Romans 12:1–3

Paul pleads with them through the mercy of God, by which the human race is saved.… This is a warning that they should remember that they have received God's mercy and that they should take care to worship the one who gave it to them.God's will is our sanctification, for bodies subject to sin are considered not to be alive but dead, since they have no hope of obtaining the promise of eternal life. It is for this purpose that we are cleansed from our sins by God's gift, that henceforth we should lead a pure life and stir up the love of God in us, not making his work of grace of no effect. For the ancients killed sacrifices which were offered in order to signify that men were subjected to death because of sin. But now, since by the gift of God men have been purified and set free from the second death, they must offer a living sacrifice as a sign of eternal life. For now it is no longer the case that bodies are sacrificed for bodies, but instead of bodies it is the sins of the body which must be put to death.

If the body, which is less than the soul and which the soul uses as a servant or a tool, is a sacrifice when it is used well and rightly for the service of God, how much more so is the soul when it offers itself to God? In this way, aflame in the fire of divine love and with the dross of worldly desire melted away, it is remolded into the unchangeable form of God and becomes beautiful in his sight by reason of the bounty of beauty which he has bestowed upon it.

If we display our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, he will with heavenly condescension deign to see to it that we are rewarded with the same glory as those who have given their bodies up to death for the Lord's sake.

God is Wisdom, and he wills to be loved not only sweetly but also wisely. Whence the Apostle says: "Let your worship be rational." Otherwise the spirit of error will most easily deceive your zeal, if you neglect knowledge; nor does the cunning enemy have a more effective device for removing love from the heart than if he can bring it about that one walks in it carelessly and not with reason.

That widowed continence according to the evangelical law ought to be vowed is shown by authority, as follows. Romans 12: I beseech you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God; but this is done most especially when the flesh is dedicated to God through the vow of continence: therefore to vow continence is pleasing to God.

But there cannot be felt any loss of either religion or faith, most beloved brethren, in the fact that now there is given no opportunity there to God's priests for offering and celebrating the divine sacrifices; yea, you celebrate and offer a sacrifice to God equally precious and glorious, and that will greatly profit you for the retribution of heavenly rewards, since the sacred Scripture speaks, saying, "The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God doth not despise." You offer this sacrifice to God; you celebrate this sacrifice without intermission day and night, being made victims to God, and exhibiting yourselves as holy and unspotted offerings, as the apostle exhorts and says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

That we must press on and persevere in faith and virtue, and in completion of heavenly and spiritual grace, that we may attain to the palm and the crown. In the book of Chronicles: "The Lord is with you so long as ye also are with Him; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you." In Ezekiel also: "The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in what day soever he may transgress." Moreover, in the Gospel the Lord speaks, and says: "He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." And again: "If ye shall abide in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Moreover, forewarning us that we ought always to be ready, and to stand firmly equipped and armed, He adds, and says: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord when he shall return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him. Blessed are those servants whom their lord, when he cometh, shall find watching." Also the blessed Apostle Paul, that our faith may advance and grow, and attain to the highest point, exhorts us, saying: "Know ye not, that they which run in a race run all indeed, yet one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And they, indeed, that they may receive a corruptible crown; but ye an incorruptible." And again: "No man that warreth for God binds himself to anxieties of this world, that he may be able to please Him to whom he hath approved himself. Moreover, also, if a man should contend, he will not be crowned unless he have fought lawfully." And again: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the mercy of God, that ye constitute your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God; and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed in the renewing of your spirit, that ye may prove what is the will of God, good, and acceptable, and perfect." And again: "We are children of God: but if children, then heirs; heirs indeed of God, but joint-heirs with Christ, if we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together." And in the Apocalypse the same exhortation of divine preaching speaks, saying, "Hold fast that which thou hast, lest another take thy crown; " which example of perseverance and persistence is pointed out in Exodus, when Moses, for the overthrow of Ama-lek, who bore the type of the devil, raised up his open hands in the sign and sacrament of the cross, and could not conquer his adversary unless when he had stedfastly persevered in the sign with hands continually lifted up. "And it came to pass," says he, "when Moses raised up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he let down his hands, Amalek grew mighty. And they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sate thereon. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands on the one side and on the other side, and Moses' hands were made steady even to the going down of the sun. Anti Jesus routed Amalek and all his people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this, and let it be a memorial in a book, and tell it in the ears of Jesus; because in destroying I will destroy the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."

I threw away my cigar. Something that is as old as man and has to do with all mourning and ceremonial told me to do it. There was something unnecessarily horrible, it seemed to me, in the idea of there being only two men in that train, and one of them dead and the other smoking a cigar. And as the red and gold of the butt end of it faded like a funeral torch trampled out at some symbolic moment of a procession, I realised how immortal ritual is. I realised (what is the origin and essence of all ritual) that in the presence of those sacred riddles about which we can say nothing it is more decent merely to do something. And I realised that ritual will always mean throwing away something; DESTROYING our corn or wine upon the altar of our gods.

As the fullness of God's mercies toward us is limitless, I am obliged and I challenge us all to be set apart and offered to God as a complete sacrifice. For the present sacrifice does not lead to death, as did that under the law, but by making us holy it leads to eternal life, because it is pleasing to God and the offering of rational creatures is much more valuable than that of dumb ones.

How can the person who is conformed to this age, who is not transformed in the newness of his mind and who does not walk in the newness of this life but instead follows the life of the old man, obey Paul, who commanded you to present your body as a sacrifice living, holy and pleasing to God? How can you be a priest for God, having been anointed for this very purpose of offering a gift to God, not a gift that is completely alien or fraudulent because it consists of what is external to you but a gift which is truly yours because it consists of what is internal to you, which is the man inside you helping you to be perfect and blameless according to the word of the Lamb, free from all stain and dishonor? How will you place these offerings before God if you do not listen to the law which forbids an unholy man to be a priest?

Those who have become acquainted with the secondary (i.e., under Christ) constitutions of the apostles, are aware that the Lord instituted a new oblation in the new covenant, according to [the declaration of] Malachi the prophet. For, "from the rising of the sun even to the setting my name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice;" as John also declares in the Apocalypse: "The incense is the prayers of the saints." Then again, Paul exhorts us "to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." And again, "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of the lips." Now those oblations are not according to the law, the handwriting of which the Lord took away from the midst by cancelling it; but they are according to the Spirit, for we must worship God "in spirit and in truth." And therefore the oblation of the Eucharist is not a carnal one, but a spiritual; and in this respect it is pure. For we make an oblation to God of the bread and the cup of blessing, giving Him thanks in that He has commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our nourishment. And then, when we have perfected the oblation, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may exhibit this sacrifice, both the bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ, in order that the receivers of these antitypes may obtain remission of sins and life eternal. Those persons, then, who perform these oblations in remembrance of the Lord, do not fall in with Jewish views, but, performing the service after a spiritual manner, they shall be called sons of wisdom.

