ACC ~ Romans 8 v22

THE ANALOGY OF GROANING. ORIGEN: We must understand this in the same way as we understand Paul’s groaning on account of the gospel for those whom he has brought to the light by faith in Christ, or as he said elsewhere: “My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!” COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

AWAITING RELEASE FROM SIN. AMBROSE: The moon toils for you and by reason of the will of God is made subject. … It is you who undergo changes of your own volition, not the moon. The moon groans and travails in pain in its changes. You without understanding often find joy in this. The moon frequently awaits your release from sin, so that it may be released from the servitude in which all creation shares. But you place obstacles in the way of your release from sin and to the moon’s freedom. The fact that you yourself still await that conversion which fails to come, whereas the moon suffers change, is the result not of the moon’s folly but of yours. SIX DAYS OF CREATION 4.8.31.

THE GRIEF OF CREATION. AMBROSIASTER: To groan in travail is to grieve. … The elements themselves show forth their works with care, for both the sun and the moon fill the spaces allotted to them not without travail, and the spirit of the animals demonstrates its servitude by loud groanings. All these are waiting for rest and to be set free from their servile labor. Now if this service were of any benefit to God the creation would be rejoicing, not grieving. But every day it watches its labor disappear. Every day its work appears and vanishes. Therefore it is right to grieve, because its work leads not to eternity but to corruption. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

CHRYSOSTOM: Paul says this in order to shame his hearers. He is virtually saying: “Do not be worse than the creation, and do not derive pleasure from the things of this life. Not only should we not cling to them; we should be groaning at the slowness of our departure from this world. For if this is how the creation behaves, you ought to do so all the more, seeing as you have the gift of reason.” HOMILIES ON ROMANS 14.

WHETHER CREATION REFERS TO HUMAN CREATION. AUGUSTINE: This is not to be understood simply as meaning that trees, vegetables, stones and the like sorrow and sigh—this is the error of the Manichaeans—nor should we think that the holy angels are subject to vanity or that they will be set free from the slavery of death, since they are immortal. Here “the creation” means the human race. AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 53.

AUGUSTINE: Every creature is represented in man, not because all the angels … are in him, nor the heaven, earth, sea and all that is in them, but because the human creature is partly spirit, partly soul and partly body. QUESTIONS 67.5.

[PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Here Paul gives the common designation of “creation” to all the righteous from Adam and Eve up to the time of Christ, saying that they too groaned along with Adam and Eve, desiring to receive the reward of virtue which the Lord had promised to them, viz., the adoption of sons. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

PELAGIUS: Just as the angels rejoice over those who repent, so they grieve over those who are unwilling to repent. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: How did the whole creation suffer this? The invisible creatures did it by thinking and feeling; the visible creatures did it by sharing in the thing itself. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.