Lectio 3 Lecture 3 Salvi per fidem Saved through faith ^2:8 Gratia enim estis salvati per fidem, et hoc non ex vobis: Dei enim donum est: [n. 93] ^2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. [n. 93] ^2:9 non ex operibus, ut ne quis glorietur. [n. 96] ^2:9 Not of works, that no man may glory. [n. 96] ^2:10 Ipsius enim sumus factura, creati in Christo Jesu in operibus bonis, quae praeparavit Deus ut in illis ambulemus. [n. 97] ^2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God has prepared that we should walk in them. [n. 97] 92. Supra commemorans Apostolus beneficium Dei quo liberati sumus a peccato, interposuerat quod gratia Christi eramus salvati, nunc autem illud probare intendit. 92. When the Apostle was recounting above the blessing of God by which we have been freed from sin, he inserted that we had been saved by Christ’s grace. Now he intends to prove this. Circa quod duo facit. He makes two points concerning it: Primo enim proponit intentionem suam; first, he sets down his intention; secundo manifestat propositum, ibi et hoc non ex vobis, et cetera. second, he clarifies the point in question, at and that not of yourselves. 93. Dicit ergo primo: bene dixi cuius gratia estis salvati; et certe adhuc dico secure, enim, pro quia, estis salvati gratia. I Cor. XV, 10: gratia Dei sum id quod sum. Rom. III, 24: iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius. 93. I rightly declared, he says of the first, by whose grace you were saved; and indeed, I still confidently say for, in place of because, by grace you are saved. By the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10), being justified freely by his grace (Rom 3:24). Idem enim est salvari et iustificari. Salus enim importat liberationem a periculis; unde perfecta salus hominis erit in vita aeterna, quando ab omnibus periculis immunis erit, sicut navis dicitur esse salvata, quando venit ad portum. Is. LX, 18: occupabit salus muros tuos, et portas tuas laudatio. For to be saved is the same as to be justified. Salvation implies a freedom from dangers; hence, man’s perfect salvation will be in eternal life when he will be immune from all dangers, as a ship is said to be safe when it has arrived at port. You shall call your walls ‘salvation’ and your gates ‘praise’ (Isa 60:18). Huius autem salutis spem suscipiunt homines, dum in praesenti iustificantur a peccato, et secundum hoc dicuntur salvati esse, secundum illud Rom. VIII, 24: spe enim salvati sumus. Men receive the hope of this salvation when they are justified from sin in the present, and are thus referred to as saved: for we are saved by hope (Rom 8:24). Haec autem salvatio gratiae est per fidem Christi. Concurrit enim ad iustificationem impii, simul cum infusione gratiae, motus fidei in Deum in adultis. Lc. VIII, 48: vade in pace, fides tua te salvum fecit. Rom. V, 1: iustificati enim ex fide, pacem habeamus. But this salvation of grace is by faith in Christ. In the justification of an adult who has sinned, the movement of faith towards God coincides with the infusion of grace. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace (Luke 8:48). Being justified, therefore, by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). 94. Deinde cum dicit et hoc non ex vobis, etc., manifestat quod dixerat, et 94. When he next says and that not of yourselves, he clarifies what he had spoken of: primo quantum ad fidem quae est fundamentum totius spiritualis aedificii; first, regarding faith, which is the foundation of the whole spiritual edifice; secundo quantum ad gratiam, ibi ipsius enim sumus factura, et cetera. second, regarding grace, at for we are his workmanship. 95. Circa primum excludit duos errores, quorum primus est: quia dixerat quod per fidem sumus salvati, posset quis credere quod ipsa fides esset a nobis et quod credere in nostro arbitrio constitutum est. Et ideo hoc excludens, dicit et hoc non ex vobis. 95. He eliminates two errors concerning the first point. The first of these is that, since he had said we are saved by faith, anyone can hold the opinion that faith itself originates within ourselves and that to believe is determined by our own wishes. Therefore to abolish this he states and that not of yourselves. Non enim sufficit ad credendum liberum arbitrium, eo quod ea quae sunt fidei, sunt supra rationem. Eccli. III, 25: plurima supra sensum hominis ostensa sunt tibi. I Cor. c. II, 11: quae Dei sunt nemo novit, nisi Spiritus Dei, et cetera. Et ideo quod homo credat, hoc non potest ex se habere, nisi Deus det, secundum illud Sap. IX, 17: sensum autem tuum quis sciet, nisi ut dederis sapientiam, et miseris Spiritum Sanctum tuum de altissimis? Propter quod subdit Dei enim donum est, scilicet ipsa fides. Phil. I, 29: vobis autem donatum est pro Christo non