Idolatry is not confined to casting incense upon an altar with finger and thumb or to pouring libations of wine out of a cup into a bowl. Covetousness is idolatry, or else the selling of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver was a righteous act. Lust involves sacrilege, or else men may defile with common harlots those members of Christ which should be "a living sacrifice, acceptable to God."

After discoursing at large upon the love of God toward man, and pointing out His unspeakable concern for us, and unutterable goodness, which cannot even be searched into, he next puts it forward with a view of persuading those who have received the benefit to exhibit a conversation worthy of the gift. And though he is so great and good a person, yet he does not decline beseeching them, and that not for any enjoyment he was likely to get himself, but for that they would have to gain. And why wonder that he does not decline beseeching, where he is even putting God's mercies before them? For since, he means, it is from this you have those numberless blessings, from the mercies of God, reverence them, be moved to compassion by them. For they themselves take the attitude of suppliants, that you would show no conduct unworthy of them. I entreat you then, he means, by the very things through which ye were saved. As if any one who wished to make a person, who had had great kindnesses done him, show regard, was to bring him the benefactor himself as a suppliant. And what dost thou beseech? let me hear. "That ye would present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." For when he had said sacrifice, to prevent any from thinking he bade them kill themselves, he forthwith added "living." Then to distinguish it from the Jewish, he calls it "holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service." For theirs was a material one, and not very acceptable either. Since He saith, "Who hath required this at your hands?" And in sundry other passages He clearly throws them aside. For it was not this, but this with the other, that He looked to have presented. Wherefore he saith, "The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me." And again, "I will praise the name of my God with a song, and this shall please him better than a bullock that putteth forth horns and hoofs." And so in another place He rejects it, and says, "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink goat's blood?" and proceeds with, "Offer unto God a sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows unto the Most High." So Paul also here bids us "present our bodies a living sacrifice." And how is the body, it may be said, to become a sacrifice? Let the eye look upon no evil thing, and it hath become a sacrifice; let thy tongue speak nothing filthy, and it hath become an offering; let thine hand do no lawless deed, and it hath become a whole burnt offering. Or rather this is not enough, but we must have good works also: let the hand do alms, the mouth bless them that cross one, and the hearing find leisure evermore for lections of Scripture. For sacrifice allows of no unclean thing: sacrifice is a first-fruit of the other actions. Let us then from our hands, and feet, and mouth, and all other members, yield a first-fruit unto God. Such a sacrifice is well pleasing, as that of the Jews was even unclean, for, "their sacrifices," it says, "are unto them as the bread of mourning." Not so ours. That presented the thing sacrificed dead: this maketh the thing sacrificed to be living. For when we have mortified our members, then we shall be able to live. For the law of this sacrifice is new, and so the sort of fire is a marvellous one. For it needeth no wood or matter under it; but our fire liveth of itself, and doth not burn up the victim, but rather quickeneth it. This was the sacrifice that God sought of old. Wherefore the Prophet saith, "The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit." And the three Children offer this when they say, "At this time there is neither prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or place to sacrifice before Thee, and to find mercy. Nevertheless, in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted." And observe how great the exactness wherewith he useth each word. For he does not say, offer your bodies as a sacrifice, but "present" them, as if he had said, never more have any interest in them. Ye have given them up to another. For even they that furnish the war-horses have no further interest in them. And thou too hast presented thy members for the war against the devil and for that dread battle-array. Do not let them down to selfish appliances. And he shows another thing also from this, that one must make them approved, if one means to present them. For it is not to any mortal being that we present them, but to God, the King of the universe; not to war only, but to have seated thereon the King Himself. For He doth not refuse even to be seated upon our members, but even greatly desireth it. And what no king who is but our fellow-servant would choose to do, that the Lord of Angels chooseth. Since then it is both to be presented (i.e. as for a King's use) and is a sacrifice, rid it of every spot, since if it have a spot, it will no longer be a sacrifice. For neither can the eye that looks lecherously be sacrificed, nor the hand be presented that is grasping and rapacious, nor the feet that go lame and go to play-houses, nor the belly that is the slave of self-indulgence, and kindleth lusts after pleasures, nor the heart that hath rage in it, and harlots' love, nor the tongue that uttereth filthy things. Hence we must spy out the spots on our body upon every side. For if they that offered the sacrifices of old were bid to look on every side, and were not permitted to offer an animal "that hath anything superfluous or lacking, or is scurvy, or scabbed", much more must we, who offer not senseless animals, but ourselves, exhibit more strictness, and be pure in all respects, that we also may be able to say as did Paul, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." For he was purer than any sacrifice, and so he speaks of himself as "ready to be offered." But this will be brought about if we kill the old man, if we mortify our members that are upon the earth, if we crucify the world unto ourselves. In this way we shall not need the knife any more, nor altar, nor fire, or rather we shall want all these, but not made with the hands, but all of them will come to us from above, fire from above, and knife also, and our altar will the breadth of Heaven be. For if when Elijah offered the visible sacrifice, a flame, that came down from above consumed the whole water, wood, and stones, much more will this be done upon thee. And if thou hast aught in thee relaxed and secular, and yet offerest the sacrifice with a good intention, the fire of the Spirit will come down, and both wear away that worldliness, and perfect the whole sacrifice. But what is "reasonable service?" It means spiritual ministry, conversation according to Christ. As then he that ministereth in the house of God, and officiateth, of whatever sort he may be, then collects himself, and becomes more dignified; so we ought to be minded all our whole life as serving and ministering. And this will be so, if every day you bring Him sacrifices, and become the priest of thine own body, and of the virtue of thy soul; as, for example, when you offer soberness, when alms-giving, when goodness and forbearance. For in doing this thou offerest "a reasonable service", that is, one without aught that is bodily, gross, visible.

Paul says that the sacrifice is living because it has eternal life in it, which is Christ. Elsewhere he says: "We always carry in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." He calls it holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, as he says elsewhere: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

The divine Word wants you to offer your flesh to God in purity, with the understanding of your reason.

