irrevocable oath, as declared by the Psalmist centu-
ries after the Law was given (Ps. cix. 4), is the Son of God
Himself, and therefore sinless and perfect from eternity.
The word "daily" in verse 27 causes a difficulty, since the Jewish
High Priest did not offer sacrifice every day, but only once a year
on the Day of Atonement, when he offered sacrifice first for him-
self and then for the people. But the author is here speaking of
404 HEBREWS VIII. i, 2
the Levitical system in general and of all the Jewish priests and
sacrifices. Many of these sacrifices were offered daily, and all of
them were directly or indirectly ordained to the expiation of sins of
the priests and of the people (Exod. xxix. 38 fif. ; Lev. vi. 14; Num.
xxviii, 3 fif.). According to Philo, the High Priest himself offered
sacrifice daily. Whether he did or not, he could be said to have
part in the daily sacrifices of the inferior priests, since they per-
formed their functions subject to his authority and jurisdiction.
At any rate, our author is thinking of the need of repetition of
the ancient sacrifices as contrasted with the one, all-sufficient, and
eternal sacrifice of Christ, which was offered once in a bloody
manner on the cross and is perpetuated to the end of the world
in an unbloody manner on our altars through the holy sacrifice of
the Mass.
CHAPTER VIII
CHRIST A HIGH PRIEST IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY, I-5
1. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the chief point : We
have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of
majesty in the heavens,
2. A minister of the hoHes, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord
hath pitched, not man.
1-5. The author continues his proof of the superiority of the
New Dispensation to the Old from the superiority of its priesthood.
In iv. 14 — vii. 28 he has been showing the superiority of the priest-
hood of Christ to the Levitical priesthood, arguing from the greater
dignity of the Person who is the High Priest of the Christian Dis-
pensation, as compared with the priests of the Old Law; Christ is
the ideal High Priest. In the present Chapter he will show how
far the ministry of Christ surpasses that of the Levitical system,
(a) because it is exercised in the heavenly Sanctuary (ver. 1-5),
and (b) because it is a part of a new and better Covenant (ver.
6-13)-
1-2. Now of the things which we have spoken, i.e., the chief
feature about the priesthood of which we are speaking is this, that
we Christians have a High Priest who is enthroned in heaven and
HEBREWS VIII. 3 405
3. For every high priest is appointed to oflFer gifts and sacrifices ; where-
fore it is necessary that this one also should have some thing to offer.
who exercises His ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary, which the
Lord, and not man, has built.
Chief point. The Greek expression may also be rendered "sum,"
i.e., compendium; but the writer is not recapitulating his previous
arguments. He is introducing a new idea: Christ is not only the
ideal High Priest, but He exercises His office in the ideal Sanc-
tuary in heaven, where He is enthroned at the right hand of God
the Father,
Minister. The Greek denotes an officiating priest.
Holies is a literal translation of the Greek, but, since the word
is here parallel to "tabernacle," it clearly means "sanctuary," as
also in ix. 8, x. 19, xiii. 11.
The true tabernacle, as distinguished from the earthly taber-
nacle, which was its shadow or figure.
3. Every High Priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices,
and therefore Christ, the ideal High Priest, who resides in heaven
and exercises His ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary, must have
something to offer there. The gifts and sacrifices that He offers
and presents are His prayers in our behalf (vii. 25), the blood He
shed for us on the cross, and Himself (ix. 14; Eph. v. 2).
This great theme of the priestly functions that are performed in
the heavenly Sanctuary is developed in Chapter ix. 11-28, x. 5-7,
II, 12, 14. But here it may be well to note the following opinions
regarding the sacrifice of Christ: (a) the Socinians held that Christ
offered no sacrifice on earth, but became a High Priest only after
His Ascension into heaven and offers His sacrifice there, which
opinion is contrary to the teaching of St. Paul on the sacrificial
death of Christ; (b) Thalhofer (Cath.) taught that Christ offers in
heaven a true and proper sacrifice, which consists exclusively in
the internal offering of His will, but this is contrary to the accepted
notion of sacrifice, which must be an external act; (c) Condren
(Cath.) says that Christ completes in heaven the sacrifice of the
cross by communion with the Father, but this would make the
sacrifice of Calvary incomplete; (d) the common Catholic teaching
is that in heaven Christ neither offers a new sacrifice, nor com-
pletes His earthly sacrifice, but applies there the merits of the
4.)6 HEBREWS VIII. 4, 5
4. If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest: seeing that there
are others to ofifer gifts according to the law :
5. Who serve unto the copy and shadow of heavenly things. As it was
answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: See (saith he) that
thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewn thee on the
mount.
sacrifice He offered here on the cross. Moreover, through His
ministers on earth Christ continues in the Mass the sacrifice once
oflfered on the cross.
4. Since our Lord in His human nature was descended from the
tribe of Juda, and not from the tribe of Levi, He could not be a
priest and exercise priestly functions on earth according to the
Levitical system prescribed by Moses. The ministry of the earthly
sanctuary is taken care of by those who are priests in the Levitical
sense, and who offer gifts according to the Law of Moses. This
verse implies that the Jewish priests were still performing their
functions in the Temple when this letter was written.
The essent and offerrent of the Vulgate should be in the present
tense, as in the Greek.
5. The Levitical priests exercipe their ministry and offer their
sacrifices in an earthly sanctuary which is but a copy and shadow
of the true heavenly Sanctuary where Christ is officiating. The
author appeals to Exod. xxv. 40 to prove that the earthly taber-
nacle was but a copy and shadow of the heavenly one, for Moses
had it built according to the pattern which God gave him on Mount
Sinai. The Levitical priesthood, sanctuary and sacrifices were only
shadows of Christ's priesthood, the heavenly Sanctuary and obla-
tion ; hence the vast superiority of the latter to the former.
CHRIST THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW AND BETTER COVENANT, 6-I3
6-13. The superiority of the priesthood of Christ to that of the
Old Dispensation is again manifest in the greater excellence of the
Covenant of which He is the minister and mediator. The New
Covenant is superior to the Old because it is based on superior
divine promises. That the Old Testament was faulty, God Him-
self bore witness when through Jeremias He pronounced judgment
upon it and promised the new and better one which has been ful-
filled in the new relationship established between God and man by.
HEBREWS VIII. 6-8 407
6. But now he hath obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a
mediator of a better testament, which is estabhshed on better promises.
7. For if that former had been faultless, there should not indeed a place
have been sought for a second.
8. For finding fault with them, he saith : Behold, the days shall come, saith
the Lord, and I will perfect unto the house of Israel, and unto the house
of Juda, a new testament;
Jesus Christ. The Old Law was external, written on tables of
stone; the New Law is inscribed on the heart. The Old Law was
given to the nation as a whole ; the New Law speaks to the indi-
vidual, instructing every man in the knowledge of God and leading
to the forgiveness of men's sins. Thus, by speaking of a "new"
Covenant God implied the transient character and the ultimate
disappearance of the old order, which was to be superseded by a
new and better one.
6. But now, etc., i.e., as things are actually, the priesthood of
Christ is as far superior to that of the Levitical system as the new
relationship which He has established between God and man is
superior to the one that existed under the Old Law.
A Mediator. Christ is to the New Law what Moses was to the
Old, and more ; for, like Aaron, He is also a High Priest. Through
the revelation He gave to the world, and through His sufferings,
oblation on Calvary, and His death, He is both the Mediator and
the High Priest of the New Dispensation.
Better promises. The Levitical system was based on material
promises of the Land of Canaan (Deut. xxviii. iff.), whereas the
New Covenant rests on spiritual promises, such as grace, the remis-
sion of sins, life everlasting, and the like, as described in the quota-
tion that follows from Jeremias.
7. The Old Law did not lead men to perfection and salvation ; it
was defective, as God's words to Jeremias clearly prove. Hence it had
to be superseded by a new and better one.
8. In verses 8-12 the author now proves by a quotation from
Jeremias (Jer. xxxi. 31-34) that on God's own testimony the Old
Covenant established through Moses on Mount Sinai was unsatis-
factory, and that it was to be superseded by a new and perfect one.
The quotation from the prophet, being according to the LXX, dif-
fers slightly from the Hebrew.
Finding fault, etc., i.e., God reproaches the people of Israel for
4o8 HEBREWS VIII. 9-12
g. Not according to the testament which I made to their fathers, on the
day when I took thevi by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
because they continued not in my testament, and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord.
10. For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel after
those days, saith the Lord: I will give my laws into their mind, and in their
heart will I write them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people;
11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me from the least to the
greatest of thefn,
12. Because I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will re-
member no more.
their failure to fulfill their part of the Old Covenant, and promises
to establish a new alliance with the nation.
The days shall come refers to the Messianic era.
9. The New Covenant will differ in character from that estab-
lished on Mount Sinai after the release of the Israelites from the
bondage of Egypt, for the latter was set aside because of the faijure
of the people to fulfill their part of the agreement.
10. The author begins now to describe the positive character of
the New Covenant which God promised to establish in Messianic
times: it will be internal, written on the hearts of the people, and
the relation which it will effect between God and His people will
be far more intimate than before ; God will enrich them with His
benefits and lead them to salvation, while they will render Him a
service worthy of Him.
11. Under the New Covenant the knowledge of God will become
universal, not confined to any one people or class, as was the case
under the Old Law. This does not mean that there will be no
need of a teaching authority in the Church, for otherwise the teach-
ing of this very letter would be superfluous, and St. Paul could
not have so often insisted elsewhere on the necessity of teaching
and of sound doctrine (cf. Eph. iv. 11 ff.; Gal. i. 18 ff. ; i Tim. iii.
15, iv. II, 13, 16; 2 Tim. ii. 2, iv. 2, 5; Titus i. 5, 9, ii. I, etc.).
The meaning, therefore, here is that under the New Covenant there
will be a much greater outpouring of grace on the teacher and the
hearer, that the law will be far simpler to understand, that it will
not be confined to the Jews but will be extended to all peoples, etc.
Neighbor is "fellow-citizen" in the Greek.
12. In consequence of this new relationship between God and
His people, and of the grace which the New Law will confer, God
HEBREWS VIII. 13, IX. i 409
13. Now in saying a new, he hath made the former old. And that which
decayeth and groweth old is near its end.
will remit the sins and blot out the transgressions of His people.
The Old Law had no power to forgive sins, because it did not con-
fer grace; and hence it could not remove the principal obstacle to
union between God and His people.
13. When God through Jeremias spoke of the future Covenant
as "new," He indicated that the Old Law was already in decay and
near its end. Hence the Old Testament itself contains a prophecy
of its supersession by a new and better alliance.
CHAPTER IX
THE SUPERIOR EXCELLENCE OF CHRIST's SACRIFICE, 1-28
I. The former indeed had also justifications of divine service, and an
earthly sanctuary.
1-28. In the preceding Chapter the author has shown us how
Christ was the ideal High Priest, exercising His functions in the
heavenly Sanctuary, and the Mediator of a new and better Cove-
nant. Here in the present Chapter he will show how our Lord
offered the ideal sacrifice, excelling by far the sacrifices of the
Levitical order. To prove this, he first contrasts the ancient Taber-
nacle, its furnishings, and defective worship with the greater and
more perfect Sanctuary into which Christ has entered, and the
perfect and everlasting sacrifice which Christ has offered to God
(ver. 1-14). Then he explains the necessity and value of the one
and all-sufficient sacrifice which Christ has offered for sin (ver.
15-28).
I. In verses 1-5 we have a description of the Mosaic Tabernacle
and its furnishings, to which and its services the author always
refers rather than to the Temple of his own time. His aim here
is to give us an idea of the splendor which attended and surrounded
the ancient Jewish worship.
The former. No substantive is expressed, but "covenant" is to
be understood, as is evident from the preceding chapter.
Justifications, i.e., ordinances, or arrangements for divine wor-
4IO HEBREWS IX. 2, 3
2. For there was a tabernacle made, the first, wherein were the candle-
stick, and the table, and the setting forth of loaves, which is called the holy.
3. And behind the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holy of
holies,
ship ordained by God. The ancient Sanctuary is called "earthly"
or "of this world," as contrasted vv^ith the heavenly Sanctuary where
Christ officiates.
2. A tabernacle. The reference is to the Mosaic Tabernacle,
which consisted of a vestibule and two main parts, called the Holy
Place and the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. Both of these
main parts were called tabernacles or tents. The vestibule was sepa-
rated from the Holy Place by a curtain or veil, and a second curtain
or veil hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The
author will now describe the furnishings of these two main parts
of the ancient Tabernacle of the wilderness; he is not concerned
with the Temple of his own day, in which there was no ark, or
mercy-seat, or Shechinah, and probably no seven-branched candle-
stick. These furnishings had disappeared with the exile.
The first, i.e., the outer tent, the Holy Place, into which the
vestibule opened and which contained "the candlestick" or lamp-
stand with seven lamps (Exod. xxv. 31-40), "the table" for the
loaves of shewbread (Exod. xxv. 23-30), and "the setting forth of
loaves," or the shewbread of twelve cakes set out in two rows on
the sacred table (Exod. xxv. 30; Lev. xxiv. 5-9).
Which is called the holy, i.e., this first tent is called the Holy
Place. It is remarkable that our author makes no mention of the
altar of incense among the furniture of the Holy Place or outer
tent, probably because he is confining his description to what is
found in Exod. xxv and xxvi, or because he possessed more defi-
nite information regarding its introduction and position than we
have, as given later in Exod. xxx ; for from 3 Kings vi. 22 and
Exod. xl. 5 it would seem that the altar of incense was in the Most
Holy Place. See below, on verses 4-5.
3. A first veil hung between the Holy Place and the vestibule
and outer court, and a second one between the Holy Place and the
Most Holy Place or innermost Sanctuary. By the first veil the
laity and the Levites were excluded from the Holy Place; and by
the second all were excluded from the Most Holy Place, except the
High Priest on the Day of Atonement.
HEBREWS IX. 4, 5 411
4. Having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant covered about on
every part with gold, in which was a golden pot that had manna, and the
rod of Aaron, that had blossomed, and the tables of the covenant;
5. And over it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat,
of which it is not needful to speak now particularly.
4-5. We now have a description of the furniture of the Most
Holy Place.
Having a golden censer. Since there is no mention in the Old
Testament of a "golden censer," many scholars think the Greek
word here so translated should be rendered "altar of incense." But
to this it is objected that the altar of incense belonged to the Holy
Place (Exod. xxxvii. 25-29). The best explanation is that the altar
was so intimately connected with the Most Holy Place that it could
be said to belong to it; for, because of its atoning power, Exod.
XXX. 10 speaks of it as the Holy of Holies, and Exod. xxx. 6 and
xl. 5 say it was placed before the mercy-seat. At any rate, it was
separated from the Most Holy Place only by the second veil, and
this was drawn on the Day of Atonement ; and thus on that day the
altar of incense became intimately associated with the High Priest's
services in the Most Holy Place.
The ark of the covenant (Exod. xxv. 10-12) was a box made
of acacia wood and covered with gold inside and outside.
A golden pot that had manna (Exod. xvi. 32-35), which was a
memorial of the gift of manna in the wilderness.
The rod of Aaron, etc. (Num. xvii. i-io), which symbolized
that the priesthood belonged to the tribe of Levi.
Tables of the covenant (Deut. x. 2-8) were the tables of stone
on which the commandments were written.
The cherubim of glory (Exod. xxv. 18-22; Lev. xvi. 2), i.e., the
two cherubim of gold with outstretched wings between which rested
the Shechinah, or luminous cloud of divine glory, which was the
symbol of God's presence, or the medium by which His presence
was manifested.
The mercy-seat or kapporeth (Exod. xxv. 17-22) was a square
slab made of wood that served as a lid for the ark. It was sprinkled
with sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement, and thus got its
name of "mercy-seat," or literally, "means of propitiation," be-
cause it signified God's compassion and readiness to forgive sin.
The author has said enough to give us an idea of the furniture
412 HEBREWS IX. 6-8
6. Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle the priests
indeed always entered, accomplishing the offices of sacrifices;
7. But into the second, the high priest alone, once a year, not without
blood, which he ofFereth for his own and the people's ignorance,
8. The Holy Ghost signifying this, that the way into the holies was not
yet made manifest whilst the former tabernacle was yet standing.
and rich meaning of the ritual of the Tabernacle, but he says it is
not possible to discuss all the symbolism and its significance which
the contents of the ancient Sanctuary shadowed forth.
6-7. Having given us the furniture of the Tabernacle and a gen-
eral idea of its symbolism, the author now in verses 6-10 describes
the Levitical worship. The Levites did not enter the Holy Place,
but the priests officiated there at least twice every day, entering
every morning and every evening to oflfer incense, to prepare and
light the candles, etc. (Exod. xxx. 7 ff.), and on Saturdays to renew
the shewbread (Lev. xxiv. 8). But the Holy of Holies was entered
only by the High Priest once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
On this day, however, the High Priest went into the Most Holy
Place several times. The ceremonial was as follows: in the court
he first killed the bullock which was the sin-offering for himself
and the priesthood, and then taking some of its blood he entered
the Most Holy Place and sprinkled it on the mercy-seat, thus cleans-
ing, consecrating, and making atonement for himself and the priest-
hood. Returning to the court he killed the goat, which was the
sin-offering for the people, and sprinkled its blood in the same
place. The altar of incense in the Holy Place and the altar of
burnt offerings in the outer court were also cleansed by the blood
of both victims (cf. Lev. xvi. 12-16; Num. xv. 22 ff.).
People's ignorance, i.e., sins committed through ignorance.
8. The author now explains the meaning of the regulations rela-
tive to entrance into the Holy of Holies. He says that the Holy
Ghost, the author of the Law and of Scripture, meant to show by
the arrangement which permitted only the High Priest to enter the
Holy of Holies once a year that under the worship connected with
the Tabernacle there was no free access to the presence of God.
Only the High Priest had this privilege, and that only once a year,
as long as the ancient Sanctuary existed. Thus, from the Holy
of Holies all were excluded but the High Priest, and from the
Holy Place all but the priests.
HEBREWS IX. 9-12 413
9. Which is a parable of the time present, according to which gifts and
sacrifices are offered, which can not, as to the conscience, make him perfect
that serveth, only in meats and in drinks,
10. And divers washings, and justices of the flesh laid on them until the
time of reformation.
11. But Christ being come, a high priest of the good things to come, by
a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hand, that is, not of
this creation:
12. Neither by the blood of goats, and of calves, but by his own blood,
entered once into the holies, having obtained eternal redemption.
The term "tabernacle" here comprises both tents, the Holy of
Holies and the Holy Place.
9-10. Which, i.e., v^hich Tabernacle. The Greek clearly shows
that this is the meaning, and hence the Vulgate qnce should be quod.
The meaning of the verse is that the Tabernacle with its exclusive
arrangements was "a parable" (i.e., a sign or symbol) "of the
present time" (i.e., of conditions as they were under the Old Law),
before the full inauguration of the Gospel Dispensation; which
parable showed that under the Old Covenant man's access to and
fellowship with God was very much restricted, and that the gifts
and sacrifices offered by the priests and the ceremonies performed
were only external ordinances having but external effects, utterly
unable to perfect man in his inner life and soul, and that they
therefore had only a temporary value, being imposed "until the time
of reformation," i.e., until the establishment of the New Covenant
and the inauguration of the Messianic era, which took place in its
fullness on the first Christian Pentecost. The complete and final
annulment of the Old Covenant was effected with the fall of Jeru-
salem and the destruction of its Temple and worship in the year
70 A.D.
1 1- 12. In verses 11-14 the author describes the greater efficacy
of the sacrifice of Christ, showing that our Lord offered the ideal
sacrifice.
But Christ, being come, i.e., Christ having arrived on the scene.
Of the good things to come, i.e., of the blessings they would
enjoy who would belong to His Church. Another equally good
reading has: "Of the good things that have come," i.e., that are
already enjoyed by those who have embraced Christianity. The
author now gives two reasons to show how the work of Christ sur-
passed that of the Jewish High Priest: (a) He entered into the
414 HEBREWS IX. 13, 14
13. For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of a heifer
being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh,
14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by his eternal Spirit
offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works,
to serve the living God?
ideal Sanctuary in heaven; (b) He offered a perfect sacrifice — His
own blood which, being of infinite value, needed not to be repeated,
but has wrought an eternal redemption. The Jewish High Priest
entered only an earthly Sanctuary which belonged to the world of
created things, and the sacrifices which he offered consisted of the
blood of animals and had to be repeated continually because im-
perfect.
In verse 11 of the Vulgate assist ens should be a p parens and the
aut in verse 12 should be et, to agree with the Greek.
It is to be noted that many of the Fathers understood "taber-
nacle" of verse 11 to refer to our Lord's body or the sacred hu-
manity, as in X. 20 below ; but such an interpretation seems to be
out of line with the author's argument here, where he is contrast-
ing Christ's entrance with His body into heaven with the entrance
of the Jewish High Priest into the Holy of Holies on the Day of
Atonement.
13-14. The author does not deny all value to the ancient sacri-
fices ; but here, by an argument from less to greater, he shows how
the blood of Christ has wrought an eternal redemption. Referring
to the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement, when a bullock and a
goat were slain and their blood used for cleansing and purifying
(Lev. xvi. 16, 21), and to the sacrifice of the Red Cow (Num. xix.
18), whose ashes mixed with water served to cleanse from legal
defilement, he says, if these external rites of the Old Law were
able to confer a purification, even though it was merely of the flesh
and external, how much more will the blood of Christ, who by His
eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our con-
science from the works of sin and enable us to offer a worthy
service to the living God. The author is arguing that the greater
the victim, the greater the fruit of its sacrifice. Now, in the sacri-
fice of Christ we have (a) the life-blood of a Person, not of an
animal; (b) that Person is Christ, the anointed of God; (c) Christ's
sacrifice is a self-oblation, and not something external to Him, for
He was the victim and priest on the cross and now in the heavenly
HEBREWS IX. 15 415
15. And therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, that since death
has taken place for the redemption of those transgressions which were under
the former covenant they that are called may receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
Sanctuary; (d) He is a victim vi^ithout blemish, not only in body
like the ancient victims, but also in spirit; (e) He offered Himself
through His eternal Spirit, or that indwelling power of divinity
which enabled Him to rise from the dead and gave Him an "indis-
soluble life" (vii. 16).
Some authorities understand "eternal Spirit" here to mean the
Holy Ghost, but this is improbable since there is no definite article
in the Greek.
15. In verses 15-22 the author wishes to show his readers, who
might otherwise be scandalized at the death of Jesus, how that
death was necessary for the redemption of mankind. He bases
his argument on the double meaning of the Greek word hiad-qKrj,
which may signify either a covenant or a will and testament. In
verses 15-17 he uses the word in both senses, as a covenant and
as a will or testament, after first recalling the idea of Chapter viii.
6-13, where it was shown that Christ is the Mediator of a new and
better Covenant; and then in verses 18-22 the same word is em-
ployed in the more precise and Hebrew sense of covenant.
In verses 15-17, therefore, the writer shows how the death of
Christ was necessary in order that the will and testament which
He made might have its effect. A will or testament becomes effec-
tive and binding only on the death of the testator, and since the
New Testament is Christ's will, as well as His Covenant, it could
not have its effect and force without His death.
And therefore, i.e., because the sacrifice which Christ has offered
is of so great value, or because He has redeemed us with His blood
and has purified our conscience and reconciled us to God (ver. 14),
He has become "the mediator of a new covenant," as was explained
in viii. 6-13, in order that what took place under the Old Covenant
with regard to men's sins might occur with greater eflficacy under
the New Covenant: under the Old Covenant the death of victims
was necessary in order that by their blood men might be purified
from their transgressions, and that the High Priest might be able
to enter the Holy of Holies ; so in like manner under the New
Covenant the death of a more perfect victim, namely, Christ Him-
4i6 HEBREWS IX. 16-19
16. For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must of ne-
cessity come in.
17. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is as yet
of no strength whilst the testator liveth.
18. Whereupon neither was the first indeed dedicated without blood ;
19. For when every commandment of the law had been read by Moses to
all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet
wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
self, was necessary in order to give to those ancient sacrifices all
the efficacy they possessed and to secure to all who are called to
the true faith the means of attaining to eternal beatitude and of
entering their heavenly abode. This seems to be the meaning of
a very obscure verse on which long treatises have been written.
If we do not connect "and therefore" at the beginning of the
verse with what immediately precedes in verse 14, we cannot do
better than translate with the Westminster Version as follows:
"For this, then, is he the Mediator of a new testament, that whereas
a death hath taken place, etc."
16-17. Having just spoken of the necessity of a death and of an
inheritance, the writer now goes on to show in these two verses
that the death of Christ was necessary from the fact that the new
aUiance which He established was His will and testament. He is
here using the word Biad-qKi] in its Greek and Roman sense of will
or testament ; and he says that, since no will takes eflfect until after
the death of the testator, the death of Christ was necessary that
we Christians might get possession of our inheritance of eternal
life. The death of Jesus, therefore, was not a sign of weakness,
but was rather an essential condition of the establishment of the
Messianic kingdom and of the inheritance of those Messianic bless-
ings of which Jesus was the primary heir and the sole dispenser.
18. The writer now returns to the Hebrew meaning of the word
StaO-qKT}, and says that even the "first" (i.e., the Sinaitic Covenant)
was not "dedicated" (i.e., inaugurated) without the bloody sacrifice
of victims, referring to the account given in Exod. xxiv. i if. The
inference is that the death of Jesus was necessary also for the
establishment of the New Covenant, as the death of animals was
necessary for the inauguration of the Old Covenant.
19. For when every commandment, etc. The reference is to
Exod. xxiv, where we are told that, after Moses had read to the
HEBREWS IX. 20-22 417
20. Saying: This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined
unto you.
21. The tabernacle also and all the vessels of the ministry, in like manner,
he sprinkled with blood.
22. And almost all the things, according to the law, are cleansed with
blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
people all the commands of God as contained in the Law and had
received the people's promise to obey them, he erected an altar and
sacrificed certain victims, sprinkling the blood partly on the altar
and partly on the people, thus establishing the covenant relationship
between God and His people. The writer here makes several addi-
tions to the narrative of Exod. xxiv, which he probably had derived
from traditional sources of information. The added details are:
(a) the mention of goats; (b) of water, scarlet wool, and hyssop;
(c) the sprinkling of the Book of the Covenant.
20. This is the blood, etc, i.e., this is the blood with which God
confirms and seals the covenant which He has made in favor of
His people. Our Lord used these same words in the institution
of the Holy Eucharist (Matt. xxvi. 28; Mark xiv. 24), thus show-
ing that the Old Covenant was a figure of the New, and that the
blood of victims was a type of the blood which He Himself shed
for the remission of the sins of all mankind and which He has
left us in the Holy Eucharist.
