Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Salutatio Greeting 1:1 Paulus apostolus Jesu Christi per voluntatem Dei, et Timotheus frater: [n. 3] 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother: [n. 3] 1:2 eis, qui sunt Colossis, sanctis, et fidelibus fratribus in Christo Jesu. [n. 6] 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus who are at Colossa. [n. 6] 1:3 Gratia vobis, et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Jesu Christo. [n. 7] Gratias agimus Deo, et Patri Domini nostri Jesu Christi semper pro vobis orantes: [n. 8] 1:3 Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 7] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. [n. 8] 3. Dividitur autem haec epistola in salutationem, et tractatum, ibi gratias, et cetera. 3. This letter is divided into its greeting and its message, at grace be to you. Item primo ponuntur personae salutantes; First, the persons sending the letter are mentioned; secundo personae salutatae, ibi his qui sunt; then, the ones to whom it is sent, at to the saints and faithful; tertio bona optata, ibi gratia vobis. and third, the good things desired for the latter, at grace be to you. Circa primum As to the first, primo ponitur principalis persona; the principal sender is mentioned; secundo adiuncta, ibi et Timotheus. and second, his companion, at and Timothy. 4. Principalis primo tangitur ex nomine Paulus, id est humilis. Tales enim percipiunt sapientiam. Matth. XI, 25: abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Et ideo docet eam. 4. The principal sender of this letter is first identified by his name, Paul, that is, one who is humble, for it is such persons who receive wisdom: you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes (Matt 11:25), and so Paul can teach this wisdom. Secundo ab officio, scilicet apostolus, id est missus, scilicet ad procurandum salutem fidelium. Act. XIII, 2: segregate mihi Saulum et Barnabam in opus ad quod assumpsi eos. Io. XX, 21: sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos. Et apostolus, non cuiuslibet, sed Iesu Christi, cuius gloriam quaerit, non sui ipsius. II Cor. IV, 5: non enim nosmetipsos praedicamus, sed Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum, nos autem servos vestros per Iesum. Second, the sender is described by his office, namely, an apostle, that is, one who is sent, to bring salvation to the faithful: set apart for me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2); as the Father has sent me, even so I send you (John 20:21). He is not the apostle of just anyone, but of Jesus Christ, whose glory he seeks, and not his own: for what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5). Sed quidam aliquando perveniunt ad officium ex ira Dei propter peccatum populi. Iob XXXIV, 30: qui regnare facit hominem hypocritam propter peccata populi. Os. XIII, v. 11: dabo tibi regem in furore meo. Et ideo dicit per voluntatem Dei, scilicet eius beneplacitum. Ier. III, 15: dabo vobis pastores iuxta cor meum, et pascent vos scientia et doctrina. But at times some reach their office because God is angry because of a people’s sins: who makes a man who is a hypocrite to reign for the sins of the people (Job 34:30); I have given you kings in my anger (Hos 13:11). And so Paul says that he has his office by the will of God, that is, by his pleasure: I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding (Jer 3:15). 5. Persona adiuncta est Timotheus, ut scilicet in ore duorum vel trium stet omne verbum, ut, dicitur Deut. XVII. Prov. XVIII, v. 19: frater qui iuvatur a fratre, quasi civitas firma. 5. The other person to send this letter is Timothy, a brother, so that there may be two or three witnesses (Deut 17:6). A brother helped is like a strong city (Prov 18:19). 6. Personae salutatae ponuntur, ibi his, et cetera. Sancti dicuntur maiores. Lc. I, 75: serviamus illi in sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso. Fideles dicuntur minores, qui saltem veram fidem tenent, quia sine fide impossibile est placere Deo, ut dicitur Hebr. XI, 6. 6. The persons to whom this letter is sent are the saints and faithful brethren. The greater ones are called saints: let us serve him in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:75); and the lesser ones are referred to as the faithful, who have at least kept the true faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Vel sanctis, id est in Baptismo sanctificatis, et fidelibus, id est permanentibus in fide accepta. Prov. XXVIII, 20: vir fidelis multum laudabitur, et cetera. Or we could say, to the saints, that is, to those sanctified by baptism, and faithful brethren, that is, those who have remained in the faith they accepted: a faithful man will be much praised (Prov 28:20). 7. Deinde ponuntur bona optata, scilicet gratia, quae est principium omnis boni. Rom. III, 24: iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius. Pax quae est finale bonum omnium. Ps. CXLVII, 14: qui posuit fines tuos pacem. Et per consequens optat omnia bona media. 7. Then he mentions the good things he wishes them to have: that is, grace, which is the source of every good: justified by his grace as a gift (Rom 3:24); and peace, which is the last of all goods: he makes peace in your borders (Ps 147:14). As a consequence, he wishes them all the goods that lie between these two. Et hoc a Deo, Ps. LXXXIII, 12: gratiam et gloriam dabit Dominus; Patre Domini nostri Iesu Christi, scilicet per naturam, sed nostro per gratiam, et Domino Iesu Christo, et sic Patre nostro, scilicet Deo in Trinitate, et Domino Iesu Christo, quantum ad naturam assumptam. And he says from God: the Lord will give grace and glory (Ps 84:11). From the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Father of Christ by nature, and our Father by grace; and from the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, from our Father, that is, God in his Trinity, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, considering the nature God assumed. Lectio 2 Lecture 2 Veritas Evangelii The truth of the Gospel 1:3 Gratia vobis, et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Jesu Christo. [n. 7] Gratias agimus Deo, et Patri Domini nostri Jesu Christi semper pro vobis orantes: [n. 8] 1:3 Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 7] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. [n. 8] 1:4 audientes fidem vestram in Christo Jesu, et dilectionem quam habetis in sanctos omnes [n. 10] 1:4 Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. [n. 10] 1:5 propter spem, quae reposita est vobis in caelis: quam audistis in verbo veritatis Evangelii: [n. 12] 1:5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the Gospel, [n. 12] 1:6 quod pervenit ad vos, sicut et in universo mundo est, et fructificat, et crescit sicut in vobis, ex ea die, qua audistis, et cognovistis gratiam Dei in veritate, [n. 14] 1:6 Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world and brings forth fruit and grows, even as it does in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. [n. 14] 1:7 sicut didicistis ab Epaphra carissimo conservo nostro, qui est fidelis pro vobis minister Christi Jesu, [n. 16] 1:7 As you learned from Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus; [n. 16] 1:8 qui etiam manifestavit nobis dilectionem vestram in Spiritu. 1:8 Who also has manifested to us your love in the Spirit. 8. Hic, accedens ad propositum, incipit epistolarem tractatum. Et 8. Here Paul begins his message. primo commendat Evangelii veritatem; First, he commends the truth of the Gospel; secundo contra contrariantia protegit veritatem status huius in II capite, ibi volo enim scire vos. second, he defends this against those who attack it, at for I would have you know (Col 2:1). Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things. Primo commendat evangelicae fidei veritatem; First, he commends the truth of faith in the Gospel; secundo actorem huius status, ibi qui est imago. and second, its author, at who is the image (Col 1:15). Item prima in duas, quia The first is divided into two parts. primo agit gratias pro beneficiis specialiter exhibitis Colossensibus; First, he thanks God for the benefits conferred on the Colossians in particular;