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of God, so that from every side it is impossible to express it. But showing how He gave in abundance, In all wisdom and prudence, he says, having made known to us the mystery of His will; that is, having made us wise and prudent with the true wisdom, the true prudence. 62.15 4. Oh, what great love! For He tells us His mysteries. Of His will, he says; as one might say, He made known to us the things in His heart. For this is the mystery that is full of all wisdom and prudence. For what will you say is equal to this wisdom? those who were worthy of nothing, for these He found a way to lead them up to wealth. What is equal to this resourcefulness? the enemy, the hated one, this one has suddenly been raised on high. And not only this, but also at this time; and this was of wisdom, and that it was through the cross. The argument would be long here to show how this was of wisdom, and how He made us wise. Wherefore again, According to His good pleasure, he says, which He purposed in Himself. That is, this He desired, this He was in travail with, so that He might be able to declare the mystery to us. What mystery is this? That He wishes to seat man on high. And this has happened, For the administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth in Him. The heavenly things, he says, were separated from the earthly things, they did not have one head. For according to the principle of creation there was one God; but according to the principle of appropriation, no longer, since the Greek error was spread abroad, but they were separated from His obedience. For the administration, he says, of the fullness of the times. He called it the fullness of the times. See how precisely he speaks. And while showing the beginning to be from the Father, the purpose, the will, the first impulse, and the fulfillment through works to be through Christ, he nowhere names Him a servant. He chose us, he says, in Him, having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to Himself, and to the praise of the glory of His grace, in whom we have redemption through His blood, which He purposed in Him for the administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ. And nowhere did he call Him a servant, But if 'in' and 'through' signify a servant, see where the matter turns. For beginning the Epistle straightway, he said, Through the will of the Father. The Father willed, he says, the Son acted. But neither, because the Father willed, is the Son outside the action; nor, because the Son acted, is the Father deprived of the will, but all things are common to Father and Son; For all Mine are Thine, He says, and Thine are Mine. And the fullness of the times was His 62.16 coming. Since, therefore, He had done everything both through angels, and through prophets, and through the law, and nothing more came of it, but man was in danger of having come into being in vain, of having been produced in vain, or rather even for evil, since all were simply perishing, and more so than at the time of the flood, He found this administration through grace, so that he should not come into being in vain nor to no purpose. The fullness of the times says this, and wisdom. How? Because when they were most on the point of perishing, then they were saved. To sum up, he says. What is, To sum up? To join together. But still let us endeavor to get near the truth itself. For among us and in common usage, a summing up is also called the contracting into a short space of things said at length, and to state concisely all the things said through many words. For it is also this; for the things that were being administered over a long time He summed up in Himself, that is, He cut them short. For bringing a work to an end, and cutting it short in righteousness, He both comprehended those things, and added others. This is a summing up. There is also something else signified. What is this? He set one head over all, Christ according to the flesh, both for angels and for men; that is, He gave one principle both to angels and to men, to the latter according to the flesh, to the former, God the Word; just as one might say of a house that has some parts unsound, and others strong; He rebuilt the house, that is, He made it stronger, He laid a stronger foundation; so also here He brought all under one head.

