Jan 11: Aquinas’ Catena Aurea on Mark 1:21-28

Ver 21. And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught.22. And they were astonished as His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes.

Pseudo-Jerome: Mark, arranging the sayings of the Gospel as they were in his own mind, not in themselves, quits the order of the history, and follows the order of the mysteries.  Wherefore he relates the first miracle on the sabbath day, saying, “And they go into Capernaum.”

Theophylact: Quitting Nazareth. Now on the sabbath day, when the Scribes were gathered together, He entered into a synagogue, and taught.  Wherefore there follows, “And straightway on the sabbath day, having entered into the synagogue, He taught them.”

For this end the Law commanded them to give themselves up to rest on the sabbath day, that they might meet together to attend to sacred reading. Again, Christ taught them by rebuke, not by flattery as did the Pharisees; wherefore it says, “And they were astonished at His doctrine; for He taught them as one having power, and not as the Scribes.”

He taught them also in power, transforming men to good, and He threatened punishment to those who did not believe on Him.

Bede: The Scribes themselves taught the people what was written in Moses and the Prophets; but Jesus as the God and Lord of Moses, himself, by the freedom of His own will, either added those things which appeared wanting in the Law, or altered things as He preached to the people; as we read in Matthew, “It was said to them of old time, but I say unto you.” [Matt 5:27]

Ver 23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,24. Saying, “Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God.”25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”26. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.27. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”28. And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

Bede, in Marc., 1, 7: Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, “And there was in their synagogue a man, &c.”

Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: The word, Spirit, is applied to an Angel, the air, the soul, and even the Holy Ghost. Lest therefore by the sameness of the name we should fall into error, he adds, “unclean.” And he is called unclean on account of his impiousness and far removal from God, and because he employs himself in all unclean and wicked works.

Augustine, City of God, 21: Moreover, how great is the power which the lowliness of God, appearing in the form of a servant, has over the pride of devils, the devils themselves know so well, that they express it to the same Lord clothed in the weakness of flesh. For there follows, “And he cried out, saying, What have we to do we Thee, Jesus of Nazareth, &c.”

For it is evident in these words that there was in them knowledge, but there was not charity; and the reason was, that they feared their punishment from Him, and loved not the righteousness in Him.

Bede: For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were immediately to be judged.

Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or else the devil so speaks, as if he said, ‘by taking away uncleanness, and giving  to the souls of men divine knowledge, Thou allowest us no place in men.’

Theophylact: For to come out of man the devil considers as his own perdition; for devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil, so long as they are not troubling men.  There follows, “I know that Thou art the Holy One of God.”

Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: As if he said, Methinks that Thou art come; for he had not a firm and certain knowledge of the coming of God. But he calls Him “holy” not as one of many, for every prophet was also holy, but he proclaims that the was the One holy; by the article in Greek he shews Him to be the One, but by his fear he shews Him to be Lord of all.

Augustine: For He was known to them in that degree in which He wished to be known; and He wished as much as was fitting. He was not known to them as to the holy Angels, who enjoy Him by partaking of His eternity according as He is the Word of God; but as He was to be made known in terror, to those beings from whose tyrannical power He was about to free the predestinate.He was known therefore to the devils, not in that He is eternal Life, [see 1 John 5:20, John 17:3] but by some temporal effects of His Power, which might be more clear to the angelic senses of even bad spirits than to the weakness of men.

Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Further, the Truth did not wish to have the witness of unclean spirits.

Wherefore there follows, “And Jesus threatened him, saying, &c.”  Whence a healthful precept is given to us; let us not believe devils, howsoever they may proclaim the truth.  It goes on, “And the unclean spirit tearing him, &c.”

For because the man spoke as one in his senses and uttered his words with discretion, lest it should be thought that he put together his words not from the devil but out of his own heart, He permitted the man to be torn by the devil, that He might shew that it was the devil who spoke.Theophylact: That they might know, when they saw it, from how great an evil the man was freed, and on account of the miracle might believe.

Bede: But it may appear to be a discrepancy, that he should have gone out of him, tearing him, or, as some copies have it, vexing him, when, according to Luke, he did not hurt him. But Luke himself says, “When He had cast him into the midst, he came out of him, without hurting him.” [Luke 4:35] Wherefore it is inferred that Mark meant by vexing or tearing him, what Luke expresses  in the words, “When He had cast him into the midst;” so that what he goes on to say, “And did not hurt him,” may be understood to mean that the tossing of his limbs and vexing did not weaken him, as devils are wont to come out even with the cutting off and tearing away of limbs. But seeing the power of the miracle, they wonder at the newness of our Lord’s doctrine, and are roused to search into what they had heard by what they had seen.  Wherefore there follows, “And they all wondered, &c.”

