Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
All Commentaries on Ephesians 3:7 Go To Ephesians 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
He had said, I am a prisoner; but now again he says, that all is of God, as he says, according to the gift of His grace; for according to the power of the gift is the dignity of this privilege. But the gift would not have been enough, had it not also implanted in him power.
Moral. For a work indeed it was of power, of mighty power, and such as no human diligence was equal to. For he brought three qualifications to the preaching of the word, a zeal fervent and venturous, a soul ready to undergo any possible hardship, and knowledge and wisdom combined. For his love of enterprise, his blamelessness of life, had availed nothing, had he not also received the power of the Spirit. And look at it as seen first in himself, or rather hear his own words. That our ministration be not blamed. 2 Corinthians 6:3 And again, For our exhortation, is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, nor a cloke of covetousness. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 Thus you have seen his blamelessness. And again, For we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 2 Corinthians 8:21 Then again, besides these; I protest by that glorying in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 1 Corinthians 15:31 And again; Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution? Romans 8:35 And again; In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in watchings. 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 Then again, his prudence and management; To the Jews I became as a Jew, to them that are without law as without law, to them that are under the law as under the law. 1 Corinthians 9:20 He shaves his head also, Acts 21:24-26 and does numberless things of the sort. But the crown of all is in the power of the Holy Ghost. For I will not dare to speak, says he, of any things save those which Christ wrought through me. Romans 15:18 And again, For what is there wherein you were made inferior to the rest of the Churches? 2 Corinthians 12:13 And again, For in nothing was I behind the very chiefest Apostles though I am nothing. 2 Corinthians 12:11 Without these things, the work had been impossible.
It was not then by his miracles that men were made believers; no, it was not the miracles that did this, nor was it upon the ground of these that he claimed his high pretension, but upon those other grounds. For a man must be alike irreproachable in conduct, prudent and discreet in his dealings with others, regardless of danger, and apt to teach. It was by these qualifications that the greater part of his success was achieved. Where there were these, there was no need of miracles. At least we see he was successful in numberless such cases, quite antecedently to the use of miracles. But, now-a-days, we without any of these would fain command all things. Yet if one of them be separated from the other, it henceforth becomes useless. What is the advantage of a man's being ever so regardless of danger, if his life be open to censure. For if the light that is in you be darkness, says Christ, how great is that darkness? Matthew 6:23 Again, what the advantage of a man's being of an irreproachable life, if he is sluggish and indolent? For, he that does not take his cross, and follow after Me, says He, is not worthy of Me; Matthew 10:38 and so, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11 Again, what is the advantage of being both these, unless a man is at the same time prudent and discreet in knowing how he ought to answer each one? Colossians 4:6 Even if miracles be not in our power, yet both these qualities are in our power. Still however, notwithstanding Paul contributed so much from himself, yet did he attribute all to grace. This is the act of a grateful servant. And we should never so much as have heard of his good deeds, had he not been brought to a necessity of declaring them.
And are we worthy then so much as even to mention the name of Paul? He, who had moreover grace to aid him, yet was not satisfied, but contributed to the work ten thousand perils; while we, who are destitute of that source of confidence, whence, tell me, do we expect either to preserve those who are committed to our charge, or to gain those who are not come to the fold—men, as we are, who have been making a study of self-indulgence, who are searching the world over for ease, and who are unable, or rather who are unwilling, to endure even the very shadow of danger, and are as far distant from his wisdom as heaven is from earth? Hence it is too that they who are under us are at so great a distance behind the men of those days; because the disciples of those days were better than the teachers of these, isolated as they were in the midst of the populace, and of tyrants, and having all men on all sides their enemies, and yet not in the slightest degree dragged down or yielding. Hear at least what he says to the Philippians, Philippians 1:29 Because to you it has been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer in his behalf. And again to the Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 2:14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judæa. And again in writing to the Hebrews Hebrews 10:34 he said, And ye took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions. And to the Colossians Colossians 3:3 he testifies, saying, For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. And indeed to these very Ephesians he bears witness of many perils and dangers. And again in writing to the Galatians, Galatians 3:4 he says, Did ye suffer so many things in vain? If it be indeed in vain. And you see them too, all employed in doing good. Hence it was that both grace wrought effectually in those days, hence also that they lived in good works. Hear, moreover, what he writes to the Corinthians, against whom he brings charges out of number; yet does he not bear even them record, where he says, Yea, what zeal it wrought in you, yea, what longing! 1 Corinthians 7:11 And again, in how many points does he bear them record on this subject? These things one shall not see now-a-days, even in teachers. They are all gone and perished. And the cause is, that love has waxed cold, that sinners go unpunished; (for hear what he says writing to Timothy, 1 Timothy 5:20 Them that sin, reprove in the sight of all;) it is that the rulers are in a sickly state; for if the head be not sound, how can the rest of the body maintain its vigor? But mark how great is the present disorder. They, who were living virtuously, and who under any circumstance might have confidence, have taken possession of the tops of the mountains, and have escaped out of the world, separating themselves as from an enemy and an alien and not from a body to which they belonged.
