And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
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Basil the Great
AD 379
For the true peace is above. Yet, as long as we were bound to the flesh, we were yoked to many things which troubled us. Seek, then, after peace, a release from the troubles of this world. Possess a calm mind, a tranquil and unconfused state of soul, which is neither agitated by the passions nor drawn aside by false doctrines that challenge by their persuasiveness to an assent, in order that you may obtain “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding and guards your heart.” He who seeks after peace, seeks Christ, because “he himself is our peace,” who has made two men into one new man, making peace, and “making peace through the blood of his cross, whether on earth or in the heavens.”
The Savior endured all this, “making peace through the blood of the cross, for all things whether in the heavens or on the earth.” For we were enemies of God through sin, and God had decreed the death of the sinner. One of two things, therefore, was necessary, either that God, in his truth, should destroy all men, or that in his lovingkindness, he should remit the sentence. But see the wisdom of God; he preserved the truth of his sentence and the exercise of his lovingkindness. Christ took our sins “in his body upon the tree; that we, having died to sin,” by his death “might live to justice.” He who died for us was of no small worth; he was no material sheep; he was no mere man. He was more than an angel, he was God made man. The iniquity of sinners was not as great as the justice of him who died for them. The sins we committed were not as great as the justice he wrought, who laid down his life for us. He laid it down when he willed, and he took it up again when he willed.
Thus, as peace began to be [established], the angels proclaimed, “Glory in the highest and peace on earth.” When lower beings received [peace] from superior beings, “they cried, Glory on earth and peace in the heavens.” At that time when the divinity came down [and] was clothed in humanity, the angels cried, “Peace on earth.” And at the time when that humanity ascended in order to be absorbed into the divinity and sit on the right—“Peace in heaven”—the infants were crying forth before him, “Hosanna in the highest.” Hence, the apostle also learned that one should say, “He made peace by the blood of his cross [for] that which is in heaven and on earth.” Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron
To reconcile all things unto himself. Through the blood of his cross, (i.e. which Christ shed on the cross) both as to the things on earth, and.in heaven: not that Christ died for the Angels, but, says St. Chrysostom, the Angels were in a manner at war with men, with sinners, as they stood for the cause and glory of God; but Christ put an end to this enmity, by restoring men to his favour. (Witham)
In heaven. Not by pardoning the wicked angels did Christ reconcile the things in heaven, but by reconciling good Angels to man, who were enemies to him before the birth of Christ. (St. Augustine)
He has no cause to assign but the will of God: for this is the import of, it was the good pleasure...in Him. And...through Him to reconcile all things unto Himself. Lest you should think that He undertook the office of a minister only, he says, unto Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:18 And yet he elsewhere says, that He reconciled us to God, as in the Epistle he wrote to the Corinthians. And he well said, Through Him to make an end of reconciling; for they were already reconciled; but completely, he says, and in such sort, as no more to be at enmity with Him. How? For not only the reconciliation was set forth, but also the manner of the reconciliation. Having made peace through the Blood of His Cross. The word reconcile, shows the enmity; the words having made peace, the war. Through the Blood of His Cross, through Himself, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. A great thing indeed it is to reconcile; but that this should be through Himself too, is a greater thing; and a grea...
Here he goes to show that He reconciled those even who were unworthy of reconciliation. For by the saying that they were under the power of darkness, he shows the calamity in which they were. Colossians 1:13 But lest, on hearing of the power of darkness, you should consider it Necessity, he adds, And you that were alienated, so that though it appear to be the same thing that he says, yet it is not so; for it is not the same thing to deliver out of the evils him that through necessity came to suffer, and him that of his own will endures. For the former indeed is worthy to be pitied, but the latter hated. But nevertheless, he says, you that are not against your wills, nor from compulsion, but with your wills, and wishes, sprang away from Him, and are unworthy of it, He has reconciled. And seeing he had made mention of the things in the heavens, he shows, that all the enmity had its origin from hence, not thence. For they indeed were long ago desirous, and God also, but you were not willi...
But what are “things in the heavens”? … The earth was divided from heaven, the angels had become enemies to men, through seeing the Lord insulted…. What Christ did on the cross was to translate up into heaven sinful humankind still in bondage to the evil one. Thus he, in effect, brought up to the angels the enemy, the hated one. Not only did he make the things on earth to be at peace, but he brought up to them the one who was their enemy and foe. Here was peace profound. Angels again appeared on the earth thereafter, because humankind from its side had appeared in heaven.
Could the rival and the destroyer of the Creator have been willing that His fulness should dwell in his Christ? To whom, again, does He "reconcile all things by Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross"
