222. Punishment, Sin, and Eternal Justice in Thomistic Theology

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Infinite Character of Sin Against God: Whether sin merits infinite punishment based on the infinity of the divine person offended
• Distinction Between Aversion and Conversion in Sin: Mortal sin involves both turning away from God (aversion) and disordered turning toward created goods (conversion)
• Punishment Proportioned to Guilt: How divine justice establishes correspondence between the nature of sin and the nature of punishment
• Damnation vs. Sensible Punishment: The distinction between eternal damnation (loss of infinite good) and temporal or finite punishments
• The Persistence of Punishment After Forgiveness: Whether the debt of punishment remains even when sin is remitted through grace
• Satisfaction and Voluntary Acceptance: How punishment becomes satisfactory when the will accepts divine justice, making it both involuntary absolutely and voluntary per se
• Original Sin and Perpetual Punishment: Why original sin merits eternal punishment (inability to see God’s kingdom) despite being the “mildest” sin
• The Stain of Sin and Its Healing: How the stain of sin persists after the act ceases, requiring punishment for the healing of the soul’s powers

Key Arguments #

On Infinite Punishment #

• Argument from Infinite Offended: A sin committed against God merits infinite punishment because the magnitude of the person offended is infinite; just as striking a prince is graver than striking a private citizen
• Argument from Scripture (Jer 10:24): “Correct me, Lord, in your judgment, but not in your fury…unless you reduce me to nothing”—being reduced to nothing is infinite punishment
• Argument from Divine Power: Just as creation from nothing is an act of infinite power, so the reverse (reduction to nothing) represents infinite punishment
• Objection—Equality of Infinite Punishments: If all sins merit infinite punishment, then all mortal sins would receive equal punishment, since one infinity is not greater than another

Thomas’s Resolution #

• Sin has two aspects: aversion (turning from unchangeable good/God) and conversion (disordered turning to changeable good)
• On the side of aversion, sin is infinite and merits the infinite punishment of damnation (loss of God)
• On the side of conversion, sin is finite (since changeable goods are finite and creatures’ acts are finite) and merits finite, sensible punishment
• This resolves the apparent contradiction: mortal sins differ infinitely on the side of aversion (all equally turn from God) but finitely on the side of conversion (differing degrees of disorder)

On Whether Punishment Remains After Sin Is Forgiven #

• Argument from Cause and Effect: If sin causes the debt of punishment, then removing sin removes the obligation to punishment
• Argument from Virtue: The virtuous man is not owed punishment but reward; therefore if sin is removed through virtue, no punishment is owed
• Counterargument (David’s Example): David was forgiven (“The Lord has transferred your sin”) but still endured temporal punishment (loss of his son); thus the obligation of punishment persists
• Thomas’s Resolution: The act of sin creates an obligation to punishment that persists even when the sin is forgiven; however, when the stain is removed (through joining the will to God), the punishment becomes satisfactory rather than simply punitive

On Original Sin and Eternal Punishment #

• Objection: Original sin is the mildest sin, and Augustine says its punishment is the mildest; yet it merits perpetual punishment (inability to see God’s kingdom)
• Argument from Infinite Difference: If all sins merited equal punishment, they would need to differ infinitely from one another, but human acts cannot be infinite
• Thomas’s Resolution: Original sin does not merit eternal punishment by reason of its gravity but by reason of the condition of the subject—the person without grace cannot be remitted except through baptism; lacking grace, remission is impossible

On Venial Sin in the Damned #

• Objection: If both mortal and venial sins are found in someone damned, and there is no remission in hell, then venial sin should also merit eternal punishment
• Resolution: The eternity of punishment for venial sin in hell corresponds to the irremissibility of the damned state, not to the intrinsic gravity of the venial sin itself

Important Definitions #

Aversion (ἀποστροφή/aversio) #

The turning away from the unchangeable good (God); this aspect of sin is infinite and corresponds to the infinite punishment of damnation—the loss of God himself.

Conversion (conversio) #

The disordered turning of the soul toward a changeable good; this aspect of sin is finite and corresponds to finite, sensible punishments.

Damnation (damnatio) #

The infinite punishment consisting of the loss of the infinite good (God); this is eternal and corresponds to the aversion aspect of mortal sin.

Sensible Punishment (poena sensus) #

Finite punishment, such as fire or physical torment, corresponding to the conversion aspect of sin; not infinite in quantity.

The Stain of Sin (macula peccati) #

The disorder remaining in the soul after the act of sin ceases; it persists even when sin is forgiven and requires healing through punishment.

Satisfactory Punishment (poena satisfactoria) #

Punishment undertaken or accepted voluntarily by the will as a means of restoration to equality of justice; it is involuntary absolutely (one would not choose it naturally) but voluntary per se (one chooses it given the circumstances and desire for reconciliation).

Debt of Punishment (debitum poenae) #

The obligation to undergo punishment that remains after sin is forgiven; it corresponds to the injury done to divine justice rather than to the act of sin itself.

Irreparable/Irremissible (irreparabilis) #

Unable to be repaired or remitted by internal principles; original sin in those without baptism, and mortal sin in those who die without repentance, are irremissible because they lack the grace necessary for their removal.

