Ephesians 1:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But perhaps there is someone higher than He, who has no subjects yet possesses greater dignity? Here too this cannot apply: "And He put all things under His feet." He did not merely subject them, but subjected them in perfect subjection, so that there can be no greater subjection. Therefore the Apostle said, "under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the Church." O the Church too, where He has raised her! As though by some engine, He lifted her up to a great height and seated her on the same throne. For where the head is, there also is the body. There is no separation between head and body. If the bond between them were severed, there would be neither body nor head. "Over all things," he says. What does "over all things" mean? Either that Christ is above all things visible and contemplated by the mind, or that the highest of all the benefits He granted was this. He made His Son head, leaving no one above Him, neither angel, nor archangel, nor anyone else. God honored us not only by raising on high Him who is from us. He also prepared that the whole human race should follow after Him, possess what He possesses, and inherit His glory.

The head has under its authority very many members, some of which are corrupt and weak. So also our Lord, being the Head of the Church, has as His members all those who are united in the Church, both saints and sinners. The saints are subject to Him voluntarily, but sinners by necessity.

"And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him as Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." This seems to contradict what is written elsewhere: "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Cor 15:25). For if all things are not yet subject to Him, and He must reign until all things are subjected to Him, how has God put all things under His feet? This is especially so when Paul himself testifies elsewhere: "When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor 15:28).

From the comparison of these passages, ergo, it follows either that, by foreknowledge of the future, the Apostle speaks of it as already accomplished. This is like his earlier statement: "He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Or perhaps, if this can be referred to the past, we should understand it thus. Even what is not voluntarily subject to Him serves Him by the force of its nature, such as demons, Jews, and Gentiles. Indeed, they do not serve Christ and are not subject under His feet. Yet because they were created in bonam partem, for a good purpose, they are unwillingly subject to His power, though by free will they resist Him.

The following words also fit this meaning: "and gave Him as Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body." For as the head has under its authority very many members. Many of them diseased and weak, so our Lord, being Head of the Church, has as His members all those who are united in the Church, both saints and sinners. The saints are subject to Him voluntarily, but sinners by necessity. In this way even His enemies are subjected under His feet.

For this reason, the word all seems to contain a question. The words, "Sit at My right hand until I make Thy enemies a footstool for Thy feet" (Ps 109:1), and elsewhere, "He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Cor 15:25), hardly need interpretation. What is hostile to Him, when conquered, will be subjected under His feet and will pass under the authority of the Victor.

Thus one may answer that nothing is without sin. Even the stars are not pure before the face of God, and all creation trembles at the coming of the Lord (Job 15). Therefore it is affirmed that the Cross of the Savior purified not only what is on earth, but also what was in heaven.

Another interpreter refers the word all not to the universe, but only to the matter under discussion. This is like the expression, "The whole city cried out." It is said as though no one in the city had been silent, though the minority is indicated through the greater part who were shouting. Paul himself says, "All seek their own, not the things of God" (Phil 2:21), and, "All forsook me" (2 Tim 4:16). This does not mean that Timothy and the other disciples with him when he wrote the epistle abandoned him. It means that he was abandoned by the majority, that is, by all in the sense of the greater part.

The Psalter suggests a similar meaning: "They have all turned aside; together they have become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one" (Ps 13:3). For if all turned aside, then the one who speaks also turned aside. And elsewhere: "I said in my haste, Every man is a liar" (Ps 115:2).

But what is said is either true or false. If every man is a liar, then the speaker is a liar. Thus his assertion that every man is a liar is not true. But if his assertion is true, then the word every must be understood in the sense indicated above. It means that the majority of men speak falsely.

The words "the fullness of Him who fills all in all" must likewise be understood in accord with the well-known words: "When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor 15:28). For at present God is in men only in part. In one He is present as righteousness, in another as purity, in a third as continence. In one He is present as wisdom, in another as strength. It is difficult even for holy and perfect men to possess all virtues equally. But when, at the end of present things and at the end of the world, all things are subjected to Him, then all things will be fulfilled in all. All will possess everything that individual persons previously possessed separately.

Moreover, his words, "and gave Him as Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all," can be understood not only in relation to the Church of men, but also to angels, all powers, and rational creatures.

Likewise, the words "the fullness of Him who fills all in all" must by no means be understood merely as they sound. Rather, he has said: He who is fulfilled by all in all. To fill and to be fulfilled mean different things. In the first, the one acting is indicated. In the second, the one acted upon is indicated.

As a general is increased when his armies are increased, when new forces appear, and when the number of the people grows, so our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is fulfilled in all. This is insofar as all believe in Him and daily come to faith in Him. Yet He is fulfilled with all in all, that is, those who believe in Him are filled with all virtues. According to the word of the Gospel, they allow Him Himself to advance in age, wisdom, and grace, not only before God but also before men (Lk 7:50).

Though we have explained this at length, here too we shall speak briefly. In the present life God is in all, since His nature is uncircumscribed. Yet He is not all in all, because some are impious and others lawless. God dwells in those who fear Him and hope in His mercy. In the life to come, when mortality ceases, immortality will be granted and sin will no longer have place. Then God will be "all in all."

