Commentary on Romans 8:9–11 by Cardinal Thomas Cajetan
Note: Thomas Cajetan (1469–1534), born Tommaso de Vio, was an Italian Dominican Cardinal, theologian, and philosopher. He is best known for his commentary on St. Thomas Aquinas and his scriptural commentaries, which were highly influential during the Council of Trent. This text is excerpted from his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, reflecting his scholastic precision and doctrinal clarity. Translated by Qwen.
On Romans 8:8–9: Those Who Are in the Flesh
"BUT THOSE WHO ARE IN THE FLESH"
He adds that those who have the prudence of the flesh are carnal according to the mind (secundum animum), in order to make manifest that not only the care of the flesh, but also the carnal people themselves are enemies of God.
"CANNOT PLEASE GOD"
This is not to be understood formally (formaliter), that is, insofar as they are in such a carnal state according to the mind; for thus they cannot please God. With this, however, stands the fact that through divine grace they can be changed from being according to the flesh and from a carnal disposition of the mind, and thus please God.
"BUT YOU ARE NOT IN THE FLESH BUT IN THE SPIRIT"
From this it clearly appears that Paul is not speaking of being in the flesh according to substance (secundum substantiam). For it is constant that the Romans, to whom he was writing, were then in the flesh according to substance, and yet he says to them: "But you are not in the flesh." That is, you are not carnal according to the mind, but spiritual. And for a similar reason, he says "you," whereas previously he had said "us," saying: "that the justification might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh," etc. (Rom 8:4). Indeed, speaking now in the first person and now in the second signifies that this disposition is common also to others who are not Apostles. Although he also said this intentionally so that the Romans might understand from themselves who and what sort of people they are whom he called "according to the spirit," lest they think something higher lies hidden under this appellation.
On Romans 8:9: The Condition of Indwelling
"IF INDEED"
After Paul declared two of the things which he proposed in the beginning of the chapter, namely "there is now no condemnation" (Rom 8:1) and "walking according to the spirit not according to the flesh" (Rom 8:4), now he declares the third, namely "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:2). Moreover, he declares this while simultaneously giving the reason why the Romans themselves are in the spirit and not in the flesh. And he gives the reason under a condition, saying "if indeed," so that the Romans may understand that to not be in the flesh but in the spirit, it is not sufficient to have been baptized (which all of them were), but it is required that the Holy Spirit persevere.
And therefore, using the verb of the present tense and the word of inhabitation, he adds:
"THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU"
By saying "Spirit of God," he opens up the fact that when he says "law of the spirit," the speech was concerning the Spirit of God dwelling, not lodging (hospitante), in the souls of men. And therefore he says "dwells" (habitat). For unless it rests in the soul by way of inhabiting, it does not obtain an efficacious law in man, and through this, the law of the spirit has no place.
"BUT IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, THIS ONE IS NOT HIS"
The particle "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus" was to be declared not only regarding the spirit but also regarding the life in Christ Jesus. And therefore, for its declaration, he adds that life in Christ Jesus is through having the Spirit of Christ, so that we may understand the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ to be the same, nor is the Spirit of God had unless the Spirit of Christ is had. That is, the Spirit of God never dwells in us unless it joins us to Christ. Hence the pronoun "His" demonstrates the Spirit of God. For the sense is that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this one is not the Spirit of God, nor a temple in which the Spirit of God dwells.
And according to this sense, it is directly had that the Holy Spirit dwelling in men is the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, since it is the Spirit of Christ in us, and through this it joins men to Christ, undoubtedly according to the soul, according to believing, hoping, loving, imitating, etc. Moreover, it is called the Spirit of God because it is from God, is God, and inspires, moves, and impels us to God, dwelling in us. But it is the Spirit of Christ because it is also from Christ by reason of the Divine Nature, and by the merit of Christ it is given to us by Him, and it inspires, moves, and impels to Christ those in whom it dwells.
On Romans 8:10: Christ in You
"BUT IF CHRIST IS IN YOU"
He declares that other proposal, namely "He has freed me from the law of sin" (Rom 8:2), continuing the senses consequently holding together. And for the same purpose, he uses "Christ is in you" and "the Spirit of Christ is in you," because the speech is concerning being in the soul, in which there is being of Christ and being of the Spirit of Christ. For Christ dwells in the soul through the same faith, hope, and charity, and similarly the Spirit who is of God and of Christ dwells through the same faith, hope, and charity.
"THE BODY INDEED IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN"
Striving for brevity, Paul describes us as similar to Christ from Christ inhabiting in us, so that just as Christ had a mortal body and a living spirit, so our body is dead—that is, mortal—but the spirit is living. But there is a dissimilarity regarding the cause: because our body is dead because of sin (for original sin is the common sin of all men except Christ).
"BUT THE SPIRIT IS LIFE BECAUSE OF JUSTIFICATION"
"For life" (pro vita), "for justice" (pro iustitia). And here too there is a dissimilarity regarding the cause, because the life of the spirit of Christ did not depend on justice, but from the beginning was a blessed life. But the life of the spirit of those in whom Christ dwells is because of the justice of Christ, by which He satisfied God by paying the price of human redemption. For through that justice, extrinsically and through participation of it intrinsically, is the life of those in whom Christ dwells. And this is to be freed from the law of sin, as was declared above.
But for the letter, note that "spirit" is nominative when it is said "but the spirit is life," and "is" is understood. And it is verified of our spirit in act, that is, actually operating: indeed our spirit, believing, hoping, loving, prudent, is the life of grace because of the justice of Christ participated from the habitation of Christ in us.
On Romans 8:11: The Resurrection of the Body
"BUT IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM"
He declares the last particle proposed, namely "He has freed me from the law of death" (Rom 8:2), nevertheless continuing the senses consequently holding together. Where recall that in the beginning of the fifth chapter, four goods were proposed which the justified have from faith in Jesus. And note that of those four, the first, namely "peace with God," from that place up to here Paul has declared, manifesting that through the gift of Christ we are freed from original sin, from the abundance of actual sin, from the servitude of the Law of Moses, and from the law of sin. But now he intends to declare the three remaining, namely that "we glory in the hope of the glory of God," that "in tribulations," and that "we glory in God" (Rom 5:2–3). He intends to declare these simultaneously, continuing and declaring how the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed us from the law of death.
He intends to make manifest that through the Spirit of God and Christ dwelling in us, we obtain these three. Of which the first coincides with liberation from the law of death. And therefore he simultaneously declares: the law of the spirit dwelling in us has freed us from the law of death, and that it bestows upon us in hope the glory of God. For immortal life prepared for us after the resurrection is from the law of death, and is the glory of God in which we glory.
Whence he begins from the Spirit of God, saying "His Spirit," undoubtedly of God.
"WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD"
Jesus, insofar as He is man, was raised by God; insofar as He is God, He raised Himself.
"DWELLS IN YOU"
All this is the antecedent of a conditional proposition, whose consequent is subjoined:
"HE WHO RAISED CHRIST JESUS FROM THE DEAD"
The relative "Who" refers to God. And the sense is: God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
"WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES BECAUSE OF HIS SPIRIT DWELLING IN YOU"
According to the two things assumed in the antecedent, namely the habitation of the Spirit of God in us and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, he also refers two things in the consequent, namely the vivification of our mortal bodies and this from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the cause of justification and this from the Spirit of God dwelling in us.
For he renders the cause of our future immortality from the concomitance of the quality of the body to the quality of the spirit, from a quasi-natural sequence of the gifts in the body to the gifts of the spirit, of the life of the body to the life of the spirit. So that because the Spirit of God who raised Jesus—that is, given by God through the resurrection of Jesus and breathing and impelling to God, not in any way whatever, but insofar as He raised Christ Jesus from the dead—dwells in you, therefore it must be a consequence that that same God who raised Jesus, on account of the dignity of the said Spirit dwelling in you, will quicken in congruous time your mortal bodies. For thus to the gifts of the spirit will correspond the gifts of the body. Thus indeed the resurrection of Christ, communicated first in us by faith, hope, and charity of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, will be communicated afterwards in the body. Thus finally we, who placed in the flesh have obtained only so much dignity that we have the Holy Spirit as inhabitant according to the soul, also according to the body on account of the dignity of so great an Inhabitant, we shall be quickened.
For this reason literally sounds the text, rendering the reason of future immortality on account of His Spirit dwelling in us. But when he says "will quicken" (vivificabit), understand not concerning the gift of life alone, since to live will be common in the future age to the good as well as to the bad. But understand perfect vivification which excludes all passibility. For only such vivification liberates totally from the law of death. For the damned will be under the law of death, although not regarding this that they die again, but regarding this that they continuously suffer, which is to continuously die. But the vivification of bodies on account of the indwelling Holy Spirit will exclude not only dying but any suffering whatever, not only in act but in potentiality. For it will render bodies immortal and impassible.
Nor does he say "your dead bodies" but "mortal bodies" to comprehend all. Which I say on account of those who at the Second Coming of Christ will be found alive. For their bodies, not dead but mortal, will be quickened.
CONTINUE
Comments
Post a Comment