Lecture 5 Lectio 5 The light of the world Lux mundi ^5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. [n. 458] ^5:14 Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi supra montem posita. [n. 458] ^5:15 Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but upon a lampstand, that it may shine to all who are in the house. [n. 459] ^5:15 Neque accendunt lucernam, et ponunt eam sub modio, sed super candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt. [n. 459] ^5:16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. [n. 462] ^5:16 Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in caelis est. [n. 462] ^5:17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. [n. 463] ^5:17 Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem aut prophetas: non veni solvere, sed adimplere. [n. 463] 458. A city . . . cannot be hidden. The city was the congregation of believers, namely, that very gathering of the apostles: glorious things are said of you, city of God (Ps 87:3). But it was situated on a mountain, namely, in Christ: the mountain of the house of the Lord (Isa 2:2); a stone was cut out of a mountain (Dan 2:34). Or, on a mountain, that is, in the perfection of justice: your justice like the mountains (Ps 36:6). But a city situated on a mountain cannot be hidden, and so it is with the apostles. 458. Non potest civitas. Civitas congregatio fidelium erat, scilicet ipsa collectio apostolorum, Ps. gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei. Sita autem erat in monte, scilicet Christo, Ys. II: erit mons domus Domini, Dan. II, 34: lapis abscissus est de monte. Vel in monte, id est in perfectione iustitiae, Ps. iustitia tua sicut montes. Civitas autem in monte sita non potest se abscondere, ita apostoli. Chrysostom: if men in the lowest station should sin, they can escape notice, but if those in the highest station do, they cannot escape notice: the eyes of all Israel are upon you (1 Kgs 1:20). Hilary explains it another way, and the meaning is about the same: the city on a mountain is Christ, for on the part of his human nature in which he shares with us, he is the city: I have made you this day a fortified city (Jer 1:18); he is on the mountain because he is in divinity which is the mountain: the mountain of God is a fat mountain (Ps 68:15). And therefore Christ could not remain hidden: and thus you, apostles, should not hide me. Chrysostomus: homines in infimo constituti si peccant possunt latere, si constituti in culmine non possunt, III Reg. I, 20: in te oculi respiciunt totius Israel. Hilarius aliter exponit, et quasi idem est sensus: civitas in monte Christus est, quia ex parte humanae nature in qua nobiscum communicat civitas est, Ier. I, 18: dedi te hodie in civitatem; in monte est, quia in divinitate quae mons est, Ps. mons Dei, mons pinguis. Et ideo Christus latere non potuit: et ideo vos, apostoli, non debetis me occultare. 459. According to that neither do men light, as it were: ‘let us define what might remain hidden, although you should not hide yourselves.’ For no one receiving a benefit should do something against the intention of the one giving it. God gave you knowledge so that you might share it: as every man has received grace (1 Pet 4:9–11). And this is neither do men light a lamp, men indeed, or the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. By lamp can be understood first the Gospel teaching: a lamp to my feet (Ps 119:105), for a lamp has light as part of it; the light of truth is set down in Sacred Scripture, but it is lit by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Or by lamp the apostles can be understood, in the fact that the light of grace is brought in to them: John . . . was a burning and a shining light (John 5:35); I have prepared a lamp for my anointed (Ps 132:17). Or by lamp can mean Christ, for just as a lamp is a light in a clay jar, so is his divinity in his humanity: you are my lamp (2 Sam 22:29). 459. Secundum ibi neque accendunt, quasi: ponamus quod posset latere, tamen non debetis. Nullus enim beneficium accipiens debet facere contra intentionem dantis. Deus dedit vobis scientiam ad hoc quod communicetis, Petri IV: unusquisque gratiam quam accepit in alterutrum illam administrantes. Et hoc est neque accendunt lucernam, homines scilicet, vel Pater et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus. Per lucernam potest intelligi primo doctrina evangelica, Ps. lucerna pedibus: lucerna enim habet lumen incorporatum; lumen veritatis in Sacra Scriptura positum est, accensa autem est a Patre et Filio et Spiritu Sancto. Vel per lucernam possunt intelligi apostoli in quantum inditum est eis lumen gratiae, Ioh. V, 35: ille erat lucerna, Ps. paravi lucernam. Vel per lucernam Christus, quia sicut lucerna lux in testa, ita divinitas in humanitate, II Reg. II, 22: tu es lucerna mea Domine. 