And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Ver. 16. Of his fulness] Which is both repletive and diffusive; not only of plenty, but of bounty; not a fulness of abundance only, but of redundance too. In Christians is plenitudo vasis; abundance of vessels, but in Christ, fontis: is the fount, these differ (say the schoolmen) ut ignis, et ignita, as fire and that which holds the fire. Take a drop from the ocean, and it is so much the less; but the fulness of the fire is such, that light a thousand torches at it, it is not diminished.
And grace for grace] That is (say some) the grace of the New Testament for the grace of the Old. And so in the next verse, "grace" shall answer to the moral law, "truth" to the ceremonial. Or (as others) "grace for grace;" that is, a latitude answerable to all the commands, a perfection answerable to Christ's own perfection. As the father gives his child limb for limb, part for part, &c., so doth this "Father of Eternity," Isaiah 9:6. There are those who render it "grace against grace," as in a glass is face against face. See2 Corinthians 3:18. Or "grace upon grace," that is, one grace after another, a daily increase of graces. Gratiam nova gratia cumulatam. Pasor.