secundo ostendit fructum profectus;
second, he displays the fruit of their progress;
tertio signum.
third, he points to a sign of it.
9. Dicit ergo gratias agere debemus, et cetera. Nam quia in prima epistola commendavit eos de fide et caritate et aliis bonis in quibus abundabant, ideo dicit gratias agere debemus semper pro vobis, quia bonum, quod habetis, reputo meum. III Io. 4: maiorem horum non habeo gratiam, quam ut audiam filios meos in veritate ambulare. Et hoc Deo, sine quo nihil boni potest fieri. Et hoc dignum est, quia de magnis bonis agimus gratias. II Mac. I, 11: de magnis periculis a Deo liberati magnifice gratias agamus.
9. He says, therefore, we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren. For since he commended them in the first epistle for their faith and charity and for the other goods in which they abounded, he says we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, because I consider the good you have as mine. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 1:4). And he gives thanks to God, without whom nothing good can come to pass. And this is as it is fitting, because we give thanks for great goods. Since God has wondrously liberated us from great dangers, let us give thanks (2 Macc 1:11).
Quare? Quia supercrescunt bona spiritualia. Periculose enim custodiuntur, nisi proficiat in eis homo. In his donis autem Dei, primum est fides, per quam Deus habitat in nobis, et in hac proficimus secundum intellectum. Eph. III, 17: habitare Christum per fidem in cordibus vestris. Et sic proficit homo per cognitionem, devotionem et inhaesionem. Secundum est caritas, per quam Deus est in nobis secundum effectum. I Io. IV, 16: Deus caritas est, et qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo. Et ideo dicit et abundat. Prov. XV, 5: in abundanti iustitia, virtus est maxima, et cetera. I Thess. IV, 9: de caritate autem fraternitatis non necesse habuimus scribere vobis, ipsi enim a Deo didicistis, ut diligatis invicem, et cetera.
Why? Because spiritual goods grow exceedingly. For such goods are not safely guarded unless a man progresses in them. Now among these gifts of God the first is faith, through which God dwells in us, and our progress in faith is in connection with the understanding. To have Christ through faith in your hearts (Eph 3:17). And so a man progresses through knowledge, devotion, and adherence. The second is charity, through which God is present in us by his effect. God is charity, and he who abides in charity abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). And for this reason he says, and the charity of every one of you towards each other abounds. In abundant justice there is the greatest strength (Prov 15:5). But concerning charity towards the brotherhood I have no need to write to you, for you yourselves have learned from God to love one another (1 Thess 4:9).
10. Et tunc ponitur profectus, cum dicit: ita quod ego glorior inde apud alios, quia vestra reputo mea. Bonum enim discipulorum est gloria praelatorum. Prov. X, v. 1: filius sapiens laetificat patrem, et cetera. Prov. XVII, 6: corona senum, filii filiorum, et cetera. II Cor. IX, 2: pro quo de vobis glorior.
10. And then he sets out their progress, when he says, so that we ourselves also glory in you in the churches of God, because what is yours I consider mine. For the good of the disciples is the glory of the prelate. A wise son brings joy to his father (Prov 10:1). Grandchildren are the crown of the aged (Prov 17:6). For which I boast about you (2 Cor 9:2).
11. Et tunc ponit signum profectus, scilicet patientiam, quae ostenditur maxime in tribulationibus. Iac. I, 12: beatus vir qui suffert tentationem, et cetera.
11. Then he sets out a sign of their progress, namely patience, which is most of all apparent in tribulations. Blessed the man who endures temptation (Jas 1:12).
In tribulationibus sunt duo servanda, scilicet patientia, ne discedat a fide. Iac.: patientia opus perfectum habet. Et fides in persecutionibus. I Cor. IV, 12: persecutionem patimur et sustinemus. Unde dicit et fide, in omnibus persecutionibus vestris et tribulationibus. Quae quidem tribulationes dicuntur a tribulis, quibus interius per afflictiones pungimur. Gen. III, 18: spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi. Ps. XXIV, 17: tribulationes cordis mei multiplicatae sunt.
