The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
All Commentaries on Ephesians 1:18 Go To Ephesians 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
That you may know, says he, what is the hope of His calling.
It is as yet, he means, hidden, but not so to the faithful.
And, again, what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
This too is as yet hidden.
But what is clear? That through His power we have believed that He has raised Christ. For to persuade souls, is a thing far more miraculous than to raise a dead body. I will endeavor to make this clear. Hearken then. Christ said to the dead, Lazarus, come forth, John 11:43 and straightway he obeyed. Peter said, Tabitha, arise, Acts 9:40 and she did not refuse. He Himself shall speak the word at the last day, and all shall rise, and that so quickly, that they which are yet alive, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep, 1 Thessalonians 4:15 and all shall come to pass, all run together in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. 1 Corinthians 15:52 But in the matter of believing, it is not thus, but how is it? Hearken then to Him again, how He says, How often would I have gathered your children together, and you would not. Matthew 23:37 You perceive that this last is the more difficult. Accordingly, it is upon this that he builds up the whole argument; because by human calculations it is far more difficult to influence the choice, than to work upon nature. And the reason is this, it is because He would thus have us become good of our own will.