Because Paul has already mentioned the mind of the Lord, he now instructs them how they ought to conduct themselves so that they are worthy to have the mind of the Lord. They possessed nothing greater than the mercy of God because they had been set free by it. They were to present their bodies, not those of animals, as under the law, which (in spite of the fact that they were a symbolic offering) were nevertheless offered up healthy and unblemished. The living sacrifice was to be pure and free from the total death of sin. It should be pleasing only to God, not to other people. Every good work pleases God if it is done in a reasonable manner. For one is deprived of one's reward if, for example, one fasts for public notice, for then one is performing a good deed in a foolish way. And the same applies to all vices that border on virtues.

Just as with the former law of Moses, all the priests … must first offer a rational sacrifice to God for themselves, and only then for the people. In his prayer, the priest asks in the first place for forgiveness of his own sins and a cleansing of his own soul and body from all sinful thoughts and actions. Then each priest offers these prayers to God in accordance with the measure of his own purity of soul.

These must be "the bodies" which he "beseeches" the Romans to "present" as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." But how a living sacrifice, if these bodies are to perish? How a holy one, if they are profanely soiled? How acceptable to God, if they are condemned? Come, now, tell me how that passage (in the Epistle) to the Thessalonians-which, because of its clearness, I should suppose to have been written with a sunbeam-is understood by our heretics, who shun the light of Scripture: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.

For matters of this kind belong not to religion, but to superstition, being studied, and forced, and of curious rather than rational ceremony; deserving of restraint, at all events, even on this ground, that they put us on a level with Gentiles.

Paul has already exhorted us to make our members instruments of righteousness and to present ourselves before God as if we had risen from the dead. But here he exhorts us to make our members a sacrifice, and one which he describes as "living." He does not command us to kill our bodies but demands that they should be dead to sin.

Having discussed doctrines sufficiently, he finally turns to moral teaching. Since he has shown the ineffable economy concerning us and the goodness of God, he beseeches "by the mercies of God," that is, he presents the very mercy of God itself as beseeching, so that they might at least be ashamed before it and display nothing unworthy of it. What does he beseech about? That we present our bodies, that is, give them over, for battle. This is how it is commonly expressed in ordinary speech: a commander presented his troops for war. In another sense: we must present our members to God, as to a king, blameless and of the highest quality, for such are those who stand before a king. Then, we must present them as a living sacrifice, for when we put them to death, then we live according to the spirit. Thus, the Jewish sacrifice is not well-pleasing to God. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" (Isa. 1:11). But the sacrifices of believers, that is, of rational worship, God strongly requires. "Offer to God," it says, "a sacrifice of praise" (Ps. 49:14), and: "whoever offers a sacrifice of praise glorifies Me" (Ps. 49:23). Rational worship consists not only in turning to God by means of words, but also in living in a Christian manner, so that no irrational passion reigns in us, but reason governs all things, and so that each person is, as it were, a high priest for himself, slaying the evil hidden within, presenting himself as always standing before God, and trembling with fear at every deed and word, like a high priest standing at the altar of God.

Having shown the need for virtues and the origin of grace, here the Apostle teaches how grace should be used, a subject pertaining to moral instruction.

And he does two things in this regard. First, he sets out a general moral teaching; Second, he descends to more particular questions related to the recipients of his letter, at and I myself also (Rom 15:14).

And regarding the first, he does two things. First, he teaches how one should use grace to be a perfect man; Second, how the perfect man should sustain the imperfect, at now him that is weak (Rom 14:1).

Concerning the first, he does three things. First, he offers instruction about that perfection of life relating to the sanctity by which a man serves God; second, relating to just dealings with one's neighbor, at let every soul (Rom 13:1); third, relating to that purity a man must preserve within himself, at and that, knowing the season (Rom 13:11).

Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he admonishes that a man should present himself holy to God; second, he teaches how one should use the gifts of God's grace that make one holy, at for I say, by the grace.

Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he teaches how one should present oneself to God as regards the body; Second, as regards the soul, at and be not conformed.

Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he leads them to heed what he has taught, and this in two ways. First, on his own account, when he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, as though to say: God's judgments were described as beyond all comprehension, and his ways as beyond all investigation, and so I beseech you, brethren, that you heed what you have been taught.

Now he resorts to beseeching them for three reasons. First, to show his humility: with supplication speaks the poor man (Prov 28:23), namely, the one who puts no trust in his own wealth, and on this account attempts to compel men to good deeds not by what belongs to him but by what belongs to God. For to beseech is to call on sacred things as witnesses. Second, to move his readers more by asking than by fear, by commanding as one in authority: accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you (Phlm 1:8ff.); you who are spiritual, instruct such a one in a spirit of gentleness (Gal 6:1). Third, out of reverence for the Romans, to whom he wrote: do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father (1 Tim 5:1).

Next he leads them to heeding on God's account when he says, by the mercy of God, that mercy by which you are saved: according to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3:5). And so when we consider God's mercy we should do what we have been taught: should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? (Matt 18:33). Or it could mean by the mercy of God, i.e., in virtue of the apostolic authority mercifully entrusted to me: I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy (1 Cor 7:25).

Second, he gives the admonition when he says: that you present your bodies. Here it should be noted that, as Augustine says in the tenth book of The City of God, a visible sacrifice offered outwardly to God is a sign of an invisible sacrifice, whereby one offers himself and all he possesses for God's service.

Now man possesses three goods. First, he has the soul, which is presented to God by humble devotion and contrition: the sacrifice acceptable to God is a contrite spirit (Ps 51:17). Second, a man has external goods, which he presents to God by giving alms: do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb 13:16). Third, a man has the good which is his own body. In regard to this he says: present, i.e., to God, your bodies, as a spiritual sacrifice. Now an animal offered to God was called a sacrifice, either because it was offered for victory over enemies or for protection from enemies or because it was offered in the entrance of the Tabernacle.

A person can present his body to God as a sacrifice in three ways. First, when he exposes his body to suffering and death for God's sake, as it is said of Christ: he gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph 5:2); and as the Apostle says of himself: even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I rejoice (Phil 2:17). Second, when he weakens his body by fasts and watchings in the service of God: I pummel my body and subdue it (1 Cor 9:27). Third, when he uses his body to perform acts of justice and of divine worship: yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification (Rom 6:19).

Moreover, one should recall that the offering sacrificed to God had four features. First, the thing offered was to be sound and unimpaired; hence Malachi: cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished (Mal 1:14). And this is why he says living, i.e., that the offering we make to God of our body be living by faith formed by love: the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20). Note here that a natural sacrificial offering previously alive was killed and immolated to show that death as yet ruled the human race so long as sin reigned, as was said above (Rom 5:12ff.). But this spiritual sacrificial offering is always alive and increasing in vigor, in accord with John: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10), because sin has now been removed through Christ; unless we say that the sacrificial offering of our body is something alive to God through the justice of faith but is dead to the desires of the flesh: mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth (Col 3:5).

