Thomas Aquinas

Above he commended him for gratuitous gifts; here he exhorts him to the use of the gratuitous gifts given to him, especially in the preaching of the Gospel. And first he admonishes him in general to the use of the grace given to him; second he specifies what the use of the grace should be, at the place, "Be not thou ashamed therefore." Likewise, first he sets down the admonition; second, its reason, at the place, "for he hath not given us." He says therefore: the faith unfeigned is in thy mother and grandmother and in thee, for which cause I admonish thee.

The grace of God is like a fire which, when it is covered over with ash, does not shine: so grace is covered over in man through torpor, or human fear. Hence Timothy too, having become fainthearted, had grown sluggish about preaching. And therefore he says that thou mayest stir up the grace that is asleep. 1 Thess. 5:19: Extinguish not the spirit. And he adds, which is in thee by the imposition of my hands, namely, by which he had been ordained bishop. In which imposition of hands the grace of the Holy Spirit was given to him.

Then, when he says, for... not, the reason for the admonition is set down, and it is taken from the condition of the divine gifts. For he who receives a gift ought to work in accordance with the fittingness of the gift; therefore according to the condition of the divine gifts we ought to serve God. Now there is a twofold spirit, that of this world, and that of God. And the distinction of these is this: for spirit signifies love, because the name "spirit" imports impulsion, and love impels. But love is twofold, namely, of God, and this is through the spirit of God; and love of the world, and this is through the spirit of the world. 1 Cor. 2:12: For we have not received the spirit of this world, etc. But the spirit of the world causes one to love the goods of the world, and to fear temporal evils; and therefore he says, for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, namely, worldly fear, because this God takes away from us. Matt. 10:28: Fear ye not them that kill the body, etc. There is another spirit, the spirit of the fear of the Lord, and it is holy, and this causes God to be feared; but this fear is without punishment and without offense, and this is from God. Matt. 10:28: Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. And he adds, but of power, because through the Holy Spirit we are directed amid evils, and this through power, namely, of fortitude against the adversities of the world. Luke, last chapter: Sit ye in the city till you be endued with power from on high. Likewise we are directed amid goods, because as to affection we are ordered through the love of charity, while one refers all that he loves to God. Hence he says, and of love. 1 John 3:14: He who loveth not, abideth in death. Likewise as to exterior goods; and therefore he says, and of sobriety, that is, of all temperance, by keeping the due mode and measure, namely, that we use the goods of the world temperately. Titus 2:12: That we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world. 1 Tim. 3:2: It behooveth a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober.

Then, when he says, be not, he specifies the use of grace; and first he excludes the things contrary to this use; second he exhorts to the use of grace, at the place, but labor together with. But from his accustomed preaching he could be hindered on account of two things. First, through shame; second, from the punishment of the apostle, which he was suffering on account of the Gospel. And therefore, as to the first, he says, be not therefore, namely, since thou hast the spirit of fortitude, ashamed, etc. For the preaching of Christ, if it be referred to the wisdom of the world, seemed foolish, hence it seemed to have shame. 1 Cor. 1:23: We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness. Rom. 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. Luke 9:26: He that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed. As to the second, it must be known that if a robber sees someone hanged, he is ashamed to confess himself his companion. So, because the apostle was in chains, Timothy could be ashamed of him; and therefore he says, nor of me his prisoner. Eph. 6:20: For which I am an ambassador in a chain. Ecclus. 4:27: Be not ashamed of thy neighbor in his fall.

Then, when he says, but labor together with, he exhorts to the use of grace; and first in general; second he shows with what confidence he should undertake this use, at the place, according to the power. Here he makes manifest what he says, but labor together with, at the place, not according to, etc. He says therefore: be not ashamed, but labor together with, that is, labor along with me. 1 Cor. 3:8: Every man shall receive his own reward. And he says Evangelio, which can be of the ablative case, and thus, in preaching the Gospel; or of the dative case, and thus, to the praise of the Gospel, namely, that it may grow. Wis. 3:15: Glorious is the fruit of good labors, etc. And this with confidence, not one's own, because we are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves, etc.; but according to the power of God, that is, having confidence in the power of God. Is. 40:29: Who giveth strength to the weary, and to them that are not, he multiplieth fortitude and strength.

This power is made manifest through two things: namely, as to affection, because we are freed from evils; and therefore he says, who hath delivered us. 1 Esdr. 8:31: He delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of the ambusher by the way. John 8:36: If the son hath made you free. And as to this, that he calls us unto goods. Hence there follows, and calleth us by his holy calling, because he has called us unto sanctification. Rom. 8:30: Whom he predestinated, them he also called. 1 Pet. 2:9: Who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. And he makes manifest certain things which he says, saying, not according to our works; where he shows that we have been freed and called through the power of God, not through human power. And first he shows that the cause of our calling and deliverance is from God; second, the process of the cause, at the place, which was given also; third he commends the giver of the cause, namely, of grace, and its preserver, at the place, who hath destroyed. He says therefore: he called us not through our own power, namely, not through our works, which are the effects of power. Titus 3:5: Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.

Now the cause of human salvation which is from God is twofold. One is eternal, namely, his predestination; the other is temporal, namely, justifying grace. As to the first he says, according to the purpose, that is, predestination, which is the purpose of having mercy. Eph. 1:11: Worketh all things according to the purpose of his will. Rom. 8:28: To them who, according to his purpose, are called to be saints. As to the second he says, and grace. Rom. 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace.

Concerning the process of grace, first he shows how grace was prepared; second, how it was bestowed; third, through whom. He shows the first, when he says, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, that is, it was foreseen to be given to us before the times of the world. As the Philosopher says, an age is nothing other than a measure of the duration of certain things; hence different ages are the different lifetimes of men. Hence one age lasts a thousand years, because a man is said to live as long as he is in the memory of men, which does not exceed a thousand years. The times of the world, therefore, are those which measure changeable things, and these began with the world; but predestination is before the world. Eph. 1:4: He chose us in him before the foundation of the world. And he says, in Christ Jesus, because we are not so elected as to be saved by our own merits, but through the grace of Christ; because as he predestined our salvation, so also the mode of our salvation. John 1:17: Grace and truth was made through Jesus Christ.

But this predestination was formerly hidden, but now it is made manifest. And how? As the concept of the heart is made manifest through works; hence now, in the effect of the work, he has manifested it to his elect through illumination. He speaks properly; for to manifest is to bring into the light. Job 28:11: He hath brought hidden things into the light. So then it has now been manifested, etc., through the fact that he sent Christ to illumine us. Is. 60:1: Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come. Luke 1:79: To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Then, when he says, who hath destroyed, he commends Christ the illuminator; and first his power as to the evils which he took away; second, as to the goods which he conferred. He says therefore that Christ, on account of the fact that he suffered for us, destroyed death, that is, he made satisfaction to God for our sins. 1 Pet. 3:18: Christ died once for our sins, etc. And sin was the cause of our bodily death. Rom. 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; and therefore by destroying sin, he destroyed death. Hos. 13:14: I will be thy death, O death, etc.

He also conferred perfect goods: first, to the soul in the present, through the grace of faith. Hab. 2:4: My just man liveth by faith. And it is imperfect in this life, but it will be perfected in glory. John 17:3: This is eternal life, that they may know thee. Second, the immortality of the flesh resulting from the glory of the soul. 1 Cor. 15:53: This corruptible must put on incorruption, etc. John 10:10: I am come that they may have life, namely, now through grace, and may have it more abundantly, namely, through glory in the future; likewise in the same place, 11:26: Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall not die forever.