Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Reconcilatio Christi per crucem Christ’s reconciliation by the cross 2:14 Ipse enim est pax nostra, qui fecit utraque unum, et medium parietem maceriae solvens, inimicitias in carne sua, [n. 111] 2:14 For he is our peace, who has made both one, and breaking down the middle barrier of partition, the enmities in his flesh: [n. 111] 2:15 legem mandatorum decretis evacuans, ut duos condat in semetipso in unum novum hominem, faciens pacem: [n. 115] 2:15 Making void the law of commandments contained in decrees: that he might make the two in himself into one new man, making peace [n. 115] 2:16 et reconciliet ambos in uno corpore, Deo per crucem, interficiens inimicitias in semetipso. [n. 117] 2:16 And might reconcile us both to God in one body by the cross, killing the enmities in himself. [n. 117] 2:17 Et veniens evangelizavit pacem vobis, qui longe fuistis, et pacem iis, qui prope. [n. 119] 2:17 And coming, he preached peace to you who were far off: and peace to those who were near. [n. 119] 2:18 Quoniam per ipsum habemus accessum ambo in uno Spiritu ad Patrem. [n. 121] 2:18 For by him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [n. 121] 110. Commemoratis beneficiis collatis ipsis Ephesiis in generali per Christum, hic ea commemorat in speciali. 110. Having recounted the blessings imparted to the Ephesians through Christ in a general way, he now recounts them in a specific way. Circa quod duo facit. Concerning this he makes two points: Primo ostendit qualiter appropinquaverunt populo Iudaico; first, he shows how they have converged with the Jewish people; secundo qualiter propinquiores facti sunt Deo, ibi ut reconciliet ambos, et cetera. second, how they are drawn closer to God, at reconcile us both. Prima iterum in tres, quia The first has three divisions: primo ostendit causam appropinquationis, first, he reveals the cause of this convergence; secundo modum, second, its manner; tertio finem. third, its purpose. Secunda ibi et medium parietem, et cetera. The second he reveals at the middle barrier; Tertia ibi ut duos, et cetera. the third at that he might make. 111. Causa autem appropinquationis est Christus, propter quod dicit ipse enim est pax nostra, et cetera. Et est emphatica locutio ad maiorem rei expressionem, quasi dicat: bene dico quod facti estis prope, sed hoc factum est per Christum, quia ipse est pax nostra, id est causa pacis nostrae. Unde dicebat Io. XIV, 27: pacem meam do vobis. 111. Christ is the cause of this drawing together, for which reason he affirms for he is our peace, who has made both one. This is an emphatic way of speaking to better express the reality, as though he said: rightly do I say that you are drawn near each other, but this occurs through Christ since he is himself our peace, that is, he is the cause of our peace. My peace I give you (John 14:27). Hic autem modus loquendi fieri consuevit, quando totum quod est in effectu dependet ex causa, sicut cum dicimus de Deo quod ipse est salus nostra, quia quidquid salutis est in nobis causatur a Deo. Quia ergo quidquid pacis est in nobis causatur a Christo, et per consequens quidquid appropinquationis, quia homo quando pacificatus est cum alio, secure potest ambulare seu appropinquare ad ipsum, ideo dicit quod est pax nostra. Nam in eius nativitate angeli annuntiaverunt pacem. Lc. II, 14: gloria in altissimis Deo, et in terra pax, et cetera. Ipso etiam Christo in corpore existente, mundus maximam pacem habuit, qualem ante non habuerat. Ps. LXXI, v. 7: orietur in diebus eius iustitia, et cetera. Ipse etiam resurgens pacem annuntiavit. Lc. ult.: dixit eis: pax vobis. It is usual to adopt this way of speaking when the totality of the effect depends on its cause; for instance, we say that God himself is our salvation because whatever salvation is present in us is caused by God. In the same way, whatever peace we possess is caused by Christ and, as a result, whatever convergence men have with one another. For when a man is at peace with another he can securely walk towards or approach him. Hence, he is our peace. Angels announced peace at his birth: glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to those he is pleased with (Luke 2:14). Indeed, while Christ lived in the body the world enjoyed the greatest peace, the like of which it had never before possessed. May the just man flourish in his days, and peace pour down till the moon be no more (Ps 72:7). He himself proclaimed peace when he arose from the dead: he said to them: peace be with you (Luke 24:36). Sequitur qui fecit utraque unum, quia scilicet Christus utrumque populum, videlicet Iudaeorum colentium Deum verum et gentilium, ab huiusmodi Dei cultura alienatorum, coniunxit in unum. Io. X, 16: alias oves habeo quae non sunt ex hoc ovili, etc., usque ibi: et fiet unum ovile et unus pastor. Ez. c. XXXVII, 22: rex unus erit omnibus imperans, et cetera. It follows that he has made both one, joining into unity both the Jews who worshiped the true God and the gentiles who were alienated from God’s cult. And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold; them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd (John 10:16). One king shall be king over them all. And they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided any more into two kingdoms (Ezek 37:22). 