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it holds together. How does it hold together in that which is not? So that even the things done through angels are his. And he is the head of the body, the Church. Having spoken of his dignity, he then speaks also of his philanthropy. He is, he says, the head of the body, the Church. He did not say, of the fullness, though he also indicates this, but wanting to show him as more closely related to us, that he who is so high and above all, joined himself to those below. For he is first everywhere: first above, first in the Church (for he is the head), first in the resurrection. For this is, "that he might be preeminent." 3. So he is also first in birth. And this is what Paul is most zealous to show. For if this is established, that he was before all the angels, it is also implied that he himself performed their actions by commanding. And indeed the wonderful thing, he was ambitious to show him first in the later birth. And yet elsewhere he says Adam is first, as indeed he is; but he has taken the Church in place of the whole human race. For he is first of the Church, and of men, as of creation, first according to the flesh; and for this reason he here uses "firstborn." What is "firstborn" here? The first created, or he who rose before all, just as there, he who was before all. And here he has put "firstfruits," saying: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might be preeminent; showing that the others are also such; but there not the firstfruits of creation. And there, "Image of the invisible God," and then the, "Firstborn." For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, whether things on earth, or things in the heavens. Whatever belongs to the Father, he says, this also belongs to the Son, and with greater earnestness, because he also became dead, and united himself to us. He said "firstfruits," as of some fruit. He did not say "resurrection," but "firstfruits," showing that he sanctified us all, and offered us as a sacrifice. He has spoken of "the fullness" with regard to the Godhead, just as John said: "From his fullness we have all received." That is, whether he was the Son or the Word, there dwelt not some energy, but substance. He has no cause to state, but the will of God; for this is what it is, that "In him he was pleased," and "through him to reconcile all 62.321 things to himself." Lest you think that he took the rank of a servant, "to himself," he says. And yet elsewhere he says that he reconciles to God, as he said when writing in the Epistle to the Corinthians. And well did he say, "to reconcile through him." For they had already been reconciled, but it needed to be complete, and so that they would no longer be hostile to him. But how this happens, he then clarifies, announcing not only the reconciliation, but also the manner of the reconciliation; "Having made peace through the blood of his cross." To reconcile shows the enmity; Having made peace shows the war. Through the blood, he says, of his cross, through him, whether things on earth, or things in the heavens. To reconcile is a great thing, but to do so through him is greater; and greater than this, to do so through his blood; and not simply blood, but what is greater than this, through the cross. So there are five wonderful things: he reconciled to God, through himself, through death, through the cross. Alas, how has he mixed them again? For lest you think it is one thing, or that the cross is something in itself, he says, "Through himself." How does he know this is a great thing? Because not by speaking words, but by giving himself for the reconciliation, he accomplished all things. But what is, "The things in the heavens"? for the things on earth, with good reason; for it was filled with enmity, and divided into many parts; and each of us was at variance with himself, and with the many; but how did he make peace among the things in the heavens? was there also war and battle there? and how do we pray, saying, "Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on the

