De remissione peccatorum - Om Augustins syn på lovens overholdelse og den troendes retfærdighed

 

At give Hans folk frelsens vished i deres synders forladelse
Lukas 1:77

Mente Augustin, at den troende kan overholde loven i egentlig forstand? Derom skriver han udførligt mange steder og i mange forskellige skrifter. Her skal vi se nærmere på et repræsentativt udpluk af disse.

I om Ånden og bogstavet skriver Augustin,

“Have such just men, while living by faith, no need to say: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors?” And do they prove this to be wrong which is written, “In Thy sight shall no man living be justified?”⁸ and this: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us?” and, “There is no man that sinneth not;”¹⁰ and again, “There is not on the earth a righteous man, who doeth good and sinneth not” (for both these statements are expressed in a general future sense,—“sinneth not,” “will not sin,”—not in the past time, “has not sinned”)?—and all other places of this purport contained in the Holy Scripture? Since, however, these passages cannot possibly be false, it plainly follows, to my mind, that whatever be the quality or extent of the righteousness which we may definitely ascribe to the present life, there is not a man living in it who is absolutely free from all sin; and that it is necessary for every one to give, that it may be given to him; and to forgive, that it may be forgiven him;¹³ and whatever righteousness he has, not to presume that he has it of himself, but from the grace of God, who justifies him, and still to go on hungering and thirsting for righteousness from Him who is the living bread,¹⁵ and with whom is the fountain of life; who works in His saints, whilst labouring amidst temptation in this life, their justification in such manner that He may still have somewhat to impart to them liberally when they ask, and something mercifully to forgive them when they confess.”

Aug., De spir. et litt. 36.65

I konteksten diskuterer han den genfødte og retfærdiggjorte kristne, og her er det bemærkelsesværdigt, at han applicerer Salme 143:2 [LXX i Vetus Latina], i dit åsyn vil intet levende menneske blive retfærdiggjort, m.fl., netop på den troende og genfødte kristne. Modsiger Augustins sig selv så? For hvorfor vil intet menneske blive retfærdiggjort foran Gud, hvis vi ved Guds nåde kan overholde loven? Den spænding vil jeg lade Augustin selv opløse senere, men noten om, at vores nuværende retfærdigheds kvalitet er mangelfuld og endnu af en sådan art, at den levner plads til daglig synd, er relevant, jævnfør, whatever be the quality or extent of the righteousness which we may definitely ascribe to the present life, there is not a man living in it who is absolutely free from all sin. Og dette er den kristnes vilkår, jævnfør bemærkningen om udsagnsordenes bøjning i tid, are expressed in a general future sense.

I sin lille bog om Fuldkommengørelsen af menneskets retfærdighed skriver Augustin mere om samme, nemlig at selv den troende ved Guds hjælp umuligt kan overholde loven, og at den troendes retfærdighed forbliver defekt og lovbrydende på denne side af opstandelsen,

“Then in all this plenitude of charity [i opstandelsen] will be fulfilled the commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” For while there remains any remnant of the lust of the flesh [carnalis concupiscentiae!], to be kept in check by the rein of continence, God is by no means loved with all one’s soul. For the flesh does not lust without the soul; although it is the flesh which is said to lust, because the soul lusts carnally. In that perfect state the just man shall live absolutely without any sin, since there will be in his members no law warring against the law of his mind,⁴ but wholly will he love God, with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind, which is the first and chief commandment. For why should not such perfection be enjoined on man, although in this life nobody may attain to it?”

Aug., De perf. justit. 8.19

Værket stammer fra Augustins antipelagianske tid, og understreger det realistisk syn på synd, menneskets formåen, og det onde begær, concupiscence, som blev stadig tydeligere i striden med Pelagius og hans disciple. Augustin beskriver her eksplicit menneskets manglende evne til at overholde Guds lov. Her er det også signifikant, at Augustins eksempel er det første og det største bud, at elske Gud med hele sit hjerte, sjæl og sind, hvad Augustin direkte siger er umuligt på denne side af opstandelsen, grundet kødets onde begær, carnalis concupiscentiae. Om Augustins synd på det onde begær som værende egentligt synd, vil jeg gerne sige meget mere. Men det må vente til senere, da det fortjener sit eget skriv. Men dens væsen som egentlig synd er også relevant i denne diskussion.

