For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
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Fulgentius of Ruspe
AD 533
This love, which is from God and is God, cannot be separated from the being of God, because God and love are one. For since love, itself inseparable from its source, not only possesses human beings who can be separated from one another, but from many hearts and souls makes one heart and one soul, what madness is it to say that love which is accustomed to join separated minds in an inseparable love can be separated from the human beings who express it? Hence it is that Paul said, “For even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing as I observe your good order.” And in the Acts of the Apostles, it is written that the “community of believers was of one heart and mind” … something that was not brought about except by the Spirit of faith and love.
The direct thing to have said here was, even though I be absent in the flesh, yet, nevertheless, I know the deceivers; but instead he has ended with praise, Joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Your order, he means, your good order. And the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. This is still more in the way of encomium. And he said not faith, but steadfastness, as to soldiers standing in good order and firmly. Now that which is steadfast, neither deceit nor trial can shake asunder. Not only, he says, have ye not fallen, but no one has so much as thrown you into disorder. He has set himself over them, that they may fear him as though present; for thus is order preserved. From solidity follows compactedness, for you will then produce solidity, when having brought many things together, you shall cement them compactedly and inseparably; thus a solidity is produced, as in the case of a wall. But this is the peculiar work of love; for those who wer...
Not only, Paul says, have you not fallen, but no one has so much as thrown you into disorder. Paul has set himself over them that they may fear him as if he were present. Thus Paul has his own particular way of preserving order. He takes the view that from solidness follows firmness. Solidness is produced, as in the case of a wall, when having brought many things together, you shall cement them compactly and inseparably. In another sense such solidness is the peculiar work of love; for those who were isolated, when love has closely cemented and knit them together, it makes them solid. And faith, again, does the same thing, when it does not allow the fruitless posing of unanswerable questions to intrude themselves. For as such queries divide and shake loose, so faith produces solidity and compactness.
