Homilies on Ephesians — Homily 1

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

Chapter I. Verses 1-2

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Observe, he applies the word through to the Father. But what then? Shall we say that He is inferior? Surely not.

To the saints, says he, which are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Observe that he calls saints, men with wives, and children, and domestics. For that these are they whom he calls by this name is plain from the end of the Epistle, as, when he says, Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands. [[Ephesians 5.22]] And again, Children, obey your parents: [[Ephesians 6.1]] and, Servants, be obedient to your masters. [[Ephesians 6.5]] Think how great is the indolence that possesses us now, how rare is anything like virtue now and how great the abundance of virtuous men must have been then, when even secular men could be called saints and faithful. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is his word; and he calls God, Father, since this name is a sure token of that gift of grace. And how so? Hear what he says elsewhere; Because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [[Galatians 4.6]]

And from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because for us men Christ was born, and appeared in the flesh.

Ver. 3. Blessed be the God, he says, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observe; The God of Him that was Incarnate. And though you will not, The Father of God the Word.

Ver. 3. Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

He is here alluding to the blessings of the Jews; for that was blessing also, but it was not spiritual blessing. For how did it run? The Lord bless you, He will bless the fruit of your body; [[Deuteronomy 7.13]] and He will bless your going out and your coming in. [[Deuteronomy 28.4]] But here it is not thus, but how? With every spiritual blessing. And what do you lack yet? You are made immortal, you are made free, you are made a son, you are made righteous, you are made a brother, you are made a fellow-heir, you reign with Christ, you are glorified with Christ; all things are freely given you. How, says he, shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? [[Romans 8.32]] Your First-fruits is adored by Angels, by the Cherubim, by the Seraphim! What do you lack yet? With every spiritual blessing. There is nothing carnal here. Accordingly He excluded all those former blessings, when He said, In the world you have tribulation, [[John 16.33]] to lead us on to these. For as they who possessed carnal things were unable to hear of spiritual things, so they who aim at spiritual things cannot attain to them unless they first stand aloof from carnal things.

What again is spiritual blessing in the heavenly places? It is not upon earth, he means, as was the case with the Jews. You shall