The brethren who are with me, salute you. All the saints salute you; especially they that are of Caesar’s household.

“These opinions, Florinus, that I may speak in mild terms, are not of sound doctrine; these opinions are not consonant to the Church, and involve their votaries in the utmost impiety; these opinions, even the heretics beyond the Church's pale have never ventured to broach; these opinions, those presbyters who preceded us, and who were conversant with the apostles, did not hand down to thee. For, while I was yet a boy, I saw thee in Lower Asia with Polycarp, distinguishing thyself in the royal court, and endeavouring to gain his approbation. For I have a more vivid recollection of what occurred at that time than of recent events (inasmuch as the experiences of childhood, keeping pace with the growth of the soul, become incorporated with it); so that I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and discourse-his going out, too, and his coming in-his general mode of life and personal appearance, together with the discourses which he delivered to the people; also how he would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord; and how he would call their words to remembrance. Whatsoever things he had heard from them respecting the Lord, both with regard to His miracles and His teaching, Polycarp having thus received [information] from the eye-witnesses of the Word of life, would recount them all in harmony with the Scriptures. These things, through, God's mercy which was upon me, I then listened to attentively, and treasured them up not on paper, but in my heart; and I am continually, by God's grace, revolving these things accurately in my mind.”

“"All the saints salute you, especially they that are of Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." He elevated them and strengthened them, by showing that his preaching had reached even to the king's household. For if those who were in the king's palace despised all things for the sake of the King of Heaven, far more ought they to do this. And this too was a proof of the love of Paul, and that he had told many things of them, and said great things of them, whence he had even led those who were in the palace to a longing for them, so that those who had never seen them saluted them. Especially because the faithful were then in affliction, his love was great. And those who were absent from each other were closely conjoined together as if real limbs. And the poor man was similarly disposed toward the rich, and the rich toward the poor, and there was no preeminence, in that they were all equally hated and cast out, and that for the same cause. For as, if captives taken from divers cities should arise and come to the same towns, they eagerly embrace each other, their common calamity binding them together; thus too at that time they had great love one toward another, the communion of their afflictions and persecutions uniting them.”

