σκότους, καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς
τοῦ υἱοῦ] Not of inferior angels, as the false teachers would have it
(ii. 18), but of His own Son. The same contrast between a dispensation
of angels and a dispensation of the Son underlies the words here, which
is explicitly brought out in Heb. i. 1-ii. 8; see especially i. 2
ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ, compared with ii. 5 οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλοις ὑπέταξεν τὴν
οἰκουμένην τὴν μέλλουσαν. Severianus has rightly caught the idea
underlying τοῦ υἱοῦ here; ὑπὸ τὸν κληρονόμον ἐσμέν, οὐχ ὑπὸ τοὺς
οἰκέτας.
τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ] ‘_of His love_.’ As love is the essence of the Father
(1 Joh. iv. 8, 16), so is it also of the Son. The mission of the Son is
the revelation of the Father’s love; for as He is the μονογενής, the
Father’s love is perfectly represented in Him (see 1 Joh. iv. 9). St
Augustine has rightly interpreted St Paul’s words here, _de Trin._ XV.
19 (VIII. p. 993) ‘Caritas quippe Patris ... nihil est quam ejus ipsa
natura atque substantia ... ac per hoc filius caritatis ejus nullus est
alius quam qui de ejus substantia est genitus.’ Thus these words are
intimately connected with the expressions which follow, εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ
τοῦ ἀοράτου (ver. 15), and ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι
(ver. 19). The loose interpretation, which makes τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης
equivalent to τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου, destroys the whole force of the
expression.
In the preceding verses we have a striking illustration of St Paul’s
teaching in two important respects. _First._ The reign of Christ has
already begun. His kingdom is a present kingdom. Whatever therefore is
_essential_ in the kingdom of Christ must be capable of realisation now.
There may be some exceptional manifestation in the world to come, but
this cannot alter its inherent character. In other words the sovereignty
of Christ is essentially a moral and spiritual sovereignty, which has
begun now and will only be perfected hereafter. _Secondly._
Corresponding to this, and equally significant, is his language in
speaking of individual Christians. He regards them as already rescued
from the power of darkness, as already put in possession of their
inheritance as saints. They are _potentially_ saved, because the
knowledge of God is itself salvation, and this knowledge is within their
reach. Such is St Paul’s constant mode of speaking. He uses the language
not of exclusion, but of comprehension. He prefers to dwell on their
potential advantages, rather than on their actual attainments. He hopes
to make them saints by dwelling on their calling as saints. See
especially Ephes. ii. 6 συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ κ.τ.λ.
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