Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 15
The Epistle
EPHES. 3.1.
For this cause I Paul am a prisoner of Iesus Christ for you heathen, &c.
THE maine drift of all this exceeding hConsul proem. Hieron. in epist. ad Ephes.profound Epistle written vntounto the Saints of the Church of Ephesus, is to iAquin. Aretius, Maricrat. argum. …p…. ad Ephes.confirme their in the kEphes. 1.13.word of truth, euen the Gospell of their saluation and faith in the Lord Iesus. And this our Apostle doth in the present text by two reasons especially;
1. From his owne ministery, in lQuant…m ad …r…bulation…s q…s pertulit, …t d…na qua Deus …b… c…, Aquin in l…c.respect of the
Bonds or disgrace hee suffered of men, I Paul am a prisoner, &c.
Boon or grace he receiued of God, If yee hauehave heard of the ministration of the grace of God which is giuen mee to youward.
2. Fom the Gospels mystery, which hee shewes to bee most excellent in regard of
Himselfe, VntoUnto mee the least of all Saints is this grace giuen.
Other,
God, Vnsearchable riches of Christ …idde in God, &c.
Angels, VntoUnto rulers and powers in heauenly things &c.
Men, to make all mensee what the fellow shippe of the mystery is, and that by Christ wee might hauehave boldnesse &c.
The summe of all which is, seeing I hauehave receiued so, much good, and endured so much euill for your sake: seeing the great mystery concerning the common saluation (as S. Iude speakes in his Epistle) was not in times past opened vntounto the ionnes of men on earth, or to the blessed Angels in heauen as it is now declared by the spirit: seeing I say, yee may see what is the fellowshippe of the mysterie which euen from the beginning hath … hid in God: I desire you not to faint in your course, but to continue stedfast in the profession of this holy faith vntounto your liues end.
For this cause] mApud Hieren. …t Zanch. in loc.Some Diuines hauehave troubled themselues and other in examining the context heere, but it is among words as among men, affinnity which is neerest ought to be dearest: and therefore seeing the first words of this chapter agree very well with the last of the former: I take the coherence to b… n…… …uer preached that you Gentile in … … are no… citizens with the Saints, … together in Christ the ch… corner stone, to be the …. And for th… …, namely, for that I have together that you Gentiles are …, I … hated of my countrimen, accused in their Synagogue, … … their councels, iniured by their off…cer…, … appeale to Casar, I was sent to …, where I am ap… …er, as you may reade at large in the fast eight chap… of the Acts of the Apostles.
A pri…ner of Iesus C…r… ) He was the prisoner of Ca…ar, but Caes… had his authoritie from oI… 19.11.aboue, for there is p… 1.no power but of God Who…oeuer then is in prison is …t…s Ie…u Christs, though otherwise lib… …e…u Christs, suffering by Gods qA…m…power and permittance, …ho can wh…n he w…ll, and will as shall make mo…t for …, glorie, r…say 61.1.proclame lib…rtie to the captues, and o…ni…g … the prison vntounto them that are …d. Or he was …e pri…o…e… Ch…. as enduring his …ond for Christs faith and seruice, sG…r…, … D…sius.V…s no… Chrs to, …e…pro Christo. Namely, for preaching among the Gentiles the e…searchable …hes of Chr…st, as it is in the S. verse. So that whereas tA… …n….two thing especially commend a Ma…tyr, saith in Christ, and lo…e to the Church; bo…h are me… in the Apostle. Hee suffe…ed for the true faith, a p…i…on…r of Ie…s Christ; and out of vnfained louelove to God… people. F…r …u Gentiles, as it i… in the hitteen…h verse, …or your sake…, euen for your uAn…good and x…example, tha… yee likewise may con…nue con…tant in the sincere p…fe…ion of Christianitie. F… …, … is your glorie, that ye h…e such …n in…tru…tor as is the pri…ner … Ie…us Christ …n bo…d no… for any faction of your… or fault of his o…ne; but …r y1 Pe… … 1….confe…ence to…d God, euen for the …ir…n …f the gr…e wh…h …s …en …ee to youward. See Epistle S…nday 16. after Trinitie.
Hitherto concerning the griefe which our Apostle suffered in Christs cause for the Gentiles, I come now to treate of the grace which he receiued.
In zAquin in loc.respect of his
knowledge being
Certaine, By reuelation shewed he the mysterie to me.