Med andre ord, det synspunkt, at den kristnes umuligt kan overholde loven på denne side af opstandelsen, er ikke begrænset til Om ånden og bogstavet, men skærpes, jævnfør eksempels tyngde, og gentages flere steder, og det grundes bl.a. i det onde begærs oprør mod Guds lov, hvad der først forløses ved den legemlige død.

“And whereas the prophet says, “I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my heart,” he yet immediately adds, “For this shall every saint pray unto Thee in an acceptable time.”¹² Not indeed every sinner, but “every saint;” for it is the voice of saints which says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.””

Aug., De pecc. merit. et remiss. 2.7.8

Selv enhver helgen synder og må bekende sin synd, et kritikpunkt primært henvendt til pelagianerne, som lærte, at det var muligt, ved Guds hjælp og i samvirke med hans nåde, at opnå syndfrihed. Et sådant syn forkastes dog af Augustin, og af det nordafrikanske koncilium i 418, som kættersk. Senere i samme værk skriver Augustin også,

“For however entire and full be the remission of sins in baptism, nevertheless, if there was wrought by it at once, an entire and full change of the man into his everlasting newness,—I do not mean change in his body, which is now most clearly tending evermore to the old corruption and to death, after which it is to be renewed into a total and true newness,—but, the body being excepted, if in the soul itself, which is the inner man, a perfect renewal was wrought in baptism, the apostle would not say: “Even though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Now, undoubtedly, he who is still renewed day by day is not as yet wholly renewed; and in so far as he is not yet wholly renewed, he is still in his old state. Since, then, men, even after they are baptized, are still in some degree in their old condition, they are on that account also still children of the world; but inasmuch as they are also admitted into a new state, that is to say, by the full and perfect remission of their sins, and in so far as they are spiritually-minded, and behave correspondingly, they are the children of God.”

Aug., De pecc. merit. et remiss. 2.7.9

Her nærmer Augustins sig løsningen på den umiddelbare modsigelse, som de to udsagn, på den ene side at vi ved Guds nåde kan overholde loven, og på den anden side, at det er umuligt for den troende at overholde loven, præsenterer. For Augustin fremsætter to bevægelser i den troendes liv, først, syndernes forladelse i dåben, en tilgivelse som er total og fuldstændig, tota et plena, og en indre fornyelse og forvandling. Den anden er i modsætning til denne første dog ikke total eller fuldstændig, men mangelfuld, om end den er rettet mod fuldkommenheden og vokser.

For Augustin er den troende kristne fuldstændig tilgivet, og derfor ikke skyldig i lovbrud, også selvom hans person, både det faldet ydre legeme, kødet, og den faldne sjæl, ikke er fuldkommengjort og lovlydig. I genfødslen har de modtaget en sand retfærdighed, som i samvirke med Guds nåde, forøges og vokser dag for dag. Men den når dog aldrig i mål på denne side af opstandelsen, hvorfor i dit åsyn vil intet levende menneske blive retfærdiggjort, men så længe de kristne er i fornyelsen [in novitate sunt] så er de Guds børn. Men i hvad består denne delagtighed i fornyelse? Består den i indre forvandling eller i syndernes forladelse? Augustin svarer, in novitate sunt, hoc est ex plena et perfecta remissione peccatorum.

I et af sine senere antipelagianske skrifter diskuterer Augustin endnu nærmere forholdet mellem syndernes forladelse, den troendes retfærdighed, og lovens overholdelse, og forener de koncepter, som er præsenteret ovenfor, i en samlet ide,

“From this it results that the virtue which is now in the righteous man is named perfect up to this point, that to its perfection belong both the true knowledge and humble confession of even imperfection itself. For, in respect to this infirmity, that little righteousness of man’s is perfect according to its measure, when it understands even what it lacks. And therefore the apostle calls himself both perfect and imperfect,—imperfect, to wit, in the thought of how much is wanting to him for the righteousness for the fulness of which he is still hungering and thirsting; but perfect in that he does not blush to confess his own imperfection, and goes forward in good that he may attain.”

Aug., Contra duas epist. Pelag. 3.7.19

Her giver Augustin en mildest talt afgørende nuancering af sit lovoverholdelsesbegreb. For ved lovoverholdelse mener Augustin ikke en egentlig overholdelse af lovens bud, for i forhold til dette er den troendes retfærdighed, iustus, ufuldkommen, imperfectus. Den troendes retfærdighed er dog fuldkommen, når den anerkender sin ufuldkommenhed og i ydmyghed bekender denne. Her kæder Augustin fint de overstående tanker sammen, nemlig, A) at den troende endnu er syndig og bryder loven, jf. du skal elske Herren osv., B) at den troende har modtaget syndernes fuldkomne forladelse og derfor C) overholder loven i den forstand, at han er tilgivet og derfor skyldig og ikke længere lovbryder qua tilgivet. Helt kort, præcist, og eksakt, i Augustins egne ord,

Therefore, all the Commandments are considered [deputantur, fra roden puto, som f.eks. im-putatio, tilregne, her anses o.lign.] fulfilled when whatever is not fulfilled is forgiven.

Aug. Retrac. 1.18.3

To kapitler senere i samme skrift, understreger Augustin igen punkt A)

Because it is said with excessive folly, that God is loved as much before He is seen, as He will be loved when He is seen. Further, if in this life, as no religious person doubts, the more we love God, so much the more righteous we certainly are, who can doubt that pious and true righteousness will then be perfected when the love of God shall be perfect? Then the law, therefore, shall be fulfilled; so that nothing at all is wanting to it, of which law, according to the apostle, the fulfilling is Love. And thus, when he had said, “Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, which is the righteousness from God in faith,” he then added, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.” All these things were not yet full and perfect in the apostle; but, as if he were placed on the way, he was running towards their fulness and perfection. For how had he already perfectly known Christ, who says in another place, “Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known”?⁵ And how had he already perfectly known the power of His resurrection, to whom it remained to know it yet more fully by experience at the time of the resurrection of the flesh? And how had he perfectly known already the fellowship of His suffering, if he had not yet experienced for him the suffering of death?

Aug., Contra duas epist. Pelag. 3.7.21

Her må det igen understreges, at Augustin eksplicit skriver, at det først er i opstandelsen, at loven faktisk vil blive opfyldt, futurum, tunc ergo lex … implebitur, fordi buddet om at elske Gud fuldstændigt, ikke kan opfyldes i dette liv selv for den troende med Guds hjælp. Bemærkelsesværdigt er det også, at Augustin ikke fremstiller opstandelsens gudskærlighed som noget hinsides eller over buddet, men derimod som lovens op-fyldelse, således forstået, at vi ikke her opfylder loven for så til overmål at overgå, men derimod, at vi her ikke opfylder loven, men først i det hinsides vil gøre det. Augustin gør altså ikke den vej, at han mindsker lovens krav, f.eks. ved at sige at den kærlighed, med Guds hjælp, som den troende formår at elske Gud med i dette liv, opfylder lovens krav. Derfor skal vi se nærmere på, i hvad den troendes retfærdighed foran Gud egentligt består i.