In tribulations there are two things to be safeguarded, namely patience, lest we abandon faith—patience has a perfect work (Jas 1:4)—and faith in the midst of persecutions. We are persecuted, and we endure it (1 Cor 4:12). Hence he says, and faith, and in all your persecutions and tribulations. These tribulations are so named from tribuli (thistles), by which we are pricked interiorly through afflictions. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you (Gen 3:18). The troubles of my heart are multiplied (Ps 24:17).
Et haec sancti sustinent propter duo, scilicet propter terrorem malorum. Si enim Deus non parcit bonis in hoc mundo, quomodo parcet malis in futuro? I Petr. II: si autem primum a nobis, quis finis eorum, qui non credunt Dei Evangelio, et cetera. Hier. XLIX, 12: ecce quibus non erat iudicium, ut biberent calicem, et cetera. Secundo ad augendum meritum. Unde dicit ut digni, et cetera. Nam, ut dicitur Matth. XI, 12, regnum caelorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud. Et Lc. ult.: nonne haec oportuit Christum pati, et ita intrare in gloriam suam? Rom. VIII, 17: si tamen compatimur, ut et conglorificemur. Unde dicit pro quo et patimini. Tribulatio enim quae fertur pro Deo, facit dignum regno Dei. Matth. V, v. 10: beati qui persecutionem patiuntur, et cetera. I Petr. IV, 15: nemo vestrum patiatur quasi homicida, aut fur, aut maledicus, aut alienorum appetitor.
And the saints endure these tribulations for the sake of two things. One is to strike fear into the wicked: for if God does not spare the good in this world, how will he spare the wicked in the next? And if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not believe in the Gospel of God (1 Pet 4:17). Behold, those who were not condemned to drink the cup shall drink it, and shall you escape as though innocent? (Jer 49:12). The second is to increase merit. Hence he says that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. For as it is said: the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent bear it away (Matt 11:12). And: was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things, and so enter into his glory? (Luke 24:26). But if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him (Rom 8:17). Hence he says, for which also you suffer. For tribulation born for God’s sake makes one worthy of the kingdom of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution. (Matt 5:10). Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a slanderer, or a coveter of others’ goods (1 Pet 4:15).
Lectio 2
Lecture 2
Futurum iudicium
The coming judgment
1:6 Si tamen justum est apud Deum retribuere tribulationem iis qui vos tribulant: [n. 12]
1:6 If nonetheless it is just with God to repay tribulation to those who trouble you: [n. 12]
1:7 et vobis, qui tribulamini, requiem nobiscum in revelatione Domini Jesu de caelo cum angelis virtutis ejus,
1:7 And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power,
1:8 in flamma ignis dantis vindictam iis qui non noverunt Deum, et qui non obediunt Evangelio Domini nostri Jesu Christi, [n. 15]
1:8 In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to those who do not know God and who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, [n. 15]
1:9 qui poenas dabunt in interitu aeternas a facie Domini, et a gloria virtutis ejus: [n. 18]
1:9 Who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his power: [n. 18]
1:10 cum venerit glorificari in sanctis suis, et admirabilis fieri in omnibus, qui crediderunt, quia creditum est testimonium nostrum super vos in die illo. [n. 19]
1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be made wonderful in all those who have believed; because our testimony was believed upon you in that day. [n. 19]
1:11 In quo etiam oramus semper pro vobis: ut dignetur vos vocatione sua Deus noster, et impleat omnem voluntatem bonitatis, et opus fidei in virtute, [n. 23]
1:11 Wherefore we also pray always for you: that our God would make you worthy of his vocation and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith in power, [n. 23]
1:12 ut clarificetur nomen Domini nostri Jesu Christi in vobis, et vos in illo secundum gratiam Dei nostri, et Domini Jesu Christi. [n. 25]
1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 25]
12. Supra egit de eorum idoneitate ad futurum iudicium, hic agit de forma iudicii. Et primo ponit iudicium quantum ad punitionem malorum et praemia bonorum;
12. Above he spoke of how they are well prepared for the coming judgment; here he speaks about the form of that judgment. And first he sets out the judgment as regards the punishment of the wicked and the rewards of the good;
secundo de utraque parte sigillatim, ibi in flamma.
second, he speaks about each part individually, at in a flame of fire.
