Fragmenta in epistulam ad Colossenses

Many parts of this epistle are difficult to understand because many do not know the subject of the letter and the aim of the apostle. The subject is this: Those who believed from among the Greeks had the still-pagan Greeks drawing them back to Greek observances, while those from among the Jews had the Jews urging them to keep the law, as if grace were incomplete without the law. The argument of the Greeks to them was that it was right also to worship angels, claiming that their gods were angels; for the great God, being inaccessible to men, supplies benefits to those in need through these angels as intermediaries. They say that the scriptures also know the benefit of angels; for God established the boundaries of nations according to the number of angels of God, and Michael is the ruler of the Jews, and the ruler of Persia is another angel. And again: "Behold, the ruler of the Greeks comes," and in Jacob: "The angel who rescues me," and in the Acts concerning the apostle Peter: "His angel," they say, "exists," and the Lord concerning the children: "Do not prevent them from coming to me, for their angels continually behold the face of my Father in heaven.

For from all these, of whom some believed and others disbelieved, both Jews and Greeks gathered together, claiming that the grace through the Lord Jesus was superfluous, since the angels from eternity were sufficient to bring the obedient to God; and they said it was imperfect to disregard all the observances practiced among Jews and Greeks. To these matters the aim of the apostles in the present epistle is directed. It is worthwhile to state the subject which we have found from the epistle; for otherwise many things in the letter to the Colossians are understood by the many, because the subject is not fully known, nor the aim of the apostle. Those who believed from among the Greeks had also the still-pagan Greeks trying to draw them back into Greek observances, and those of the Jews who believed were persuading them to keep the law, as if grace were more imperfect without the law. In addition to these, both Greeks and Jews were persuading the Colossians to pay attention to angels: the Greeks saying that their gods were angels, because God is uncontainable and great, not attainable by men, but through these angels as intermediaries he dispenses benefits to those who receive them; and the Jews, that God established boundaries of nations according to the number of angels of God: thus Michael is the ruler of the Jews, thus also the ruler of Persia opposed me. And again: Behold, the ruler of the Greeks was coming, as also Jacob: the angel who rescued me from my youth, and in the general Acts concerning Peter: he is his angel, and the Lord.

See that you do not despise one of these small things, because their angels behold the face of my Father in the heavens. For from all these, of whom some believed and others disbelieved, both Jews and Greeks gathered together, claiming that the grace through the Lord Jesus Christ was superfluous, since angels from eternity were leading the persuaded. And it is also imperfect to overlook the observances both among Greeks and among Jews. Paul's aim is directed against these things, and he corrects them. For this reason, even at the beginning he says: It is necessary to note that in few verses he often mentions Christ; for he continually makes mention of the one who is being rejected, imprinting in the souls the desire for him. He already indicates to them that the hope reserved for the resurrection and the kingdom was not accomplished by the administration of angels, but by the presence of our savior Jesus Christ. By saying "by the word of truth," he shows that it is not without danger to overlook the gospel, which is true and unerring. By adding "as also in the whole world," he confirms their faith; for he says that it has not reached only as far as you

gospel, but already into the whole world, which is a sign of the power of Christ that is active in the preaching. For it was not neglected, but bears fruit and grows. The hope that is stored up of the resurrection and the kingdom was not accomplished by the administration of angels, but by the presence of Jesus Christ. And the gospel that has come to you, he says, is not a lie, so that it might be overlooked; nor has it reached only you, but all people. And it has not reached and then been disobeyed, but it is bearing fruit and growing. He commends Epaphras as one of the saints who instructed them, so that they might pay more attention to his teaching. And what was the will of God? That you should recognize and know that it is not possible for you to be saved through angels, but through Jesus Christ. How then shall we recognize? In spiritual wisdom, not worldly. He especially added patience to endurance; for endurance without patience does not stand, and without joy endurance has no reward. And it is especially necessary in these matters to have joy; for it is not the one who grieves over the afflictions for Christ, but the one who rejoices in them, who receives the reward from God. And what is the reward? Adoption, inheritance, life with angels. And before the flood and after the flood, and before the law and in the law, the angels served God for your salvation. But God did not transfer us into his kingdom, but now through our Lord, his only-begotten, his kingdom has been granted to us.

