03 April 2008

Patristic Quote of the Day

Ver. 13. "Who delivered us," he says, "from the power of darkness."

The whole is of Him, the giving both of these things and those; for nowhere is any achievement of ours. "From the power of darkness," he says, that is, of error, the dominion of the devil. He said not "darkness," but "power"; for it had great power over us, and held us fast. For it is grievous indeed even to be under the devil at all, but to be so "with power," this is far more grievous. "And translated us," he says, "into the kingdom of the Son of His love." Not then so as to deliver man from darkness only, did He show His love toward him. A great thing indeed is it to have delivered from darkness even; but to have brought into a kingdom too, is a far greater. See then how manifold the gift, that he has delivered us who lay in the pit; in the second place, that He has not only delivered us, but also has translated us into a kingdom. - St. John Chrysostom, Homily 2 on Colossians 1

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