Item primo ponit iudicium quantum ad punitionem malorum;
And first, he sets out the judgment as regards the punishment of the wicked;
secundo quantum ad praemia bonorum, ibi cum venerit.
second, as regards the rewards of the good, at when he shall come.
13. Quantum ad primum dicit supra sustinetis in exemplum, etc., hic subinfert, si tamen iustum est; si, pro quia. Unde alia littera habet si quidem.
13. As regards the first, he speaks above about the tribulations which you endure for an example of the just judgment of God. Here he adds next, if nonetheless it is just; if is written for because. Hence other texts have if indeed.
Vel si tamen, referatur in exemplum iusti iudicii; quasi dicat: iustum est, quod haec patiamini, si tamen ex hoc mereamini. Sed prima littera et expositio est melior.
Or if nonetheless should be taken in connection with for an example of the just judgment, as though to say: it is just that you suffer these things if nonetheless you merit thereby. But the first text and explanation is better.
Iustum est retribuere. Ps. XCIII, 2: exaltare, qui iudicas terram, redde retributionem superbis. Is. XXXIII, 1: vae qui praedaris, nonne et tu praedaberis? Tribulationem, scilicet aeternae damnationis. Rom. VIII, 35: tribulatio, an angustia, et cetera.
It is just with God to repay tribulation. Rise up, judge of the earth, render retribution to the proud (Ps 93:2). Woe to you who despoil, shall you not yourself be despoiled? (Isa 33:1). Tribulation and anguish (Rom 8:35).
14. Et vobis qui tribulamini requiem. Lc. XVI, 25: recepisti bona in vita tua, et Lazarus similiter mala. Nunc autem hic consolatur, tu vero cruciaris. Apoc. XIV, 13: amodo enim iam dicit spiritus, ut requiescant a laboribus suis. Nobiscum, id est, aequalem gloriam.
14. And to you who are troubled, rest. You received good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise evil things. But now he is consoled while you suffer (Luke 16:25). Blessed are those who die in the Lord from henceforth now, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors (Rev 14:13). With us, i.e., in equal glory.
Sed numquid hoc est verum?
But surely this is not true?
Respondeo. Duplex est aequalitas, scilicet absoluta quantitatis, et proportionis. Et prima non est aequalis quantum ad participationem hominis, sed aequalis quantum ad beatitudinem participatam, quae est Deus; homo enim participat secundum magis et minus, scilicet secundum quod ardentius, vel minus ardenter amat Deum. Sed secundum secundam, omnimoda aequalitas erit, quia ita est gloria Petri ad gratiam sibi datam et meritum suum, sicut gloria Lini ad suam.
I respond that there are two kinds of equality, namely the equality of absolute quantity and the equality of proportion. The first kind of equality is not equal as regards man’s participation but as regards the beatitude in which he participates, which is God; for a man participates more or less according as he loves God more or less ardently. But as regards the second kind of equality there will be equality in every respect, because Peter’s glory stands to the grace given him and to his merit as Linus’ glory stands to his merit.
Hoc, inquam, erit in revelatione, et cetera. Io. c. V, 22: pater omne iudicium dedit filio suo, et hoc inquantum filio hominis; unde sequitur et potestatem dedit ei iudicium facere, quia in forma humana omnibus apparebit, sed modo non apparet, quia humanitas eius latet in gloria Dei, sed tunc apparebit. Is. XL, 5: et revelabitur gloria Domini, et cetera. Et hoc cum angelis virtutis eius, ministris suis. Matth. XXV, 31: cum venerit filius hominis in maiestate sua, et omnes angeli eius cum eo, et cetera.
And this will happen when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed. The Father has given all judgment to his Son (John 5:22), and this insofar as he is a son of man; hence it continues and has given him power to render judgment, because he will appear to all in human form. He does not appear now, because his humanity is hidden in the glory of God, but then he will appear. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (Isa 45:5). With the angels of his power, his ministers. When the son of man comes in his majesty, and all his angels with him (Matt 25:31).
15. Deinde cum dicit in flamma ignis, agit de utraque, scilicet punitione malorum, et praemiatione bonorum; sed in punitione malorum ostendit acerbam, iustam et diuturnam.
15. Then when he says in a flame of fire, he treats of both, namely, the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the good; but he shows the harshness, justice, and eternity of the punishment of the wicked.