The phrase "of the son of his love" does not mean that Christ is the son of God's love, but just as some are called sons of disobedience, others sons of Gehenna, and the devil a son of destruction, and another was named a son of that to which he attached and joined himself, being a son not by nature but by affinity of character, so also the Savior was called a son of God's love, because he is not only a son of God by nature but also by the genuineness of love; for the Father loves the Son, it is said, and the Father has given everything into his hands; or because he loved us and suffered for us. And it should be read thus: into the kingdom of the love of his son. 317. And before the flood and after the flood, before the law and in the law, angels were serving God for our salvation, but they accomplished nothing. But now God, through the economy of the Lord, has transferred us into his kingdom. Whom he loved. 318. For he loves angels as servants, but Christ as a son. Therefore he did not lead you into the kingdom of the angels, but into the kingdom of the son of his love. We are under the heir, not under the servants. So he says "son of love" because he is loved as a son, not because he is of God's love; for neither are the sons of disobedience sons by nature, nor are the sons of Gehenna children by nature, nor is the devil a son of destruction by nature, nor is the adversary a son of sin by nature; thus neither is the Lord a son of love. But because there are beloved slaves, while the son is loved as a son, he said: "of the son of his love." – Or thus.

he transferred us into the kingdom of the love of his son. Since the son, having loved us, suffered for us, in order to deem us worthy of his kingdom, for this reason he says: he transferred us into the kingdom of his son. For, possessing an identity with the one who begot him in respect to loving and benefiting sinners, he is an image of the father. He wishes to say that he pre-existed; for if he did not pre-exist all things, how are all things created in him? And he said that all things are created in him, so that, ceasing to hope in angels, we might have hope in Christ; and "in him" is used instead of "through him." These things are said to the Jews, so that they might not think that he exists only from the time when he came to be in a body among them. All things are created through him and into him. "Into him" means that the cause of creation runs back to him; or he said "into him" because nothing of what has been created is outside him, but all things are encompassed by him. And all things have been established in him; either through him, or instead of "in his will and

by power to hold together all things according to the mystery hidden in God who created all things. In order to show you that he is also before all things, he said that he was born as firstborn of all creation. And by the sequel he shows this more fully, saying that all things were created in him. For if he were not before all things, how would all things be created in him? So the term "firstborn" is not taken in its proper sense, since it is contrary to "only-begotten"; for by nature the only-begotten is the one who is alone to a father, while the firstborn is one who has other brothers of whom he is the first. And it is not possible for both to be taken in their proper sense. But he said that all things were created in him, so that we might cease to hope in angels and place our hopes in Christ. And Paul has this reason for his theology and for showing him to be the creator of all creation. The phrase "in him" is said instead of "through him." Just as he called him firstborn of all creation as being before creation, so he is firstborn from the dead as having risen before the other dead into incorruption. For no one would say that the dead who rise will all be brothers of Christ, and therefore it is said with reference to the end; for the majority are sinners and impious. So in the present passage the time is superfluous, as it is here. So that he might be preeminent in all things. In all things—which things? Those according to the economy: for he is first in obedience, first in baptism, first in way of life, first in passion, first from the dead, so that he fittingly preeminent in all things, having become a beginning for those who follow. 319. And he himself is the head of the body, of the church.

creator of creation, and also creator of our return, so that he might be preeminent in all things. For if he is head of the church and firstborn from the dead, and first in conduct, and first in sufferings, and first in obedience, and first in baptism, he is preeminent in all things according to the economy. This has its substance in that he himself is head of the church. And he called the church "fullness," well and already spoken by him because it is filled with the Holy Spirit. And he says that Christ was pleased that the whole fullness dwell in him, and thus through himself to reconcile and unify all things into himself. In the letter to the Ephesians he showed that the church is called the fullness of God. Therefore God was pleased that his fullness, that is, the church filled with him, dwell in Christ as in its own head, that is, to be aligned with him and attached to him, and not to angels—for he was pleased to reconcile all things through him, not through angels—and indeed the achievements for the world are through Christ. And through such means he teaches them that angels will not reconcile them to God, but the Son; for he says: he reconciled us in the body of his flesh. The gospel has reached not only you but the whole inhabited world; but no one anywhere has been moved, but all remain steadfast. Therefore secure yourselves now. If, he says, there is any deficiency in suffering, I fill up the remaining afflictions for the sake of Christ, rejoicing in suffering for you. And why for you? Because he suffered for the sake of preaching to them.

For if Christ is the head of the body, the church, the afflictions stirred up against the church by those who rise up against the word of truth are called afflictions of Christ, and quite reasonably; one who is well-pleased and contends in these afflictions would not be speaking off the mark in saying that he fills up the deficiencies of Christ’s afflictions. The economy and the incarnation of Christ is a mystery, but the glory of the mystery is the resurrection from the dead, and the wealth is the great mercy from the remission of baptism, and it bestows regeneration upon those being baptized. What is the wealth of the glory of this mystery? Do not become poor, he says, by running under the protections of angels. Wealth was given to us, he says, Christ. Let us not become poor by turning to the protections of angels. If the hidden treasures of knowledge are in Christ, it is clear that it is not through angels that we partake of them, but through Christ himself. Even if walking seems to be opposite to being rooted, in the present case it is not opposite; for being rooted signifies to us all the unshaken quality of faith, while walking in Christ signifies walking clearly in the same conduct, following the footsteps of Christ. He calls the church that which is filled with the divinity of the Father. And the sense is this: the church is full, and dwells in Christ bodily, that is, as a body united to a head, and he everywhere calls Christ the head of the church. And you are filled in him, meaning filled through him. Filled with what? Clearly with the Holy Spirit. He who is the head of every beginning and authority.

