Original Douay–Rheims Annotations2 Corinthians 5
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read 2 Corinthians 5 in the Bible2 Corinthians 5:18
The ministry of reconciliation.
◦ Christ is the chief Minister, according to his manhood, of all our reconcilement to God: and for him, as his ministers, the Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Priests of his Church, in whom the word of reconcilement, as well by ministering of the Sacrifice and Sacraments for remission of sins, as by preaching and government of the world to salvation, is placed. And therefore their preaching must be to us, as if Christ himself did preach: their absolution and remission of sins, as Christ's own pardon: their whole office being nothing else (as we see by this passage) but the Vicarship of Christ.
- ◦ Bishops and Priests under Christ, Ministers of our reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:21
The justice of God.
Even as (saith S. Augustine) when we read, Salvation is our Lord's, it is not meant that salvation whereby our Lord is saved, but whereby they are saved whom he saveth: so when it is said, God's justice, that is not to be understood wherewith God is just, but that wherewith men are just whom by his grace he justifieth. [1] See S. Augustine de Sp. & lit. c. 18. & ep. 120. ad Honoratum. and abhor Calvin's wicked and unlearned glosses on this place, that teacheth justice no otherwise to be in man, than sin in Christ. Whereas the Scriptures call man just, because [2] he doth justice: but not so call they Christ sin, because he doth sin, but because he taketh away sin, and is a sacrifice for sin, as the Heretics know very well, that know the use and signification of the Hebrew word [3] in all the old Testament, namely Psal. 39, 8. and in the book of Leviticus very often, c. 5. 6. 9. 12. 14. 16. and Numer. c. 29.
- 1 God's justice, wherewith he maketh us just.
- 2 1. Io. 3, 7.
- 3 חטאת
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
2 Corinthians 5:10
The proper things of his body.
◦ S. Augustine (Enchirid. c. 110.) objecteth this speech of the Apostle, as in the person of such as deny the prayers, alms, and sacrifices of the living to be available for the dead, and he answereth as followeth. This practice (saith he) of God's Church in the commendation of the dead, is nothing repugnant to the sentence of the Apostle, where he saith, that we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to his deserts in the body, either good or evil. For, in his life and before death he deserved this, that these works after his death might be profitable unto him. For indeed they be not profitable for all men. And why so? But because of the difference and diversity of men's lives whiles they were in flesh. The like he hath in diverse other places. August. li. de Præd. Sanct. c. 12. & ad Dulcit. q. 2. And so hath S. Denys c. 7. Ec. Hierarch.
Either good or evil.
◦ Heaven is as well the reward of good works, as Hell is the stipend of ill works. Neither is faith alone sufficient to procure salvation, nor lack of faith the only cause of damnation: by good deeds men merit the one, and by ill deeds they deserve the other. This is the Apostle's doctrine here and in other places, howsoever the Adversaries of good life and works teach otherwise.