solum ut in eum credatis, sed ut etiam pro eo patiamini, et cetera. I Cor. XII, 9: alii enim datur fides in eodem Spiritu. Free will is inadequate for the act of faith since the contents of faith are above human reason. Matters too great for human understanding have been shown to you (Sir 3:25). No one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:11). That a man should believe, therefore, cannot occur from himself unless God gives it, according to what is written: who could ever have known your will, had you not given wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from above (Wis 9:17). For this reason he adds for it is the gift of God, namely, faith itself. For you have been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him (Phil 1:29). To another, faith is given in the same Spirit (1 Cor 12:9). 96. Secundo excludit alium errorem. Posset enim aliquis credere quod fides daretur nobis a Deo merito operum praecedentium, et, ad hoc excludendum, subdit non ex operibus, scilicet praecedentibus, hoc donum meruimus aliquando, quod salvati sumus, quoniam hoc ex gratia, ut supra dictum est, secundum illud Rom. XI, 6: si autem gratia, iam non ex operibus, alioquin gratia iam non est gratia. 96. The second error he rejects is that anyone can believe that faith is given by God to us on the merit of our preceding actions. To exclude this he adds not of preceding works that we merited at one time to be saved; for this is the grace, as was mentioned above, and according to what is written: if by grace, it is not now by works; otherwise grace is no more grace (Rom 11:6). Subdit autem rationem quare Deus salvat homines per fidem, absque meritis praecedentibus, ut ne quis glorietur in seipso, sed tota gloria in Deum referatur. Ps. CXIII, 1: non nobis, domine, non nobis, et cetera. I Cor. c. I, 29: ut non glorietur omnis caro in conspectu eius, ex ipso autem vos estis in Christo Iesu. He follows with the reason why God saves man by faith without any preceding merits, that no man may glory in himself but refer all the glory to God. Not for our sake, Yahweh, not for our sake, but for the sake of your name display your glory, because of your kindness, because of your faithfulness (Ps 115:1–2). That no flesh should glory in his sight. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, justice, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor 1:29–30). 97. Deinde cum dicit ipsius enim factura sumus, etc., manifestat quod dixerat quantum ad gratiam. Circa quod duo facit. 97. Next, at for we are his workmanship, he clarifies what he had said regarding grace. Concerning this he does two things: Primo manifestat gratiae infusionem; first, he clarifies the infusion of grace; secundo declarat gratiae praedestinationem, ibi quae praeparavit Deus, et cetera. second, he declares the predestination of grace, at which God has prepared. 98. Duo autem ad rationem gratiae pertinent, quae etiam iam dicta sunt, quorum primum est ut id quod est per gratiam, non insit homini per seipsum, vel a seipso, sed ex dono Dei. Et quantum ad hoc dicit ipsius enim factura sumus, quia scilicet quidquid boni nos habemus, non est ex nobis ipsis, sed ex Deo faciente. Ps. XCIX, 3: ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos. Deut. XXXII, v. 6: nonne ipse est Pater tuus, qui possedit, fecit et creavit te? 98. There are two essential characteristics of grace, which have already been spoken of. The first of these is that what exists through grace is not present in man through himself or by himself, but from the gift of God. In reference to this he states for we are his workmanship, because whatever good we possess is not from ourselves but from the action of God. Know that Yahweh is God: he made us, the Almighty (Ps 100:3). Is he not your Father, who created you, made you and fashioned you? (Deut 32:6). Et continuatur immediate cum praecedenti, ut dicatur: ne quis glorietur, quia scilicet ipsius factura sumus. Vel potest continuari cum eo quod supra dixerat: gratia enim salvati sumus. This is immediately linked with what went before: that no man may glory, for we are his workmanship. Or, it can be joined with what was said above: for by grace you are saved. 