Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Gaudete in Domino semper Rejoice in the Lord always ^4:1 Itaque fratres mei carissimi, et desideratissimi, gaudium meum, et corona mea: sic state in Domino, carissimi. [n. 146] ^4:1 Therefore, my dearly beloved brethren and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. [n. 146] ^4:2 Evodiam rogo, et Syntychen deprecor, idipsum sapere in Domino. [n. 149] ^4:2 I beg of Evodia and I beseech Syntyche to be of one mind in the Lord. [n. 149] ^4:3 Etiam rogo et te, germane compar, adjuva illas, quae mecum laboraverunt in Evangelio cum Clemente, et ceteris adjutoribus meis, quorum nomina sunt in libro vitae. ^4:3 And I entreat you also, my sincere companion, help those women who have labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life. ^4:4 Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico gaudete. [n. 152] ^4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice. [n. 152] ^4:5 Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus prope est. [n. 154] ^4:5 Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. [n. 154] ^4:6 Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione, et obsecratione, cum gratiarum actione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum. [n. 155] ^4:6 Have no anxiety about anything: but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. [n. 155] ^4:7 Et pax Dei, quae exuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra, et intelligentias vestras in Christo Jesu. [n. 159] ^4:7 And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. [n. 159] ^4:8 De cetero fratres, quaecumque sunt vera, quaecumque pudica, quaecumque justa, quaecumque sancta, quaecumque amabilia, quaecumque bonae famae, siqua virtus, siqua laus disciplinae, haec cogitate. [n. 160] ^4:8 For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think on these things. [n. 160] ^4:9 Quae et didicistis, et accepistis, et audistis, et vidistis in me, haec agite: et Deus pacis erit vobiscum. ^4:9 The things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, these do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 146. Supra proponit eis exempla sequenda, hic, per admonitionem moralem, ostendit qualiter se debeant habere. Et 146. Above, he proposed examples for them to follow; here in a moral exhortation he shows how they should conduct themselves: primo ostendit qualiter se habeant in futurum; first, how they should act in the future; secundo commendat eos de praeterito, ibi gavisus sum autem, et cetera. second, he commends them on the past, at now I rejoice (Phil 4:10). Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things. Primo monet ad persistendum in iam habito; First, he urges them to persevere in what they already have; secundo ad proficiendum in melius, ibi gaudete in Domino semper, et cetera. second, to advance to something better, at rejoice in the Lord always. Iterum prima dividitur in duas partes. Quia The first is divided into two parts. primo inducit ad perseverandum in generali; First, he gives them a general exhortation to persevere; secundo ponit speciales modos ad singulares personas, ibi Euchodiam rogo, et cetera. second, he lays down special ways for definite persons, at I beg of Evodia. Circa primum In regard to the first: primo commemorat ad eos suum affectum; first, he reminds them of his own affection; secundo ponit monitionem, ibi sic state, et cetera. second, he gives the exhortation, at so stand fast. 147. Affectum autem suum commendat quintupliciter. Primo secundum fidem ostendens eos sibi dilectos; unde dicit fratres, scilicet per fidem. Matth. XXIII, 8: omnes vos fratres estis. Secundo per caritatem; unde dicit charissimi. I Cor. X, 14: charissimi mihi, et cetera. Tertio secundum desiderium; unde dicit desideratissimi. Supra: testis est mihi Deus quomodo cupiam, et cetera. Et dico desideratissimi, quia desidero vos, vel quia me desideratis. Quarto per gaudium; unde dicit gaudium meum. Et hoc, scilicet quia estis boni. Prov. X, 1: filius sapiens laetificat Patrem, et cetera. Quinto per rationem gaudii; unde dicit corona mea. I Thess. c. II, 19: quae est enim spes nostra aut gaudium, aut corona gloriae, nonne vos? et cetera. 147. He certifies his affection in five ways: first, by reason of the faith, by showing that he loves them; hence he says, brethren, i.e., through faith: you are all brethren (Matt 23:8); second, by reason of charity; hence he says, dearly beloved: my beloved (1 Cor 10:14); third, according to desire; hence he says, and most desired: God is my witness, how I long after you all (Phil 1:8). And I say most desired, because I long for you or because you long for me. Fourth, by joy; hence he says, my joy, and this because you are good: a wise son makes a glad father (Prov 10:1); fifth, by reason of future joy; hence he says, and my crown; for what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? (1 Thess 2:19). 