460. If lamp is taken in this way, we can understand three things by bushel. First, according to Augustine, corporeal things, for two reasons: first, because a bushel is a measure, you will have a just and a true weight (Deut 25:15)); but what we do in the body will be rendered back to us: for we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body (2 Cor 5:10). Or because all bodies are subject to measure, but divine things are infinite, since they are outside measure. Therefore, they set the lamp under a bushel who suit their teaching to temporal convenience, hence it is costly. Against which the Apostle says, we never came with words of flattery (1 Thess 2:5). In the second way, according to Chrysostom, secular men are called a bushel basket, for they are empty above and solid below: for above they are frenzied because they perceive nothing from the Holy Spirit: the sensual man perceives not these things that are of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14); but below, namely in secular affairs, they are wise: the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light (Luke 16:8); and that is the more literal exposition. Therefore according to this a lamp is set under a bushel when the teaching is hidden in worldly fear: who are you that you should fear from a man? (Isa 51:12); I labor even unto chains (2 Tim 2:9). But if by the lamp is understood Gospel teaching or Christ, then the bushel can be understood as the synagogue: for Christ did not become incarnate in order to remain hidden in Judea, but so that he might reveal himself to the whole world, I have given you to be the light of the Gentiles (Isa 49:6). 460. Sic accepta lucerna, per modium possumus intelligere tria. Primo, secundum Augustinum, res corporales, propter duas rationes: prima quia modius mensura est, Deut. XXV, 15: modius aequalis et verus erit tibi; id autem quod agimus in corpore retribuetur nobis, Cor. omnes astabimus ante tribunal Christi, ut referat unusquique propria corporis prout gessit; vel quia omnia corpora mensurata sunt, divina autem infinita quia extra mensuram. Ponunt ergo lucernam sub modio qui doctrinam suam referunt ad commodum temporale, unde pretiosius est illud; contra quod Apostolus I Thess. II, 5: neque enim fuimus in sermone adulationis. Secundo modo, secundum Chrysostomum, modius dicuntur homines saeculares, quia vacui superius et solidi inferius: superius enim habent insanitatem quia nihil sentiunt de Spiritu Sancto, Cor. II: animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei, sed inferius, in saecularibus scilicet negotiis, sapientes sunt, Luce filii huius saeculi prudenriores filii lucis in generatione sua sunt; et ista est magis litteralis expositio. Tunc ergo secundum hoc lucerna sub modio ponitur quando doctrina occultatur saeculari timore, Ier. quis tu ut timeas ab homine, II Tim. III: laboro usque ad vincula. Si autem per lucernam intelligatur doctrina evangelica vel Christus, tunc per modium potest intelligi synagoga: non enim propter hoc Christus incarnatus est ut latitaret sub Iudaea, sed ut manifestaret se toti mundo, Ps. dedi te in lucem gentium. 461. But upon a lampstand. This is explained in three ways, for by the lampstand can be meant the body, and by the lamp, the Gospel teaching; hence the same thing is meant by the bushel and the lampstand, as it were: the Gospel teaching should not be subjected to temporal things, but they should administer all things to themselves: hence when you give things, your body and even your life up to death for the love of Christ, then you set your lamp upon a lampstand. Or, by the lampstand is understood a church, for those who are lamps are placed in high places, as the lamp shining upon the holy lampstand (Sir 26:22). But if lamp is understood to mean Christ, then the lampstand means the cross: through the blood of his cross (Col 1:20). 