Lectio 3
Lecture 3
Collabora Evangelio
Labor with the Gospel
1:6 Propter quam causam admoneo te ut resuscites gratiam Dei, quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum. [n. 12]
1:6 For which cause I admonish you that you stir up the grace of God which is in you by the imposition of my hands. [n. 12]
1:7 Non enim dedit nobis Deus spiritum timoris: sed virtutis, et dilectionis, et sobrietatis. [n. 14]
1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear: but of power and of love and of sobriety. [n. 14]
1:8 Noli itaque erubescere testimonium Domini nostri, neque me vinctum ejus: sed collabora Evangelio secundum virtutem Dei: [n. 15]
1:8 Do not be therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labor with the Gospel, according to the power of God. [n. 15]
1:9 qui nos liberavit, et vocavit vocatione sua sancta, non secundum opera nostra, sed secundum propositum suum, et gratiam, quae data est nobis in Christo Jesu ante tempora saecularia. [n. 20]
1:9 Who has delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world: [n. 20]
1:10 Manifestata est autem nunc per illuminationem Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi, qui destruxit quidem mortem, illuminavit autem vitam, et incorruptionem per Evangelium: [n. 23]
1:10 But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought to light life and incorruption by the Gospel. [n. 23]
12. Supra commendavit eum de bonis gratuitis, hic hortatur ad usum gratuitorum sibi datorum, praecipue in praedicatione Evangelii. Et
12. Above, he commended him on his gratuitously given qualities; here he urges him to put them to good use especially by preaching the Gospel:
primo monet generaliter ad usum datae sibi gratiae;
first, he advised him in a general way to use the gifts granted him;
secundo specificat qualis sit usus gratiae, ibi noli itaque erubescere.
second, he specifies how grace should be used, at do not be therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
Item primo, ponit monitionem;
In regard to the first he does two things: first, he gives him an admonition;
secundo eius rationem, ibi non enim dedit nobis.
second, its reason, at for God has not given.
13. Dicit ergo: fides non ficta, in matre et avia et in te est, propter quam causam admoneo te. Gratia Dei est sicut ignis qui quando obtegitur cinere, non lucet: sic gratia obtegitur in homine per torporem, vel humanum timorem. Unde et Timotheus effectus pusillanimis, torpuerat circa praedicationem. Et ideo dicit ut resuscites gratiam sopitam. I Thess. V, 19: spiritum nolite extinguere. Et addit quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum, a quo scilicet ordinatus erat episcopus. In qua manus impositione data est ei gratia Spiritus Sancti.
13. He says, therefore: in your mother and in your grandmother and in you is an unfeigned faith: for which cause I admonish you that you stir up the grace of God which is in you. For the grace of God is as a fire which, when it is covered over with ashes, gives no light; so is God’s grace in a man covered over with sloth, or human fear. Hence the effect of pusillanimity in Timothy’s case was that he ceased preaching. Therefore, the Apostle calls on him to stir up the grace now dormant in him: extinguish not the spirit (1 Thess 5:19). And he adds, which is in you by the imposition of my hands, by which he was ordained bishop; in which imposition of hands the grace of the Holy Spirit was given to him.
14. Deinde cum dicit non enim, ponitur ratio monitionis, et sumitur ex conditione divinorum munerum. Qui enim accipit munus, debet operari secundum congruentiam muneris; ergo secundum conditionem divinorum munerum debemus Deo servire.
14. Then when he says, God has not given us the spirit of fear, he gives the reason for his admonition, and it is based on the nature of a divine task. For one who accepts a post should act in accordance with its demands. Therefore, we should serve God according to the nature of his gifts.
Est autem duplex spiritus, huius mundi, et Dei. Et horum distinctio est: spiritus enim significat amorem, quia nomen spiritus impulsionem importat, et amor impellit. Duplex autem est amor, scilicet Dei, et hic est per Spiritum Dei, et amor mundi, et hic est per spiritum mundi. I Cor. II, 12: non enim accepimus spiritum huius mundi, et cetera.
But there are two spirits: the spirit of this world, and the Spirit of God; and these are different. For spirit signifies love, because the name ‘spirit’ suggests an impulsion; and love impels. But love is of two kinds: the love of God, which comes through the Spirit of God; and love of the world, which comes through the spirit of the world: now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God (1 Cor 2:12).