112. Modus autem appropinquationis ostenditur cum subdit et medium parietem, et cetera. Hic autem modus est per remotionem eius quod dividebat. 112. The manner of convergence is revealed when he states and breaking down the middle barrier of partition. The method, then, consists in removing what is divisive. Debemus autem ad intellectum litterae imaginari unum magnum campum, et multos homines ibi congregatos, in quo quidem per medium protendatur et elevetur unus paries dividens eos, ita quod non videatur populus unus, sed duo. Quicumque ergo removeret parietem, coniungeret illorum hominum congregationem in turbam unam, et efficeretur populus unus. Sic intelligendum est quod hic dicitur. Mundus enim iste est sicut ager, Matth. XIII, 38: ager est mundus; hic autem ager, scilicet mundus, plenus est hominibus, Gen. I, 28: crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete terram. In isto autem agro est paries, quia quidam sunt ex una parte, quidam ex alia; hic autem paries potest dici lex vetus secundum carnales observantias, in qua Iudaei conclusi custodiebantur, ut dicitur Gal. c. III, 23: sub lege custodiebamur conclusi in eam fidem, quae revelanda erat. Cant. II, v. 9: ipse stat post parietem nostrum; quia videlicet Christus per veterem legem figurabatur. Christus autem hunc parietem removit, et ita cum nullum remaneret interstitium, factus est populus unus Iudaeorum et gentium. Et hoc est quod dicit: dico quod fecit utraque unum, hoc modo scilicet solvens medium parietem. To understand the text we should imagine a large field with many men gathered on it. But a high barrier was thrown across the middle of it, segregating the people so that they did not appear as one people but two. Whoever would remove the barrier would unite the crowds of men into one multitude, and one people would be formed. What is said here should be understood in this way. For the world is likened to a field: the field is the world (Matt 13:38); this field of the world is crowded with men: increase and multiply, and fill the earth (Gen 1:28). A barrier, however, runs down the field, some are on one side and the rest on the other. The old law can be termed such a barrier; its carnal observances kept the Jews confined: before the faith came, we were under the guardianship of the law, confined in anticipation of the faith which was to be revealed (Gal 3:23). Christ was symbolized through the old law: see, he stands behind our wall (Song 2:9). Christ, however, has put an end to this barrier and, since no division remained, the Jews and the gentiles became one people. This is what he says: I affirm that he has made both one by the method of breaking down the middle barrier. 113. Parietem dico maceriae, non muri. Tunc enim est paries maceriae, quando lapides in eo non conglutinantur cemento, nec ad hoc erigitur, ut duret in perpetuum, sed usque ad tempus praefinitum. 113. I say a barrier of partition and not a wall. A barrier of partition is one in which the stones are not mortared together with cement; it is not built to last permanently but only for a specified time. Vetus ergo lex est paries maceriae propter duo. Primo quia non conglutinabatur caritate, quae est quasi cementum conglutinans singulos sibi invicem, et omnes simul Christo. Infra IV, 3: solliciti servare unitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis. Vetus enim lex est lex timoris, inducens homines per poenas et comminationes ad observantias mandatorum. Et si qui, illo tempore legis, eam ex caritate observabant, iam pertinebant ad Novum Testamentum, ut dicit Augustinus, quod est lex amoris. Rom. VIII, 15: non enim accepistis Spiritum servitutis iterum in timore, et cetera. The old law was a barrier of partition for two reasons. First, because it was not mortared together with charity which is, as it were, the cement uniting individuals among themselves and everyone together with Christ. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). The old law is a law of fear, persuading men to observe its commands by punishments and threats. While that law was in force, those who kept it out of love belonged by anticipation, as Augustine holds, to the New Testament which is the law of love. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear but you have received the Spirit of adoption of sons (Rom 8:15). Secundo, vetus lex est paries maceriae quia non fuit data ut perpetuo duraret, sed usque ad tempus praefinitum. Gal. IV, 1 ss.: quanto tempore haeres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium, sed sub tutoribus et actoribus est usque ad praefinitum tempus a patre: ita et nos cum essemus, et cetera. Second, the old law is a barrier of partition because it was not meant to last permanently but only for a definite time. As long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a servant, though he is master of all; but he is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by his father. So we also, when we were children, were slaves to the elemental powers of the world (Gal 4:1–3). 114. Sed hic incidit quaestio quia dicit parietem maceriae solvens, contrarium dicitur Matth. V, 17: non veni solvere legem, sed adimplere. 114. A problem arises here since he says breaking down the middle barrier of partition because, on the contrary, it is written: do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill (Matt 5:17). Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod in veteri lege erant praecepta moralia et caeremonialia. Moralia quidem praecepta Christus non solvit, sed adimplevit, superaddendo consilia, et exponendo ea quae scribae et Pharisaei male intelligebant. Unde dicebat Matth. V, 19: nisi abundaverit iustitia vestra plus quam scribarum, et cetera. Et iterum: dictum est antiquis: diliges proximum tuum, et odio habebis inimicum tuum. Ego autem dico vobis: diligite inimicos vestros, et cetera. Caeremonialia vero praecepta solvit quidem quantum ad eorum substantiam, sed adimplevit quantum ad illud quod figurabant, adhibens figuratum figurae. I reply. The old law contained both moral and ceremonial precepts. The moral commandments were not destroyed by Christ but fulfilled in the counsels he added and in his explanations of what the scribes and Pharisees had wrongly interpreted: unless your justice abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20). And further on: you have heard that it has been said: you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you (Matt 5:43–44). He abolished the ceremonial precepts with regard to what they were in themselves, but he fulfilled them with regard to what they prefigured, adding what was symbolized to the symbol. Est ergo intelligendum quod hic dicit solvens, scilicet quantum ad observantiam legis carnalis. Et solvere hoc, scilicet parietem maceriae, est solvere inimicitias quae erant inter Iudaeos et gentiles: quia isti volebant legem servare, illi vero minime, ex quo oriebatur inter eos ira et invidia. It should be understood, therefore, that in saying breaking he refers to the observance of the carnal law. To break down this barrier of partition is to destroy the hostility between the Jews and gentiles. The former wanted to observe the law and the latter had little inclination to do so, from which anger and jealousy sprung up between them. Sed certe has inimicitias Christus solvit in carne sua assumpta. Nam in eius nativitate statim pax hominibus annuntiata est. Lc. II, v. 14. Vel in carne sua, scilicet immolata, quia, ut dicitur infra V, 2: tradidit semetipsum pro nobis oblationem et hostiam Deo. In quo quidem sacrificio impleta sunt omnia illa sacrificia, et cessaverunt. Hebr. X, 14: una enim oblatione consummavit in sempiternum sanctificatos. But certainly, Christ has abolished this animosity in his assumed flesh. For at his birth peace was immediately proclaimed to men (Luke 2:14). Or, in his immolated flesh since he has delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God (Eph 5:2). In this sacrifice all the former sacrifices were fulfilled and came to an end. For by a single offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified (Heb 10:14). 115. Quid autem sit iste paries insinuat, dicens quod est lex mandatorum, quasi dicat: solvens parietem, hoc est legem mandatorum, et cetera. 115. What that barrier was he implies when he says the law of commandments, as though he said: breaking down the barrier which is the law of the commandments. Dicitur autem lex vetus lex mandatorum, non quia aliae leges mandatis careant; nova enim lex mandata habet. Io. XIII, 34: mandatum novum do vobis. Sed propter duo: primo quidem propter magnum numerum mandatorum legalium, intantum quod ab hominibus servari non possunt, secundum illud Act. XV, 10: hoc est onus quod neque nos, neque patres nostri portare potuimus. Iob XI, v. 6: quod multiplex sit lex eius, et cetera. The old law is termed the law of commandments, not because other laws lacked injunctions since the new law has commandments: a new commandment I give you (John 13:34). There are two reasons why this title is applied to the old law. One is the great number of legal injunctions it contained, so many that men could not possibly keep them all, according to what is written: now, therefore, why tempt God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? (Acts 15:10); that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, and that his law is manifold (Job 11:6). Vel dicitur mandatorum, id est, factorum. Rom. III, 27: ubi est ergo gloriatio tua? Exclusa est. Per quam legem? Factorum? Non, sed per legem fidei. Unde sicut baptismus Ioannis dicitur baptismus aquae, quia tantum exterius mundabat, interius autem non sanctificabat: ita et lex vetus dicitur lex factorum, quia praecipiebat tantum quid facere deberent, sed non conferebat gratiam, per quam ad legem implendam iuvarentur. Lex vero nova dirigit in agendis, praecipiendo, et iuvat ad implendum, gratiam conferendo. Or, it is called of commandments meaning of works. Where then is your boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith (Rom 3:27). Thus the baptism of John was called a baptism of water since it would cleanse only externally and not sanctify interiorly. Likewise, the old law was termed a law of works because it ordained only what must be done, but did not confer the grace through which men would have been assisted in fulfilling the law. The new law, on the other hand, regulates what must be done by giving commands, and it aids in fulfilling them by bestowing grace. Evacuans dico, sicut imperfectum evacuatur per perfectum, et umbra per veritatem. I Cor. XIII, 10: cum autem venerit quod perfectum est, evacuabitur quod ex parte est, scilicet imperfectio et umbra veteris legis, de qua Hebr. X, 1: umbram enim habens lex futurorum bonorum, et cetera. I affirm that Christ was making void the law of commandments as the imperfect is made void by the perfect and the shadow by the truth. When the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away (1 Cor 13:10), that is, the imperfection and shadow of the old law: the law has a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things (Heb 10:1). Et hoc decretis, id est, praeceptis Novi Testamenti, per quae excluditur lex. Lev. XXVI, v. 10: comedetis vetustissima veterum, id est, praecepta legis naturae simul cum nova lege; et, praeceptis eius susceptis, vetera proiicietis, id est caeremonialia praecepta veteris legis quantum ad eorum substantiam, ut dictum est. This happened in decrees, referring to the precepts of the New Testament through which the law was annulled. You shall eat the oldest of the old store; and, the new coming on, that is, the precepts of the natural law together with the new law; and having received these precepts you shall cast away the old (Lev 26:10), meaning the ceremonial precepts of the old law as they were in themselves, as was mentioned above. 116. Finem vero appropinquationis ostendit, dicens ut duos condat in se, et cetera. Qui quidem finis est ut dicti duo populi efficiantur unus populus. Quae autem uniuntur, oportet uniri in aliquo uno, et quia lex dividebat, non poterant in lege uniri; Christus autem in lege succedens, et fides eius (sicut veritas figurae) eos in semetipso condidit. Io. XVII, 22: ut sint unum, sicut et nos unum sumus. Matth. XVIII, 20: ubi enim sunt duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi ego sum in medio eorum. 116. He reveals the purpose of the convergence when he states that he might make the two in himself. The end is that the aforementioned two peoples would be formed into one people. Whatever unites must come together in some unity, and since the law divided they could not be united in that law. But Christ took the place of the law, and faith in him, as the truth of those symbols, made them one in himself. That they may be one as we also are one (John 17:22); for, where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt 18:20). Et hoc in uno novo homine faciens pacem, id est in semetipso Christo, qui dicitur novus homo propter novum modum suae conceptionis. Ier. XXXI, 22: creavit Dominus novum super terram, foemina circumdabit virum. Item propter novitatem gratiae quam contulit. Gal. ult.: in Christo enim Iesu neque circumcisio aliquid valet, neque praeputium, sed nova creatura. Infra IV, 23: renovamini spiritu mentis vestrae, et induite novum hominem, qui, et cetera. Item propter nova mandata quae attulit. Io. XIII, 34: mandatum novum do vobis, ut diligatis invicem, et cetera. This is into one new man, making peace. That is, into Christ himself who is called a new man on account of the new manner of his conception: for the Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall encompass a man (Jer 31:22). Another factor is the novelty of the grace he bestows: for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any meaning, but a new creature (Gal 6:15); and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man who according to God is created (Eph 4:23). Christ is also a new man on account of the new commands he sets forth: a new commandment I give you: that you love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34).