CHAPTER I
LECTURE 4
As resolved by him who carries out all things after his will and decision, we [Jews] were first designated and appropriated in the Messiah. We, the first to set our hope upon the Messiah, were to become a praise of God’s glory.
[Read: Marcus Barth on verse 11 (“lot”, p. 92), “Jews and Gentiles” (p. 130).]
11 In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will;,
12 That we may be unto the praise of his glory; we who before hoped in Christ.
Previously the Apostle wrote of how he and the other Apostles received an abundance of grace from Christ (1:8). Lest anyone imagine they had it coming to them the Apostle quickly affirms that they were called by God gratuitously, not for their personal merits. This section is divided into three parts:
First, the gratuity of the [Apostolic] call.
Secondly, God’s freedom in predestination (1:11b).
Thirdly, what is the end of both [vocation and pre destination] (1: 12).
I have indicated, he says, that grace has superabounded in us and that everything has been re-established in Christ. The same Christ In whom we also are called by lot , not by our own merits but by a divine choice: “Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12) because “my lots are in thy hands” (Ps. 30:16).
To understand this it should be realized that many human events which seem to occur by fate and chance, in reality are arranged according to divine providence. Casting, lots * is no more than a search for divine guidance in contingent and human affairs. Augustine, commenting on Psalm 30 (16), teaches that casting lots is not an evil but a means of discovering God’s will in a doubtful issue.
Nonetheless, three sins must be avoided. First, is superstition; for any religion which is shallow and immoral is superstition. The forbidden sin of superstition would be incurred when the casting of lots is performed in league with the devil. For instance, Ezechiel 21 (26) relates how: “the king of Babylon stood in the highway, at the head of two ways, seeking divination, shuffling arrows: he consulted the idols and looked at the liver.” The shuffling of the arrows is related to sortilege, and the questioning of idols belongs to superstition. Sortilege, moreover, is condemmed there (Ez. 21) among sins pertaining to superstition.
Secondly, the sin of tempting God must be shunned. As long as a man can discover and accomplish by himself what he ought to do, he tempts God if he resorts to lots, or any other such method, to ascertain what he should do. Only when unavoidably threatened by situations where one is powerless by himself can a man licitly resort to [extraordinary ways of] questioning God concerning what he must do. “But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to you” (2 Par. 20:12). Vanity is the third sin. It is committed if we inquire into futile matters not pertaining to us; for example, contingent events in the future. “It is not for you to know the times or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power” (Ac. 1:7).
Relative to this [purpose for which they are cast], there are three types of lots: some are divisory, others are consultatory, while still others are divinatory.
Divisory lots are those which people cast when they are dividing an inheritance and cannot agree. Using a certain slip of paper, or the like they declare: Whoever it will fall to shall have this part of the inheritance. Such lots can be cast lawfully: “The lot puts an end to disputes, and decides between powerful contenders” (Prov. 18:18) when they wish to divide in this way.
Consultatory lots are used when someone doubts what he should do and consults God by casting lots. Jonas 1 (7) recounts how, when the great storm came upon them at sea, they cast lots to seek information from God that they might know for whose sin the tempest had occurred. This method is licit, especially in necessities and in the elections of secular rulers. Hence, men will make small wax balls called “bussuli,” of which some contain slips of paper and others none. Whoever draws a “bussulus” with the paper inside has a voice in the election. This was done also, previous to the Holy Spirit’s coming, in spiritual elections, evidenced in the choice of Mathias by lot (Ac. 1:26). Now that the Holy Spirit has come, however, it is no longer lawful in these elections since making. use of them would be an insult to the Holy Spirit. It must be believed, after all, that the Holy Spirit will provide his Church with good pastors. After the Holy Spirit’s advent, therefore, when the Apostles chose the seven deacons (cf. Ac. 6), they did not cast lots. Thus, this method is not lawful in any ecclesiastical election.
Divinatory lots augur future events reserved to the divine knowledge alone. They always are colored by vainglory, nor can they be resorted to without a sinful curiosity.
Lots, therefore, are nothing other than a questioning concerning realities whose occurrence depends on the divine will. Since grace depends on the divine will alone, the grace of divine election is termed a lot. For God, as though by lot, according to his hidden providence, calls men through an inner grace and not on account of anyone’s merits.
Next, when he says predestined according to his purpose , he writes of the free predestination of God concerning which Romans 8 (30) deals: “And those he predestinated he has also called.” The reason for this predestination is not our merits but the will of God alone, on account of which he adds according to the purpose of him . “And we know that to those who love God, all things work together unto good; to those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
He approves of what he has predestined according to his purpose since not only this, but also everything else that God does he worketh according to the counsel of his will . “Whatever he wills Yahwe does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the depths” (Ps. 135:6). “My counsel shall stand, and what I like I shall do” (Is. 46: 10). He did not say “according to his will” lest you would believe it was irrational, but according to the counsel of his will . This means, according to his will which arises from reason; not that reason here implies any transition in his thoughts, * it rather indicates a certain and deliberate will.
Finally, he briefly mentions the end of one’s predestination and vocation, namely, the praise of God. Thus he states that we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ. Through us, who believe in Christ, the glory of God is extolled. “The mountains and hills shall sing praise before you” (Is. 55:12). The praise of God’s glory, as Ambrose remarks, * occurs when many persons are won over to the faith, as a doctor’s glory is in a large clientele and their cure. “You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for everlasting joy and mercy” (Sir. 2:9).