Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Observa Novum Testamentum
Obey the New Testament
2:1 Propterea abundantius oportet observare nos ea quae audivimus, ne forte pereffluamus. [n. 89]
2:1 Therefore ought we more diligently to observe the things which we have heard lest perhaps we should let them slip. [n. 89]
2:2 Si enim qui per angelos dictus est sermo, factus est firmus, et omnis praevaricatio, et inobedientia accepit justam mercedis retributionem: [n. 92]
2:2 For if the word spoken by angels became steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward: [n. 92]
2:3 quomodo nos effugiemus si tantam neglexerimus salutem? Quae cum initium accepisset enarrari per Dominum ab eis, qui audierunt, in nos confirmata est, [n. 96]
2:3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Which, having begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by those who heard him. [n. 96]
2:4 contestante Deo signis et portentis, et variis virtutibus, et Spiritus Sancti distributionibus secundum suam voluntatem. [n. 99]
2:4 God also bearing them witness by signs and wonders and diverse miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. [n. 99]
89. Supra ostendit Apostolus multipliciter eminentiam Christi ad angelos, hic ex hoc concludit, quod magis obediendum est doctrinae Christi, scilicet Novo Testamento, quam Veteri Testamento.
89. After showing Christ’s superiority over the angels in a number of ways, the Apostle here concludes that Christ’s doctrine, namely, the New Testament, deserves more obedience than the Old Testament.
Et circa hoc tria facit.
In regard to this, he does three things.
Primo enim ponit conclusionem intentam;
First, he states the conclusion intended;
secundo inducit rationem ad conclusionem intentam;
second, he supports this conclusion with a reason;
tertio confirmat consequentiam rationis.
third, he confirms the consequence.
Primum in principio; secundum, ibi si enim qui per angelos; tertium, ibi non enim angelis.
The first occurs at the beginning; the second, at for if the word spoken by angels; the third, at for God has not (Heb 2:5).
90. Circa primum sciendum est, quod Ex. XXIII, 20, datis praeceptis legis iudicialibus et moralibus, subiungit: ecce ego mitto angelum meum, etc., et sequitur: observa igitur et audi vocem eius, et cetera. Si igitur mandatum angeli, per quem lex data est, servaretur, introitus disponeretur ad patriam. Unde et Matth. XIX, 17 dictum est: si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. Oportet ergo servare mandata illa legis, ergo oportet magis obedire mandatis eius, qui maior est angelis, per quos lex data est. Et hoc est quod dicit propterea abundantius observare oportet ea, quae audivimus. Abd. I, 1: auditum audivimus a Domino. Hab. III, 2: Domine, audivi auditum tuum, et timui.
90. In regard to the first, it should be noted that after giving the judicial and moral precepts of the law in Exodus, he continues: behold, I shall send my angel, who shall go before you (Exod 23:20); and then adds, take notice of him and hear his voice, and do not think him one to be condemned (Exod 23:21). Therefore, if the commandment of an angel, through whom the law was delivered, is obeyed, they will enter heaven. Hence, it says in Matthew: if you will enter into life, keep the commandments (Matt 19:17). Therefore it is necessary to keep those commandments of the law, but much more to obey the commandments of him who is higher than the angels, through whom the law was delivered. And this is what he says, therefore ought we more diligently to observe the things which we have heard: we have heard a rumor from the Lord (Obad 1:1); O Lord, I have heard your hearing and was afraid (Hab 3:1).
Oportet ergo observare abundantius. Et dicit abundantius propter tria: primo propter dicentis auctoritatem, quia iste Creator et Filius Dei, et ille creatura et Dei minister. Act. V, 29: obedire oportet magis Deo quam hominibus, et etiam angelis. Secundo propter dictorum utilitatem, quia sunt verba vitae aeternae, Io. VI, 69: Domine, ad quem ibimus? Verba vitae habes, etc., illa bonorum temporalium. Is. I, 19: si volueritis et audieritis me, bona terrae comedetis, et cetera. Tertio propter observantiae suavitatem, quia haec sunt suavia I Io. V, 3: mandata eius gravia non sunt, et Matth. XI, 30: iugum meum suave est, etc. illa gravia, Act. XV, 10: hoc est onus quod neque nos, neque patres nostri portare potuerunt.
