Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Stigmata Christi The marks of Christ ^6:16 Et quicumque hanc regulam secuti fuerint, pax super illos, et misericordia, et super Israël Dei. [n. 375] ^6:16 And whoever shall follow this rule, peace on them and mercy: and upon the Israel of God. [n. 375] ^6:17 De cetero, nemo mihi molestus sit: ego enim stigmata Domini Jesu in corpore meo porto. [n. 377] ^6:17 Henceforth let no man be troublesome to me: for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. [n. 377] ^6:18 Gratia Domini nostri Jesu Christi cum spiritu vestro, fratres. Amen. [n. 380] ^6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. [n. 380] 375. Aperta intentione seducentium, et insinuata sua, hic consequenter Apostolus monet eos, et 375. Having disclosed the intention of the seducers and intimated his own, the Apostle counsels them: primo ad sui imitationem; first, to imitate him; secundo ut desistant ab eius molestatione, ibi de caetero nemo, etc.; second, to desist from being troublesome to him, at henceforth; tertio implorat eis gratiae auxilium ad praedictorum impletionem. third, he begs grace for them to carry out the aforesaid. 376. Dicit ergo primo: intentio mea est, ut nonnisi in cruce Christi glorier, quod et vos debetis facere, quia quicumque hanc regulam, quam ego scilicet teneo, secuti fuerint, scilicet hanc rectitudinem gloriandi. II Cor. X, 13: non in immensum gloriamur, sed secundum mensuram regulae, et cetera. Pax super illos, scilicet gloriantes quia nonnisi in Christo gloriantur. Pax, inquam, qua quietentur et perficiantur in bono. Pax enim est tranquillitas mentis. Cant. VIII, 10: ex quo facta sum coram illo quasi pacem reperiens. Col. III, 15: pax Christi exultet in cordibus vestris, in qua, et cetera. Et misericordia, per quam liberentur a peccatis. Thren. III, 22: misericordiae Domini, quia non sumus consumpti. Sap. IV, 15: gratia Dei et misericordia in sanctos eius, et respectus in electos illius, qui scilicet sunt Israel. Rom. II, 28: non enim qui in manifesto Iudaeus est. 376. First, therefore, he says: my intention is to glory only in the cross of Christ. And you, too, should do this, because whoever shall follow this rule which I follow, namely, this proper way of glorying—but we will not glory beyond our measure and according to the measure of the rule which God has measured to us (2 Cor 10:13)—peace on them, namely, on those who glory, because they glory in Christ alone: peace, I say, by which they are set at rest and made perfect in good. For peace is tranquility of mind: since I am become in his presence as one finding peace (Song 8:10); and in Colossians: and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body (Col 3:15). And mercy, by which we are set free of our sins: the mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed (Lam 3:22); the grace of God and his mercy is with his saints, and he has respect to his chosen, namely, who are his Israel (Wis 4:15); for he is not a Jew who is so outwardly (Rom 2:28). Ille ergo est Israel Dei, qui est spiritualiter Israel coram Deo. Io. I, 47: ecce vere Israelita, in quo dolus non est. Rom. c. IX, 6: non enim omnes qui sunt ex Israel, hi sunt Israelitae, et cetera. Sed qui filii sunt promissionis existimantur in semine. Unde et ipsi gentiles facti sunt Israel Dei per mentis rectitudinem. Israel rectissimus interpretatur. Gen. XXXII: Israel erit nomen tuum, et cetera. He, therefore, is the Israel of God who is spiritually an Israel before God: behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile (John 1:47); for all are not Israelites that are of Israel: neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children; but in Isaac shall your seed be called; that is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of God but they that are the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed (Rom 9:6). Hence even the gentiles have become the Israel of God by uprightness of mind; for Israel means ‘most upright’: Israel will be your name (Gen 32:28). 377. Consequenter cum dicit de caetero nemo, etc., monet, ut desistant a sui molestatione. Et 377. Then when he says, henceforth let no man be troublesome to me, he admonishes them to bother him no more. primo ponit admonitionem; First, he gives the admonition; secundo rationem eius assignat, ibi: ego enim stigmata. second, he gives a reason for it, at for I bear the marks. 