70. Deinde cum dicit ipse autem Deus, etc., demonstrat quid optet eis. Et circa hoc primo ostendit quid petat, ibi ad confirmanda.
70. Then when Paul says: now may God himself, he makes known what he desires for them; in regard to this he first shows what he is asking for, at to confirm your hearts.
71. Petit autem duo: unum ex parte sua, ut posset ire ad eos. Unde dicit ipse Deus et Pater noster, et cetera. Io. XX, 17: ascendo ad Patrem meum et Patrem vestrum, et cetera. Prov. XVI, 1: hominis est praeparare animum, et Domini gubernare linguam.
71. And Paul is asking for two things: one on his own behalf—that he may go to see them—and so he says: may God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:17). The plans of the mind belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (Prov 16:1).
Aliud ex parte eorum. Unde dicit vos autem multiplicet, scilicet in fide. II Reg. XXIV, v. 3: adaugeat Dominus populum suum centuplum, quam sunt, et cetera. Et ut augeantur merita. Unde dicit et abundare faciat caritatem vestram, quae semper in via crescere potest. Col. III, 14: super omnia caritatem habete, quod est vinculum perfectionis. Et primo, invicem; secundo, in omnes. Gal. VI, 10: operemur bonum ad omnes: maxime autem ad domesticos fidei.
The other is for their welfare, so Paul asks: and may the Lord multiply you, that is, in faith: may the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are (1 Chr 21:3). And Paul prays also that their merits may increase; so he says, and make you abound in charity, which can always increase in this life: above all these put on love, which binds everything together (Col 3:14). And, first, charity towards one another; second, charity towards all men. Let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal 6:10).
Et ponit exemplum de seipso, dicens quemadmodum, etc., quasi dicat: sicut et ego diligo vos. II Cor. VII, 3: in cordibus nostris estis ad commoriendum et ad convivendum.
And Paul gives an example of himself when he comments: as we do also towards you, as if to say: just as I also love you: you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together (2 Cor 7:3).
72. Sed ad quid petit? Ad confirmanda corda vestra sine querela, id est, ut nullus possit conqueri de vobis. Lc. I, 6: incedentes in omnibus mandatis et iustificationibus sine querela. Et sanctitate ante Deum, scilicet qui cor videt. Lc. I, 75: in sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso, et cetera.
72. But for what purpose does Paul pray? To confirm your hearts without blame, that is, so that nobody can complain about you; righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Luke 1:6). In holiness before God who sees the heart: in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life (Luke 1:75).
Et hoc apparet in adventu Domini nostri Iesu Christi, ut vos inveniat sanctos; qui adventus erit cum omnibus sanctis eius, id est, sitis in conspectu eius, sicut sunt omnes sancti ante eum.
And this shall be manifest at the coming of our Lord Jesus, that he may find you holy, who shall come with all his saints; that you might be in his presence, just as all the saints are before him.
Caput 4
Chapter 4
Praecepta et Resurrectio
Precepts and the Resurrection
Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Praecepta castitatis et caritatis
Precepts of chastity and charity
4:1 De cetero ergo, fratres, rogamus vos et obsecramus in Domino Jesu, ut quemadmodum accepistis a nobis quomodo oporteat vos ambulare, et placere Deo, sic et ambuletis ut abundetis magis. [n. 73]
4:1 For the rest, therefore, brethren, we pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus that, as you have received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, so also you would walk, that you may abound the more. [n. 73]
4:2 Scitis enim quae praecepta dederim vobis per Dominum Jesum. [n. 77]
4:2 For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus. [n. 77]
4:3 Haec est enim voluntas Dei, sanctificatio vestra: [n. 78]
4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: [n. 78]
4:4 ut abstineatis vos a fornicatione, ut sciat unusquisque vestrum vas suum possidere in sanctificatione, et honore: [n. 80]
4:4 That you should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, [n. 80]
4:5 non in passione desiderii, sicut et gentes, quae ignorant Deum:
4:5 Not in the passion of lust, like the gentiles who do not know God:
4:6 et ne quis supergrediatur, neque circumveniat in negotio fratrem suum: quoniam vindex est Dominus de his omnibus, sicut praediximus vobis, et testificati sumus. [n. 81]
4:6 And that no man overreach nor circumvent his brother in business: because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you before and have testified. [n. 81]
4:7 Non enim vocavit nos Deus in immunditiam, sed in sanctificationem. [n. 84]
4:7 For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification. [n. 84]
4:8 Itaque qui haec spernit, non hominem spernit, sed Deum: qui etiam dedit Spiritum suum Sanctum in nobis.
4:8 Therefore, he who despises these things, despises not man, but God, who also has given his Holy Spirit in us.
4:9 De caritate autem fraternitatis non necesse habemus scribere vobis: ipsi enim vos a Deo didicistis ut diligatis invicem. [n. 85]
4:9 But regarding the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you: for you yourselves have learned of God to love one another. [n. 85]
4:10 Etenim illud facitis in omnes fratres in universa Macedonia. Rogamus autem vos, fratres, ut abundetis magis,
4:10 For indeed you do it towards all the brethren in all Macedonia. But we entreat you, brethren, that you abound more:
4:11 et opera detis ut quieti sitis, et ut vestrum negotium agatis, et operemini manibus vestris, sicut praecepimus vobis: [n. 88]
4:11 And that you use your endeavor to be quiet: and that you do your own business and work with your own hands, as we commanded you: [n. 88]
73. Supra commendavit Apostolus fideles de constantia in tribulationibus et aliis bonis, hic in futurum monet ad bene agendum. Et
73. Earlier, the Apostle Paul commended the faithful for their loyalty in the face of trials and for other good practices; here Paul cautions them to act well in the future.
primo proponit generalem admonitionem;
First, he presents a general warning;
secundo specificat, ibi ut abstineatis.
second, he makes it more specific, at that you should abstain.
