Lectio 4 Lecture 4 Regia dignitas Christi Christ’s royal dignity ^1:8 Ad Filium autem: thronus tuus Deus in saeculum saeculi: virga aequitatis, virga regni tui. [n. 59] ^1:8 But to the Son: your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of your kingdom. [n. 59] ^1:9 Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem: propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo exultationis prae participibus tuis. [n. 62] ^1:9 You have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. [n. 62] 59. Supra probavit Apostolus per auctoritatem angelos esse ministros, hic probat hoc per rationem sumptam ex parte ipsius Christi. Unde intendit hic probare regiam dignitatem Christi; ubi duo facit. 59. Having proved by scriptural authority that the angels are spirits, the Apostle now proves this with a reason taken on the part of Christ. Hence, he intends here to prove Christ’s royal dignity. He does two things: Primo enim commendat regiam dignitatem ipsius Christi; first, he commends Christ’s royal dignity; secundo eius ad illam dignitatem ostendit idoneitatem, ibi propterea unxit te Deus. second, he shows his fitness for it, at therefore God, your God, has anointed. Circa primum tria facit; In regard to the first he does three things: primo commendat Christi regiam auctoritatem; first, he commends Christ’s royal dignity; secundo eius regiminis aequitatem, ibi virga aequitatis; second, the equity of his rule, at a sceptre of justice; tertio regiminis bonitatem, ibi dilexisti iustitiam. third, the goodness of his rule, at you have loved justice. 60. Dicit ergo: ad Filium autem dicit thronus tuus, et cetera. Et sunt verba Dei Patris loquentis per linguam prophetae, sicut per calamum scribae. Dicit ergo: O Deus Fili, thronus tuus, et cetera. In quo denotatur regia maiestas. 60. He says, therefore, but to the Son: your throne, O God, is for ever and ever. These are the words of the Father speaking through the tongue of a prophet as by a writer’s pen. He says, therefore: O God, the Son, your throne . . . is for ever and ever. Est enim thronus regis sedes, sed cathedra magistri, tribunal autem sedes iudicis. In this is denoted the royal majesty; for a throne is the king’s seat, a chair is the teacher’s seat, and a tribunal is the judge’s seat. Quae omnia conveniunt Christo, quia ipse est rex noster: Lc. I, 32: regnabit in domo Iacob et ideo convenit ei thronus. Ps. LXXXVIII, v. 30: thronus eius sicut sol. Ipse est magister, Io. III, 2: scimus, quia a Deo venisti magister, ideo competit ei cathedra. Ipse iudex noster, Is. XXXIII, 22: Dominus iudex noster, Dominus legifer noster, et ideo congruit sibi tribunal. II Cor. V, 10: omnes nos oportet manifestari ante tribunal Christi et cetera. All of these belong to Christ, because he is our king: he will reign in the house of Jacob (Luke 1:32) and therefore, deserves a throne: his throne is as the sun (Ps 89:38). He is a teacher and therefore, needs a chair: we know that you have been sent a teacher from God (John 3:2). He is also our judge: the Lord, our judge, the Lord our lawgiver (Isa 33:22). Therefore, he deserves a tribunal: all of us must be manifested before the tribunal of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). Competit autem thronus Christo secundum naturam divinam, inquantum est Deus, Ps. XLVI, 8: rex omnis terrae Deus, sed secundum quod homo, convenit sibi ex merito passionis, victoriae, et resurrectionis. Apoc. c. III, 21: qui vicerit, dabo ei sedere mecum in throno meo, sicut ego vici et sedi in throno Patris mei cum eo. Hic thronus est perpetuus. Lc. I, 33: et regni eius non erit finis. Dan. VII, 14: potestas eius potestas aeterna, quae non auferetur. The throne belongs to him according to his divine nature, inasmuch as he is God: the king of the whole earth is God (Ps 46:8). But as man it belongs to him as a result of his passion, victory, and resurrection: to him that shall overcome I will give to sit with me in my throne; as I also have overcome and am set down with my Father in his throne (Rev 3:21). This throne is eternal: and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:33); his power is an eternal power, which shall not be taken away (Dan 7:14). Patet autem quod regnum