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us sons. In the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the richness of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight. Since the Scriptures say here and there that he was obedient to the Father unto death, and since Christ said: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? so that no one might suppose that he was truly forsaken; even if he uttered such words on behalf of our person; for this reason, the divine Scripture everywhere proclaims him as the one who has been loved and is beloved. Making known to us the mystery of his will. For only in this way does the grace of Christ make room for itself in us, through knowledge; which does not apply to those who are ignorant. According to his good pleasure, which he set forth in him for the administration of the fullness of the times. For he was well pleased with this good deed before the age; and a time was appointed for it, when the predestined things received a fitting end. To sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in him. Inasmuch as Adam, having sinned, was deprived of all these things, a renewal has taken place in Christ. Of what then was he deprived? being incorruptible, he came into corruption, and being immortal, into death, and from paradise, outside pa 95.825 radise. These things, therefore, were set forth by God, to sum up and to renew, and for these things the Only-Begotten became man, so that he might abolish death, and destroy corruption, and cast out sin, which also happened when Christ came. Now the phrase, "in the heavens," has this meaning: that there was great and unceasing grief for the angels when the world was sinning and was under a curse; and it is clear from the Lord's saying that, "There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents." He says, therefore, that when the Lord came, he renewed both the things on the earth and the things in the heavens, having stopped for the angels that grief with which they grieved over the corruption of men. For he brought them back to their former joy, the joy for those who are saved. In whom we also were made a heritage, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we might be for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In Christ, he says, by becoming so, we become a portion of God. In whom you also, having heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. You are also of those who were foreknown, he says, being made kin to Christ through obedience, and the faith that comes from hearing, and the seal that comes upon faith, which is a likeness to Christ through the partaking of the Spirit. From whom did they hear the word of truth, if not from John the evangelist? for he preached there; which is why Paul also speaks to them on a higher level, as they had been prepared beforehand by his teaching. For the man is exceedingly lofty in theology. Who is the pledge of our inheritance for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory. He calls the pledge the beginning of possession. He says, therefore, that having received the Spirit, we have already begun to be the possessions of Christ and of God. For this reason, I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having heard, he says, of your faith, by which you are referred to Christ, and the love that follows faith, I offer thanks for you, and this not once, but always. The Father of glory. That is, the author of every divine gift given to us, which is supplied in the Spirit through the Word. 95.828 May he give you a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the richness of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. What was lacking was wisdom and knowledge, and that they might do the works of love with reason and wisdom,

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ἡμᾶς υἱούς. Ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων, κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει. Ἐπειδὴ ἄνω καὶ κάτω λέγουσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ὅτι ὑπήκοος γέγονεν τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός· Ὁ Θεὸς, Θεός μου, εἰς τί με ἐγκατέλιπες; ἵνα μή τις ὑπολάβῃ ἀληθῶς ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι αὐτόν· εἰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἡμῶν προσώπου τὰς τοιαύτας ἔλεγε φωνάς· τούτου χάριν πανταχοῦ ἠγαπημένον καὶ ἀγαπητὸν αὐτὸν ἡ θεία κηρύττει Γραφή. Γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὑτοῦ. Οὕτω γὰρ μόνως εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡ Χριστοῦ χάρις χωρεῖται διὰ τῆς γνώσεως· ὃ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν οὐκ ἐφαρμόζεται. Κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν. Εὐδόκησε γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ εὐεργεσίᾳ ταύτῃ πρὸ αἰῶνος· ὥριστο δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ χρόνος, ὅτε τὰ προωρισμένα πέρας ἐδέξατο ἱκανόν. Ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὅσον ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτήσας ἀπεστερήθη τούτων πάντων, ἀνανέωσις γέγονεν ἐν Χριστῷ. Τίνων οὖν ἀπεστερήθη; ἄφθαρτος ὢν, εἰς φθορὰν ἦλθε, καὶ ἀθάνατος ὢν, εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ἀπὸ παραδείσου, ἔξω πα 95.825 ραδείσου. Ταῦτα οὖν προέκειτο παρὰ Θεῷ, εἰς τὸ ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι καὶ ἀνανεῶσαι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων γέγονεν ὁ Μονογενὴς ἄνθρωπος, ἵνα καταλύσῃ θάνατον, καὶ ἀνέλῃ τὴν φθορὰν, καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκβάλῃ, ὃ καὶ γέγονε παραγενομένου Χριστοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον· ὅτι λύπη ἦν μεγάλη καὶ ἀδιάλειπτος τοῦ κόσμου ἁμαρτάνοντος τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ὑπὸ κατάραν ὄντος· καὶ δῆλον ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι Χαρὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ γίνεται ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι· λέγει οὖν, ὡς ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀνενέωσεν, καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἐκείνης παύσας τοὺς ἀγγέλους τῆς λύπης, ἧς ἐλυποῦντο ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φθορᾷ. Ἀνήγαγε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν χαρὰν, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν σωζομένων. Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν, προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ, τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ. Ἐν Χριστῷ, φησὶ, γιγνόμενοι, μερὶς γινόμεθα Θεοῦ. Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐφραγίσθητε τῷ Πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ. Τῶν προεγνωσμένων ἐστὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, οἰκειούμενοι Χριστῷ δι' ὑπακοῆς, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκοῇ πίστεως, καὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει σφραγισμοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν ὁμοίωσις πρὸς Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος μεταλήψεως. Παρὰ τίνος δὲ ἤκουσαν τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, ἢ παρὰ Ἰωάννου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ; ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐκήρυττεν· διὸ καὶ ὑψηλότερον αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται ὁ Παῦλος, ἅτε ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνου διδασκαλίας προκατηρτισμένοις. Λίαν γὰρ ὑψηλὸς εἰς θεολογίαν ὁ ἀνήρ. Ὅς ἐστιν ἀῤῥαβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Ἀῤῥαβῶνα λέγει ἀρχὴν κτήσεως. Φησὶν οὖν, ὡς ∆εξάμενοι τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἠρξάμεθα ἤδη κτήματα εἶναι Χριστοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ ἀκούσας τὴν καθ' ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀκηκοὼς, φησὶ, τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν, καθ' ἣν ἀναφέρεσθε εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν ἑπομένην τῇ πίστει, χάριν ἀναφέρω ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, καὶ ταύτην οὐκ εἰς ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ παντός. Ὁ Πατὴρ τῆς δόξης. Τουτέστιν, ἀρχηγὸς παντὸς τοῦ διδομένου εἰς ἡμᾶς θείου χαρίσματος, ὅπερ ἐν Πνεύματι διὰ τοῦ Λόγου χορηγεῖται. 95.828 ∆ῴη ὑμῖν Πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ, πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς, τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις. Τὸ ἐλλεῖπον ἦν ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ γνῶσις, καὶ ἵνα λόγῳ καὶ σοφίᾳ πράττωσι τὰ τῆς ἀγάπης,