Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Epistola Christi
The epistle of Christ
3:1 Incipimus iterum nosmetipsos commendare? [n. 78] aut numquid egemus (sicut quidam) commendatitiis epistolis ad vos, aut ex vobis? [n. 80]
3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? [n. 78] Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you? [n. 80]
3:2 Epistola nostra vos estis, scripta in cordibus nostris, quae scitur, et legitur ab omnibus hominibus: [n. 82]
3:2 You are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men: [n. 82]
3:3 manifestati quod epistola estis Christi, ministrata a nobis, et scripta non atramento, sed Spiritu Dei vivi: non in tabulis lapideis, sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus.
3:3 Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written: not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God: not in tablets of stone but in the fleshly tablets of the heart.
3:4 Fiduciam autem talem habemus per Christum ad Deum: [n. 85]
3:4 And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God. [n. 85]
3:5 non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis, quasi ex nobis: sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est: [n. 86]
3:5 Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as from ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God. [n. 86]
78. Postquam Apostolus suam excusationem posuit, in qua benevolentiam captavit auditorum, hic consequenter prosequitur suam intentionem, scilicet tractans de ministris Novi Testamenti.
78. After presenting his excuse, by which he won the good will of his hearers, the Apostle continues toward his main intention, namely, to treat about the ministers of the New Testament.
Et circa hoc duo facit.
In regard to this he does two things:
Primo enim commendat dignitatem bonorum ministrorum;
first, he commends the dignity of the good ministers;
secundo vero exaggerat malitiam malorum ministrorum, et hoc a X cap. et deinceps.
second, he expands on the guilt of the evil ministers, from chapter ten and thereafter.
Circa primum duo facit.
In regard to the first he does two things:
Primo enim commendat ministerium Novi Testamenti;
first, he commends the ministry of the New Testament;
secundo commendat usum huius ministerii in aliis, exhortando eos ad hoc, ibi VI cap. adiuvantes autem, et cetera.
second, he commends the exercise of this ministry in others by exhorting them to this, in chapter six, at and we helping (2 Cor 6:1).
Circa primum commendat huiusmodi ministerium Novi Testamenti ex tribus.
In regard to the first he commends the ministry of the New Testament from three aspects:
Primo ex dignitate in isto capite;
first, in this chapter, from its dignity;
secundo ex usu, cap. IV, ibi ideo habentes, etc.;
second, from its exercise, in chapter four, at therefore, having this ministration (2 Cor 4:1);
tertio ex praemio, cap. V, ibi scimus autem quoniam si, et cetera.
third, from its reward, in chapter five, at for we know (2 Cor 5:1).
Circa primum duo facit.
In regard to the first he does two things:
Primo removet quamdam obiectionem;
first, he removes an objection;
secundo commendat ministros Novi Testamenti, ibi qui et idoneos nos fecit, et cetera.
second, he commends the ministers of the New Testament, at who has made us fit ministers.
Circa primum sciendum est quod Apostolus intendit commendare ministros Novi Testamenti, quorum ipse erat unus. Et ideo ne Corinthii obiicerent sibi quod in hoc vellet commendare seipsum, statim excludit, dicens incipimus iterum nosmetipsos, et cetera. Ubi duo facit.
In regard to the first it should be noted that the Apostle intended to commend the ministers of the New Testament, of which he is one. Therefore, lest the Corinthians object that in doing this he wishes to commend himself, he at once removes this, saying, do we begin again to commend ourselves? Here he does two things:
Primo movet quaestionem;
he first raises the question
secundo respondet, ibi scilicet aut numquid egemus, et cetera.
and then he answers it, at or do we need.
79. Quaestio sua talis est: dico quod non sumus adulterantes verbum Dei, sicut pseudo, sed ex sinceritate, sicut ex Deo. Sed numquid hoc dicendo, incipimus iterum nos commendare, id est, dicimus ista ut velimus nostram gloriam quaerere et non Dei?
79. The question is this: I say that we do not adulterate the word of God as the false apostles do, but we speak with sincerity as from God. But in saying this, do we begin again to commend ourselves?, i.e., are we saying this because we want to procure our glory and not that of God?
Et dicit iterum, quia in epistola prima commendaverat se satis, cum dixit: ut sapiens architectus, et cetera. Non ergo hoc dicimus, ut quaeramus gloriam nostram, sed Dei. Prov. XXVII, 2: laudet te alienus, et cetera.
And he says, again, because in the first epistle he had commended himself enough, when he said: like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation (1 Cor 3:10). Therefore, we are not saying this to seek our own glory, but God’s: let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips (Prov 27:2).
80. Huic autem quaestioni respondet, cum dicit aut numquid egemus, et cetera. Et ostendit, quod non libenter commendat se.
80. He answers this when he says, or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you? Here he shows that he is not happy to commend himself.
Et circa hoc duo facit.
In regard to this he does two things:
Primo ostendit quod non indiget commendatione hominum;
first, he shows that he does not need man’s commendation;
secundo quod neque etiam hoc requirit ipse ab eis, ibi fiduciam autem talem, et cetera.
second, that he does not require it of them, at and such confidence we have.
Circa primum duo facit.
In regard to the first he does two things:
Primo ostendit, quod non indiget commendatione eorum ad gloriam propriam;
first, he shows that he does not need their commendation;
secundo huius causam assignat, ibi epistola nostra vos estis, et cetera.
second, he assigns the cause of this, at you are our epistle.
81. Dicit ergo: dico quod non incipimus commendare nosmetipsos, quia non indigemus commendatione. Et hoc est, quod dicit aut numquid egemus nos, veri ministri, sicut quidam, scilicet pseudo, commendatitiis epistolis, id est laudibus missis, ad vos, ab aliis, aut ex vobis, aliis missis?
81. He says, therefore: I say that we do not begin to commend ourselves, because we do not need commendation. And this is what he says: do we, the true ministers, need (as some do), namely, the false apostles, epistles of commendation, i.e., of praise, to you by others, or from you to others?
Sed contra Col. IV, 10 dicitur: Marcus consobrinus Barnabae, de quo accepistis mandatum, et cetera. Etiam legati Papae semper portant litteras commendatitias. Non est ergo malum.
But on the other hand, it is said: Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, greets you (Col 4:10). Even papal legates always carry letters of recommendation. Therefore it is not an evil.
Respondeo. Dicendum, quod accipere litteras huiusmodi a personis famosis, ut solum per illas commendentur et honorentur, quousque ipsi ex bonis operibus suis veniant in notitiam, hoc non est malum, hoc faciunt legati Papae. Apostolus vero ita iam erat notus et commendatus apud istos per opera sua, quod non indigebat litteris commendatitiis.
I answer that to accept such letters from famous persons, who are commended and honored by reason of them alone, until they become known by their good works, is not evil: that is what papal legates do. But the Apostle was already so well known and recommended among them by his works, that he did not need letters of recommendation.