Philemon 1:6

"that the fellowship of your faith". It unites him to himself, just as if he said: Fellowship of faith is that which makes one and common. But why do you give thanks to God? So "that the" "fellowship of your faith", he says, "may become effective". But how will it be effective? If it proceeds to every work of virtue. Blessed Paul interprets himself. But how will it be "effective"? By this, that you have "the knowledge" and accomplish "every good thing". "that is in us". He says that which is now also in us. (Matt. 25:40) "for Christ Jesus". For whoever does good to someone, does it to Christ, especially to the saints.

I pray, he says, "that the communication of thy faith may become effectual in the knowledge of every good thing which is in Christ Jesus." Dost thou see him first giving, before he receives, and before he asks a favor himself bestowing a much greater one of his own? "That the communication of thy faith," he says, "may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus"; that is, that thou mayest attain all virtue, that nothing may be deficient. For so faith becomes effectual, when it is accompanied with works. For "without works faith is dead." (Jas. ii. 26.) And he has not said, "Thy faith," but "the communication of thy faith," connecting it with himself, and showing that it is one body, and by this particularly making him ashamed to refuse. If thou art a partaker, he says, with respect to the faith, thou oughtest to communicate also with respect to other things.

One who has equal charity and faith toward God or His saints, ought also to have an equal share in the communication of His faith, so that as he believes and loves, he may also consummate his love and faith by his works. He says, "Let it become clear in knowing all good"; or as is better had in Greek, "effective"; for it can be properly translated "effective" or "operative"; so that we may not only believe that faith and charity towards God and His saints are sufficient for us, but also that what we believe is accomplished by action. However, it may happen that someone has faith and consumes it by actions: truly and simply, however, not having knowledge or understanding of it, according to that of the Apostle: "I bear witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:2). Today, most of the simple practice works of justice, and they do not have knowledge of what they are working on. Hence, it was added: "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledgment of every good thing." To what degrees and with what leaps, does the apostle strive towards higher things in his speech? Someone may have charity and faith in God and his saints: but perhaps he may not communicate it equally in all directions. Perhaps he may communicate it to all, but he may not fulfill it in action: someone may fulfill it with willingness and action, but he cannot have a perfect understanding of his deeds. There is such a person who has both skill and knowledge, but not every understanding of good; for he is unequal to his own virtues in some part, though doing many things justly, gently and studiously. Isn't Philemon such a person? He indeed has a participation in the working faith and knowledge of all good things. And although it is in the apostles, we should not consider it perfect just because it is in them, but rather that it is full in Christ, since Christ is the source from which all the good in Philemon is praised and taken from the example of the apostles. Therefore, it is good, because it is derived from the source of Christ.