99. Secundo, pertinet ad rationem gratiae, ut non sit ex operibus praecedentibus, et hoc exprimitur in hoc quod subdit creati. Est enim creare, aliquid ex nihilo facere, unde quando aliquis iustificatur sine meritis praecedentibus, dici potest creatus, quasi ex nihilo factus. Haec autem actio, scilicet creatio iustitiae, fit virtute Christi, Spiritum Sanctum dantis. Propter quod subdit in Christo Iesu, id est per Christum Iesum. Gal. ult.: in Christo enim Iesu neque circumcisio aliquid valet, neque praeputium, sed nova creatura. Ps. CIII, 30: emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur. 99. The second essential characteristic of grace is that it is not from previous works; this is expressed when he adds created. To create anything is to produce it from nothing; hence, when anyone is justified without preceding merits, he can be said to have been created as though made from nothing. This creative action of justification occurs through the power of Christ communicating the Holy Spirit. On this account he adds in Christ Jesus, that is, through Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new creation (Gal 6:15). Send forth your Spirit, they are created anew (Ps 104:30). Ulterius, non solum datur nobis habitus virtutis et gratiae sed interius per Spiritum renovamur ad bene operandum. Unde subdit in operibus bonis, quia scilicet ipsa bona opera sunt nobis a Deo. Is. XXVI, 12: omnia enim opera nostra operatus es in nobis. Moreover, not only are the habits of virtue and grace given to us, but we are inwardly renewed through the Spirit in order to act uprightly. Whence he goes on in good works since the good works themselves are made possible to us by God. For you have accomplished all we have done (Isa 26:12). 100. Et quia quos praedestinavit hos et vocavit, scilicet per gratiam, ut dicitur Rom. VIII, 30, ideo subdit de praedestinatione, dicens quae, scilicet bona opera, praeparavit Deus. Nihil enim aliud est praedestinatio, quam praeparatio beneficiorum Dei, inter quae beneficia computantur et ipsa bona opera nostra. Dicitur autem Deus nobis aliqua praeparare, inquantum disposuit se nobis daturum. Ps. LXIV, 10: parasti cibum illorum, et cetera. 100. Since those he predestined he also called (Rom 8:30) through grace, therefore he adds something concerning predestination, saying, which good works God has prepared. For predestination is nothing else than the pre-arrangement of God’s blessings, among which blessings our good works themselves are numbered. God is said to prepare something for us insofar as he disposes himself to give it to us. Provide the land with grain, for you prepared it for this (Ps 65:9). Sed ne aliquis intelligeret bona opera sic esse nobis praeparata a Deo, ut nihil ad illa per liberum arbitrium cooperaremur, ideo subdit ut in illis ambulemus, quasi dicat: sic nobis ea praeparavit, ut ea nos ipsi nobis per liberum arbitrium impleremus. Dei enim adiutores sumus, ut dicitur I Cor. III, 9. Propter quod dicebat de seipso Apostolus I Cor. c. XV, 10: gratia eius in me vacua non fuit, sed abundantius omnibus laboravi, non ego autem, sed gratia Dei mecum. Lest anyone imagine that good works are prepared for us by God in such a way that we do not cooperate in their realization through our free will, he annexes that we should walk in them. As though he said: thus has he prepared them for us, that we might perform them for ourselves through our free will. For we are God’s co-workers (1 Cor 3:9). For this reason the Apostle said of himself: by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me has not been in vain; rather I have worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me (1 Cor 15:10). Signanter autem dicit ambulemus, ut designet boni operis profectum, secundum illud Io. XII, 35: ambulate, dum lucem habetis. Infra V, 8: ut filii lucis ambulate. He expressly says we should walk to designate a progress in good works, in line with that saying: walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overtake you (John 12:35); walk then as children of the light (Eph 5:8). Lectio 4 Lecture 4 Gentes Christo redempti Gentiles redeemed by Christ ^2:11 Propter quod memores estote quod aliquando vos gentes in carne, qui dicimini praeputium ab ea quae dicitur circumcisio in carne, manu facta: [n. 102] ^2:11 For which cause be mindful that you, being heretofore gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh, made by hands: [n. 102] ^2:12 quia eratis illo in tempore sine Christo, alienati a conversatione Israël, et hospites testamentorum, promissionis spem non habentes, et sine Deo in hoc mundo. [n. 105] ^2:12 That you were at that time without Christ, alienated from Israel’s way of life, and strangers to the testament, having no hope of the promise and without God in this world. [n. 105] ^2:13 Nunc autem in Christo Jesu, vos, qui aliquando eratis longe, facti estis prope in sanguine Christi. [n. 108] ^2:13 But now in Christ Jesus, you, who at one time were far off, are made near by the blood of Christ. [n. 108] 101. Prosecuto beneficio Dei gentilibus exhibito quantum ad liberationem a peccato, hic recitat Apostolus beneficium eis exhibitum a liberatione a statu gentilitatis. 101. Once he has outlined God’s blessing to the gentiles in freeing them from sin, the Apostle recalls the favor shown them in their liberation from the state of paganism.