Second, the sacrificial offering presented to God was sanctified in its very immolation. Hence it is written: every man of your race who, having an uncleanness, approaches these things that are consecrated, and that the children of Israel offer to the Lord, shall perish before the Lord (Lev 22:3). Therefore, he adds holy, made so by the devotion with which we bind our bodies to the service of God: consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy (Lev 20:7). Now holiness in the proper sense bespeaks a relation to God, insofar as one does what is just before God.

Third, when the sacrifice was consummated, it was described as a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God: the priest shall burn the whole on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord (Lev 1:9). Hence, he says: pleasing to God, by reason of a right intention: that I may be pleasing to God in the light of the living (Ps 56:13).

Fourth, in the preparation of the sacrifice, salt was added: you shall season all your offerings with salt (Lev 2:13); every victim shall be salted with salt (Mark 9:49). Now salt signifies a wise discretion; hence he says: conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt (Col 4:5). Hence, he continues: your reasonable service, i.e., be discreet in presenting your bodies to God as a sacrifice whether by martyrdom or abstinence or any other just work, because all things should be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40); the king's honor loves judgment (Ps 99:4).

The just man is related one way to internal acts, by which he serves God, and another way to external acts. For a man's good and his justice consist mainly in the internal acts, by which he believes, hopes, and loves. Hence it says in Luke, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). For it does not consist principally of exterior works, as is said below, the kingdom of God is not food and drink (Rom 14:17). Hence, internal acts stand as an end sought for its own sake, whereas external acts, in which our bodies are presented to God, stand as means to the end.

No limit is set on something sought as an end; rather, the greater it is the better it is. But on what is sought as a means to an end, a limit is set in accord with its proportion to that end. Thus, a doctor seeks as much health as possible, but he does not give as much medicine as he can; rather, he limits it to the amount required for restoring health. Similarly, a person should set no limit on his faith, hope, and love; rather, the more he believes and hopes and loves, the better he is. Hence it is stated in Deuteronomy: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (Deut 6:4).

But in external acts a discreet limit is imposed by the requirements of love. Hence Jerome says: does not rational man lose his dignity, if he chooses to fast and watch at the expense of his bodily health or incur the marks of madness or sadness from singing the Psalms and office?

This is what the prophet Jeremiah meant when he talked about writing the law of God on the heart. For in the pursuit of God the spiritually minded heart will know what is good and acceptable and perfect, and it will only like the things which are pleasing to God. Filled with the goodness of the good Father it will want to do his will and will try to encourage everyone to do good.However, it is not enough merely to do good; one must resist evil as well. For it is the rejection of evil which represents true progress toward the good.

We therefore, who have been vouchsafed the favour of being the witnesses of His appearance, together with James the brother of our Lord, and the other seventy-two disciples, and his seven deacons, have heard from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by exact knowledge declare "what is the will of God, that good, and acceptable, and perfect will" which is made known to us by Jesus; that none should perish, but that all men with one accord should believe in Him, and send unanimously praise to Him, and thereby live for ever.

Those who are moved … to turn again to the Lord out of that state of deformity wherein worldly desires conformed them to this world must receive from the Lord their reformation.

In another way, that is called right which conforms itself to the one directing it. And according to this, in the consideration of rectitude the order of living is discerned. For he lives rightly who is directed according to the rules of divine law. And this is when the will of man assents to necessary precepts, salutary admonitions, and perfect counsels, so that man may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And then there is a right order of living, in which no crookedness can be found.

Exterior humiliation ought to proceed from interior humility according to the dictate and rule of the divine gift; and this can be done according to the law of divine precept, or of divine good pleasure, or of divine counsel. Precept regards all universally: good pleasure regards those to whom the divine will is specially inspired: counsel indeed regards those who ascend to the summit of perfection. And concerning these three it is said to the Romans: that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. Rightly therefore does he humble himself who conforms himself to the divine will according to any one of these three modes, according to which the spirit of true humility inclines different persons to different kinds of humiliations.

[On conformity to the world as the natural default — specifically, the drift toward becoming an "inner ringer" that will happen to every man who does nothing to prevent it, because the desire to be inside is one of the great permanent mainsprings of human action]

My main purpose in this address is simply to convince you that this desire [the desire to be inside an Inner Ring] is one of the great permanent mainsprings of human action. It is one of the factors which go to make up the world as we know it—this whole pell-mell of struggle, competition, confusion, graft, disappointment and advertisement, and if it is one of the permanent mainsprings then you may be quite sure of this. Unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life, from the first day on which you enter your profession until the day when you are too old to care. That will be the natural thing—the life that will come to you of its own accord. Any other kind of life, if you lead it, will be the result of conscious and continuous effort. If you do nothing about it, if you drift with the stream, you will in fact be an "inner ringer". I don't say you'll be a successful one; that's as may be. But whether by pining and moping outside Rings that you can never enter, or by passing triumphantly further and further in—one way or the other you will be that kind of man.

Again, many of us have had the experience of living in some local pocket of human society--some particular school, college, regiment or profession where the tone was bad. And inside that pocket certain actions were regarded as merely normal ("Everyone does it") and certain others as impracticably virtuous and Quixotic. But when we emerged from that bad society we made the horrible discovery that in the outer world our "normal" was the kind of thing that no decent person ever dreamed of doing, and our "Quixotic" was taken for granted as the minimum standard of decency. What had seemed to us morbid and fantastic scruples so long as we were in the "pocket" now turned out to be the only moments of sanity we there enjoyed. It is wise to face the possibility that the whole human race (being a small thing in the universe) is, in fact, just such a local pocket of evil--an isolated bad school or regiment inside which minimum decency passes for heroic virtue and utter corruption for pardonable imperfection.

People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.

And akin to love is hospitality, being a congenial an devoted to the treatment of strangers. And those are strangers, to whom the things of the world are strange. For we regard as worldly those, who hope in the earth and carnal lusts. "Be not conformed," says the apostle, "to this world: but be ye transformed in the renewal of the mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

My correspondent also says that the habit of dining out in restaurants, etc., is growing. So, I believe, is the habit of committing suicide. I do not desire to connect the two facts together. It seems fairly clear that a man could not dine at a restaurant because he had just committed suicide; and it would be extreme, perhaps, to suggest that he commits suicide because he has just dined at a restaurant. But the two cases, when put side by side, are enough to indicate the falsity and poltroonery of this eternal modern argument from what is in fashion. The question for brave men is not whether a certain thing is increasing; the question is whether we are increasing it.

