Lectio 2 Lecture 2 Christ obedientiam didicit Christ learned obedience ^5:8 Et quidem cum esset Filius Dei, didicit ex iis, quae passus est, obedientiam: [n. 258] ^5:8 And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. [n. 258] ^5:9 et consummatus, factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi, causa salutis aeternae, [n. 260] ^5:9 And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation: [n. 260] ^5:10 appellatus a Deo pontifex juxta ordinem Melchisedech. [n. 261] ^5:10 Called by God a high priest, according to the order of Melchisedech. [n. 261] ^5:11 De quo nobis grandis sermo, et ininterpretabilis ad dicendum: quoniam imbecilles facti estis ad audiendum. [n. 262] ^5:11 Of whom we have much to say and hard to be intelligibly uttered: because you are become weak to hear. [n. 262] ^5:12 Etenim cum deberetis magistri esse propter tempus, rursum indigetis ut vos doceamini quae sint elementa exordii sermonum Dei: et facti estis quibus lacte opus sit, non solido cibo. [n. 265] ^5:12 For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God: and you are become such as have need of milk and not of solid food. [n. 265] ^5:13 Omnis enim, qui lactis est particeps, expers est sermonis justitiae: parvulus enim est. [n. 268] ^5:13 For every one that is a partaker of milk is unskillful in the word of justice: for he is a little child. [n. 268] ^5:14 Perfectorum autem est solidus cibus: eorum, qui pro consuetudine exercitatos habent sensus ad discretionem boni ac mali. [n. 273] ^5:14 But solid food is for the perfect: for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil. [n. 273] 258. Supra posuit tria, quae pertinent ad pontificem, et ostendit duo illorum convenire Christo, scilicet officium, et modum perveniendi ad ipsum, hic prosequitur tertium, scilicet pietatem et misericordiam, quam pontifex debet habere. 258. Having listed three things which pertain to a high priest and showed that two of them were verified, namely, the office and the proper way of attaining it, the Apostle now considers the third thing which a high priest should have, namely, mercy and compassion. Et circa hoc duo facit. In regard to this he does two things. Primo ostendit illud quod passus est; First, he shows what he suffered; secundo quae utilitas consecuta est etiam aliis, ibi et consummatus. second, what benefits accrued even to others, at and being consummated. 259. Dicit ergo: ita dixi, quod pontifex debet esse talis, quod possit compati. Talis autem est Christus. Cum enim sit Filius Dei ab aeterno, et secundum hoc nec pati posset, nec compati, assumpsit naturam in qua posset pati, et sic etiam posset compati. Et hoc est quod dicit: quia cum esset Filius Dei, scilicet ab aeterno, didicit obedientiam ex tempore. 259. He says, therefore: I have stated that a high priest should be such as to be able to have compassion. But Christ is such a high priest. For since he is the Son of God from all eternity, and, therefore, could not suffer or have compassion, he assumed a nature in which he would suffer and even have compassion. And this is what he says, namely, and whereas indeed he was the Son of God, from all eternity, he learned obedience from time. Contra. Addiscere est ignorantis; Christus autem ab aeterno, ut Deus, et ab instanti conceptionis suae habuit plenitudinem scientiae, inquantum homo; ergo nihil ignoravit, nec per consequens didicit. But only the ignorant can learn; whereas Christ, being God from all eternity, had fullness of knowledge from the very instant of his conception as man. Therefore, he was not ignorant of anything; consequently, he could not learn. Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod duplex est scientia: scilicet simplicis notitiae, et quantum ad istam procedit argumentum: quia scilicet nihil ignoravit. Est etiam scientia experientiae, et secundum istam didicit obedientiam. Unde dicit didicit ex iis quae passus est, id est, expertus est. I answer that knowledge is of two sorts: the first is that of simple recognition, according to which the objection is valid, because he was not ignorant of anything. But there is also the knowledge gained by experience, according to which he learned obedience; hence, he says, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, i.e., experienced. Et loquitur Apostolus sic: quia qui didicit aliquid, voluntarie accessit ad illud sciendum. Christus autem voluntarie accepit infirmitatem nostram. Et ideo dicit, quod didicit obedientiam, id est, quam grave sit obedire: quia ipse obedivit in gravissimis et difficillimis: quia usque ad mortem crucis, Phil. II, 8. And the Apostle speaks thus because one who learns something comes voluntarily to learn it. But Christ accepted our weakness voluntarily; consequently, he says that he learned obedience, i.e., how difficult it is to obey, because he obeyed in the most difficult matters, even to the death of the cross (Phil 2:8). Et hic ostendit, quam difficile sit bonum obedientiae. Quia qui non sunt experti obedientiam, et non didicerunt eam in rebus difficilibus, credunt quod obedire sit valde facile. Sed ad hoc quod scias quid sit obedientia, oportet quod discas obedire in rebus difficilibus, et qui non didicit obediendo subesse, numquam novit bene praecipiendo praeesse. Christus ergo licet ab aeterno sciret simplici notitia quid est obedientia, tamen didicit experimento obedientiam ex iis quae passus est, id est, difficilibus, scilicet per passiones et mortem. This shows how difficult the good of obedience is, because those who have not experienced obedience and have not learned it in difficult matters, believe that obedience is very easy. But in order to know what obedience is, one must learn to obey in difficult matters, and one who has not learned to subject himself by obeying does not know how to rule others well. Therefore, although Christ knew by simple recognition what obedience is, he nevertheless learned obedience by the things which he suffered, i.e., from difficult things, by suffering and dying. Rom. V, 19: per obedientiam unius iusti constituti sunt multi. By the obedience of one many shall be made just (Rom 5:19). 