Lectio 3 Lecture 3 Paulus ut pater Christianorum Paul as father of Christians 4:14 Non ut confundam vos, haec scribo, sed ut filios meos carissimos moneo. [n. 219] 4:14 I do not write these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children. [n. 219] 4:15 Nam si decem millia paedagogorum habeatis in Christo, sed non multos patres. Nam in Christo Jesu per Evangelium ego vos genui. [n. 221] 4:15 For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the Gospel, I have begotten you. [n. 221] 4:16 Rogo ergo vos, imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi. [n. 223] 4:16 Wherefore, I beseech you, be followers of me as I also am of Christ. [n. 223] 4:17 Ideo misi ad vos Timotheum, qui est filius meus carissimus, et fidelis in Domino: qui vos commonefaciet vias meas, quae sunt in Christo Jesu, sicut ubique in omni ecclesia doceo. [n. 224] 4:17 For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord. Who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus: as I teach everywhere in every church. [n. 224] 4:18 Tamquam non venturus sim ad vos, sic inflati sunt quidam. [n. 225] 4:18 As if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up. [n. 225] 4:19 Veniam autem ad vos cito, si Dominus voluerit: et cognoscam non sermonem eorum qui inflati sunt, sed virtutem. [n. 226] 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills: and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power. [n. 226] 4:20 Non enim in sermone est regnum Dei, sed in virtute. 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power. 4:21 Quid vultis? in virga veniam ad vos, an in caritate, et spiritu mansuetudinis? [n. 227] 4:21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in charity and in the spirit of meekness? [n. 227] 219. Postquam, Apostolus reprehendit Corinthios de hoc quod Apostolos temere iudicabant, et praesumptuose contemnebant, hic instat ad eorum correctionem, et 219. After censuring the Corinthians for rashly judging the apostles and presumptuously despising them, the Apostle now applies himself to correcting them. primo admonitionis verbo; First, by oral advice; secundo, exemplo, ibi rogo ergo vos, fratres, etc.; second, by examples, at wherefore, I beseech you; tertio, correctionis flagello, ibi tamquam non venturus sim, et cetera. third, with the rod of correction, at as if I would not come to you. 220. Circa primum tria facit. Primo ponit admonitionis modum, dicens haec, scilicet quae in serie epistolae hucusque vobis dixi, scribo non ut confundam vos, scilicet mala confusione, quae in desperationem mittit, quamvis velim vos confundi confusione, quae peccatum vitat, secundum illud Eccli. IV, 25: est confusio adducens peccatum, et est confusio adducens gratiam et gloriam. Sed praedicta moneo vos, ut filios. Eccle. VII, 25: filii tibi sunt? Erudi illos, et cura illos a pueritia eorum. 220. In regard to the first he does three things: first, he tells how he means to admonish them, saying, I do not write these things, which I have said so far in the epistle, to confound you in an evil way, which leads to despair, although I would like you to be bewildered with the sort of confusion that avoids sin: there is a confusion that brings sin, and there is a confusion that brings glory and grace (Sir 4:25). But to admonish you with the above advice as my dearest children: do you have children? Discipline them and make them obedient from their youth (Sir 7:25). 221. Secundo ostendit debitum admonendi modum, dicens nam si decem millia paedagogorum habeatis in Christo, sed non multos patres. 221. Second, he shows the correct way to admonish, saying, for if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. Ubi considerandum est quod Pater est qui primo generat: paedagogus autem est qui iam natum nutrit et erudit. Gal. III, 24: lex paedagogus noster fuit in Christo. Dicit ergo Apostolus se patrem eorum in Christo, quia eis primo Evangelium praedicavit. Here it should be noted that a father is one who begets, but a guide nurses and trains the child: the law was our custodian until Christ came (Gal 3:24). Therefore, the Apostle calls himself their father in Christ, because he was the first to preach the Gospel to them. 222. Unde, assignans rationem eius quod dixerat, subdit nam in Christo Iesu per Evangelium vos genui. Est autem generatio processus ad vitam, homo autem vivit in Christo per fidem. Gal. II, 20: quod autem nunc vivo in carne, in fide vivo Filii Dei. Fides autem, ut dicitur Rom. X, 17, est ex auditu, auditus autem per verbum. Unde verbum Dei est semen, quo Apostolus eos genuit in Christo. Unde Iac. I, 18: voluntarie nos genuit verbo veritatis. 222. Hence he assigns the reason for this when he continues, for in Christ Jesus, by the Gospel, I have begotten you. But begetting is a process leading to life; and man lives in Christ by faith: in the flesh I live now by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20). Faith, however, comes by hearing; and hearing by word (Rom 10:17). Hence the word of God is the seed by which the Apostle begot them in Christ: by his own will he has begotten us by the word of truth (Jas 1:18). Alios autem dicit paedagogos, quia postquam fidem receperant, eos adiuvarunt: ut intelligatur esse eadem comparatio, quantum ad praedicationem Evangelii, paedagogi ad patrem, quae supra III, 6 ss. posita est, rigatoris ad plantatorem, et superaedificatoris ad fundatorem. But he calls others instructors, because they helped them after receiving the faith. In this way we are given to understand that as far as the preaching of the Gospel is concerned, there is the same relationship between instructor and father as that of waterer and planter and that of builder and superstructure to layer of foundation. 