{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-3430","native_reference":{"book_number":580,"chapter_from":1,"chapter_to":1,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":12,"verse_to":12},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: How can the apostle say: \"Giving thanks to God the Father, who makes us suitable for a share of the lot of the saints in light, who has snatched us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son,\" unless the will that liberates us is not ours but his? Letters.</p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: See, then, how it can come to pass that a man may have the baptism of Christ and still not have the faith or the love of Christ; how it is that he may have the sacrament of holiness and still not be reckoned in the lot of the holy. With regard to the mere sacrament itself, it makes no difference whether someone receives the baptism of Christ where the unity of Christ is not.</p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: The lament in the Psalms, indeed, is absolutely true: \"Behold in iniquity was I conceived, and in sins did my mother nourish me in her womb.\" Again, there is what is written, that there is none clean in God's sight, not even an infant whose life has lasted but a day on the earth. So these are the exception, and it is to exceed our limited human measure to wish to inquire about the rank they may deserve in that \"lot of the saints in light\" which is promised for the future.</p><p><b>Basil of Caesarea</b>: For He Himself has bound the strong man and spoiled his goods, that is, us men, whom our enemy had abused in every evil activity, and made \"vessels meet for the Master's use\" us who have been perfected for every work through the making ready of that part of us which is in our own control. Thus we have had our approach to the Father through Him, being translated from \"the power of darkness to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.\" We must not, however, regard the oeconomy through the Son as a compulsory and subordinate ministration resulting from the low estate of a slave, but rather the voluntary solicitude working effectually for His own creation in goodness and in pity, according to the will of God the Father.<br/><i>— On The Holy Spirit, Chapter 8</i></p><p><b>Cassiodorus</b>: Moreover in writing to the Thessalonians he says: \"Giving thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light.\" Since we read that many things in the Old and New Testaments were divided by lots, none has dared to deny that the lot has been God's way of manifesting what devoted hearts sought with prayerful petition.</p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"Unto all patience and longsuffering,\" he saith, \"with joy, giving thanks\" unto God. Then being about to exhort them, he makes no mention of what by and by shall be laid up for them; he did hint at this however in the beginning of the Epistle, saying, \"Because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens\": but in this place he mentions the things which were already theirs, for these are the causes of the other. And he doth the same in many places. For that which hath already come to pass gains belief, and more carries the hearer along with it. \"With joy,\" he saith, \"giving thanks\" to God. The connection is this. We cease not praying for you, and giving thanks for the benefits already received.</p><p>Seest thou how he bears himself along into speaking of the Son? For if \"we give thanks with much joy,\" it is a great thing that is spoken of. For it is possible to give thanks only from fear, it is possible to give thanks even when in sorrow. For instance; Job gave thanks indeed, but in anguish; and he said, \"The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away.\" For, let not any say that what had come to pass pained him not, nor clothed him with dejection of soul; nor let his great praise be taken away from that righteous one. But when it is thus, it is not for fear, nor because of His being Lord alone, but for the very nature of the things themselves, that we give thanks.<br/><i>— Homily on Colossians 2</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"To Him who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.\" He hath said a great thing. What has been given, he saith, is of this nature; He hath not only given, but also made us strong to receive. Now by saying, \"Who made us meet,\" he showed that the thing was one of great weight. For example, were some low person to have become a king, he hath it in his power to give a governorship to whom he will; and this is the extent of his power, to give the dignity: he cannot also make the person fit for the office, and oftentimes the honor makes one so preferred even ridiculous. If however he have both conferred on one the dignity, and also made him fit for the honor, and equal to the administration, then indeed the thing is an honor. This then is what he also saith here; that He hath not only given us the honor, but hath also made us strong enough to receive it.</p><p>For the honor here is twofold, the giving, and the making fit for the gift. He said not, gave, simply; but, \"made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,\" that is, who hath appointed us a place with the saints. But he did not say simply placed us, but hath given us to enjoy even the very same things, for \"the portion\" is that which each one receives. For it is possible to be in the same city, and yet not enjoy the same things; but to have the same \"portion,\" and yet not enjoy the same, is impossible. It is possible to be in the same inheritance, and yet not to have the same portion; for instance, all we (clergy) are in the inheritance, but we have not all the same portion. But here he doth not say this, but with the inheritance adds the portion also. But why doth he call it inheritance (or lot)? To show that by his own achievements no one obtains the kingdom, but as a lot is rather the result of good luck, so in truth is it here also. For a life so good as to be counted worthy of the kingdom doth no one show forth, but the whole is of His free gift. Therefore He saith, \"When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which was our duty to do.\" \"To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,\"-he means, both the future and the present light, -that is, in knowledge. He seems to me to be speaking at once of both the present and the future. Then he shows of what things we have been counted worthy. For this is not the only marvel, that we are counted worthy of the kingdom; but it should also be added who we are that are so counted; for it is not unimportant.<br/><i>— Homily on Colossians 2</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"bd04f1df7f12d52e70b096e27b60e728efddd9727091c4a6b0c226d22be70694","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":3430,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"46eae7db038efc7752ddadd6498c1054ee100c0bd377f16c099cb1e72b887bf5","translator":null,"work":null}