ACC ~ 2 Corinthians 3 v6

MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL. ORIGEN: The letter means what is material and the spirit what is intellectual, which we also call spiritual. ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 1.1.2.

THE UNNECESSARY PART CUT OFF. AMBROSE: Rightly, then, does Paul say that “the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” The letter circumcised a small part of the body, but the understanding spirit keeps the circumcision of the entire soul and body so that chastity might be preserved, frugality loved and the unnecessary parts cut off (for nothing is so unnecessary as the vices of greed, the sins of lust, which did not belong to nature but which sin has caused). Bodily circumcision is the symbol, but the reality is the spiritual circumcision; the one cuts off a member, the other sin. LETTER 68, TO CLEMENTIANUS.

THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE. AMBROSIASTER: The Spirit, who is the law of faith which is not written but which is contained in the rational soul, is life-giving, drawing to himself those who are guilty of mortal sin, so that they may be made righteous and cease altogether from sinning. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE WRITTEN CODE KILLS. PELAGIUS: The law kills the sinner, but grace revives him if he repents. There are some people who say that the literal sense of Scripture is the thing which kills, but this is to forget that not all Scripture is meant to be taken literally, nor can allegory be pressed into service in every passage. For just as some things are said in an allegorical way, so other things, like the commandments, will lose all their meaning if they are taken allegorically and become destructive. The spiritual meaning of Scripture is not found in allegory but in letting the meaning of the text explain the essence of truth. COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 3.

MINISTERS OF A NEW COVENANT. CHRYSOSTOM: The law was spiritual, but it did not bestow the Spirit. Moses had letters but not the Spirit, whereas we have been entrusted with the giving of the Spirit. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 6.2.

THE LETTER FULFILLED. AUGUSTINE: How does the Spirit give life? By causing the letter to be fulfilled, so that it may not kill. EASTER SERMON 251.7.

THE ENLIVENING SPIRIT. AMBROSE: Moreover, what wonder is it if the Spirit works life, who gives life as the Father does, who gives life as the Son does? Moreover, who would deny that to give life is of the eternal Majesty? … Therefore, let us see whether the Spirit is enlivened, or himself enlivens. But it is written: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” So the Spirit gives life. But that you may understand that the quickening of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is not divided, learn that there is also a oneness of quickening, since God himself quickens through the Spirit; for Paul said: “He that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies, because of his Spirit dwelling in you.”THE HOLY SPIRIT 2.4.29, 30.

FREEDOM, NOT FEAR. AUGUSTINE: Therefore, you that fear the Lord, praise him, and that you may worship him, not as slaves but as free men, learn to love him whom you fear, and you will be able to praise what you love. The men of the Old Testament, fearing God, because of the letter which terrifies and kills and not yet possessing “the spirit which quickens,” ran to the temple with sacrifices and offered up bloody victims. They were ignorant of what was foreshadowed by them, although they were a figure of the Blood to come, by which we have been redeemed. LETTER 140, TO HONORATUS 19.

GOD GIVES WHAT GOD COMMANDS. AUGUSTINE: Therefore, God commands continence, and he gives continence; he commands by the law, he gives by the Spirit; for the law without grace makes sin abound,and the letter without the spirit kills. He commands so as to make us learn how to ask the help of grace when we try to obey his commandments and in our weakness fall wearied under the law, and also to make us grateful to him who helps us if we have been able to perform any good work. LETTER 157, TO HILARIUS.

FOOLISH ZEAL. AUGUSTINE: Could it be possible that the law is not of God? None but an irreligious man would think that. But, because the law commands by the letter and does not help by the Spirit, whoever listens to the letter of the law in such wise as to think that it is enough for him to know what it commands or forbids, whoever trusts in the strength of his own free will to accomplish it and does not take refuge in faith in order to be assisted in his approach to the Spirit that quickens lest the letter find him guilty and kill him, that man has a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. LETTER 186, TO PAULINUS.

THE COMMANDMENT ITSELF CANNOT OFFER LIFE. AUGUSTINE: For, if you take away the Spirit, how does the law avail? It makes a prevaricator. On that account the Scripture says: “The letter kills.” The law orders and you do not obey. … Something is commanded, and you do not do it; something is forbidden, and you do it. Behold, “the letter kills.” EASTER SERMON 250.3.

JOIN THE SPIRIT TO THE LAW. AUGUSTINE: Let the Spirit be joined to the law, because, if you have received the law and if you lack the help of the Spirit, you do not fulfill what is of the law. You do not carry out what is commanded you. … Let the Spirit be added, let him help: that which is commanded is accomplished. If the Spirit is absent, the letter kills you. … You cannot excuse yourself on the plea of ignorance since you have received the law. Now, because you have learned what you should do, ignorance does not excuse you. … But why does the apostle say: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”? How does the Spirit give life? Because he causes the letter to be fulfilled so that it may not kill. The sanctified are those who fulfill the law of God according to the gift of God. The law can command; it cannot help. The Spirit is added as a helper, and the commandment of God is fulfilled with joy and delight. Certainly many observe the law from fear, but those who keep the law from fear of punishment would prefer that what they fear did not exist. On the contrary, those who observe the law through love of justice rejoice even in that respect because they do not consider it hostile to them. EASTER SERMON 251.7.

THE LORD GIVES US HIS SPIRIT IN HIS TEACHING. BASIL: The difference between the spirit and the letter the apostle explains succinctly in another place by comparing the law and the gospel, saying: “For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” By the “letter” he means the law, as is evident also from what precedes and follows. By the “spirit” he means the Lord’s doctrine, for the Lord himself said: “My words are spirit and life.” CONCERNING BAPTISM 1.2.

THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION. ORIGEN: For even in the Gospels, it is “the letter” that “kills.” Not only in the Old Testament is “the letter that kills”found; there is also in the New Testament “the letter that kills”—that one who does not spiritually perceive what is said. For, if you follow according to the letter that which is said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood,” this “letter kills.” Do you want me to bring out of the gospel for you another “letter” that “kills”? He says, “Let the one who does not have a sword sell his tunic and buy a sword.” Behold, this is the letter of the gospel, but “it kills.” But, if you take it spiritually, it does not kill, but there is in it “a spirit that gives life.” For this reason, receive spiritually what is said either in the law or in the Gospels because “the spiritual one judges all things but that one is not judged by anyone.” HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 7.5.5.

2 Cor