461. Sed super candelabrum. Hoc tripliciter potest exponi, quia per candelabrum potest significari corpus, per lucernam doctrina evangelica; unde idem est per modium et candelabrum, quasi: non debet doctrina evangelica submitti rebus temporalibus, sed debent omnia ministrare sibi: unde quando tu das res, corpus et etiam vitam ad mortem amore Christi, tunc ponis lucernam super candelabrum. Vel per candelabrum intelligitur Ecclesia, quia illiqui lucerna sunt ponuntur in superiori loco, Eccli. XXV: lucerna splendens super candelabrum sanctum. Si autem intelligatur de Christo, tunc per candelabrum crucem, Col. I, 20: per sanguinem crucis. 462. That it may shine to all. This is also explained in three ways. By the house can be understood the Church: so that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the Church (1 Tim 3:15). Or the house is the whole world, for every house is built (Heb 3:4). 462. Ut luceat omnibus. Istud etiam tripliciter exponitur. Per domum Ecclesia potest intelligi, I Tim. IV: ut scias quomodo oportet conversari in domo Dei quae est Ecclesia. Vel domus est totus mundus, Hebr. III, 4: omnis enim domus fabricatur etc. Following is set down how they should make themselves known. And first he sets down the mode, for they must shine before men, enlightening them: but to me, the least among all the saints is given this grace to preach among the gentiles (Eph 3:8); and the order, so that men may see: show me your faith without works and I will show you, by works, my faith (Jas 2:18); the end, for it is not for the sake of their own glory: for we are not as many, adulterating the word of God (2 Cor 2:17), and that is: and glorify: for on account of the glory of God we should do good works so that God might be glorified in a good life: whether you eat or drink . . . do all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). Consequenter ponitur modus quomodo debent se manifestare. Et primo ponit modum, quia debent lucere coram hominibus, illuminando eos, Eph. III, 8: mihi autem omnium sanctorum minimo data est gratia haec: in gentibus evangelizare; ordinem: ut videant, Iac. II, 18: ostende mihi ex operibus; finem, quia non propter gloriam propriam, Cor. II: non sumus sicut plurimi adulterantes verbum Dei, et hoc est: et glorificent: propter gloriam enim Dei debemus bona operari ut in bona vita glorificetur Deus, Cor. X: sive manducaveritis etc. 463. Do not think. Note here that the Lord has fulfilled the law in five ways: first, because he himself fulfilled those things that were prefigured: what is written must be fulfilled in me (Luke 22:37); second, by observing legal things: when the fullness of time was come, God sent his son (Gal 4:4); third, by working through grace, namely in sanctifying by the Holy Spirit, which the law was unable to do: God has done what was impossible to the law (Rom 8:3); fourth, by satisfying for the sins by which we had been made transgressors of the law: hence having borne the transgression, he fulfilled the law: whom God proposed to be a propitiation (Rom 3:25); fifth, by applying certain perfections to the law which either related to the understanding of the law, or to a greater perfection of justice. Note that there are three ways of doing away with the law: either by completely denying it, or by explaining it wrongly, or by not fulfilling its morals. 463. Nolite putare. Nota hic quod Dominus quinque modis adimplevit legem: primo quia ea quae erant praefigurata ipse adimplevit, Luce ult. oportet implere; secundo legalia observando, Gal. IV, 4: cum venerit plenitudo; tertio operando per gratiam, scilicet in sanctificando per Spiritum Sanctum, quod lex facere non poterat, Ro. VIII, 3: nam quod impossibile erat; quarto satisfaciendo pro peccatis per quae eramus facti transgressores legis: unde transgressione sublata implevit legem, Ro. III, 25: quem proposuit Deus propitiationem; quinto quaedam perfectiones legi apponendo quae vel erant de intellectu legis, vel ad maiorem iustitiae perfectionem. Nota quod lex solvitur tripliciter: negando totaliter, vel eam male exponendo, vel moralia non adimplendo. Lecture 6 Lectio 6 Fulfillment of the law Adimpletio legis ^5:17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. [n. 464] ^5:17 Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem aut prophetas: non veni solvere, sed adimplere. [n. 464] ^5:18 For amen I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle will not pass of the law, until all be fulfilled. [n. 471] ^5:18 Amen quippe dico vobis, donec transeat caelum et terra, iota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege, donec