21. As the Tabernacle was not yet erected when the Sinaitic
Covenant was established, this verse must refer to an event of a
later date. Perhaps the reference is to what took place at the
dedication of the Tabernacle (Exod. xl. 9 ff. ; Lev. viii. 30 flf.), as
some of the ceremonies here recorded are not directly mentioned
elsewhere in Sacred Scripture. Of course, we know that the cleansing
of the Tabernacle and its vessels by the sprinkling of blood was
the chief feature of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xvi. 16, 19), and
the sacrifices of that feast were but the yearly renewal of those
that were offered at the inauguration of the Covenant.
22. Almost all, etc. Exceptions are recorded in Exod. xix. 10,
14; Lev. V. II ff., xvi. 26 ff.; Num. xxxi. 22 flf. Blood was the
recognized means by which the Tabernacle and its vessels were
consecrated and purified. It was also the blood of the sacrifices at
the inauguration of the Covenant that established fellowship be-
tween God and His people, and the yearly renewal on the Day of
4i8 HEBREWS IX. 23
23. It is necessary therefore that the patterns of heavenly things should
be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacri-
fices than these.
Atonement of those inaugural sacrifices with cleansing and sanctify-
ing blood renewed and restored this covenant relationship when it
had become marred or destroyed by sin. Thus, sacrificial blood was
the divinely established means by which fellowship between God
and His people was maintained, and, as the sacrifice of Jesus was
the antitype and fulfillment both of the inaugurating sacrifice and
its yearly renewal on the Day of the Atonement, it is by His blood,
poured out on the cross and oflFered daily in the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass, that fellowship between God and His people is now estab-
lished and maintained, and restored when lost by sin.
There is no remission, i.e., no forgiveness of sins. The remis-
sion of sins here in question was only external and legal, by which
one escaped the threats and punishments of the Law. The true
and internal remission of sins has always been only through the
merits of Christ — under the Old Covenant through the merits of
Christ prefigured and foreseen, and under the New Covenant
through the same merits actually realized in the sacrifice and death
of Jesus.
23. In verses 23-28 the author draws a parallel between the acts
of the Jewish High Priest on the Day of Atonement and their ful-
fillment by our Lord in the heavenly Sanctuary, showing at the
same time the relation between the ideal sacrifice and the ideal
Sanctuary.
It being necessary, etc. The writer is deducing a conclusion,
and he wishes to say that, since by divine ordination it was neces-
sary that "the patterns of heavenly things, etc." (i.e., the earthly
Tabernacle and its vessels), should be cleansed and purified by the
blood of sacrificial victims, so "the heavenly things, etc." (i.e., the
ideal Sanctuary in heaven), require dedication by the blood of a
far more excellent victim, namely, Christ Himself. The heavenly
Sanctuary cannot be said to need purification in itself, but only by
reason of its contact with sinful worshippers. Of course, it is also
true that the Priest and Victim who entered it, and who abides
there forever, is He before whom "the very heavens are not clean."
With better sacrifices. The plural is used generically, to express a
class with which the many sacrifices of the Old Law are contrasted.
HEBREWS IX. 24-26 419
24. For Christ is not entered into the holies made with hands, the pat-
terns of the true, but into heaven itself, that he may appear now in the
presence of God for us.
25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth
into the holies, every year with the blood of others;
26. For then he must needs have suffered often from the beginning of the
world : but now once at the end of the ages, he hath appeared for the de-
struction of sin by the sacrifice of himself.
24. Unlike the Jewish High Priest, Christ has not entered an
earthly Sanctuary, which was a mere type of the true one in heaven,
but He has passed into heaven itself; nor again, like the ancient
High Priest on the Day of Atonement, has He come into the pres-
ence of a mere symbol of the divine presence, but into the very
presence of God Himself, meeting the Father face to face.
That he may appear nov^, etc. The Jewish High Priest entered
the Holy of Holies for a few moments once a year, but Christ's
appearance in heaven is a continued manifestation in our behalf,
so that, as He and the Father now stand face to face, we also by
His merits may realize the divine fellowship, here through grace
and hereafter in glory.
The Jesus of the Vulgate should be Chris tus, as In the Greek.
25. The Jewish High Priest entered the earthly Sanctuary once
every year to offer the blood of a bullock and of a goat, the repeti-
tion being due to the imperfection of the sacrifice he offered; but
Jesus, Priest and Victim of the perfect sacrifice of the New Cove-
nant, has entered into the Sanctuary of heaven once for all to
present for us the merits of His sacrifice.
The Feast of the Atonement was the greatest of the Jewish
Calendar, and its ceremonies were the most elaborate of the Jewish
ritual ; and therefore our author, by stressing the superiority of the
sacrifice, sanctuary, and ritual of the New Covenant, gave a pow-
erful argument in favor of the Gospel as compared with the Old
Law, and thus greatly strengthened in the new faith those who had
been tempted to waver and fall back into Judaism.
26. The reason why Christ needed to suffer and die only once is
found in the entire completeness and sufficiency of His sacrifice.
Had His sacrifice been incomplete. He would have had to suffer
and die often from the beginning of the world up to now, for sin
has been rampant in the world all along and only the blood of
Christ has the power to remit it.
420 HEBREWS IX. 27, 28
27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judg-
ment,
28. So also Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many; the
second time he shall appear without sin to them that expect him unto sal-
vation.
But now once for all Christ has appeared "at the end of the
ages," i.e., in the Messianic era, which began with the birth of
Jesus and will last till the end of time, and His coming has been
for the abolition and "destruction of sin" by means of His sacrifice
and death on the cross. A further sacrifice, therefore, is not
necessary.
The "appearing" of verse 24 was before God the Father in the
heavenly Sanctuary, but in the present verse it refers to our Lord's
manifestation before men at the Incarnation; a different Greek
word is used in this verse.
From verses 25 and 26 it is clear that the sacrifice of Jesus is
superior to all the ancient sacrifices, because it has the power of
remitting sins, internally and really, and it is complete and final,
thus making another sacrifice unnecessary.
27-28. These verses imply a double comparison : first, between
the death of men and their reappearance in judgment, and the
death of Jesus and His reappearance in glory at the end of the
world; and secondly, between the coming forth of the High Priest
from the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement and the final
coming of Jesus to call the just to their rewards.
The judgment. This may mean the particular judgment at
death, but the parallel with our Lord's final appearance is better
sustained by understanding the general judgment at the end of the
world.
The sins of many. Christ died for all mankind, though all do
not choose to make use of the graces and merits thus put at their
disposal.
Without sin. Our Lord's second appearance will have no con-
nection with sin; it will be a coming in glory to those faithful souls
who will be prepared and waiting for Him.
HEBREWS X. I, 2 421
CHAPTER X
THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE, I-18
1. For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very
image of the things ; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually
every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect ;
2. For then they would have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers
once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer:
1-18. The Apostle continues here the subject discussed in the
preceding Chapter, adding nev^^ thoughts and illustrations to the
arguments already given. First he contrasts the one sacrifice of
Christ with the many Levitical sacrifices (ver. i-io), and then
speaks of the perfection of the New Covenant established by Christ,
citing again, as in viii. 8-12, the famous passage of Jeremias xxxi.
31-34 to prove that in the New Dispensation there is union with
God and complete reconciliation between man and his Creator (ver.
11-18).
1. Since the Law was only the shadow "of the good things to
come" (i.e., of the Messianic blessings revealed in the Gospel), and
"not the very image" (i.e., not the realization of those benefits),
it was impossible that the ancient sacrifices, in which the Law
centred and which were offered annually on the Day of Atone-
ment, should ever make "perfect" (i.e., cleanse interiorly and
sanctify) those who came to worship God through them.
Image is here contrasted with "shadow" ; the former is an exact
reproduction of a thing, whereas the latter is only a general outline.
2. In verses 2-4 the Apostle gives arguments to show the ineffi-
ciency of the Jewish sacrifices to make perfect those who wor-
shipped through them. They never took away the sense of sin
from the hearts of the worshippers, and hence they had to be con-
tinually repeated, whether the people were guilty of new sins each
year or not. On the contrary, the sacrifice of Christ has satisfied
for the remission of all sins for all time. St. Chrysostom remarks
422 HEBREWS X. 3-6
3. But in them there is made commemoration of sins every year:
4. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should
be taken away.
5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith; Sacrifice and
oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me:
6. Holocausts for sin did not please thee.
at this place that, while we offer to God every day the Sacrifice of
the Mass, it is not a new sacrifice; for we always offer the selfsame
sacrifice which Christ offered, the Victim and the great High Priest
being always the same, namely, Christ Himself, and the human
priests being but Christ's vicars and ministers in the visible and
material realm. Cf. also Theophylact and St. Thomas, h. I.
3. All that the Levitical sacrifices could do was to keep alive a
sense of sin, and this their repetition each year effected. St.
Chrysostom says : "They served as an accusation of weakness, not
a display of strength." Of course, they were also a perpetual
symbol of the real sacrifice of Christ, to which they pointed and
directed those who were longing for redemption and forgiveness.
Thus, instead of removing sins these ancient sacrifices only intensi-
fied the consciousness of guilt. This is familiar Pauline doctrine,
found in Rom. iii. 20, v. 20; Gal. iii. 19, etc.
4. The invalidity of the Old Law sacrifices to remit sins is evi-
dent from their very nature, for there is no proportion between
them and the result sought. It is impossible that the blood of
irrational animals of itself should be able to cleanse the guilty con-
science of an intelligent and free creature. The sins that were
actually forgiven under the Old Law were remitted through the
power of the blood of Christ which those ancient rites prefigured.
It was only as symbols of Christ's sacrifice, therefore, that the
Levitical sacrifices had any real validity.
5-6. In the preceding verses the author has been repeating in
other words arguments already given to show the failure of the
Jewish sacrifices. Now he introduces a new and more powerful
argument based on Psalm xxxix, 7-9 according to the LXX. From
that text he proves that centuries before the coming of Christ it
was announced that God was not pleased with the ancient sacrifices,
and that they would be superseded by the perfect sacrifice of the
will of Christ. The Psalm is certainly Messianic, and the verses
here quoted represent the Messiah as saying at the moment of His
HEBREWS X. 7 423
7. Then said I: Behold I come (in the head of the book it is written of
tne), that I should do thy tvill, 0 God.
incarnation that all the ancient sacrifices were unpleasing to God,
because inadequate for human needs, and that consequently a body
had been especially prepared for Him by God the Father which
should be the organ and instrument of a sacrifice of perfect obedi-
ence and absolute submission of His will to the divine will. Such
a sacrifice would be worthy of God, since it was the sacrifice of the
Son of God, and sufficient atonement for man's sins.
Wherefore, i.e., because of the imperfections of the Jewish sac-
rifices.
When he cometh into the world, i.e., when the Messiah became
incarnate.
Sacrifice and oblation, i.e., bloody and unbloody offerings.
Thou wouldst not, i.e.. Thou didst not desire, because of their
inefficacy.
A body thou hast fitted for me. So the LXX ; the Hebrew
has: "Ears thou hast digged (i.e., opened) for me," so that the
will of the Father might be readily perceived and obeyed. Accord-
ing to the LXX rendering, the body has been prepared to act, to
carry out the behests of the divine will. Hence, the underlying
meaning is the same in both translations.
Holocausts were bloody offerings, all of which were entirely
consumed by fire on the altar.
Sin-offerings. Our Vulgate has missed this correct rendering
of the Hebrew and the Greek. Thus, the terms here employed
cover the whole range of Jewish sacrifices, with none of which
was the divine will pleased; God wanted a complete obedience and
an entire spiritual consecration.
7. Then said I, etc. Having understood the divine will, the
Messiah replies that He is ready to do it, that is, He is prepared
to sacrifice Himself, to consecrate His life to complete obedience in
accordance with prophecy, for the whole Old Testament speaks of
His advent.
The head of the book. Rather, "the roll of the book," i.e., the
entire Old Testament regarded as a book of prophecy about the
Messiah. The Old Testament was written on strips of parchment
or vellum, which were then wound about a roller, and the whole
424 HEBREWS X. 8-14
8. In saying above: Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts and sin-
offerings thou wouldcst not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are
offered according to the law.
9. Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, 0 God. He taketh away
the first that he may estabUsh that which foUoweth.
10. In the which will we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus
Christ once.
11. And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12. But this man offering one sacrifice for sins for ever sitteth on the right
hand of God,
13. From henceforth waiting until his enemies be made his footstool.
14. For by one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
book was called a roll. This phrase here, "the head of the book,
etc.," is to be read as a parenthesis.
8-10. The Apostle makes application of the words just quoted
from the Psalmist, saying that according to those words of prophecy
the ancient sacrifices which were offered as prescribed by the Law
have been superseded by the new and perfect sacrifice which Christ
has offered to the Father, and that we, by virtue of that perfect
sacrifice of Christ, have been "sanctified," i.e., dedicated to God.
What Christ did and endured for us in the days of His flesh has
merited for us this sanctification and dedication.
The argument developed here in verses 5-10 must have power-
fully influenced the readers of the Epistle who were wavering in
their Christian faith; for it showed that by the mouth of the
Psalmist the Old Testament itself condemned the Jewish sacrificial
system, foretold its abrogation, and prophesied the perfect sacrifice
of Christ and the establishment of the new type of religion intro-
duced by Him. With such evidence drawn from the Old Law
itself, how could any Jewish Christian think of forsaking Chris-
tianity and lapsing into Judiasm ?
1 1- 14. In these verses the writer institutes a comparison between
Jesus and the ordinary Jewish priests, in order to show how far
the sacrifice of the former surpasses the offerings of the latter.
Every day those ancient priests stood at the altar of holocausts,
offering the same sacrifices (Exod. xxix. 38 ff.), but to no avail,
so far as the real forgiveness of men's sins was concerned; but
Christ offered one sacrifice for the sins of all the world, and then,
as proof of the finality and completeness of His work, took His
HEBREWS X. 15-18 425
15. And the Holy Ghost also doth testify this to us. For after having said :
16. And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days,
saith the Lord: I will give my laws in their hearts, and on their minds will
I write them;
17. And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.
18. Now where there is a remission of these, there is no more an oblation
for sin.
seat in triumph at the right hand of the Father in heaven, there
continuing His priestly activity in the ideal Sanctuary and exer-
cising His sovereign rule until the final victory, when all enemies
shall be made subject to Him, as has been foretold in the Messianic
Psalm cix., verse i (ver, 11-13), and as St. Paul has written else-
where (i Cor. XV. 25). And the reason why Jesus now reposes
in heaven, not needing to renew His sacrifice on earth, is that by
the one oblation of Himself on the cross He has provided the means
and merits of justification and sanctification for all mankind down
to the end of the world; all that now remains for men to do is by
faith and charity to apply these amassed merits and graces to their
own souls. Of course, we cannot make use of Christ's merits and
graces without the special help of God, but that help is never want-
ing to anyone who is willing to co-operate with it.
15-18. The author now clinches his argument by a reference to
Jeremias' prophecy regarding the New Covenant, which was previ-
ously cited in viii. 8-12.
And the Holy Ghost also doth testify, etc., i.e., the Holy Spirit
of God, speaking through the prophet Jeremias, bears witness that
the remission of sins which the Levitical sacrifices were unable to
effect has been obtained under the New Covenant by the one sac-
rifice of Jesus Christ. The main point in citing the prophet's words
this time is not to show the establishment of a New Covenant, but
to emphasize the fact that by the sacrifice of Christ, which is the
heart of the New Covenant, sins have been remitted and the power
of sin has been destroyed. Therefore, to seek now further means
or other sacrifices for remitting sins is an injury to the sacrifice
of Christ, as implying its insufficiency and incompleteness. Hence,
all the Jewish sacrifices are out of date and useless, and it would
be seriously wrong to return to them; they and their priesthood
have been superseded for all time to come by the vastly more per-
fect priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
426 HEBREWS X. 19-21
EXHORTATION TO PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH, I9-39
19. Having therefore, brethren, full freedom to enter into the holies by
the blood of Jesus,
20. A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh,
21. And a high priest over the house of God,
19-39. Here we have the beginning of the Moral Part of the
Epistle (x. 19 — xiii. 17), on which see Introduction, No. V, C. The
author first makes a moral and spiritual appeal, telling his readers
that their faith should give them great confidence, (a) because now
through Christ we all have free entrance into the immediate pres-
ence of God, and (b) because we have in Christ a High Priest who
presides over the house of God and to whom we can come without
faltering, provided our approach is with a sincere heart, with full
assurance of faith, with a purified conscience, and with bodies
washed by the regenerating waters of Baptism (ver. 19-25). He
then warns them, as before in vi. 4-8, of the perils of apostasy,
holding that only a terrible fate can await those who have willfully
trampled under foot the Son of God, profaned the blood of the
Covenant, and insulted the Holy Spirit of God (ver. 26-31).
Finally, he bids them take courage and hope in recalling the early
days of their faith, when they and others had so much to suffer and
bore their persecutions and privations bravely. In view of the
confidence and steadfastness then manifested, they must not waver
or shrink back now ; they must not lose the reward of their earlier
sacrifices ; they must press on to the crown of eternal life, for the
struggle will not be long for any of them (ver. 32-39).
19-21. Under the Old Dispensation only the High Priest had the
right to enter the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle ; but now, says
the Apostle, we all are perfectly free, by virtue of the blood of
Jesus and our union with Him, to enter the heavenly Sanctuary,
into the very presence of God in heaven. Jesus has led the way
to that Sanctuary, passing thither "through the veil" of His body,
through His suffering humanity, and thus opening it to everyone.
The way He traversed is called "new," because until He passed
through it we knew it not, it was closed to us; it is also said to
be a "living way," because it leads to a life of grace and glory, and
because He who first entered by it is the way, the truth, and the
HEBREWS X. 22-25 427
22. Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean
water.
23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he
is faithful that hath promised.
24. And let us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good
works ;
25. Not forsaking our assembly, as some are accustomed to do; but com-
forting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
life (John xiv. 6; cf. Eph. ii. 18, iii. 12). And not only have we
this free access to the throne of God and this opened way, but
Jesus is our great High Priest who is now actually exercising His
priestly functions for us in the heavenly Sanctuary, and has author-
ity over the whole "house of God," i.e., the Church Militant and
Triumphant. See Eph. i. 22; i Tim. iii. 15.
In the Vulgate of verse 19 Christi should be Jesus.
22-23. With the three sources of confidence and assurance just
mentioned in the preceding verses the Apostle bids us draw near
to God and the throne of grace, but with sincerity of heart, fullness
of faith, a purified conscience, and a body over which have flowed
the cleansing waters of Baptism ; and he further exhorts his readers
who were tempted to waver in their faith to "hold fast" to the
profession which they made at the time they were baptised and
received into the Church.
Hearts sprinkled. The reference is to the physical purification
by blood according to the Law, spoken of above in ix. 19-22. Our
hearts are purified by the blood of Christ, as St. John says ( i John
i. 7). The water of Baptism is called "clean water" because of its
cleansing eflfects on the soul ; while washing the body physically, it
cleanses the soul spiritually.
For he is faithful, etc., i.e., God who has promised the rewards
of the future life will keep His promise, if we do our part.
24-25. Our faith and hope must issue in works of charity and
mutual helpfulness; we must emulate one another in the exercise
of charity and the performance of good works. None should with-
draw from the Christian assembly, from the coming-together of the
faithful to celebrate the divine mysteries and receive instruction,
where mutual comfort and exhortation were given. The chief pur-
pose of the Christian assembly was to celebrate the Holy Eucharist,
as we are told in i Cor. xi. 20. This fidelity to Christian fellowship
428 HEBREWS X. 26-29
26. For if wc sin willfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there
is now left no sacrifice for sins,
2T. But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire
which shall consume the adversaries.
28. A man making void the law of Moses dieth without any mercy under
two or three witnesses :
29. How much more do you think he deserveth worse punishment who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the blood of
the testament unclean by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an af-
front to the Spirit of grace?
and service was all the more necessary in view of the fact that the
day of death and judgment was not far off for any one of the
faithful.
As some are accustomed to do. It seems that some of the
faithful had withdrawn from the Christian gatherings, perhaps out
of human respect or for fear of persecution.
26-27. To render his readers ever more firm and steadfast in
their faith, the Apostle now (ver. 26-31), as before in vi. 4-8, sets
before them the terrible consequences of apostasy.
If we sin willfully, i.e., by deliberately rejecting the faith, after
having had a "knowledge of the truth" (better, "perfect knowledge
of the truth," i.e., of the teachings of the faith of Christ), there
can be no hope of salvation, as long as we remain in that condition
of mind and soul, because the sacrifice for sin which Christ has
given is God's final offer to man, the sole means of obtaining for-
giveness. On the contrary, there awaits the wretched victims of
this state of soul "a certain" (i.e., some sort of) "dreadful expec-
tation of judgment" from God and a punishment which is described
as a consuming fire (cf, xii. 29 below; also Isa. xxvi. 11).
28-29. The writer here confirms what he has just said by an
argument from less to greater drawn from Deut. xvii. 2 ff., where
there is question of idolatry, and so of apostasy from the true faith.
He says if, under the Law of Moses, one who on the testimony of
two or three witnesses was guilty of such a sin had to suffer death,
how much more does he deserve a worse punishment who has
apostasized from the faith of Christ under the Gospel Dispensa-
tion. For such a one has despised the Son of God, has set at naught
the blood of Christ by which the New Covenant has been sealed
and ratified and he himself sanctified, and has insulted the Holy
Ghost, the author and dispenser of the grace which Christ's blood
HEBREWS X. 30-34 429
30. For we know him that hath said : Vengeance helongeth to me, and I
will repay. And again : The Lord shall judge his people.
31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
22. But call to mind the former days wherein, being illuminated, you
endured a great fight of afflictions.
23. And on the one hand indeed, by reproaches and tribulations, were
made a gazingstock; and on the other, became companions of them that
met a similar fate.
34. For you both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took
with joy the being stripped of your own goods, knowing that you have a
better and a lasting substance.
has merited for us. The sin here described is like the sin against
the Holy Ghost, spoken of in Matt. xii. 31 ff., and Mark iii. 22 ff.
30. The certainty of God's punishment of the sin of apostasy is
made clear by an appeal to God's own words in Deut. xxxii. 35-36.
The first quotation, "vengeance belongeth to me, etc.," is not strictly
according to either the Hebrew or the LXX, but is found in the
same form in Rom. xii. 19, where, however, the application is dif-
ferent. This is the only Old Testament quotation in the Epistle
which is not according to the LXX.
31. Hands of the living God, i.e., a God of power and activity.
The reference is to Deut. v. 26.
32. After his severe words about the fate of those who apostasize,
the Apostle now (ver. 32-39) gives his readers some words of
encouragement and hope, as he did before in vi. 9, following a
passage of similar severity. They will be heartened in their present
trials by recalling the persecutions and sufferings they endured soon
after their Baptism and reception to the faith. If they could stand
so much then, they ought to be able to stand more now when their
faith should be stronger.
33-34. In those early days of their Christian profession the faith-
ful had much to suffer individually in mind and body, and also
shared in the sorrows and trials of their brethren who had met a
similar fate and had been cast into prison; and they took with joy
the plunder of their own possessions, knowing that there awaited
them hereafter riches that would endure, "treasures in heaven,
where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves
do not break through, nor steal" (Matt. vi. 20).
The reading of the last clause is not certain. According to the
Sinaitic MS. we should read : "Knowing that you have your own
430 HEBREWS X. 35-38
35. Do not therefore lose your confidence, which hath a great reward.
36. For patience is necessary for you, that, doing the will of God, you
may receive the promise.
37. For yet a little and a very little while, and he that is to come, will
come, and will not delay.
38. But my just one shall Hve by faith; but if he withdraw himself, he
shall not please my soul.
selves as a better and abiding possession," i.e., the retention of
their own souls and consciences will console them in the loss of
temporal goods.
35-36. Having therefore suffered so much already, the Christians
must not fall away now and thus lose the merits of their former
faith and good works. They have need of patience, and, doing the
will of God, they should offer to Him the true sacrifice of obedi-
ence, as Christ their Master did (x. 7), and receive in due time
the eternal inheritance promised them (ix. 15).
37-38. The readers will find further consolation and hope in the
reflection that their struggle will not be a long one, nor their re-
wards long delayed. This is proved by a free citation of the LXX
of Habacuc ii. 3-4, introduced by the phrase, "for yet a little and
a very little while," from Isaias xxvi. 20.
He that is to come, or more literally, "the coming one," was a
Messianic phrase, and so meant here the coming of Christ as judge,
whether at the hour of death for the individual or at the end of
the world for the race. Soon at longest the Lord will come, to
render to each one according to his works. It is probable, how-
ever, that the reference here is to the destruction of the city of
Jerusalem, which had been predicted by our Lord (Matt. xxiv. 34).
My just one, etc., i.e., he who has been justified by sanctifying
grace and has remained faithful shall be sustained by his faith in
the struggles of this life and shall attain to life eternal in the world
to come. This same quotation St. Paul makes use of in Rom. i.
17 as the basis of his doctrine of justification by faith. Faith here
means steadfast confidence.
But if he withdrav^r himself, etc., i.e., if he abandons his faith
and falls into apostasy, he shuts himself out from the divine favor
and incurs the punishment his sin deserves.
The Hebrew of this passage of Habacuc differs considerably
from the LXX. In their literal meaning the prophet's words had
reference to the liberation of the Chosen People from Babylonian
HEBREWS X. 39, XL i 431
39. But we are not the children of withdrawing unto perdition, but of
faith to the saving of the soul.
captivity, but spiritually they referred to the Messiah, vi^ho would
deliver from sin those who would believe in Him and would give
them life eternal.
Vivit in the Vulgate should be future, as in the Greek.
39, The writer reassures his readers that they have not fallen
away from the faith ; they are children of faith and will save their
souls. The introduction of the word "faith" here prepares the
author for the next great subject of his Epistle.
CHAPTER XI
FAITH DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED, I -38
I. Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of
things that appear not.
1-38. The close of the preceding Chapter has shown that faith
is essential to salvation, and hence the author will now describe so
important a virtue and illustrate its value and power by citing some
of the religious heroes of the past. These examples of what faith
has done for so many of those ancient saints whom Jewish history
most revered will be especially consoling to the readers of this
Epistle, for it will show them that their own Christian faith is not
something new and distinct from the religious assurance and con-
viction which sustained their ancestors, but rather a continuation
of the same sustaining virtue, only on a much more elevated plain,
I. We have not here a strict definition of the virtue of faith, but
rather a description of some of the practical results which faith
produces in those who possess it.
The word hypostasis, here translated "substance," may be taken
subjectively, for assurance or firm confidence ; or objectively, for
basis or foundation. The Greeks understood it in this latter sense,
as that which gives substance and reality to the things hoped for.
This sense would be presupposed to the former meaning any way ;
it is the firm foundation which produces the firm confidence and
assurance, though assurance or firm confidence seems to be the
more direct meaning of the term here.
432 HEBREWS XI. 2-5
2. For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.
3. By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of
God; that from invisible things visible things might be made.
4. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts;
and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5. By faith Henoch was translated, that he should not see death ; and
he was not found, because God had translated him : for before his trans-
lation he had testimony that he pleased God.
The word translated "evidence" may also be taken objectively
as proof, or subjectively as conviction, or the result of proof or
demonstration. Perhaps the subjective meaning is the one intended
here. Thus, by faith we are assured of the future things for which
we hope, and convinced of the reality and certainty of the things
we do not see.
2. Because of their faith God bore witness to the ancient saints
of Israel, causing them to be praised in Sacred Scripture as holy
and acceptable to Him.
3. The Apostle will now give some examples of faith, beginning
with the work of creation. We know through faith, he says, that
the world was created by God's fiat, for so it was revealed to the
ancient patriarchs and has been handed down to us in the Sacred
Scriptures (Gen. i. 3, 6, 9, flf.).
The world. Literally, "the ages," as in i. 2.
That from invisible things, etc. The visible universe was cre-
ated by God out of nothing, that is, from no pre-existing matter;
all things visible have come from God, formed according to His
invisible idea. Therefore, all materialistic explanations of the origin
of the world are wrong.
4. It was faith that directed Abel to offer God a more worthy
sacrifice than his brother Cain (Gen. iv. 2 ff.), for by faith he was
able to recognize more clearly the supreme excellence and the sov-
ereign rights of God. Because of this faith God bore testimony to
Abel that he was just, and that his gifts were acceptable to Him
(Gen. iv. 4).
And by it, etc. The reference may be to the voice of Abel's
blood crying to heaven for vengeance (Gen. iv. 10), or to the fact
that Abel, though dead, still speaks by his blood and example (Matt,
xxiii. 35).
5. Henoch. See Gen. v. 21-24.
HEBREWS XL 6-8
433
, 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh
to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him.
7. By faith Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which
as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of
his house, by the which he condepined the world; and was instituted heir
of the justice which is by faith.
8. By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place which
he was to receive for an inheritance ; and he went out, not knowing whither
he went.
Pleased God. The Hebrew has: "Walked with God." It was
Henoch's faith that made him pleasing to God, and that enabled
him to commune with God, as the following- verse shows.
6. The fact that we cannot please God without faith is a proof
that Henoch had faith. The minimum required for salvation is to
believe that God exists and that He rewards His servants. A mere
scientific acceptance of God's existence, which we can get by the
due exercise of reason, is not sufficient for merit, since it is not
free ; whereas acceptance on faith is always free.
Deo of the Vulgate is not expressed in the Greek.
7. Noe believed God's revelation about a flood to come, and
prepared an ark against it, thus manifesting his faith in God and
at the same time condemning the unbelieving world around him
(Matt. xxiv. 37 ff.). His faith saved him and made him "heir,"
i.e., possessor, of the justification which is through faith.
8. As Abraham was the supreme example of faith among the
Jews, the writer now dwells at length on his faith. The great
patriarch's faith is illustrated: (a) by his obedience to the call of
God to go forth from his own country in search of the Promised
Land and his wanderings in that strange land (ver. 8-10) ; (b) by
the confidence with which he and his wife Sara received God's
promise of offspring (ver. 11-12); (c) by his willingness to sacri-
fice Isaac (ver. 17-19).
The call of God came to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees, and
in obedience to it he left home and kindred, wandering and endur-
ing privations and hardships in search of the land of Canaan which
God had promised to give to him and his descendants (Gen. xii.
I &.).
That is called Abraham. Here the author alludes to the fact
that God, as a mark of special favor, changed the patriarch's origi-
nal name Abram to Abraham (Gen. xvii. 5).
434 HEBREWS XI. 9-16
9. By faith he abode in the land as a stranger, dwelHng in cottages, with
Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.
ID. For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and
maker is God.
11. By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to con-
ceive seed, even past the time of age ; because she believed that he was faith-
ful who had promised.
12. For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as
dead) issue like the stars of heaven in multitude, and like the sand which
is by the seashore innumerable.
13. All these died according to faith, not having received the promises,
but beholding them afar off, and saluting them and confessing that they
are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.
14. For they that say these things do signify that they seek a country.
15. And truly if they had been mindful of that from whence they came
out, they had doubtless time to return.
16. But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. There-
fore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for
them a city.
9. Faith not only made Abraham obedient to the call of God,
but also gave him patience to wait for the fulfillment of God's
promises, dwelling as a sojourner in a foreign country. His son,
Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, persevered in the same faith, never
doubting the promise of God. Cf. Gen. xii. 8, xiii. 3, xvii. i ff.
10. Abraham was sustained in his faith by the conviction that
there was an abiding city awaiting him hereafter in heaven, a city
whose architect and master-builder is God. The land of Canaan
which God had promised him was but a figure of an eternal in-
heritance which God would bestow upon him above.
A city that hath foundations means the heavenly Jerusalem (xii.
22; Gal. iv. 26; Apoc. xxi. 2).
11-12. Though Sara was already ninety years of age when she
received the promise of a son, she believed, even if somewhat less
promptly than Abraham, and as a result she was given the power
to conceive (Gen, xvii. 17). Likewise, though far beyond the age
of begetting children, Abraham, as a reward of his faith, became
the father of a posterity as numerous as the stars of heaven and
the sands on the sea-shore (Gen. xxi. 17; cf, Rom. iv. 19).
13-16, In these verses the author interrupts his argument to
reflect on the great faith of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. The vision which faith had disclosed to them was too
glorious to find its realization during their lifetime, or on earth.
HEBREWS XI. 17-21 435
17. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac, and he that had
received the promises offered up his only-begotten son,
18. To whom it was said: In Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19. Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Where-
upon also he received him for a parable.
20. By faith also of things to come, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21. By faith Jacob dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and adored
the top of his rod.
The fulfillment of the divine promises they saw dimly in the far
future; but they were not disappointed, for they sought a city not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Therefore, God recog-
nized their faith and bestowed on them a celestial home. If the
"country" they sought had been the earthly one whence they had
come, they could have returned to it; but the object of their quest
was "a heavenly country."
17-19. The faith of Abraham was sorely tried when God de-
manded of him the sacrifice of his son Isaac, but the aged patriarch
did not waver (Gen. xxii. 1-18). Isaac was indeed the son of
promise, who had been born of a freewoman, and on whom the
future depended; but at God's command Abraham made ready to
immolate him, feeling sure that He who had given this son in the
first instance by a miracle, could restore him if necessary by a
second miracle.
Isaac is called "the only-begotten son," because to him alone were
the promises made, Ishmael being excluded from them.
Whereupon also he received him for a parable, i.e., as a reward
of his faith Abraham received his son safely back from the jaws
of death, and this delivery made Isaac a "parable," i.e., a figure or
type of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ.
20-21. Isaac and Jacob respectively pronounced blessings on their
descendants, assuring them that God's promises to Abraham would
be fulfilled for them and their children.
Each of the sons of Joseph, i.e., Ephraim and Manasses (Gen.
xlviii. 1-20).
Adored over the top of his staff, i.e., he bowed in reverence to
God, leaning on his staff (Gen. xlvii. 29-31). The Hebrew of this
phrase reads: "He did homage toward the head of his bed," i.e.,
Jacob worshipped God, bowing in reverence toward the head of
his bed.
436 HEBREWS XL 22-27
22. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out
of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his
parents ; because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the
king's edict.
24. By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, denied himself to be the
son of Pharao's daughter,
25. Rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have
the pleasure of sin for a time,
26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
the Egyptians. For he looked unto the reward.
2T. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the fierceness of the king; for he
endured as seeing him that is invisible.
22. By faith Joseph was convinced that the Israelites would be
delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and that his own bones would
be laid to rest in the Promised Land (Gen. i. 24-25).
23-26. See Exod. ii. 2, 11. It was an act of faith on the part
of the parents of Moses to hide their son away in defiance of the
royal decree. It was likewise an act of faith on Moses' part that
moved him to decline the royal position and prerogatives and iden-
tify himself with his own outcast people.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ, etc. Here we have the motive
which actuated Moses in bearing his sufferings. As a figure and
type of the Christ, he had much to suffer, both from his own
people and from strangers. But faith in the Messiah to come was
his guiding principle, and he associated his sufferings with the
future outrages and persecutions borne by our Saviour for the sal-
vation of the world (Rom. xv. 3). He looked beyond his present
distress to the reward that awaited him in the hereafter. What a
powerful example Moses afforded to the readers of this Epistle,
who were tempted to waver under persecution!
27. He left Egypt, not fearing, etc. Many scholars find here
an allusion to the final Exodus from Egypt ; but the following
verse requires us to find in these words an event prior to the
Passover which preceded the Exodus. Therefore, the majority of
expositors say the reference here must be to the flight of Moses to
Madian, as narrated in Exod. ii. 14 ff. But there it is said that he
fled from the face of Pharaoh, whereas here we are told that he
did not fear the fierceness of the king. The best explanation seems
to be that, while at the moment in question Moses felt the extrem-
HEBREWS XL 28-33 437
28. By faith he celebrated the pasch and the shedding of the blood, that
he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them.
29. By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land; which the
Egyptians attempting were swallowed up.
30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, by the going round them seven
days.
31. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers, receiving
the spies with peace.
32. And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of
Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephte, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
33. Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions,
ity of the situation and did retire for a time from the presence of
the king, still he was so confident of divine help and final success
that he was not turned aside from his purpose and clung to his
own people, instead of throwing in his lot with the Egyptians.
28. Moses' next act of faith is seen in his obedience to the com-
mands of God regarding the keeping of the Passover and the
sprinkling of the blood on the lintels and door posts that the de-
stroyer "of the first-born might not touch them" (Exod. xii. 12-48).
29-31, The march through the Red Sea (Exod. xiv. 13 if.) and
around the walls of Jericho (Jos. vi. iff.) were powerful acts of
faith on the part of the whole people ; and the faith of Rahab saved
herself and her family from the common fate that befell the faith-
less inhabitants of Jericho. This woman was a stranger and a
isinner, and yet she received the spies sent to Jericho by Josue
because she believed in the God of Israel who has done so much
for His people (Jos. ii. i ff.).
32. In verses 32-38 the writer gives a brief statement of some of
the illustrations of faith found in great leaders of Israel from the
conquest of the Promised Land under Josue down to the time of
the Machabees. The names enumerated do not follow a chrono-
logical order; on the contrary, the name which appears second in
each pair in this verse preceded the other in time. He speaks first
of the exploits of four great judges, and then of the achievements
of David, Samuel and the Prophets.
33. Many of the phrases in this and the following five verses are
quite general and applied to a number of the heroes mentioned;
others are more specific and refer to some definite event in the
Jiistory of Israel.
438 HEBREWS XL 34-40
34. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered
strength from weakness, became vahant in battle, put to flight the armies of
foreigners.
35. Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were
racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.
36. And others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bonds
and prisons.
27- They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were
put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins,
being in want, distressed, afflicted,
38. Of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, in moun-
tains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth.
39. And all these being approved by the testimony of faith, received not
the promise,
40. God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be per-
fected without us.
Obtained promises, i.e., particular promises which were subordi-
nated to the one great promise (ver. 39).
Stopped the mouths of lions. See Dan. vi. 22.
34. Quenched the violence of fire. See Dan. iii. 17; i Mach.
ii. 59.
35. Women received their dead, etc., like the widow of Sarepta
(3 Kings xvii. 23) and the Sunamite (4 Kings iv. 36).
Others were racked, etc., referring to the martyrdom of Eleazar
and the seven brothers (2 Mach. vi-vii).
A better resurrection, in life eternal.
36. This verse refers especially to the tortures of the seven
brothers and their mother (2 Mach. vii. i ff.). Most of the suf-
ferings mentioned in this and the two following verses were expe-
rienced by the faithful during the persecution of Antiochus
Epiphanes.
37. Zachary, son of Joiada, was "stoned" (2 Paral. xxiv. 20 ff.).
According to Jewish tradition Isaias was sawn asunder ( The Ascen-
sion of Isaias, v, 1-14).
38. Those faithful servants of God were treated as outcasts by
a world that was not worthy of them.
GENERAL CONCLUSION, 39-4O
39-40. All those heroes of the past gained a reputation for faith
and to a certain extent realized the divine promises, but the prom-
ised Messiah they did not live to see. Without any fault of theirs,
HEBREWS XII. I, 2 439L
the supreme reward of faith was denied to them, being reserved
for us of a later date ; but with us they have entered into the full
inheritance of faith, being admitted to the glory of heaven through
the Messianic blessings brought to the world by Christ.
That they should not be perfected without us. The faith of
the heroes of the past has been perfected through the revelation
vouchsafed to us.
CHAPTER XII
EXHORTATION TO CONSTANCY, I-I3
1. And therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our
head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by
patience to the fight proposed to us ;
2. Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set
before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the
right hand of the throne of God.
1-13. The Apostle now applies to his readers what has just been
said in the preceding Chapter. He exhorts them to remain stead-
fast in their faith, thus imitating those illustrious examples of the
past, and especially Christ Himself (ver. 1-3). Our suflferings are
a sign of God's fatherly care for us as His sons; He knows that
discipline is good and necessary for us, and He wants to lead us
to perfection (ver. 4-13).
1-2. The writer describes the Christian life as a race, like the
contests often witnessed in the Greek amphitheater. The metaphor
is a familiar one with St. Paul (i Cor. ix. 24-25; Phil. iii. 12-14;
2 Tim. iv. 7-8). The racers in the games were surrounded by
spectators. They put off all superfluous clothing and reduced their
flesh by training, so as to be able to exert their maximum strength
and gain the greatest speed, and they kept their eyes steadily fixed
on the goal.
In a similar manner the runners for the prize of eternal life must
act. They are in the arena of life, and the heroes enumerated in
the previous Chapter are watching their struggle. They must put
away all the entanglements of sin and run with patient steadfastness
the way before them, looking to Jesus as their goal, who is the
author and perfecter of their faith, and who, for the joy that would
440 HEBREWS XII. 3-6
3. For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sin-
ners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.
4. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin ;
5. And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto
children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be
thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him,
6. For whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth.
be afforded by our redemption and His own glorification as man,
gladly endured the sufferings and shame of His passion, and now
sits in triumph at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
Which surrounds us, like an encircling robe. The Greek word
for "surrounds" means, more literally, "easily besets." It is found
only here and is of uncertain meaning, but it surely refers to the
internal and external encumbrances of sin, to the hampering effect
of sin on the soul.
Now sitteth on the right hand, etc. This is the glorious reward
which our Lord's sufferings merited for His humanity. Note the
difference in time of the verbs which express our Lord's sufferings
and His glorification, "endured," "sitteth." The former expresses
something that was passing and that came to an end, while the
latter (in the perfect tense in the Greek) signifies that Christ has
taken His seat for all future time at the right hand of the Father.
3-4. Meditation on the passion and sufferings of Christ would
give greatest encouragement to the readers of the Epistle who were
tempted to falter in their Christian loyalty and devotion under the
pressure of persecution by their enemies. The writer has already
shown in ii. 10 and v. 8-9 that Christ Himself was made perfect
and learned obedience by the things which He suffered. He, there-
fore, now exhorts his readers to follow the example of their Master.
Surely their sufferings have not yet equalled His.
The enim of the Vulgate in verse 4 is not expressed in the Greek.
5-6. The writer now bids his readers remember what God has
said in the words of Prov. iii. 11-12, where suffering is described
as the chastening of the Lord ; the Lord admits no one to His love
whom He does not chastise and subject to discipline. Of course,
it does not follow from this that all who suffer are beloved of the
Lord, because sin brings its own punishment here and now, and
the sinner is often scourged by the results of his sins without being"
HEBREWS XII. 7-13 441
7. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons;
for what son is there whom the father doth not correct?
8. But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers,
then are you bastards, and not sons.
9. Moreover, we have had fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we
reverenced them : shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and
live?
ID. And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, in-
structed us ; but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.
11. Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with
it joy but sorrow; but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised
by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees,
13. And make straight steps with your feet, that no one halting may go
out of the way; but rather be healed.
moved to better w^ays. But the vi^ay of the cross and of suffering
is the only road to heaven.
7-8. Persevere under discipline. The Greek means: "It is for
the sake of discipline that you have to suffer." God is treating the
Christians as sons, and suffering is necessary for the upbuilding and
perfecting of character. Hence, if they had not to endure these
hardships, it would be a sign that they were not in God's favor as
sons.
9-10. Here the Apostle tells us that we all have had our earthly
fathers who chastised and instructed us in our youth, and yet we
revered them. How much more then should we reverently accept
the discipline of the Father and Creator of our spirits and spiritual
life who is training us for eternity ! Those human parents were
preparing us for this present brief life and according to their own
conceptions and standards, which were sometimes erroneous ; but
God's discipline is always perfect, and the end He has in view is
our sanctification, to make us partakers of His own holiness here
through grace and hereafter in glory.
II. All discipline seems hard and irksome at the time, but when
it comes from God its final issue is always peace and holiness;
everything good has to be purchased at a price proportionate to its
value. As athletes are hardened and strengthened by physical exer-
cise, so Christians by moral discipline are developed, strengthened
and perfected in their character and made ready for the life to
come.
12-13. There is a reference in ver. 12 to Isaias xxv. 3, and in
442 HEBREWS XII. 14-16
14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness ; without which no man shall
see God:
15. Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting in the grace of God; lest
any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.
16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as E^au ; who for
one mess sold his first birthright.
ver. 13 to Prov. iv. 26. In view of what has just been said, the
writer tells his readers to take courage in their sufferings and
tribulations. They must not let their hands hang listlessly down nor
their feet grow weak. They must have regard for the fainting
souls of their brethren and try to smooth the path for them, so
that legs which are already lame may not be put out of joint by
the roughness of the road they have to walk, but may rather be
healed. Such is the meaning of the Greek of verse 13, which our
version and the Vulgate do not clearly bring out.
EXHORTATION TO VARIOUS VIRTUES, I4-29
14-29. The writer now appeals to his readers to keep before their
minds two supreme requirements of the Christian life, namely,
peace and holiness, which must be cultivated both for personal and
community reasons (ver. 14-17). The warning words here ad-
dressed are then made more emphatic by a consideration of the
severity and awfulness of the Old Covenant as contrasted with the
mercy and sublimity of the New, which shows the vast superiority
of the latter (ver. 18-24). The inference to be drawn from this
comparison is that the duties and responsibilities imposed by the
Gospel are far greater than those involved in the Law. Therefore,
if God severely punished the violation of the commands given at
Sinai, how much greater will be the penalty they must pay who
are deaf to the voice that speaks through the New Dispensation
(ver. 25-29) !
14. Follow peace with all men. The same thought is in Rom.
xii. 18. The faithful are to try to have peace and harmony among
themselves, and, as far as Christian principles will permit, with
outsiders as well.
15-16. Christians must not only be solicitous about their own
personal sanctification, but also about that of their fellow-Christians.
No one must be allowed to fall away from the grace of God, thus
becoming a source of scandal and contamination for others.
HEBREWS XII. 17-21 443
17. For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the bene-
diction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, although
with tears he had sought it.
18. For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a
burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm.
19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that
heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them ;
20. For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a
beast shall touch the mount it shall be stoned.
21. And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: / am frighted
and tremble.
Root of bitterness, etc., is a reference to Deut. xxix. 18; it
means here a cause of infection for others. Nor must anyone be
allow^ed to fall into apostasy, thus becoming guilty of spiritual
adultery by violating his covenant relationship with God, as did
Esau (Gen. xxv. 30 if.).
Profane person, i.e., one who is earthly and material in his
desires and aims, caring nothing for spiritual things.
17. He found no place of repentance. It was not the forgive-
ness of his sin that Esau sought in vain with tears, but the recovery
of the forfeited blessing (Gen. xxvii. 34, 38). He wanted to undo
the natural consequences of his act, which even a true repentance
could not remove. Had Esau ever sincerely repented of his sin,
its guilt would have been remitted, though the lost blessing could
not be regained.
18-21. In verses 18-24 the writer enters upon a comparison of
the natures of the Old and New Covenants, showing that, whereas
the Old was one of dread warnings and threats, the New invites
to a glad and glorious fellowship. And because of this very dif-
ference, he says, those who become unfaithful to the latter are far
more guilty than those who disobeyed the former. The character-
istic of the Old Law was fear, that of the New Law is love. How
terrible, therefore, will be the fate of those who turn their backs
on the law of love ! And how much greater sanctity, consequently,
is required of us Christians than was expected of the Israelites
of old !
In these verses we have a description of the physical phenomena
which accompanied the giving of the Law on Sinai (Exod. xix. i
ff., XX. I ff. ; Deut. iv. 11 ff.), and the consequent fear that filled
the attending multitude, and even Moses to whom the revelation
444 HEBREWS XII. 22-24
22. But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels.
23. And to the church of the first born, who are written in the heavens,
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,
24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament, and to the sprinkling
of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.
was made. So awful was the voice there heard that they prayed
not to hear it again; and so holy was the mountain that, if even a
dumb animal trespassed upon it, it was immediately stoned to death
(Exod. xxix. 12 ff.). In some MSS. of verse 18 there is no word
corresponding to "mountain," but it seems to be implied and re-
quired by the context. The words attributed to Moses in verse 21
are not found in the Old Testament, but perhaps the writer is
drawing on tradition. Words somewhat similar, uttered on another
occasion, are found in Deut. ix. 19.
The awful and unapproachable mountain described in these verses
is a symbol of a dreadful and forbidding God, whom the ancient
Israelites might well fear. But in the following verses the writer
will give us the very different picture of the New Covenant and
of the God revealed therein.
22-24. In these verses the author tells us something of the beauty
and transcendent character of the New Dispensation, of which
Mount Sion was the symbol even under the Old Dispensation.
Through their faith Christians have not been led to a mountain of
warning and terror like Sinai, but to the Church Militant and
Triumphant, of which Sion and Jerusalem were the material sym-
bols. And the vision which meets their eyes is one, not of dread
and foreboding, but of peace and festive joy, of a vast assembly
composed of thousands of angels, of the faithful on earth, and of
the blessed spirits of the Old and New Dispensations who have
entered into their eternal rewards in heaven; and in the midst of
all this innumerable gathering stands God Himself, the Judge of
all mankind, and Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant,
who has offered the perfect sacrifice of His own blood, by which
the New Covenant is ratified and the sins of men washed away.
First born most probably refers to regenerated men on earth,
who are called the "first born" of God by comparison with the rest
of men who remain in darkness and infidelity. With less probabil-
ity of correctness some authorities understand the phrase to be in
apposition to "thousands of angels."
HEBREWS XII. 25-29 445
25. See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not
who refused him that spoke upon earth, much more shall not we, that turn
away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.
26. Whose voice then moved the earth ; but now he promiseth, saying :
Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also.
27. And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the
moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.
28. Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, let us be thankful, and
thus serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.
29. For our God is a consuming fire.
And to the sprinkling of blood, etc. The allusion is to Gen,
iv. 10, where it is said that the blood of Abel cried to heaven for
vengeance; but the blood of Jesus speaks of a far better sacrifice,
which calls for mercy and pardon. The allusion, however, may be,
not to Abel's blood crying from the ground to heaven, but to his
"better sacrifice" (xi. 4), compared with which the sacrifice of
Jesus is better still.
25. In verses 25-29 we have an appeal based on the pictures just
drawn of the Old and New Covenants (ver. 21-24), which shows
the greater obligations that rest on the faithful of the New Law.
Christians must see that they do not repeat the error of the Jews
who refused to listen to the voice of God speaking to them from
Sinai; if they were punished, how much more shall we have to
suffer if we fail to heed the divine voice that speaks to us from
heaven !
26-27. At Sinai God's voice shook the earth (Exod. xlx, 18),
and the prophet Aggeus (ii. 6, 7, 21) tells us that once more, at
the end of time, the same divine voice will shake the whole world.
This prophecy has yet to be fulfilled, as the words, "yet once more,"
clearly indicate. In this final shock all created, material things will
perish, but spiritual realities will survive unshaken and unharmed.
The latter will remain because they are imperishable. All material
and sensible things are but the shadows, the perishing copies of
their heavenly archetypes. "The earthquake which dissolves and
annihilates things sensible is powerless against the Things Invisible.
The rushing waters of the cataract only shake the shadow of the
pine" (Farrar, h. I.).
28-29. Since, therefore, we Christians belong to the unshakable
kingdom which Christ has established, and which is destined to
endure forever, "let us be thankful" for the grace of faith which
we have, and hold to it firmly, thus offering to God a service worthy
446 HEBREWS XIII. 1-3
of Him, with fear and awe; for "our God is a consuming fire,"
both under the Old Dispensation (Deut. iv. 24) and in the New
(2 Thess. i. 8), i.e., He will destroy all His enemies and the vio-
lators of His Law, especially all apostates from the faith.
CHAPTER XIII
CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS, I-I7
1. Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you.
2. And hospitaUty do not forget ; for by this some, being not aware of it,
have entertained angels.
3. Remember them that are in bonds as if you were bound with them;
and them that are ill-treated, as being yourselves also in the body.
1-17. In these closing verses the Apostle first exhorts his readers
to the practice of various virtues, reminding them especially of
brotherly love, hospitality, kindness to prisoners and the suffering,
purity of life, and contentment (ver. 1-6). He then calls to their
minds the example of their religious leaders, the need of steadfast-
ness in spirituality, the difference between the Jewish sacrifice of
the Atonement and the sacrifice of Christ, and finally repeats the
injunction of obedience to superiors (ver. 7-17).
1. Everywhere in the New Testament the phrase "brotherly love,"
or "charity of the brotherhood," means love of one's fellow-Chris-
tian. The term "brother" is one of the earliest designations for a
member of the Christian community (i John iv. 20; Rom. xii. 13,
20; I Cor. V. 12; I Thess. iv. 9, etc.). The words "in you" are
not expressed in the Greek but are implied.
2. Hospitality was cultivated by both Jews and pagans. It was
a virtue especially recommended in early Christian times in imita-
tion of the charity of Christ and because of persecution, by which
Christians were often despoiled of their goods. The exceeding diffi-
culties of travel also made the exercise of this virtue most helpful
and necessary.
Have entertained angels. The writer is referring to the cases
of Abraham, Lot, and Tobias (Gen. xviii. 2, xix. 3 ; Judg. xiii. 2 ff.).
3. In this verse the writer reminds his readers that it is the duty
of charity to suffer with those who suffer, and that, since they have
the same frail nature as their brethren and so are exposed to the
HEBREWS XIII. 4-9 44;?-
4. Let marriage be honorable in all. and the bed undefiled. For forni-
cators and adulterers God will judge.
5. Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things
as you have; for he hath said: / zvill not leave thee, neither ivill I forsake
thee.
6. So that we may confidently say: The Lord is my helper: I will not
fear what man shall do to me.
7. Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you ;
whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their manner of life.
8. Jesus Christ, yesterday and today and the same for ever.
9. Be not led away with various and strange doctrines. For it is best
that the heart be established with grace, not with meats ; which have not
profited those that walk in them.
same dangers, they may soon find themselves in the same condition.
These considerations ought to appeal to their charity and compas-
sion.
The Greek rendered laborantium by the Vulgate really means
"to suffer adversity."
4. An exhortation to respect marriage in all its aspects, and to
observe conjugal chastity.
In all may mean "in all respects," or "by all" w^ho have con-
tracted matrimony, or "among all," that is, by everybody. The
phrase does not mean that all should marry, for St. Paul has not
forgotten what he wrote about the superiority of the state of vir-
ginity in I Cor. vii.
5-6. Christians must also be free from avarice and from too much
attachment to things of this world, for God has assured us that He
will never abandon the faithful soul in its need. The references
here are to Deut. xxxi. 6 ; Josue i. 5 ; Psalm cxvii. 6. Cf . also
Matt. vi. 31, 34.
7. In verses 7-17 the Apostle has especially in mind the danger
in which his readers stood of giving up their Christian faith and
going back to Judaism. He therefore begins by calling to their
minds for imitation those Christian leaders — the bishops, priests,
and deacons — ^who first preached the Gospel to them, who continued
firm in the faith to the end of their lives, and some of whom, like
St. James and St. Stephen, were martyred for their faith. The
glorious life and death of these early leaders ought to be an example
for the readers of this Epistle, who under stress of persecution
were tempted to waver in their faith,
8-9. Although the human leaders and preachers of the Christian
448 HEBREWS XIII. lo, ii
10. We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the
tabernacle.
11. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the holies
by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
faith come and go, Jesus Christ, who is the object of that faith,
remains forever unchanged. Such as He was proved to be in the
past, He is now and will continue to be for all eternity. And His
doctrine is like Himself, unchangeable and everlasting. The faith-
ful, therefore, must not permit themselves to be led astray by new
and strange doctrines which are not in conformity with the Gospel
that has been preached to them ; nor must they be trying to add to
Christianity the outward forms of Judaism about various kinds of
food, which were of no use to the Jews themselves who practised
them under the Law. Far more important for salvation than these
external ordinances is inner grace from God, which makes the heart
strong and firm in sanctity. In speaking of "meats" here the writer
has in mind the Jewish sacrificial banquets, as is evident from the
following verse.
lo-ii. In verses 10-14 the author shows the difference between
Christianity and Judaism, from which it follows that Christians
should take no part in Jewish worship. We Christians, he says,
have an altar and a sacrifice of which we partake, but of which
"they," i.e., the Jewish priests and faithful, have no right to eat.
Even among their own Jewish sacrifices there were some, like the
great sin-offering on the Day of Atonement, the flesh of which the
priests and Levites were not allowed to eat, since it all had to be
burned outside the camp while the Jews were in the desert, and
outside of Jerusalem after the temple was built (Lev. vi. 30, iv.
3-21). Now, the sacrifice of Jesus was the fulfillment of the sac-
rifice of the Day of Atonement, and so He was immolated outside
the city; and therefore also, because of the typical relationship
between the sacrifice of Jesus and that of the Day of Atonement,
the Jews were excluded from partaking of the fruits of the Chris-
tian altar. Such seems to be the Apostle's argument in these diffi-
cult verses.
The word "altar" in verse 10 is understood by some to mean the
altar of the cross, but by others the Eucharistic altar. In this latter
opinion there would be a real eating of the body of Christ in the
Eucharist, whereas in the former view there would be a sharing in
Hebrews xiii. 12-16 449
12. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own
blood, suffered without the gate.
13. Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14. For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.
15. Through him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to
God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name.
16. And do not forget to do good, and to impart; for by such sacrifices
God's favor is obtained.
the fruits of His passion. Some expositors think the "altar" here
must be the altar in the heavenly Sanctuary, and not the cross,
since the altar was not the place where the victim was slain, but
where its blood was solemnly offered to God. It is to be noted
that the Council of Trent did not use verse lo here as a proof of
the sacrificial character of the Eucharist.
The reference in verse ii is to the sin-offering on the Day of
Atonement, the blood of which was brought by the High Priest into
the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat, while the flesh
was entirely burned in the fire. In the minor sacrifices for sin the
priests and Levites partook of the flesh of the victims (Lev. vi.
25-29).
12. The purpose of the sacrifice which Jesus offered on the altar
of the cross, "without the gate" (i.e., outside the city of Jerusalem;
cf. Matt, xxvii. 32; John xix. 20), was the expiation of the sins
of the world and the sanctification of all mankind.
13-16. In these verses the author makes a final appeal to his
readers to go forth from the Jewish camp and city, that is, to
renounce forever Judaism and the Jewish community, and through
faith to unite themselves to Christ, showing themselves willing to
share in His shame and sufferings that they may have part in His
glory. He reminds them that they must not shrink from suffering
and the loss of temporal goods, for there is nothing permanent here,
and we seek an eternal city in the world to come, of which we are
already citizens through the faith we profess. Instead of animal
sacrifices, we should continually offer to God through Christ the
sacrifice of praise which proceeds from lips that make public con-
fession of Christ. This is a far more pleasing sacrifice than that
of a lamb or a bullock, because it is the offering of the heart. More-
over, we must not forget the sacrifice of charity and beneficence,
which is always pleasing to God.
The fruit of lips, etc. This is an Old Testament phrase accord-
450 HEBREWS XIII. 17, 18
17. Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as having
to render an account of your souls; that they may do this with joy and
not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.
18. Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing
to behave ourselves well in all things.
ing to the LXX (Isa. Ivii. 19; Osee xiv. 2). The sacrifice of the
lips and the heart is a continual one, and so unUke the Jewish
sacrifices which took place only occasionally, on certain days or at
certain hours of the day.
To impart, i.e., to share our possessions with others, to give
alms.
17. In verse 7 the Apostle spoke of the religious leaders in the
Church who had completed their work and entered into rest. Now
he asks obedience and respect for those who were actually presiding
over the Christian community when this letter was written. These
spiritual superiors have a heavy duty to perform, for they are
charged with the spiritual welfare of their subjects and will have
to give an account of their stewardship to God. If the faithful
make this burden heavier by disobedience and disloyalty, they them-
selves will be the losers.
CONCLUSION, 18-25
18-25. Here the Apostle first asks the prayers of his readers.
His conscience bears him witness that he has done his best for
them. One result of their prayers will be that he may be able to
see them sooner (ver. 18-19). Then he utters a prayer for them,
which takes the form of a magnificent doxology and embodies the
main themes of the Epistle (ver. 20-21). Some final messages ter-
minate the letter (ver. 22-25).
18. This verse affords the first personal note in the Epistle, The
writer requests the prayers of his readers, which is a frequent prac-
tice with St. Paul (Rom. xv. 30; Eph. vi. 19; Col. iv. 3; i Thess.
v. 25; 2 Thess. iii. i).
For we trust, etc. The readers may not have agreed with the
writer in all respects, but his own conscience is clear ; and he feels
he has always lived for the highest ends. This appeal to his con-
science is also characteristic of St. Paul (Acts xxi. 20, xxiii. I,
xxiv. 16; I Cor. iv. 4; 2 Cor. i. 12, etc.).
HEBREWS XIII. 19-21 451
19. And I beseech you the more to do this, that I may be restored to you
the sooner.
20. And may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great
pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting
testament,
21. Fit you in all goodness that you may do his will; doing in you that
which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
19. The first person plural is here dropped for the first person
singular.
That I may be restored. The same thought is expressed in
Phlm. 22. The word "restored" shows the writer was with his
readers at a previous date.
20. In this and the following verse the Apostle prays for his
readers, and his prayer takes the form of a greater doxology.
Those Jewish Christians were torn by temptations from within and
persecutions from without, and so the writer asks "the God of
peace" to comfort and fortify them that they may remain firm in
the faith.
Who brought again from the dead. Though the Ascension and
Glorification of Christ are frequently referred to in the Epistle,
this is the only direct allusion to the Resurrection. Jesus was raised
from the dead by the Eternal Father as a reward for the blood
which He shed in establishing the New Covenant. His bloody
death on the cross thus merited for Him, as well as for us, a
glorious resurrection.
The great pastor of the sheep. Our Lord describes Himself
as the Good Shepherd in John x, 11- 17.
In the blood, etc., i.e., in virtue of the blood, etc. The resurrec-
tion followed the outpouring of the blood on the cross as a reward
and recompense (St. Thomas, h. /.), The most recent non-Catholic
scholars, however, understand this last phrase as indicating the
«nd and purpose of the Resurrection. Jesus, they say, was raised
from the dead that He might offer His blood (i.e., the risen life)
in the heavenly Sanctuary. Thus, these authorities make the estab-
lishment of the New Covenant and the actual work of atonement
follow the Resurrection, and they maintain that this teaching is char-
acteristic of the Epistle.
21. Now comes the actual prayer for the readers.
4S« HEBREWS XIII. 22-25
22. And I beseech you, brethren, that you suffer ih'xs word of consolation.
For I have written to you in a few words.
23. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at hberty; with whom (if
he come shortly) I will see you.
24. Salute all your prelates, and all the saints. The brethren from Italy
salute you.
25. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Doing in you, etc., i.e., accomplishing in you by means of His
grace that which is pleasing to Him. God must give both the good
will and the movement of the will (see on Phil. ii. 13).
To whom be glory, etc., may refer to God the Father, as in
most doxologies of the New Testament, or to Christ, as the con-
struction here would seem to indicate.
22. The writer asks his readers to accept in the right spirit the
strong appeal he has made to them to persevere firm in the faith.
He might have said much more to them on the grand subjects
treated.
23. Timothy seems to be well known to the readers of the Epistle;
and the words, "is set at liberty," would appear to suggest that he
has been in prison, but is now set free ; or they may mean simply
that he is now freed from the task which was committed to him.
If imprisonment is here referred to, nothing further is known of it.
24. The writer sends his salutations to all the faithful and their
pastors.
The brethren from Italy means Christians living in Italy, if the
letter was written from Rome or some place in Italy to readers
elsewhere ; but if the letter was addressed to Italy, the phrase would
seem to refer to Italians who were living outside of Italy and who
were sending greetings to their fellow-countrymen at home. See
Introduction to this Epistle, Nos. II and III.
25. Grace be with you all. This blessing is identical with that
of Titus iii. 15.
INDEX
Aaron, family of, II, 399.
Abba, Father, I, 128, 630.
Abel, Abel's blood crying to
heaven for vengeance, II, 432.
Abraham, was justified by faith, I,
68, 614; justified by faith before
he was circumcised, I, "jz; time
of justification, I, ^y, spiritual
father of the Jews, I, 74; model
of all the Gentiles, I, 74; promise
of Land of Canaan made to
Abraham, I, 75; promise and in-
heritance did not depend on the
observance of the Law, I, 75;
faith reputed to Abraham unto
justice, I, Tj; spiritual father of
Gentiles as well as Jews, I, ']'];
positive divine precepts given to
Abraham, I, 109; promise made
to Abraham, I, 145; spiritual
children of, I, 147; diflferences
between Abraham's two sons, I,
637; God's promise to Abraham
appertains to Christians, II, 394;
gave tithes to Melchisedech, II,
397; superiority of Melchisedech
to, II, 398; God's call to Abra-
ham, II, 433; supreme example
of faith, II, 433; faith sorely
tried, 11, 435-
Abstinence, I, 218.
Achaia, a Roman province, I, 463;
one of two provinces into which
the Romans divided Greece, II,
205.
Achaicus, Corinthian Christian, I,
443-
Adam, sin and death came by
Adam, I, 86; physical and moral
head of human race, I, 87; all
men have sinned in Adam, I, 87;
pernicious effects of Adam's sin,
I, 87; a figure or type of Christ,
I, 89; points of diflference be-
tween Adam, the type, and
Christ, the antitype, I, 90; posi-
tive divine precepts given to
Adam, I, 109; the first and last
Adam, I, 431; Adam's precedence
over Eve, II, 274.
Adeney, admits authenticity of
Colossians, II, 150; supports
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248.
Adoption of sons, I, 128, 627.
Adversaries of Paul, see Judaizers.
Agape, abuses at Corinth con-
demned by Paul, I, 371; exten-
sion of this custom in the early
Church, I, 374.
Agar, the type of the first Cove-
nant, I, 637.
Ahern, on authenticity of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 252.
Air, popularly regarded by Jews
as the abode of evil spirits, II, 41.
Alexander, Christian heretic, II,
269, 318.
Alexander of Alexandria, declares
Paul was author of Hebrews, II,
338.
Alford, Dean, supports authenticity
of Pastoral Epistles, II, 247.
Almsgiving, fruits of, I, 528.
Alpheus, I, 593.
Altar, Christian, Jews excluded
from, II, 448.
Altar of Incense, Jewish, II, 411.
Amen, use as the response to
prayers, I, 405, 472.
Ampliatus, Christian convert, I,
236.
Anathema, I, 144, 385, 445, 587.
Andronicus, Christian convert, I,
235-
Angels, four choirs of celestial be-
ings, II, 38; nine orders and
three hierarchies, II, 38; good
453
454
INDEX
and evil angels, II, 57; false no-
tions about angels among Colos-
sians, II, 146; cult of angels at
Colossae, II, 166, 172, 174; angels
alone are mentioned in Sacred
Scripture as accompanying Christ
on His second coming, II,
214; "angels of his power," II,
230; angels commanded by God
to worship Christ, II, 361; man
a little lower than the angels,
II. 367-
Anger, "Be angry, and sin not,"
II, 76.
Antichrist, must appear before the
Parousia, II, 232; Antichrist, the
"man of sin," II, 234; called by
St. John the "adversary," II,
235; Antichrist, the "mystery ot
iniquity," II, 236; coming of,
II, 236, 237; fate of, II, 21-]; pur-
pose of, II, 238; victims of Anti-
christ, II, 238; will be the instru-
ment of Satan, II, 238; why God
will permit the deception of the
victims of Antichrist, II, 238.
Antinomians, I, 313.
Antioch, St. Peter traditional
founder of Church there, I, 602:
fruitful labors of Barnabas and
Paul there, I, xv.
Antiochus Epiphanes, sufferings
of Israelites in his reign, I, 141.
Anton, Paul, responsible for gen-
eral currency of title "Pastoral
Letters," II, 246.
Apelles, Christian convert, I, 236.
Aphrodite, guardian deity of
Corinth, I, 247; temple at Ephe-
sus, II, 4.
Apoca'ypse of Elias, apocryphal
work, I, 282.
ApoUinarism, II, 124.
Apollo, I, 287, 442; succeeds Paul
in Corinth, I, 267; Corinthian
faction claims him as leader, I,
250, 287; Paul not opposed to the
Alexandrian preacher, I, 340, 442,
Apostasy, religious defection or
falling away from God, II, 234;
even internal apostasy merits
condemnation, II, 379; peril of
apostasy, II, 390; terrible conse-
quences of apostasy, II, 428;
selling one's birthright, II, 443.
Apostle, use of term by St. Paul,
I, 24, 261, 2>22, 392, 583; II, 23,
54, 69, 328.
Apostles, regarded as fools by
worldly Corinthians, I, 300; chief
teachings, I, 414; were firm and
unchangeable, I, 472; sublimity
of their ministry in contrast
with their infirmity, I, 493;
Corinthians not the judges of
the Apostles, I, 558.
Apostles, False, I, 543.
Apostleship, signs of, I, 556.
Apostolate, responsibilities of the,
I, 481.
Appia, probably wife of Philemon,
II, 151.
Aquila and Prisca, accompanied
Paul from Corinth to Ephesus,
I, xix; were at Ephesus a few
months before Romans was
written, I, 15; conversion of
Aquila and Prisca, I, 233; house
both in Rome, Corinth and
Ephesus a meeting-place of
faithful, I, 233; expelled from
Rome by edict of Claudius, I,
248; aided greatly foundation of
Church in Corinth, I, 444; Chris-
tian activities at Ephesus, II, 5.
Arabia, Paul's retirement into, I,
591; Sina Mountain in Arabia,
I. 658.
Archippus, probably son of Phile-
mon, II, 182.
Aretas IV, King of Arabia Naba-
taca, I, 549.
Arianism, I, 146; II, 36, 124.
Aristarchus, Jewish convert, II,
181.
Aristobulus, brother of Herod
Agrippa I, 237.
Arius, see Arianism.
Ark of the Covenant, II, 411.
Armor, metaphor, II, 93, 94, 223.
Arms, Spiritual, of the ministry,
I, 532.
Artemas, traditional Bishop of
Lystra, II, 339-
Asceticism, false asceticism of
Tudaizers at Colossae, II, 172:
exaggerated asceticism con-
demned by Paul, II, 283.
INDEX
455
Asia, Roman province, I, 235, 466.
Assumption of Moses, I, 658.
Athanasius, Saint, declares that
Paul was author of Hebrews, II,
342.
Athenagoras, Saint, testimony on
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248.
Athlete, metaphor, II, 305.
Atonement, Feast of the, greatest
of the Jewish Calendar and its
ceremonies the most elaborate,
II, 419-
Attains, I, 565.
Augustine, Saint, on the names
Saul and Paul, I, ix; attributes
fourteen Epistles to St. Paul, I,
xx; salvation depends on God's
grace, II, 125; thought chief pur-
pose of Romans was to show
that Mosaic observances were
unnecessary for salvation, I, 7;
believed custom of Eucharistic
fast derived from Apostles, I,
375; on authenticity of Hebrews,
II, 342, 343.
Austerities, Corporal, practised by
St. Paul, I, 351.
Authority, of Church superiors, II,
224.
Autograph, Paul's, I, 445, 656; II,
143, 183, 245.
Avarice, widespread among pagans,
I, 40; II, 80; Christians must
also be free from, II, 445.
B
Baal, chief god of Chanaanite
tribes, I, 179.
Bacon, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; takes middle
position on question of authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
249-
Baius, interpretation of Rom. ii. 14
condemned, I, 47.
Banquets, how Christmas should
conduct themselves at, I, 364;
nearly all pagan banquets had a
religious character, I, 335; sac-
rificial banquets of the heathens,
I. 357 ff-; conduct of Christians
at private pagan banquets, I, 363.
Baptism, in Christ's death, I, 96;
Baptism by immersion, I, 96;
effects purification of the Gen-
tiles, I, 226; why Paul baptized
few, I, 269; Baptism enrolls
Christians under the leadership
of Christ, I, 352; early custom
of Baptism for the dead, I, 424;
new life of grace begun at Bap-
tism, I, 503; through Baptism
man becomes a new creature,
morally and spiritually, I, 504;
Baptism mends all differences
between Jew and Gentile, I, 627;
effects of Baptism, II, 34; Bap-
tism and Confirmation usually
conferred together in early
Church, II, 77; "the laver of re-
generation," II, 87; cleansing by
the "laver of water," II, 87; prac-
tice of infant Baptism in the
Apostolic Church, II, 90; the
"circumcision of Christ," II, 170;
faithful mystically die with
Christ in this Sacrament, II,
173 flF.; by Baptism Christians
have become the property of
their Divine Master, II, 178;
Baptism "illuminates" Christian,
II, 391; cleansing waters of
Baptism, II, 427.
Barbarian, meaning of term, I,
403; II, 177.
Barnabas, Epistle of, refers to
Ephesians, I, 12; testimony on
authenticitv of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248.
Barnabas, Saint, mentioned in
Corinthians, ix. 6, I, 344; present
at Council of Jerusalem, I, 595;
sent to minister at Antioch, I, xv;
chosen with Paul to carry the
Antioch collection to Jerusalem,
I, xv; ordained bishop, I, xv;
parts company with Paul, I,
xviii; refused to yield to Juda-
izers, I, 598.
Baronius, held Romans was writ-
ten in February-March, 58, I, 9.
Basil, Saint, on destination of
Ephesians, II, 12.
Basilides, heretic, cited Ephesians,
II, 13; rejected the Pastorals be-
cause contrary to own false doc-
456
INDEX
trines, II, 248; accepted Romans,
I, 10; accepted I Cor., I, 255; was
acquainted with II Cor., I, 453.
Batiffol, Msgr., on the Agape, I,
372. . .
Bauer, Bruno, believed majority of
early Roman Christian com-
munity were Jewish, I, 4; on
authenticity of Romans, I, 10.
Baur, Charles, on Paul's purpose
in writing Romans, I, 6; rejects
Rom. xv-xvi, I, 12; doubted
authenticity of Ephesians, II,
13; saw Gnostic influence in
Ephesians, II, 15; denied authen-
ticity of Philippians, II, 102; ob-
jection to authenticity of Colos-
sians finds little favor even in
radical circles, II, 150; held 2
Thess. preceded I Thess., II,
197; denied authenticity of i
Thess. on purely internal
grounds, II, 197; contests genu-
ineness of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Belial, Hebrew word, I, 510.
Beyschlag, contests genuineness
of Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Biblical Commission, decision on
BibUcal inerrancy, II, 220; ver-
dict on Pastoral Epistles, II,
253; decision on authorship of
Hebrews, II, 343-
Bishop, meaning of term in Paul's
time, II, 106, 275; at first synon-
ymous with "presbyter," II, 275;
personal and moral require-
ments of bishops, II, 275; ofSce
of bishop, II, 277.
Blessing of Christians, in Christ,
II. 35.
Blindness, Spiritual, II, 73.
Bodies, I, 195.
Body, body of sin, I, 98; is not to
be hated, II, 88; body contrasted
with soul and spirit, II, 226.
Body, Mystical. See Church.
Body, Resurrection of the, see
Resurrection.
Bond of Peace, II, 65.
Book of Jubilees, II, 252, 262.
Book of Life, II, 138.
Bowels, meaning of term, I, 109,
509; II, 178.
Breaking of the bread, I, 377.
Breastplate of faith and charity,
II, 223.
Brethren of the Lord, I, 343.
Brother, use of term by St. Paul,
II, 217.
Bunsen, held 2 Thess. preceded I
Thess., II, 197.
Burdens, bearing one another's, I,
653-
Busybodies, II, 290.
Caesar's household, II, 143.
Caius, wealthy Corinthian convert,
I, 242, 269.
Caius, Roman presbyter, doubted
authenticity of Hebrews, II, 342;
names St. Peter as founder of
Roman Church, I, 2.
Caleb, I, 354.
Calf, Golden, I, 354.
Call, called to be Christians, I, 136;
called of Jesus Christ, I, 28;
called to be saints, I, 28, 136, 262;
call to the faith, I, 138; Gentiles
called, Jews rejected, I, 158; call
to justification and to eternal
glory equally gratuitous, I, 179;
call to the Gospel, a Christian
privilege, II, 35; call synony-
mous with vocation and election,
II, 204.
Callimachus, Alexandrian poet, II,
331-
Calmet, on Paul's purpose in writ-
ing Romans, I, 6.
Calvin, fatalism of, I, 157.
Canaan, promised to Abraham was
but a figure of an eternal in-
heritance, I, 75, 621; II, 434.
Candidates for the ministry, char-
acter of, II, 292.
Captivity, Epistles. See Epistles,
Captivity.
Carnal, as opposed to "perfect,"
I. 283.
Carpus, Christian of Troas, II, 321.
Carthage, Councils of. Council of
419 attributes fourteen Epistles
to Paul, I, xxx; Third Council
commands Eucharistic fast, I,
375; renews Apostolic ordinance
regarding women teaching in
INDEX
457
public assemblies, II, 269; spoke
of the thirteen Epistles of St.
Paul and one by the same to the
Hebrews, II, 338; Fifth Council
cites Hebrews as St, Paul's, II,
342.
Cassander, rebuilt Thessalonica,
11, 195.
Castration, I, 646.
Celibacy, lessons relative to celi-
bacy and marriage, I, 318; celi-
bacy more excellent than the
married state, I, 321; celibacy in
early Church, II, 277; celibacy to
be preferred to matrimony, II,
287.
Cenchrae, port of Corinth, I, 233.
Cephas, claimed as leader by
Corinthian faction, I, 251, 267.
See also Peter, Saint.
Charisms, bestowal does not de-
pend on personal merits, I,
198 fif. ; such visible outpourings
of the Holy Spirit were needed to
water the plant of faith in the
first years of the Church, I, 383;
charismatic gifts will cease here-
after, but charity will remain, I,
297, 398, 399 ff-; practical direc-
tions for the public use of
charisms, I, 408; charismatic
gifts to be tested by their fruits,
II, 225.
Charity, attributed to the Holy
Ghost by appropriation, I, 83;
exercise of mutual charity, I,
200; charity of brotherhood, I,
201; necessity of charity and
vigilance, I, 208; charity edifieth,
Ii 336; supremacy of charity
amongst virtues, I, 394 flF.; quali-
ties of charity, I, 395; charac-
♦eristics and actual fruits of
charity, I, 396; charity outlasts
all other gifts, I, 397; charity is
not inamissible, I, 397; the
most excellent of the theologi-
cal virtues, I, 399; a new disposi-
tion of God, I, 636; charity ful-
fils every law, I, 648; the "bond
of peace," II, 65; the root and
supernatural spring of all virtues
characteristic of worthy Chris-
tian, II, 65 ; "walk in love," II,
79; charity the queen of virtues,
II, 178; charity, the "end of the
Commandment," II, 263; solici-
tude about sanctification of fel-
low-Christians, II, 442.
Charity of God, I, 83; another
proof of God's love for us, I, 84.
Chastity, Paul exhorts converts to,
II, 216.
Cherubim of glory, II, 411.
Children, precepts for, II, 90;
duties, II, 178, 287. See also
Marriage.
Children of God, heirs of future
glory, I, 127, 132.
Children of the flesh, I, 148.
Children of the promise, I, 148.
Children of wrath, II, 42.
Chloe, Corinthian Christian, Paul
learns of Corinthian dissensions
through Chloe, I, 252, 266.
Chosen people, II, 340.
Christianity, elements of the Chris-
tian faith, II, 389; Christian faith
a continuation of faith of Israel,
II, 435; Christian life as a race,
II, 439; duties of the Christian
life, II, 334; Christianity, a New
Dispensation replacing the Old,
I, 636; difference from Judaism,
II, 448. See also Church.
Christians, are mystically dead to
the law, I, 107; general instruc-
tions for all Christians, I, 194 f. ;
should be contented with the
office they have received, and dis-
charge their duties to God with
humility, I, 197; all equal before
Christ, I, 328; Christians to cul-
tivate modesty and humility, I,
203; should not criticize and con-
demn one another on account of
difference of opinion, I, 212;
should share one another's bur-
dens after the example of Christ,
I, 220; should avoid lawsuits be-
fore pagan tribunals, I, 310;
Christians compared with com-
petitors in race, I, 349; Chris-
tians should direct everything
they do to God's honor and
glory, I, 365; Christians, the true
descendants of Abraham and
heirs according to the promise,
458
INDEX
I, 625; glorious condition in the
Messianic Kingdom, II, 46; Chris-
tians must walk worthy of their
vocation in all unity, II, 64; vir-
tues Christians must practise, II,
75; precepts for Christians in
general, II, 78; must be ready
for the warfare of their enemies,
II, 92; intimate connection be-
tween Christian theology and
practical Christian life, II, 119;
characteristics of good Chris-
tians, II, 135; characteristics of
bad Christians, II, 135; Chris-
tians must exhibit newness of
life, II, 176; general precepts for
Christians, II, 180; special quali-
ties of Christian, II, 307; are the
stones of which the Church is
built or the utensils that furnish
the house, II, 310; Christian
trials, II, 312; exhortations to,
II, 446.
Chrysostom, Saint, on Paul's pur-
pose in writing Romans, I, 7;
on licentiousness of Corinth, I,
247; tells that Paul preached in
Spain, II, 249.
Church, the Mystical Body of
Christ, I, 197 ff., 388 ff.; made up
of good and bad members, has
power to judge and condemn, I,
309; term probably not applied to
edifice until the third century,
Ii 373; meaning of term, I, 584;
Sara type of the Church, I, 639;
Church is "the fullness of Jesus
Christ," II, 39; end of the Church
is unity of faith, II, 70; how the
Church is to attain perfection,
II, 70; Church is Christ's bride,
II, 88; continual sanctification of
Church by Christ, II, 88; Church
is the pillar and ground of truth,
II, j8i; Church has both good
and bad members, II, 310; trials
to be inet by the Church, II, 312.
Church, Roman. See Romans.
Epistle to the, I, i flf.
Churches of Asia, I, 444.
Circumcision, seal of the Covenant,
I, 52 fif.; seal of the alliance, I,
74; Christ was minister of cir-
cumcision, I, 223; circumcision
not necessary for Christians, I,
642; circumcision, as urged by
Judaizers, included the obliga-
tion of observing the whole Law,
I. 643; Judaizers held it neces-
sary for Gentile converts, I, 614,
657; circumcision in the flesh, II,
46.
Circumcision, Spiritual, true cir-
cumcision of the heart, I, 52;
spiritual circumcision, II, 169;
"circumcision of Christ," con-
ferred through Baptism, II, 170.
City that hath foundations, II, 434.
Civil Authority, attitude towards,
II, 270.
Claudius, edict of, I, 234.
Clemen, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; frequently
cites or refers to the various
Epistles of Paul, I, xxx; states
distinctly that St. Peter was sole
founder of Roman Church, I, 3.
Clement, Christian resident of
Philippi, II, 138.
Clement of Alexandria, Saint, re-
fers to Romans by its title, I, lo;
cites I Cor. frequently by name,
I. 255; quotes 2 Cor. more than
forty times, I, 452; was ac-
quainted with Galatians, I, 576;
opinion on destination of Ephe-
sians, II, 7; attributes Philip-
pians to St. Paul, II, 102; quotes
Colossians, II, 150; cites I
Thess., II, 197; testimony on
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248; said Paul wrote Hebrews
in Hebrew and Luke translated
it into Greek, II, 341 f.
Clement of Rome, Saint, names St.
Peter as founder of Roman
Church, I, 2; quotes from
Romans, I, 10; cites I Cor., I,
254; refers only vaguely to 2
Cor., I, 453; uses passages from
Galatians, I, 576; was acquainted
with Ephesians, II, 12; refers to
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248; quotes
Hebrews, II, 341, 345.
Clergy, existence in Apostolic
Church of a ministerial order, II,
224; should be well supported, II,
201.
INDEX
459
Coals of Fire, I, 206.
Codex Bezae, on Paul's preaching
in Ephesus, I, xx.
Codex Claromontanus, calls He-
brews the work of Barnabas, II,
340.
Codices, Uncial, of New Testa-
ment, I, 1.
Collection for poor in Jerusalem,
Corinthian collection, I, 438,
518, 526.
Colossse, II, 144; the home of
Epaphras, Philemon and Onesi-
mus, II, 145; Church of Colossse,
II, 145; false teachers at Colos-
sae, II, 163; their false teaching
opposed to Christ, II, 166.
Colossians, Epistle to the, resem-
blances to Ephesians, II, 13;
marked differences from Ephe-
sians, II, 13; errors combatted
in this Epistle, II, 145; occasion
and purpose of this letter, II, 146;
analysis of contents, II, 147;
authorship and integrity of, II,
150; date and place of composi-
tion, II, 16 f., 151; bibliography,
II. 151-
Combat, Spiritual, and the means
of victory, II, 92.
Coming, Second. See Parousia.
Concision, ironical allusion to
Judaizers' false notion of circum-
cision, II, 130.
Concupiscence, I, 100; as a source
of sin, I, III; is not extinguished
by Baptism, I, 649.
Condren, says that Christ com-
pleted in Heaven the sacrifice
of the Cross, II, 405.
Cone, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Confirmation, in the early days of
the Church, I, 389; effects of
Confirmation, II, 34; Confirma-
tion usually conferred together
with Baptism in early Church,
II. 1T\ Confirmation by imposi-
tion of hands, II, 390; partakers
of the Holy Ghost, II, 391.
Conscience, erroneous, I, 213, 339.
Contentions, I, 265.
Conversation, of early Christians,
II, n.
Conversion of soul, II, "]},.
Conversion of the Gentiles, will be
followed by that of the Jews, I,
188, 407.
Converts, Jewish, must not return
to the Law, I, 606; Gentile con-
verts not subject to Mosaic ob-
servances, I, xvii.
Corinth, history and description
of, I, 246; foundation of the
Church in Corinth, I, 248; exist-
ing situation at time of First
Corinthians, I, 265; absurdity of
Corinthian divisions, I, 287; 464,
470, 513, 522, 536, 569; Corinth a
corrupt city, I, 308; Corinthians'
conduct at the Eucharistic cele-
bration, I, 376; factions among
Christians, I, 250, 266, 442; col-
lection at Corinth for the poor
in Jerusalem, I, 518. See also
Corinthians, Epistles to the.
Corinthians, First Epistle to the, oc-
casion and purpose of this letter,
I, 250; date and place of writing,
I, 253; authenticity and canon-
icity, I, 254; style and language,
I, 255; doctrinal importance, I,
256; division and analysis, I, 257;
bibliography, I, 260; resemblance
to Romans and Galatians, I, 574.
Corinthians, Second Epistle to the,
occasion and purpose, I, 447;
bearer of the Epistle, I, 452; date
and place of writing, I, 452; au-
thenticity, I, 453; integrity, 1,454;
characteristics and style, I, 457;
relation between First and Sec-
ond Corinthians, I, 458; division
and analysis, 1,459; bibliography,
I, 462; similarity between Gala-
tians, Corinthians and Romans,
I. 574;
Correction, for disorderly mem-
bers, II, 242.
Correction, Sympathetic, I, 653.
Counsel, I, 328; II, 32.
Covenant, explanation of term, II,
415-
Covenant, New, sealed by Christ's
blood, I, 379; superiority to the
Old, II, 339, 358, 406; positive
character of the New Covenant,
II, 408; God confirms and seals
460
INDEX
New Covenant, II, 417; beauty
of New Dispensation, II, 444.
See also Dispensation.
Covenant, Old, a figure of the
New, II, 417; final annulment of
Old Covenant, II, 413; Old Cove-
nant unsatisfactory, II, 407. See
also Law of Moses.
Covered Head, why women should
wear a veil in church, I, 369;
significance of covered head in
Paul's time, I, 367.
Covetousness, I, 308, 354; II, 176.
Creation, is common to each of the
three Divine Persons, II, 357.
Creatures, irrational, I, 130.
Crescens, Christian convert, II,
320.
Cretans, II, 329; notorious for
sedition, II, 336; what Cretans
should do and what avoid, II,
336.
Crete, II, 329. See Titus, Epistle
to. Introduction.
Crispus, Corinthian convert, I,
268.
Cross, a stumbling block to Jews
and foolishness to Gentiles, I,
273; a scandal to the Jews, I,
646.
Crown of justice, II, 319.
Crucifixion, not a Jewish form of
execution, but resorted to in rare
cases, I, 618.
Cyprian, Saint, states that St.
Peter was sole founder of
Roman Church, I, 3; sajs St.
Paul wro-e only to seven
Churches, II, 342.
D
Dalmatia, II, 321.
Damascus, capital of Syria, I, 549;
Paul's vision on the way to
Damascus, I, xii, 591.
David, Seed of, I, 26; II, 307.
Davidson, doubts authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; contests genu-
ineness of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Day of atonement, Jewish cere-
monial on, II, 412; annual feast
of renewal, II, 417, 418.
Day of Jesus Christ, II, 108. See
also Parousia; Judgment.
Day of Judgment, God's voice will
again shake the earth, II, 445.
Day of the Lord, the General
Judgment, I, 290.
Deaconesses, duties in the early
Church, I, 2i;i; personal and
moral requirements, II, 275.
Deacons, personal and moral re-
quirements, II, 275.
Deaconship, called the "ministry"
in the second century, II, 266.
Dead, prayer for the dead a Jewish
practice, II, 300.
Death, the result and the chastise-
ment of sin, I, 87, 113; death
called the last enemy, I, 422; "I
die daily," I, 425; Jewish concep-
tions of death, II, 370; death,
Satan's instrument of terror, II,
370.
Death, Spiritual, II, 41.
Deissmann, takes middle position
on question of authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 246.
Demas, Gentile convert, II, 127,
137, 182, 316.
Demetrius, provoked tumult in
Ephesus against St. Paul, II, 5.
Demons, principalities and powers,
II, 170.
Demosthenes, Paul's acquaintance
with his writings, I, xxxviii.
Denis of Alexandria, declares Paul
was author of Hebrews, II, 342.
Deposit, the deposit of faith, II,
298.
Depraved inclinations, I, 649.
Design of God, cannot be fully
accomplished if ultimate salva-
tion of the Jews is not first as-
sured, I, 183.
Detractors, I, 40.
Devil, give no place to the, II, 76.
See also Satan.
De Wette, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; on Paul's pur-
pose of writing Romans, I, 6;
supports authenticity of the Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 247.
Diana, see Aphrodite.
Discerning of Spirits, as Gift of
the Holy Spirit, I, 387.
INDEX
461
Discipline, seems hard and irk-
some, II, 441.
Dispensation, Divine, II, 31.
Dispensation, Old and New, New
Dispensation one of faith, I, 170;
priests of the Old had to offer
sacrifice for own sins, II, 385.
See also Covenant.
Dispositions of mind, in God's ser-
vice, I, 196.
Diversities of graces, I, 386.
Diversities of ministries, I, 386.
Diversities of operations, I, 386.
Dobschutz, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Docetism, heresy, II, 124.
Doctors, definition of the term as
used by Paul, I, 392; II, 69.
Domestic Life, precepts for, II, 90.
See also Marriage.
Doxologies, used by St. Paul, in
Romans, I, 245; in Galatians, I,
585; in Ephesians, II, 19, 63; in
Philippians, II, 143; in I Tim-
othy, II, 268, 297; in Hebrews,
II, 450.
Drach, on Paul's purpose in writ-
ing Romans, I, 7.
Drunkenness, great sin of pagan-
ism, II, 83.
Dumb idols, meaning of term, I,
384.
E
Ears, Itching, II, 318.
Earthen vessels, I, 493.
Edification, I, 563.
Effeminate, I, 313.
Eleazar, faith of, II, 438.
Elect, I, 136; II, 303. See also
Election, Call.
Election, gratuitous, I, 149; accord-
ing to the election of grace, I,
178.
Elements of the world, I, 629.
End of the world, see Parousia.
Enlightenment of eyes, II, 37.
Epaphras, brought Paul news of
errors in Colossse and neighbor-
ing cities, II, 17; native and
founder of the Church of Colos-
sx, II, 145; visited Paul in Rome,
II, 146; Epaphras sends greeting
to Colossians and Philemon, II,
151; Epaphras preached Gospel
to Colossians, II, 152; tradi-
tional First Bishop of Colossae,
II, 154; probably to be distin-
guished from Epaphroditus, II,
155; brings report of the Colos-
sians to St. Paul, II, 156; Colos-
sians received Faith through
him, II, 161; Epaphras, convert
from paganism, II, 181; Apostle
of the Colossian Church, II, 182.
Epaphroditus, brings gifts and re-
port from Philippi to Paul in
Rome, II, 100 ff.; sent by Philip-
pians to Rome with gifts for
Paul, II, 128, 141; probably to be
distinguished from Epaphras, II,
155-
Epenetus, Ephesian convert, I, 15,
235-
Ephesians, Epistle to the, style
and manner, II, 2; to whom was
it addressed, II, 6; Voste's the-
ory of Laodicean destination, II,
10; authorship of, II, 12; marked
differences from Colossians, II,
13; resemblances to Colossians,
II, 13; conclusions as to author-
ship, II, 14; explanation of pecu-
liarities of expression, II, 14;
date and place of composition,
II, 16; occasion and purpose, II,
17; argument and division, II,
18; bibliography, II, 21.
Ephesus, II, 3; temple of Diana,
I, xx; II, 4; road to Ephesus, II,
4; Church of Ephesus, II, 4; part
played by Aquila and Priscilla in
forming Christian community,
II, s; Paul uses school of Tyran-
nus as his place of instruction,
II, 5; Timothy bishop of
Ephesus, II, 256 f¥.; II Cor. may
have been written from Ephesus,
I, 564; mentioned also in Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 6.
Epictetus, stoic philosopher, born
at Hierapolis, II, 144.
Epimenides, Cretan poet, II, 331.
Epistle, Lost, to Corinthians, V,
475, 514-
Epistle of Barnabas, was ac-
quainted with Ephesians, II, 12.
4b2
INDEX
Epistles, Captivity, II, i; general
contents, II, 2; order of these,
II, 2. See also Ephesians, Philip-
pians, Colossians, Philemon.
Epistles, Pastoral, references to
Ephesus, II, 6; introduction of
term, "Pastoral Epistles," II,
246; general characteristics, II,
246; authenticity of, II, 247; ob-
jections to their authenticity, II,
749; bibliography, II, 254. See
Timothy, Two Epistles to ; Titus,
Epistle to.
Epistles of St. Paul, authenticity
and canonicity of our Fourteen
Pauline Epistles, I, xxx; date of
Canonical Epistles, I, xxx; gen-
eral form of the Epistles, I,
xxxi; style, I, xxxii; grammatical
faults and irregularities, I, xxxii;
Greek copies of St. Paul's
Epistles, I, xxxii; striking images
are wanting, I, xxxvi; apprecia-
tions of the style of the Epistles,
I, xxxix; number, order and date
of the Epistles, I, xxix; doctrine
of the Epistles, I, xl.
Erastus, a Christian convert, 1, 246,
248; Erastus and Timothy sent
to Macedonia by Paul, I, 147,
253, 441, 447, 458; 11, 323.
Esau, as type of Jewish race, I, 49;
found no place of repentance, II,
443.
Eschatalogy, occupies a large place
in both Epistles to the Thessa-
lonians, II, 198. See Parousia.
Estius, on Paul's purpose in writ-
ing Romans, I, 6.
Eucharist, Holy, water from rock
typical of, I, 352, 3531 the com-
munion of the blood of Christ
and the bread which we break,
1,358; Paul regarded the Euchar-
istic celebration as a true sacri-
fice, I, 358; Christ is really pres-
ent in Eucharistic bread, I, 3591
institution described by St. Paul,
I, ZlT, comparison of all four
accounts of institution, I, 378;
commemorative sacrifice of the
death of Christ, I, 379; Euchar-
istic sacrifice is to be continued
till the end of time, I, 379: total
presence of Christ under either
species declared by St. Paul, I,
380; chief purpose of the Chris-
tian assembly, II, 427; manna
typical of Eucharist, I, 352.
Eunuchs, for the Kingdom of
Heaven, I, 646.
Eusebius, on Peter's first visit to
Rome, I, 3; recognizes authen-
ticity of Philemon, II, 185.
Eutychianism, II, 124.
Evangelists, use of term by Paul,
II, 69.
Eve, I, 112, 479; example a warning
to Corinthian Church, I, 539.
Evil eye, I, 611.
Evodia, II, loi, 137.
Ewald, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; holds II Thess.
preceded I Thess., II, 197; takes
middle position on question of
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 249.
Example, warning against bad ex-
ample, II, 135.
Excommunication, I, 309, 477; II,
243, 269.
Exodus from Egjrpt, II, 436.
Extortioners, I, 308.
Factions, condemned by Paul as
detrimental to the unity of the
Church, I, 268.
Faith, the just man liveth by faith,
I, Zy, alone does not justify, I,
44; faith, the root and beginning
of justification, I, 62; product
and fruit of grace, I, 62; a gratu-
itous gift of God, I, 65; does not
merit justification but is founda-
tion of it, I, 70; faith reputed to
Abraham unto justice, I, ^T, jus-
tice of faith, I, 167; public con-
fession of Jesus, I, 169; faith as
gift of the Holy Spirit, I, 387;
Christian faith based on resur-
rection, I, 419; we walk by faith
and not by sight, I, 500; defini-
tion of faith, I, 520; faith an un-
speakable gift, I, 530; a living
faith, I, 561 ; importance of faith as
the means of justification, I, 611;
Abraham was justified by faith,
INDEX
463
I, 614; true justice conies only-
through faith, I, 617; faith the
basis of the Christian Ufe, I, 644;
faith that worketh by charity, I,
644; faith is a pure gift of God,
II, 44; faith is an implicit trust
in all that has been revealed, II,
61; shield of faith, II, m94; faith
without works not sufficient for
salvation, II, 125, 204; faith fruit-
ful in good works, II, 338; lack
of faith excluded Hebrews from
the promised land, II, 375, 426;
practical results of the virtue of
faith, II, 431; faith described and
illustrated, II, 431; examples of
faith, II, 432; we cannot please
God without faith, II, 433; illus-
trations of faith found in great
leaders of Israel, II, 437.
Faithful, they should not judge
their teachers, I, 296; form only
one body in Christ, I, 198. See
also Christians.
Family, father's authority was ab-
solute in Roman family, II, 85;
Paul's demand of consideration
for wives and children was revo-
lutionary, II, 86; admonitions for
domestic life, II, 90, 178. See also
Marriage.
Farrar, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Fashion passeth away, I, 331.
Fasting, I, 339, 507; origin of fast
before receiving Holy Com-
munion, I, i'j2, 375.
Fatalism of Calvin, I, 157.
Fear of God, necessary for perfec-
tion of holiness, I, 512.
Fight the good fight, II, 296.
Findlay, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 247, 249.
Fire, shall try every man's work,
I, 291; the Day of the Lord shall
be revealed in fire, I, 291; as ac-
companiment of the manifesta-
tions of God, II, 230.
Firstborn of God, II, 444.
Firstfruit of the Old Law, I, 184.
Flesh, opposition to spirit, I, 123;
tendency of the flesh, I, 124; dan-
ger of following the flesh, I, 126;
that no flesh should glory in His
sight, I, 275; works of the flesh,
I, 648; destruction of the flesh
means mortification of carnal de-
sires of life, I, 305; uncircum-
cision of the flesh, II, 170.
Foods, no food evil in itself, II,
283; all good in themselves as
created by God, II, 331.
Foolishness of the Cross, I, 273,
300.
Foreknowledge of God, I, 137.
Fornication, I, 314, 317, 320; II,
80, 216, 264.
Fortunatus, Corinthian Christian,
I, 443-
Free Thought, what St. Paul dep-
recated as the waywardness of
an undisciplined child, II, 71.
Free Will, I, 156; good works are
done by our free will, II, 125;
free will is not sufficient of itself
to perform good works, but
must be moved by grace, II, 125.
Fruits of good works, I, 104; fruits
of the spirit, I, 649.
Fullness of time, I, 629.
Gain, material, II, 295.
Galatia, I, 565 f.; II, 320.
Galatians, Epistle to the, I, 565;
Galatia Proper or North Gala-
tia, I, 565; origin of Galatians,
I, 565; South Galatia, I, 566; the
Galatians of the Epistle, I, 566;
arguments for the South Gala-
tian Theory, I, 567, 599; argu-
ments for the North Galatian
Theory, I, 568; composition of
the Galatian Church, I, 570; oc-
casion and purpose of the
Epistle, I, 571; time and place of
writing, I, 573; similarity be-
tween Galatians, Corinthians and
Romans, I, 574; difTerence be-
tween Romans and Galatians, I,
575; authenticity and canonicity,
I, 576; importance of the Epistle,
I, 578; literary style, I, 578; divi-
sion and analysis, I, 578; bibliog-
raphy, I, 582.
Gamaliel, taught Paul in Jerusa-
lem, I, X.
464
INDEX
Games, Isthmian and Olympic, I,
349. 350-
Games, metaphorical, II, 306.
Gayford, S. C, opinion on author-
ship of Hebrews, II, 347.
Generosity, recommended to Co-
rinthians, 1, 520; example of
Christ, I, 521; exhortation to
generosity, I, 527.
Gentiles, Gentile converts not sub-
ject to Mosaic observances, I,
xvii; their moral disorders fol-
lowed from their idolatry, I,
39; Gentiles' need of redemp-
tion as contrasted with Jews,
I, 54; conversion of Gentiles
will be followed by that of
Jews, I, 188; fullness of the
Gentiles, I, 189; together with
Jews, are called to share in the
one Church, II, 45; sad state of
before their conversion to Chris-
tianity, II, 46; Gentiles in the
flesh, II, 46; equality with
Jews, II, 49.
Gentleness, indulgent considera-
tion of human infirmities, II,
336.
Ghost, Holy, proceeds equally
from the Father and from the
Son, I, 125; source of the life
of grace, I, 125; those led by the
Spirit of God are the sons of
God, I, 127; firstfruits of the
Spirit, I, 133; direction of the
Spirit, I, 134; Divinity of the
Holy Ghost, I, 285; Holy Ghost,
a Divine Person, I, 489; the
pledge of our inheritance, II, 34;
the Spirit of Jesus Christ, II, 114;
the work of our spiritual regen-
eration as being a work of love
is attributed to the Holy Ghost,
II, 2,i7-
Gift of doctrine, "the word of
knowledge," I, 408.
Gift of healing, 1, 387.
Gift of interpretation, necessary
complement of gift of tongues,
I. 403-
Gift of prophecy, I, 409, 410.
Gift of tongues, in early Church,
I. 134. 394. 399 ff-; definition and
rationalistic explanation, I, 400;
a sign to unbelievers, I, 407; not
useful without gift of interpreta-
tion, I, 402.
Gifts, are of no account without
charity, I, 394.
Gifts, Gratuitous, I, 283.
Gifts and functions, diversity in
Christian society, II, 64, 67.
Gifts of grace, use of the, II, 392.
Gifts of the Holy Ghost, I, 473;
accompanied preaching of Gos-
pel, II, 365.
Gifts, Spiritual, nature, origin and
purpose, I, 384 ff.; are of no ac-
count without charity, I, 394.
Sec also Charisms.
Gilbert, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Glory, Eternal, the glory to come,
I, 130; certainty of our future
glory, I, 135; our glorification in
Christ, I, 138, 140; state of glory,
II. 37; the supernal vocation, II,
134; riches of glory, II, 163.
Gnosticism, erroneous teaching re-
garding Christ, II, 146; sup-
posed reference in Pastoral
Epistles, II, 252; teaching re-
garding an evil principle, II, 283.
God, no respecter of persons, I,
46; veracity and fidelity, I, 56;
the efficient cause of justifica-
tion, I, 63; charity of God, I, 83;
foreknowledge of God, I, 137;
God is faithful to His promises,
I, 146; eternal decree of God, I,
150; eternal decrees of God, free
and gratuitous, I, 150; God is not
unjust in preferring one to an-
other, I, 153; God through
Moses first threatened the Jews
on account of their obstinacy, I,
174; God will not forsake His
people forever, because His gifts
and calling are without repent-
ance, I, 191; the infinite wisdom
and knowledge of God, I, 192;
wisdom of God, I, 273, 285;
power of God, I, 273; "foolish-
ness" of God, I, 273; "weakness"
of God, I, 274; wisdom is hidden.
I, 280; deep things of God, I,
282; God the Father, I, 2i7\ God
of this world, I, 491; glory of
INDEX
465
God the ultimate end of all the
labors and sufferings of the
Apostles, I, 496; jealousy of, I,
538; eternal decree of salvation,
II, 29; mystery of God's will, II,
31; the divine dispensation, II,
31; God's inheritance, II, 32;
God's glory, II, 23', God's glory
the end of all His gifts, II, 35;
God's power, II, 40; manifold
wisdom, II, 52; eternal purpose,
III 54. 57; fatherhood of God,
II, 59; the riches of His
glory, II, 60; God's glory last
end of all virtue and good
works, II, 109; God's vengeance,
II, 230; God's love is gratuitous,
II, 240; absolute gratuitousness
of the works of God's love, II,
337; "temptation" by Israelites,
II. 375; God's "Word" is His
will, II, 382; God's promise to
Abraham, I, 75; II, 394; God's
oath to Abraham, II, 395.
God, Mocking of, to profess Chris-
tianity and obey the flesh, I, 655.
Godet, favors authenticity of Ephe-
sians, II, 13; admits authenticity
of Colossians, II, 150; supports
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248.
Goodness, II, 81.
Gospel, difference between true
and false, II, 129. See also Cove-
nant.
Governments in the Church, I, 393.
Grace, is the formal cause of justi-
fication, I, 63; grace did more
abound, I, 94; grace came not
from the Law but living faith in
Christ, I, 106; we can never be
absolutely certain that we are in
a state of grace, I, 129; grace suf-
ficient for salvation, I, 156; the
work of the preacher is vain and
useless without grace of God, I,
288; diversities of graces, I,
386; excellence of the grace of
God, I, 530; state of grace, I,
561; grace the supernatural prin-
ciple of the spiritual life, I, 655;
the riches of His grace, II, 30;
grace transforms us into the like-
ness of Christ, II, 43; necessity
of grace, II, 108; grace of the
Apostolate, II, 108; sanctifying
grace, the temporal cause of sal-
vation, II, 302; graces of Chris-
tianity are to be shown to out-
siders, II, 336; inner grace, far
more important for salvation
than ordinances, II, 448. See
also Gratiae gratis datae.