Not only, he says, is he head of the church—for that is proper to the economy—but also of every invisible power, since he is also its creator. He speaks of the church as filled by his divinity, as he says elsewhere: of him who fills all things in all. The phrase "bodily" here is as the body in the head. Why then did he not add: "which is the church"? That is, having circumcised us from the sin of the flesh through baptism, he gave us life in himself. So baptism in Christ is a spiritual circumcision; for it cuts off the sins of believers. 2:12–13 For through baptism comes the removal and circumcision of sins. Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised together. Those who are baptized in the blood of Christ confess through baptism to share in his death; and having shared in his death, they will likewise enjoy the resurrection. But the account of resurrection is twofold: one is spiritual, the other bodily. For every human flesh will rise because of Christ's resurrection from the dead, but those who were not baptized in Christ, but died in their unbelief, will partake of the common resurrection but will not enjoy the redemption and the promise. But those who were baptized into Christ have already gained the gift of another resurrection before the common resurrection; for they have already risen from the death of sins. Therefore he said: "in which you also were raised together," not "in which you will be raised together." So those who have risen from the death of sins, how will they still live as though they will die again?

Therefore, did they rise in vain? But if they were to live forever, they will not live according to the flesh, serving the desires of the flesh, but will conduct themselves according to the spirit. He calls the body of sin the improper actions; for these are accomplished through the body. The circumcision of Christ, then, is baptism; for it removes the foreskin of the body of sin. Just as circumcision is superfluous to a Jew, so sin is to soul and body. He has maintained the metaphor throughout. He calls the foreskin of the flesh sin. When the law that curses transgressors was given, the whole people of Israel stood and shouted, and assented to what was said, accepting it, and the assent became like a promissory note. This promissory note, then, the assent to the law, Christ erased with his own teachings; for he taught against the observances of the law, as in the case of foods, that it is not what enters but what exits that defiles a person, and in the case of the observance of the Sabbath, that he healed on the Sabbath; and one who observes will find many other such things. Primarily, then, he abolished the punishments of the law against sinners with the teachings of sin, granting remission of sins and repentance for salvation. Since the people said the amen during the curses, it was cast as a signed promissory note. Having stripped off the principalities and powers, he exposed them openly, triumphing on the cross. Since through the stripping off and the laying aside of the flesh he overthrew the opposing powers, having stripped off the principalities and powers, he exposed them openly, triumphing over them in himself.

For up to the cross and his very death, our Lord concealed the fact that he was both God and Son of God; he struck them with his miracles, but was hidden by his body. That is why Satan also tempted him, wanting to learn whether he was the one proclaimed by the prophets, so that if he learned that he was that one, he might hinder the economy. But the evil one accomplished nothing, for he was unable to learn; so for the time being Christ remained hidden. But when he was nailed, died, was buried, rose, and fulfilled all the things of the economy, he put off concealment and showed the divinity with the body, seen with an uncovered head. First, then, the resurrection from the dead was a work of God, then the ascent to the heavens, then the activity through the servants and the other saints in his name. Having put off concealment, he openly exposed the opposing powers. And what is this exposure? That they have become weaker than humans, that they are trampled, that they are mocked by them in the name of the Lord. Others understood "having put off" as "having stripped off." How did he erase the bond against us? When the law that curses transgressors was given, the whole people of Israel cried out in acceptance and agreement; so the consent became like a bond. This bond, then, he erased with the doctrines. With which ones? Those that release from the polity according to the law and provide the polity in grace. Since he acted on our behalf, dissolving disobedience and annulling sin, he was offered up and bore our sins.