378. Dicit ergo de caetero, etc.; quod potest dupliciter exponi. Uno modo, ut de caetero accipiatur in vi unius dictionis, ut sit sensus de caetero, id est amodo. Alio modo ut accipiatur in vi duarum dictionum, ut sit sensus: de residuo nemo, etc.; quasi dicat: ego gloriabor tantum in cruce, de omnibus aliis nemo mihi molestus sit, quia ego de nullo curo. Sed prima melior est. 378. He says therefore: henceforth let no man be troublesome to me. This can be explained in two ways. In one way, henceforth can be taken as one word so that the sense is: henceforth, i.e., from now on. In another way it might be taken as two words, so that the sense is: let no man be troublesome to me about anything else. As if to say: I glory in the cross alone; with respect to anything else, let no man be troublesome to me, because I care about nothing else. But the first is better. Quod autem dicit nemo mihi molestus sit, potest referri ad pseudo, qui molesti erant Apostolo, movendo quaestiones, et murmurando de observantiis legalibus. Ps. XXXIV, 13: ego autem, dum mihi molesti essent, induebar Cilicio, et cetera. Vel potest referri ad auditores non recte sentientes, ut dicatur nemo mihi molestus sit, id est nullus auditor exhibeat se talem, ut rursum in eo necessitatem habeam laborandi, scilicet aliter sentiendo, quam doceam. His saying, let no man be troublesome to me, can be referred to the false brethren, who were troubling the Apostle by raising difficulties and murmuring about the legal observances: but as for me, when they were troublesome, I was clothed with haircloth (Ps 35:13). Or it can be referred to hearers who do not grasp his meaning. As if to say: let no one be troublesome to me, i.e., let no one who hears me show himself to be such as to make it necessary for me to labor with him again, namely, by understanding in a way other than I have taught. 379. Rationem autem horum assignat, dicens ego enim stigmata, et cetera. 379. The reason for this admonition he assigns when he says, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. Stigmata enim proprie sunt quaedam notae impressae alicui cum ferro candenti sicut cum servus ab aliquo domino signatur in facie, ut nullus eum sibi vindicet, sed quiete dimittat domino suo, cuius stigmata portat. Hoc etiam modo Apostolus dicit se stigmata Domini portare, quasi insignitus sit ut servus Christi. Et hoc quia portabat insignia passionis Christi, patiens pro eo multas tribulationes in corpore suo, secundum illud I Petr. II, 21: Christus passus est pro nobis, vobis relinquens exemplum, et cetera. II Cor. IV, 10: semper mortificationem Domini Iesu in corpore nostro circumferentes, et cetera. For stigmata are, strictly speaking, certain marks branded on one with a hot iron; as when a slave is marked on the face by his master, so that no one else will claim him, but will quietly let him remain with the master whose marks he bears. And this is the way the Apostle says he bears the marks of the Lord, branded, as it were, as a slave of Christ; and this, because he bore the marks of Christ’s passion, suffering many tribulations in his body for him, according to the saying of 1 Peter: Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps (1 Pet 2:21); always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Cor 4:10). Et secundum hoc dupliciter potest continuari ad praemissa. Uno modo, ut dictum est nemo mihi molestus sit, nam ego porto insignia Domini nostri Iesu Christi in corpore meo, et sic nullus super me ius habet nisi Christus. Alio modo nemo mihi molestus sit, quia ego habeo multos alios conflictus et stigmata, quae in persecutionibus quas patior me molestant, et grave est addere afflictionem afflicto. Unde conqueritur Iob XVI, 15: concidit me vulnere super vulnus. Sed prima melior est. According to this there are two ways of connecting this with the preceding. In one way, as has been said: let no man be troublesome to me: for I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus in my body; consequently, no one has any right over me except Christ. In another way: let no man be troublesome to me, because I have many other conflicts and marks that trouble me in the persecutions I suffer; and it is cruel to add affliction to one already afflicted. Hence the complaint of Job: he has torn me with wound upon wound (Job 16:15). Nevertheless, the first is better. 380. Implorat autem auxilium gratiae Dei, dicens gratia Domini nostri Iesu Christi, etc., per quam praedicta implere possitis, sit cum spiritu vestro, id est cum ratione vestra, ut veritatem intelligatis. 380. Then he implores the help of God’s grace, saying: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which you may carry out the foregoing, be with your spirit, i.e., with your understanding, so that you may understand the truth. Vel cum spiritu vestro, quo scilicet debetis legem observare, et non carnaliter. Rom. c. VIII, 15: non enim accepistis, et cetera. Or, with your spirit, with which you should observe the law, rather than in a carnal manner: 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).