illud est aeternum, et inquantum sibi convenit ex natura, quia est Deus. Ps. CXLIV, 13: regnum tuum, regnum omnium saeculorum. But it is clear that that kingdom is eternal and that it belongs to him, because he is God: your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages (Ps 145:13). Item, inquantum sibi convenit ut homo, et hoc duplici ratione. Una, quia regnum illud non ordinatur ad temporalia, sed ad aeterna. Io. XVIII, 36: regnum meum non est de hoc mundo. Ad hoc enim regnat, ut homines dirigat ad vitam aeternam. Non autem sic est de regno hominum; unde regnum illorum finitur cum vita praesenti. Alia ratio est, quia Ecclesia, quae est regnum eius, durat usque ad finem mundi, et tunc tradet Christus regnum Deo et Patri consummandum et perficiendum. It also belongs to him as man, and this for two reasons: one reason is because that kingdom is not ordained to temporal affairs, but to eternal: my kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). For he reigns in order to direct men to eternal life. But this is not so of human kingdoms; hence, their kingdoms end with the present life. Another reason is that the Church, which is his kingdom, will last until the end of the world, when Christ will deliver the kingdom to God and Father to be consummated and made perfect. 61. Consequenter commendat regnum eius ab aequitate, cum dicit virga aequitatis, et cetera. 61. Then he commends his kingdom on its equity when he says, a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of your kingdom. Convenienter autem describitur regnum per virgam. Differt enim regimen tyrannicum a regimine regis, quia regimen tyrannicum est ad utilitatem suam cum gravamine subditorum; regimen autem regis principaliter ordinatur ad utilitatem subditorum. Et ideo rex est pater et pastor. Pastor enim non corrigit cum gladio, sed cum virga. Ps. LXXXVIII, 33: visitabo in virga iniquitates eorum. Item pastor utitur virga in directione gregis. Mich. c. VII, 14: pasce populum tuum in virga tua. Virga etiam sustentat infirmos. Ps. XXII, 4: virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt. Item virga conturbat hostes. Num. XXIV, v. 17: consurget virga de Israel, et percutiet duces Moab. And this kingdom is fittingly described by the sceptre: for a tyrannical kingdom differs from that of a king because the former exists for the tyrant’s benefit with great harm to the subjects, but a kingdom is particularly ordained to the benefit of the subjects. Consequently, the king is father and shepherd: for a shepherd does not correct with a sword but with a sceptre: I will visit their iniquities with a rod (Ps 89:33). Furthermore, a shepherd uses a rod to direct his flock: feed your people with your rod (Mic 7:14). For a rod sustains the infirm: your rod and your staff have strengthened me (Ps 23:2). Furthermore, it troubles the enemy: a sceptre shall spring up from Israel and shall strike the chiefs of Moab (Num 24:17). Sed est haec virga aequitatis. Is. XI, 4: arguet in aequitate pro mansuetis terrae. Sed sciendum est, quod aliquando aliquis regit in rigore iuris, sicut quando servat ea quae iusta sunt secundum se. Contingit autem, quod aliquid de se iustum est, quod tamen comparatum ad aliquid inducit detrimentum si servetur; et ideo oportet, quod ius commune ad hoc applicetur, et si hoc fiat, tunc est regimen aequitatis. Regnum Veteris Testamenti erat secundum rigorem iustitiae. Act. XV, 10: onus quod nec nos, nec patres nostri portare potuimus. Sed regnum Christi est regnum aequitatis et iustitiae, quia in ipso non imponitur nisi suavis observantia. Matth. XI, v. 30: iugum enim meum suave est et onus meum leve. Et Ps. XCV, 13: iudicabit orbem terrae in aequitate. But this is the sceptre of justice: he shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth (Isa 11:4). But it should be noted that sometimes a person rules according to the rigor of the law, as when he observes things that according to themselves are just. But it happens that something is just according to itself, but when compared to something else, it causes suffering, if it is observed; consequently, it is necessary that the common law be applied, and if this is done, then there is a rule of equity. But the kingdom of the Old Testament was ruled according to the rigor of justice: a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10). But the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of equity and justice, because in it only sweet observance is imposed: my yoke is sweet and my burden is light (Matt 11:30); he shall judge the world with justice (Ps 95:13). 