“Above he showed how the faithful ought to conduct themselves for the future; here he commends them for a benefit bestowed on him in the past. And first he sets down the commendation; second he ends the epistle with a prayer and a salutation, at "But God," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he commends them for the benefit bestowed; second he explains the benefit more fully, at "not as though," etc. Likewise the first part is divided into three sections, because first he sets down the joy conceived from their benefit; second he commends their benefit, at "that at length," etc.; third he excuses the delay, at "being occupied," etc. He says therefore: I admonish you to rejoice, but I have rejoiced because of the things you have done, not in the things themselves, but in the Lord. Hab. 3:18: "But I will rejoice in the Lord," etc. I have rejoiced, I say, greatly, because it was on account of my children. Then the matter of the joy is set down, at "that at length," etc. Good works are works of mercy, and they are called flowers, because just as fruit comes forth from a flower, so from these the enjoyment of the blessed life is received. Ecclus. 24:23: "My flowers are the fruit of honor and of honesty." When therefore a good work is interrupted, and afterward resumed, it is said to flower again. Now these people had at one time provided for the Apostle, and again now they have provided; therefore he says that they have flowered again. And he explains this, when he adds "to feel for me," that is, to have compassion for me. Above 1:7: "as it is right for me to feel this for you all," etc. 1 Macc. 10:20: "that you may feel with us the things that are ours, that you may keep friendship with us," etc. "As you also felt formerly," namely when you provided for me. And this "at length, at some time," because although late, yet at some time you did it. Rom. 1:10: "if somehow at length at some time I may have a prosperous journey," etc. Then when he says "being occupied," etc., he excuses the delay; as if he were to say: I do not impute it to negligence or fault, but to necessity, because you were occupied on account of the tribulations which you suffered. Ecclus. 40:1: "Great occupation is created for all men," etc. Then when he says "not as though on account of," etc., he explains the benefit, and first the cause of the joy; second the benefit by which they flowered, at "and you also know"; third he recalls the present benefit, at "but I have all things." Likewise first he excludes the estimated cause of the joy; second he declares his own constancy of mind, at "for I have learned," etc.; third he approves their beneficence, at "nevertheless you have done well." He says therefore: I do not rejoice on account of the want driven away by you, which was grievous. Is. 48:10: "I have chosen you in the furnace of poverty." But nevertheless it does not weigh down the mind, except of those who delight in riches, or who glory in substance. And this is so because the Apostle is not saddened by poverty, the reason for which is the constancy of his mind, which he sets down first, second its cause, at "I can do all things," etc. Likewise first he sets down constancy in a particular case, second generally in all things, at "everywhere," etc. He says therefore: I do not fear poverty, because I have learned, etc. Nothing so shows the mind of a perfect wise man, as that he knows how to make use of any state. For just as he is a good commander who works in any army according to its requirement, and the leather-worker who out of any hide makes the best shoes: so that man is perfect who knows how to make use of any state, so that if he is in a great one, he is not lifted up, and if in the least, he is not cast down. And therefore he says "I have learned," etc. Is. 50:5: "The Lord God has opened my ear, and I do not contradict, I have not gone back," etc. And this suffices, if I have little; if much, I know how to temper myself. And therefore he explains himself, saying "I know how to be humbled." Now humility sometimes denotes a certain virtue, Luke 14:12, and 18:14: "he who humbles himself shall be exalted"; sometimes a casting-down, Ps. 104:18: "they humbled his feet in fetters." And thus he speaks here, saying "I know how to be humbled," that is, to bear abjection moderately, as is fitting. And because men are exalted through riches and are weighed down through poverty, therefore he calls the exaltation "abundance." And in each there is danger, because from abundance the mind is raised up against God, from poverty it is cast down. And therefore it is said Prov. 30:8: "Give me neither poverty nor riches." But the Apostle speaks better, because by virtue he knows how to make use of each, and this "everywhere," that is in every place, in affairs, states, and conditions, "I am instructed." 2 Cor. 6:4: "in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God," etc. Then when he says "I can do all things," etc., he sets down the cause of his constancy, saying "I can do all things," as if he were to say: I could not sustain these insults, unless the hand of God were strengthening me. Ez. 3:14: "the hand of the Lord was with me." Is. 40:31: "they who hope in the Lord shall have strength, they shall take up wings like eagles," etc. But is what we have sent then superfluous, since you know how to be in want? No, because although I know how to suffer want, which is a virtue, nevertheless the assistance ought not to be withheld from me. Rom. 12:13: "sharing in the necessities of the saints." Heb. 10:34: "for you had compassion also on them that were in bands." And thus the cause of the joy is clear. Second he recalls the past benefit, at "and you know." For from certain ones he was accepting nothing, namely from the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, and because the Corinthians were avaricious, and would have ministered with disturbance, and because the Thessalonians were given over to idleness, he labored, giving them an example of laboring. But these were good both in his absence and in his presence. Hence he says 2 Cor. 11:8: "I despoiled other churches, taking wages for your ministry." By reason of the spiritual thing given and the temporal thing received. 1 Cor. 9:11: "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things?" "Because even to Thessalonica," etc. And this is an argument that the Pope can receive from one church for the aid of others, but not without any cause whatsoever. Now it must be known, that when someone gives something to someone, two things are to be considered, namely the substance of the gift and the merit of the giver. He who rejoices over temporal things, rejoices over the substance of the gift, and seeks only the giver, and this one is a hireling; but he who seeks the merit of the giver, seeks the fruit of virtue and justice, and such a one is a shepherd. "The fruit," I say, "which abounds in your account." "Account" is said in two ways. Either according as it is a power of the soul, and thus every virtue belongs to reason. Rom. 12:1: "your reasonable service." Sometimes it is reasoning and computation. Matt. 18:23: "who wished to settle accounts with his servants." Therefore he speaks of abundance "in account," because they gave more than they were bound to; because some only gave in his presence, but these were even sending to Rome. "But I have the things which you sent." "I am filled, having received," namely these things, "which you sent, an odor," etc. Lev. 3:5 and 4:31: "offer a holocaust for an odor of sweetness to the Lord." For the devotion of those offering is a sweet odor to God, and among all sacrifices alms are worth much. Heb. 13:16: "But do not forget beneficence and communion, for by such sacrifices God is won over." Then when he says "But God," etc., he finishes the epistle with a prayer, and first he sets down the prayer, "But my God." God is one for all through creation and power, but "mine," because I serve him singularly. Rom. 1:9: "for God is my witness, whom I serve." "May he fulfill," etc., because you have fulfilled mine. And this the Lord is able to do, because he abounds according to riches. Rom. 10:12: "the same Lord over all, rich unto all who call upon him," etc. And this is true "in glory," namely his own, because there the whole desire will be fulfilled. Ps. 16:15: "I shall be satisfied when your glory shall appear." Ps. 102, v. 5: "who fills your desire with good things." And this is "in Christ," that is, through Christ. 2 Pet. 1:4: "through whom he has granted to us the greatest and precious things." "And for all these things, to God" — the Trinity — "and to our Father, be glory." 1 Tim. 1:17: "to God alone be honor and glory forever and ever." An "age" is a space or duration of the generation or memory of men. Having first set down the prayer, and second the giving of thanks, third he sets down the salutation, saying "greet every saint," that is, the faithful in Christ, because sanctified through Christ. Heb. 13:12: "that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, he suffered outside the gate." "Especially," etc. And by this it is understood that he converted many from the household of Caesar. Above, ch. 1:13: "that my bonds became manifest in Christ in the whole praetorium, and to the rest of the men," etc. But although it is said in Matt. 11:8: "they who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings," yet for the sake of promoting the good, and hindering the wicked, it seems lawful for the saints to dwell in the courts of kings, but not for the sake of delights and the desire of pleasures. And he says "who are of Caesar's household," so as to encourage them to joy and to faith. Then he sets down his own salutation by his own hand, saying "the grace of the Lord," etc.”

