Providence, for he himself denies that there is any being thus exercising foresight.” Turn
round then, and ask him the same question thyself. He will deny therefore that there is a
Providence. Yet that there is a Providence, is plain from what thou hast said; but that it is
incomprehensible, is plain from those things whereof we cannot discover the reason. For
if in things where men are the disposers, we oftentimes do not understand the method of
the disposition, and in truth many of them appear to us inconsistent, and yet at the same
time we acquiesce, how much more will this be so in the case of God? However, with God
nothing either is inconsistent, or appears so to the faithful. Wherefore let us “give thanks
for all things,” let us give Him glory for all things.
“Subjecting413 yourselves one to another,” he says, “in the fear of Christ.” For if thou
submit thyself for a ruler’s sake, or for money’s sake, or from respectfulness, much more
from the fear of Christ. Let there be an interchange of service and submission. For then will
there be no such thing as slavish service. Let not one sit down in the rank of a freeman, and
the other in the rank of a slave; rather it were better that both masters and slaves be servants
to one another;—far better to be a slave in this way than free in any other; as will be evident
from hence. Suppose the case of a man who should have an hundred slaves, and he should
in no way serve them; and suppose again a different case, of an hundred friends, all waiting
upon one another. Which will lead the happier life? Which with the greater pleasure, with
the more enjoyment? In the one case there is no anger, no provocation, no wrath, nor any-
thing else of the kind whatever; in the other all is fear and apprehension. In the one case too
the whole is forced, in the other is of free choice. In the one case they serve one another be-
cause they are forced to do so, in the other with mutual gratification. Thus does God will it
to be; for this He washed His disciples’ feet. Nay more, if thou hast a mind to examine the
matter nicely, there is indeed on the part of masters a return of service. For what if pride
suffer not that return of service to appear? Yet if the slave on the one hand render his bodily
service, and thou maintain that body, and supply it with food and clothing and shoes, this
is an exchange of service: because unless thou render thy service as well, neither will he
render his, but will be free, and no law will compel him to do it if he is not supported. If this
then is the case with servants, where is the absurdity, if it should also become the case with
free men. “Subjecting yourselves in the fear,” saith he, “of Christ.”414 How great then the
413 [“The words ‘subjecting yourselves one to another’ still belong to ver. 20 as a fourth modal definition of
‘Be filled with the Spirit,’ and are parallel to ‘giving thanks for all things to God,’ thus adding to this relation
toward God the ‘mutual’ relation towards ‘one another.’”—Meyer.—G.A.]
414 [Not the fear of “God,” as Chrysostom, the textus receptus and the Authorized Eng. Version have, but
the fear of “Christ” (as Rev. Ver., Westcott and Hort, and all trustworthy authorities). That is, Christ is to be
“feared” as the “Judge” (Meyer). Cornelius a Lapide (in Ellicott) says: “Because we reverence Christ and ‘fear’
to offend him”: quia scilicet Christum reveremur eumque timemus offendere.—G.A.]
263
Ephesians 5:15,16,17