62. Consequenter cum dicit dilexisti, etc., bonitatem regentis commendat. 62. Then when he says you have loved, he commends the goodness of the ruler. Quidam enim servant aequitatem, non tamen propter amorem iustitiae, sed magis propter timorem, vel gloriam, vel metum, et tale regimen non durat. Sed iste servat aequitatem propter amorem iustitiae. Dicit ergo dilexisti iustitiam, quasi dicat: hoc quod virga est aequa et directa, hoc est quia dilexisti iustitiam. Sap. I, 1: diligite iustitiam, qui iudicatis terram. Non autem est iustus, qui non amat iustitiam. Matth. V, 6: beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam. For some observe equity not for the love of justice but from fear or for glory. And such a kingdom does not last. But he observes equity for the love of justice. He says, therefore, you have loved justice. As if to say: your sceptre is just, because you have loved justice: love justice, you that judge the earth (Wis 1:1). But one who does not love justice is not just: blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice (Matt 5:6). Sed aliqui quidem diligunt iustitiam, sed sunt remissi in correctione iniquitatis; sed Christus odit, id est, reprobat iniquitatem. Ps. CXVIII, 113: iniquos odio habui. Sap. XIV, v. 9: similiter odio sunt Deo impius et impietas eius. Eccli. XII, 3: altissimus odio habet peccatores, et misertus est poenitentibus. Et ideo dicit et odisti iniquitatem. Yet some love justice but are lax in correcting injustice. However, Christ hates, i.e., reproves injustice: I have hated the unjust (Ps 119:113). Similarly, he hates the wicked and his wickedness: the highest hates sinners, and has mercy on the penitent (Sir 12:3). Therefore, he says, you have hated iniquity. 63. Deinde cum dicit propterea unxit te Deus, ostendit Christi idoneitatem ad exequendum et gubernandum, ubi dubitatio est de hoc, quod dicit propterea, et cetera. 63. Then when he says therefore God, your God, has anointed, he shows Christ’s fitness for accomplishing and governing. But a question arises here concerning the statement, therefore, God, your God, has anointed you. In verbis istis agitur de spirituali unctione, quia Christus est repletus Spiritu Sancto. Numquid enim ideo repletus est, quia dilexit iustitiam? Ergo meruit gratiam, quod est contra illud Rom. XI, 6: si ex operibus, iam non ex gratia; et haec est ratio communis. Sed specialiter ad propositum, quia Christus in ipsa conceptione fuit plenus Spiritu Sancto, Io. I, 14: plenum gratia et veritate, non ergo meruit. In those words he is speaking of a spiritual anointing, whereby Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit. But is he so filled because he loved justice? Then he merited grace. But this is contrary to Romans: if from works, then not from grace (Rom 11:6); and this is a general reasoning. But specifically to the proposition, because Christ in his conception was filled with the Holy Spirit: full of grace and truth (John 1:14), therefore, he did not merit. Respondeo. Hic est cavendus error Origenis. Voluit enim, quod omnes spirituales creaturae, etiam anima Christi, a principio creatae fuerunt, et secundum quod plus vel minus adhaeserunt Deo, vel diverterunt ab ipso per libertatem arbitrii sui, facta est distinctio inter Angelos et etiam animas. Unde in Periarchon dicit, quod anima Christi quia vehementius adhaesit Deo, diligendo iustitiam, et odiendo iniquitatem, quod meruit maiorem plenitudinem gratiae prae cunctis substantiis spiritualibus. I answer that here one must avoid Origen’s error. For he wished all spiritual creatures, and even the soul of Christ, to have been created from the beginning, and according as they have clung to God more or less or withdrew from him in the freedom of their judgment, a distinction exists between them and souls. Hence, in the Periarchon, he says that the soul of