16. Dicit ergo dantis vindictam, id est, iudicantis puniendos in flamma ignis, faciem orbis comburentis, et involventis reprobos, et detrudentis in perpetuum. Ps. XCVI, 3: ignis ante ipsum praecedet, et cetera.
16. He says, therefore, giving vengeance, i.e., judging those who are to be punished in a flame of fire, consuming the face of the earth, enveloping the condemned, and driving them away forever. Fire goes before him (Ps 96:3).
17. Item erit iusta propter duplicem culpam, scilicet infidelitatis, et malae vitae. Quantum ad primum dicit qui non noverunt, id est, noluerunt cognoscere, Deum. Iob XXI, v. 14: scientiam viarum tuarum nolumus. I Cor. XIV, 38: ignorans ignorabitur, et cetera.
17. And the punishment will be just on account of two kinds of guilt, namely the guilt of unbelief and the guilt of an evil life. With regard to the first he says, who do not know, i.e., who do not wish to know, God. We do not want knowledge of your ways (Job 21:14). The one who does not know will not be known (1 Cor 14:38).
Quantum ad secundum dicit qui non obediunt Evangelio Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Rom. X, 16: non omnes obediunt Evangelio. Inobedientia est tantum peccatum, quod per eam mors venit in hunc mundum, ut dicitur Rom. V, 19.
With regard to the second, he says who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not all obey the Gospel (Rom 10:16). Disobedience is so great a sin that death entered the world through it (Rom 5:19).
18. Item est diuturna, quia poenas dabunt in interitu aeternas. Et potest legi dupliciter, secundum quod duplex est poena, scilicet sensus et damni.
18. The punishment is likewise long lasting, for they shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction. And this can be read in two ways, because there are two kinds of punishment, namely, that of the sense and that of the condemned.
De poena sensus potest intelligi sic: dabunt, id est, sustinebunt poenas aeternas non finiendas, et hoc in interitu, quia semper morientur. Aliter enim est de poenis huius vitae et illis. Nam hic quanto plus acerbiores, tanto sunt breviores, quia extinguuntur, sed illae sunt gravissimae, quia sunt poenae mortis, et sunt interminabiles. Unde dicitur quod semper erunt quasi in morte. Ps. XLVIII, 15: mors depascet eos. Is. ult.: vermis eorum non morietur.
This is how it can be understood as about the punishment of the sense: They shall suffer, i.e., they shall endure eternal punishments, never to end, and this in destruction, because they shall be ever dying. For the punishments of this life are not like those punishments: in this life the harsher the punishments the shorter they are, because they end; but those punishments are the heaviest, because they are the punishment of death and yet they never cease. Hence it is said that they will always be as though in the throes of death. Death shall devour them (Ps 48:15). Their worm shall never die (Isa 66:24).
Poena autem damni est duplex, quia separabuntur a visione Dei. Unde dicit a facie Domini, scilicet remoti. Iob XIII, 16: non veniet in conspectu eius omnis hypocrita. Alia est privatio visionis gloriae sanctorum. Is. ult.: tollatur impius ne videat gloriam sanctorum, et cetera.
Now the punishment of the condemned has two sides to it. First, they will be deprived of the vision of God. Hence he says from the face of the Lord, namely, removed from the face of the Lord. No hypocrite shall come before his gaze (Job 13:16). The second is being deprived of the vision of the glory of the saints. Let the impious man be taken away lest he see the glory of the saints (Isa 26:10).
Vel aliter, a facie Domini, et cetera. In hoc ostenditur causa acerbitatis poenae sensus. Sensus enim alicuius evacuatur, vel propter superiorem iudicem, vel propter superioris potentiam; sed hoc non erit, quia hoc iudicium procedet a facie Domini. Ps. XVI, 2: de vultu tuo iudicium meum prodeat, et cetera. Et ideo dicit dabunt poenas, id est sustinebunt, a facie Domini.
One can also understand it another way, such that from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his power shows why the punishment of the sense is so harsh. For someone’s senses can be voided either by a higher judge or by the power of someone higher, but it will not happen in this case because this judgment comes from the face of the Lord. May my judgment come from your face (Ps 16:2). And this is why he says they shall suffer eternal punishment, i.e., endure it, from the face of the Lord.