Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and might cleanse to himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works.
ος εδωκεν εαυτον υπερ ημων ινα λυτρωσηται ημας απο πασης ανομιας και καθαριση εαυτω λαον περιουσιον ζηλωτην καλων εργων
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
That is, separate, having nothing in common with the rest. “Zealous for good works.” Do you see that we too must fulfill what is proper on our part? He does not simply require works, but that we be “zealous,” that is, hastening toward virtue with great fervor and proper diligence. To deliver those burdened by many evils and to heal the incurably sick was the work of His love for mankind. What follows is both our work and His.
"Who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from every iniquity." This too is a sign of His power, that He gave Himself.
He did not give Himself to redeem us from one iniquity and not another, but from every iniquity. Let us therefore honor our redemption.
"And to purify for Himself a special people." He purifies by the laver of divine baptism and by the fulfillment of His divine and purifying commandments.
"Special" (περιούσιος) means His own. This expression is taken metaphorically from servants who attend to the property and possession of their master.
So also one calls a man chosen and set apart, having nothing in common with other men.
"Zealous for good works." That is, a people ardently striving after virtue, showing zeal for all good works, and displaying fervent imitation.
Redemption is His work alone. But being zealous in works is also our work.
How did He give Himself for us, if He did not bear flesh upon Himself? Bringing it, He gave Himself for us, so that by accepting death in it He might destroy him who had the power of death, the devil (Heb 2:14). Therefore we always give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ and do not reject the grace manifested by Him in us. For the appearing of the Savior in the flesh became the ransom from death and the salvation of all creation.
He gave Himself for us, to redeem us through baptism from the lawlessness we committed, and to purify for Himself, that is, to choose for Himself, a people of His own, zealous for good works, as John the Baptist said by the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:9; Lk 3:8).
“And to purify for Himself a people periou sion, special, and to give zeal for good works.” For the meaning of this word I had to turn to the Old Testament, from which I think the Apostle chose it (cf. Deut 7:6; Deut 14:2; Deut 26:18). It signifies something exceptional, outstanding, special.
For this reason Christ accepted death for us all: that, having ended the tyranny of death, He might deliver us from that bitter slavery and make us His own people, lovers and zealots of praiseworthy works.
"Who gave Himself for us." He voluntarily gave Himself over to bodily death, in order to deliver us from the death of the soul.
"That He might redeem us from every iniquity." Sin is the death of the soul. This is what the Apostle calls iniquity, and it removes the soul from God as bodily death separates the body from the soul.
"And purify." He purifies by the laver of divine baptism and by the purifying power of His commandments.
"For Himself a chosen people." That is, a people of the future. Or, "purify" means through Himself, through His commands.
"Chosen" means His own, of His household. This is taken metaphorically from servants who attend to the property and wealth of their master.
"Zealous for good works." This means people who strive zealously after good works and love virtue.
By circumcision the Jews made it known that they were the people of God. But here the special people of God receive within their heart the sign of circumcision, because the heavenly sword cuts away the excess of the mind, that is, the unclean foreskin of sin. With them there is baptism that sanctifies the flesh. With us there is baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire.
“A chosen people.” The expression is taken from the Old Testament (Ex 19:5; Deut 7:6, and others), where it was applied to the chosen people. It showed both their special nearness to God and their special obligations toward Him. Here too the Apostle says that Christians must be zealots for good works.
In this place the Apostle touches on what God has done for our salvation, and on what is required for the same end from us ourselves.
"The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men." Here grace means not only the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which regenerate us and establish us in spiritual life.
It also means the whole divine economy of our salvation: the becoming man of the Son of God, the giving of the evangelical law, His redeeming death, and His saving Resurrection.
All this "appeared" and rose over the world like the sun, giving life, awakening, and saving men. Compare the use of "grace" below in Tit 3:4, Rom 5:2, and 2 Cor 8:9.
Then the Apostle pauses over one action of this grace. It teaches us that, "denying ungodliness and worldly passions, we should live soberly, righteously, and piously in the present age."
This does not mean that Christianity consists only in teaching, as though Christ were only a Teacher and we Christians only His disciples.
Christianity is also redemption from sin by Christ's sacrifice. It is then a mystical union with Christ, who is the Head, while we are members of His body (Eph 5:23, 30; Col 1:18; 2:19).
This is stated in verse 14: "Who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from every iniquity." Christ does not accomplish our deliverance from sin by teaching alone, as the Tolstoyans think.