But by destroying these, he cast down the diabolical power, that is to say, having stripped off the principalities and powers, he exposed them by divesting himself, and through this divestment he triumphed over and held up to scorn the opposing powers. Therefore, he stripped them off in himself, and triumphed over them through what he suffered and accomplished. Let no one, then, judge you. He teaches that the law has been abrogated, Christ having erased the bond against us. He also teaches that the evil one has fallen, the Lord having stripped off and held up to scorn the principalities and powers. He therefore commands that you no longer obey these things that have been abrogated through Christ's activity; so that, he says, you are not to be led away by Jews persuading you to keep the things in the law. For those things were a shadow of the body of Christ, which is the church. The shadow runs ahead of the body, but has no subsistence in itself. Hence he says: do not obey the law. But indeed, do not be led away by Greeks who lead you to worship angels or the elements of this world; for they intrude into things they have not seen, purifying themselves by their own mind and their own reasoning. Therefore, "let no one judge you" is said concerning Jews, while "let no one cheat you of your prize" is said concerning Greeks. And he says: let no one plot against you who are already victorious and are contending against the evil one. That is a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ. When these things happened, he says, it was a shadow of things to come; the shadow runs ahead of the body. Since, then, the shadow is the legal ordinances, what is the body? The things of Christ are not a shadow. Therefore, when the body has come, the shadow is superfluous.

What humility is this? It is in saying that we are humble, but God is great and beyond being served by us. Since, then, we do not reach him, we propitiate him and approach him through his angels. And earlier he said: he who is the head of every principality and power, and now he says: why do you come to the elements and angels, having abandoned the head of these, which is Christ? Since they said that God is great, he is incomprehensible, he is invisible, and we do not reach there. For this reason, because we do not attain the great one, we approach through the angels. And this he calls humility. From this he showed the purpose of which we speak, that because some were advising to approach through angels, for this reason he was moved. It is necessary, he says, to cling to the head; for the head of the whole is the God Logos. Why then, having left the head, do you grasp the body? For even if the power of the angels has the character of a harmony joining two or more members, still the benefit comes from the head to all, to angels as angels, to archangels as archangels, to visible things as visible. Consider for me the heaven as the head of the cosmos, the sun and moon as eyes, and thus composing each part of the cosmos in the order of members, you will find one body of the whole. And just as soul in body and body of soul, so the invisible powers are in the visible. But of all these the head is more sovereign, from which the benefit comes to the whole body, being supplied, of course, from the head.

If, he says, you die with Christ for this reason, so as not to worship the elements of this world nor to live as citizens in it, why do you tolerate those who teach you doctrines according to the citizenship of this world, as though you were living in accordance with it? Why do you receive teachings as though living in the world: do not taste, do not touch, do not handle—all of which lead to destruction through misuse? These things he sets forth as Hellenic doctrines; for these people in their own error command not to touch nor to taste any living thing. For all these things were given to human beings for destruction, that is, for the purpose of destroying and consuming them in the use and necessity of life. Therefore, do not touch the things given by God according to their commandments and their teachings. Instead of fearing these things—I mean the "do not touch, do not taste, do not handle"—which seem to have some reason, since it belongs to the humble and those who disregard the body to practice abstinence from foods and not to honor their own flesh with satiety. But even if abstinence is good, the second point is impious; for they not only abstain as being superior to the belly, but also as though they ought not to wrong living beings, which were given for destruction in the use of life, and they wish to be more merciful than God toward irrational creatures. Our life is hidden, that is, the blessedness of eternal life, which will be revealed to all when the glory of Christ is revealed at his second coming. Just as he often calls sin "flesh," so now, enumerating the members of the flesh, he speaks of fornication, impurity, and the like; for these are members of sin.

He calls the old man the mindset of sin, and its members the evil deeds; the new man is the spiritual mindset, and its members the good deeds. He calls sin the flesh, whose members he also enumerates. And having enumerated the man composed of these members, he commands to put off the old man together with his deeds; so that the old man is the mindset of sin, and its members are the deeds of sins. And just as there is an old man, so also there is a new man, that is, the spiritual mindset; and its members are the good deeds, as he also enumerates, saying kindness, long-suffering, and so forth. This is similar to the phrase "so that all things may be in all." And what he says is this: that in all who think the things of God, God may energize all things. For when you think and do the things of Christ, he himself is the one acting through you and is in you. It is similar to: that God may be all things in all; not heaven in heaven, nor earth in earth. But what he says is this: when you think and do his things, God is the one acting through you, and he himself is in you, causing you to do what seems good to him. Without love preceding, none of the necessary things is perfected; for then we both refrain from doing evil to one another and take care to do good, when we love one another. Let not those who lead you astray, he says, give the verdict against you, but let the peace of Christ be the judge in you, so that you may be united with Christ; and become grateful. To whom? Clearly to Christ who called you, and do not run under angels.

Let not the deceivers usurp the judgment, but let the peace of Christ be the judge in your hearts, that is, to be united with Christ and to think his thoughts. Then again an exhortation. "Of the slaves who serve you with goodwill," he says, "and you, the masters, according to what is just and equal, requite them with the proper care." Equality, then, according to goodwill.