"You ask me to indicate the reason why infants, who do not yet know sin, are baptized. Some say it is to wash away the impurity brought into human nature by Adam's transgression. Acknowledging this to be true, I think that Baptism also bestows many other gifts, far exceeding our nature. For in Baptism our nature received not only what it needed for the destruction of sin. It was also adorned with divine gifts. It was not only freed from punishment and stripped of evil. It was reborn from above by a divine rebirth surpassing speech. It was redeemed, sanctified, deemed worthy of adoption, justified, made coheir of the Only-begotten, and made one body with Him through participation in the sacred mysteries. It is called His flesh. As the body is united with the head, so it is united with Christ. Therefore Paul said: 'He appointed Him over all things as head of the Church' (Eph 1:22). That is, besides other gifts, He also granted to human nature that Christ became her Head. We did not receive only a remedy corresponding to the illness, as some think, who do not understand God's bounty. We also received beauty, honor, glory, and dignity. Therefore, beloved, acknowledge Baptism not only as the cleansing of sins. Acknowledge it also as bestowing adoption and countless other blessings, some of which I have mentioned, and some not."

Saint Chrysostom, with his characteristic insight, even explains why the Apostle did not limit himself to calling the Church only Christ's body and Christ her head. "Lest, when you hear the word head, you take it only in the sense of authority and not in its proper sense, and lest you regard Him only as ruler, and not see in Him the true head, the Apostle adds: 'the fullness. ' that is, the Church is the fullness, 'of Him who fills all in all.' The Apostle considers the name head insufficient by itself to show the kinship and closeness of the Church to Christ."

That the nature assumed from us receives the same honor as the One who assumed it is beyond every marvel. There is no difference in worship. In the worship offered to the visible nature, worship is rendered to the invisible Godhead. The Apostle first says, 'He raised Him from the dead,' clearly as man. Then he says, 'He seated Him.' Showing the greatness of the honor, he adds, 'at His right hand.' He indicates the royal palace: 'in the heavenly places.' Then he names the subjects: 'far above every principality and authority.' After listing all the known names of the invisible powers. He adds that if we do not know others now, we shall know them later in the life to come. They are all subjected to Him. He also joined the prophetic testimony: 'He has put all things under His feet' (Ps 8:7). The Prophet said this of Christ as man. For he says, 'What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?'" A difficulty arises concerning to whom the word "fullness" should be referred. Some refer this word to Christ, and others to the Church. But since two concepts stand side by side here, "fullness" and "the One who fills," it is more natural to think that this word first refers to the Church. Christ filled and completed the Church with everything that can belong to her, since she has Him as her head. He, moreover, fills all in all. Blessed Theodoret understands it precisely this way. He writes: "By the Church the Apostle means the assembly of believers. He called her the body of Christ and the fullness of the Father. For the Father filled her with every gift through Christ. In her, according to the prophetic word, He dwells and walks (Lev 26:12). This will be fulfilled with complete exactness in the life to come, when God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:28). Then there will be no place for sin, and God will be all in all." Concluding the explanation of this passage, Chrysostom says: "We are the body of the Head to whom all things are subject. Let us honor the closeness of this kinship. Let us fear lest anyone be cut off from this body, fall away, or prove unworthy. In accordance with the Head, we must be better than the angels themselves and higher than the archangels. For we have been deemed worthy of a greater honor than all of them."

But in the Restorer this authority became inherent not only with respect to the earth, but also with respect to the whole visible world. This became necessary by the force of the wondrous divine economy of salvation through the Incarnation of God the Word.

"And He gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (v. 23). Someone might think: let man, in the person of the Lord, have become higher than all things. What is that to us? It is this: having so exalted our nature in the person of the Savior, God did not separate Him from us, but gave Him as head to the Church, which is His body.

If the dignity of the head is reflected on the body, then the exaltation of the head is the exaltation of the body, that is, of all of us believers who compose the body of the Church. What inspiration this gives to those who understand it!

Saint Chrysostom cries out at this point: "Ah! To what height did He exalt the Church! As though by some machine, He lifted her up and raised her to a great height, and seated her on the same throne. For where the head is, there also is the body."

"Over all things," υπερ παντα. If by παντα one understands all classes of beings, then it may be taken this way: all things are subject to Him, but He is head only of the Church. Passing by all other creatures, God made Him head only of the Church, and brought Him into living union only with the Church.

Or υπερ παντα is the same as elsewhere: "above all these" in the sense of επι. Having enumerated the virtues, the Apostle concluded: "above all these, put on love" (Col 3:14). So it is here. God exalted humanity in the person of the Savior. Yet above all is this, that He gave Him as head to the Church.

Saint Chrysostom says: "What do the words 'over all things' mean? Do they mean that Christ is above all that is visible and contemplated spiritually? Or do they mean that the highest of all the benefits He has shown is that He made His Son the head, leaving no Angel, Archangel, or anyone else above Him? God honored us not only with this advantage, that He raised up on high the One who is from us, that is, Jesus Christ. He also honored us by preparing the whole human race in general to follow Him, to have what He has, and to inherit His glory."

Above, in the words "to recapitulate all things" (10), the thought was given that the order of being, disturbed by the fall, or the order of all classes of beings, has been restored in the person of the Savior, the God-man. In Him all things found the center of mutual union. He became the all-sustaining head.

Since verses 20-23 stand in parallel with verses 7-11, the Apostle probably had the same thought in mind also in the words: "He gave Him as head over all things to the Church." By the force of the Incarnation He is head of the Church. Yet since the incarnate One is God, He is also head of all that exists, in such a way that, above every headship, He is still preeminently head of the Church.