Lectio 2
Lecture 2
Melior testamentum
The better testament
8:6 Nunc autem melius sortitus est ministerium, quanto et melioris testamenti mediator est, quod in melioribus repromissionibus sancitum est. [n. 390]
8:6 But now he has obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better testament which is established on better promises. [n. 390]
8:7 Nam si illud prius culpa vacasset, non utique secundi locus inquireretur. [n. 393]
8:7 For if that former had been faultless, there should not indeed a place have been sought for a second. [n. 393]
8:8 Vituperans enim eos dicit: ecce dies venient, dicit Dominus: et consummabo super domum Israël, et super domum Juda, testamentum novum, [n. 394]
8:8 For, finding fault with them, he says: behold the days shall come, says the Lord: and I will perfect, unto the house of Israel and unto the house of Judah, a new testament: [n. 394]
8:9 non secundum testamentum quod feci patribus eorum in die qua apprehendi manum eorum ut educerem illos de terra Aegypti: quoniam ipsi non permanserunt in testamento meo: et ego neglexi eos, dicit Dominus. [n. 398]
8:9 Not according to the testament which I made to their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt: because they continued not in my testament: and I regarded them not, says the Lord. [n. 398]
8:10 Quia hoc est testamentum quod disponam domui Israël post dies illos, dicit Dominus: dando leges meas in mentem eorum, et in corde eorum superscribam eas: [n. 403] et ero eis in Deum, et ipsi erunt mihi in populum: [n. 405]
8:10 For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will give my laws into their mind: and in their heart will I write them. [n. 403] And I will be their God: and they shall be my people. [n. 405]
390. Supra Apostolus probavit Christum esse pontificem, et per consequens ministrum sacramentorum, non tamen secundum veterem legem, hic ostendit ipsum esse ministrum maiorum et meliorum, quam illa fuerint.
390. Having proved that Christ is a high priest and, consequently, a minister of holy things, but not according to the old law, the Apostle now shows that he is a minister of greater and better things than they had been.
Et circa hoc facit tria.
In regard to this he does three things.
Primo enim praemittit intentum;
First, he prefaces his intent;
secundo assignat causam eius;
second, he assigns its cause;
tertio probat.
third, he proves it.
Secundum, ibi quanto et melioris. Tertium, ibi nam si illud.
The second, at by how much also. The third, at for if that former.
391. Dicit ergo: dico quod non habet aliquid terrenum offerre, sed nunc, id est tempore gratiae, sortitus est, id est sorte accepit, melius ministerium, id est dignius sacerdotium.
391. He says, therefore: I say that he does not have anything earthly to offer; but now, i.e., in the time of grace, he has obtained, i.e., received by lot, a better ministry, i.e., a worthier priesthood.
Dicitur sacerdotium Christi ministerium, quia non competit nisi inquantum homo fuit minister. Rom. XV, 8: dico enim Christum Iesum ministrum fuisse, et cetera.
The priesthood of Christ is called a ministry because it does not belong to him except in the sense that he was a minister as a man: I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God (Rom 15:8).
Dicit autem sortitus est, id est, sorte accepit, quia illud quod habetur per sortem expectatur a Domino. Ps. XXX, 15: in manibus tuis sortes meae. Et ideo omnia quae fiunt secundum distributionem divini arbitrii, dicuntur sorte dari, et talia sunt effectus gratiae. Eph. I, 11: sorte vocati sumus, id est, divina electione, quia quando contingit deficere iudicium humanum, solent se homines conferre ad electionem et dispositionem divinam, mittentes sortem, sicut patet Act. I, 26, de electione Matthiae. Unde Prov. XVI, 33: sortes mittuntur in sinum, sed a Domino temperantur. Christus quidem istud ministerium sorte, id est, dispositione divina, consecutus est.
But he says, he has obtained, i.e., received by lot, because what is obtained by lot is awaited from the Lord: my lots are in your hands (Ps 31:16). Therefore, all things that happen according to the dispensation of divine decree are said to be given by lot; and such are the effects of grace: in whom we also are called by lot (Eph 1:11), i.e., by divine election, because when human judgment fails, men consult God’s choice and arrangement by casting lots, as happened in the choice of Matthias (Acts 1:26). Hence it says in Proverbs: lots are cast into the lap, but they are disposed of by the Lord (Prov 16:33). Christ, indeed, obtained that ministry by lot, i.e., by divine dispensation.
392. Deinde cum dicit quanto et melioris, etc. assignat causam quare ministerium hoc maius est.
392. Then when he says, by how much also he is a mediator, he assigns the cause why this ministry is greater.
Omnis enim sacerdos mediator est. Iste autem mediator est melioris foederis, scilicet hominis ad Deum. Mediatoris enim est extrema conciliare. Iste vero ad nos divina attulit, quia per ipsum facti sumus divinae consortes naturae, ut dicitur II Pet. I, 4. Ipse etiam nostra offert Deo. Et ideo dicit Apostolus I Tim. II, 5: mediator Dei et hominum homo Christus Iesus. Ibi promittebantur temporalia. Is. I, 19: si volueritis et audieritis me, bona terrae comedetis. Hic autem caelestia, sicut supra dictum est. Sic ergo istud melius est quantum ad id, quod dominus hominibus promittit.
For every priest is a mediator. But he is a mediator of a better testament, namely, of man to God, because by him we are made partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). He also offers our gifts to God; therefore, the Apostle says: the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). In the Old Testament temporal things were promised: if you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land (Isa 1:19); but here, heavenly things. Therefore, this one is better in regard to what it promises men.
Item in illo dicuntur quaedam, quae pertinent ad cultum Dei, et ista sunt caeremonialia: quaedam vero, quae ad rectitudinem vitae, et ista sunt praecepta moralia, quae manent: alia vero, non. In novo autem adduntur consilia illis praeceptis, quae dantur perfectis, qui sunt capaces spiritualium. Et sic manent praecepta eadem, sed promissa diversa. Item sacramenta sunt diversa; quia ibi erat figura tantum, hic autem figurae veritas expressa. Per omnia ergo testamentum illud est melius.
Also, in the old law there were precepts pertaining to the worship of God, namely, the ceremonial precepts, and some that pertained to correct conduct, namely, the moral precepts, which continue; but the others do not. But in the new law counsels are added to the precepts and they are given to the perfect, who are capable of spiritual things. Consequently, the precepts remain the same, but the promises are different, because there they were a figure, but here the truth expressed by the figure. Therefore, this testament is better throughout.
393. Deinde cum dicit num si illud, etc., probat quod illud testamentum, cuius Christus mediator est, melius est. Et facit talem rationem: si primum testamentum non habuisset culpam, non quaereretur aliud ad corrigendum defectum ipsius; sed quaeritur, ergo, et cetera. Antecedens ponitur, et patet in littera.
393. Then when he says, for if that former had been faultless, there should not indeed a place have been sought for a second, he proves that the testament of which Christ is mediator is better for the following reason: if the first testament were faultless, another would not be sought to correct its defects. But another is sought, therefore, etc.
Sed contra Rom. VII, 7: lex ergo peccatum est? Absit. Ergo male dicit, quod non vacabat a culpa.
But on the other hand it says in Romans: is the law sin? God forbid (Rom 7:7). Therefore, he speaks incorrectly who says that it is not free from fault.
Respondeo. Dicendum est quod aliquid potest convenire legi dupliciter: vel secundum se, et sic erat bona, vel ratione illorum quibus data est, et sic dicitur habere culpam propter duo. Primo quia non dabat virtutem ad purgandum commissa. Infra X, 4: impossibile est sanguine taurorum aut hircorum auferri peccata. Secundo, quia non dabat gratiam adiutricem ad vitandum peccata, sed ad cognoscendum tantum: et sic erat occasio peccati. Rom. VII, 7: concupiscentiam nesciebam, nisi lex diceret: non concupisces. Et sic dicitur non vacasse a culpa, quia homines in ipsa relinquebantur in culpa.
I answer that something can belong to the law in two ways: either according to its end, and then it is good; or by reason of those to whom it was given, and then it is said to have a fault in two ways: first, because it did not confer the power to cleanse one’s sins: it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away (Heb 10:4). Second, because it did not give a helping grace to avoid sins, but merely to recognize them; hence, it was an occasion of sin: for I had not known concupiscence, if the law did not say: you shall not covet (Rom 7:7). And so it is said not to have been faultless because in it men remained in their sins.
Sed dicit non inquireretur locus. Sicut enim corpus numquam perfecte quiescit, sed semper movetur, quousque pertingat ad locum suum, sic quamdiu habetur aliquid imperfecte, non quiescit desiderium, sed semper tendit ultra, usque dum veniet ad perfectum. Inquirebatur ergo locus istius ab homine qui desiderabat; sed magis a Deo, qui propter nostrae salutis desiderium dicitur inquirere.
But he says, there should not indeed a place have been sought for a second. For just as a body is never altogether at rest but is always changing until it reaches its due place, so, as long as something is had imperfectly, desire does not rest but always stretches beyond, until it comes to what is perfect. Therefore, the place for a second was sought by man, who desired, but much more by God, who is said to seek because of his desire for our salvation.
394. Deinde cum dicit vituperans enim, etc., probat veritatem consequentis, scilicet quod inquiritur locus testamenti, et hoc per auctoritatem Ier. XXXI, 31: ecce venient dies, et cetera.
394. Then when he says for, finding fault with them, he proves the truth of the consequent, namely, that a place is sought for a testament; and this on the authority of Jeremiah: the days will come, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant (Jer 3:31).
Et circa hoc facit duo.
In regard to this he does two things.
Primo enim praemittit auctoritatem;
First, he prefaces the authority;
secundo arguit ex ipsa, ibi dicendo autem novum.
second, he argues from it, at now in saying, a new (Heb 8:13).
Prima in duas.
In regard to the first he does two things.
Primo enim praemittit prophetiam de novi testamenti datione;
First, he prefaces the prophecy about giving a new testament;
secundo describit ipsum, ibi non secundum testamentum, et cetera.
second, he describes it, at not according to the testament.
Iterum prima in tres.
Again, the first is divided into three parts.
Primo enim ostendit temporis dationis opportunitatem;
In the first he shows that the time for giving the New Testament was favorable;
secundo Novi Testamenti perfectionem, ibi consummabo testamentum novum;
second, the perfection of the New Testament, at and I will perfect . . . a new testament;
tertio quibus datum fuit, ibi super domum Iuda.
third, to whom it was given, at unto the house of Judah.
395. Dicit ergo vituperans enim Dominus, non quidem legem, sed eos, qui scilicet erant sub lege, dicit: ecce dies veniunt, et cetera. Haec est auctoritas, quae est Ier. XXXI, v. 31; et non habetur omnino sub istis verbis, sed mutantur pauca. Ibi enim dicitur sic: ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et feriam domui Israel, et domui Iuda foedus novum, non secundum pactum, quod pepigi cum patribus vestris in die qua extendi manum meam ut educerem eos de terra Aegypti, pactum quod irritum fecerunt, et ego dominatus sum eorum. Sic ergo patet quod pacta mutantur.
395. He says, therefore: for the Lord finding fault with them, not with the law but with them who were under the law, he says: behold, the days shall come. This is the authority, which is not given in exactly those words, but with a few changes. For in Jeremiah we read: behold the days shall come, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant I made with their fathers, in that day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt: the covenant which they made void and I had dominion over them (Jer 31:31). Thus, it is evident that a few words were changed.
Dicit ergo quantum ad temporis opportunitatem ecce dies veniunt, id est tempus gratiae, quod comparatur diei, quod illuminatum est a sole iustitiae. Rom. XIII, 12: nox praecessit, dies autem appropinquavit.
He says in regard to the time being favorable: the days shall come, i.e., the time of grace, which is compared to a day and which is illuminated by the sun of justice: the night is passed, and the day is at hand (Rom 13:12).