Lectio 5
Lecture 5
Excellentia Pauli apostolis falsis
Paul’s superiority to false apostles
11:21 Secundum ignobilitatem dico, quasi nos infirmi fuerimus in hac parte. In quo quis audet (in insipientia dico) audeo et ego: [n. 417]
11:21 I speak according to dishonor, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. [n. 417]
11:22 Hebraei sunt, et ego: Israëlitae sunt, et ego: semen Abrahae sunt, et ego.
11:22 They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.
11:23 Ministri Christi sunt [n. 420] (ut minus sapiens dico), plus ego: in laboribus plurimis, in carceribus abundantius, in plagis supra modum, in mortibus frequenter. [n. 421]
11:23 They are the ministers of Christ [n. 420] (I speak as one less wise): I am more so; in many more labors, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. [n. 421]
11:24 A Judaeis quinquies, quadragenas, una minus, accepi.
11:24 From the Jews, five times I received forty stripes less one.
11:25 Ter virgis caesus sum, semel lapidatus sum: ter naufragium feci, nocte et die in profundo maris fui,
11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods: once I was stoned: three times I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.
11:26 in itineribus saepe, periculis fluminum, periculis latronum, periculis ex genere, periculis ex gentibus, periculis in civitate, periculis in solitudine, periculis in mari, periculis in falsis fratribus: [n. 427]
11:26 Often on journeys, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: [n. 427]
417. Positis rationibus suae commendationis et causis quare supportandus est, hic consequenter incipit se commendare. Et
417. Having given the reasons for commending himself and the causes why they should bear with him, he now begins to commend himself.
circa hoc duo facit.
In regard to this he does two things.
Primo enim adaequat se pseudo et aliis, qui commendabant se;
First, he shows himself equal to the false apostles and others who commended themselves;
secundo praefert se eis, ibi ut minus sapiens, et cetera.
second, he prefers himself to them, at I speak as one less wise.
Adaequat autem se Apostolus eis in gloria. Est autem gloria duplex. Una secundum carnem, quae modica est et contemnenda. Unde ipse dicit Phil. III, 7: sed quae mihi fuerunt lucra, arbitratus, et cetera. Alia est secundum Christum, quia magna gloria est sequi Dominum, Eccli. XXIII, 38. Et haec est quaerenda. Gal. ult. 14: mihi absit gloriari nisi in cruce, et cetera. Et ideo Apostolus adaequat se eis quantum ad utramque gloriam. Et
The Apostle makes himself their equal in glory. But glory is of two kinds: one is according to the flesh and is slight and worthy of scorn; hence he says to the Philippians: but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ (Phil 3:7); the other in according to Christ, because it is great glory to follow the Lord (Sir 23:38), and this should be sought: but far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14). The Apostle therefore makes himself equal to them in regard to both glories:
primo quantum ad primam;
first, in regard to the first;
secundo quantum ad secundam, ibi ministri Christi, et cetera.
second, in regard to the second, at they are the ministers of Christ.
418. Et, primo, adaequat se eis in generali, dicens: recipiatis me insipientem, si tamen insipientia est. Ex hypothesi enim loquor, quia si quis ausus est praesumere de se, et commendare se, et ego possum bene audere et commendare me in eodem, in quo ipse commendat se, quia non subest eis maior causa suae commendationis, quam mihi. Et hoc dico in insipientia, id est dico, quod insipienter agam, cum tamen ipse sapienter ageret, cum hoc non faceret pro sui iactantia sed ut pseudo humiliaret. Supra eodem: existimo me non minus fecisse a magnis apostolis, et cetera.
418. First, he shows himself equal to them in general, saying: receive me as one who is foolish, provided it is foolish, for I speak hypothetically; because whatever any one dares to boast of or to take for granted about himself and to commend himself, I can dare and commend myself on the same matters in which they commend themselves, because they have no better reason than I to commend themselves. I speak foolishly, i.e., I say that I am acting foolishly; yet he was acting wisely, because he was not doing this to boast, but to humiliate the false apostles: I suppose that I have done nothing less than the great apostles (2 Cor 11:5).
419. Secundo cum dicit Hebraei sunt, etc., adaequat se eis in speciali, ostendens per singula se parem eis esse in quibus pseudo gloriabantur. Commendatio autem istorum et gloria erat de tribus. Primo de natione et lingua, quia dicebant se Hebraeos; secundo de genere, quia dicebant se esse de genere Israel; tertio de promissione, quia dicebant se esse participes promissionis Abrahae, cum essent de semine eius.
419. Second, when he says, they are Hebrews: so am I, he shows in detail that he is equal to them, indicating one by one the points in which he is equal to them, and in which the false apostles found glory. But they took glory and commended themselves on three points. First, in their nationality and tongue, because they called themselves Hebrews; second in their race, because they said they were of the race of Israel; third, in the promise, because they said they were partakers of the promise to Abraham, since they were of his seed.
Et quantum ad haec tria adaequat se eis.
So he shows that he is equal to them on these three points.
Primo quantum ad nationem et linguam, dicens Hebraei sunt, et ego, scilicet lingua et natione, quasi dicat: ita sicut et illi. Et notandum est, quod, secundum quod quidam dicunt, Hebraei dicuntur ab Abraham, quia ante eum de facili non invenitur illud nomen. Potest tamen dici et forte melius, quod dicuntur a quodam Heber, de quo habetur Gen. cap. XI, 14: vixit sale triginta annis, et genuit Heber. Et sequitur: vixit Heber triginta tribus annis, et genuit Phaleg. Et tempore eius fuerunt divisae linguae, et lingua Hebraeorum remansit in familia sua.