Circa primum duo facit, quia
In regard to the first point, he does two things.
primo proponit intentum,
First he presents what he is intent upon;
secundo rationem monitionis assignat, ibi ut abundetis, et cetera.
second, he indicates a reason for the warning, at that you may abound.
74. Dicit ergo: audivi bona vestra praeterita, sed in futurum rogamus, et cetera. Inducit autem eos primo ex parte sua. Et ideo dicit rogamus. Ps. CXXI, 6: rogate quae ad pacem sunt, et cetera. Item ex parte Christi, et sic dicit obsecramus, et cetera. Obsecrat autem, quia erant perfecti. I Tim. V, 1: seniorem te ne increpaveris, sed obsecra ut patrem.
74. So he says: I heard about your good practices of the past, but in the future we will continue to exhort you. So he prevails upon them, first, on his own behalf when he remarks, we pray, pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6). In addition, he prevails upon them on behalf of Christ, and so he says, and beseech you in the Lord Jesus. And he exhorts them, because they are holy: do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father (1 Tim 5:1).
Sed quid rogat? Ut quemadmodum, et cetera. Docuerat eos Apostolus quomodo oporteret eos ambulare in via communi iustitiae, quae est per mandata. Unde dicit: accepistis, et cetera. Ps. CXVIII, 32: viam mandatorum tuorum, et cetera.
But what does he ask? That, as you have received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, so also you would walk. The Apostle had taught them how they should conduct themselves in the practice of common justice, which is by keeping the precepts; that is why he says: you have received from us how you ought to walk, I will run in the way of your commandments (Ps 119:32).
Item quomodo placerent Deo in via consiliorum. Sap. IV, 10: placens Deo factus est dilectus. Vel quomodo ambuletis, scilicet per rectam operationem. Io. XII, 35: ambulate dum lucem habetis. Quomodo placeatis, scilicet per rectam intentionem. Sic et ambuletis, id est, ut servetis primam doctrinam non recedendo ab ea. Gal. I, 8: sed licet nos aut angelus de caelo evangelizet vobis praeter quam quod evangelizavimus vobis, anathema sit.
He had also taught them how they might be pleasing to God in the practice of the counsels: there was one who pleased God and was loved by him (Wis 4:10); or how you ought to walk, that is, by virtuous actions. Walk while you have the light (John 12:35); and to please God through the forming of good intentions: so also you would walk, that is, that they might remain steadfast in the original teaching, without falling away from it: but even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal 1:8).
75. Ratio monitionis accipitur
75. The reason for the warning is based
primo ex fructu servatae monitionis;
first, on the benefit to be derived from heeding the warning;
secundo ex ipsa monitione, ibi scitis enim quae, et cetera.
second, from the warning itself, at for you know.
76. Dicit ergo: licet sitis boni, tamen per exercitium mandatorum et consiliorum abundabitis et proficietis. II Cor. IX, 8: potens est Deus omnem gratiam abundare facere in vobis. Est enim caritas tam magna, quod semper restat quo proficiendum sit.
76. He remarks: although you are good, nevertheless you shall grow markedly and improve through the repeated practice of the precepts and counsels. God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance (2 Cor 9:8). For charity is so encompassing that there will always be something left through which one might improve himself.
77. Item quae ex monitione accepistis, honesta sunt et utilia. Ps. XVIII, 8: lex Domini immaculata, et cetera. Prov. VI, 23: mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux et via vitae. Ideo dicit quae praecepta, id est, qualia. Et hoc per Dominum Iesum accepta ab eo. I Cor. c. XI, 23: ego enim accepi a Domino quod et tradidi vobis, et cetera. Hebr. II, 3: quae cum initium accepisset enarrari per Dominum ab his, qui audierunt, et cetera. Et haec sunt ista.
77. Also, if difficulties are removed because of the warning, it is both proper and useful. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (Ps 19:7). For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life (Prov 6:23). He then says: what precepts, that is, what kind of commandments, and he tells us that they are by the Lord Jesus, in that they are given through him: for I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you (1 Cor 11:23). It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him (Heb 2:3). The precepts are as follows:
Haec est voluntas Dei sanctificatio vestra, quasi dicat: omnia praecepta Dei sunt ad hoc quod sitis sancti. Sanctitas enim dicit munditiam et firmitatem. Et omnia Dei praecepta inducunt ad ista, ut quis mundus sit a malo, et firmus in bono. Rom. XII, 2: probetis quae sit voluntas Dei, scilicet explicata per praecepta.
this is the will of God, your sanctification, as if saying: all the commandments of God are for the purpose of making you holy; for sanctity means purity and constancy, and all of God’s precepts lead thereto, so that a person may be cleansed from evil and constant in good: that you may prove what is the will of God (Rom 12:2) which is made known through the precepts.