omnia fiant. [n. 471] ^5:19 He therefore who will break one of these least commandments, and so teach men, will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he who will do and teach, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [n. 471] ^5:19 Qui ergo solverit unum de mandatis istis minimis, et docuerit sic homines, minimus vocabitur in regno caelorum; qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno caelorum. [n. 471] 464. Do not think. Having set down the beatitude that the teaching of Christ relates to, here he begins to promulgate his own teaching. And first he makes clear his intention; second, he proposes the rule and commands of his teaching, at for I say to you (Matt 5:20). 464. Nolite putare. Posita beatitudine ad quam pertinet doctrina Christi, hic incipit doctrinam suam promulgare. Et primo aperit intentionem suam; secundo proponit regulam et praecepta suae doctrinae, ibi dico autem vobis. Concerning the first, he does two things: Circa primum duo facit: first, he makes clear his intention; primo aperit suam intentionem; second, he shows the reason for its fulfillment, at amen. secundo ostendit suae adimpletionis rationem, ibi amen. 465. Concerning the first, he does two things: 465. Circa primum duo facit: first, he excludes what might be supposed as his intention; primo excludit opinatam intentionem; second, he supplies the true intention, at I am not come. secundo adstruit veram, ibi non veni. 466. The Lord had said to his apostles, blessed are you when they will revile you (Matt 5:11); hence the apostles might suspect that such a teaching was to be handed on that they had to hide themselves, as though Christ were saying something against the Law; and thus the Lord excludes this by saying, do not think. And again the same thing since it could be said that no other prophet, after Moses who gave it, did away with the Law, therefore the Lord says that he will do it fully, hence but to fulfill: for no one had fulfilled it. 466. Dixerat Dominus apostolis: beati eritis cum vobis maledixerint etc.; unde poterant suspicari apostoli quasi tradenda esset doctrina talis propter quam oportebat eos occultari, quasi diceret Christus aliquid contra legem; et ideo Dominus excludit hoc dicens nolite etc. Et item quia posset dici quod nullus alius propheta, post Moysen qui dedit, legem soluit, ideo Dominus dicit se amplius facturum, unde sed adimplere: nullus enim adimplevit. And note that this word is most effective against those who condemn the law as though it were from the devil: for the Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). But he himself acknowledges, I am not come to destroy the law: therefore it is not a work of the devil. By this argument a certain man was converted to the faith, and became a fellow preacher. Hence the Manichees abhor greatly this chapter; hence Faustus objects many times against Augustine. And all the objections are reduced to three. The first is from the authority of the law: for it says in Deuteronomy: let no word be added to the word that I speak to you, nor will you take anything away from it (Deut 4:2); but Christ did add to it: therefore he acted against the law. Again, Christ said that he was the institutor of the new law, later in this text: this is my blood (Matt 26:28); therefore he has destroyed the old. Third, for I have given you an example (John 13:15); therefore every action of Christ is true instruction; thus if he observed the law, we also must observe it. Therefore we must be circumcised and keep all the legal prescriptions. And this is the shared claim of Nazarenes and Manichees. Et nota quod istud verbum est multum efficax contra illos qui damnant legem tamquam sit a diabolo, Ioh. iii, in hoc apparet Filius Dei etc.; sed ipse confitetur non veni solvere legem: ideo non est opus diaboli. Per istud argumentum quidam conversus fuit ad fidem, et fuit frater praedicator. Unde Manichaei abhorrent multum istud capitulum; unde Faustus multipliciter obicit, secundum Augustinum. Et omnes obiectiones reducuntur ad tres. Primo ex auctoritate legis: dicitur enim Deut. iv, 12 non addetur verbum quod vobis loquor, nec auferetur ex eo; sed Christus addidit: ergo fecit contra legem. Item, Hebr. viii, 13 dicendo novum veteravit prius etc.; sed Christus dixit se institutorem novae legis, infra xxvi, 28 hic est sanguis meus: ergo destruxit vetus. Tertio, Ioh. xiii, 15 exemplum enim dedi vobis; omnis ergo Christi actio vera est instructio; si ergo implevit, et nos debemus adimplere: ergo debemus circumcidi et servare omnia legalia. Et ista est communis etiam Nazaraeis et Manichaeis. 