148. Deinde cum dicit sic state, etc., ponit monitionem de perseverantia, dicens sic state, etc., id est sicut ego perseverate; vel sic: sicut statis. Matth. X, 22: qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit. 148. Then when he says, so stand fast in the Lord, he urges them to persevere, saying, so stand fast, i.e., persevere, as I do; or continue as you are: he who endures to the end will be saved (Matt 10:22). 149. Deinde cum dicit Euchodiam rogo, etc., singulares monitiones ponit. Et primo de concordia, secundo de sollicitudine adiutorii, ibi etiam rogo et te. 149. Then when he says, I beg of Evodia and I beseech Syntyche to be of one mind, he gives the individual exhortations: first, in regard to concord; second, in regard to solicitude in helping, at and I entreat you also. Hae duae mulieres sanctae ministrabant sanctis in civitate Philippensi; et forte erat aliqua discordia inter eas, ideo eas ad concordiam revocat. II Cor. ult. XIII, 11: idem sapite. These two women, Evodia and Syntyche, ministered to the saints in Philippi, and perhaps there was some strife between them. Therefore, he urges them to be at peace: agree with one another (2 Cor 13:11). Deinde cum dicit etiam rogo et te, etc., quemdam rogat ut adiuvaret quasdam personas. Et dicit compar, quia socius erat praedicationis eius. Prov. XVIII, 19: frater qui iuvatur a fratre, quasi civitas fortis. Adiuva illas, et cetera. Et ad hoc rogo omnes, quorum nomina, et cetera. Quod ponit ne si alios non nominaret, turbarentur; quasi dicat: non est magnum si non scribo omnium nomina, quia sunt scripta in meliori loco. Matth. V, 12: gaudete et exultate, et cetera. Then when he says, and I entreat you also, my sincere companion, he asks a certain person to help certain other persons. He says, companion, because he was a fellow preacher: a brother who is helped by a brother is like a strong city (Prov 18:19). Help those women who have labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow laborers. And I ask this of all whose names are in the book of life. He says this in order not to offend the others whom he did not name. As if to say: it makes no difference if I do not write everyone’s name, because they are written in a better place: rejoice and be glad (Matt 5:12). 150. Liber vitae secundum Glossam est praedestinatio sanctorum, et hoc est verum secundum rem, sed differt ratione. 150. According to a Gloss the book of life is the same as the predestination of the saints. They are the same reality but the ideas are different. Sciendum est autem, quod olim erat consuetudo, quod qui ordinabantur ad aliquod officium, vel dignitatem, scribebantur in matricula, sicut milites et senatores, qui palatio conscripti erant. Omnes autem sancti praedestinati eliguntur a Deo ad magnum, scilicet ad vitam aeternam. Et haec ordinatio est praedestinatio. Conscriptio huius ordinationis dicitur liber vitae: haec conscriptio est in memoria divina, quia inquantum ordinat, praedestinat. Inquantum vero immobiliter scit, dicitur esse praescriptio. Firma ergo notitia de praedestinatis dicitur liber vitae. It should be noted that in olden times it was a custom to write in a register the names of those appointed to some duty or dignity, as soldiers and senators, who were enrolled in the palace. Now all the predestined saints are chosen by God for something great, namely, eternal life; and this appointment is called predestination. The record of this appointment is called the book of life: and this record is in the divine memory, because inasmuch as he appoints, he predestines; inasmuch as he knows it unchangeably, it is called foreknowledge. Therefore, this foreknowledge about the predestined is called the book of life. 151. Sed numquid aliqui inde delentur? 151. But is anyone ever erased from this book? Sciendum est, quod aliqui sunt scripti simpliciter, aliqui secundum quid. Sunt enim aliqui praedestinati a Deo, ut habituri simpliciter vitam aeternam, et isti sunt scripti indelebiliter. Aliqui ut habeant vitam aeternam non in se, sed in sua causa, inquantum ordinantur ad iustitiam praesentem, et tales dicuntur deleri de libro vitae, quando excedunt a praesenti iustitia. I answer that some are enrolled absolutely, and others in a qualified sense. For some are absolutely predestined by God to obtain eternal life, and they are enrolled indelibly. Others are predestined to have eternal life not in itself, but in its cause, inasmuch as they are ordained to justice for the present; and such persons are said to be erased from the book of life when they fall away from justice in this life. 152. Deinde cum dicit gaudete in Domino, etc., hortatur eos ad proficiendum in melius, et 152. Then when he says, rejoice in the Lord always, he urges them to make more progress to what is better: primo ordinat eorum animum ad proficiendum in melius; first, he prepares their mind to make more progress to what is better; secundo actum eorum, ibi de caetero, et cetera. second, he arranges their activity, at for the rest, brethren. Animum autem ordinat tripliciter, et In regard to the first he prepares their mind in regard to three things: