CHAPTER 5
Lecture 7
23b Against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be made desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Having enumerated the works of the flesh and of the spirit, the Apostle then concludes from both, that those who follow the spirit are not under the Law. The proof he uses is this: he is under the Law who is liable to the Law, i.e., who does things contrary to the Law. But those who are led by the spirit do not the works contrary to the Law. Therefore, they are not under the Law.
First, therefore, he proves the proposition on the part of the works of the spirit;
Secondly, on the part of the works of the flesh (v. 24).
He says, therefore: I say that those who are led by the Spirit do not the works that are contrary to the Law, because they either do the works of the spirit, and Against such there is no law, i.e., against the works of the spirit, but the Spirit teaches such works. For as the Law outwardly teaches works of virtue, so the Spirit inwardly moves one to them: “For I am delighted with the law of God according to the inward man “ (Rom 7:22). Or they do the works of the flesh; and in those who are led by the spirit, such works are not contrary to the Law. Hence he says, they that are Christ’s , i.e., who have the spirit of God; for “if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom 8:9). Accordingly, those are led by the spirit of God who are Christ’s.
They , I say, have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences . He does not say that they shun vices and concupiscences, because a good physician cures well, when he applies remedies against the cause of the disease. But the flesh is the root of vices. Therefore, if we would shun vices, the flesh must be tamed: “I chastise my body and bring it under subjection” (1 Cor 9:27). But because the flesh is tamed by vigils, fasts and labors—“Torture and fetters are for a malicious slave; send him to work that he be not idle” (Sir 33:28)—and one is led to such works out of devotion to Christ crucified. Therefore he specifically says, they have crucified , i.e., conformed themselves to Christ crucified by afflicting their flesh: “Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin may be destroyed” (Rom 6:6); that I may live to God: with Christ I am nailed to the cross (2:19).
But because they do not crucify the flesh by destroying nature, for “No one hates his own flesh” (Eph 5:29), but with respect to matters that are contrary to the Law, for that reason he says, with the vices , i.e., with the sins, and concupiscences , i.e., passions, whereby the soul is inclined to sin. For he does not crucify his flesh well who leaves room for passions; otherwise, since reason is not always alert to avoid sin, as it ought, he might fall at some time: “Go not after thy lusts, but turn away from thy own will” (Sir 18:30); “Make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence” (Rom 13:14).
Then when he says, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit, he mentions the third benefit of the Holy Spirit, namely, the conferring of life.
First, he mentions this benefit of the Spirit of God;
Secondly, he rejects the vices of the spirit of the world (v. 26).
Therefore, including himself with those to whom he writes, he says: I say that we ought to walk by the Spirit, because we live by Him and not by the flesh: “We are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh” (Rom 8:12). Therefore, If we live in the Spirit, we ought in all things to be led by Him. For as in bodily life the body is not moved save by the soul, by which it has life, so in the spiritual life, all of our movements should be through the Holy Spirit: “It is the spirit that giveth life” (Jn 6:64); “In him we live and move and are” (Acts 17:28). But lest the things said of the spirit be understood of the spirit of the world-concerning which it is said in 1 Corinthians (2:12): ‘We have received not the spirit of this world”—the Apostle forestalls this when he says, Let us not be made desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another . Here he excludes things proper to the spirit of the world, namely, vainglory, anger and envy, all three of which are aptly described by the word “spirit.”
For “spirit” denotes a swelling. According to this, then, those are called vain spirits who are swollen with vainglory: “The blast of the mighty is like a whirlwind beating against a wall” (Is 25:4). Concerning this he says, Let us not be made desirous of vainglory, i.e., of worldly glory. For since that is vain which is not solidly established nor supported by truth nor loved for any usefulness, then the glory of this world is vain, because it is frail and not solid: “All flesh is grass” (Is 40:6). Furthermore, it is false—“The glory of a sinful man is dung and worms” (1 Mac 2:62)—whereas true glory concerns goods appropriate to man, i.e., the goods of the spirit, such as holy men have: “Our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience” (2 Cor 1:12). Furthermore, this glory is useless and fruitless: for how great soever the glory one acquires from the testimony of men, he cannot on that account achieve his end, which is achieved by the testimony of God: “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:31).
He does not say, “Do not have vainglory,” but be not made desirous of vainglory , because glory sometimes follows those who seek to avoid it, and if they are obliged to receive it, they should not love it. Furthermore, [spirit] connotes vehemence: “Who can bear the violence of one provoked?” (Prov 27:4). It also connotes wrath. And as to this he says, provoking one another , namely, to quarrels and fights or other unlawful things: “Not in contention and envy” (Rom 13:13). Furthermore, it is a spirit of sadness, of which it is said in Proverbs (17:22): “A sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.” And concerning this he says, envying one another : “Envy is the rottenness of the bones,” because it alone feeds on the good (Prov 14:30).