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συνέστηκε. Πῶς συνέστηκεν ἐν τῷ οὐκ ὄντι; Ὥστε καὶ τὰ δι' ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Εἰπὼν περὶ τῆς ἀξίας, λέγει λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. Αὐτός ἐστι, φησὶν, ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Οὐκ εἶπε, τοῦ πληρώματος, αὐτὸ μὲν τοῦτο καὶ οὕτω δηλῶν, θέλων δὲ ἡμῖν οἰκειότερον δεῖξαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι ὁ οὕτως ἄνω καὶ πάντων ἀνώτερος, τοῖς κάτω ἑαυτὸν συνῆψε. Πανταχοῦ γάρ ἐστι πρῶτος· ἄνω πρῶτος, ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτος· κεφαλὴ γάρ ἐστιν· ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει πρῶτος. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἵνα γένηται αὐτὸς πρωτεύων. γʹ. Ὥστε καὶ ἐν γενέσει πρῶτος. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι μάλιστα τὸ σπουδαζόμενον τῷ Παύλῳ δεῖξαι. Ἂν γὰρ τοῦτο κατασκευασθῇ, ὅτι πρὸ πάντων ἦν τῶν ἀγγέλων, κἀκεῖνο συνεισάγεται, ὅτι τὰ ἐκείνων αὐτὸς ἐποίει ἐπιτάττων. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ἐν τῇ ὑστέρᾳ γενέσει ἐφιλονείκησε πρῶτον αὐτὸν δεῖξαι. Καίτοι γε ἀλλαχοῦ πρῶτόν φησι τὸν Ἀδὰμ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστιν· ἀλλὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἔλαβεν ἀντὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἀνθρώπων γένους. Τῆς γὰρ Ἐκκλησίας πρῶτός ἐστι, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀνθρώπων, καθάπερ τῆς κτίσεως, πρῶτος κατὰ σάρκα· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα τὸν πρωτότοκον τίθησι. Τί ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα ὁ πρωτότοκος; Ὁ πρῶτος κτισθεὶς, ἢ πρὸ πάντων ἀναστὰς, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐκεῖ, ὁ πρὸ πάντων ὤν. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἀπαρχὴν τέθεικεν εἰπών· Ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων· δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι τοιοῦτοι· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἀπαρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως. Καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν, Εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, καὶ τότε τὸ, Πρωτότοκος. Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ηὐδόκησε πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτὸν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ, εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὅσα τοῦ Πατρὸς, φησὶ, ταῦτα καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος σπουδῆς, ὅτι καὶ νεκρὸς γέγονε, καὶ ἥνωσεν ἑαυτὸν ἡμῖν. Ἀπαρχὴν δὲ εἶπε, καθάπερ ἐπὶ καρποῦ τινος. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀνάστασις, ἀλλὰ, ἀπαρχὴ, δεικνὺς ὅτι πάντας ἡμᾶς ἡγίασε, καὶ ὥσπερ θυσίαν προσήνεγκε. Τὸ πλήρωμα περὶ τῆς θεότητος εἴρηκε, καθάπερ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔλεγεν· Ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν. Τουτέστιν, εἴτε ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, εἴτε ὁ Λόγος, ἐκεῖ ᾤκησεν οὐχὶ ἐνέργειά τις, ἀλλ' οὐσία. Οὐκ ἔχει αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν θέλησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, ὅτι Ἐν αὐτῷ ηὐδόκησε, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ 62.321 πάντα εἰς αὐτόν. Ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ὑπηρέτου τάξιν ἀνέλαβεν, εἰς ἑαυτὸν, φησί. Καὶ μὴν ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ καταλλάττει, καθάπερ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους Ἐπιστολῇ γράφων ἔλεγε. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, ∆ι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι. Ἤδη γὰρ ἦσαν κατηλλαγμένοι, ἀλλὰ τελείως ἔδει, καὶ ὥστε μηκέτι ἐχθραίνειν αὐτῷ. Πῶς δὲ γίνεται τοῦτο, διασαφεῖ λοιπὸν, οὐ μόνον τὴν καταλλαγὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς καταλλαγῆς ἀναγγέλλων· Εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ. Τὸ μὲν τὴν ἔχθραν δείκνυσι τὸ καταλλάξαι· τὸ δὲ τὸν πόλεμον, τὸ Εἰρηνοποιήσας. ∆ιὰ τοῦ αἵματος, φησὶ, τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ δι' αὐτοῦ, εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Μέγα μὲν τὸ καταλλάξαι, τὸ δὲ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ, μεῖζον· καὶ τὸ τούτου μεῖζον, τὸ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς αἵματος, ἀλλὰ τὸ τούτου μεῖζον, διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ. Ὥστε πέντε ἐστὶ τὰ θαυμαστὰ, τῷ Θεῷ κατήλλαξε, δι' αὐτοῦ, διὰ θανάτου, διὰ σταυροῦ. Βαβαὶ, πῶς ἀνέμιξε πάλιν; Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς ἓν εἶναι, μηδὲ τὸν σταυρὸν εἶναί τι καθ' ἑαυτὸ, λέγει, ∆ι' ἑαυτοῦ. Πῶς οἶδε μέγα τοῦτο ὄν; Ὅτι οὐ ῥήματα εἰπὼν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς καταλλαγῆς, οὕτως ἅπαντα εἰργάσατο. Τί δέ ἐστι, Τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς; τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἰκότως· ἔχθρας γὰρ ἐμπέπληστο, καὶ εἰς πολλὰ διῄρητο· καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν διεστασίαζε, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πολλούς· τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς πῶς εἰρηνοποίησε; καὶ ἐκεῖ πόλεμος ἦν καὶ μάχη; καὶ πῶς εὐχόμεθα λέγοντες, Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς