The life and work of St. Paul

THE EPISTLE TO "THE EPHESIANS." 635
the sixteenth century, both essentially disciples of St. Paul, have both, so to
speak, divided between them the inheritance of their master. The manual of
Molancthon attaches itself to the Epistle to the Romans; the '
Institiites '
of Calvin follow the direction marked out in that to the Ephesians ; party
spirit will alone be able to deny that, in spite of this difference of method, the
system of the two writers has, after all, been one and the same." *
Is there a
word respecting Christ's exaltation in the Epistle to the Ephesians which
implies a greater or diviner Being than Him of whom St. Paul has spoken as
the Final Conqueror in the 15th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corin-
thians ?
"We can imagine that when he began to dictate this circular letter to the
Churches of Asia, the one overwhelming thought in the mind of the Apostle
was the ideal splendour and perf ectness of the Church of Christ, and the con-
sequent duty of holiness which was incumbent on all its members. The thought
of Humanity regenerated in Christ by an eternal process, and the consequent
duty of all to live in accordance with this divine enlightenment these
are the double wings which keep him in one line throughout his raptm-ous
flight. Hence the Epistle naturally fell into two great divisions, doctrinal and
practical ; the idea and its realisation ; pure theology and applied theology ^
the glorious unity of the Church in Christ its living head, and the moral
exhortations which sprang with irresistible force of appeal from this divine
mystery. But as he was in all his doctrine laying the foundations of practice,
and throughout founded the rules of practice on doctrine, the two elements
are not so sharply divided as not to intermingle and coalesce in the general
design. The glory of the Christian's vocation is inseparably connected with the
practical duties which result from it, and which it was directly intended to
educe. Great principles find their proper issue in the faithful performance of
little duties.
It is naturally in the first three chapters that St. Paul is most overpowered
by the grandeur of his theme. Universal reconciliation in Christ as the central
Being of the Universe is the leading thought both of the Ephesians and the
Colossiaus, and it is a deeper and grander thought than that of the Epistle to
the Hebrews, which only sees this unity in Christ's priesthood, or that of the
Pseudo-Clementines, which sees it in Christ as the Prophet of Truth. 3
St.
Paul is endeavouring to impress upon the minds of all Christians that they
have entered upon a now aeon of God's dispensations the ceon of God's ideal
Church, which is to comprehend all things in heaven and on earth. Round this
central conception, as round a nucleus of intense light, there radiate the con-
that this
siderations which he wishes them specially to bear in mind : namely,
perfected idea is the working out of a purpose eternally conceived ; that the
ceconomy i.e., the Divine 3
dispensation of all the past circumstances
of history has been fore-ordained before all ages to tend to its completion ;
that, it is a mystery t.e,,a truth hidden from previous ages, but now revealed ;
1
Reuss, Les Epitrcs Paulin. ii. 146.
*
Baur, First Three Cent. i. 126. olMvop.*, Epli. i. 10; iii. 2,