He accomplishes it also by offering Himself in sacrifice for us. By His sacrifice He reconciles us to God, so that no iniquity can separate us from God (Col 1:12-14, 20).
Yet the Apostle did not limit his depiction of Christ's work even to this. The divine Teacher and great High Priest willed Himself to be the Head of the people enlightened and redeemed by Him.
This is expressed in the Apostle's words: "to purify for Himself a special people." This people forms Christ's portion or possession, inseparably united with Him as with its Head and King.
What, then, is required in Christianity from men themselves? Can it be thought that everything has been done for them and in their place?
Is there nothing left for them but to rest, believing their salvation to be certain and inalienable, as the Pashkovites think? No. The Apostle cuts off this thought when he says: "a people zealous for good works."
By this he shows that, having learned from Christ, received redemption from Him, and placed blessed hope in Him as our King and Head, we must zealously devote ourselves to doing good works.
This is our part in our salvation. Without fulfilling it, we shall fall away from Christ and become unworthy of our calling.
These words continue the preceding apostolic thought and express it with still greater force: good works are necessary for the accomplishment of our salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Indeed, for what purpose did Christ the Savior give Himself up to death for us? The Apostle explains that He did so in order to make us a holy people.
He did so in order to fashion from us a certain special spiritual portion for Himself. This resembles the way in which, in the Old Covenant, the Israelites were an earthly portion among the other nations.
According to the Apostle, we must not simply be virtuous people, in keeping with our Christian calling. We must be zealots for good works.
Is it not clear that a merely contemplative faith in Christ, even if sincere, will not save us?
"For this reason Christ accepted death for us all, so that, having ended the tyranny of death, He might deliver us from that bitter slavery and make us His own people, lovers and zealots of praiseworthy works" (Blessed Theodoret).
Earlier he indicated what saving grace requires from us and what it produces in us. Now he shows the foundation of this, affirming that the whole incarnate divine economy exists to make us strangers to sin and rich in every virtue.
For "He gave Himself" means that He was well pleased to take upon Himself and accomplish the incarnate divine economy. Its center is the death on the Cross of the God-man.
"To redeem," λυτρωσηται, means to ransom, to give a price for us. How? By satisfying God's righteousness through His death for all our sins.
Thus not one sin remains upon us for which we ourselves would have to pay.
But this is not all. The bonds of slavery are removed from a ransomed slave, and he receives freedom to act for himself. We were in the bonds of slavery to sin.
Having ransomed us, the Savior breaks these bonds, "that we should no longer serve sin" (Rom 6:6). We receive freedom to act for ourselves as our nature, created according to the image of God, requires.
We no longer act according to the impulse of sin, the intruding tyrant. This is full redemption, or deliverance.
"He did not redeem us from one iniquity and not another, but from every iniquity. Let us therefore honor our redemption," by being ashamed to darken it with any sin (Blessed Theophylact).
"And to purify for Himself a chosen people." "Purify," καθαριση, is like clearing debts by payment.
Or, if applied to the state of redeemed slaves, who are received unkempt, filthy, wounded, and in rags, "purify" means to wash away every sinful impurity.
It means to heal every wound of the passions and to clothe them in the beautiful garments of the virtues.
"A chosen people," λαον περιουσιον. Περιουσιος means excellent, distinguished, set apart from others, and having nothing in common with them. See St. Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact.
Or it means one's own, turned into one's own possession by force of redemption and appointed to works according to one's spirit.
"It is taken metaphorically from servants who attend to the property, περι την ουσιαν, and possession of their master" (Blessed Theophylact).
Thus the Savior gave Himself to ransom us, to purify us from every impurity and wound, and to make us excellent. Then He appoints us to works according to His own Spirit.
How does He do this? "By the laver of divine baptism and the doing of His divine and purifying commandments" (Blessed Theophylact).
"Christ Jesus, our great God and Savior, having redeemed us by His blood, made us for Himself a special Christian people. This people can be special only when it is zealous for good works" (Blessed Jerome).
"Zealous for good works" means "ardently striving after virtue, showing zeal for all good works, and displaying fervent imitation of the Savior Himself" (Blessed Theophylact).
"He does not simply require works, but that we be zealots, that is, doing good works with great zeal and proper diligence.
To deliver those burdened by many evils and heal those incurably sick was the work of His love for mankind. What follows is the work of both us and Him" (St. Chrysostom).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 19 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS