Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle set forth the abundance of grace which he himself and the other apostles received from Christ. But lest anyone should believe that they had received it by their own merits, he therefore consequently shows that they received it freely, called by God not by their own merits.

Now this part is divided into three: for first he sets forth the gratuitous calling; second, the voluntary predestination of God, at the place "predestined according to his purpose," etc.; third, the end of both, at the place "that we should be unto the praise of his glory," etc.

He says therefore: I said that grace of this kind superabounded in us, and that in Christ all things were restored. "In whom also," that is, through whom — Christ — "we have been called by lot," that is, not by our own merits, but by divine election. Colossians 1:12: "giving thanks to God and the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the lot of the saints in light," etc. Psalm 30:16: "In your hands are my lots."

Now for the understanding of this, it must be known that many things happen among men which seem fortuitous and contingent, and yet are ordered according to divine providence. A lot is nothing other than an inquiry into the divine providence concerning some contingent and human matter. Whence Augustine, commenting on that verse of Psalm 30:16, "in your hands are my lots," says that a lot is not something evil, but in doubtful matters it seeks out the divine will.

Now there is a threefold sin to be avoided in the casting of lots.

First indeed, the sin of superstition; for every vain and unlawful religious observance is superstition. The sin of unlawful superstition is therefore incurred in lots when in them some pact is entered into with demons. Whence it is said in Ezekiel 21:21: "The king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of two ways, seeking divination, mingling arrows. He questioned the idols, he consulted the entrails." For to mingle arrows pertains to divination by lot, and to question idols pertains to superstition; and there divination by lot is condemned among the sins pertaining to superstition.

Second, the sin of tempting God is to be avoided. For as long as a man is able by himself to do something and to know what he ought to do, if he then seeks by lot from God, or in some other such manner, what he ought to do, he tempts God. But when necessity presses, and he himself cannot be helped by himself, then he lawfully inquires of God what he ought to do. 2 Chronicles 20:12: "since we do not know what we ought to do, this only remains to us, that we direct our eyes to you."

Third, the sin of vanity is to be avoided, which occurs if we inquire about things useless and not pertaining to us, as for instance about future contingent things. Whence it is said in Acts 1:7: "It is not for you to know the times or the moments, which the Father has placed in his own power."

According to this, therefore, a lot can be taken as threefold, namely a certain divisory kind, a certain consultory kind, and a certain divinatory kind.

The divisory kind is when some, dividing an inheritance and unable to agree, cast lots — showing, for instance, a ring, or a piece of paper, or something of the sort — saying: whoever it falls to, he shall have this portion in the inheritance. And lots of this kind can be cast lawfully. Proverbs 18:18: "The lot suppresses contradictions, and it decides also among the powerful," that is, among those wishing to divide.

The consultory kind occurs when someone, doubting what he ought to do, consults God, casting lots. It is said in Jonah 1:7 that when that storm came upon the sea, they consulted God, casting a lot, so that they might know by whose sin that storm had come. And this manner is lawful, especially in cases of necessity and in the elections of secular powers. Whence they make little rolls of wax, in some of which they place certain papers and in some not, which they call "bussuli," so that those to whom the bussuli with the papers come may have votes in the election. But this, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles did even in a spiritual election, Acts 1:26, when the lot fell upon Matthias; but this, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, is no longer lawful in the aforesaid elections, because in doing this one would do injury to the Holy Spirit. For it must be believed that the Holy Spirit provides good pastors for his Church. Whence, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, when the apostles elected the seven deacons, they did not cast lots; and therefore in no ecclesiastical election is it lawful in this manner.

The divinatory lot, however, is an inquiry concerning future things reserved to divine knowledge alone. And this always has vanity mixed in, nor can it occur without the vice of curiosity.

Since, therefore, a lot is nothing other than an inquiry into things which happen from the divine will, and grace depends on the divine will alone, hence it is that the grace of divine election is called a lot, because God, in the manner of a lot, according to hidden providence, not from anyone's merits, calls through interior grace.

Then, when he says "predestined," etc., he sets forth the voluntary predestination of God, concerning which it is said in Romans 8:30: "whom he predestined, these he also called." The reason indeed for this predestination is not our merits, but the mere will of God; on account of which he adds "according to his purpose." Romans 8:28: "We know that for those who love God, all things work together unto good, for those who according to his purpose are called saints."

Now that he predestined according to his purpose, he proves, because not only this, but also all the other things which God does, he works according to the counsel of his will. Psalm 134:6: "Whatever things the Lord willed, he has done." Isaiah 46:10: "My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done." But he does not say "according to will," lest you should believe that it is irrational, but "according to the counsel of his will" — that is, according to his will which is from reason; not according as reason implies discursive reasoning, but according as it designates a certain and deliberate will.

Lastly, he touches on the end of both, namely of predestination and of calling, namely the praise of God. Whence he says "that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ," and through us, who believe in Christ, the glory of God is praised. Isaiah 55:12: "the mountains and the hills shall sing praise before God." Now the praise of the glory of God, as Ambrose says, is when many are gained to the faith, just as the glory of a physician is when he gains and cures many. Ecclesiasticus 2:9: "You who fear the Lord, hope in him, and in delight mercy will come to you."