Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the fragrance of his knowledge by us in every place.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
For God to lead us in triumph in Christ is to make us victors in the faith of Christ, so that when unbelief has been trodden underfoot, faith may have its trophy. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
By washing the feet of his disciples with his own hands as he sent them forth to noble deeds, the Savior manifested in an excellent way their journeying to bestow graces upon the nations. He purified that journeying in anticipation by his own power. The perfume left its aroma after it and suggests the sweetsmelling accomplishments that reach everyone. The suffering of the Lord, indeed, has filled us with its fragrance. .
For we are to God a sweet savour of the Lord, in them that are saved, and them that are lost; to one a savour of death unto death, to the other a savour of life unto life."
Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. The Syriac and Theophylact render this "triumphs in us," i.e, makes us conspicuous to all. A triumph is the procession of a victorious commander through the midst of the city with his trophies and other signs of victory. But those things which seem to us to be suffering and shame are our glory and triumph, says Theophylact. Secondly, Anselm understands it of God triumphing over the devil in us or through us. Cf. Colossians 2:15.
The Apostle seems to have had to bear sharp persecution in Macedonia, and, indeed, in vii5 he says that he had suffered there every kind of tribulation: without were fightings, within were fears; but God"s grace gloriously and triumphantly overcame them all. S. Jerome ( Ephesians 150 ad Hedibiam, qu. xi.) says beautifully that the Apostle here gives thanks to God for counting him worthy to be the subject of the triumph of His Son over so many persecutions and evils, which he underwent in his...
A whole band of soldiers, Ammon and Zeno and Ptolemy and Ingenuus, and with them an old man Theophilus, had taken their stand before the tribunal. When a certain man was being tried as a Christian and was inclined toward denying the faith, they, standing by, gnashed their teeth, and made signs with their faces, and stretched out their hands and gestured with their bodies. When the attention of all was directed toward them, before any could otherwise seize them, they rushed up first to the bench, saying that they were Christians, so that the governor and his assessors became fearful. Those who were being tried appeared most courageous in the face of what they were about to suffer, while their judges were afraid. And these paraded from the court and rejoiced in their testimony, as God “led them in triumph gloriously.”
Thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph by his grace, so that we every where make manifest the odour of his knowledge, making God known and worshipped, and instructing the people in the faith of Christ, to the advantage and eternal good of those who hearken to us, and are saved; but to the greater condemnation of those, who after they have heard of the truth, by their own fault remain obstinate: so that the preaching of the gospel is to some the odour of death unto death, when they remain dead in their sins, they incur an eternal death: and to them who are converted, the odour of life unto life; they receive the spiritual life of grace in their souls in this world, and an eternal life in the next. (Witham)
Paul was in constant affliction everywhere he went, but this did not draw him into despair. On the contrary, he rejoiced and gave thanks, because although persecution might seem like a disgrace, in fact it was a very great honor.
things, he sends up thanks to God. Now what he says is this: 'Every where is trouble, every where straitness. I came into Asia, I was burdened beyond strength. I came to Troas, I found not the brother. I came not to you; this too bred in me no slight, yea rather, exceeding great dejection, both because many among you had sinned, and because on this account I see you not. For, To spare you, he says, I came not as yet unto Corinth. That then he may not seem to be complaining in so speaking, he adds, 'We not only do not grieve in these afflictions, but we even rejoice; and, what is still greater, not for the sake of the rewards to come only, but those too even which are present. For even here we are by these things made glorious and conspicuous. So far then are we from lamenting, that we even call the thing a triumph ; and glory in what happens.' For which cause also he said, Now thanks be unto God, Which always causes us to triumph, that is, 'Who makes us renowned unto all. For what seem...