260. Deinde cum dicit et consummatus, etc., ostendit fructum passionis, qui fuit duplex. Unus in Christo, alius in membris eius. 260. Then when he says, and being consummated, he mentions the fruit of his passion which is twofold. One fruit is in Christ and another in his members. In Christo fructus fuit glorificatio, et ideo dicit et consummatus. Nam ab instanti conceptionis suae fuit consummatus perfectus, quantum ad beatitudinem animae, inquantum ferebatur in Deum; sed tamen habuit passibilitatem naturae. Sed post passionem habuit impassibilitatem. In Christ the fruit was glorification; hence, he says, and being consummated, for from the instant of his conception he was perfectly consummated as to the happiness of his soul, inasmuch as it was drawn to God; but he still had a nature that could suffer, although after his passion he could not suffer. Et ideo, quia secundum hoc ex toto perfectus est, convenit sibi alios perficere. Haec est enim natura perfecti, quod possit sibi simile generare. Et ideo dicit quod perfectus est. Quia enim per meritum obedientiae pervenit ad istam consummationem. Prov. XXI, v. 28: vir obediens loquitur victorias factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis, non temporalis, sed aeternae. Is. XLV, v. 17: salvatus est Israel in Domino salute aeterna. Therefore, because in this respect he was altogether perfect, he could perfect others. For it is the nature of a perfect thing to be able to engender its like. Therefore, he says that he was perfect. For since he arrived at that consummation by the merit of obedience: the obedient man shall speak of victory (Prov 21:28), he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation, not temporal salvation, but eternal: Israel is saved by the Lord with an eternal salvation (Isa 45:17). 261. Et ideo dicit appellatus a Deo pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech, et hoc est supra expositum. 261. Therefore he says, called by God a high priest, according to the order of Melchisedech. 262. Deinde cum dicit de quo nobis grandis sermo, etc., praeparat animos auditorum ad sequentia, quae dicenda sunt de pontificatu Christi. 262. Then when he says of whom we have much to say, he prepares the souls of his hearers for what is to follow. Et circa hoc duo facit. In regard to this he does two things. Primo enim ostendit eorum tarditatem; First, he shows their slowness; secundo suam intentionem, cum dicit, VI cap. quapropter intermittentes. second, his intention, when he says wherefore, leaving the word (Heb 6:1). Iterum prima in duas, quia Again, the first is in two parts: primo ostendit tarditatem; first, he shows their slowness; secundo ostendit ipsam esse culpabilem, ibi etenim cum deberetis. second, he shows that this slowness is culpable, at for whereas for the time. Item circa primam partem duo facit: Likewise, in regard to the first, he does two things: primo ostendit dicendorum magnitudinem; first, he shows the importance of what is to be said; secundo ipsorum tarditatem ad ea capienda, ibi quoniam imbecilles. second, he shows their slowness to grasp these things, at because you are become weak. 263. Dicit ergo: ita dixi, quod appellatus est pontifex, de quo, scilicet pontificatu, grandis nobis sermo est, quia de magnis. Prov. VIII, 6: de rebus magnis locutura sum. Item grandis, quia de utili, scilicet de salute animarum. I Tim. I, 15: fidelis sermo et omni acceptione dignus, quia Christus Iesus venit in hunc mundum peccatores salvos facere. 263. He says, therefore: thus I have said that he was called a high priest: of whom we have much to say: hear, for I will speak of great things (Prov 8:6). They are great things, because they deal with the salvation of souls: a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Iste sermo est interpretabilis ad docendum, quod potest dupliciter exponi. Vel quod fiat ibi vis negationis: interpretabilis, id est, non exponibilis, quia non potest ad perfectum exponi. Quae enim ad Christum pertinent nullus sermo exprimere potest. Eccli. XLIII, v. 32 s.: glorificantes Dominum quantumcumque potueritis, supervalebit adhuc et admirabilis magnificentia eius: benedicentes Dominum, exaltate illum quantum potestis, maior est enim omni laude. Alio modo affirmative: interpretabilis, id est indigens interpretatione propter altitudinem et magnitudinem et profunditatem eius. Prov. I, 6: animadvertet parabolam et interpretationem, et cetera. Interpretatio enim Scripturae numeratur inter dona Spiritus Sancti, I Cor. XII, 10. About this we have much to say and hard to be intelligibly uttered, which can be explained in two ways. Either by way of negation, meaning that it cannot be perfectly explained, for no words can express the things of Christ: glorify the Lord as much as you ever can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful. Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can, for he is above all praise (Sir 43:32). Or, we have much to say which is hard to explain, i.e., it needs to be interpreted because of its height and magnitude and depth: he shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their mysterious saying (Prov 1:6). For the interpretation of Scripture is listed among the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:10). 264. Indiget etiam, ut dicatur interpretatio eius propter tarditatem nostram. 264. It also needs to be interpreted because of our slowness: