Power that raised Christ; seated above every name (Eph 1:18–22)
also understand the heirs of God. And the law that says, “But the sons of Levi shall not be given a lot among their brothers, because I am their portion, says the Lord,” and elsewhere, “the Lord is their inheritance,” holds to such a sense. So the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance come to be in the mind of the saints who will contain so much of the contemplation of God and of his Word by the surpassing greatness of God’s power toward the saints and believers. For it is not ordinary power from God that we need in order to know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, but a greatness of his power coming to be in us who believe from him, and coming according to the working of his strength that rules all things, which Paul now names “might of his strength”; and using this working of the might of his strength he worked what he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
Ephesians 1:20–23: “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places above every rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come; and he subjected all things under his feet, and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” These things must be taken in a bodily figure, not as if certain seats or sense-perceptible thrones lie in the heavens on which the Father sits and the Son at the Father’s right; for thinking that way we would not say these things worthily of the divine nature. Nor is the earth bodily subject to God himself as a footstool under his feet when he sits in heaven. For how can heaven be a throne, measured by his span? And the earth a footstool of his feet, itself also enclosed in his hand? For Isaiah says, “Who measured the water with his hand and the heaven with a span and all the earth with a handful?” I think, then, that being near God and far from him are intelligible: all the saints who live according to the will of the Father of all and draw near to God, while the ungodly are far from him, of whom the prophet says, “Behold, those who put themselves far from you will perish.” As, then, one has understood who is near God and who is far from him, so one must take the saints as said to be at his right and the ungodly as it were at his left, just as the Savior also says he sets the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. And “having seated at the right” is such as this: “having established and gifted him kingship and rule,” according to which he oversees and rules the saints, benefiting them and sharing himself—Jesus who became above all through the philanthropic stewardship toward all.
Many, then, are the things that rule and lead those who need oversight from him, and many that hold authority, and many that lord it, and many that share their own power—some in this age, some also to work in the age to come; yet none of these rules a rule as great as the Son. For all that rule need him as their ruler; and authorities will rule better when under Christ’s authority, God’s power excelling every remaining power; and even if some are led into beneficial slavery by those who lord well, those who lord must take the science of lording from the Lord of those who lord, to lord over what they lord. Hence the one who raised Christ from the dead seated him at his right in the heavenly places, above every rule and authority and power and lordship and every name named not only in this age but also in the one to come; for it is likely there are also unutterable and indescribable names named according to the arrangement of the whole, not graspable by us—some in this age, but also some in the one to come. And from where did the apostle have these names if not from the Holy Spirit that revealed them to him? And how “he subjected all things under his feet” is said must be examined, since it is plain that countless people still refuse to submit to the Word of God. For we do not yet see all things subjected; and “he must reign until he puts all enemies under his feet” shows that not yet are all enemies under his feet. So one will say that according to
Greek
νοήσωμεν καὶ τοὺς κληρονόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ ἔχεταί γε τοιαύτης διανοίας ὁ λέγων νόμος τοῖ δὲ υἱοῖ Λευῒ οὐ δώ ει κλῆρον ἐν μέ ῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐγὼ μερὶ αὐτῶν, λέγει Κύριο , καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ Κύριο κληρονομία αὐτῶν. γίνεται τοίνυν ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ νῷ τῶν ἁγίων τὰ τοσαῦτα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ θεωρίας καὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ χωρησόντων ὑπερβάλλοντι μεγέθει δυνάμεως Θεοῦ τῷ εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ πιστεύοντας. οὐ γὰρ τῆς τυχούσης δυνάμεως ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν χρεία ἐστὶν εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι τί ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις, ἀλλὰ μεγέθους δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ἐγγινομένου εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγγινομένου κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς πάντων κρατούσης ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, ἥτις κράτος ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ νῦν ὠνό μασται· ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ χρησάμενος ἐνήργησεν ἃ ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. [i 20–23] καὶ καθίσας ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομα ζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκε κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἥτις ἐστι τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πληρουμένου. σωματικῷ χαρακτῆρι ἡγητέον ταῦτα εἰρῆσθαι, οὐχ ὡς καθεδρῶν τινων ἢ θρόνων αἰσθητῶν κειμένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐφ' ὧν καθέζεται ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ πατρός· οὕτω γὰρ νοοῦντες οὐκ ἂν τῆς θείας φύσεως ἀξίως ταῦτα λέγοιμεν. οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῷ Θεῷ σωματικῶς ὑπόκειται ἡ γῆ καθεζομένῳ ἐν οὐ ρανῷ, ὡς ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ. πῶς γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸ θρόνο εἶναι δύνα ται, τῇ σπιθαμῇ αὐτοῦ μεμετρημένος; καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὴ τῇ δρακὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπεριειλημμένη; φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἠσαίας τί ἐμέτρη ε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν πιθαμῇ καὶ πᾶ αν τὴν γῆν δρακί; ἡγοῦμαι οὖν καὶ τὸ πλησίον εἶναι Θεοῦ καὶ τὸ πόρρω αὐτοῦ νοητά, πάντων μὲν τῶν ἁγίων καὶ κατὰ βούλημα τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων βιούντων καὶ ἐγγιζόντων Θεῷ, τῶν δὲ ἀσεβῶν πόρρω αὐτοῦ τυγχανόντων, περὶ ὧν φησὶν ὁ προφήτης ἰδοὺ οἱ μακρύνοντε ἑαυτοὺ ἀπὸ οῦ ἀπολοῦνται. ὥσπερ οὖν νενόηται τίς ὁ πλησίον Θεοῦ καὶ τίς ὁ πόρρω αὐτοῦ, οὕτως ἡγητέον τοὺς μὲν ἁγίους ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς εἶναι αὐτοῦ λέγεσθαι τοὺς δὲ ἀσεβεῖς οἱονεὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀριστεροῖς, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ σωτήρ φησι τή ει τὰ πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν τὰ δὲ ἐρίφια ἐξ εὐωνύμων. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ καθίσας ἐν δεξιᾷ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν «ἱδρύσας καὶ βασιλείαν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀρχὴν δωρησάμενος,» καθ' ἣν ἐπιστατεῖ καὶ ἄρχει τῶν ἁγίων, ὠφελῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ μεταδιδοὺς ἑαυτοῦ, ὁ ὑπεράνω πάντων γενόμενος Ἰησοῦς διὰ τὴν φιλάν θρωπον εἰς πάντα οἰκονομίαν. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν τὰ ἄρχοντα καὶ ἡγούμενα τῶν δεομένων τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐπιστασίας καὶ πολλὰ τὰ ἐξουσιάζοντα καὶ πολλὰ τὰ κυριεύοντα, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως μεταδιδόντα, τινὰ μὲν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, τινὰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἐνεργήσοντα· οὐδὲν δὲ τούτων ἄρχει ἀρχὴν ἡλίκην ὁ υἱός. δεῖται γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἄρχοντα αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντος αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξουσίαι βέλτιον ἐξουσιάσουσιν ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὄντες τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὑπερεχούσης τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν λοιπὴν δύναμιν· ἀλλὰ κἂν ἄγηταί τινα ἐπὶ συμφέρουσαν δουλείαν ὑπὸ τῶν καλῶς κυριευόντων, ἀνάγκη ταῦτα τὰ κυριεύοντα λαμβάνοντα τὴν ἐπιστήμην τοῦ κυριεύειν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου τῶν κυριευόντων κυριεύειν ὧν κυριεύει. ὅθεν ὁ ἐγείρας ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκάθισεν αὐτὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος, καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· εἰκὸς γὰρ εἶναί τινα καὶ ἄρρητα καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητα κατὰ τὴν διάταξιν τῶν ὅλων ἡμῖν οὐ ληπτὰ ὀνόματα ὀνομαζόμενα, τινὰ μὲν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ <τινὰ> ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. πόθεν δὲ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ τὰ ὀνόματα ταῦτα ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀποκαλύψαντος αὐτῷ ἁγίου πνεύματος; πῶς δὲ εἴρηται καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἐξεταστέον, φανεροῦ ὄντος ὅτι μυρίοι ὅσοι εἰσὶν οἱ ἔτι ἀνυποτακτοῦντες τῷ Λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. οὔπω γὰρ ἔτι ὁρῶμεν τὰ πάντα ὑποτεταγμένα· καὶ τὸ δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν βα ιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ ἂν θῇ πάντα τοὺ ἐχθροὺ ὑπὸ τοὺ πόδα αὐτοῦ δηλοῖ τὸ μηδέπω πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εἶναι. ὁ μὲν οὖν τις ἐρεῖ ὅτι κατὰ
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam ad Ephesios (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.