Caput 8 Chapter 8 Redemptio carnis Redemption of the Flesh Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Liberamur gratia a damnatione We are freed from damnation by grace ^8:1 Nihil ergo nunc damnationis est iis qui sunt in Christo Jesu: qui non secundum carnem ambulant. [n. 595] ^8:1 There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh. [n. 595] ^8:2 Lex enim spiritus vitae in Christo Jesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis. [n. 600] ^8:2 For the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, has delivered me from the law of sin and of death. [n. 600] ^8:3 Nam quod impossibile erat legi, in quo infirmabatur per carnem: Deus Filium suum mittens in similitudinem carnis peccati et de peccato, damnavit peccatum in carne, [n. 606] ^8:3 For what was impossible for the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and of sin, has condemned sin in the flesh. [n. 606] ^8:4 ut justificatio legis impleretur in nobis, [n. 610] qui non secundum carnem ambulamus, sed secundum spiritum. [n. 612] ^8:4 That the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us [n. 610] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. [n. 612] ^8:5 Qui enim secundum carnem sunt, quae carnis sunt, sapiunt: qui vero secundum spiritum sunt, quae sunt spiritus, sentiunt. [n. 614] ^8:5 For they who are according to the flesh mind the things that are of the flesh: but they who are according to the spirit mind the things that are of the spirit. [n. 614] ^8:6 Nam prudentia carnis, mors est: prudentia autem spiritus, vita et pax: [n. 617] ^8:6 For the prudence of the flesh is death: but the prudence of the spirit is life and peace. [n. 617] 595. Postquam Apostolus ostendit, quod per gratiam Christi liberamur a peccato et lege, hic ostendit quod per eamdem gratiam liberamur a damnatione. 595. After showing that we are freed from sin and the law through Christ’s grace, the Apostle now shows that through the same grace we are freed from damnation. Et primo, ostendit quod per gratiam Christi liberamur a damnatione culpae; First he shows that through the grace of Christ we are freed from the damnation of guilt; secundo, quod per eamdem gratiam liberamur a damnatione poenae, ibi si autem Christus, et cetera. second, from the damnation of punishment, at and if Christ be in you (Rom 8:10). Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things. Primo proponit quod intendit; First, he sets forth his intention; secundo probat propositum, ibi lex enim spiritus vitae, et cetera. second, he proves his proposition, at for the law of the spirit of life. 596. Circa primum duo facit. Primo proponit beneficium quod gratia confert, concludens ex praemissis ita: gratia Dei per Iesum Christum liberavit me de corpore mortis huius, in qua existit nostra redemptio, ergo nunc, ex quo sumus per gratiam liberati, nihil damnationis est residuum, quia tollitur damnatio et quantum ad culpam et quantum ad poenam, Iob XXXIV, 29: ipso concedente pacem, quis est qui condemnet? 596. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he mentions the benefit which grace confers, drawing his conclusion from the foregoing in this way: The grace of God through Jesus Christ has freed me from the body of this death and in this consists our redemption. Now that we have been freed through grace, there is now therefore no damnation left, because the damnation has been removed both as regards guilt and as regards punishment: it is he himself who grants peace, who is there who will condemn? (Job 34:29). Secundo ostendit quibus hoc beneficium concedatur. Et ponit duas conditiones, quae ad hoc requiruntur. Quarum primam ponit dicens iis qui sunt in Christo Iesu, id est qui sunt ei incorporati per fidem, et dilectionem, et fidei sacramentum. Gal. III, 17: omnes quotquot in Christo baptizati estis, Christum induistis. Io. XV, 4: sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum, nisi manserit in vite, sic nec vos nisi in me manseritis. Illis vero qui non sunt in Christo Iesu, damnatio debetur, unde, ibidem subditur: si quis in me non manserit, mittetur foras, sicut palmes, et arescet, et colligent eum, et in ignem mittent, et ardet. Second, he shows to whom this benefit is granted, and he mentions two conditions required for it. He sets out the first when he says to those who are in Christ Jesus, i.e., incorporated in him by faith and love and the sacrament of faith: as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal 3:27); as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (John 15:4). But to those who are not in Christ damnation is due. Hence John continues: if a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered together, thrown into the fire and burned (John 15:6). Secundam conditionem ponit dicens qui non secundum carnem ambulant, id est concupiscentiam carnis non sequuntur. II Cor. c. X, 3: in carne ambulantes, non secundum carnem militamus. Then he sets out the second condition, saying, who do not walk according to the flesh, i.e., do not follow the desires of the flesh: for though we walk in the flesh, we do not make war according to the flesh (2 Cor 10:3). 597. Ex his autem verbis aliqui volunt accipere, quod in infidelibus, qui non sunt in Christo Iesu, etiam primi motus sint peccata mortalia, quamvis eis non consentiant, quod est secundum carnem ambulare. Si enim illi qui non secundum carnem ambulant, ex hoc non eis damnabile est, quod carne serviunt legi peccati secundum primos concupiscentiae motus, quia sunt in Christo Iesu, sequitur, a contrario sensu, quod illis, qui non sunt in Christo Iesu, hoc sit damnabile. 