And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Can any words adequately describe this mystery, that God is born as a man? That God dies for the human race, the master for his servants, the Creator for his creation, the righteous for the unrighteous? … In the greatness of his majesty he became lowly to do on our behalf what was worthy of his love, so that we, insofar as we can, should join his household. –.
Faith is never directed solely to the Father or solely to the Son [but to Father and Son in their relationship]. Hence he adds “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Thus by confessing Christ and giving thanks to him in the same glorious terms, the same honor is reserved for the Son as for the Father. All things that come from God the Father have been restored through his Son. By this the faithful confess the divine perfection in its wholeness. .
The one who knows the love that “passes all understanding” will better express the full measure of love for Christ. Paul prays that they may first know [the love of Christ] rather than do something. Doing comes from this knowing. –.
That you may be filled unto all the fulness of God; i.e. that as God is full of love and charity for all, so may you in an inferior degree, according as you are capable, be filled with charity. (Witham) _ ilkusan. See St. John Damascene, lib. 1. Ortho. fid. chap. ix. Ed. Bas. p. 32. touto de istion See Theophylactus
That ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
What he means is this. Although the love of Christ lies above the reach of all human knowledge, yet shall you know it, if you shall have Christ dwelling in you, yea, not only shall know from Him this, but shall even be filled unto all the fullness of God; meaning by the fullness of God, either the knowledge how God is worshipped in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, or else urging them thus to use every effort, in order to be filled with all virtue, of which God is full.
