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Chapter 29OdoC.3.29

Caput XXVIII

The Scourge of Unfaithfulness

Odo contrasts the courage of early Christians who despised the world with the faithlessness of believers now, who scorn the very things once held dear.

When the whole world was set in the power of evil, people were still persuaded to fear God — and not only to stop loving the world but to despise it, so that for the love of the life to come they would hand themselves over to any torment. But now, when everything that pertains to the instruction of Christians has been made clear both by words and by examples, all these things are scorned together — so that we demonstrate the perversity of the Jews to be present in our own behavior.✦

Israel's Privileges and Provocations

Odo recounts how God lavished unprecedented favors on Israel, yet they repeatedly fell into idolatry and now live without law, God, or sacrifice.

For divine providence cared for them so greatly that, beyond all other mortals, new and magnificent ways of life were provided for them. For all of nature, so to speak, serves the ministry of their instruction — those who, after all the signs of divine power, after such glory given to them, which the whole world still marvels at, worshiped the head of a calf; who afterward had the temple and the instruments by which they completed the daily sacrifices; who also had prophets, some dead and some still alive, who both instructed them about their present conduct and reminded them of the ancient blessings of God — what He had done for them in Egypt, what in the wilderness, and also in the promised land after they had entered it. Yet in all of them they not only made no progress, but even worshiped idols in the temple itself — and now, migrating from nation to nation, now from kingdom to another people, they were left without law, without God, without sacrifice.

Our Greater Light, Our Greater Guilt

Odo reminds Christians of their exalted calling through a chain of scriptural titles and mysteries, then laments that despite such grace they sink back into sin and crucify Christ anew.

We too are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession — to whom the great mystery of devotion was revealed, which was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory. We who have tasted, as the same Apostle says, the heavenly gift, and have been enlightened, and have so great a cloud of witnesses placed over us — that is, all the institutions of the Old and New Testaments — though we ought to lay aside every weight and the sin that surrounds us, and with patience run the race set before us, we sink back down to the weak and beggarly elements, and have drawn to ourselves, as the prophet says, winds like dragons — crucifying Christ again and holding him up to public shame.✦✦✦✦✦✦

Tremble at the Judgment to Come

Odo warns that the terrifying apostasy the Apostle describes may befall us too, and calls us to fear God's judgment with a rapid succession of Job texts.

Therefore we must be utterly afraid, lest what the Apostle there records in terrifying terms about such people should happen to us.✦ On this subject we must say what Job says: Know that there is a judgment (Job 19:29).✦ And again: As soon as He stirs Himself, He will trouble you, and His terror will rush upon you (Job 13:11).✦ And again: What will you do when God rises to judge? (Job 31:14.)✦ (Job 31:14.)✦

Read the original Latin

Cum omnis esset mundus in maligno positus, persuasum est tamen hominibus timere Deum, et non solum non diligere mundum, sed et contemnere, ut pro amore sequentis vitae semetipsos ad quaelibet tormenta tradiderint; nunc vero cum universa ad eruditionem Christianorum pertinent et verbis et exemplis dilucidata sunt, tamen ista simul omnia contemnuntur, ut Judaeorum perversitatem nostris moribus inesse demonstremus. Nam erga illos adeo divinae providentiae cura intendit, ut prae caeteris mortalibus nova quaedam et magnifica vitae instituta procurata sint. Omnis quippe, ut ita dicam, natura ad ministerium eruditionis eorum servit, qui videlicet post omnia divinae virtutis insignia, post tantam gloriam sibi datam, quam hucusque mundus omnis miratur, caput vituli adoraverunt, postea habentes templum, et illa quibus quotidiana sacrificia consummabant, habentes etiam prophetas alios defunctos, alios superstites, qui eos et de actibus praesentibus informarent, et de antiquis Dei beneficiis commonerent, quae in Aegypto fecerat cum eis, quae in deserto, quae etiam in terra repromissionis, cum ingressi sunt: tamen in his omnibus nihil non solum non profecerunt, sed etiam in ipso templo idola coluerunt, et nunc de gente in gentem, nunc de regno ad populum alterum transmigrantes sine lege, sine Deo, sine sacrificio relicti sunt. Nos quoque genus electum, regale sacerdotium, gens sancta, populus acquisitionis, quibus manifestatum est magnum illud pietatis sacramentum, quod manifestatum est in carne, justificatum in spiritu, apparuit angelis, praedicatum est gentibus, creditum est mundo, assumptum in gloria: qui gustavimus, ut ait idem Apostolus, coeleste donum, et illuminati sumus, habentes quoque tantam impositam nubem testium, videlicet universa Veteris ac Novi Testamenti instituta, cum deberemus deponere omne pondus et circumstans nos peccatum, et per patientiam ad propositum currere certamen, rursus ad egena elementa devolvimur, et ventos, ut ait propheta, quasi dracones attraximus, rursus Christum crucifigentes et ostentui habentes. Quapropter omnimodis timendum est, ne fiat in nobis illud quod terribiliter Apostolus de talibus ibi commemorat. Dicendum est hujusmodi illud Job: Scitote esse judicium (Job XIX, 29). Et item: Statim ut se moverit, turbabit vos, et terror illius irruet super vos (Job XIII, 11). Et item: Quid facietis cum se moverit ad judicandum Deus?

(Job XXXI, 14.)

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩1John.5.19 — We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one.
  2. ↩1Pet.2.9 — But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
  3. ↩1Tim.3.16 — And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness: who was revealed in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
  4. ↩Heb.6.4 — For it is impossible, in the case of those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, and who shared in the Holy Spirit,
  5. ↩Heb.12.1 — Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us.
  6. ↩Gal.4.9 — But now that you have come to know God—or rather, to be known by God—how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental forces, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?
  7. ↩Heb.6.6 — and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and holding him up to open shame.
  8. ↩Heb.6.4-Heb.6.6;Heb.10.26-Heb.10.31 — For it is impossible, in the case of those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, and who shared in the Holy Spirit, Heb.6.5 — and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, Heb.6.6 — and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and holding him up to open shame. Heb.10.26 — For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, Heb.10.27 — but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. Heb.10.28 — Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Heb.10.29 — How much worse a punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, and has regarded as common the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? Heb.10.30 — For we know the one who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' Heb.10.31 — It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
  9. ↩Job.19.29 — Be afraid of the sword, all of you, for wrath brings the sword against iniquity, so that you may know there is judgment." Clearer aloud while preserving sword, wrath, iniquity, and judgment.
  10. ↩Job.13.11 — Is not His majesty terrifying to you, and the dread of Him falling upon you?
  11. ↩Job.31.14 — What then shall I do when God rises up? When He investigates, how shall I answer Him?
  12. ↩Job.31.14 — What then shall I do when God rises up? When He investigates, how shall I answer Him?

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