Her skal derfor nævnes Augustins kommentarer omkring retfærdiggørelsens natur og dennes forhold til syndernes forladelse i sit værk Guds stad, skriver han,

Our very righteousness, too, though true in so far as it has respect to the true good, is yet in this life of such a kind that it consists rather in the remission of sins than in the perfecting of virtues. Witness the prayer of the whole city of God in its pilgrim state, for it cries to God by the mouth of all its members, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Aug., De civ. Dei 19.27.1

Og igen i samme tekst,

In this, then, consists the righteousness of a man, that he submit himself to God, his body to his soul, and his vices, even when they rebel, to his reason, which either defeats or at least resists them; and also that he beg from God grace to do his duty, and the pardon of his sins, and that he render to God thanks for all the blessings he receives

Ibid.

Altså drager Augustin her den nødvendige og logiske konklusion af sine lærepunkter, A) den troende er endnu synder og overholder ikke loven B) den troende har i dåben modtaget syndernes totale og fuldkomne, tota et plena, forladelse og er derfor ikke skyldig eller anses som lovbryder C) den troende overholder i denne forstand loven, qua hans lovbrud tilgivelse, når han vandrer efter ånden og i ydmyghed bekender sine synder.

Derfor kan Augustin konkludere, at den troendes retfærdiggørelse i dette liv består, constat, i syndernes forladelse i stedet for/snarere end, potius … quam[1], dydernes fuldkommengørelse, nostra iustitia … potius remissione peccatorum constet quam perfectione virtutum. At Augustin benytter frasen dydernes fuldkommengørelse, perfectione virtutum, er også signifikant, fordi Augustin kæder dette begreb direkte sammen med lovens overholdelse. Han skriver,  

For if all virtues were there, there would be no vice, and if there were no vice, there would be no sin; but where is the man who is altogether without sin? Where, therefore, is the man who is without any vice, that is, fuel [fomes. fomes peccati, syndens tændstof, normalt udtryk for det onde begær.] or root, as it were, of sin, when he who reclined on the breast of the Lord says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”? It is not necessary for us to urge this at greater length in writing to you, but I make the statement for the sake of others who perhaps shall read this.

Aug., Ep. 167.3.10

Og igen, senere i samme brev,

To sum up generally and briefly the view which, so far as relates to holy living, I entertain concerning virtue, — virtue is the love with which that which ought to be loved is loved. This is in some greater, in others less, and there are men in whom it does not exist at all; but in the absolute fulness which admits of no increase, it exists in no man while living on this earth; so long, however, as it admits of being increased there can be no doubt that, in so far as it is less than it ought to be, the shortcoming proceeds from vice. Because of this vice there is “not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not;” because of this vice, “in God’s sight shall no man living be justified.” On account of this vice, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” On account of this also, whatever progress we may have made, we must say, “Forgive us our debts, although all debts in word, deed, and thought were washed away in baptism. He, then, who sees aright, sees whence, and when, and where he must hope for that perfection to which nothing can be added.

Aug., Ep. 167.4.15

Hvis alle dyderne er der, omnes virtutes … ibi essent, så er der ingen laster, og er der ingen laster er der ingen synd. Ved dydernes fuldkommenhed forstår Augustin således syndens fravær og derfor lovens opfyldelse, da lovløshed er synd, 1 John 3:4. Det understreger igen læsning af Augustin citatet i Guds stad, hvor Augustin skriver, at vores retfærdighed ikke består i dydernes fuldkommengørelse, m.a.o. i lovens overholdelse, men derimod i syndernes forladelse. Derfor kan Augustin også direkte kæde dydernes ufuldkommenhed sammen med udsagnet om, at i Guds åsyn vil ingen levende blive retfærdiggjort. Den fine kobling til dåbens fuldkomne tilgivelse bør også bemærkes, da det igen er syndernes forladelse, der fremsættes som løsningen på denne udfordring.

Hvis vi derfor, noget anakronistisk, skal udlægge Augustins syn på retfærdiggørelsen med et senere begrebsapparat, så synes Augustin at mene, at retfærdiggørelsens formelle årsag er syndernes forladelse. Med andre ord, hvis Augustin blev spurgt, hvordan den troende står retfærdig foran Gud, så ville han svare, at det gør han ved den totale og fuldkomne tilgivelse af synd.