For miracles were done that they might more firmly believe the Gospel of the kingdom of God, which was being preached, since those who were promising heavenly joys to men on earth, were shewing forth heavenly things and divine works even on earth. For before (as the Evangelist says) “He was teaching them as one who had power,” and now, as the crowd witnesses, “with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him.”  It goes on, “And immediately His fame spread abroad, &c.”

Gloss.: For those things which men wonder at they soon divulge, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” [Matt 12:34]

Pseudo-Jerome: Moreover, Capernaum is mystically interpreted the town of consolation, and the sabbath as rest. The man with an evil spirit is healed by rest and consolation, that the place and time may agree with his healing. This man with an unclean spirit is the human race, in which uncleanness reigned from Adam to Moses; [Rom 5:14] for “they sinned without law,” and “perished without law.” [Rom 2:12] and he, knowing the Holy One of God, is ordered to hold his peace, for they “knowing God did not glorify him as God,” [Rom 1:21] but “rather served the creature than the Creator.” [Rom 1:25]

The spirit tearing the man came out of him. When salvation is near, temptation is at hand also. Pharaoh, when about to let [ed. note: Al. 'dismissus ab Israel'] Israel go, pursues Israel; the devil, when despised, rises up to create scandals.

Jan 11: Father Callan on Today’s First Reading (Heb 2:5-12)

Note: To help provide context the reader may wish to see yesterday’s post on this epistle.  Also, in this current post I’ve included Father Callan’s summaries of verses 5-9 and 10-18 to help provide context. Notes in red, if any, represent my additions.

ANOTHER PROOF OF CHRIST’S SUPERIORITY TO THE ANGELS
A Summary of Hebrews 2:5-9

The Apostle here returns to the argument broken off at 1:14, and gives an additional proof to show that Christ is superior to the angels, namely, because He is to be Lord of the world to come, that is, of the Messianic Kingdom, as is clear from the spiritual sense of Psalm 8. For a brief space of time Christ humbled Himself in His sufferings even below the angels, but this was only that He might triumph in the end as Lord of all.

Heb 2:5  For God hath not subjected unto angels the world to come, whereof we speak.

For. The thought now goes back to Heb 1:14, though we may establish a very good connection between this verse and what immediately precedes as follows: those who offend against the Gospel Dispensation will be more severely punished than were those who sinned against the Old Law, because Christ is the head of the Messianic Kingdom, and it is clearly worse to sin against the Head and Master than against the servants of the Master (cf. St. Thomas).

He hath not subjected, etc., i.e., God the Father has not made subject to angels but to Christ the Messianic Kingdom, which begins with the Church Militant in this worid and is perfected in the Church Triumphant in the next world.

The world to come was a common phrase among the Jews to signify the Messianic Kingdom, as when Isaias foretold that the Messiah was to be “father of the world to come” (Isa 9:5).

Heb 2:6  But one in a certain place hath testified, saying: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Heb 2:7  Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels: thou hast crowned him with glory and honour and hast set him over the works of thy hands.
Heb 2:8  Thou hast subjected all things under his feet. For in that he hath subjected all things to him he left nothing not subject to him. But now we see not as yet all things subject to him.(These verses will be repeated below when Father Callan begins to comment on them specifically)

In these verses the Apostle cites Psalm 8:5-7, which in its spiritual sense proves that the Messianic world is to be subject to Christ and not the angels. Literally, the Psalmist is speaking of mere man and the natural world, and he is saying that as compared with God, and materially as compared with the physical universe around him, man is indeed insignificant; but when considered as made in the image and likeness of God, as the recipient of God’s supernatural gifts and as possessing a spiritual and immortal soul, he is only a little less than the angels and is superior to all material creation. And even though man, in his present fallen condition, has lost control of material things and has to some extent become enslaved by them, he will regain in his glorified state the dominion over the material world which at first was his in the state of innocence.

In the spiritual sense of these verses of Psalm 8, which the Apostle is here applying, the Psalmist is speaking of the ideal man, Christ Jesus, and of the Messianic world; and he means to say that as man, as to His human nature, Jesus was inferior to God, and in the humiliation and suffering of His humanity He was even below the angels; but that through suffering and death He attained to a glory and honor far superior to that of angels and became the
supreme Head and Lord of the Messianic Kingdom, with all creatures beneath His feet.

Heb 2:6  But one in a certain place hath testified, saying: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

6. But one in a certain place, etc., i.e., the Psalmist in Psalm 8:5-7, which was well known to the Jews, and which St. Paul had already made use of in a Messianic sense in 1 Cor 15:26-28 and in Eph 1:22.

Son of man means the same as “man,” to which it is parallel. (Note: the phrase “son of man” used here should not be confused with the title Son of Man which our Lord often applies to himself on the basis of the prophecy in Dan 7:3-14).

That thou visitest him, with so many graces and blessings.