223. Deinde, cum dicit rogo ergo vos, fratres, instat ad corrigendum eos suo exemplo. 223. Then when he says, wherefore, I beseech you, he starts to correct them with his own example. Et primo hortatur eos ad imitandum suum exemplum, dicens: ergo ex quo estis filii, cum bonorum filiorum sit imitari patres, rogo vos, imitatores mei estote, scilicet ut non temere iudicetis, sicut nec ego, quia neque meipsum iudicare praesumo, et de vobis humilia sentiatis, et de aliis maiora. Unde non sine causa tali modo loquendi usus est: nos infirmi, vos fortes. II Thess. c. III, 9: ut formam nosmetipsos daremus vobis ad imitandum. First, he urges them to follow his example, saying: then, since you are my children and good children should imitate their fathers, I beseech you, be followers of me, so as not to judge rashly (just as I don’t, because I do not ever presume to judge myself) but to think humbly of yourselves and highly of others. Hence it wasn’t by chance that he had said earlier: we are weak, but you are strong, but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you to imitate us (2 Thess 3:4). Advertendum est autem quod eosdem, quos supra filios nominavit, nunc nominat fratres. Dixerat autem suos filios in Christo, quia eos non sibi, sed Christo genuerat, et quia ipse genitus erat a Christo, ex consequenti eos habebat ut fratres et filios. Intantum ergo debebant eum imitari ut patrem, inquantum et ipse Christum imitabatur, qui est omnium principalis pater. Note that here he is calling the same persons brothers, whom he had just called his children. However, he had called them his children in Christ, because he had begotten them not for himself but for Christ; and because he himself had been begotten in Christ, he could regard them as his brothers and his children. Consequently, they should have imitated him as a father to the same degree as he imitated Christ, who is the main father of all. Et per hoc subtrahitur subditis occasio de adhaerendo malis exemplis praelatorum. Unde in hoc subditi solum praelatos imitari debent, in quo ipsi Christum imitantur, qui est infallibilis regula veritatis; unde seipsum apostolis in exemplum posuit. Io. XIII, 15: exemplum dedi vobis, ut quemadmodum ego feci, et cetera. Quod quidem exemplum Paulus sequebatur, secundum illud Iob XXIII, 11: vestigia eius secutus est pes meus, viam eius custodivi, et non declinavi ab ea. This, therefore, removes from subjects an excuse for following the evil examples of their prelates; they should rather imitate their prelates only to the degree that they imitate Christ, who is the infallible standard of truth. Hence he gave himself as an example to the apostles when he said: I have given you an example, that as I have done so you also do (John 13:15). Paul, of course, followed this example: my foot has followed his steps, I have kept his way, and have not declined from it (Job 23:11). 224. Secundo removet excusationem ignorantiae, dicens ideo misi ad vos Timotheum, qui est filius meus charissimus et fidelis in Domino, secundum illud Phil. II, v. 20, de Timotheo loquens: neminem habeo ita unanimem, qui sincera affectione pro vobis sollicitus sit. Qui vos commonefaciat vias meas, id est, qui vos doceat meos processus, id est, omnia opera, et moneat vos ad ea sequendum, secundum illud Ier. c. VI, 16: interrogate de semitis antiquis, quae sit via bona, et ambulate in ea. Quae quidem viae sunt in Christo, et ideo non debetis dedignari eas sequi, secundum illud Ps. XXIV, 4: vias tuas, Domine, demonstra mihi. Et non videatur vobis hoc onerosum, quia hoc communiter omnibus impono. Unde subdit sicut ubique in ecclesia doceo. Col. I, 5 s.: audistis veritatis Evangelium, quod pervenit ad vos, sicut et in universo mundo. 224. Second, he removes the excuse of ignorance, saying, for this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord, which agrees with what he said of Timothy in Philippians: I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare (Phil 2:20). Who will put you in mind of my ways, i.e., he will teach you my procedures, i.e., all that is to be done and advise you to follow them: ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk on it (Jer 6:16), which ways are in Christ Jesus. Hence you should not disdain to follow them: show me your ways, O Lord (Ps 25:4); or consider them a burden, because this is what I generally lay upon all; hence he says: as I teach everywhere in every church. You have heard the word of the truth of the Gospel, which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world (Col 1:5). Vel hoc quod dicit vias meas, referendum est ad opera, quod vero dicit sicut et ubique, ad documenta. Ad hoc enim missus erat Timotheus, ut induceret eos ad imitanda opera, et tenenda Apostoli documenta. Or my ways can refer to good works, as I teach everywhere, to doctrines. For Timothy had been sent to induce them to imitate the works and abide by the doctrines of the Apostle. 225. Deinde, cum dicit tamquam non venturus sim ad vos, comminatur eis correctionis flagellum. 