 At Augustin oftest tolker iustificari transformativt, om den troendes forvandling, fornyelse og fremgang i hellighed og dyder, i samvirke med Ånden, er ikke i konflikt med overstående. For Augustin er meget tydelig omkring, at denne forvandling kun påbegyndes i dette liv, og aldrig bliver fuldkommen eller af en sådan art, at den kan bestå foran Gud. Altså ser vi hos Augustin en klar konceptuel skelnen mellem vores retfærdighed foran Gud, at vi er tilgivet og derfor ikke skyldige i lovbrud, og vores habituelle retfærdighed, som vokser men vedbliver at være mangelfuld overfor lovens krav, selvom Augustin ikke skelner skarpt mellem disse to forhold terminologisk. Til eksempel her, hvor de to forståelser eksplicit skelnes konceptuelt om end ikke tydeligt terminologisk,

“On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins,” in which I mainly discussed the baptism of infants because of original sin, and the grace of God by which we are justified, that is, made righteous; but [I remarked] no man in this life can so keep the commandments which prescribe holiness of life, as to be beyond the necessity of using this prayer for his sins: “Forgive us our trespasses.”

Aug., Retrac., bk. 2, chap. 23

Jeg har dog i mine augustinlæsninger fundet et sted, hvor Augustin direkte kæder retfærdiggørelse, iustificari, sammen med syndernes forladelse. I sin kommentar til Salme 31 udlægger Augustin Rom 4:1-6, og skriver bl.a. følgende i sin diskussion af Abrahams retfærdiggørelse, iustificatio,

"In the light of this, who are to be judged blessed? Certainly not people in whom God has found no sin, because he has found it in all of us! "All have sinned, and are in need of the glory of God" [Vetus Latina, Rom 3:23] Now, if sins are found in everyone, it follows that only those can be blessed whose sins have been forgiven. This is the point the apostle made by saying, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. But to anyone who does some work (that is, anyone who takes his stand on works, pretending that the grace of faith was given to him on the strength of them) wages are given not as a free grace, but as something owed (Rom 4:3-4). And what does that mean, if not that the only recompense we have is called grace? And if it is grace, it is given gratis. Given gratis? How is that? It consists of a free gift. You have done nothing good, but forgiveness of your sins is granted to you. If your actions are scrutinized, they are all found to be bad. If God awarded you just retribution for those actions, he would certainly condemn you, for the wage due to sin is death.

Aug., Enar. In Psal., 31, 2^nd, ser. 2

Og her, i gendrivelsen af pelagianerne, beskrives den semipelagianske position overfor Augustins udlægning,

“We say,” says he [semi-Pelagianeren Julianus], “that the saints of the Old Testament, their righteousness being perfected here, passed to eternal life, — that is, that by the love of virtue they departed from all sins; because those whom we read of as having committed any sin, we nevertheless know to have amended themselves.” Of whatever virtue you may declare that the ancient righteous men were possessed, nothing saved them but the belief [fides] in the Mediator who shed His blood for the remission of their sins. For their own word is,” I believed, and therefore I spoke.” Whence the Apostle Paul also says, “And we having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. Whence the Apostle Paul also says, “And we having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” What is “the same Spirit,” but that Spirit whom these righteous men also had who said such things?” The Apostle Peter also says, “Why do ye wish to put a yoke upon the heathen, which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? But, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe that we shall be saved, even as they.”

