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and he calls it the exceeding riches of grace. The gift of God. Grace, that which is from God, faith, that which is from us. Therefore, for those who do not have the capacity to receive, grace does not come. Not from us, therefore, but the gift of God; not in the one receiving, but in the one giving, is the doing of good. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For even when there are works, salvation is not from them, and when there are not, participation in salvation has come to those who have believed. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 95.832 We do not, he says, make ourselves a new creation; for it is not possible. But the one who creates us is God in Christ, whose likeness we achieve by the imitation of the works which he himself performed, preparing for us the participation and likeness. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh. Since the remembrance of former things produces thanksgiving in the present, he exhorts them to remember those things. Who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants. Uncircumcision and circumcision are a carnal peculiarity; but carnal things are not truly real. Therefore he called them "so-called." For he knows the true circumcision, the removal in the heart of things that come upon the heart contrary to its natural constitution. If this is true circumcision, then true uncircumcision is the impurity of the heart. Having no hope of the promise, and without God in the world. The promises are indeed various, as are the covenants. But he spoke of it as one, insofar as Christ leads all into one. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We were far from God, separated by the worldly life. But the death of Christ wrought the dissolution of this, and those who are conformed to this are no longer far from God, but receive the nearness that is in spirit, being crucified with Christ, according to the Apostle. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain. He cut out from the midst that which separates, which is the flesh on account of the sin in it, completely alienating those not even separated by the law from carnal wickedness, and certainly not leaving those under the law pure from the alienation on account of it. Therefore, he who dissolves the sin which is through the flesh, at the same time also took away the law that was set over the flesh. And he introduced instead of the law a decree, which is the willing act of the soul for the worship of God. one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came. The cross having put an end to the present life and having circumcised the flesh, every one who is characterized according to Christ is shown 95.833 to be one man, whether in circumcision or in uncircumcision, according to the new life. Therefore, the body having been delivered to death, he dissolved the enmity; but having risen to life, he established friendship forever. And preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. The Gentiles, he says, were afar off on account of their error; but those who through the law are taught the mystery of Christ are nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In no way more than we, he says, do those who were formerly nigh have intimacy with God, but there is one access for both, through one Holy Spirit. And having said before that we were reconciled to God in one body, he now says that we have been brought to God in one spirit, showing that we have become partakers of the one spirit through the one body. And the taking up of the names is also appropriate. For where he spoke of reconciliation, he mentioned God. But where