Grace . • . peace, form of well-
wishing, I, 29, 585; II, 24.
Grace of healing, as gift of the
Holy Spirit, I, 387.
Gratiae gratis datae, definition, I,
198, 383 ; as opposed to gratia
sanctificaus or gratum facietis,
I. 384.
Gratitude to God, II, 84; gratitude
for the gift of faith, II, 445.
Grecian Games, I, 350.
H
Haggadoth, Jewish Apocryphal
book, II, 252.
Harden one's heart, II, 380.
Hamack, on the destination of
Romans, I, 15; favors authen-
ticity of Ephesians, II, 13; ac-
cepts authenticity of Colossians,
II, 150; accepts authenticity of
2 Thess. on purely internal
grounds, II, 198; thinks I Thess.
was addressed more directly to
Gentile and 2 Thess. to Jewish
group in Thessalonian Church,
II, 198; maintains no proof can
be given that Paul was not re-
leased from his first Roman cap-
tivity, II, 249; takes middle posi-
tion on question of authenticity
of Pastoral Epistles, II, 249.
Harrison, takes middle position on
question of authenticity of Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 249.
Harvest, depends chiefly upon the
kind of seed sown and soil, 1,655.
Hatch, contests genuineness of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Hatred of God, I, 152.
Haughtiness, I, 40.
Hausrath, takes middle position
on question of authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 249.
466
INDEX
Head of the book, II, 423.
Heart, scat not onlj' of the affec-
tions but of intelligence, I, 36;
II, 37, 60.
Heaven, Third, I, 551.
Heavens, Seven, the opinion of
Rabbins, II, 69.
Hebrews, Epistle to the. Introduc-
tion, II, 341; authorship and
canonicity, II, 341; time and
place of composition, II, 347;
occasion and readers of this
letter, II, 349; language and
style, II, 351; analysis of con-
tents, II, 352; bibliography, II,
354-
Hegesippus, testimony on authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Heirs of God, I, 129. See also
Adoption; Inheritance.
Helmet of salvation, II, 94.
Henoch's faith, II, 433.
Heracleon, testimony on authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Heresy, heresies are pertinacious
denials of doctrine and ruptures
in faith, I, 374.
Heretic, definition, II, 338.
Hermas, Roman convert, I, 238.
Hermogenes, Paul warns Timothy
against, II, 304.
Herod Agrippa I, friend of Em-
peror Claudius, I, 237, 595.
Herod Antipas, I, 549.
Herodias, I, 549.
Hierapolis, Christian community
at, II, 8, 144; Philip of Bethsaida
resided there, II, 144.
High Priest of Old Testament,
contrasted with our High Priest,
II. 383.
Hilary, Saint, on purpose of Ro-
mans, I, 6; cites Hebrews as St.
Paul's, II, 342.
Hippo, Council of, attributes four-
teen Epistles to St. Paul. I.
XXX.
Hippolytus, Saint, doubted authen-
ticity of Hebrews, II, 342.
Holiness, exhortation to persever-
ance in, II, 124; exhortation to
holy thoughts, II, 137.
Holocausts, definition, II, 423.
Holsten, gives rationalistic ex-
planation of conversion of St.
Paul, I, xiv; concedes that the-
ology of Philippians is thor-
oughly Pauline, II, 102; on dox-
ology in Rom. xvi, I, 13.
Holtzmann, doubted authenticity
of Ephesians, II, 13; objection to
authenticity of Colossians finds
little favor even in radical
circles, II, 150; denies genuine-
ness of 2 Thess., II, 198; con-
tests genuineness of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 248.
Holy Ghost, see Ghost, Holy.
Hope, reasons we have in hoping
for salvation, I, 84; hope that is
seen, I, 133; certainty of our
hope, II, 223; boasting of our
hope, II, 374; confidence in
Christ, II, 383; hope sure and
firm, II, 395; three sources of
confidence and assurance, II, 427.
Hort, Dr., says Uncial Greek MSS.
carry back N. T. to early second
century, I, 1; favors authenticity
of Ephesians, II, 13; believes
Col. ii somewhat corrupted, II,
151; supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Hospitality, often inculcated in the
New Testament, I, 202; was cul-
tivated by both Jews and
pagans, II, 446.
House of this habitation, man's
transitory life on earth, I, 497.
Howson, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Humility, Christian should dis-
charge duties with humility, I,
197; praised by Paul, I, 298; en-
joined by our Lord, I, 543; char-
acteristic of worthy Christian,
II, 65; exhortation to humility,
II, 117; pretentious humility, ad-
vocated by false teachers at
Colossae, II, 172.
Hymenaeus, denied the resurrec-
tion of the dead, II, 269; mis-
takes of, II, 309.
Hypocrisy, most dangerous char-
acteristic of evil men, II, 313.
Hypostatic Union, I. 4^2; II, 160.
INDEX
467
Idleness, for the sake of pleasure,
condemned authoritativelj', II,
244.
Idolatry, through their sins the
pagans lapsed into idolatry, I,
34; idolatry of Gentiles, I, 2>7'>
servers of idols, I, 308; meats
offered to idols, I, 335; images
of false gods, I, 337; evils of idol-
atry, I, 361.
Ignatius, Saint, mentioned St.
Peter as founder of Roman
Church, I, 2; quotes from Ro-
mans, I, 10; quotes from i Cor.,
I, 255.
Illness, I, 633.
lUyricum, I, 228.
Images, representing false gods, I,
2,2,7-
Imitation of Christ, I, 365.
Immortality, proofs of, I, 425.
Imposition of hands, I, 524. See
also Orders, Holy; Confirmation.
Impurity, and self-assertion, II, 80;
why Christians should avoid im-
purity, II, 217.
Imputation, External, I, 314.
Incarnation, purpose of the, 11,334.
See also Jesus Christ.
Incestuous Man, excommunicated
by St. Paul, I, 303, 476.
Inclination, definition, II, 33.
Indifferent things, I, 35.
Indulgences, Church's power to
grant, I, 477.
Infirmities, I, 555.
Inheritance, our inheritance rights
as adopted sons, I, 129; God's in-
heritance, II, 32; certainty of our
promised inheritance, II, 393.
Inner man, means the higher spir-
itual faculties of the soul, II, 61.
Innocence, State of, I, no.
Innocent I, cites Hebrews as St.
Paul's, II, 342.
Inspiration, Divine, of Scripture,
meaning of term, II, 343.
Interdependence of members, I,
392.
Interpretation, Gift of, I, 409.
Interpretation of extraordinary
phenomena, rule for, I, 385.
Interpretation of Scripture, Pri-
vate, not justified by i Cor. ii.
IS, I, 28s.
Interpretation of speeches, power
of interpreting those who praised
God in strange tongues, I, 388.
Irenaeus, Saint, attributes Romans
to St. Paul, I, 10; quotes I Cor.
over sixty times, I, 255; fre-
quently cites Epistles of St. Paul,
I, xxx; says St. Peter was founder
of Roman Church, I, 2; opinion
on destination of Ephesians, II,
7; quotes Ephesians, II, 12; at-
tributes Philippians to St. Paul,
II, 102; cites I Thess., II, 195;
testimony on authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 245;
doubted authenticity of Hebrews,
II. 338.
Isaac, child of promise," I, 78, 148;
II, 431; called "the only begotten
son," because of him alone were
the promises made, II, 435;
Isaac's birth was miraculous, I,
637.
Isaias, declared a remnant of the
Jews shall recognize the Messiah
and be saved, I, 161; cited by St.
Paul, I, 271; faith and death of
Isaias, II, 438.
Ismael, I, 148, 637.
Ismaelites, bitter foes of the de-
scendants of Isaac, I, 640.
Israel, according to the flesh, I,
360; the real Israel, I, 658. See
also Jews.
Itching ears, II, 314.
Jacob, is a type for Christians, I,
149; blessing on descendants, II,
435-
James the Less, Saint, I, 416, 592,
601, 604.
Jannes and Mambres (or Jambres),
traditional names of Pharaoh's
principal magicians, II, 310.
Jason, Jewish convert, I, 242; Paul
used his house as principal meet-
ing place in Thessalonica, II, 192.
Jealousy of God, I, 538.
Jeremias, testifies to inefficacy of
468
INDEX
Levitical sacrifices and efficacy of
sacrifice of New Covenant, II,
421.
Jericho, levelling of walls, II, 433.
Jerome, Saint, on Paul's parents,
I, ix; on the names Saul and
Paul, I, ix; attributes Fourteen
Epistles to St. Paul, I, xxx; on
St. Paul's literary style, I, xxxix;
says Peter came to Rome in 42,
I, 3; on purpose of Romans, I, 6.
Jerusalem, causes of the poverty of
the Christians there, I, 230, 330;
Titus at Jerusalem, I, 597; con-
trast between the earthly Jeru-
salem and the Jerusalem above,
I, 639; downfall of Jerusalem
forecast by Paul, II, 210. See
also Collection for poor in Jeru-
salem.
Jerusalem, Council of, I, xvi, 334,
572, 595; legislation of Council of
Jerusalem, I, 339; decree regard-
ing things offered to idols, I, 363;
decided authoritatively against
circumcision for Gentiles, I, 597.
Jerusalem, Heavenly, a city that
hath foundations, II, 434.
Jesse, Root of, I, 224.
Jesus Christ, resurrection from the
dead, I, 26; His human nature, I,
26; a Divine Person, I, 26; a
victim of expiation, I, 64; died
for sins, I, 99; conception by the
Holy Ghost, I, 122; Christ the
firstborn, I, 138; divinity of
Christ, I, 146; minister of the
circumcision, I, 223; Christ called
the Lord of Glory, I, 281; Di-
vinity of Christ and of the Holy
Ghost, I, 285; the mind of Christ,
I. 285; Jesus Christ is God's,
I, 295; our Pasch is sacrificed,
I, 306; only one Lord Jesus
Christ, exemplar and efficient
cause, I, 337; manifestation of
the Risen Lord, I, 414 ff.; the
Father of regenerated humanity,
I, 421; the Lord of the Messianic
Kingdom, I, 422; Hypostatic
Union, I, 432; Christ, the image
of God, I, 491; mortification of
Jesus, I, 494; Christ's death con-
sidered equivalent to the death
of all men, I, 503; proof of the
Divinity of Christ, I, 521; pur-
pose of Christ's sufferings, I,
618; Christ was made a curse to
liberate those who were under
the Law, I, 618; mediatorship of
Christ, I, 623; Christ is the Son
of God, I, 626; Christ the su-
preme head of the supernatural
order, II, 32; the seal and pledge
of our divine filiation, II, 34;
humanity of Christ, II, 36; ex-
altation of Christ, II, 38; Christ's
glorified body is a real body, II,
38; Christ's supremacy over the
universe and over the Church, II,
38; Church is "the fullness of
Him," II, 39; Church is His mys-
tical body, II, 39; supreme head
of the Church Alilitant, the
Church Suffering and the Church
Triumphant, II, 39; Christ our
peace, II, 47; further purpose of
His propitiatory death was to
reconcile both Jew and Gentile
to God, II, 48; chief cornerstone
of New Covenant, II, 49; the un-
searchable riches of Christ, II,
52; Christ's love of us, II, 60;
Christ's mystical body, II, 67;
Ascension into heaven presup-
poses His descent from heaven
to this earth at the time of His
Incarnation, II, 68; Christ is the
standard of perfection, II, 70;
Head of the mystical body, II,
71; the head communicates help
to the various members, II, 72;
completeness of Christ's sacri-
fice, II, 79; Christ's divinity, II,
83, 114; Christ's pre-existent life
as God, II, 120; divine nature of
the Son, II, 121, 123, 124; humil-
ity of Christ, II, 121; His obedi-
ence unto death, II, 122; true
God and true man, II, 122; keno-
sis, II, 122; human nature of
Christ deserves adoration, II,
123; merit of Chrits's sacrificial
obedience and death, II, 124; true
humanity of Christ, II, 124;
union of two natures in the one
Divine Person, II, 124; person
and work of Christ, II, 157; per-
INDEX
469
feet image of the eternal Father,
II, 158; begotten before all ages,
II, 158; Col. i. 15-20 is a com-
pendium of Christology, II, 158;
all things were created by the
Word, II, 159; creator of the
new spiritual order, II, 159; head
of the mystical body, II, 159;
hypostatic union of divine and
human natures, II, 160; sacrifi-
cial death on the Cross, II, 160;
satisfactory value of Christ's
sacrifice and death, II, 162;
Christ possessed infinite wisdom
and knowledge, II, 166; historic
Jesus was also the Christ, II, 167;
necessity of adhering to Christ,
II, 167; the "fullness of the God-
head," II, 169; the Head of all
Angels, II, 169; Colossians spir-
itually circumcised in Christ, II,
169; perfect equality with the
Father, II, 204; the way to the
Father, II, 240; one with the
Father in nature and substance,
II, 240; Christ Jesus, our hope,
II, 263; Christ's humanity
stressed by Paul, II, 271; Christ
our mediator, II, 272; Incarna-
tion predestined from all eter-
nity, II, 302; the divinity of our
Lord proved by Titus ii. 13, II,
335; superior to the Angels, II,
358, 365; Christ's humiliation in
His Incarnation, II, 367; heir of
all things, II, 356; pre-emmence
over the Angels, II, 361; relation
to the Father, II, 357; Messiah
King of Old Testament, II, 362;
the author of human salvation,
II, 363; Lord of the Messianic
Kingdom, II, 366; has the same
nature as men, II, 368; why
Christ suffered, II, 368; Christ
died for all men without excep-
tion, II, 368; really partakes of
our nature, II, 369; died to de-
liver mankind from fear of death,
II, 370; our mediator with God,
our high Priest, II, 371; superior
to Moses, II, 372; meaning of
temptation as applied to our
Lord, II, 372; our great High
Priest, II, 383; Christ possessed
the qualifications of a High
Priest, II, 384; tempted Himself,
He can powerfully plead for us,
II, 384; consecration of our Lord
as priest, II, 386; Christ learned
obedience experimentally, II,
387; Christ was not saved from
dying, but from the effects of
death, II, 387; High Priest ac-
cording to the order of Melchi-
sedech, II, 388, 401; Christ's
glorification after the resurrec-
tion, II, 388; our forerunner, II,
396; superiority of the priesthood
of Christ, II, 396; superiority of
the priesthood of Christ to the
Levitical system, II, 401, 402;
ministry of Christ surpasses that
of the Levitical system, II, 404;
a High Priest in the Heavenly
Sanctuary, II, 404; common
Catholic teaching regarding
Christ's sacrifice, II, 405; media-
tor of a new and better Cove-
nant, II, 406; Mediator of the
New Law, II, 407; all-sufficient
sacrifice of Christ, II, 409; supe-
rior excellence of Christ's sacri-
fice, II, 409; greater efficacy of
sacrifice of Christ, II, 413; rea-
son why Christ needed to suffer
and die only once, II, 419; superi-
ority of Christ's sacrifice, II, 421;
Christ contrasted to Jewish
priests, II, 424; Christ traversed
a new way, a "living way," II,
426; Christ's doctrine is like
Himself, unchangeable and ever-
lasting, II, 448; Christ, as the ob-
ject of Christian Faith, remains
forever unchanged, II, 448;
Christ, the great pastor of the
sheep, II, 451.
Jews, general opposition to St.
Paul, I, xvi; sins inexcusable,
I, 43; more culpable than
Gentiles, I, 49; did not use to
advantage their privileges and
prerogatives, I, 51; contrasted
with Gentiles, I, 54; depositaries
of the Promises, I, 56; principal
prerogatives, I, 145; their great-
est dignity was to give the Mes-
siah to the world, I, 145; in
470
INDEX
spite of Jewish Incredulity God
is faithful to His promises, I,
146; rejection foretold in Osee
and Isaias, I, 160; culpability of
the Jews, I, 162; Jews arc respon-
sible for their rejection, I, 162;
misunderstood the justice ot
God, I, 165; refused to believe in
the Gospel, I, 171; Jews could
not plead obscurity in the
preaching of the Gospel, I, 174;
rejection of Jews only partial,
I, 176; rejection of Jews served
for the conversion of the Gen-
tiles, I, 181; final conversion of
Israel to Christianity, I, 189;
Jews' present incredulity will not
hinder the final realization of
God's promises, I, 190; Old
Testament still a veiled book to
the Jews, I, 488; under the Law,
Jews were like minors, I, 628; all
Jews were baptized in Moses, I,
352; Jewish Paschal supper, I,
378; Jewish converts must not
return to the Law, 1, 606; accord-
ing to popular Jewish belief air
was the abode of evil spirits, II,
41; principal crimes of the Jews,
II, 210; dispersion of the Jews
forecast by St. Paul, II, 211;
Jews were obliged to teach the
Scriptures to their children, II,
316; Jewish sacrifices, II, 385;
Jewish washings, II, 390; Jewish
priests, II, 403; Jewish sacrificial
banquets, II, 448. See also Juda-
ism; Judaizers.
Joseph, sons of, II, 435; faith of
Joseph, II, 436.
Josue, I, 354.
|oy, definition, I, 219.
Judaism, adoption by Gentiles
would be a return to paganism, I,
647; comparison with Christian-
ity. II, 448.
Judaizers, activities in Rome, I,
239; at Corinth, I, 350; at Cor-
inth, sought to destroy Paul's
authority by defaming him, I,
468; Judaizers in Corinth charge
Paul with fickleness, I, 469; adul-
terated the word of God, I, 481;
Paul defends himself against Ju-
daizers In Corinth, I, 531;
preached "another Christ," I,
539; Judaizers, champions of the
Law, I, 542; Judaizers called
"false brethren," I, 547; among
the Galatians, I, 572; argu-
ments of Judaizers, I, 572; cam-
paign of Judaizers against St.
Paul, I, 577; Judaizers destroy
Gospel by adding to and sub-
tracting from it, I, 586; the so-
called Gospel preached by the Ju-
daizers to the Galatians, I, 587;
entered Church by stealth, I, 598;
Judaizers of Antioch, I, 606; Ju-
daizers in Galatia, I, 610, 634;
Judaizers persecuted St. Paul
and the faithful Christians, I, 641;
Judaizers insisted on circumci-
sion as essential to salvation, I,
643; claimed that Paul himself
was in favor of circumcision, I,
646; motive of Judaizers' actions,
I. 656; proof of insincerity, I,
657; scandalous lives of Juda-
izers, II, loi, 135; some Judaizers
maintained that Mosaic observ-
ances were the necessary gate-
way to Christianity, II, 112; dan-
gers of Judaizers to Philippians,
II, 129; indignant denunciation
of Judaizers by St. Paul, II, 130;
false notion of circumcision, II,
130; Judaizers' activities at Co-
lossae, II, 146; Judaizers taught
false asceticism at Colossas, II,
172; errors had root in Judaism,
II, 264; Judaizers of Crete, II,
332.
Judgment, judgment seat of God,
I, 216; all must appear in the
General Judgment, I, 500; prep-
aration for Judgment, I, 654;
Day of Jesus Christ, II, 108; the
final judgment, II, 138; Judg-
ment of the wicked, II, 230;
death and judgment appointed
for all men, II, 420; dreadful ex-
pectation of judgment, II. 428.
See also Parousia, II, 428.
Judgment, used for chastisement.
I. 381.
Judgment, Moral, II, y^.
Julia, Christian convert, I, 238, 24a
INDEX
471
Jiilicher, on authenticity of Ro-
mans, I, 12; on doxology in Rom.
xvi., I, 13; non-committal on au-
thenticity of Ephesians, II, 13;
admits authenticity of Colos-
sians, II, 150; admits authenticity
of 2 Thess. on purely internal
grounds, II, 198; contests genu-
ineness of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248; says that no argument
against authenticity of Pastorals
can be drawn from the absence
of enclitics and prepositions, II,
250.
Junias, Christian convert, I, 238.
Just One, the just man liveth by
faith, I, 23; II, 426.
Justice, of faith, I, 167; justice and
sanctity of God, I, 57; imputed
justice, I, 71; Lutheran doctrine
of imputed justice, I, 69, 102; jus-
tice of the Law, I, 167; justice
and sanctification, I, 276; defini-
tion of justice, II, 81; justice un-
der the Law, II, 132.
Justification, not dependent on
merits of man, I, 17; and salva-
tion gratuitous gifts, I, 61; no
one justified before God by
works, I, 61; justification inde-
pendent of the Law foretold by
the prophets, I, 62; faith, root
and beginning of justification, I,
62; justification gratuitously
granted to all, I, 63; new mode
of justification confirms teaching
of the Old Testament, I, 67; by
faith, I, 68; faith does not merit
justification but is foundation of
it, I, 70; gratuitousness of justi-
fication, I, 71; through infusion
of grace, I, 72; universality of
justification by faith, I, 72; Abra-
ham's time of justification, I, 72;
faith reputed to Abraham unto
justice, I, 77; firstfruits of justi-
fication are peace and hope, I, 81;
a sentence of acquittal on con-
dition of faith, I, 91; second fruit
consists in dominion over sin, I,
95; third fruit is liberation from
the Law, I, 105; fourth fruit
of, I, 120; we cannot merit
the first habitual grace of justi-
fication, I, 137; internal justifica-
tion through grace, I, 138; justi-
fication, the second act in God's
internal decree, I, 138; call to
justification is gratuitous, I, 179;
cause of justification, I, 314; im-
portance of faith as the means
to justification, I, 611; justifica-
tion and salvation the work of
the whole Divine Trinity, II, 337;
justification by faith, II, 430.
Justifications of service, II, 409.
Justin Martyr, Saint, quotes from
all Paul's Epistles except Phile-
mon, I, xxx; quotes Colos-
sians, II, 150; cites I Thess., II,
197; testimony on authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Justus, Jewish convert, II, 180, 190.
K
Kapporeth, II, 411.
Kingdom of God, I, 218, 226, 303.
Kiss, Holy, I, 227, 238, 444; pos^
sibly a liturgical practice, II, 227.
Knabenbauer, S. J., inclines towara
Laodicean destination of Ephe>'
sians, II, 12.
Knov/ledge, natural knowledge of
God, I, 35; definition, I, 263;
knowledge pufTeth up, I, 336.
Knowledge, Word of, I, 387.
Knowling, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Kolner, on Paul's purpose in writ-
ing Romans, I, 6.
Koster, resemblance of Paul's style
to that of Demosthenes, I, xxxix.
Kypke, resemblance of Paul's style
to that of Demosthenes, I, xxxix.
Lange, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Language of the Epistles, I, x.
Laodicea, II, 144.
Laodicean Church, probable desti-
nation of Ephesians, II, 7 &.;
Voste's theory on this point, II,
ID.
Last Days, II, 312.
Last Trumpet, I, 436.
472
INDEX
Latin, use by Church, I, 404.
Laver of regeneration, II, 87.
Laver of water, see Baptism.
Law, Natural, I, 46; certitude of
the, I, 48.
Law, New, characteristic is love,
II, 443; greater obligations of
Christians, II, 445. See also
Christianity.
Law of Moses, decision of the
Council of Jerusalem on the
question of Mosaic observances,
I, xvii; bound only Jews, I, 46;
boasting of the Law on the part
of the Jews, I, 61; Old Law pow-
erless to confer the help needed
for its faithful observance, I, 65;
promises made to Abraham did
not depend on the Law of Moses,
I, y^; the Law as the occasion of
sin, I, 76; Old Law was good, I,
93f 113; Christian converts were
not free to violate the moral pre-
cepts of the Law, L loi; O^d
Law is abrogated, I, 105, 109; dis-
tinction between ceremonial ob-
servances and moral precepts of
Old Law, I, ids; difficulty and
burden of the Law, I, 105; the
Law was the occasion of new
sin, I, 108; without the Law
sin was dead, I, iii; Old
Law was holy, I, 113; Old Law
was just, I, 113; God gave the
Old Law, I, 114; the Law brought
out the real nature of sin, 1, 115;
purpose of Mosaic Law was to
lead to Christ, I, 166; works
of the Law, I, 607; Law brought
a curse, I, 616; given through
angels first, and then through
Moses, L (>22; was only transi-
tory, I, 622; was given to the
Jews as a guide to Christ, I, 622;
inferiority as compared with the
promise, I, 623; the external Law
did not secure internal morality,
I, 624; acted as a wall to the
Jews, 1, 624; was our pedagogue,
I, 625; purpose was to prepare
for Christ, \, 625; under the Law
the Jews were like minors, I,
627; liberation from the Law did
not free one from the obligation
of charity, \, 647; the "middle
wall of partition," II, 47; moral
precepts of Mosaic Law, II, 48;
abrogation of the Mosaic Law, II,
48, 172; outworn Mosaic observ-
ances, II, 171; nature and pur-
pose of the Mosaic Law, II, 263;
was for the lawless, etc., II, 265;
slave-stealing punishable by
death according to the Mosaic
Law, II, 265; given by God to
Moses through the hands of an-
gels, II, 359; has been super-
seded because a new priesthood
has arisen, II, 400; Law of Moses
a "carnal commandment," II,
401; a shadow of things to come,
II, 401; only the shadow of the
good things to come and not the
very image, II, 421; invalidity of
the Old Law sacrifices to remit
sin, II, 422; phenomena which
accompanied its giving on
Sinai, II, 443.
Law of justice, means sanctifying
grace, I, 163.
Law of sin, I, 122.
Law, Roman, on inheritance, I,
129; slave-stealing one of the
worst crimes according to Ro-
man Law, II, 265.
Lawsuits, Christians should not
conduct lawsuits before pagan
tribunals, I, 310.
Lazarus, I, 420.
Leaven, Old, I, 306, 307; evil influ-
ence, I, 645.
Levi, sons of, II, 394.
Levitical worship, description of,
II, 408. See Law of Moses;
Jews.
Liberty, Christian, gives freedom
from the servitude of the Law,
I, 105; great blessing, but we
should use it with prudence, I,
218; abuse of liberty, I, 315;
apart from serious danger of
scandal, the lawful exercise of
one's liberty must not be en-
slaved by others' scruples, I, 364;
liberty from the bondage of the
Law, I, 489; liberty from Mosaic
observances, I, 598; liberation
from the Law does not free one
INDEX
473
from the obligation of charity, I,
647.
Life from the dead, I, 184.
Life, Spiritual, new life, I, 609; true
life lies in the spirit, I, 659.
Lightfoot, on destination of Ro-
mans, I, 15; admits authenticity
of Colossians, II, 150; supports
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 248; maintains no proof can
be given to show that Paul was
not released from his first Ro-
man Captivity, II, 249.
Likeness of Christ, effected by
grace, II, 43.
Likeness of image, I, 37.
Limbo, II, 68.
Linus, Pope, II, 323.
Litigations, Christians should not
conduct them before pagan tri-
bunals, I, 310.
Little ones, I, 286.
Liturgical ordinances, given to
Corinthians, I, 366.
Living under grace, I, 101.
Lock, favors authenticity of Ephe-
sians, II, 13.
Lois, most likely the mother of
Unice, Timothy's mother, II, 300.
Loman, on authenticity of Romans,
I, 10.
Lord's Supper, doubtless embraces
both the Agape and the Eucha-
ristic celebration, I, 374.
Lost Letter to Corinthians, I, 475.
Love of God, God's love for us, I,
139-
Love of God, fulfills all the pre-
cepts of the Law of Moses, I, 209.
See also Charity.
Love of Neighbor, founded on the
love of God, I, 209.
Love-feast, see Agape.
Lucian, on unnatural vices among
pagans, I, 39.
Lucius, Jewish convert, I, 242.
Luke, writer of the Third Gospel,
II, 151, 180, 182, 321.
Lump, and the branches, I, 184.
Luneman, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Luther, altered text of Rom. iii. 30,
I, 66; doctrine of imputed jus-
tice, I, 69, 102.
M
Macedonia, Churches of, I, 519;
generosity of the Macedonians,
I, 520; 2 Cor. probably written
from Macedonia, I, 564; Mace-
donia one of the two provinces
into which the Romans divided
Greece, II, 294.
Malevolence, II, 78.
Malice, I, 40; root of different vices,
II, 78.
Malignity, I, 40.
Man, Justified, enjoys peace, I, 81.
Man, New, I, 72, 98; II, 75, 176.
Man, Old, our corrupt and sinful
nature, I, ^2, 98; II, 75: J 76.
Man of sin, see Antichrist.
Man, Spiritual, I, 284.
Manicheans, I, 146; teaching on an
evil principle, II, 283.
Manifestation, the Second Coming,
I, 264. See also Parousia.
Manna, typical of Eucharist, I, 352.
Man's Day, the judgment of men
as opposed to the judgment of
God, I, 297.
Manual work, I, 547.
Manuscripts, list of Greek Uncial
MSS., I, i; manuscripts uncial
and cursive, I, xlix.
Maranatha, meaning of term, I, 445.
Marcion, attributes Romans to St.
Paul, I, 10; omitted two chapters
of Romans from his version, I,
12; admitted authenticity of i
Corinth., I, 255; held Ephesians
was really addressed to Laodi-
ceans, II, 7; included Ephesians
in his Canon, II, 13; included
Philippians in his Canon, II, 102;
included Colossians in his Canon,
II, 150; included i Thess. in his
Canon, II, 195; rejected the Pas-
torals because contrary to own
false doctrines, II, 245.
Mark, parted from St. Paul at
Perge, I, xvi; writer of Second
Gospel, II, 151, 180, 317; com-
panion of Paul and Barnabas on
First Missionary Journey, II, 181.
Mark Antony, at the battle of
Philippi, II, 97.
Marriage, recognized by all civi-
lized peoples, I, 106; no dissolu-
474
INDEX
tion of the matrimonial bond, I,
107; marriage a high and holy
state, I, 320; marriage is indis-
soluble, I, 322; lessons relative to
marriage and celibacy, I, 318;
good and virtuous marriage, I,
319; mixed marriage, I, 323;
Pauline privilege, I, 325; cares
and responsibilities of mar-
ried life, I, 332; practical rules
to guide parents in marrying off
their daughters, I, 333; precepts
for domestic life, II, 85; hus-
band's headship to be one of
love, II, 86; wives to be obedient
to their husbands, II, 86; inti-
mate union between married per-
sons, II, 89; matrimony in wide
sense always a Sacrament, II,
89; precepts for children and
parents, servants and masters,
II, 90; mutual duties of wives
and husbands, children and pa-
rents, II, 178 f.; celibacy pref-
erable to marriage, II, 283;
duties of married women, II, 334;
Paul's exhortation to respect
marriage, II, 447.
Martyrdom, I, 399.
Mary, Blessed Virgin, preserved by
special privilege from every stain
of original sin, I, 88.
Mary, Christian convert, I, 235.
Mass, Sacrifice of the, a new sacri-
fice, II, 422. See also Eucharist,
Holy.
Massah, II, 376.
Masters, precepts for, II, 90, 297;
duties, II, 177.
Matrimony, see Marriage.
McGiffert, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; takes middle
position on authenticity of Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 249.
Measure of faith, I, 199.
Meats, olTcred to idols, I, 335; to
be avoided if there is danger of
scandal, I, 362.
Mediator, one supreme, II, 271.
See also Jesus Christ.
Melchisedech, Abraham gave tithes
to, II, 397; characteristics of, II,
397; likened unto Son of God, II,
398; superiority to Abraham, II,
398; superiority of his priesthood,
II> 399; Christ a priest of the
type and fashion of Melchise-
dech, II, 400.
Members of the body, illustrate re-
lation of Christians to Christ, I,
394.
Mcnander, Athenian comedian,
quoted by Paul, I, 427.
Mercy, Bowels of, II, 178.
Mercy-seat, II, 411.
Meribah, II, 376.
Merit de condigno, II, 319, 320,
393-
Messianic Kingdom, of the New
Dispensation, II, 52; of the Old
Dispensation, II, 52.
Messianic Promises, I, 472.
Meyer, contests genuineness of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Meyerhoff, objection to authen-
ticity of Colossians finds little
favor, II, 150.
Michelson, on authenticity of Ro-
mans, I, 10.
Midrash, contains Jewish folklore,
II, 252.
Mildness, characteristic of worthy
Christian, II, 65.
Mind, meaning of term, I, 39; spe-
cial significance in Paul, II, 73.
Minister, the priest as discharging
the sacred ministry, I, 226; spe-
cial qualities of Christian min-
ister, II, 311.
Minister of God, I, 288.
Ministers of justice, the true Apos-
tles, I, 543.
Ministries, diversities of, I, 386.
Ministry, definition of term, I, 199;
Apostolic, sublimity of the, I,
493; II, 266; end and purpose of
the Christian ministry, II, 70.
Miracles, working of miracles a
gift of the Holy Spirit, I, 387;
miracles wrought by Paul in
Corinth, I, 556; miracles accom-
panied the preaching of the Gos-
pel by the Apostles, II, 365.
Missionaries, must be sent directly
or indirectly by God, I, 172.
Moab, Daughters of, I, 354.
Mocking of God, to profess Chris-
tianity and obey the flesh, I, 655.
INDEX
475
Moffatt, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; admits authen-
ticity of Colossians, II, 150;
takes middle position on ques-
tion of authenticity of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 249; on literary style
of Pastorals, II, 250.
Mosaic Law, see Law of Moses.
Moses, relation between Adam and
Moses, I, 93; threatened Jews on
account of their obstinacy, I,
174; all the Jews were baptized
in Moses, I, 352; ministry of
Apostles superior to that of
Moses, I, 485; covered his face,
I, 487; faith of Moses, II, 436;
faith of his parents, II, 436; a
figure and type of the Christ, II,
436; flight of Moses to Madian,
II, 436. See also Law of Moses.
Muratorian Canon, lists thirteen
Epistles of St. Paul, I, xxx; at-
tributes Romans to St. Paul, I,
10; included Ephesus, II, 7, 12;
attributes Philippians to St.
Paul, II, 102; attributes Colos-
sians to Paul, II, 150; refers to
I Thess., II, 197; includes Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 248; did not
include Hebrews, II, 342.
Mysteries of God, I, 296; various
meanings of mysteries, I, 401,
434-
Mystery, definition of term, I, 280.
Mystery of God's Will, God's de-
cree of universal salvation, II,
30, 31. 52, 95, 154. 162, 166.
Mystery of iniquity. Antichrist, II,
236.
N
Name, idiomatic Semitic use of
term, II, 122, 232.
Narcissus, I, 237.
Nature, renovation of entered into
the Messianic hope of the Jews,
I, 131; man in his glorified state
will regain the dominion over
nature, II, 367.
Neo-Tiibingen School, denied au-
thenticity of I Thess. on purely
internal grounds, II, 197.
Nereus, Christian convert, I, 238.
Nestorianism, I, 146; II, 124.
New Man, definition, II, 72, 75.
New Testament, editions of the
Greek, I, liii; New Testament in
my blood, I, 379. See also Testa-
ment; Covenant, New.
Nicopolis, in Epirus, II, 335.
Noe, believed God's revelation, II,
429.
Nymphas, well-to-do Laodicean
convert, II, 182.
Obedience, to religious leaders, II,
450.
Obedience, Civil, I, 206.
Obscene Language, II, 77, 80.
Odor, good, I, 480; odor of his
knowledge, I, 480; odor of sweet-
ness, II, 79.
Oil of gladness, II, 362.
Old Man, definition, II, 72, 75.
Old Testament, as source of Paul's
teaching, I, xliii; intended for
our instruction as Christians, I,
221; divine origin of the Old
Testament Dispensation, II, 355;
the word "table" in the Old
Testament, I, 361; meaning of
"testament," I, 619; testament
made by God to Abraham, I,
620; the "testaments," I, 145.
Old Law, the occasion of sin and
death to us, I, 108; characteristic
of the Old Law was fear, II, 439;
old Mosaic observances regarding
the Sabbath, the New Moon and
other feasts, no longer oblige
under the New Dispensation, I,
214. See also Law of Moses.
Olive, Wild, I, 185.
Onesimus, slave of Philemon, con-
verted by St. Paul, II, 145, 151,
180, 181, 189.
Onesiphorus, commended to Tim-
othy by Paul, II, 304.
Operations, diversities of, I, 386.
Ordained, definition, I, 524. See
also Orders, Holy.
Orders, Holy, referred to in 2 Cor.
i. 21, I, 473; definition of Holy
Orders, I, 524; episcopal ordi-
nation of Timothy by Paul, II,
285; "impose not hands," II, 292;
II Tim. i. 6 cited by Council of
476
INDEX
Trent to prove that Orders is
a true Sacrament, II, 301.
Ordination, I, 473.
Origen, on the names Saul and
Paul, I, ix; attributes fourteen
Epistles to St. Paul, I, xxx; ap-
preciation of literary style of
Epistles, I, xxxix; says Romans
had a dogmatic purpose, I, T, on
destination of Ephesians, II, 12;
quotes Colossians, II, 150; testi-
mony on authenticity of Pas-
toral Epistles, II, 248; opinion on
Hebrews, II, 341.
Osee, foretold rejection of Jews,
I, 160.
Ox, muzzling forbidden by Mo-
saic Law, I, 344.
Pagans, natural knowledge of God
was possible for pagans, I, 35;
lapsed into idolatry through sin,
I, 34; unnatural vices of pagans,
I, 39; degradation of the pagan
world, I, 42.
Pain of loss, II, 231.
Pantaenus, opinion on authorship
of Hebrews, II, 342.
Papias, declared St. Peter was
founder of the Roman Church,
I, 2; cites Paul also as co-
founder, I, 3.
Parable, use of term by Paul, II,
413-
Paradise, I, 552.
Parchments, II, 320.
Parents, duties, II, 178. See also
Marriage, Family.
Parousia, no reference to time of
Parousia in I Cor. iii, 15, I, 292;
the just who are living at the
second Coming of Christ shall
not die, I, 434; Paul did not be-
lieve it imminent, I, 436; St. Paul
had no revelation regarding the
time of the Second Advent, I,
500; supposed diflterence in
Paul's teaching to Thessalonians,
II, 199; Parousia and those who
have died previously, II, 218; St.
Paul's teaching on its immi-
nence, II, 219 flF.; the Day of the
Lord is uncertain, II, 221, 224,
235; "times and moments" re-
ferred to time of the Parousia,
II, 222; Antichrist must appear
before, II, 232; Parousia is not
yet, II, 232; great events that
shall precede, II, 234; the bright-
ness of His coming, II, 237;
Second Coming of Jesus Christ
will occur in His time, II, 297;
the blessed hope of the coming,
II, 335-
Partakers of the Holy Ghost, II,
391.
Pasch, Christ our Pasch is sacri-
ficed, I, 310.
Passions, II, 311.
Passions of sins, I, 108.
Passover, Christ was the Passover,
I, 307.
Pastor of Hermas, probably ac-
quainted with Hebrews, II, 341;
refers to Philippians, II, 102.
Pastoral Epistles, see Epistles,
Pastoral.
Pastors and doctors, use of terms
by Paul, II, 69; pastors in early
Church, II, 69.
Patience, characteristic of worthy
Christian, II, 65; "unto all
patience," II, 157.
Patriarchs, Old Testament Patri-
archs received grace to observe
the Law, I, 105.
Patterns of heavenly things, II,
418.
Paul, Saint, birth and education,
I, ix; knowledge of Greek, I,
X, 16; was at all times an Israel-
ite, I, x; learned the handicraft
of dressing tents, I, x; studied
at the school of Gamaliel, I, x;
conversion and early labors, I,
xi; rationalists give natural ex-
planation of the conversion of
St. Paul, I, xiii; retired to
Arabia, I, xiv; attempts to con-
vert Jews of Damascus, I, xv;
labors with Barnabas at Antioch,
I, xv; ordained bishop, I, xv; the
First Missionary Journey, I, xvi;
attends Council of Jerusalem, I,
xvii; Second Missionary Jour-
ney, I, xviii; Third Missionary
Journey, I, xix; arrest and cap-
INDEX
477
tivities at Caesarea and Rome, I,
xxi; closing years, I, xxii;
Apostle's stay in Spain, I,
xxiii; Paul and Saul, I, 24; per-
sonal appearance and character-
istics, I, xxiv; his health, I, xxv;
character, I, xxyii; took Thuc-
ydides as his literary model, I,
xxxvii; acquaintance with works
of Demosthenes, I, xxxviii; doc-
trine in writings, I, xl; central
doctrines, I, xlii; special revela-
tion, I, xlii; the sources of the
Apostle's teachings, I, xlii; usu-
ally refers to the Septuagint
rather than the Hebrew Bible,
I, xliii; Paul and Apostolic tradi-
tion, I, xliii; profound sorrow
over the state of the Jews, I,
143; plans to visit Rome, I,
225; a genuine Apostle, I, 341;
equal in every way to the
Twelve, I, 341; refused support
from the faithful for the sake of
his preaching, I, 341; labored
with his own hands for his food
and clothing, I, 342; declares his
duty to preach the Gospel, I, 347;
renounced his liberty that he
might gain all for the gospel
and increase his own merits, I,
348; makes great sacrifices to
gain eternal life, I, 349; proclaims
the great law of charity, I, 394;
vision on the road to Damascus,
I, 416; defends himself against
accusation of arrogance, I, 482;
sought only to please Christ,
Ii 497; why he defended him-
self to Corinthians, I, 501; had
no personal acquaintance with
Christ while our Lord was on
earth, I, 503; affection for the
Corinthians, I, 512; asks Corin-
thians' pardon for speaking in his
own praise, I, 537; glories that he
has preached the gospel disinter-
estedly, I, 540; labored to support
himself in Achaia, I, 541; glories
in his labors and tribulations, I,
543; Paul's imprisonment, I, 546;
scourged, I, 546; shipwrecked, I,
546; stoned, I, 546; flight from
Damascus, I, 550; glories in his
heavenly gifts, I, 550; rapt into
third heaven, I, 551; visions and
revelations, I, 551; caught up
into paradise, I, 552; received a
thorn in the flesh, I, 553; visited
Corinth three times, I, 559; de-
clares to Galatians the divine
origin of his revelation, I, 579;
declares his gospel is not human
but divine in its origin, I, 588;
persecuted Church beyond meas-
ure, I, 589; received his doctrine
directly from Jesus Christ, I,
589; special mission to the Gen-
tiles, I, 591; visits Peter out of
respect for the head of the primi-
tive Church, I, 592; independence
of the Twelve, I, 593; teaching
approved by the Twelve, I, 594;
Paul's independence fully recog-
nized by the other Apostles, I,
594; attendance at Council of
Jerusalem due to divine revela-
tion, I, 595; purpose in submit-
ting his preaching to the
Apostles, I, 596; equality with
other Apostles, I, 599; mission
to Gentiles was not exclusive, I,
601, 602; defended integrity of
the Gospel at Antioch, I, 602;
regarded Peter as his superior,
I, 603; accommodated himself to
Jewish practices at Jerusalem
out of sympathy for his fellow-
countrymen, I, 604; ate with the
Gentiles all kinds of food, I, 604;
rebukes Peter, I, 605; marks of
persecution, I, 658; imprison-
ment useful for the spread of the
Gospel in Rome, II, no; Paul's
spirit of martyrdom, II, 126; by
choice a Pharisee, II, 131; cir-
cumcised in infancy, II, 131; a
Hebrew, II, 131; of the tribe of
Benjamin, II, 131; regarded all
his Jewish prerogatives as loss,
II, 131; rejection of Judaism, II,
132; why Paul wrote to strange
churches, II, 165; defends his
ministry at Thessalonica, II, 206;
worked with own hands for tem-
poral support at Thessalonica,
II, 208; Paul's association with
Timothy, II, 255, 285; instruc-
478
INDEX
tions to Timothy, II, 258, 259;
near to death in writing, 2 Tim.,
II, 314; last appeal to Timothy,
11. 317-
Pauline Privilege, I, 329.
Peace, effect of justice and sanc-
tity, I, 218; the bond of peace,
II, 65; Paul admonishes Philip-
pians to cultivate peace, II, 126;
peace of God which surpasseth
all understanding, II, 139; Chris-
tian peace, II, 442; warnings
against peace disturbers, I, 239.
Pedagogues, in Apostolic times, I,
302.
Pelagians, I, 150, 299; use Rom. ii.
14, to support their heresy, I, 47;
Pelagians denied all need of
grace, I, 484; beliefs contrary to
2 Tim. i. 9, II, 302.
Penance, necessary for those who
have sinned, I, 559.
Perdition of the damned, II, 136.
Perfection, Christian, I, 279; II,
60; Jesus Christ is the standard
of perfection, II, 70; perfection
can be won only by great effort,
II, 133.
Persecution, I, 646.
Perseverance, I, 655; II, 439; final
perseverance, II, 125.
Persis, Christian convert, I, 237.
Perverts, repeat the crucifixion of
Christ, II, 392. See also Apos-
tasy.
Peter, recognized as founder of
Roman Church by unanimous
decision of antiquity, I, 2; came
to Rome in 42, I, 3; Paul appeals
to Peter's authority, I, 343;
Cephas, Aramaic equivalent, 1,
601; traditional founder of
Church at Antioch, I, 602; re-
garded by Paul as superior, 1,603;
authority and influence in early
Church, I, 604, 605; rebuked by
Paul, I, 605; probably refers to
Ephesians in his first Epistle, II,
12.
Pfleiderer, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Pharao, why God permitted him to
misuse his free will, I, 155.
Pharisaical scandal, I, 340.
Philastrius, Saint, attributes four-
teen Epistles to St. Paul, I, xxx;
tells why early Western Churches
suspected authenticity of He-
brews, II, 342.
Philemon, native and early convert
of Colossa', II, 145, 151; corre-
spondent of St. Paul, II, 184.
Philemon, Epistle to, Introduction,
II, 184; date and place of com-
position, II, 16 f.; occasion and
purpose, II, 184; date and place
of composition, II, 185; authen-
ticity, II, 185; analysis, II, 187;
bibliography, II, 187.
Philetus, errors of, II, 308.
Philip of Bethsaida, Saint, Apostle,
resided in Hierapolis, II, 144.
Philippi, City of, II, 97; the Church
of J'hilippi, II, 98; Paul's first
converts in Philippi, II, 98; dis-
cordant elements among the
Philippian Christians, II, 118.
Philippians, Epistle to the, date
and place of composition, II,
16 f.; introduction, II, 97; occa-
sion, purpose and character of
the Epistle, II, 100; authenticity
and integrity, II, 102; analysis
of contents, II, 103; body of the
letter, II, 103; bibliography, II,
105; Epaphroditus, the bearer of
Philippians, II, 117.
Philologus, Christian convert, 1,241.
Philosophy, use in preaching, I,
270; definition of term as used
by Paul. II, 168.
Phcebe, deaconness of Cenchrae
and bearer of Romans, I, 232.
Pillar and ground of truth, II, 281.
Pillar of cloud, I, 352.
Plummer, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Plutarch, on unnatural vices of
pagans, I, 39.
Polycarp, cites from eight and al-
ludes to four other Epistles, I,
xxx; quotes from Romans, I,
10; enumerates vices of the
Philippians, I, 254; refers to
Ephesians, II, 12.
Potter, and a vessel of clay, I, 157.
Power, definition, I, 422; power of
administration comes radically
INDEX
479
from God alone, I, 206; power
and efficacy, II, 113.
Power of darkness, II, 157.
Powers, Higher, the State, I, 206;
powers of the world to come,
11, 387.
Prayer, extraordinary gift in early
Church, I, 134; we must pray at
all times, II, 95; intercessory
prayer, II, 113, 241; "cease not
to pray," II, 156; God never fails
to answer, II, 139.
Prayer for the dead, Jewish prac-
tice of, II, 304.
Preaching, ordinary means of teach-
ing the truths of faith, I, 172;
preachers of the Gospel have
right to support, I, 344 ff.; preach-
ing without doctrine is of little
value, II, 318; method of preach-
ing in the Apostolic Age, II, 375.
Precept, Human, I, 103.
Precepts for Christians, in gen-
eral, II, 78.
Predestination, meaning of term,
I, '2-7, 137; II, 26, 33, 271, 302, 310.
Presbyter, at first synonymous
with "bishop," II, 275; use of
term in early Church, II, 107.
Pride, makes one blind, unmerciful
and uncharitable, I, 653.
Priesthood, divine call necessary,
such as was given to Aaron, II,
385; Levitical priesthood centre
and core of ancient Code, II,
399; failure of Levitical priest-
hood, II, 399; Levitical priest-
hood, only shadow of Christ's
priesthood, II, 406; priesthood of
New Law superior to that of the
Old, II, 396, 401, 402.
Priests of the New Law, II, 291.
See also Presbyter.
Priests of the Old Law, shared in
the victims offered for sacrifice,
I. 346.
Princes of this world, I, 280, 281.
Principalities and powers, used for
both good angels and demons,
II, 171.
Principality, definition, I, 422; class
of Angelic Beings, II, 38.
Prisca, the wife of Aquila, I, 233,
248, 444; II, 319; reputed by some
Protestants to be author of He-
brews, II, 343. See also Aquila.
Prisoner of Jesus Christ, II, 53.
Prize of eternal life, I, 349; prize
of supernal vocation, II, 134.
Procession, Eternal, of the Second
Person from the Father, I, 629.
Profane person, is one who is
earthly and material in his de-
sires, II, 443.
Promises made to Abraham, I, 145.
Promises made to Israel, I, 620.
Promise to Abraham, symbol of
the Messianic Kingdom, I, 75;
relation of the promise to the
Law, I, 619.
Prophecy, as gift of the Holy
Spirit, I, 387, 392; definition of
prophecy, I, 399; prophecy is
superior to the gift of tongues,
I. 399, 406.
Prophet, use of term by Greeks, II,
331; use in a wide sense, II, 356.
Prophets, definition of the term as
used by Paul, I, 392, 406, 409,
472, 488; prophets in early
Church, II, 69.
Prophets of Old Law, foretold the
call of the Gentiles and rejection
of Jews, I, 160.
Propitiation, by blood of Jesus
Christ, I, 64.
Protestants, i Cor. ii. 4, refutes
Protestant doctrine of fiducia, I,
207; appeal to i Cor. ii. 15, to
prove their doctrine of private
interpretation of Scripture, I,
285; rejection of tradition con-
trary to Paul's teaching, II, 240;
unreasonable opposition to inter-
cession of Saints, II, 271; on
Hebrews, II, 343.
Prove oneself, meaning of phrase,
I, 380.
Prudence, definition, II, 31, 301.
Pscudo-Dionysius, II, 38.
Punishment, Eternal, II, 229. See
also Judgment.
Purgatory, Paul's teaching on, I,
292, 477.
Purified souls, are admitted im-
mediately to the vision of God,
I, 500.
Put on Christ. I. 626.
48o
INDEX
Quartus, Roman Christian, I, 243.
Quietism, opposed to Rom. ii. 7,
1,45.
R
Rabbins, would not admit that a
Gentile who observed the Natu-
ral Law could be saved, I, 52.
Race, metaphor for Christian life,
I, 350, 644; II, 116, 134-
Rahab, faith of, II, 437-
Ramsay, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Rationalists, account of Paul's con-
version, I, xii.
Reason, Human, can attain knowl-
edge of the existence of a Cre-
ator, I, 36.
Rebecca, I, 149.
Reconciliation, with God through
Christ, II, 159.
Redeeming the time, II, 83, 180.
Redemption, is the ransom paid
by Christ for our delivery from
sin, I, 63; Redemption of Christ
is the meritorious cause of justi-
fication, I, 63; Redemption equals
creation in its extension, II, 32;
final redemption, II, 34.
Red Sea, march through the, I,
352; II, 437.
Reformation, Time of, meaning of
phrase, II, 413.
Reiche, on Paul's purpose in writ-
ing Romans, I, 6.
Remarriage, incompatible with min-
isterial service of Christ, II, 289.
Renan, account of Paul's conver-
sion, I, xiii; doubted authenticity
of Ephesians, II, 13.
Reprobation, I, 151, 562; negative
reprobation, I, 152; positive rep-
robation, I, 158.
Responsibilities, personal, I, 654.
Rest, God's, awaits those who
would enter into it, II, 379; sab-
bath-rest for the people of God,
II. 385.
Resurrection of Christ, gave the
seal of divine approbation to all
Christ's other miracles and all
His doctrines, I, 80; represented
by Baptism of immersion, I, 96;
attributed to the power of the
Father, I, 97; resurrection of
Jesus and of all the dead is at-
tributed to the Father, I, 126;
necessity of believing in the
Resurrection of Christ, I, 417;
Christ's Resurrection includes
the resurrection of all men,
I, 420; mystical explanation
given by heretics of Resurrec-
tion, II, 309; directly referred to
in Hebrews, xiii, 20, II, 451.
Resurrection of the body, the last
fruit of our consummate adop-
tion, I, 133; belief in resurrection
from the dead, I, 169; resurrec-
tion of the body stumbling-block
to many of the pagans, I, 413;
some Corinthians denied resur-
rection of the dead, I, 418; resur-
rection of the just, I, 412 flf., 418,
420; qualities of the risen body,
1, 427, 428; among the risen bodies
of the just there will be a vast vari-
ety according to their respective
merits, I, 430; contrast between
our mortal and risen bodies, I,
430; difference between natural
and spiritual body, I, 431; inte-
pretation of I Cor. xv. 51, I, 435;
the just shall rise clothed with
glorified bodies, I, 436; resurrec-
tion confirmed by Paul, I, 498;
general resurrection of all the
just, II, 133; doctrine of resur-
rection included in instruction
given to catechumens, II, 390.
Revelation, speaking in revelation
or in knowledge, I, 402; revela-
tion of God is an energizing mes-
sage, II, 379.
Revelations of Paul, I, 551.
Reviviscence, through penance of
merits lost by mortal sin, I, 613.
Reward, each one rewarded in pro-
portion to his labors, I, 289; re-
ward of the saved, I, 291; eternal
reward. II, 229.
Rhetoric, use in preaching, I, 270.
Riches in glory, II, 143.
Right hand, the place of honor, II,
38.
Robber Synod, of Ephesus, II, 6.
INDEX
481
Robertson, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Rock, the rock was Christ, I, 353.
Rod of Aaron, II, 407.
Roman Church, benefited by
Paul's imprisonment, II, no.
See also Peter.
Romans, Epistle to the, readers of
the Epistle, I, 4; purpose, I, 5;
time and place of writing, I, 8;
authenticity, I, 9; integrity, I,
12; language and style, I, 16; the-
ological importance, I, 17; divi-
sion and contents, I, 19; bibliog-
raphy, I, 22; similarity between
Galatians, Corinthians and Ro-
mans, I, 574; difference between
Galatians and Romans, I, 575.
Root of bitterness, II, 443.
Rufinus, attributes Fourteen Epis-
tles to St. Paul, I, xxx; cites He-
brews as St. Paul's, II, 342.
Rufus, Christian convert, I, 237.
Rule, Christian, I, 658.
Rule of faith, I, 199.
Sabbath rest, for the people of
God, II, 381.
Sabellianism, II, 124.
Sacraments, mysteries of God, I,
loi, 296.
Sacrifice, a living, I, 195.
Sacrifice, Ideal, with the Ideal
Sanctuary, II, 414.
Sacrifice to idols, I, 360.
Sacrifice of Charity, always pleas-
ing to God, II, 449.
Sacrifice of Praise, public confes-
sion of Christ, II, 449.
Sacrifices, Jewish, I, 360; many
Jewish sacrifices were offered
daily, II, 404; inefficiency of
Jewish sacrifices, II, 421; Leviti-
cal sacrifices contrasted with Sac-
rifice of Christ, II, 421; ancient
sacrifices superseded, II, 422;
purpose of Levitical sacrifices,
II, 422; invalidity of Old Law
sacrifices to remit sins, II, 422;
seriously wrong to return to
Jewish sacrifices, II, 425; Jere-
mias testifies to inefficiency of
Levitical sacrifices, II, 425.
Sacrilege, use of term by St. Pau\,
I. 51.
Saints, synonym for the faithful,
I, 262, 310; use of term by St.
Paul, II, 23; gifts and offices for
the "perfecting of the saints,"
II, 70; veneration of, unreason-
able opposition of Protestants
to, II, 271; invocation and inter-
cession of the, II, 271.
Salem, II, 397.
Salmon, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Salutation, Paul's usual, II, 24.
Salvation, and justification gratu-
itous gifts, I, 61; salvation easy
under Christian dispensation, I,
85; our final deliverance from
earth nearer than when we were
converted, I, 210; principle of
salvation, the same in the Old
and the New Testament, I, 614;
salvation not the result of natu-
ral works, II, 45; universality of
the salvation of Christ, II, 95,
164; helmet of salvation, II, 94;
hope of salvation lies in grace,
II, 113; salvation won by the
merits of Christ, II, 223; cer-
tainty of our promised inheri-
tance, II, 393.
Sanctification, negative and posi-
tive aspects of, II, 335.
Sanday, Dr., admits authenticity of
Colossians, II, 150; says Colos-
sians is distinguished by un-
breakable unity and genuinfe
Pauline character, II, 151; ac-
cepts authenticity of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 248.
Sara, history of Sara and Agar, I,
636; faith of Sara, II, 434.
Saracens completed the destruc-
tion of Colossae, II, 144.
Sarepta, Widow of, faith of, II,
438.
Satan, the god of this world, I,
491; prince of darkness trans-
forms himself into an angel of
light, I, 542; "prince of the pow-
er of the air," II, 41; mysterious
authority over the world of men.
482
INDEX
II, 93; faith, our shield against
Satan, II, 94; the power of dark-
ness, II, 157; epitomizes all the
forces that oppose the Gospel,
II, 210; he that tempteth, II, 212;
the inspiring principle of Anti-
christ, 237; the excommunicated
are delivered up to Satan, II,
269; Satan will be crushed by
God, I, 243.
Saviour, title as attributed to God
the Father, II, 261. See also
Jesus Christ.
Scandal, definition, I, 217; that one
Christian should start a lawsuit
with another is a great scandal
to the pagans, I, 312; sin of
scandal, I, 339, 340; Pharisaical
scandal, I, 340; scandal to be
avoided in eating meats offered
to idols, I, 362; apart from seri-
ous danger of scandal the lawful
exercise of one's liberty must
not be enslaved by others'
scruples, I, 364.
SchafI, Philip, description of Paul's
literary style, I, xl; supports au-
thenticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Schenkel, favors authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; denies authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.'
Schisms, definition, I, 266; in the
sense of dissensions, I, 373.
Schleiermacher, doubted authen-
ticity of Ephesians, II, 13.
Schmiedel, denied genuineness of
2 Thess., II, 199.
Schulz, David, on Romans, xvi, I,
14.
Schwegler, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13; saw Gnostic
influence in Ephesians, II, 15;
contests genuineness of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 248.
Scott, doubted authenticity of
Ephesians, II, 13.
Scribe, doctor of Jewish Law, I,
275-
Scriptures, prove that both Jews
and Gentiles are enslaved by sin,
I, 58; private interpretation of
Scripture, I, 285; Paul recom-
mends to Timothy custom of
reading and explaining the Scrip-
tures in public, II, 285; Holy
Scriptures, used for Old Testa-
ment, II, 316; four uses of Scrip-
ture, II, 317; inspiration of
Scripture taken for granted by
Paul and Timothy, II, 317.
Scruples, respect for others'
scruples, I, 368.
Scythians, II, 177.
Seal, Corinthians the seal of Paul's
Apostleship, I, 342.
Sealed, Christians "sealed" with
Holy Ghost, II, "JT.
Secret words, I, 552.
Secrets of the heart, half-forgotten
sins, I, 408.
Self-denial, need of, shown by the
terrible fate that befell the Jews
of the Exodus, I, 351.
Self-examination, I, 653.
Self-love, inordinate, II, 312.
Semipelagians, I, 299; denied the
necessity of grace, I, 484.
Sensual, definition of term, I, 279;
sensual man, I, 284.
Septuagint, usually cited by Paul,
I, xliii; Septuagint Version
quoted invariably by author of
Hebrews, II, 356.
Servant of God, II, 323.
Servant of Jesus Christ, I, 24.
Servants, precepts for, II, 90, 178,
293-
Service of two masters, I, 102.
Service, Reasonable, I, 195.
Shaven heads, significance in Paul's
time, I, 368.
Shaw, favors authenticity of Ephe-
sians, II, 13; supports authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, II,
248.
Shechinah, I, 145; II, 411.
Shepherd of Hernias. See Pastor of
Hermas.
Shield of faith, II, 94.
Signs and wonders, I, 227.
Silas, see Silvanus.
Silvanus, doubtless the same as
Silas, I, 472, 541; II, 98, 203, 204,
227, 233, 239, 248.
Sin, transgression or violation of
the positive contract, I, 76; ac-
INDEX
483
tual sins committed between
Adam and Moses, I, 89; sin per-
sonified, I, no; sin the cause of
death, I, 113; law of sin, I, 118,
122; four categories of sins of the
flesh, luxury, false worship, viola-
tions of charity, intemperance, I,
650; Jews and Gentiles in same
class with regard to actual sins,
II, 42; sins of paganism, II, 80;
sins of the flesh, II, 80; sinful
works of the pagans, II, 82; sin
leads in its train its own punish-
ment, II, 238; sin always a delu-
sion, II, 377; sin against the Holy
Ghost, II, 392; internal remis-
sion of sins, II, 418; no forgive-
ness of sins under the Old Law,
II, 418.
Sin, Original, II, 42, 86.
Sin-offerings, II, 423.
Sinai, Paul found a connection be-
tween Agar and Mount Sinai, I,
638; physical phenomena which
accompanied the giving of the
Law, II, 443.
Slavery, Paul's attitude towards, I,
327; institution of, II, 185; uni-
versal institution among ancient
nations, II, 185. See also Ser-
vants.
Slavery, Religious, I, 631.
Slaves, I, 328; precepts for, II, 90;
duties of, II, 178, 293.
Socinians, held that Christ offered
no sacrifice on earth, II, 405.
Sodomites, I, 313.
Son, see Jesus Christ.
Son of man, II, 366.
Son of perdition. Antichrist, II,
234-
Sosipater, relation of St. Paul, I,
242.
Sosthenes, Christian convert, I,
261.
Soul, contrasted with body and
spirit, II, 225; definition, II, 382.
Sound doctrine, II, 330.
Sozomen, on Eucharistic fast in
early Egyptian Church, I, 375.
Spirit, opposition to flesh, I, 123;
tendency of the spirit, I, 124;
definition of the term, I, 404; II,
378; works of the flesh and fruits
of the spirit, I, 648; contrasted
with soul and body, II, 227.
Spirit, Holy, see Ghost, Holy.
Spirit of insensibility of the Jews,
I, 180.
Spirits, Evil, used pagan rites to
corrupt people, I, 361; abode and
sphere of activity, II, 41.
Spirits of wickedness, II, 93.
Spiritual things, I, 284.
Sprinkling of blood, II, 445.
Stachys, Christian Convert, I, 236.
State, obedience due to the civil au-
thority, I, 20s; II, 270.
State of innocence, I, no.
Steadfastness, recommended to
Philippians by Paul, II, 137.
Stealing, II, 'jt.
Steck, contests authenticity of Ro-
mans, I, 10.
Stephanus, among St. Paul's first
converts in Achaia, I, 235, 248,
269, 443.
Stigmata, Gal. vi. 17 does not imply
Paul was a stigmatic, I, 659.
Sting of my flesh, I, 553.
Study, of the Divine Scriptures, II,
317.
Stumbling block, definition, I, 220;
the cross a stumbling block, I,
277.
Subjection, to our lawful superiors,
I, 207.
Subtility, I, 431.
Suffering with Christ, I, 130, 132,
496; our sufferings are a sign of
God's Fatherly care, II, 439; suf-
fering the road to heaven, II, 135,
441-
Sunamite, faith of the, II, 438.
Sunday observance, dates from
Apostolic times, I, 439.
Sunset, Jewish day closed with, II,
Superiors, Spiritual, have heavy re-
sponsibilities, II, 450.
Support of Church, disciple ought
to give temporal aid to him from
whom he has received spiritual
assistance, I, 654; right of Apos-
tles to support, II, 243.
Sword of the spirit, II, 95.
Syntyche, prominent in early Phi-
lippian Church, II, loi, 137.
484
INDEX
Tabernacle, Mosaic, 11, 410.
Table of Devils, I, 361.
Table of the Lord, the Eucharist,
I, 361.
Tables of Stone, reference to the
Ten Commandments, I, 483.
Tables of the covenant, II, 411.
Tables of the heart, I, 483.
Talmud, I, i ; on Gamaliel's School
in Jerusalem, I, x.
Tarsus, in Paul's time one of the
three great university centres of
the world, I, ix.
Tatian, was acquainted with Ephe-
sians, II, 12.
Tattlers, II, 290.
Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,
shows acquaintance with Ephc-
sians, II, 12; refers to I Thess.,
II, 198.
Temple of God, the faithful, I, 293,
510; bodies of Christians are
temples of the Holy Ghost, I,
317; Christ will transform our
miserable bodies into glorious
temples, II, 136.
Temptation, I, 356.
Temptation of God, by Israelites,
11, 375.
Tertius, secretary of St. Paul, I,
242.
TertuUian, refers to the various
Epistles of St. Paul, I, xxx; on
the early Christian Churches, I,
3; refers to Romans by title, I,
10; cites I Cor. many times, I,
255; says Eucharist was cele-
brated before daylight, I, 375;
on Baptism for the dead, I, 424;
opinion on destination of Ephe-
isans, II, 7; attributes Philip-
pians to Paul, II, 102; quotes
Colossians, II, 150; cites i Thess.,
II, 198; testimony on authenticity
of Pastoral Epistles, II, 248; calls
Hebrews the work of Barnabas,
n, 342.
Testimony of Christ, the preach-
ing of the Apostles, I, 264, 277.
Thalhofer, taught that Christ offers
in Heaven a true and proper sac-
rifice, II, 405.
Theodoret, attributes fourteen
Epistles to St. Paul, I, xxx; tells
that Paul preached in Spain, II,
249.
Theognis, on unnatural vices of
pagans, I, 39.
Theophilus of Antioch, testimony
on authenticity of Pastoral Epis-
tles, II, 248.
Theophylact, on purpose of Ro-
mans, I, 7.
Thessalonians, Two Epistles to the,
occasion and purpose, II, 192;
date and place of writing, II, 194;
authenticity of I Thess., II, 195;
authenticity of 2 Thess., II, 196;
eschatology occupies a large
place in both Epistles, II, 196;
greatest objection to authenticity
is based on the difference in
teaching regarding the Parousia,
II, 197; 2 Thess. supposed to be
more Jewish than I Thess., II,
197; division of contents of I
Thess., II, 198; division of con-
tents of 2 Thess., II, 199; bibli-
ography, II, 199; I Thess., the
first Apostolic Letter sent to a
whole Church, II, 224.
Thessalonica, City of, II, 191; the
Church of Thessalonica, II, 191;
persecutions at Thessalonica, II,
206.
Tholuck, on purpose of Romans, I,
6.
Thomas, Saint, on St. Paul's
names, I, ix; on purpose of Ro-
mans, I, 7.
Thorn in the flesh, I, 553, 554.
Threshing, Jewish method, I, 344.
Thrones, Angelic Order, II, 38.
Thucydides, probably the literary
model for St. Paul, I, xxxvii.
Thyatira, Paul's first convert in
Philippi, II, 98.
Time, Shortness of, I, 331.
Timothy, joined Paul on his second
missionary journey, I, xviii; ac-
companied Paul to Philippi, I,
98; associated with Paul in writ-
ing many of his Epistles, I, 241;
associated with Paul in writing
Romans, I, 241; sent by Paul to
Macedonia, I, 253, 441 ; Timothy
and Erastus sent to Macedonia
INDEX
485
by Paul, I, 441; associated with
St. Paul in writing Six Epistles,
I, 463; Timothy acted for Paul
in Corinth, I, 541; rated first by
Paul among his co-workers,
II, loi; zeal praised by Paul, II,
127; Timothy's name included by
Paul in salutation of Col., Phlm.,
I and 2 Thess., II, 152, 187, 228;
visit to Thessalonica and its re-
sults, II, 211; Paul's Epistles of
advice to Timothy, II, 246 ff.;
Timothy's relations with St.
Paul, II, 255; Timothy's charac-
ter, II, 256; Paul's precepts for
the fulfillment of his office, II,
285; Paul's exhortation to Tim-
othy, II, 299; Paul's companion
on his second missionary journey,
I, 302; Timothy was from Lys-
tra, II, 315; Paul's last appeal to
Timothy, II, 317; Timothy seems
to be well known to the readers
of Hebrew, II, 452.
Timothy, Two Epistles to. Intro-
duction, II, 252; occasion, time
and place of writing of i Tim.,
II, 253; occasion, time and place
of writing of 2 Tim., II, 254; di-
vision of contents of I Tim., II,
255; division of contents of 2
Tim., II, 256.
Titus, mentioned by Paul in 2 Cor.
ii. 13, I, 480; Titus' return from
Corinth comforted Paul, I, 513;
Paul promises to send Titus back
to Corinth to look after the col-
lection for the poor in Jerusalem,
I, 517; three visits of Titus to
Corinth, I, 558; present at Coun-
cil of Jerusalem, I, 597; relations
with St. Paul, II, 251 fif.
Titus, Epistle to, occasion, date and
place of composition, II, 321;
analysis of contents, II, 322.
Tolerance, Christian, I, 212.
Tongues, diverse kinds of, I, 388.
Tongues, Gift of, I, 400; prophecy
more useful than tongues, I, 406,
409.
Torah, contained traditional addi-
tions to written Old Law, I, 590.
Tradition, as source of Paul's
teaching, I, xliii; importance of
tradition, I, 382; tradition of the
Church worthy of faith, II, 240;
value emphasized by St. Paul, II,
303; arguments for apostolic tra-
dition, II, 306.
Transgression, sin against the posi-
tive Law, I, 76.
Transubstantiation, clearly ac-
cepted by Paul, I, 360.
Trent, Council of, I, 88; decision
on words, "This do for the com-
memoration of Me," I, 378; com-
mands penance before Holy Eu-
charist, I, 380; purpose in mak-
ing the Vulgate the official ver-
sion of the Scriptures, I, 435;
Council of Trent has defined
the divine origin of the epis-
copate, the presbyterate, and
the deaconate, II, 277; Council
of Trent, cites 2 Tim. i. 6 to
prove that Holy Orders is a true
Sacrament, II, 301; on invoca-
tion of Saints, II, 271.
Tribulation of the flesh, I, 330.
Tribulations, of the just, I, 141;
Trinity, Blessed, equality between
the Son and the Holy Ghost, I,
314; equality of the Father and
the Son, I, 337; the Holy Ghost
a Divine Person, I, 489; familiar-
ity of early Christians with doc-
trine, I, 564; the eternal pre-
existence of the Son with the
Father, I, 629; Holy Ghost pro-
ceeds alike from the Father and
the Son, I, 630; all three Persons
mentioned by Paul in Eph. ii.
18, II, 49; creation common to
each of the Divine Persons, II,
357; the Son is consubstantial
and co-eternal with the Father
and yet distinct from Him, II,
357; the Son proceeds from the
Father by nature, and not
through the Father's free will,
II, 357; the Father in generating
the Son does not suffer any
change, II, 357; the Son is very
image of the Father's substance,
II, 357; the Son is not only the
creator of the universe, but also
its conserver, II, 358.
Troas, district and town on north-
486
INDEX
west coast of Asia Minor, I, 448,
479. 513-
Trophimus, Ephesian convert, II,
323-
Truth, II, 81.
Tryphaena and Tryphosa, deacon-
esses, I, 227.
Tubingen, School of, on purpose of
Romans, I, 6.
Tychicus, bearer of Ephesians and
Colossians, II, 9, 151, 180; mis-
sion to the "Ephesians," II, 95;
probably brought Paul's last let-
ter to Timothy, II, 321; Paul
promises to send Tychicus to
Titus, II, 339-
Tyrannus, Paul used his school at
Ephesus as place of instruction,
n, s.
u
Uncircumcision, I, 52, 327; uncir-
cumcision of the flesh, II, 170.
Unclean, nothing is unclean of it-
self, I, 217; personal uncleanness,
II, 80.
Understanding, definition of term,
I, 404; II, 155-
Underworld, realm of the dead, II,
123.
Unice, Timothy's mother, II, 300.
Union, Hypostatic, I, 432; II, 160.
Unity, external and internal, I, 266.
Unity, Christian, urged by St. Paul,
I, 222; since the preachers of the
Gospel are all ministers of One
God, divisions among them are
absurd, I, 287; unity of Christ's
mystical body, I, 388; analogy
between the oneness of the hu-
man body and that of Christ's
mystical body, I, 389; spirit of
unity, II, 64; one body and one
spirit, II, 66; intrinsic and ex-
trinsic elements of unity, II, 66;
transcendent element, II, 66; ex-
hortation to unity, II, 117; all
vital unity among the members
must come from Christ the Head,
n, 173-
Universe, Visible, created by God
out of nothing, II, 432.
Unlearned, meaning of term, I, 404,
407.
Unmarried, Paul's advice to, I, 322.
Urbanus, Christian convert, I, 236.
Vain glory, II, 119.
Valentine, admits authenticity of
Romans, I, 10; heresy, I, 146;
Valentine cited Ephesians, II, 13;
rejected the Pastorals because
contrary to own false doctrines,
II, 248.
Vzdentinians, quote Colossians as
Scripture, II, 150.
Van Manen, on authenticity of Ro-
mans, I, 10.
Veil, see Covered head.
Veil, Behind the, II, 395.
Veil of Mosaic Tabernacle, II, 410.
Versions, importance of ancient
versions of the New Testament,
I, xlix; most important extant
versions, I, xlii.
Vessels of mercy, I, 159.
Vessels of wrath, I, 159.
Via Egnatia, great Roman High-
way, II, 193.
Vices, that Christians must avoid,
II, 75.
Vigilance, need of personal vigi-
lance in correcting others, I, 653.
Vincent, Bishop, supports authen-
ticity of Pastoral Epistles, 11,247.
Virginity, excellence over married
state, I, 328; II, 447.
Virtue, definition, I, 422; virtues
that Christians must practise, II,
75, 446; three theological virtues
constitute the essence of the
Christian life, II, 204.
Virtues, Angelic Order of, II, 38.
Visions of Paul, I, 551.
Vocation, II, 134; Christian voca-
tion, II, 2^2.
Von Soden, doubted authenticity
of Ephesians, II, 13; admits au-
thenticity of Colossians, II, 150.
Voste, Rev. J. M., O.P., on authen-
ticity of Romans, I, 10; on the
doctrinal and mystical sublimity
of Captivity Epistles, II, 2; on
Laodicean destination of Ephe-
sians, II, 10.
Vulgate, in what sense it is the offi-
cial version of the Church, I, 435.
INDEX
487
W
Wages of sin, I, 104.
Water from rock, typical of Eucha-
rist, I, 353.
Waywardness, as deprecated by St.
Paul resembles modern free
thought, II, 71.
Weak, The, Paul's use of term, I,
349-
"Weakness" of God, I, 274.
Weiss, on purpose of Romans, I,
6; on authenticity of Romans, I,
10; favors authenticity of Ephe-
sians, II, 13; admits authenticity
of Colossians, II, 150; supports
authenticity of Pastoral Epistles,
II, 247, 248; maintains that no
proof can be given that Paul the
Apostle was not released from
his first Roman Captivity, II, 249.
Weizsacher, doubted authenticity
of Ephesians, II, 13; denied genu-
ineness of 2 Thess., II, 199; con-
tests genuineness of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 248.
Westcott, Dr., on Pauline author-
ship of Plebrews, II, 344.
Whisperers, I, 40.
Wicked, punishment of, II, 231.
Widows, Paul's advice to, I, 322;
widows have the right to re-
marry, I, 334; remarriage recom-
mended by Paul for young wid-
ows under certain conditions, II,
290; treatment of widows, II,
286.
Wiesinger, supports authenticity of
Pastoral Epistles, II, 248.
Wife, some of Apostles had wives
before being called by Christ, I,
343-
Will of the Lord, our guide in all
things, II, 83.
Wisdom, Paul's use of term, I,
280; II, 31.
Wisdom of God, I, 272, 280.
Wisdom of speech, I, 270.
Wisdom of the flesh, I, 124.
Wisdom of the spirit, I, 124.
Wisdom of this world, I, 272.
Wisdom, Word of, I, 387.
Witchcraft, I, 650.
Wizards, II, 315.
Women, ought to veil their heads
in Church, I, 366; status of a
woman in pre-Christian times, I,
366; woman is subordinate to
man, I, 368; dignity of woman,
I, 369; woman is the glory of
man as man is the glory of God,
I. 369; proper and dignified place
of women in the Christian fam-
ily, I, 511; women forbidden to
speak publicly in the Church, I,
410; woman's subordinate state in
Paul's time, II, 85; women not
to teach in public assemblies, II,
269; this Apostolic Ordinance
was renewed by the Fourth
Council of Carthage, II, 273;
woman's chief duties are the
bearing and rearing of children,
II, 274; good works the proper
garment for women, II, 273; at-
titude towards women to be
adopted by preachers of the
Word, II, 286; flighty women,
used as proselytes and propa-
gators of error, II, 313; the ideal
wife, II, 233', advice as to con-
duct, II, 333; duties of married
women, II, 333.
"Word" of God, is His will, II, 382.
Word of knowledge, I, 387.
Word of wisdom, I, 387.
Work, Paul admonished Thessa-
lonlans to earn their own living,
II, 244.
Workman, is worthy of his meat,
I, 346.
Works, of the Law or purely nat-
ural, cannot be the source of
man's justification, I, 66; neces-
sity of good works, I, 66; good
works of themselves have merit
before God, I, 289; good works
of the just are meritorious of
eternal life, I, 496; we are to be
judged according to our works,
not merely according to our
faith, I, 501; works of the Law,
I, 607; works of the flesh and
fruits of the spirit, I, 648; nat-
ural works cannot accomplish
salvation, II, 45; good works can
merit salvation, II, 125; free will
not sufficient of itself to perform
good works, but must be moved
488
INDEX
by grace, II, 125; faith without
good works not sufficient for sal-
vation, II, 125; good works, the
proper garment for women, II,
Works, Dead, sinful deeds, II, 390.
Works of supererogation, existence
and merit of, I, 348.
World, Ends of the, I, 355.
Worship, due to God, I, 361; gen-
eral regulations for public wor-
ship, II, 269.
Wrath of God, I, 34.
Year, Macedonian, I, 521.
Zachary, son of Joiada, faith of, II,
438.
Zahn, on early Roman community,
I, 4; on Paul's purpose in send-
ing special greetings, I, 14; on
destination of Romans, I, 15;
favors authenticity of Ephesians,
II, 13; Zahn admits authen-
ticity of Colossians, II, 150;
supports authenticity of Pastoral
Epistles, II, 247, 248.
Zeal, how we should exercise zeal
for others, I, 652.
Zenas, traditional Bishop of Di-
ospolis, II, 339.
Date Due
i^t'in
■>.tCMH»iwmiiJiii)'ni>*
fc- k
^^ 's/57
i> iL « J. .^ '
(K"4^i
■JftHWB
C.(
r-i^ '
r"' ' c^
^^nrb5
AP7V55
.ri :^ •' '130
^f^
3
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11