Christ, because it adhered more strongly to God by loving justice and hating iniquity, merited a greater fullness of grace than other spiritual substances. Sed hoc est haereticum dicere, quod scilicet quaecumque anima, vel etiam anima Christi, creata fuerit ante corpus, quod etiam specialem rationem in Christo habet, quia in primo instanti simul creata fuit anima, et formatum corpus, et totum est assumptum a Filio Dei. But it is heretical to say that any soul, even Christ’s soul, was created before its body. And this is especially true of Christ because his soul was created and his body formed in the same instant. And the totality was assumed by the Son of God. Quid ergo dicit propterea? Why, then, does he say, therefore? Una Glossa videtur sentire cum Origene. Sed si volumus eam salvare, dicemus quod in Scriptura dicitur aliquid fieri quando innotescit; sicut cum dicitur Phil. II, 8 s.: factus est obediens, etc., propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum, et dedit illi nomen, et cetera. Numquid Christus merito passionis meruit esse Deus? Absit: hic enim est error Photini. One gloss seems to feel with Origen. But if we would save it, we must say that in Scripture something is said to come to be when it is being made known; as when it is said: he was made obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. Wherefore, God has exalted him and given him a name which is above every name (Phil 2:8). Did Christ, then, merit to be God by the merit of his passion? Not at all. For this is Photinus’s error. Dicendum est ergo, quod Christum esse Deum, excedit omne meritum, sed per passionem meruit, quod manifestetur ubique esse Deum, et quod Deus dederat illi tale nomen, et cetera. Ita hoc quod dicit hic propterea unxit te Deus, et cetera. Ut sit sensus: ex hoc quod tu dilexisti iustitiam, meruisti quod hoc innotescat. Therefore, it should be said that Christ, being God, exceeds all merit; but by the passion he merited to be manifested everywhere as God, and that God gave him such a name that would be above every name. Therefore, the fact that he says here, therefore God has anointed you, has the following sense: since you have loved justice, you deserve to have this matter known. Vel aliter et melius ita quod ly propterea, non dicat causam meritoriam, sed finalem; quasi dicat: ad hoc quod illa haberes, scilicet thronum perpetuum, virgam aequitatis, etc., quae dicta sunt, propterea unxit te Deus oleo, scilicet sanctificationis, quod Dominus mandavit fieri, Ex. XXX, 24 ss.: quo ungebantur vasa et sacerdotes, Lev. VIII, 2 et IX, v. 1 s., et reges, ut patet de David, I Reg. c. XVI, 13, et Salomone, III Reg. I, 39; item prophetae, ut patet de Eliseo, III Reg. XIX, v. 16. Or, another and better way, the therefore does not refer to a meritorious cause, but to a final cause. As if to say: in order that you might have these things, namely, a perpetual throne, a sceptre of justice, and the other things mentioned, God has anointed you with the oil of holiness, which the Lord commanded to be done (Exod 30:24ff), when the vessels and priests were anointed (Lev 8:2, 9:1ff); as well as the kings, as is clear in regard to David (1 Sam 16:13) and Solomon (1 Kgs 1:19); and the prophets, as is clear concerning Elisha (1 Kgs 19:16). 64. Sed quare fiebat ista sanctificatio per unctionem? Ratio est litteralis. Homines enim Orientales pro celebritate ungebantur, ne consumerentur, eo quod sunt in regione multum calida. Pauperes etiam ungebantur ad festivitatem. IV Reg. IV, 2: non habeo ancilla tua nisi parum olei quo ungar. In Scriptura autem divina traduntur nobis per modum quo homines solent uti. Quia ergo tunc ungebantur homines, vel propter celebritatem festi, vel propter celebritatem personae, ideo ad ostendendum excellentiam Christi, dicit eum unctum oleo exultationis. 