Oecumenius

In his own words on Ephesians

• Ephesians 4:8-9

  Therefore he said, "When he ascended on high." And that the gift is Christ's grace, and he himself gave it out, listen to David: "And when he ascended on high," he says, "Your magnificence was raised above the heavens." Whom did he lead captive? Us, of course, a beautiful and useful captivity. For when he had defeated the devil in the spiritual battle, he took us captive, not to subject us to slavery (for how could he have done this when we were already slaves?), but to free us from the bitter tyranny of that wicked one. But some have understood this from the cross, that when he ascended on the cross, he led captivity captive. He did indeed lead the devil captive, but in place of punishment he gave gifts and grace to those who had been captive... But what does 'he ascended' mean? It is not necessary, he says, for the prophet to say 'he ascended' unless he knew that he had first descended. For someone usually says 'he ascended' about the one who had previously descended. For he who ascends or in what he ascends begins at the lower place so that he may be in the higher place, just as when someone begins to ascend, although he was not previously in a higher place. Either he does not now begin his ascent, but he was indeed in a higher place from the beginning. But since he descended from there, he now ascends again. Therefore, where it says, "When he ascended," it is to be understood how it should be interpreted: "When he ascended," not as if he had just begun to ascend now, for he was from the beginning in the sublimity of divine dignity and paternal glory. But because, by his own dispensation and descent even to the lower parts, he ascended again for the appropriate manifestation of divine sublimity, it is said, "he ascended." "Into the lowest parts of the earth." After which, it is evident that there are no lower parts. But he speaks of hell, looking at it as a common way of speaking, for this is how we are accustomed to say. Therefore, Jacob also says, "And you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell." And David, "And I shall be likened to those who descend into the pit." For he called death the lower parts of the earth. "The same who also ascended." This refutes the blasphemy of Nestorius. For there is one who descended and who also ascended.

  Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, IV, 7-13