Heb 2:7. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels: thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast set him over the works of thy hands:

This and the following verse shows that in the state of innocence man held in control all material things, all of which were subject to him.

A little, i.e., in degree ; but in the application to Christ the meaning is for a “little while,” i.e., while in His suffering state our Lord was “a little lower than the angels.”

Angels is Elohim in the Hebrew, meaning God; but that the signification here is angels we are assured by the LXX and the Targum.

Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor. In their application these words refer to our Lord’s resurrection and ascension, upon which have followed the preaching of the Gospel and the glorification of the Saviour throughout the world by all peoples.

And hast set him over the works, etc. This clause is not in some of the best MSS., and so is probably a gloss here introduced from Psalm 8.

Heb 2:8. Thou hast subjected all things under his feet. For in that he hath subjected all things to him, he left nothing not subject to him. But now we see not as yet all things subject to him.

But now we see not as yet, etc. Man in his glorified state will regain the dominion over nature and the material world which he enjoyed in the state of innocence but lost by sin. In a similar way, all things are not yet perfectly subject to the rule of Christ, since sin and infidelity rebel against His authority; but there will come a time when He will exercise His supreme sovereignty, when all the just will freely obey Him forever and the unjust will be forced to submit to Him.

Heb 2:9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that, through the grace of God, he might taste death for all.

In this verse we are told the reason for our Lord’s humiliation in His Incarnation, earthly life, passion, sufferings, and death; He thus was made a little lower than the angels, that is, for a short time He was made inferior to the angels, in order that by “the grace of God,” i.e., as a gratuitous gift of God, He might merit His own exaltation as man and our salvation (see Luke 24:26; Phil 2:8 ff.).

Might taste death is a Semitic figure of speech, meaning to die.

For all, i.e., for all men; our Lord died for all men without exception (see on 1 Tim 2:6).

WHY CHRIST SUFFERED
A Summary of Heb 2:10-18

In these remaining verses of Chapter 2 the Apostle digresses to explain our Lord’s humiliation, why it was that He became incarnate and suffered, thus for a time becoming lower than the angels. It was all for our sake and our salvation. Sorrow, sufferings, and death in our fallen state are necessary conditions of human life; and He who was to be the Saviour of men must share their nature and sad experiences, in order that He might overcome the power of death, the instrument of Satan, that He who was sinless Himself might satisfy for the sins of His brethren and be a rescue for those who are tempted and sorely tried.

Heb 2:10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, when he was bringing many children into glory, to perfect through suffering the author of their salvation.

Here we are told that it was becoming, though not necessary, that God (who is the final as well as the efficient cause of all things), when bringing men to salvation, should will that Christ, the Saviour of men, should share in their common lot of suffering. God could have chosen other means of saving the world, but for His own wise reasons He has made the way of suffering the royal road to glory.

To perfect. The meaning of the Greek is to “lead to a destined goal.” This verb occurs nine times in the present letter, but not once in the best reading of the other Pauline Epistles.

The adduxerat of the Vulgate is the translation of an aorist participle, but according to the context it would be better rendered by the present tense here. It is a question of leading to salvation in time, rather than in God’s eternal decree. See on Eph 2:5-7. This note deals with the phrase translated above as “when he was bringing (present tense) many children into glory.”  The Latin Vulgate has adduxerat which is translated thus in the Douay-Rheims: “who had brought (adduxerat, past tense) many children into glory”.

Heb 2:11. For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:

Having stated the suitableness of the lot of suffering for the Saviour of mankind, the writer goes on now in verses 11-14 to give the first reason for his statement. It is this: Christ has the same nature as men; but men are subject to suffering and death; therefore, it was becoming that Christ should experience suffering and death.

Both he that sanctifieth, etc., i.e., Christ, the author of our salvation, and those who are saved have the same origin, namely, God; and having consequently the same nature, they belong to the same family and are brethren. Hence it is that the Saviour, though infinitely superior to other men because of the union of the divine and human natures in the one Divine Person of the Word, does not disdain to address men as His brethren, as the Scripture quotations in the two following verses show.

All of one, i.e., from the one God ; less probably, from one man,
Adam, as some authorities say.

Heb 2:12. I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the church will I praise thee.

This verse is a quotation from the Messianic Psalm 22:23. Our Lord Himself quoted from this Psalm while hanging on the cross (Matt 27:46; John 19:24). After having described the humiliation and bitterness of His passion in this greatest of the Passion Psalms, the Messiah looked forward to the glorious issue of it all, to His resurrection and triumph, and in praise and thanksgiving to God for His delivery He declares in the present verse that He will proclaim the divine goodness and mercy to His “brethren,” i.e., to His disciples, and to all the faithful gathered together for worship. The history of the Christian Church and of the Gospel verify the fulfillment of the Messiah’s promise.