64. But why was that sanctification brought about by anointing? The reason is literal. For oriental men were anointed before celebrations to prevent exhaustion because they live in a very warm climate. But poor people were anointed at festivities: I, your handmaid, have nothing in my house, but a little oil to anoint me (2 Kgs 4:2). In Scripture, divine things are given to us in the mode in which men usually use them. Since at that time men were anointed either for the celebration of a feast or for a celebrated person: thus, to show Christ’s excellence, he says that he was anointed with the oil of gladness. Ipse enim est rex. Is. XXXII, 1: ecce in iustitia regnabit rex. Et XXXV: Dominus enim iudex noster, Dominus legifer noster, Dominus rex noster, ipse veniet et salvabit nos. Est etiam sacerdos. Ps. CIX, 4: tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Fuit etiam propheta. Deut. c. XVIII, 15: prophetam de gente tua et de fratribus tuis sicut me suscitabit tibi Dominus. Et convenit sibi ungi oleo sanctificationis et exultationis. Ab ipso autem sunt sacramenta, quae sunt vasa gratiae. Is. XXII, 24: suspendam super eum omnem gloriam domus patris eius vasorum diversa genera, et cetera. For he is a king: behold the king shall reign in justice (Isa 32:1); for the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, and he shall save us (Isa 33:32). He is also a priest: you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech (Ps 110:4). He was also a prophet: the Lord, your God, will raise up to you a prophet of your nation and of your brethren like unto me (Deut 18:15). It also befits him to be anointed with the oil of holiness and gladness; for the sacraments, which are vessels of grace, were instituted by him: and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, diverse kinds of vessels (Isa 22:24). Convenit etiam ista unctio Christianis. Sunt enim reges et sacerdotes. I Petr. II, 9: vos estis genus electum, regale sacerdotium. Apoc. c. V, 10: fecisti nos Deo nostro regnum et sacerdotes. Item habet Spiritum Sanctum, qui est prophetiae spiritus. Ioel II, 28: effundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem, et cetera. Et ideo omnes uncti sunt, invisibili unctione. II Cor. I, 21: qui autem confirmat nos vobiscum in Christo, et qui unxit nos Deus, et qui signavit nos, et dedit, et cetera. I Io. II, 20: vos unctionem habetis a sancto, et nostis omnia. This anointing also befits Christians, for they are kings and priests: you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9); you have made us a kingdom and priests for our God (Rev 3:10). Furthermore, he has the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of prophecy: I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel 2:28). Therefore, all are anointed with an invisible anointing: now he that has confirmed us with you in Christ and that has anointed us is God: who has also sealed us and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Cor 1:21); but you have the unction from the holy one and know all things (1 John 2:20). 65. Sed quae comparatio est inter Christum unctum, et Christianos unctos? Ista, scilicet quia ipse habet eam principaliter et primo, nos autem et alii ab ipso effusam. Ps. CXXVII: sicut unguentum in capite, et cetera. Et dicit prae participibus tuis. Io. c. I, 16: de plenitudine eius omnes accepimus. Unde alii dicuntur sancti, ipse vero Sanctus Sanctorum. Ipse enim est radix omnis sanctitatis. 65. But what comparison is there between the anointed Christ and anointed Christians? This comparison, namely, that he has it principally and first, but we and others have it from him: like the precious ointment on the head that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron (Ps 133:2). And therefore, he says, above your fellows: of his fullness we have all received (John 1:16). Hence, others are called holy, but he is the holy of holies; for he is the root of all holiness. Dicit autem oleo laetitiae, vel exultationis, quia ex ista unctione procedit spiritualis laetitia. Rom. XIV, 17: non est regnum Dei esca et potus, sed iustitia et pax et gaudium in Spiritu Sancto. Gal. V, 22: fructus autem Spiritus est caritas, pax, gaudium. Ps. CIII, v. 15: ut exhilaret faciem in oleo. Is. LXI, v. 3: oleum gaudii pro luctu, et cetera. But he says, with the oil of gladness, because spiritual gladness proceeds from that anointing: the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17); the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace (Gal 5:22); that he may make the face cheerful with oil (Ps 104:15); the oil of joy for mourning (Isa 61:3).