Aug., Contra duas epist. Pelag. 1.21.39

 

At intet andet frelser de troende end tro, fides, på frelseren, som udgød sit blod for syndernes forladelse, får en stærkere klang, når det iagttages at udsagnet er en irettesættelse af semi-Pelagianeren Julianus’ synspunkt. Augustin citerer ham for at sige, at de gammeltestamentlige helgener fuldkommengjorde deres retfærdighed ved kærlighed til dyderne og en bortvenden, recessisse, fra synden. Det er også signifikant, at den afviste semi-pelagianske position ikke er en grov pelagiansk lære, for det var ved Guds hjælp og nåde at de gammeltestamentlige helgener vandrede, og endvidere mener Julianus ikke, at bortvenden fra synden er ensbetydende med et absolut fravær af synd, for Julianus nævner direkte, at de synder, som de måtte have begået tidligere, var nogle de havde omvendt sig fra, og gjort bod for/godtgjort/korrigeret, emendasse.

Sagt med andre ord, så er det svært at se de væsentlige forskelle mellem, på den ene side, semi-Pelagianeren Julianus’ synspunkt om, at de helliges retfærdighed består i den troendes forhold til Gud, kærlighed til dyderne[2], en bortvenden fra synd, og så en bodsgørelse for tidl. begåede synder, og, på den anden side, den tridentinske lære.

Og alligevel afviser Augustin dette synspunkt som vranglære, og præsenterer i stedet den påstand, at vores frelse alene består i troen på frelseren, som vandt syndernes forladelse, frem for den med Gud opnåede dyd og bortvenden fra synden. Set i lyset af de tidl. skriftsteder, er det også klart, hvad Augustin grunder denne afvisning i. For i Augustins optik, kan vi aldrig opnå syndfrihed eller en egentlig lovoverholdelse, hvorfor i den henseende, intet levende menneske vil blive retfærdiggjort foran Gud. Af den grund må den troendes retfærdighed findes i syndernes fuldkomne og totale forladelse, som bevarer den troende hele livet igennem.

En sådan opfattelse af vores retfærdighed foran Gud bekendes også af de augsburgske teologer, der også definerer retfærdiggørelsen foran Gud som syndernes nådige [gratis] forladelse for Kristi skyld, hvorved vi bliver taget til nåde og er acceptable foran Gud,

Fremdeles lærer de, at menneskene ikke kan retfærdiggøres over for Gud ved egne kræft er, fortjenester eller gerninger, men retfærdiggøres uforskyldt for Kristi skyld ved troen, når de tror, at de bliver taget nåde, og at synderne forlades for Kristi skyld, for hans skyld, som ved sin død gjorde fyldest for vore synder. Denne tro tilregner Gud som retfærdighed for sig. Rom. 3 og 4.

Augustana art. 4

 

Derfor tror, lærer og bekender vi, at vor retfærdighed for Gud består deri, at Gud tilgiver os synden af ren nåde, uden nogen af vores forangående, nærværende eller efterfølgende gerninger, fortjenester eller værdighed.

Formula: Ep, art. iii, par. 3

Her skal der dog retfærdigvis tilføjes, at der i luthersk optik næsten altid sammenkædes to forskellige aspekter af retfærdiggørelsen, en negativ og en positiv bevægelse. Den negative, at Gud ikke tilregner os vores synder, dvs. tilgiver dem, og en positiv, at Gud tilregner os Kristi retfærdighed.

Der er således et overlap mellem Augustins retfærdiggørelseslære og den lutherske i dette negative aspekt, at den består i syndernes, tota et plena, forladelse. Augustin er dog meget mindre eksplicit om det positive aspekt, om end det dog synes at fremgå nogle få steder, særligt Enchiridion 41 synes ikke kunne læses på anden måde. Men i forhold til det negative aspekt er ideen, i det omfang den er tilstede, meget mindre fremtrædende.

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[1] Konstruktionen potius quam er noget stærkere end adverbiet potius alene, f.eks. jeg vil hellere, potius, have is end vaffel versus jeg vil have is i stedet for, potius quam, vaffel.

[2] Som jo er lovens opfyldelse, da dydernes fuldendelse, som vist ovenfor i ep. 167.4.15, er at elske det, som bør elskes, med den kærlighed, det bør elskes ved, dvs. det første og andet kærlighedsbud.