Therefore, we ought to observe more diligently for three reasons: first, because of the authority of the one speaking, for he is the Creator and the Son of God and not a creature and minister of God: we ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29) and also rather than angels; second, because of the usefulness of the commands, for they are the words of eternal life: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:69); others are words of temporal goods: if you would hear me, you would eat the good things of the earth (Isa 1:19); third, because of the sweetness of their observance, for they are sweet: his commandments are not heavy (1 John 5:3); my yoke is sweet and my burden light (Matt 11:30); this is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear (Acts 15:10).
91. Secundo ostendit idem ex periculo imminente, cum dicit ne forte pereffluamus, id est, aeternaliter damnemur. Ubi sciendum est, quod aliquis fluit per poenas corporales, II Reg. XIX, 14: quasi aquae dilabimur super terram: effluit per culpam, sed pereffluit corporaliter per damnationem aeternam, quia nec testa remanet. Is. XXX, 14: comminuetur sicut comminuitur lagena figuli contritione pervalida, nec invenietur de fragmentis eius testa.
91. Second, he shows the same thing from the threatening danger, when he says, lest perhaps we should let them slip, i.e., be eternally damned. Here it should be noted that someone drifts away by bodily punishments: like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth (2 Sam 14:14). He drifts away worse through guilt; but he drifts away worst by eternal damnation, because not a shard remains: and it shall be broken small as the potter’s vessel, broken all to pieces with a mighty breaking, and there shall not a shard be found of the pieces thereof (Isa 30:14).
92. Consequenter inducit rationem ad hoc, quae continet unam conditionalem continentem comparationem Novi et Veteris Testamenti. In antecedenti ponitur conditio Veteris Testamenti; in consequenti conditio Novi Testamenti.
92. Then he adduces the reason, which contains a conditional sentence with a comparison between the New and Old Testaments. In the antecedent is mentioned the condition of the Old Testament, and in the consequent the condition of the New Testament.
Circa Vetus autem tria ponit,
In regard to the Old, he mentions three things:
scilicet legis auctoritatem;
first, the authority of the law;
secundo firmitatem veritatis, ibi qui factus est firmus;
second, the solidity of truth, at became steadfast;
tertio necessitatem observandi, ibi et omnis praevaricatio.
third, the necessity of obeying, at and every transgression.
93. Primo ponit auctoritatem, quia non humana ratione data est lex, sed per angelos. Gal. III, 19: ordinata per angelos, et cetera. Act. VII, 38: hic Moyses qui fuit in Ecclesia in solitudine cum angelo qui loquebatur ei in monte Sina, et cetera. Nec hoc est mirum, quia, ut probat Dionysius, revelationes divinarum illuminationum ad nos perveniunt mediantibus angelis.
93. First, he mentions the authority, because the law was not delivered by human authority, but by angels: being ordained by angels through the hand of a mediator (Gal 2:19). This is he that was in the Church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Zion and with our fathers (Acts 7:38). Nor is this strange because, as Dionysius proves, the revelations of divine illuminations reach us through the medium of angels.
94. Firmitatem vero veritatis ostendit, cum dicit qui factus est firmus, quia omne quod fuit praenuntiatum in lege veteri, totum impletum est. Matth. V, 18: iota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege donec omnia fiant;
94. He shows the firmness of the truth when he says, became steadfast, because everything foretold in the old law has been fulfilled: not one dot or one iota of the law shall pass away until all be fulfilled (Matt 5:18);
et Prov. XII, 19: labium veritatis firmum erit in perpetuum; et Ps.: quae procedunt de labiis meis, non faciam irrita. Factus est ergo firmus, quia non fuit irritatus.
the lip of truth shall be steadfast for ever (Prov 12:19); the words that proceed from my mouth, I will not make void (Ps 89:35). Therefore, it became steadfast, because it was not made void.