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Θεοῦ, ὥστε πανταχόθεν ἀμήχανον αὐτὸν λεχθῆναι. ∆εικνὺς δὲ πῶς εἰς περισσείαν ἔδωκεν, Ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει, φησὶ, γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὑτοῦ· τουτέστι, σοφοὺς καὶ φρονίμους ποιήσας τὴν ὄντως σοφίαν, τὴν ὄντως φρόνησιν. 62.15 δʹ. Βαβαὶ, πόση φιλία! Τὰ γὰρ μυστήρια αὐτοῦ ἡμῖν λέγει. Τοῦ θελήματος αὑτοῦ, φησίν· ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, Τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἡμῖν ἐγνώρισε. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ μυστήριον τὸ πάσης σοφίας τε γέμον καὶ φρονήσεως. Τί γὰρ ταύτης τῆς σοφίας ἴσον ἐρεῖς; τοὺς οὐδενὸς ἀξίους ὄντας, τούτους εὗρεν ὅπως εἰς πλοῦτον ἀναγάγῃ. Τί ταύτης τῆς εὐμηχανίας ἴσον; ὁ ἐχθρὸς, ὁ μεμισημένος, οὗτος ἐξαίφνης ἄνω γέγονε. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ καιρῷ· καὶ τοῦτο σοφίας ἦν, καὶ τὸ διὰ σταυροῦ. Μακρὸς ἐνταῦθα δεῖξαι ὁ λόγος, πῶς σοφίας ἦν τοῦτο, καὶ πῶς σοφοὺς ἡμᾶς εἰργάσατο. ∆ιὸ πάλιν, Κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὑτοῦ, φησὶν, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ. Τουτέστι, τοῦτο ἐπεθύμει, τοῦτο ὤδινεν, ὡς ἂν ἔχοι ἐξειπεῖν ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι ἄνθρωπον ἄνω καθίσαι βούλεται. Τοῦτο δὲ γέγονεν, Εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἀπέσχιστο, φησὶ, τὰ ἐπουράνια τῶν ἐπιγείων, οὐκ εἶχε μίαν κεφαλήν. Κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὸν τῆς δημιουργίας λόγον εἷς Θεὸς ἦν· κατὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς οἰκειώσεως οὐκέτι, τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς πλάνης κεχυμένης, ἀλλ' ἀπεσχισμένοι ἦσαν τῆς ὑπακοῆς αὐτοῦ. Εἰς οἰκονομίαν, φησὶ, τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν. Πλήρωμα τῶν καιρῶν αὐτὸ ἐκάλεσεν. Ὅρα πῶς ἀκριβῶς φθέγγεται. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς δείξας, τὴν πρόθεσιν, τὴν βουλὴν, τὴν πρώτην ὁρμὴν, τὴν δὲ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐκπλήρωσιν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐδαμοῦ διάκονον αὐτὸν ὀνομάζει. Ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῷ, προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὑτοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ. Καὶ οὐδαμοῦ διάκονον αὐτὸν εἶπεν, Εἰ δὲ τὸ, ἐν, καὶ τὸ, διὰ, διακόνου ἐστὶν, ὅρα ποῦ τρέπει τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἀρχόμενος γὰρ εὐθέως τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς, ∆ιὰ τοῦ θελήματος, εἶπε, τοῦ Πατρός. Ὁ Πατὴρ ἠθέλησε, φησὶν, ὁ Υἱὸς ἐνήργησεν. Ἀλλ' οὔτε, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Πατὴρ ἠθέλησε, τῆς ἐνεργείας ἐκτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός· οὔτε ἐπειδὴ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐνήργησε, τοῦ θελήματος ἀπεστέρηται ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀλλὰ κοινὰ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ πάντα· Πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστι, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά. Πλήρωμα δὲ τῶν καιρῶν ἡ παρου 62.16 σία αὐτοῦ ἦν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πάντα ἔπραξε καὶ δι' ἀγγέλων, καὶ διὰ προφητῶν, καὶ διὰ νόμου, καὶ οὐδὲν πλέον ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐκινδύνευεν εἰκῆ γεγενῆσθαι ἄνθρωπος, εἰκῆ παρῆχθαι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ κακῷ, πάντων ἀπολλυμένων ἁπλῶς, καὶ μειζόνως ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, εὗρε ταύτην τὴν οἰκονομίαν τὴν διὰ τῆς χάριτος, ὥστε μὴ εἰκῆ μηδὲ μάτην αὐτὸν γενέσθαι. Τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν καιρῶν τοῦτο λέγει, καὶ σοφίαν. Πῶς; Ὅτι ὅτε μάλιστα ἔμελλον ἀπόλλυσθαι, τότε διεσώθησαν. Ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι, φησίν. Τί ἐστιν, Ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι; Συνάψαι. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ σπουδάσωμεν ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς γενέσθαι τῆς ἀληθείας. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἀνακεφαλαίωσις λέγεται καὶ τὰ διὰ μακρῶν λεγόμενα εἰς βραχὺ συστεῖλαι, καὶ πάντα τὰ διὰ πολλῶν λεγόμενα συντόμως εἰπεῖν. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο· τὰ γὰρ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου οἰκονομούμενα ἀνεκεφαλαιώσατο ἐν ἑαυτῷ, τουτέστι, συνέτεμε. Λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν, καὶ συντέμνων ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐκεῖνα περιέλαβε, καὶ ἕτερα προσέθηκε. Τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀνακεφαλαίωσις. Ἔστι καὶ ἕτερόν τι δηλούμενον. Ποῖον τοῦτο; Μίαν κεφαλὴν ἅπασιν ἐπέθηκε τὸ κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις· τουτέστι, καὶ ἀγγέλοις μίαν ἀρχὴν ἔδωκεν, καὶ ἀνθρώποις, τοῖς μὲν τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, τοῖς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον· ὡς ἂν περὶ οἰκίας τις εἴποι τὰ μὲν σαθρὰ, τὰ δὲ ἰσχυρὰ ἐχούσης· Ἀνῳκοδόμησε τὴν οἰκίαν, τουτέστιν, ἰσχυροτέραν εἰργάσατο, ἰσχυροτέραν κρηπῖδα ὑπέθηκεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάντας ὑπὸ μίαν ἤγαγε κεφαλήν.