Spiritus autem mundi facit amare bona mundi, et timere mala temporalia; et ideo dicit non enim dedit nobis Deus spiritum timoris, scilicet mundani, quia hunc Deus aufert a nobis. Matth. X, 28: nolite timere eos, qui occidunt corpus, et cetera.
But the spirit of the world makes one love the good things of the world and fear temporal evils. This is why he says, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, namely, of worldly fear, because God removes this from us: do not fear them that kill the body (Matt 10:28).
Est alius spiritus timoris Domini et sanctus, et iste facit, ut timeatur Deus; hic autem est sine poena et sine offensa, et hic est a Deo. Matth. X, 28: timete eum, qui potest et animam et corpus perdere in Gehennam. Et addit sed virtutis, quia per Spiritum Sanctum dirigimur in malis, et hoc per virtutem, scilicet fortitudinis contra adversa mundi. Lc. c. ult.: sedete in civitate donec induamini virtute ex alto. Item dirigimur in bonis, quia quantum ad affectionem ordinamur per dilectionem caritatis, dum quis omnia quae diligit, refert in Deum. Unde dicit et dilectionis. I Io. III, 14: qui non diligit, manet in morte. Item quantum ad bona exteriora; et ideo dicit et sobrietatis, id est, omnis temperantiae, servando debitum modum et mensuram ut scilicet temperate utamur bonis mundi. Tit. II, 12: sobrie et iuste et pie vivamus in hoc saeculo. I Tim. c. III, 2: oportet episcopum esse irreprehensibilem, unius uxoris virum, sobrium.
But there is another spirit of the fear of the Lord, and it is holy, because it makes us fear God; and this fear is without punishment and without offense, and comes from God: fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28). Then he adds, but of power, because by the Holy Spirit we are protected against evils; and this by the virtue of courage against the adversities of the world: stay you in the city, till you be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). Likewise, we are directed in the good, because our loves are put in order by charity, when one refers to God all that he loves; hence he says, and of love: he that loves not, abides in death (1 John 3:14). Also in regard to external goods; hence he says, and of sobriety, i.e., of all temperance, by observing due moderation in the use of this world’s goods: we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world (Titus 2:12); it behoveth a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober (1 Tim 3:2).
15. Deinde cum dicit noli, specificat usum gratiae; et primo excludit contraria huic usui;
15. Then when he says, do not be therefore ashamed, he specifies the use of grace: first, he removes what is contrary to its use;
secundo hortatur ad usum gratiae, ibi sed collabora.
second, he exhorts him to use it, at but labor with the Gospel.
16. A solita autem praedicatione poterat impediri propter duo. Primo per erubescentiam, secundo ex poena Apostoli, quam patiebatur propter Evangelium. Et ideo, quantum ad primum, dicit noli itaque, scilicet ex quo habes spiritum fortitudinis, erubescere, et cetera. Praedicatio enim Christi, si referatur ad sapientiam mundi, videbatur stulta, unde erubescentiam habere videbatur. I Cor. I, 23: nos praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam. Rom. I, 16: non enim erubesco Evangelium. Lc. IX, 26: qui me erubuerit et meos sermones, hunc Filius hominis erubescet.
16. Now a person may be hindered from preaching for two reasons: first, from shame; second, from the penalty the Apostle is suffering on account of the Gospel. Therefore, in regard to the first he says, do not be therefore, i.e., since you have the spirit of courage, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. For the preaching of Christ, if it is compared with the wisdom of this world, seems folly; hence the shame he seems to have: we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and unto the gentiles foolishness (1 Cor 1:25); for I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom 1:16); he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed (Luke 9:26).
Quantum ad secundum sciendum est, quod si latro videt aliquem suspensum, erubescit se confiteri socium eius. Sic quia Apostolus erat vinctus, poterat eum Timotheus erubescere; et ideo dicit neque me vinctum eius. Eph. VI, v. 20: pro quo legatione fungor in catena. Eccli. IV, 27: ne reverearis proximum tuum in casu suo.
In regard to the second, it should be noted that if a robber sees anyone hanged, he is ashamed to admit that he was his companion. So, because the Apostle was in chains, Timothy may have been ashamed of him; that is why he says, nor of me his prisoner: for which I am an ambassador in a chain (Eph 6:20); reverence not your neighbor in his fall (Sir 4:27).
