Lecture 6 — Understand God’s will

^5:15^ See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, but as wise: [n. 302]

^5:16^ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [n. 303]

^5:17^ Wherefore, do not become imprudent: but understanding what is the will of God. [n. 305]

301. Above he forbade the old ways of carnal illusions, and now he exhorts them to the contrary newness. He encourages them:

first, toward a newness opposed to the former illusions;

second, toward a newness opposed to voluptuousness, at and do not be drunk (Eph 5:18).

The first section contains three parts:

first, he gives them a caution against the fallacy;

second, he shows them the NECESSITY [IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS AN ERROR IN THE LATIN, NEWNESS SHOULD PROBABLY BE NECESSITY, CF. 303 BELOW] of this precaution, at redeeming the time;

third, he teaches them how to act according to it, at wherefore, do not become imprudent.

302. Whence he states therefore from the preceding see how you walk circumspectly. Caution is one of the conditions of prudence by which a person avoids hindrances in accomplishing what he has to do. Everyone ought to possess this caution. Let your eyes look straight on and let your eyelids go before your steps (Prov 4:25).

This is a characteristic of wise men, thus he adds not as unwise who do not know how to avoid the obstacles. All the foolish of heart were troubled (Ps 76:5). But as wise: the eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walks in darkness (Eccl 2:14). Some say: if you do not act chastely, nonetheless act cautiously. The Apostle does not take it in such a sense; when he says circumspectly it is as though he said: beware of men who thwart chastity.

303. He explains the necessity of this precaution when he says redeeming the time, which can be interpreted in two ways.

On certain occasions a man redeems his property by offering a gift or something else for it; for instance, someone is said to compensate for a grievance he caused by offering a gift or money, or by renouncing something which is rightfully his. In this sense he would be saying: the whole of time is now a time of deception, hence you should be redeeming the time, because the days are evil. At the time Adam sinned, and from then on, snares have always been set to thrust men into sin. It was not that way in the state of innocence when it was unnecessary for a man to abstain from anything which was licit, since there was nothing in his will driving him to sin. But now we have to redeem the time, because the days are evil; we must avoid the depravity of the days, and beware beforehand of the evil day (Eccl 7:15). To do this we must renounce even certain things which are lawful: all things are lawful for me; but all things do not edify (1 Cor 10:23). In this way a person is said to redeem a grievance he caused since he permits something that is rightfully his to be forfeited.

304. There is another interpretation of redeeming the time. For it sometimes happens that a person lives a great part of his life in sin, and this is time lost.

But how is he to redeem it when man is incapable of paying his debts? I reply that he ought to devote himself to good works to an even greater degree than he had previously pursued sinful ones. For the time past is sufficient to have fulfilled the will of the gentiles, for them who have walked in riotousness, lusts, excesses of wine, revellings, banquetings, and unlawful worshipping of idols (1 Pet 4:3). The first interpretation, however, is better.

305. Then, when he says wherefore, do not become imprudent, he goes on to teach them how to abide by the precaution, saying: wherefore that you may be able to redeem the time, do not become imprudent.

Notice that there is a difference between wisdom and prudence. For prudence is a certain type of wisdom, but not the whole of wisdom. Wisdom is prudence to a man (Prov 10:23). That man is called wise in an absolute sense who puts everything into perspective; but a man is wise only in a certain respect when he puts in order only those things about which he is well informed. As a wise architect I have laid the foundation (1 Cor 3:10). For the role of the wise man is to put things in order, as the Metaphysics I states.

Everyone who sets things in perspective considers their end; hence he is wise in an absolute sense who knows and acts for the universal end, God. For this is your wisdom, and understanding in the sight of nations (Deut 4:6). For wisdom, as Augustine mentions in the fourth book of On the Trinity, is the knowledge of divine realities. Prudence, on the other hand, is the directive care of particular things, as when a person regulates his actions. Thus, wisdom is prudence to man (Prov 10:23). For this reason he says do not become imprudent, but understanding what is the will of God. For just as speculative reason puts whatever is to be done in perspective and judges it—it is necessary to have conclusions and to judge them by principles—so likewise in the field of performance. Now the first principle through which we ought to judge and regulate everything is the will of God. Hence the intellect, in moral matters and those which lead to God, must have the will of God for its principle. If it does, then the intellect becomes prudent. O that they would be wise and would understand, and would provide for their last end (Deut 32:29). Our Lord taught this: your will be done (Matt 26:42).