Plagues too, teeming with untold mischiefs, have lighted upon the Churches. The chief offices have become saleable. Hence numberless evils are springing, and there is no one to redress, no one to reprove them. Nay, the disorder has assumed a sort of method and consistency. Has a man done wrong, and been arraigned for it? His effort is not to prove himself guiltless, but to find if possible accomplices in his crimes. What is to become of us? Since hell is our threatened portion. Believe me, had not God stored up punishment for us there, you would see every day tragedies deeper than the disasters of the Jews. What then? However let no one take offense, for I mention no names; suppose some one were to come into this church to present you that are here at this moment, those that are now with me, and to make inquisition of them; or rather not now, but suppose on Easter day any one, endued with such a spirit, as to have a thorough knowledge of the things they had been doing, should narrowly examine all that came to Communion, and were being washed [in Baptism] after they had attended the mysteries; many things would be discovered more shocking than the Jewish horrors. He would find persons who practise augury, who make use of charms, and omens and incantations, and who have committed fornication, adulterers, drunkards, and revilers,— covetous, I am unwilling to add, lest I should hurt the feelings of any of those who are standing here. What more? Suppose any one should make scrutiny into all the communicants in the world, what kind of transgression is there which he would not detect? And what if he examined those in authority? Would he not find them eagerly bent upon gain? Making traffic of high places? envious, malignant, vainglorious, gluttonous, and slaves to money?
Where then there is such impiety as this going on, what dreadful calamity must we not expect? And to be assured how sore vengeance they incur who are guilty of such sins as these, consider the examples of old. One single man, a common soldier, stole the sacred property, and all were smitten. You know, doubtless, the history I mean? I am speaking of Acham the son of Carmi, the man who stole the consecrated spoil. Joshua 7:1-26 The time too when the Prophet spoke, was a time when their country was full of soothsayers, like that of the Philistines. Isaiah 2:6 Whereas now there are evils out of number at the full, and not one fears. Oh, henceforth let us take the alarm. God is accustomed to punish the righteous also with the wicked; such was the case with Daniel, and with the three holy Children, such has been the case with ten thousand others, such is the case in the wars that are taking place even at the present day. For the one indeed, whatever burden of sins they have upon them, by this means lay aside even that; but not so the other.
On account of all these things, let us take heed to ourselves. Do ye not see these wars? Do ye not hear of these disasters? Do ye learn no lesson from these things? Nations and whole cities are swallowed up and destroyed, and myriads as many again are enslaved to the barbarians.
If hell bring us not to our senses, yet let these things. What, are these too mere threats, are they not facts that have already taken place? Great is the punishment they have suffered, yet a greater still shall we suffer, who are not brought to our senses even by their fate. Is this discourse wearing? I am aware it is myself, but if we attend to it, it has its advantage; because this it has not, the quality of an address to please—nay more, nor ever shall have, but ever those topics which may avail to humble and to chasten the soul. For these will be to us the ground-work of those blessings to come hereafter, to which God grant that we may all attain, in Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost be glory and might and honor, now and henceforth, and forever and ever. Amen.