467. Therefore Faustus said that either Jesus did not say these words, but Matthew, who was not present for this sermon, said this, while John who was present did not say this; or that if Matthew wrote what Christ said, the Gospel is explained some other way. 467. Dicebat ergo Faustus quod vel ista verba non dixit Iesus, sed dixit Matthaeus qui non interfuit sermoni, sed Iohannes qui interfuit non dixit; vel quod si Christus dixit et Matthaeus scripsit, evangelium aliter exponitur. For in Sacred Scripture the law is set forth three ways: because in the law of God there is the Mosaic law: we are freed from the law of death (Rom 7:6); there is the law of nature: for when the gentiles who have not the law do by nature what is of the law (Rom 2:14); and there is the law of truth, for the law of the Spirit of life delivered me from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). In Sacra enim Scriptura tripliciter exponitur lex: quia est mosaica, Ro. vii, 6 soluti sumus a lege mortsi, in lege Dei; lex naturae, Ro. ii, 14 cum enim gentes quae legem etc.; lex veritatis, Ro. viii, 2 lex Spiritus venit etc. This is proved in three ways, then, namely: the old law; the law of nature which is among the gentiles, one of them a prophet of their own, said: the Cretans are always liars (Tit 1:12); and the law of truth, Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes (Matt 23:34). Ita probatur tripliciter ergo, scilicet: veteris legis, legis naturae quae apud gentiles, Tit. i, 12 dixit autem quod ex illis priusquam propheta, Cretenses etc., veritatis, infra xxiii, 34 ecce ego mitto. Therefore what he says here, I am not come to destroy, is to be understood concerning the law of nature or of truth, for it also existed among certain of the ancient fathers; and the sign of this is that the Lord, when he was speaking of the commandments, seemed to approve some of them, and not others, namely, those that are properly of the law of Moses, namely that eye for an eye and the ones like it. Quod ergo dicit hic non veni etc. intelligendum est de lege naturae vel veritatis, quae etiam fit in quibusdam antiquis patribus; et huius signum est quod Dominus, quando loquebatur de praeceptis, quaedam videbatur approbare, quaedam non, scilicet quae sunt propria legis mosaice, scilicet illud oculum pro oculo et huiusmodi. 468. But Augustine objects against these things in the following way. First, because whoever denies something of the Gospel, by the same reasoning could deny anything else and thus render Scripture void; but the man of faith must believe whatever things are in the Scriptures. Again, because he says he speaks about another law and prophets, it is false, for in the whole New Testament, everywhere law is mentioned, it is understood to be about the law of Moses, to them belong . . . the giving of the law (Rom 9:4); therefore also the Lord is speaking of these things. 468. Sed contra ista Augustinus sic obicit. Primo quia quicumque negat aliquid de Evangelio, pari ratione poterit negare quodcumque aliud et sic annullare Scripturam; sed homo fidelis quaecumque sunt in Scriptura debet credere. Item quod dicit: loquitur de alia lege et prophetis, falsum est, quia in toto Novo Testamento ubicumque fit mentio de lege intelligitur de lege mosaica, Ro. ix, 4 quorum est legislatio etc.; ergo et Dominus de istis loquitur. 469. Hence it should be seen first how Christ came to fulfill the law, and afterward we will resolve the arguments. Thus it should be known that Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets in five ways. 469. Unde videndum primo quomodo Christus venit adimplere legem et postea solvemus rationes. Sciendum ergo quod Christus quinque modis adimplevit legem et prophetas. First, because those things that were prefigured in the law and the prophets concerning Christ, he fulfilled in his actions: what is written must be fulfilled in me (Luke 22:37). Primo quia ea que erant praefigurata in lege et prophetis de Christo opere implevit, Luce ult. oportet implere omnia. Second, by observing the legal requirements to the letter, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his son (Gal 4:4). Secundo ad litteram legalia observando, Gal. iv, 4 cum venit plenitudo.