ACC ~ 2 Corinthians 3 v5

NOT FROM US. SEVERIAN OF GABALA: By “from us” Paul means “from one another.” PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

HUMAN INSUFFICIENCY, GOD’S SUFFICIENCY. AUGUSTINE: Therefore it rests not in human power but on God’s, that we have the “power to be made the sons of God.” They receive it from him who inspires in the human heart devout thoughts, through which it possesses “faith which works through love.”For acquiring and retaining this good, and for progressing perseveringly in it to the end, “We are not sufficient to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,” in whose power are our heart and our thoughts. GIFT OF PERSEVERANCE 8.20.

THE TRUE SOURCE OF GOODNESS AND GRACE. CASSIODORUS: Since the Lord’s call comes before all merit, and he does not find a thing deserving but makes it so, for that reason it is called gratuitous; otherwise it would be called just. So this is the good will which summons and draws us. We can think or perform nothing which benefits us without our obtaining it from the Author of goodness. As Paul says, “For we cannot think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” So let the Pelagians’ madness fall silent, lest in seeking falsely to ascribe some goodness to itself the will is instead deprived of him who bestows it. EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 5.13.

THE HOLY GIVING OF GOD. FULGENTIUS: In this debt which you demand from us and you repay, do not doubt that I am assisted, so that God, who works in us both to will and to bring to completion the work of the good will, himself gives that I may worthily think and worthily speak. For in good thoughts, “Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather our qualification comes from God.” And for this reason we do not fail for want because by a free gift our sufficiency is from him in whom there is no want. Just as he does not need our goods, so he always abounds in giving, nor does he become needy by giving who gives that by which he is always filled; nor is there any pleasing gift of thought, word or deed offered by us to him which he himself has not given with free kindness. Wherefore the holy giving of God is always free because no demand based on human merits has ever preceded, because even if a human being has any good merit, it comes from him from whom comes “every good and perfect gift.”TO PROBA 3.5.

THE TRUE BEGINNING OF ALL GOOD THINGS. FULGENTIUS: Nor can any human being be fit either for thinking or for doing anything good unless he is first helped by the free gift of divine assistance. “For God is the one who, for his own good purpose, works ‘in them’ both to desire and to work,” as the vessel of election [Paul] affirms; also by his teaching, we know that “we of ourselves are not qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather our qualification comes from God.” Therefore, he supplies us with all the sufficiency of good, and his fullness is not lessened when he gives who kindly shares every good with us that we may have them. … Everything which is created, just as before it was created it did not exist, so before it receives was unable to possess; and just as it cannot subsist without the working of him who made it, so it is unable to will or to do good unless God continuously deigns to help. For from him is the beginning of a good will, from him the ability to do good works, from him perseverance in a good way of life, from him in the present age is given true humility of heart and in the future the happiness of eternal reward, that they may be without end happy who now without falsity are humble. TO PROBA 4.6.

2 Cor