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καὶ πλοῦτον αὐτὸν λέγει χάριτος ὑπερβάλλοντα. Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον. Χάρις, τὸ παρὰ Θεοῦ, πίστις, τὸ παρ' ἡμῶν. Ὅθεν οὖν οἷς μὴ πάρεστι τὸ δεκτικὸν, οὐδὲ ἡ χάρις παραγίνεται. Οὐκ ἐξ ἡμῶν οὖν, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐν τῷ λαμβάνοντι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ διδόντι, τὸ εὐεργετῆσαι. Οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται. Ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἔργων ὄντων, οὐκ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἡ σωτηρία, καὶ μὴ ὄντων, παρεγένετο τοῖς πιστεύσασι τῆς σωτηρίας ἡ κοινωνία. Αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν. 95.832 Οὐχ ἑαυτοὺς, φησὶ, καινὴν κτίσιν ἀπεργαζόμεθα· οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατόν. Ἀλλ' ὁ κτίζων ἡμᾶς ἐστι Θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ, οὗ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν ἐπιτελοῦμεν τῇ μιμήσει τῶν ἔργων, ἅπερ αὐτὸς εἰργάσατο, προετοιμάζων ἡμῖν τὴν μετάληψιν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν. ∆ιὸ μνημονεύετε, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ποτὲ τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ τῶν προτέρων ἀνάμνησις τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος εὐχαριστίαν κατασκευάζει, μνημονεύειν ἐκείνων παρακελεύεται. Οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία ἀπὸ τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου· ὅτι ἦτε ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν. Σαρκικὸν ἰδίωμα ἡ ἀκροβυστία καὶ ἡ περιτομή· τὰ δὲ σαρκικὰ οὐκ ὄντως ὄντα ἐστί. ∆ιὸ λεγόμενα εἶπεν αὐτά. Οἶδε γὰρ τὴν ἀληθῆ περιτομὴν, τὴν ἐν καρδίᾳ περιαίρεσιν τῶν ἐπιγινομένων τῇ καρδίᾳ παρὰ τὴν φυσικὴν κατασκευήν. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο περιτομὴ ἀληθὴς, ἀκροβυστία ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ τῆς καρδίας ἀκαθαρσία. Τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ∆ιάφοροι μὲν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ διαθῆκαι. Μίαν δὲ αὐτὴν εἶπε, καθὸ πάντας εἰς ἓν ἄγει Χριστός. Νυνὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ὑμεῖς οἵ ποτε ὄντες μακρὰν, ἐγγὺς ἐγενήθητε ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μακρὰν ἦμεν Θεοῦ τῇ ζωῇ τῇ κοσμικῇ διωρισμένοι. Ταύτης δὲ λύσιν εἰργάσατο ὁ θάνατος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ οἱ τούτῳ συμμορφούμενοι, οὐκέτι μακράν εἰσι Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐγγύτητα λαμβάνουσι τὴν ἐν πνεύματι, συσταυρούμενοι Χριστῷ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Τὸ διορίζον ἐξέκοψεν ἐκ μέσου, ὅπερ ἐστὶ σὰρξ διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ ἁμαρτίαν, πάντη μὲν ἀπαλλοτριοῦσα τοὺς οὐδὲ νόμου χωριζομένους ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκικῆς κακίας, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ὄντας καθαροὺς ἀφιεῖσα τῆς δι' αὐτὴν ἀλλοτριώσεως. Ὅθεν ὁ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λύων τὴν διὰ σαρκὸς, ἅμα καὶ τὸν νόμον περιεῖλε τὸν ἐπὶ σαρκὶ τεθέντα. Ἀντεισήγαγε δὲ ἀντὶ νόμου δόγμα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἑκούσιον εἰς λατρείαν Θεοῦ. Εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐλθών. Τοῦ σταυροῦ πέρας ἐπιθέντος τῇ ζωῇ τῇ παρούσῃ, καὶ τὴν σάρκα περιτεμόντος, εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποδεί 95.833 κνυται πᾶς ὁ κατὰ Χριστὸν χαρακτηριζόμενος, εἴτε ἐν περιτομῇ, εἴτε ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κατὰ τὴν καινὴν ζωήν. Θανάτῳ μὲν οὖν τὸ σῶμα παραδοθὲν, τὴν ἔχθραν ἔλυσεν· εἰς ζωὴν δὲ ἀναστὰν, τὴν φιλίαν εἰς αἰῶνα κατεσκεύασεν. Εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν, καὶ τοῖς ἐγγύς. Μακρὰν τὰ ἔθνη, φησὶ, διὰ τὴν πλάνην· ἐγγὺς δὲ τοὺς διὰ νόμου, τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκομένους μυστήριον. Ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι, ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα. Ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἡμῶν, φησὶν, οἰκείως ἔχουσι πρὸς Θεὸν οἱ πρότερον ὄντες ἐγγὺς, ἀλλὰ μία ἀμφοτέρων προσαγωγὴ, δι' ἑνὸς ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἐν ἑνὶ δὲ σώματι προειπὼν ἡμᾶς κατηλλάχθαι Θεῷ, νῦν ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι προῆχθαι Θεῷ φησι, μετόχους δεικνύων τοῦ ἑνὸς πνεύματος διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς σώματος γενομένους. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν ὀνομάτων παράληψις οἰκείως. Ὅπου μὲν γὰρ καταλλαγὴν εἶπε, Θεὸν εἴρηκεν. Ὅπου δὲ