The perfect will of God is that the soul be changed by reverence, having been brought to the full flower of its beauty by the grace of the Spirit, which attends to the sufferings of the person who undergoes the change.

"And be not fashioned after this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

For the fashion of this world is grovelling and worthless, and but for a time, neither bath ought of loftiness, or lastingness, or straightforwardness, but is wholly perverted. If then thou wouldest walk upright, figure not thyself after the fashion of this life present. For in it there is nought abiding or stable. And this is why he calls it a fashion; and so in another passage, "the fashion of this world passeth away." For it hath no durability or fixedness, but all in it is but for a season; and so he calls it this age, hereby to indicate its liableness to misfortune, and by the word fashion its unsubstantialness. For speak of riches, or of glory, or beauty of person, or of luxury, or of whatever other of its seemingly great things you will, it is a fashion only, not reality, a show and a mask, not any abiding substance. But "be not thou fashioned after this, but be transformed," he says, "by the renewing of your mind." He says not change the fashion, but "be transformed", to show that the world's ways are a fashion, but virtue's not a fashion, but a kind of real form, with a natural beauty of its own, lacking not the trickeries and fashions of outward things, which no sooner appear than they go to nought. For all these things, even before they come to light, are dissolving. If then thou throwest the fashion aside, thou wilt speedily come to the form. For nothing is more strengthless than vice, nothing so easily wears old. Then since it is likely that being men they would sin every day, he consoles his hearer by saying, "renew thyself" from day to day. This is what we do with houses, we keep constantly repairing them as they wear old, and so do thou unto thyself. Hast thou sinned to-day? hast thou made thy soul old? despair not, despond not, but renew it by repentance, and tears, and confession, and by doing of good things. And never fail of doing this. And how are we to do this?

"That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

Either he means by this, be renewed, that ye may learn what is more expedient for you, and what the will of God. Or rather, that ye can get so renewed if ye learn the things expedient, and what God may will. For if thou see this, and know how to distinguish the nature of things, thou art in possession of the whole way of virtue. And who, it may be said, is ignorant of what is expedient, and what is the will of God? They that are flurried with the things of this world, they that deem riches an enviable thing, they that make light of poverty, they that follow after power, they that are gaping after outward glory, they that think themselves great men when they raise fine houses, and buy costly sepulchres, and keep herds of slaves, and carry a great swarm of eunuchs about with them; these know not what is expedient for them, or what the will of God is. For both of these are but one thing. For God willeth what things are expedient for us, and what God willeth, that is also expedient for us. What then are the things which God willeth? to live in poverty, in lowliness of mind, in contempt of glory; in continency, not in self-indulgence; in tribulation, not in ease; in sorrow, not in dissipation and laughter; in all the other points whereon He hath given us laws. But the generality do even think these things of ill omen; so far are they from thinking them expedient, and the will of God. This then is why they never can come near even to the labors for virtue's sake. For they that do not know so much even as what virtue may be, but reverence vice in its place, and take unto their bed the harlot instead of the modest wife, how are they to be able to stand aloof from the present world? Wherefore we ought above all to have a correct estimate of things, and even if we do not follow after virtue, to praise virtue, and even if we do not avoid vice, to stigmatize vice, that so far we may have our judgments uncorrupted. For so as we advance on our road, we shall be able to lay hold on the realities. This then is why he also bids you be renewed, "that ye may prove what is the will of God." But here he seems to me to be attacking the Jews too, who cling to the Law. For the old dispensation was a will of God, yet not the ultimate purpose, but allowed owing to their feebleness. But that which is a perfect one, and well-pleasing, is the new conversation. So too when he called it "a reasonable service," it was to set it in contrast with that other that he gave it such a name.

By this Paul shows that there is one form of this world and another of the world to come. If there are those who love this present life and the things which are in the world, they are taken up with the form of the present age and pay no attention to what is not seen. But the things which are not seen are eternal, and they are being transformed and renewed in the form of the age to come. For this reason the world does not acknowledge them but hates them and persecutes them. But the angels of God, who belong to the age to come, see that form."Be transformed by the renewal of your mind" tells us what form is guilty, for every soul once had the form of wickedness. But the apostle's words urge us to cast that off and to be reformed in the likeness of the individual virtues, so that once the face of our heart is revealed we may be transformed by God's image and contemplate his glory.… Our mind is renewed by the practice of wisdom and reflection on the Word of God and the spiritual understanding of his law. The more one reads the Scriptures daily and the greater one's understanding is, the more one is renewed always and every day. I doubt whether a mind which is lazy toward the holy Scriptures and the exercise of spiritual knowledge can be renewed at all. Many people think they know what God's will is, and they are mistaken. Those who do not have a renewed mind err and go wrong. It is not every mind but only one which is renewed and conformed (as I say) to the image of God which can tell whether what we think, say and do in particular instances is the will of God or not. "What is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." If we read this according to the Latin manuscripts, the meaning is as follows: Because the will of God is something good and acceptable and perfect, there is no doubt that it is pleasing to God. For God cannot will anything which is not good, and if something is good and perfect, then it must be pleasing to God. But if we read this according to the Greek manuscripts, i.e., "that you may prove that the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect," it can also be interpreted in the same sense. Yet something else may be felt in these words, viz., that God's will is always good but that we do not always deserve to receive what is good by his will, nor what is acceptable and perfect. For example, when Saul was anointed king it was according to God's will, but it was not acceptable or perfect. For God was angry at the people because they refused to have him as their king, and he ordered a man to be set over them as king. … Thus from time to time God's will gives us what we want and desire, but the man who is renewed in his mind must ask whether this will of God is good and acceptable and perfect, and not more likely to indulge our lusts than to serve our needs.

Do not be like the children of the world, you who have been made children of God, but renew your mind, by which the body is governed and all the members are directed. Thus even the movements of the body will be renewed, so that you may be able to recognize the will of God and his mind, for these are revealed only to a renewed mind.

Paul calls the things of this present life "forms," e.g., wealth, power and every other splendor. But reality is what is yet to come, which will be stable and eternal.

He presents a way in which we can perform our rational service. It consists in our not being conformed to this age, for in it there is nothing constant or enduring, but everything is temporary and has only an outward form (σχήμα), and not essence or abiding existence. So do not be conformed, he says, to "this age" either, which has no permanent essence, that is, do not set your mind on the things in it. "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind," that is, always be renewed. Have you sinned? Your soul has grown old? Renew it. Have you partly corrected your way of life? Endeavor to correct it more and more, and you will become new, always being transformed for the better. Note then that the world he called an outward form (σχήμα), signifying by this its easy destructibility and temporariness, while virtue he called an essential form (μορφή), since it possesses a natural beauty and has no need of outward masks and adornments. The world has an outward appearance in order to deceive us, but virtue shows its essential form without masks. Therefore we must always be transformed according to virtue, renewing ourselves from evil to good and from lesser virtue to greater. Having said that we should always be renewed, becoming new, he shows what benefit comes from this renewal of the mind. It is, he says, useful "so that you may discern what is the will of God." He whose mind has grown old does not know what the will of God consists of, does not know that God wants us to live in humility, to love poverty, to weep, and to fulfill everything else that God has commanded us. On the contrary, whoever is renewed in spirit knows what the will of God consists in, knows it just as well as the Jews who hold to the law. The law was also the will of God, but not the well-pleasing and not the perfect will; because it was given not as the primary will, but as one adapted to the weakness of the Jews. The perfect and well-pleasing will of God is the New Testament. However, according to Basil the Great, you may also understand it this way. There are many things that God wills. Some things He wills for our benefit: this is called good, as being full of goodness; other things He wills as one provoked by our sins: this is called evil, as grieving us, although its purpose too is good. Therefore, what God wills for our benefit, we also ought to imitate, but what arouses a feeling of sorrow, we ought not to do; for we are not ministers of evil, but the evil spirits are. Therefore, first of all, discern the will of God, whether it is good; then, when you have learned this, see whether this will is pleasing to God. For there is much that is good which is not well-pleasing to God, because it is done either not at the right time or not by the right person, as it ought to be. For example: it is good to offer incense to God; but when Uzziah did this, it was not well-pleasing to God (2 Chr. 26:16). Again: it was good for the disciples to know the mysteries, but for them to know them before the proper time was not well-pleasing: "you," He says, "cannot bear them now" (Jn. 16:12). And when something proves to be both good and well-pleasing, then take care that it be carried out without deficiencies as well, exactly as is required, without deviation from it. For example: one should give "with simplicity" (Rom. 12:8), that is, with generosity; but if this is done with stinginess, then the giving does not precisely accord with what is required of it.

Then when he says, be not conformed and so on, he explains how one should present himself to God as regards the soul.

And first he forbids conformity to the age, when he says be not conformed to this age, i.e., to things that pass with time. For the present age is the measure of things that slide past in time. And a person is conformed to temporal things when he clings to them with love: they became detestable, like the things they loved (Hos 9:10); religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this . . . to keep oneself unspotted from this world (Jas 1:27). The one who imitates worldly lifestyles is also conformed to this age: I testify in the Lord, that henceforward you walk not as also the gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind (Eph 4:17).

Second, he tells them to reform their minds inwardly, when he says: but be reformed in the newness of your sense. Man's sense is here called his reason, because with the senses man forms judgments about what is to be done. When man was created, this sense was sound and vigorous: he filled their hearts with sense, and showed them good and evil (Sir 17:7); but by sin it was corrupted and, as it were, grown old: you have grown old in a foreign land (Bar 3:10). As a consequence, it lost its beauty and charm: from the daughter of Zion has departed all her charm (Lam 1:6).

Therefore, the Apostle tells us to be reformed, i.e., to take up again that beauty and elegance which the mind once had. This is accomplished by the grace of the Holy Spirit. If a person does not share in this grace, he should desire to do so, and if he does share in it, he should desire to progress in it: be renewed in the spirit of your minds (Eph 4:23); your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's (Ps 103:5).

Or, interpreting in another way, be renewed in your outward actions in the newness of your sense, i.e., in the newness of grace, which you have received in your mind.

Third, he gives a reason for this admonition when he says: that you may perceive. Here it should be noted that just as a person with a diseased palate misjudges the taste of foods and sometimes recoils from the tasty but approves the disgusting, whereas a person with a healthy palate judges tastes correctly; so a person whose affections are corrupted by conformity to worldly things misjudges the good, whereas a person whose affections are upright and sound, his sense having been renewed by grace, judges the good correctly.

That is why he said: be not conformed to this world, but be reformed in the newness of your sense, that you may perceive—i.e., know by experience: taste and see that the Lord is sweet (Ps 34:8)—what is the will of God, by which he wills that you be saved: this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thess 4:3). That will is good, i.e., he wills that we will the honorable good and by his precepts leads us to it: I will show you, O man, what is good, and what God requires of you (Mic 6:8). And acceptable, inasmuch as what God wills that we will is pleasant to a well-disposed person: the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart (Ps 19:8). Indeed, what God wills is not only useful for attaining our end but also perfect, uniting us, as it were, with the end: you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48); walk before me and be perfect (Gen 17:1).

God's will is experienced as good, acceptable, and perfect by those who are not conformed to this age, but are reformed in the newness of their sense. On the other hand, those who continue in their oldness, being conformed to this age, judge that God's will is not good but burdensome and unprofitable: wisdom seems very harsh to the uninstructed (Sir 6:20).

Here Paul teaches us that we ought to know that the bounds of righteousness must not be transgressed, so that not only will it be of service to us but it will not harm anyone else either.

Paul clearly allots to each one the form of ministry which is right for him and forbids him to encroach on another's territory when he says this.

Faith itself is the basis of all supernatural illuminations as long as we are pilgrims from the Lord, both the foundation that stabilizes, the lamp that directs, and the gate that introduces; and according to its measure the wisdom divinely given to us must also be measured, lest anyone be wise beyond what is fitting to be wise, but unto sobriety, and to each one as God has divided the measure of faith.

This wisdom results from many mysteries of the Scriptures, as out of many mirrors there results a multiplication of light rays and fires. This wisdom is given according to the measure of faith, "according as God has apportioned to each one the measure of faith." For in the measure in which a man seizes the mind, in that measure does he become wiser—and faith is obtained through humility.

Wisdom is neither disclosed nor obtained except through faith. For you should not "be more wise than it behooveth to be wise,... according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith." For faith is not had except through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The fourth need is good measure, so that a man seek not to savor beyond his means, but that he do so according to moderation. Do not extend yourself beyond the point your intelligence can reach; but neither remain short of it. Wherefore, in order to make this point, as Dionysius says, the Seraphim flew with their intermediate wings, showing that man should not remain short of his possibilities nor rise beyond them. Likewise, those who sing beyond their range never produce harmony. And Augustine says that those who do not order their studies properly are like colts gamboling hither and thither, while the mare with a steady step goes just where it is good for her to go. This example may be applied to a man of slow intelligence who is able to organize his studies well, as opposed to a man of brilliant intelligence who studies in a disorderly manner.

You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of Humility. Let him think of it not as self-forgetfulness but as a certain kind of opinion (namely, a low opinion) of his own talents and character. Some talents, I gather, he really has. Fix in his mind the idea that humility consists in trying to believe those talents to be less valuable than he believes them to be. No doubt they are in fact less valuable than he believes, but that is not the point. The great thing is to make him value an opinion for some quality other than truth, thus introducing an element of dishonesty and make-believe into the heart of what otherwise threatens to become a virtue. By this method thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it and we have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the impossible. To anticipate the Enemy's strategy, we must consider His aims. The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another. The Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favour that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbour's talents--or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall. He wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognise all creatures (even himself) as glorious and excellent things. He wants to kill their animal self-love as soon as possible; but it is His long-term policy, I fear, to restore to them a new kind of self-love--a charity and gratitude for all selves, including their own; when they have really learned to love their neighbours as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbours. For we must never forget what is the most repellent and inexplicable trait in our Enemy; He really loves the hairless bipeds He has created and always gives back to them with His right hand what He has taken away with His left.

A hermit said to a brother, 'When a proud or vain thought enters your mind, examine your conscience to see if you are keeping God's commandments; ask yourself if you love your enemies; if you rejoice in your enemy's triumph, and if you are sad at his downfall; do you know yourself to be an unprofitable servant and a sinner beyond all others? But not even then must you think that you have corrected all your faults; to entertain such a thought as that would undo all the other good you have done.'

Paul said this in criticism of those brothers who were running after charismatic gifts. God did not give us his gift in order that we should hate each other or that spiritual things should become an excuse for warfare, but so that we should enjoy harmony and friendship and the common salvation of all. None of you has anything by right, but the one who is worthy of the greatest, as well as the one who is worthy of the least of the charismatic gifts, has been given it by God. Knowing this he ought to use it according to the measure of his faith.

Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters, not taking into consideration of how much greater consequence is a religious man, even in a private station, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist. Now, such are all the heretics, and those who imagine that they have hit upon something more beyond the truth, so that by following those things already mentioned, proceeding on their way variously, inharmoniously, and foolishly, not keeping always to the same opinions with regard to the same things, as blind men are led by the blind, they shall deservedly fall into the ditch of ignorance lying in their path, ever seeking and never finding out the truth. It behoves us, therefore, to avoid their doctrines, and to take careful heed lest we suffer any injury from them; but to flee to the Church, and be brought up in her bosom, and be nourished with the Lord's Scriptures. For the Church has been planted as a garden (paradisus) in this world; therefore says the Spirit of God, "Thou mayest freely eat from every tree of the garden," that is, Eat ye from every Scripture of the Lord; but ye shall not eat with an uplifted mind, nor touch any heretical discord. For these men do profess that they have themselves the knowledge of good and evil; and they set their own impious minds above the God who made them. They therefore form opinions on what is beyond the limits of the understanding. For this cause also the apostle says, "Be not wise beyond what it is fitting to be wise, but be wise prudently," that we be not cast forth by eating of the "knowledge" of these men (that knowledge which knows more than it should do) from the paradise of life.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

After saying above, "I beseech you by the mercies," here he says again, "by the grace." Observe the teacher's lowliness of mind, observe a spirit quite subdued! He means to say that he is in no respect worthy to be trusted in such an exhortation and counsel. But at one time he takes the mercies of God along with him, at another His grace. It is not my word, he would say, that I am speaking, but one from God. And he does not say, For I say unto you by the wisdom of God, or, for I say unto you by the Law given of God, but, "by the grace," so reminding them continually of the benefits done them, so as to make them more submissive, and to show that even on this account, they were under an obligation to obey what is here said. "To every man that is among you." Not to this person and to that merely, but to the governor and to the governed, to the slave and to the free, to the unlearned and to the wise, to the woman and to the man, to the young and to the old. For the Law is common to all as being the Lord's. And by this he likewise makes his language inoffensive, setting the lessons he gives to all, even to such as do not come under them, that those who do come under them may with more willingness accept such a reproof and correction. And what dost thou say? Let me hear. "Not to think more highly than he ought to think." Here he is bringing before us the mother of good deeds, which is lowliness of mind, in imitation of his own Master. For as He, when He went up into the mountain, and was going to give a tissue of moral precepts, took this for his first beginning, and made this the foundation, in the words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit"; so Paul too, as he has now passed from the doctrinal parts to those of a more practical kind, has taught us virtue in general terms, by requiring of us the admirable sacrifice; and being on the point of giving a more particular portrait of it, he begins from lowliness of mind as from the head, and tells us, "not to think more highly of one's self than one ought to think," (for this is His will), "but to think soberly." But what he means is about this. We have received wisdom not that we should use it to make us haughty, but to make us sober-minded. And he does not say in order to be lowly in mind, but in order to sobriety, meaning by sobriety here not that virtue which contrasts with lewdness, nor the being free from intemperance, but being sober and healthful in mind. And the Greek name of it means keeping the mind safe. To show then that he who is not thus modest, cannot be sober either, that is, cannot be staid and healthful minded (because such an one is bewildered, and out, of his wits, and is more crazed than any madman), he calls lowliness of mind, soberness of mind.

"According as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." For since having gifts given them had made many unreasonably elated, both with these and with the Corinthians, see how he lays open the cause of the disease, and gradually removes it. For after saying that we should think soberly, he proceeds, "according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith," meaning here the gift by faith: and by using the word "dealt," he solaces him who had the less, and humbles him who had the greater share. For if God dealt it, and it is no achievement of thine, why think highly of thyself? But if any one says that faith here does not mean the gift, this would only the more show that he was humbling the vain boasters. For if that which is the cause of the gift, that faith by which miracles are wrought, be itself from God, on what ground dost thou think highly of thyself? If He had not come, or been incarnate, then the things of faith would not have fared well either. And it is from hence that all the good things take their rise. But if it is He that giveth it, He knoweth how He dealeth it. For He made all, and taketh like care of all. And as His giving came of His love towards man, so doth the quantity which He giveth. For was He Who had shown His goodness in regard to the main point, which is the giving of the gift, likely to neglect thee in regard to the measure? For had He wished to do thee dishonor, then He had not given them at all. But if to save thee and to honor thee was what He had in view (and for this He came and distributed such great blessings), why art thou confounded and disturbed, and abusest thy wisdom to foolishness, making thyself more disgraceful than one who is by nature so? For being foolish by nature is no ground of complaint. But being foolish through wisdom, is at once bereaving one's self of excuse, and running into greater punishment.

