Baptism And Resurrection

Si enim consurrexistis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est ad dexteram Dei sedens. Hos cum Christo resurrexisse asserit in baptismo, qui supercoelestia cogitant, ubi sedes est Christi, ubi Deus Pater Filio suo tradidit dextram, ut regnet et judicet; judicis enim in sinistra sedere non est. Resurrectio tamen duas habet formas, ut primo anima de terris resugat ad coelos, deinde recepto corpore, resurgat raptus obviam Christo. Ambrosiaster, Commentaria In Epistolam ad Colossenses, Caput III Source: Migne PL 17.434a

For if you are resurrected with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of the Father. 1 He asserts that they have been resurrected with Christ in baptism who think on heavenly things, where is the seat of Christ, where God the Father gives to His Son the right hand side, that He rule and judge, for it is not of a judge to sit on the left. However, the resurrection has two forms: firstly the soul rises up from the earth to heaven, then with the reception of the body, it rises up again borne off to be before Christ. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Letter to The Colossians, Chapter 3 1 Colos 3.1

Knowledge And Impediments

Quae sunt sursum sapite, non ea quae super terram. Supernorum coelorum, qui Aeterni sunt habitacula, nos petere exhortatur: ad his autem omnibus, quae in firmamento et sub firmamento sunt, dissimulandum. Quisquis enim his se superstitionibus occupaverit, impendimentum patietur; non enim poterit haec tranascendere, quibus se inclinavit, ut dominis. Ambrosiaster, Commentaria In Epistolam ad Colossenses, Caput III Source: Migne PL 17.434a

Be wise in the things which are above, not the things of earth. 1 He exhorts us to seek the things of the highest heavens, the dwelling places of eternity, away from everything which is in the firmament and below the firmament, which must delude. Whoever, then, shall occupy himself in these irrational pursuits, will be afflicted with an impediment, for he will not able to transcend these things, by which he is bowed down, as to masters. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Letter to The Colossians, Chapter 3 1 Colos 3.2

Fruitful And Growing

...fructificantes et crescentes in agnitionem Dei, in omni virtute robur capientes secundum potentiam gloriae eius in omnem patientia et longanimitate cum gaudio, gratias agentes Deo et Patri qui vocavit vos in partem sortis sanctorum in lumine, qui liberavit nos a potestate tenebrarum et transtulit in regnum Filii dilectionis suae. Incrementum operum eorum cum scientia vult fieri, ut non ignorent fidei suae spem; tunc enim firmi et stabiles sunt, si advertant quae pro fide promissa sunt, et quanta sit potentia gloriae maiestatis Dei in patientia; ut longa exspectatione sustineat humanum genus, quod irreverentia sua non solum negligit Creatorem, verum persequitur amantes eum: ut et ipsi similiter patientes sint, ut supportent probra et maledicta infidelium, vel si illata fuerit pressura, exspectantes iudicium Dei, nec dubitantes de eo, magis autem gaudentes in promissa vita cum gratiarum actionibus Deo, qui dignatus est advocare et inducere gentes in promissionem Iudaeorum, quae est lumen aeternum, id est, vita aeterna, veritas perpetua. Liberati enim de conditione tenebrarum, hoc est, eruti de inferno, in quo tenebamur a diabolo tam ex proprio quam ex delicto Adae, qui est pater omnium peccantium, translati sumus per fidem in regnum coeleste Filii Dei; ut ostenderet nobis Deus quo amore diligit nos, quando attollens nos de imo tartari, induxit in coelos cum vero Filio suo. Jam enim omnes credentes, qui fixa mente devoti sunt, exeuntes de saeculo, duce dextrae Patris Angelo, inducuntur in coelos, quod ante devictam mortum concessum non erat. Ambrosiaster, Commentaria In Epistolam ad Colossenses, Caput I Source: Migne PL 17.422a-c