Full, euen so perfectly reuealed that in a few words you may read and vnderstand …y knowledge in the mysterie of Christ.
Excellent, which in other ages was not made knowne vntounto the sonnes of men, as it is now declared, &c.
Practise, whereof I am made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God which is giuen vntounto me, &c.
If you hauehave heard of the ministration of the grace] The calling of 'aul to be the Doctor of the Gentiles, as it was knowne vntounto himselfe by reuelation: so to them by report. If yee hauehave heard &c. aAretius.As if he should hauehave said, if ye doubt not of my calling, ye may be well assured of my doctrine. But ye cannot doubt of my calling, as hauing often heard how bAct. 9.Christ in a vision appeared to me, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And when I had answered, Lord, what wil… thou hauehave mee to doe? Iesus told Anani…s in another vision, Hee is a chosen vessell vntounto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles, and Kings and the children of Israel. And so God cGalat. 1.15.separated mee from my mothers wombe, and called me by his grace to reueale his sonne among the Gentiles: dGal 2.7.as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter, so the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed vntounto me being an Apostle (not of men, or by man, Galat. 1.1. Or after man, Gal. 1.11.) but the ministration of Gods grace was giuen vntounto me by the reuelation of Iesus Christ.
The word mimstration or dispensation, may bee construed either passiuely, being a grace giuen, and eO… m…. A …m. Ares.dispensed to Paul: or f…actiuely, for that Paul was dispenser of it vntounto other, 1. Cor 4.1. Let a man so thinke of vsus, as of the ministers of Christ, and disposers if the secrets of God. His office then is called a dispensation. g…. …For that it consisteth in the dispensing of Christs vnsearchable riches And the Gospell is called here h… … ….Gods grace, for that it is faithfully deliuered and fruitfully receiued nor by mans merit; but onelyonly through Gods free grace. i1 Cor. 5.10Preaching in the teacher, and k…. 2.8. Mat…h. 13.11.beleeuing in the hearer are both the faire gifts of God. Or the Gospell is called Gods grace, l….because the summe thereof is nothing else but the preaching of Gods exceeding rich mercies in Christ, intimating that our iustification is not by the workes of the Law, but mRom. 3.24.freely by grace through faith.
As I wrote afore in few words] I finde that nA…ad Mariorat ….some construe this of that which is written in other Epistles, vntounto other men, as to Philemon: and other Churches, as to that of Colossus, and Philippi. Marlorat is of opinion that our Apostle wrote another Epistle (though it bee not extant) vntounto the Church of Ephesus. oCalet…n.Other referre this clause to that which is deliuered in this present Epistle; to wit, vntounto that which is sayd in the p…two former chapters, qA…h…s.Or to that in chap. 1. vers. 9. r… ….or chap. 2. vers. 14. He is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken the step of the partition wall. In this little briefe is contained all that great mysterie which in times past was not opened vntounto the sonnes of men, as it is now declared by the spirit, that the Gentiles should bee fellow heires, and of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospell.
Which mysterie in times past was not opened vntounto the sonnes of men] This verse cannot easily bee digested (as s….one sayd) without a graine of salt; for if wee shall vnderstand this of the whole mystery of Christ t1. Tim. 3.16.manifested in the flesh, it is certaine that Abraham with faiths eye uIohn 8.56.saw Christ and was glad, and the Prophets x1. Pet. 1.10.enquired and searched when or what time the spirit which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come to Christ, and the glorie that should follow. Nay the very common people did expect the consolation of Israel, as it is apparant by that of the yIohn 4.25.Samaritane woman, I know well that Messias shall come which is called Christ. Or if we construe this of that part of the mysterie which onelyonly concernes the vocation of the Gentiles, it is as plaine that Abraham beleeued zGen 12.3 & 22.18.all the families of the earth should be blessed in his seed. And the Prophet aC. p. 2. vers. 8Haggai cal… the Messias expresly the desire of all nations. And in the first lesson allotted for euening praier on this day, Thus saith the Lord, bEsa. 49.22.Behold, I will lift vp mine hands to the Gentiles, and set vp my standard to the people, &c. Kings shall be their nursing fathers, and Queenes their nursing mothers, &c.