Such then are those, who pride themselves upon their wisdom, and fall into the excess of recklessness. For recklessness of all things makes a person a fool. Wherefore the Prophet calls the barbarian by this name. But "the fool," he says, "shall speak folly." But that you may see the folly of him from his own words, hear what he says. "Above the stars of heaven will I place my throne, and I will be like the Most High." "I will take hold of the world as a nest, and as eggs that are left will I take them away." Now what can be more foolish than these words? And every instance of haughty language immediately draws on itself this reproach. And if I were to set before you every expression of them that are reckless, you would not be able to distinguish whether the words are those of a reckless man or a fool. So entirely the same is this failing and that. And another of a strange nation says again, "I am God and not man"; and another again, "Can God save you, or deliver you out of my hand?" And the Egyptian too, "I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." And the foolish body in the Psalmist is of this character, who hath "said in his heart, There is no God." And Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Can you now distinguish whether the words are those of the reckless or those of the fool? For recklessness going out of due bounds, and being a departure from reason (whence its name recklessness), maketh men both fools and vainglorious. For likewise, "the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord", so then the beginning of folly is surely not knowing the Lord. If then knowing be wisdom, and not knowing Him folly, and this ignorance come of haughtiness (for the beginning of haughtiness is the not knowing of the Lord), then is haughtiness the extreme of folly.

In his usual way, the apostle says that he is speaking by the grace which has been given to him and not by the power of human persuasion, nor by philosophy.… There is an enormous difference between speaking by grace and speaking by human cleverness. Many people speak with a smooth voice and a clever style but do not edify their audience. They cannot get anyone to obey them, because they do not practice what they preach. People like that are not speaking by grace, which was given to Paul.Everyone ought to know what the measure is of the grace which has been given to him, for which he has been prepared by his faith. One person receives grace from God to be wise in the work of charity, or in the service of visiting or toward the needs of the poor, or concerning the care of the sick, or the defense of widows and children, or hospitality. For God has apportioned these to each person according to the measure of his faith. But suppose someone has received grace in order to be wise about one of these things but does not understand the measure of the grace which has been given to him and wants to know more about the wisdom of God, the word of doctrine, the meaning of deeper knowledge, for which he has not received grace. He does not want to learn so much as to teach what he does not know. Because he does not know enough, he wants to know more than he ought to know.

Since Paul is about to disallow human wisdom that goes beyond the law, he declares that he is not speaking his own mind but by the authority of a spiritual gift. He is writing to all those who are priests or teachers, whose example the others follow.One who searches into matters of which the law does not speak is trying to be wiser. That is why Solomon says: "Do not enquire after things higher than yourself and do not search after things greater than yourself but think always on the things that God has commanded you." Note that Paul calls the Holy Spirit God, for to the Corinthians he declares that the Holy Spirit apportions gifts to each person as he wishes. A charismatic power, which only believers receive, is to be regarded as a measure of faith.

In the Gospel the Lord decreed that those who possessed humility were first among the blessed: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Paul laid this command on everyone, rich and poor, servant and master.

Paul, being humble-minded, never considers his own words sufficient, but in confirmation of them presents now the mercy of God, now grace. I, he says, do not offer the word from myself, but from God, inspired in me by His grace. "Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think," he says to everyone, both the common person and the ruler; and he reasons first of all about humility, imitating the Lord, who began with it: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3). The meaning of his words is this: one ought to "think," that is, to have lofty thoughts, but for the purpose of thinking about heavenly things and rising above earthly things, not for the purpose of exalting oneself above one's neighbors: this is what it means to "think more highly than one ought to think." We received prudence not in order to turn it into high-mindedness, but "into sobriety," that is, into humility of mind. He said this in order to show that the high-minded man acts foolishly and has gone out of his mind, while the humble-minded man has sound thoughts and is therefore called sober-minded. Having said that we must not think highly of ourselves, he now indicates how one should think of oneself humbly, and says that one should think of oneself humbly, considering that God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Since many fell into conceit on account of spiritual gifts, he says that one should think of oneself humbly because God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For this does not depend on your own achievement, but is a divine gift: whether great or small, God has bestowed it. By "gift" he means here that faith by which miracles were performed. For faith is of two kinds: one belongs to us, for example: "your faith has saved you" (Matt. 9:22), and the other is a gift of God: this is the faith by which miracles are accomplished, for example: "if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed and say to this mountain: move from here to there, and it will move" (Matt. 17:20).

Then when he says, for I say, by the grace that is given me, he teaches how God's gifts should be used. First, he teaches this in regard to gifts that are not common to all, such as the graces freely given; second, in regard to the gift of charity, which is common to all, at let love be without dissimulation (Rom 12:9).

In regard to the first he does two things. First, he teaches in general how one ought to use graces freely given; second, he follows this up in the parts, at having gifts (Rom 12:6). Concerning the first, he does two things. First he sets out the instruction; second, he gives the reason for it, there at for as in one body (Rom 12:4).

In regard to the first he does three things. First, he warns against excess, saying: I have encouraged you to be renewed by the newness of your sense, but you should do this in moderation, for I say, i.e., I command, by the grace of the apostleship and the apostolic authority given to me: when they perceived the grace that was given to me among the gentiles (Gal 2:9); to me, the least of all the saints, this grace was given (Eph 3:8). To all that are among you, because it is profitable to every one: I wish that all were as I myself am (1 Cor 7:7).

This, I say, I command: not to be more wise than is fitting to be wise, i.e., no one should presume, relying on his own sense or wisdom beyond his limitations: be not wiser than is necessary (Eccl 7:16); I have not walked among great things, nor among marvels above me (Ps 131:1).

Second, he exhorts them to a middle course, saying but be wise unto sobriety, i.e., I direct you to be wise commensurate with the grace given to you. For sobriety implies a measure. And although the word taken in its proper sense has to do with drinking wine, it can be used in regard to any matter in which a person should observe a due measure: training us to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world (Titus 2:12).

Third, he teaches how the middle course should be gauged when he says: and this, I say, as God has divided, i.e., distributed, to each one the measure of faith, i.e., the measure of his gifts, which are given for the building up of the faith: to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Cor 12:7).

For God does not give such gifts the same to all, but distributes different ones to different persons: there are varieties of gifts (1 Cor 12:4). Nor does he give them equally to all, but to each according to a definite measure: grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph 4:7). That is why the Apostle, thinking with sober judgment according to this measure, said: we will not boast beyond measure, but will keep to the measure of the rule by which God has measured out to us (2 Cor 10:13). To Christ alone has the Spirit been given without measure (John 3:34).

God gives not only the graces freely given according to a measure, but even that faith which works through love. Hence the apostles said to Christ: Lord, increase our faith (Luke 17:15).