225. Then when he says, as if I would not come, he threatens them with the rod of correction. Et primo ostendit eos esse dignos correctionis flagello, dicens tamquam non venturus sim ad vos, inflati sunt quidam, scilicet vestrum, quasi non timentes per me de sua superbia convinci, et tamen digni sunt flagellis: nam humiles solis verbis corriguntur, superbi flagellis indigent, secundum illud Iob c. XL, 7: respice cunctos superbos, et confunde eos. First, he shows that they deserve the rod of correction, saying, as if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up, as though not fearing to be convicted of pride by me; and yet they deserved the rod, because the humble are corrected by words alone, but the proud need stripes: look on all that are proud, and confound them and crush the wicked in their place (Job 40:7). 226. Secundo praenuntiat eis suum adventum quo veniet ad iudicandum, ubi primo praenuntiat adventum, dicens veniam autem cito ad vos. Et quia dicitur Prov. XVI, v. 9: cor hominis disponit viam suam, sed Domini est dirigere gressus eius, ideo subdit si Dominus voluerit. Iac. IV, 15: si Dominus voluerit, et si vixerimus, faciemus hoc aut illud. 226. Second, he tells them of his visit, when he will come to judge them. First, he foretells his coming when he says, but I will come to you shortly. But because in says in Proverbs: the heart of man disposes his way, but the Lord must direct his steps (Prov 16:9), he adds, if the Lord wills: if the Lord will and if we shall live, we will do this or that (Jas 4:15). Secundo praenuntiat eis suam iudiciariam cognitionem, cum dicit et cognoscam, scilicet ordine iudiciario, secundum illud Iob c. XXIX, 16: causam, quam nesciebam, diligentissime investigabam. Non sermonem eorum, qui inflati sunt, sed virtutem, quasi dicat: non propter haec ex mea examinatione approbabuntur, qui abundant in verbis, sed si abundarent in virtute; quia, ut dicitur Prov. XIV, 23, ubi verba sunt plurima, ibi frequenter egestas. Second, he tells them that he will make a searching judgment when he says, and will know, namely, by a judicial process: the cause which I knew not, I searched out diligently (Job 29:16); not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power, as if to say: because they who abound in words will not be approved by my examination, but rather they who abounded in virtue: mere talk tends only to want (Prov 14:23). Tertio rationem assignat, dicens non enim in sermone est regnum Dei, sed in virtute, id est, non ideo aliqui pertinent ad regnum Dei, qui abundant in sermone, secundum illud Matth. VII, 21: non omnis qui dicit mihi: Domine, Domine, intrabit in regnum caelorum, sed qui facit voluntatem Patris mei. Third, he assigns the reason, saying, the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power, i.e., therefore, some who abound in speech do not attain to the kingdom of God: not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father (Matt 7:21). 227. Ultimo comminatur eis correctionem, reservans tamen correctionem arbitrio eorum, dicens quid vultis? In virga, scilicet disciplinae, veniam ad vos, scilicet castigandos, an in caritate, id est, ostensione amoris, et in spiritu mansuetudinis ut scilicet nihil durius vobiscum agam? Hoc enim pendet ex vobis; nam si vos in via stultitiae permanetis, oportet me ad vos cum virga venire, secundum illud Prov. XXII, 15: stultitia colligata est in corde pueri, et virga disciplinae fugabit eam. Si vero vos correxeritis, ostendam vobis caritatem et mansuetudinem, Gal. ult.: vos qui spirituales estis, instruite huiusmodi in spiritu lenitatis. Hoc autem non dicit quin si in virga veniens, non cum caritate veniret, cum scriptum sit Prov. c. XIII, 24: qui parcit virgae, odit filium suum: qui autem diligit illum, instanter erudit, sed quia ille qui castigatur virga, non sentit interdum dulcedinem caritatis, sicut illi quos blande consolatur. 227. Finally, he threatens to chastise them, but leaves the choice to them, saying: what do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, namely, of discipline, or in charity, i.e., with a display of love, and in the spirit of meekness? As if to say: it depends on you whether or not I shall deal more harshly with you. For if you persist in the foolish way, I must come to you with the rod, as Proverbs says: folly is bound up in the heart of a child, and the rod of correction shall drive it away (Prov 22:15). But if you amend your lives, I will act charitably and meekly: you who are spiritual, instruct such a one in a spirit of meekness (Gal 6:1). However, this does not mean that if he came with the rod, he would not come in charity, since it says in Proverbs: he who spares the rod hates his son; but he who loves him corrects him betimes (Prov 13:24), but because a person chastened with the rod fails at times to sense the gentleness of charity, as those who are encouraged gently. Caput 5 Chapter 5 Contra Fornicatio Against Fornication Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Horror fornicationis Horror of fornication 5:1 Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio, et talis fornicatio, qualis nec inter gentes, ita ut uxorem patris sui aliquis habeat. [n. 228] 5:1 It is absolutely heard that there is fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathens: that one should have his father’s wife. [n. 228]