cHi. ron. exposit 1. in loc.Answer then is made, that this mysterie was opened in times past vntounto the sonnes of God, but not (as it is in the text here) to the sonnes of men. It was knowne vntounto the spirituall lew, but not vntounto the carnall. For the Prophers spake not dTrimasius in loc.as the sonnes of men, but as they were moued by the spirit of God, 1. Pet. 2.21. eOccumen.Other thinke this mysterie was opened vntounto the lewes, as hauing the Law and the Prophets testifying of Christ: and that it was hidden onelyonly to the Gentiles, as wanting the light of Gods word to direct them in their night of ignorance. Other say that the Prophets in old time knew that the Gentiles should be partakers of Gods promise concerning the blessed seed, fAmbros. Lanchius.but they did not vnderstand how this could be without circumcision, because gGen. 17.14.God said, EueryEvery person which is not circumcised should be cut off from his people. Yea the knowledge in this mysterie was hidden vntounto the chiefe Apostle till it was in a vision reuealed vntounto him, as we reade Act. 10.
hHieron, Theophyla. Anselm.Other finde a direct answer couched in the words of Paul here, which mysterie was not in times past opened vntounto the s…aues of …, as it is now declared vntounto his holy Apotles and Prophets by the spirit. It was opened before, but not as now: not so fully manifested vntounto the Pa…iarkes and Prophets in the old Testament, as in the light of the Gospell vntounto blessed Apostles and Preachers: in which respect Iohn the Baptist is said to be i… ….16.greater then a Prophet. For wherea… they shadowed out Christ in figures obscurely, he shewed our Christ with his finger openly,
k… 1.19.… of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world. So Christ himselfe to his Disciples; l… 10.23Blessed … the … that … you that many Prophets and Kings hauehave desired to see those things which ye see, in … not … them, and to heare those things which yee heare, and hauehave not heard them. The blessed Apostles are called in the fifth verse Prophets, m… ….as propheeying in their Creed of things to come, to wit, of the resurrection of the … and euerlasting life or Prophets, as being n… 21.12 … Rom. Idem. …. … ….expounders of the Prophets, as the word is vsed elsewhere, Rom. 12.6. Ephes. 4.11. 1. Cor. 14.1. See Epistle second Sunday after the Epiphanie.
That the G…nt…les should be follow-heires, and of the same body, and partakers of the same promise.] The Gentiles are said to bee follow-heires in respect of future glorie, o… ….repectulum futuri, because they shall be pHeb. 1.14.heires of saluation, and inhe…itors of the kingdome of heauen so well as the Iewes, euen heires of God and ioint heires with Christ, Rom. 8.17. Of the same body, in respect of present grace, respectu boni praesentis, as being built together in Christ, and made one Church and habitation of God, Ephes. 2.14.22. Partakers of the same promise, in respect of merciemercy … die, respectu boni praeriti: forasmuch a, Gods Couenant made to father Abraham, apparantly concerned all the nations of the world, Genes. 12.3.18. 18 22.18. Heere the Gospell and Epistle meet, and both are well accommodated vntounto Christs Epiphanie: for the Wisemen shewed that in deed which our Apostle heere saith in word.
VntoUnto the rulers and powers in heauenly things.] Whether this ought to be construed of damned deuils, or blessed Angels, I referre you to qCom. in loc.S. Ambrose, rP…rap…ras. in loc.Erasmus, sI…xp…sit in loc.Marlorat. Or if spoken of the good Angels onelyonly, whether it concernes all at all times, or in times past only such as were not imploied in the publishing of Christs incarnation: I desire you to reade the Commentaries of Hierome, and Haymo vponupon this text, Lombard sent lib 2. distinct. 11. Alussiodorensis, Aur. sum. lib. 2. Tracti. 5. quaesi. …. & 6. Sixtus senensis bibliothec. lib. 6. annot. 165.182.29…. And whether this knowledge be reuealed or experimentall only, Thomas part. 1. quast 117. art. 2. Lexicon Theolog. Astenstanc. verb. Angelus. Perkins exposit. Creed art. 1. Tit. Creation of Angels, Aretius, Marlorat, Zanch. in loc. For mine owne part, where I see not my selfe, I louelove not to leade other. If these cited Authors afford your vnderstanding good paiment, I shall be so well pleased as when I borrow ready coine of one friend to lend it vntounto another. If not, I say with tEpist. ad…er Vigilant, T…m. 2. … 313.Hierome, Non parum est scire quid nes…as: and with uEpist. …0.Augustine, Non videtur mihi quisquam errare, cum aliquid nescire se scit, sed cum putat scire quod nescit.