...fruitful and growing in the knowledge of God, in every virtue having strength according to the power of His glory, in all patience and endurance with joy, giving thanks to God the Father who has called you to the inheritance of the saints in the light, He who freed you from the power of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of His beloved Son. 1 He wishes for the increase of their works with knowledge, that there are not ignorant of the hope of their faith; for then they are firm and stable if they are looking toward those things promised for faith, and so great is the power of the glorious majesty of God in patience, that humanity might endure long waiting, because irreverance neglects not only the Creator, but it persecutes those who love Him, so that indeed they likewise suffer who endure the abuse and curses of the faithless, or if they are dragged off in oppression, they hope for the judgement of God, and doubt not at all concerning Him, indeed rejoicing more in the life promised, and giving thanks to God who condescended to call and bring in the nations to the promise of the Jews, which is the light eternal, that is, eternal life, eternal truth. For freed from the state of darkness, that is, snatched from hell, in which place we are benighted by the devil on account of the sin of Adam, who is the father of all sinners, we have been carried off by faith into the heavenly kingdom of the Son of God, that God show us with what love He loves us, when carrying us off from the depths of Tartarus, He brought us into heaven with His own Son. For now all believers, who have a firm devotion of soul, passing out of the world, under the direction of the angel of His right hand, are brought into heaven, which was not permitted before the conquest of death. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Letter to The Colossians, Chapter 1 1 Colos 1.10-13

In The Spirit

Hoc dico, ut nemo vos circumvenint in subtilitate sermonis. Nam etsi corpore absens sum, spiritu tamen vobiscum sum, gaudens, et videns ordinationem vestram, et supplens id, quod deest utilitati fidei vestrae in Christum. Commonet ne in malorum colloquis et astutia iniquitatis sensus eroum transduceretur; quia sapientes mundi arte quadam et minutiis disputationum irretire gestiunt simplicium animos; ut ratione mundanarum rerum abstrahant eos a spe, quae est in Christo. Unde Apostolos spiritu se illic adesse dicit, ut reverentiam ejus ante oculos habentes, abstinerent se ab hujusmodi hominibus. Si enim spiritus Elisaei prophetae vidit fraudem Giezi euntis ad Naamam Syrum, ut acciperet sub nomine ejus, quae illi mandata non fuerant, et descendentem prompto animo Naaman ei plus dedisse, quam fuerat postulatus; quanto magis Apostolus ea, quae dixit, poterat in spiritu videre. Major enim gratia fuit in apostolis, quam in prophetis. Et ut promptiores illos faceret circa traditionem evangelicam, gaudere se dicit in dispositione convesationis illorum; ut scientes unde Deo placeatur, in eo fierent firmiores, per quod digni effecti ad utilitatis profectum fidei suae addiscerent sensum. Ambrosiaster, Commentaria In Epistolam ad Colossenses, Caput II Source: Migne PL 17.482a-b

I say this that no one delude you with cunning speech. Even if I am absent in the body, yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and seeing your order, and fulfilling it, that your faith in Christ lack no usefulness. 1 He warns them lest their minds be borne off by the talk of the wicked and the cleverness of iniquity, because those who are wise by the world by a certain art and intricacy of disputation tangle up and bear off simple souls, dragging them away from their hope which is in Christ by means of worldly things. Whence the Apostle says he is near in the Spirit, that they have his piety before their eyes, and they turn away from such men. For if the spirit of Elisha the Prophet saw the deceit of Gehazi when he came to Naamam the Syrian, that he might receive under his name what he was commanded he not to do, and Naman, coming down, with eager soul, gave to him more than he had asked, 1 how much more the Apostle was able to see these things which he said in the Spirit. For greater was the grace in the Apostles than in the Prophets. And that he make them more eager concerning the things given by the Gospel, he says that he rejoices in the order of their way of living, that knowing how to please God, they become stronger in Him, by which they are made worthy to understand the usefulness of their faith. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Letter to The Colossians, Chapter 2 1 Colos 2.4-5 2 4 Kings 5.24