First, as to nationality and language, saying they are Hebrews: so am I, namely, in language and in nationality; as if to say: I am as they are. It should be noted that, as some say, they are called Hebrews from Abraham, because before him that name was uncommon. But it can be said, and perhaps better, that the word is derived from a certain Eber mentioned in Genesis: Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber (Gen 11:14), and then Eber lived thirty-four years and begot Peleg. It was during this time that languages became distinct, and the language of the Hebrews remained in the family.
Secundo adaequat se eis quantum ad genus, dicens Israelitae sunt, et ego, scilicet secundum ritus.
Second, he shows himself equal to them in race, saying they are Israelites: so am I, namely, according to rite.
Tertio quantum ad tertium, dicens semen Abrahae sunt, et ego.
Third, as to the third he says: they are the seed of Abraham: so am I.
Et de istis tribus dicitur Phil. III, 4 s.: si quis alius sibi confidere videtur, ego magis circumcisus octavo die quantum ad tertium, ex genere Israel de tribu Beniamin quantum ad secundum, Hebraeus, ex Hebraeis quantum ad primum. Rom. XI, 1: nam ego Israelita sum ex semine Abrahae, et cetera.
Of these three things it is said: if any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more, circumcised on the eighth day (Phil 3:4), as to the third point; of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, as to the second point; a Hebrew born of Hebrews, as to the first: I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1).
420. Sic ergo patet, quod non sum minor eis quantum ad gloriam, quae est secundum carnem; sed nec etiam quantum ad gloriam, quae est secundum Christum, quia ministri Christi sunt, id est dicunt se sic, ut decipiant vos, et ego sum minister Christi. I Cor. IV, 1: sic nos existimet homo, ut ministros Christi, et cetera. Supra III, 6: qui et nos idoneos fecit, et cetera.
420. Thus, it is clear that I am not inferior to them as to the glory, which is according to the flesh; nor even as to the glory which is according to Christ, because they are the ministers of Christ, i.e., they say so to deceive you; I am more so: this is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ (1 Cor 4:1); who has also made us fit ministers of the New Testament (2 Cor 3:6).
421. Consequenter cum dicit ut minus sapiens, etc., praefert se omnibus apostolis et pseudo. Et
421. Then when he says, I speak as one less wise, he prefers himself to all the apostles and to the false.
primo quantum ad mala perpessa,
First, in regard to evils endured;
secundo quantum ad beneficia recepta, et hoc cap. XII, ibi si gloriari oportet, et cetera.
second, as to benefits received, in chapter twelve, at if I must glory (2 Cor 12:1).
Circa primum duo facit.
In regard to the first he does two things.
Primo praefert se quantum ad mala, quae pertulit;
First, he prefers himself as to evils endured;
secundo quantum ad modum quo mala vitavit, ibi Damasci praepositus.
second, as to the manner in which he avoided evils, at at Damascus.
Circa primum tria facit.
In regard to the first he does three things.
Primo proponit se aliis praeferendum;
First, he proposes that he should be preferred to the others;
secundo ostendit in quo sit praeferendus, ibi quia in laboribus, etc.;
second, he shows in what he should be preferred, at in many more labors;
tertio confirmat quaedam dictorum, ibi si gloriari oportet, et cetera.
third, he confirms some of the statements, at if I must glory, I will glory.
422. Dicit ergo: si videor insipiens vobis, quia commendo me et adaequo me aliis, quanto magis videbor vobis minus sapiens, si praeferam me eis? Et ideo dicit: non solum sum minister Christi sicut et illi, sed ut minus sapiens, secundum vestrum iudicium, dico quod ego sum plus minister Christi quam illi, et quantum ad hoc dicit se praeferendum esse. Rom. XI, 13: ministerium meum honorificabo, praeponendo scilicet illud ministerio aliorum.
422. He says, therefore: I am talking like a madman; because I commend myself and make myself equal to the others, how less wise will I seem to you, if I prefer myself to them. Therefore he says: not only am I a minister of Christ, as the others, but as one less wise according to your opinion, I say that I am more so a minister of Christ than they; and as to this he says that he should be preferred to them: I magnify my ministry (Rom 11:13) by placing it ahead of the ministry of the others.
423. In quo autem sit praeferendus ostendit, dicens quia in laboribus, etc., quasi dicat: in hoc plus ego, quia sum magis ostensus minister Christi. In hoc, primo, quantum ad mala illata, secundo quantum ad mala sponte assumpta, ibi in itineribus saepe.
423. Then he indicates the matters in which he should be preferred, saying, in many more labors. As if to say: in this I am more, because I am more obviously a minister of Christ. First, as to the evils inflicted; second, as to evils voluntarily assumed, at if journeying often.
Mala autem illata primo ponit in generali, dicens: plus ego sum, scilicet ostensus minister, in laboribus plurimis quam illi, etsi aliquos labores pertulerint. I Cor. XV, v. 10: abundantius omnibus illis laboravi.
First, he mentions in general the evils inflicted, saying: I am more, namely, a proven minister; in many more labors than they, even though they have undertaken some labors: I worked harder than any of them (1 Cor 15:10).