nation.” (Ps. cxlvii. 20.) And then to explain what nation this is with whom God hath thus dealt, he adds, Ver. 5. “Which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit.” What then, tell me, did not the Prophets243 know it? How then doth Christ say, that Moses and the Prophets wrote “these things concerning Me?” And again, “If ye believed Moses, ye would believe Me.” (John v. 46.) And again, “Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life, and these are they which bear witness of me.” (John v. 39.) His meaning is this, either that it was not revealed unto all men, for he adds, “which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been 77 revealed;” or else, that it was not thus made known by the very facts and realities themselves, “as it hath now been revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit.” For reflect. Peter, had he not been instructed by the Spirit, never would have gone to the Gentiles. For hear what he says, “Then hath God given unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as unto us.” (Acts x. 47.) That it was by the Spirit that God chose that they should receive the grace. The Prophets then spoke, yet they knew it not thus perfectly; so far from it, that not even did the Apostles, after they had heard it. So far did it surpass all human calculation, and the common expectation. Ver. 6. “That the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body and fellow partakers.”244 What is this; “fellow-heirs, and fellow-partakers of the promise, and fellow-members of the body?” This last is the great thing, that they should be one body; this exceeding closeness of relation to Him. For that they were to be called indeed, that they knew, but that it was so great, as yet they knew not. This therefore he calls the mystery. “Of the promise.” The Israelites were partakers, and the Gentiles also were fellow-partakers of the promise of God. “In Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” That is, by His being sent unto them also, and by their believing; for it is not said they are fellow-heirs simply, but “through the Gospel.” However, this indeed, is nothing so great, it is in fact a small thing, and it discloses to us another and greater thing, that not only men knew not this, but that neither Angels nor Archangels, nor any other created power, knew 243 [Prophets here refers, as before, to New Testament prophets, and not, as Chrysostom understands it, to O.T. prophets.—G.A.] 244 [“Fellow-heirs (συγκληρονόμα) denotes the joint possession with the believing Jews of the eternal Messi- anic bliss.”—Meyer. “The following words (σύσσωμα καὶ συμμέτοχα), which seem to have been coined by the apostle, are well rendered by R.V., ‘fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers,’ and bring out more fully the relation of the fellow-heirs to each other.”—Riddle.—G.A.] 147 Ephesians 2:17-22