Thomas Aquinas

Having commended the ministry of the new testament, here he consequently commends its ministers. And first he sets down two things which correspond to the words stated before. For he had premised the gift received from God, when he said: our sufficiency, etc.; and the confidence conceived from the gift, when he said: such confidence, etc. First, therefore, he determines those things which pertain to the gift received; second, those which pertain to the confidence conceived, there: having therefore such, etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows the gift received from God, namely the ministry of the new testament; second he describes the new testament, there: not of the letter, but of the spirit; third, from the dignity of the new testament he shows the dignity of its ministers, there: if the ministration, etc.

He says therefore: I say that our sufficiency is from God, who also made us fit ministers of the new testament, Is. 61:6: ministers of our God, it shall be said to you. And in this we hold the place of the Angels. Ps. 103:4: who makes his Angels, etc. But he not only made us ministers, but fit ones. For God gives to each thing those things by which it can attain the perfection of its nature. Hence, because God appointed the ministers of the new testament, he also gave them fitness for exercising this office, unless there be an impediment on the part of those receiving it. Above 2:16: and for these things who is so fit, namely as the apostles instituted by God?

But what this new testament is, he describes, adding: not of the letter, etc. And he describes it as to two things, namely as to that in which it consists, and as to the cause on account of which it was given, there: for the letter kills, etc.

Concerning the first it must be known that the apostle speaks profoundly. For it is said Jer. 31:31 ff.: I will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new covenant, not according to the pact which I made with your fathers. And afterward: I will give my law in their inward parts, and I will write it upon their heart, etc. The old testament, therefore, is written in a book, and afterward by the sprinkling of blood, as is said Heb. 9:19: he took blood and sprinkled the book, etc., saying: this is the blood, etc. And thus it is clear that the old law is the testament of the letter. But the new testament is the testament of the Holy Spirit, by whom the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, as is said Rom. 5:5. And thus, while the Holy Spirit works in us charity, which is the fullness of the law, it is the new testament — not of the letter, that is, to be written by the letter, but of the spirit, that is, by the spirit which gives life. Rom. 8:2: the law of the spirit of life, that is, of the life-giving spirit.

But the cause why the new testament was given through the spirit is added, because the letter kills occasionally. For the letter of the law gives only the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20: but through the law is the knowledge of sin. But from this, that I know sin, only two things follow. For the law, while it is known through it, does not repress concupiscence, but rather occasionally increases it, inasmuch as concupiscence is carried more fervently toward the forbidden thing. Hence such knowledge, the cause of concupiscence not yet being destroyed, kills; and from this it also adds transgression. For it is more grave to sin against the written law and the natural law together than against the natural law alone. Rom. 7:8: sin, the occasion being taken, not given, etc. But although it kills occasionally, inasmuch namely as it increases concupiscence and adds transgression, nevertheless the old law is not evil, because at least it forbids evils. It is nevertheless imperfect, inasmuch as it does not remove the cause. The law, therefore, without the spirit interiorly imprinting the law in the heart, is an occasion of death. And therefore it was necessary to give the law of the spirit, which, working charity in the heart, gives life. Jn. 6:64: it is the spirit that gives life.

Consequently, from these things he shows the dignity of his ministry. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows that the ministry of the new testament is preferred to the ministry of the old testament; second, that it is not only preferred, but that the ministry of the old testament has, as it were, nothing of glory in comparison to the new, there: for neither was that glorified, etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows that the ministry of the new testament is preferred to the old; second he assigns the reason for this, there: for if the ministration, etc.

Concerning the first it must be known that the apostle argues from that which is found in Exodus 24, where our text has it that Moses had a horned face, so that they were not able, etc. Another text has "a shining face," which is better said. For it is not to be understood that he had horns literally, as some paint him; but he is called horned on account of the rays, which seemed to be, as it were, certain horns.

He argues from this thus. And first through one similitude, and it is an argument from the lesser. For it is clear that if something which is lesser has something of glory, much more does that which is greater. But the old testament is lesser than the new; since therefore that was in glory, so that they were not able, etc., it seems that much more is the new in glory. But that the old testament is lesser than the new he proves in three ways.

First as to the effect, because that is the testament of death, this of life, as has been said. And as to this he says that if the ministration of death, that is, the old, which is the occasion of death. And this corresponds to that where it is said: the letter kills, etc.

Second as to the manner of its delivery, because the old was delivered in letters on tablets of stone, but the new was impressed by the spirit on fleshly hearts. And this he hints at, when he says formed in letters, that is, perfectly formed, in stones, that is, in tablets of stone. And this corresponds to that where it is said: not of the letter, but of the spirit, etc.

Third as to perfection, because the glory of the old testament is without confidence, because the law brought no one to perfection. But in the new there is glory with hope of a better glory, namely an everlasting one. Is. 51:6: my salvation shall be forever. And this he hints at, when he says which is done away, Gal. 5:2: for if you be circumcised, Christ nothing, etc.

The conclusion is set down when he says how shall not rather, which is plain.

But he assigns the reason for these things consequently, when he says for if the ministration, etc. And his reason is this: glory is owed more to justice than to damnation, but the ministry of the new testament is a ministry of justice, because it justifies interiorly by giving life. But the ministry of the old testament is, occasionally, a ministry of damnation. Above, in the same place: the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Since therefore the ministration of damnation, that is, the ministration of the old testament, which is occasionally the cause of damnation, as has been said, is in glory, which appeared in the face of Moses, it is clear that much more does it abound in glory, that is, gives abundant glory to its ministers, the ministry of justice, that is, of the new testament, through which the spirit is given, through whom is justice and the consummation of the virtues. Prov. 3:35: the wise shall possess glory.

Questions are wont to be raised in this place about the comparison of Moses and Paul, but, if the words of the apostle are rightly considered, they are not necessary, because here the comparison is not made of person to person, but of ministry to ministry. But because the pseudo-apostles could say that although the ministry of the new testament is greater than the ministry of the old testament, nevertheless it is not much greater, and therefore it is good that we attend to that ministry and to this one — which they also were doing, because they observed the legal precepts together with the Gospel at the same time. Therefore here consequently the apostle disproves this, when he says for neither was that glorified, etc.

And concerning this he does two things. For first he shows that the ministry of the new testament exceeds the ministry of the old without any comparison; second he assigns the cause of this, there: for if that which is done away, etc.

He says therefore: I said that the ministry of justice abounds in glory, and to such an extent that the glory of the old ministry is not to be called glory, because neither was that glorified, etc.: which is explained in two ways. In the first way thus: for neither, etc., that is, that glory is nothing in comparison to this one of the new testament, because that glory was not conferred on all the ministers, but on Moses alone, and it did not shine forth in the whole Moses, but in part, that is, in the face only, particularly. And therefore neither was it glorified, that is, nor ought it to be glorified, on account of the excelling glory, that is, in comparison with the excelling glory of the new testament, which abounds in grace, so that men, purified through it, might be able to see not the glory of man, but of God.

In the second way, so that it be punctuated thus: neither was that glorified which shone forth; as if he were to say: for in this part, that is, in respect of this particular nature, we who are servants — it was not glorified, that is, that which shone forth in the old testament was not glorious; and this on account of the excelling glory which is in the new, because that is the glory of God the Father.

But he assigns the cause of this consequently, when he says for if that which is done away, etc. And his reason is this: that which is given so that it may pass away is nothing in respect to that which is given so that it may always remain. If therefore the old testament, which is done away, is taken away — 1 Cor. 13:10: when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part shall be done away, etc. For through the glory of Moses it was ministered, at least through a particular glory. It is clear that the new testament remains, because it is begun here, and is perfected in the homeland. Lk. 21:33: heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. It will be much more in eternal glory, in which it will be perfected. It will be, I say, for us, who are its ministers.