597. From these words some want to infer that in unbelievers who are not in Christ Jesus the first movements are mortal sins, even though they do not consent to them, and that this is what is meant by walking according to the flesh. For regarding those who do not walk according to the flesh, if the fact that they serve the law of sin in their flesh through the first movements of desire is not damnable for them precisely because they are in Christ Jesus, it follows from the contrary sense, that for those who are not in Christ Jesus are damnable. Ad hoc etiam rationem inducunt. Dicunt enim quod necesse est actum damnabilem esse, qui procedit ex habitu damnabilis peccati. Peccatum autem originale est damnabile, quia privat hominem aeterna vita, cuius habitus manet in infideli, cui non est originalis culpa dimissa. Quilibet ergo motus concupiscentiae, ex originali peccato proveniens, est in eis peccatum damnabile. They also give this argument. They say that an act is necessarily damnable which proceeds from the habit of a damnable sin. But original sin is damnable, because it deprives man of eternal life, and its habit remains in the unbeliever whose original sin has not been remitted. Therefore, any movements of desire that arise from original sin are a mortal sin in their case. 598. Primo autem ostendendum est hanc positionem esse falsam. 598. First, it is necessary to show that this position is false. Primus enim motus habet quod non sit peccatum mortale ex eo quod rationem non attingit, in qua completur ratio peccati. Ista autem causa etiam in infidelibus manet; unde in infidelibus primi motus non possunt esse peccata mortalia. For the reason why the first movement is not a mortal sin is because it does not reach reason, in which the notion of sin is completed. But this reason is present even in unbelievers; therefore, the first stirrings in unbelievers cannot be mortal sins. Praeterea, in eadem specie peccati, gravius peccat fidelis quam infidelis, secundum illud Hebr. X, 29: quanto magis putatis deteriora mereri supplicia, et cetera. Si ergo primi motus in infidelibus essent peccata mortalia, multo magis in fidelibus. Furthermore, in the same type of sin a believer sins more gravely than an unbeliever: how much more punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God and profaned the blood of the covenant? (Heb 10:29). Therefore, if the first stirrings in unbelievers were mortal sins, all the more so in believers. 599. Secundo respondendum est ad eorum rationes. 599. Second, it is necessary to respond to their reasons. Nam primo quidem ex littera Apostoli hoc habere non possunt. Non enim dicit Apostolus quod hoc solum non sit damnabile his qui sunt in Christo Iesu quod carne serviunt legi peccati, secundum concupiscentiae motus, sed quod omnino nihil est eis damnationis. Illis autem, qui non sunt in Christo Iesu, est hoc ipsum damnabile. For, first of all, they cannot derive this position from the words of the Apostle. For the Apostle does not say that the only thing not damnable for those who are in Christ Jesus is that in the flesh they serve the law of sin according to the movements of desire, but that there is no condemnation at all for them. But for those who are not in Christ Jesus, this very fact is damnable. Praeterea, si hoc ad primos motus referatur his qui non sunt in Christo Iesu, sunt damnabiles huiusmodi motus secundum damnationem originalis peccati, quae adhuc in eis manet, a qua sunt liberati hi, qui sunt in Christo Iesu. Non autem sic quod per huiusmodi motus nova addatur eis damnatio. Furthermore, if this passage refers to first movements experienced by those not in Christ Jesus, such stirrings are damnable according to the condemnation due to original sin, which still remains in them and from which those in Christ Jesus have been freed. But this does not mean that a new condemnation is added on account of such stirrings. Quod etiam secundo obiiciunt non ex necessitate concludit quod intendunt. Non enim verum est, quod actus quilibet procedens ex habitu peccati damnabilis sit etiam et ipse damnabilis, sed solum quando est actus perfectus per consensum rationis. Si enim in aliquo sit habitus adulterii, motus concupiscentiae adulterii, qui est actus imperfectus, non est in eo peccatum mortale, sed solum motus perfectus qui est per consensum rationis. Et praeterea actus, ex tali habitu procedens, non habet aliam rationem damnationis ab ea, quae est secundum rationem habitus. Et secundum hoc primi motus in infidelibus ex eo quod procedunt a peccato originali, non afferunt damnationem peccati mortalis, sed solum originalis. Neither does their second argument conclude of necessity to what they intend. For it is not true that any act proceeding from the habit of a damnable sin is itself damnable, but only when it is an act perfected by the consent of reason. For if the habit of adultery is present in a person, the stirring of adulterous desire, which is an imperfect act, is not a mortal sin for that person, but only the perfect motion that exists by the consent of reason. Furthermore, an act proceeding from such a habit does not have a new reason for condemnation added to the reason for condemning the habit. Accordingly, the first stirrings in unbelievers, inasmuch as they proceed from original sin, do not receive the condemnation due to mortal sin but only to original sin. 600. Deinde, cum dicit lex, etc., probat quod dixerat. 600. Then when he says, for the law, he proves what he had said. Et primo quantum ad primam conditionem qua dixerat nihil esse damnationis his qui sunt in Christo Iesu; And first, in regard to the first condition that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; secundo, quantum ad secundam conditionem, qua dixerat qui non secundum carnem ambulant, ibi qui non secundum carnem ambulamus, et cetera. second, in regard to the second condition, i.e., for those who do not walk according to the flesh, at who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things. Primo ponit probationem; First, he presents a proof; secundo manifestat quod supposuerat per causam, ibi nam quod impossibile erat legi, et cetera. second, he manifests his presupposition through its cause, at for what was impossible for the law. 601. Circa primum ponit talem rationem. 601. In regard to the first he presents this argument. Lex spiritus liberat hominem a peccato et morte; sed lex spiritus est in Iesu Christo: ergo, per hoc quod aliquis est in Christo Iesu, liberatur a peccato et morte. The law of the spirit frees man from sin and death; but the law of the spirit is in Christ Jesus. Therefore, by the fact that one is in Christ Jesus, he is freed from sin and death.