Translated using ChatGPT
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”
He says that they were darkness because of their ignorance of God and of the things that ought to be done. This ignorance had been so great among them that they worshiped a stone as God and did not think that those things previously enumerated were sins.
Of such persons he had spoken in the preceding chapter: “having their understanding darkened,” and what follows there.
But now he affirms that the same persons are light in the Lord, because through Christ, having been cleansed from those former darknesses, they shone with the light of faith and righteousness.
This passage should also be noted against those who hold that justice is merely imputed and not inherent. For how could they be called light in whom the true light of righteousness does not exist? Such a statement would be like calling a darkened air bright merely by imputation.
“Walk as children of light.”
The sense of the exhortation is this: Recall what you once were and what you now are. You were formerly darkness, just like those children of disobedience; but now you are light in the Lord. Therefore show by your conduct and way of life that you are children of light—that is, that you belong to the light.
This light is the light of grace, consisting in faith and holiness, and it is manifested by good works, as he immediately adds:
“For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth.”
That is, the fruit produced by the light of grace consists in every kind of virtue and good work—whether they pertain to kindness shown toward neighbors or to justice observed toward them.
The term truth seems to refer to both of the preceding terms, goodness and justice; that is, the works belonging to both kinds must be true, upright, and sincere, such as can stand approved before the judgment of God.
In a similar sense he had previously spoken (chapter 4) of “the justice and holiness of truth.”
The Greek manuscripts read “the fruit of the Spirit,” but all the Latin manuscripts oppose this reading. Moreover, Jerome does not mention the Greek reading, nor is there any doubt that the Latin better fits the context, because the discourse here concerns light, not the Spirit.
It is possible that the Greek scribes were led to change the text by another similar passage, namely **Epistle to the Galatians 5: “The fruit of the Spirit is charity,” and so forth.
“Proving what is pleasing to the Lord.”
This clause should be connected with the earlier one: “Walk as children of light,” while the words “for the fruit of the light,” and so forth, should be taken as a parenthesis.
“Proving,” he says—that is, after the manner of a most prudent money-changer, who tests a stamped coin (these are the words of Jerome) not only by sight but also by weight and by its ring—carefully examining which works are pleasing to God, so that you may do those alone.
Thus also **Epistle to the Romans 12: “that you may prove what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.”
“And do not share in the unfruitful works of darkness.”
He contrasts the fruit of light with the works of darkness, just as in Galatians 5 the works of the flesh are contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit.
And so that the contrast may be clearer, he adds “unfruitful.”
He calls those works works of darkness because they proceed from ignorance of God and of true righteousness—such as those he had earlier enumerated.
He calls them unfruitful not only because they produce no fruit for those who perform them, but because their fruit is death, as it is written in **Epistle to the Romans 6. By saying less he wishes us to understand more.
A man participates in such works when he joins himself to those who do them by doing similar things.
“But rather reprove them.”
In Greek it reads “but even reprove them,” which Jerome also has. Our translator later uses the simple word arguuntur (“they are reproved”). The Ambrosian text reads “rebuke them”, and below “they are rebuked.” Some Latin manuscripts also add the conjunction even.
The verb reprove can be understood in two ways. For one reproves both by rebuking and convicting, and also by exposing and making manifest.
Thus the sense may be:
It is not enough for you merely not to do such things yourselves; you must also, when others do them, rebuke them and teach that they ought not to be done. This interpretation is supported by the words of our text and by the Ambrosian reading: reprove, rebuke.
Or the sense may be this:
Rather, since you are light, expose and reveal those works of darkness by the light of your own works, so that their shamefulness may become evident to all. For things placed beside their opposites shine forth more clearly.
Both interpretations are given by Oecumenius, but the latter better suits the metaphor of light, which the Apostle continues to employ and soon explains.
“For the things which they do in secret it is shameful even to speak of.”
Although this could be referred to the children of disobedience, that is, unbelievers, of whom he had spoken earlier (and of whom something similar had been said in the preceding chapter), others consider it more probable that he is here referring to the household of Simon Magus, which was a teacher of unspeakable lusts.
Indeed Epiphanius of Salamis applies this passage to the heresies of Simon and his followers. Yet these too may be included under the designation children of disobedience.
“But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light.”
In Greek “light” (φῶς) and “illumination” are the same word, so one should not trouble himself about distinguishing them.
The phrase “by the light” may be joined with either of the surrounding clauses, but it fits better with the following one, so that the meaning is:
I have said that you, who are children of light, ought to reprove the works of darkness. For such is the nature of things that whatever dark deeds are reproved—that is, exposed—are made manifest by the light. For to be reproved or exposed is nothing other than to be brought into the light.
“For everything that makes manifest is light.”
The Greek participle φανερούμενον can be taken actively because it is middle in form.
Thus it may be rendered: “Everything that reveals is light,” or, as the Syriac interpreter translated it, “everything that reveals is light.”
The passive interpretation contains an obscurity and itself requires illumination. Many interpret it thus: whatever is manifested—that is, sin—when it is exposed and reproved by the light becomes light, that is, it is converted into righteousness through repentance. Therefore you ought with all zeal to reprove the works of darkness, so that those who do them may abandon darkness, come to the light, and become light.
This interpretation is carefully followed by Desiderius Erasmus in his paraphrase.
But, not to mention how absurd it sounds that a manifested sin should itself be called light, I ask how the Apostle could say universally “everything that is manifested is light,” when many who are thus manifested remain in darkness and hate the light by which they are exposed.
For the Evangelist says in **Gospel of John 1: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” And the Lord Himself testifies: “The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil.”
Therefore the active interpretation of the participle is far more probable—an interpretation also embraced by Thomas de Vio Cajetan, and one clearly required by the context.
For the Apostle had commanded the Ephesians to walk as children of light and to reprove the works of darkness, since, he says, everything that is reproved by the light is manifested.
And this he proves because whatever manifests something is light—that is, nothing can make something hidden manifest unless it is light or shares in light. This principle is universally true both of spiritual light and of physical light.
“Therefore he says: Awake, you who sleep.”
In Greek: “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon you.”
The Laudian manuscript reads “to you” instead of “upon you.” Ambrose of Milan reads similarly in his work On the Holy Spirit.
Jerome, in his commentary, translates: “Christ will arise upon you.” The commentator Ambrosiaster reads: “Christ will touch you.” Augustine of Hippo also mentions this reading.
But whoever translated it thus did not read the Greek word ἐπιφαύσει (“will shine upon”), which all manuscripts now have, but ἐφάψεται (“will touch”), as Jerome observes.
Jerome also reports a certain interpretation claiming that these words were spoken by Christ while hanging on the cross to Adam, who was buried beneath it and received life when touched by the Redeemer’s blood. Jerome himself rejects this as a fable elsewhere, though he does admit that many ancient writers believed Adam was buried where Christ was later crucified.
The question then arises: where is this testimony written?
Jerome thinks it is found nowhere in the canonical Scriptures, but either taken from some apocryphal writing, as the Apostle elsewhere quotes verses from pagan poets, or spoken by the Apostle himself under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as prophets often say “Thus says the Lord.”
But Thomas Aquinas replies that this is not Paul’s usual method. Therefore he thinks the Apostle refers to Book of Isaiah 60, where the prophet addresses the mystical Jerusalem—namely the Church:
“Arise, be enlightened, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
This interpretation is judged probable by Cajetan and many others.
Thus the Apostle, speaking about the darkness of sin and the light of grace, adapts the words of the prophet—originally spoken to Jerusalem—for the exhortation of a sinner, so that, rising from the sleep and death of sin, he may be enlightened by Christ.
The sense therefore is:
You who are held fast by the sleep of sins, awake; and you who are dead in sins, arise from death; and Christ, who is the true light, will rise upon you by His grace and enlighten you.
By these words the free will of the sinner is indeed stirred to rise from sin; yet, as Thomas Aquinas says, this very movement of free will is itself produced by prevenient grace, just as the meritorious actions that follow proceed from subsequent grace.
Thus this illumination promised to the sinner who rises from sin pertains either to justifying grace or to subsequent grace.
“See therefore, brethren, how carefully you walk.”
The word “brethren” is not found in the Greek, and the Greek term translated “carefully” really means diligently or accurately, which in the present context is almost the same as cautiously and circumspectly.
You, he says, who are children of light, and therefore ought not to err as if in darkness—see, that is, use your light to see how you should conduct yourselves well and carefully, especially among those who are outside, that is, unbelievers.
This is what he explicitly states in the Epistle to the Colossians 4.
“Not as unwise but as wise.”
This explains what he meant by carefully. For the unwise walk carelessly and imprudently, but the wise walk cautiously and prudently.
CONTINUE
Comments
Post a Comment