“All the saints salute you,.... The members of the church at Rome, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household; for by means of the apostle's bonds, which were made manifest in the emperor's palace, Christ was made known to some there likewise; though Nero, the then reigning emperor, was a very wicked prince, and his court a very debauched one, yet the grace of God reached some there: who these were cannot be said; as for the conjecture that Seneca the philosopher, Nero's master, was one of them, it is without foundation; the eight letters of his to the Apostle Paul, and the six letters of the apostle to him, are spurious, though of ancient date, being made mention of by Austin and Jerom (g): a like groundless conjecture is that, that Lucan the poet, Seneca's brother's son, was another; for there is nothing in his writings, or in any account of him, any more than in the former, that shows him to be a Christian. Torpes, a man in great favour and dignity in Nero's court, and Evellius his counsellor, who both suffered martyrdom under him, according to the Roman martyrology, are also mentioned, (g) Vid. Fabricii Bibliothec. Latin, p. 69.”

“All the saints - All the Christians now at Rome. They that are of Caesar's household - Nero was at this time emperor of Rome: a more worthless, cruel, and diabolic wretch never disgraced the name or form of man; yet in his family there were Christians: but whether this relates to the members of the imperial family, or to guards, or courtiers, or to servants, we cannot tell. If even some of his slaves were converted to Christianity, it would he sufficiently marvellous. Converts to Christianity in this family there certainly were; and this shows how powerfully the Divine word had been preached and spread. That the Empress Poppaea may have been favourably inclined to Christianity is possible; for Josephus relates of her, Antiq., lib. xx. cap. 7: Θεοσεβης γαρ ην· She was a worshipper of the true God; it is not likely, therefore, that she threw any hinderances in the way of her servants who might wish to embrace the Christian faith. St. Jerome, in Philemon, states that St. Paul had converted many in Caesar's family; A Caesare missus in carcerem, notior familiae ejus factus, persecutoris Christi domum fecit ecclesiam. "Being by the emperor cast into prison, he became the more known to his family, and he turned the house of Christ's persecutor into a church." Some imagine that Seneca, the preceptor of Nero and the poet Lucan, were converted by St. Paul; and there are still extant, and in a MS. now before me, letters which profess to have passed between Paul and Seneca; but they are worthy of neither. They have been printed in some editions of Seneca's works. See the remarks below.”

“they that are of CÃ&brvbrsar's household--the slaves and dependents of Nero who had been probably converted through Paul's teaching while he was a prisoner in the PrÃ&brvbrtorian barrack attached to the palace. Philippi was a Roman "colony," hence there might arise a tie between the citizens of the mother city and those of the colony; especially between those of both cities who were Christians, converted as many of them were by the same apostle, and under like circumstances, he having been imprisoned at Philippi, as he now is at Rome.”