17. Deinde cum dicit sed collabora, hortatur ad usum gratiae; et
17. Then when he says, but labor with the Gospel, he exhorts him to use his grace:
primo in generali;
first, in a general way;
secundo ostendit ex qua fiducia hunc usum aggrediatur, ibi secundum virtutem.
second, he shows with what confidence he should undertake this use, at according to the power of God.
Hic manifestat quod dicit sed collabora, ibi non secundum, et cetera.
Here he explains what he says next: not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose.
18. Dicit ergo: ne erubescas, sed collabora, id est, simul mecum labora. I Cor. c. III, 8: unusquisque propriam mercedem accipiet.
18. He says, therefore: do not be ashamed, but labor, i.e., work along with me: every man shall receive his own reward according to his labor (1 Cor 3:8).
Et dicit Evangelio, quod potest esse ablativi casus, et sic in Evangelio praedicando; dativi casus, et sic ad laudem Evangelii, ut scilicet crescat. Sap. III, 15: bonorum laborum gloriosus est fructus, et cetera.
And he says, with the Gospel, which, if it is taken in the ablative case, means by preaching the Gospel; if in the dative, to the praise of the Gospel, that it may grow: the fruit of good labor is glorious (Wis 3:15).
19. Et hoc cum fiducia, non propria, quia non sufficientes sumus cogitare aliquid a nobis quasi ex nobis, etc.; sed secundum Dei virtutem, id est, habendo fiduciam de virtute Dei. Is. XL, 29: qui dat lasso virtutem, et his qui non sunt, fortitudinem et robur multiplicat.
19. And this with confidence not in himself, because we are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves (2 Cor 3:5), but according to the power of God, i.e., trusting in God’s power: it is he that gives strength to the weary, and increases force and might to them that are not (Isa 40:29).
Haec virtus manifestatur per duo, scilicet quantum ad affectum, quia liberamur a malis; et ideo dicit qui nos liberavit. I Esdr. VIII, v. 31: liberavit nos de manu inimici et insidiatoris in via. Io. VIII, 36: si Filius vos liberavit. Et quantum ad hoc quod vocat nos ad bona. Unde sequitur et vocat vocatione sua sancta, quia vocavit ad sanctificandum. Rom. VIII, 30: quos praedestinavit, hos et vocavit. I Petr. II, 9: qui de tenebris nos vocavit in admirabile lumen suum.
This strength is manifested by two things: first, in its effect, because we are freed from evils; hence he says, who has delivered us: the hand of God delivered us from the hand of the enemies, and of such as lay in wait by the way (1 Ezra 8:31); if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36). And in regard to this he calls us unto good; hence he says, and called us by his holy calling, because he called us to sanctify us: whom he predestined, them he also called (Rom 8:30); who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9).
20. Et manifestat quaedam quae dicit, dicens non secundum opera nostra; ubi ostendit, quod per virtutem Dei liberati et vocati sumus, non per humanam. Et
20. Then he clarifies some of his previous statements, saying, not according to our own works, where he shows that we have been freed and called by the power of God:
primo ostendit causam vocationis nostrae et liberationis esse a Deo;
first, he shows that the cause of our deliverance and vocation is God;
secundo processum causae, ibi quae data est etiam;
second, the progress of that cause, at which was given us;
tertio commendat datorem causae, scilicet gratiae, et eius conservatorem, ibi qui destruxit.
third, he commends the cause, namely, the giver of grace and its preserver, at who has destroyed death.
21. Dicit ergo: vocavit non per nostram virtutem, quia scilicet non per opera nostra, quae sunt effectus virtutis. Tit. III, v. 5: non ex operibus iustitiae quae fecimus nos, sed secundum suam misericordiam salvos nos fecit.
21. He says, therefore: he called us not by our virtue, namely, not by our works, which are the effects of virtue: not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3:5).
Est autem duplex causa humanae salutis, quae est a Deo. Una est aeterna, scilicet eius praedestinatio; alia est temporalis, scilicet gratia iustificans.
Now there are two causes of human salvation, which is from God: one is eternal, namely, predestination; the other is temporal, namely, sanctifying grace.
Quantum ad primum dicit secundum propositum, id est, praedestinationem, quae est propositum miserendi. Eph. I, 11: operatur omnia secundum propositum voluntatis suae. Rom. VIII, 28: his qui secundum propositum vocati sunt sancti.
In regard to the first he says, according to his own purpose, i.e., according to his predestination, which aims at mercy: he works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph 1:11); to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints (Rom 8:28).