95. Necessitatem ostendit qua puniuntur praevaricantes. Unde dicit et omnis praevaricatio et inobedientia, et cetera. Ubi ponit unum quod respondet duplici culpae, scilicet peccato omissionis et transgressionis. Primum respondet praeceptis affirmativis, aliud negativis.
95. Then he shows the necessity of obeying, because the disobedient are punished: and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. Here he mentions one thing that corresponds to a double guilt, namely, to the sin of omission and of transgression. The first corresponds to affirmative precepts; the other to negative precepts.
Primum notatur nomine inobedientiae. Sed numquid inobedientia est peccatum generale? Et videtur quod sic, per hoc quod dicitur hic.
The first is identified by the name, disobedience. But is disobedience a general sin? It seems so, by what is said here.
Ad quod dicendum est, quod peccatum dicitur esse speciale ex intentione specialis finis. Unde quando aliquis non servat praeceptum hac intentione, ut contemnat praeceptum, sic est speciale peccatum; sed quando ex aliqua causa, puta quando ex concupiscentia, tunc est conditio consequens peccatum, non tamen speciale peccatum.
To which it is to be said that a sin is said to be specific from the intention of a specific end. Hence, when someone does not obey a precept with the intention of scorning it, it is a special sin; but when there is another reason, say, concupiscence, then it is a condition following the sin, but it is not a special sin.
Aliud autem vocatur praevaricatio. Ps. CXVIII, 115: praevaricantes reputavi, et cetera.
The other is called a transgression: I have counted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators (Ps 119:119).
Item aliud ponit ex parte poenae, cum dicit accepit iustam mercedis retributionem. Retributio enim respicit quantitatem culpae, ut qui magis peccavit, magis puniatur. Merces vero respicit qualitatem, ut qui igne libidinis peccaverit, igne crucietur. Accipiet ergo mercedem bonam pro bonis, et malam pro malis. Et sic merces accipitur in bonum et in malum, inquantum importat iustitiam distribuendi. Iustam dicit propter aequalitatem poenae, ut scilicet secundum mensuram peccati sit plagarum modus. De poenis autem habetur Lev. XXVI et Deut. XXVIII. Glossa dicit: iustam, ne putetur perire iustitia propter misericordiam.
Then he mentions something on the part of the punishment: received a just recompense of reward. For retribution depends on the amount of guilt, so that one who sins more gravely receives a greater punishment; but the wages depend on the quality, so that one who sins from the fires of lust will be punished with fire. There, he will receive a good wage for good acts and an evil wage for wicked actions. Consequently, retribution is received for good and for evil, inasmuch as it implies distributive justice. It is called just because of the equality of punishment, so that according to the amount of sin there is a certain amount of punishment. Moreover, punishments are considered in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (Lev 26 and Deut 28). The Gloss states: just, lest justice be thought to perish on account of mercy.
96. Consequenter cum dicit quomodo nos effugiemus, etc., ponit consequens suae conditionalis, in quo describit conditionem Novi Testamenti, ubi tria facit.
96. Then when he says how shall we escape, he places the consequent of his conditional, in which he describes the condition of the New Testament. Here he does three things:
Primo enim ostendit necessitatem observandi;
first, he shows the need to obey;
secundo originem Novi Testamenti;
second, the origin of the New Testament;
tertio firmitatem veritatis ipsius.
third, the firmness of its truth.
Secundum, ibi quae cum initium accepisset. Tertium, ibi contestante Deo.
The second, at which, having begun to be declared. The third, at God also bearing them witness.
97. Dicit ergo. Si sermo factus per angelos punit praevaricatores et inobedientes, quomodo nos effugiemus, et cetera. In quo denotat periculum quod imminet non observantibus. Supra autem Vetus Testamentum vocavit salutem. Cuius ratio est, quia sermo ordinatur ad cognitionem tantum, hoc enim facit Vetus Testamentum, quia per ipsum est cognitio peccati. Rom. III, 20: per legem cognitio peccati. Item cognitio Dei. Ps. CXLVII, 9: non fecit taliter omni nationi. Et alibi LXXV, 1: notus in Iudaea Deus, et cetera. Non tamen conferebat gratiam, sed in Novo Testamento confertur gratia Io. I, 17: gratia et veritas per Iesum Christum facta est, quae ducit ad salutem aeternam. Io. VI, 69: Domine, ad quem ibimus? Verba vitae aeternae habes. Ps. CXVIII, 140: ignitum eloquium tuum vehementer.
97. He says, therefore: if the word spoken by angels punishes transgressors and those who are disobedient, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? In this he denotes the danger that threatens those who do not obey. But above, he called the Old Testament salvation. The reason for this is that a word is ordained to knowledge only; for this is what the Old Testament did, since by it there came knowledge of sin: by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). Also the knowledge of God: he has not done in like manner to every nation (Ps 147:20). And in another place: in Judea God is known: his name is great in Israel (Ps 86:1). But it did not confer grace, for grace is conferred in the New Testament: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17), which leads to eternal salvation: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:69); your word is exceedingly refined (Ps 119:140).
Item, commendat ipsam ex quantitate. Et dicit tantam, id est valde magnam. Et certe valde magna est, si consideres a quibus periculis liberat: quia non solum liberat a periculis mortis corporalis, sed etiam spiritualis. Matth. I, 21: ipse enim salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis eorum. Item magna est, quia est universalis, id est, non unius populi tantum, nec ab uno periculo, sed est omnium hominum et ab hostibus omnibus. I Tim. IV, 10: qui est salvator omnium, maxime autem fidelium. Lc. I, 74: sine timore de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati, et cetera. Item magna est, quia aeterna. Is. XLV, 17: salvatus est Israel in Domino salute sempiterna.
Then he commends salvation because it is so great. And certainly it is very great, if you consider the danger from which it frees us, because it frees us not only from the dangers of bodily death, but also of spiritual: he will save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). It is also great because it is universal, i.e., not confined to one nation or to one danger, but it is for all men and from all enemies: he is the savior of all men, but especially of the faithful (1 Tim 4:10); that being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear (Luke 1:74). It is also great, because it is eternal: Israel is saved in the Lord with an eternal salvation (Isa 45:17).
Et ideo non est negligenda, sed debemus esse solliciti ad obtinendum eam. Iud. XVIII, v. 9: vidimus terram valde opulentam et uberem. Et sequitur: nolite negligere, nolite cessare, et cetera. Et vere non debemus negligere, quia si negligentes fuerimus, puniemur, non tantum perdendo bonum, sed etiam incurremus malum, scilicet aeternae damnationis, quod effugere non poterimus. Ideo dicit quomodo nos effugiemus? Matth. III, 7: quis demonstrabit vobis fugere a ventura ira? Iob XI, v. 20: effugium peribit ab eis. Ps. CXXXVIII, v. 6: quo ibo a spiritu tuo, et quo a facie tua fugiam?
Therefore, it should not be neglected, but we should be careful to obtain it: we have seen the land which is exceedingly rich and fruitful (Judg 18:9); then he continues: neglect not; lose no time; let us go and possess it (Judg 18:9) And of course we should not neglect it, because if we are negligent, we shall be punished not only by losing what is good but also by incurring evil, namely, eternal damnation, which we shall not be able to escape. Hence, he said, how shall we escape? Who has shown you to flee the wrath to come? (Matt 3:7). The way to escape shall fail them (Job 11:20); wither shall I go from your spirit; or whither shall I flee from your face? (Ps 139:7).