Examples & Illustrations #

• Scripture on David (2 Samuel 12): David’s adultery and murder are forgiven (“The Lord has transferred your sin”), yet God imposes temporal punishment through the death of his son—illustrating that the debt of punishment persists after forgiveness
• The Spirits in 1 John 4:6: The Spirit of Truth (τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας) contrasted with the spirit of error (τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης); Berquist notes the Holy Spirit can be understood as the Spirit of Truth both because he inspires truth and because he proceeds from the one who is Truth itself
• The Naming of the Apostles in Matthew 10: They are named in couples (Peter with Andrew, James with John, etc.), reflecting the importance of father-son and mentor-student relationships; this echoes Aristotle’s naming of the Nicomachean Ethics after Nicomachus
• Nicodemus’s Question (John 3): “How can a man be born again?"—illustrating confusion about beginning (ἀρχή/principium) and the past versus spiritual rebirth
• The Baptism of Christ in Matthew 3: Contrast between John’s baptism (with water) and Christ’s baptism (with Spirit and fire)—fire serving as metaphor for both divine judgment and purification
• Throwing Cargo Overboard: The classical example of voluntary-involuntary choice—a sailor doesn’t want to throw goods overboard, but given the alternative (ship sinking), he chooses to do so spontaneously
• Cutting Off a Gangrenous Leg: Amputation to save a life illustrates accepting severe punishment to avoid greater harm
• St. John of the Cross Desiring Purgatory on Earth: The saint requested prayer that he undergo his purgatory in this life rather than after death—showing the voluntary acceptance of satisfactory punishment
• Don Giovanni (the opera character): Example of one who has fixed his will eternally in sin and cannot repent; representing the irreparable nature of final impenitence
• The University of Vermont Philosopher: A man trained in philosophy but who took a different road and produced no philosophical work—illustrating deviation from one’s proper end
• Getting Lost in Geometry: A philosopher studying geometry might be delayed from advancing to natural philosophy and wisdom, just as venial sin delays progress to one’s ultimate end without destroying it

Notable Quotes #

“Correct me, Lord, in your judgment, but not in your furor…unless perhaps you would reduce me to nothing.” — Jeremiah 10:24 (cited as evidence for infinite punishment)

“It is more grave the sin, the greater is the person against whom one has sinned.” — Thomas Aquinas (proportionality principle)

“The Lord has transferred your sin; you will not die.” — 2 Samuel 12:13 (evidence that punishment persists after forgiveness)

“I am the way, the truth, the life.” — John 14:6 (Christ as Truth itself, explaining why the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth)

“If I do not have charity, I am nothing.” — 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (illustrating that one deprived of spiritual goods is said to be nothing)

“Sin is nothing, and the man who sins becomes nothing.” — Augustine (cited by Berquist’s friend Jim Fransack)

“You can never love God too much, because you can never love God as much as he is lovable.” — Berquist’s commentary (on the proportionality of love and the infinite goodness of God)

“Belief seeking understanding.” — Anselm (fides quaerens intellectum—explaining why one asks “Why should we love God?” even though commanded to do so)

“Seekers and not finders.” — Chesterton (on those who seek other goods and are bound to be disappointed)

“It makes all the difference how a man is brought up…it makes a great deal of difference.” — Aristotle (on the importance of upbringing, cited from the Nicomachean Ethics)

“Nothing too much.” — The Seven Wise Men of Greece (meden agan—illustrating the principle of moderation)

“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17 (basis for distinguishing Old Testament law from New Testament grace)

Questions Addressed #

Is sin owed infinite punishment? #

Resolution: Only in respect to the aversion from God (the infinite good). The conversion to disordered changeable goods merits finite punishment. The infinite punishment of damnation corresponds to the loss of God; finite sensible punishments correspond to the disorder introduced by the act.

Does the debt of punishment remain after sin is forgiven? #

Resolution: Yes. When sin is forgiven (the stain removed), the act of sin has ceased, but the obligation to restore equality of justice persists. This obligation is fulfilled through satisfactory punishment—punishment that the will accepts as a means of restoration rather than as purely retributive.

Why does original sin merit eternal punishment if it is the mildest sin? #

Resolution: Not by reason of gravity but by reason of the condition of the subject. One without grace cannot be remitted (except through baptism), making the punishment perpetual in those without the sacrament, not because the sin itself is grave but because remission is impossible apart from grace.

Do all sins in a damned person merit equal punishment? #

Resolution: No. Venial sins in the damned are not per se owed eternal punishment by reason of their guilt, but rather because the damned state itself is eternal and admits no remission. The irremissibility of damnation, not the gravity of the venial sin, accounts for its eternal character in hell.

How does satisfactory punishment differ from purely retributive punishment? #

Resolution: Satisfactory punishment is voluntarily undertaken (per se voluntary) even though it is absolutely involuntary; it serves to restore equality of justice by allowing the sinner’s will to accept divine justice. In purgatory, this is exemplified: the soul willingly undergoes punishment to be healed and purified for the vision of God.

Why is the Holy Spirit called both “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Truth”? #

Resolution: He can be understood as the Spirit of Truth both because he inspires and reveals truth and because he proceeds from Christ, who is Truth itself. The name “Spirit of God” emphasizes procession; “Spirit of Truth” emphasizes both inspiration and the source from which he proceeds.

Connections to Broader Thomistic Themes #

• First Principles and Irreparability: Just as error about first principles cannot be corrected by reasoning about conclusions, sin that destroys the ultimate end (God) cannot be repaired by internal principles alone
• Order and Justice: Justice itself is understood as equality (ἰσότης/aequalitas); divine justice seeks to restore equality through the proportionality of punishment to guilt
• Voluntariness and the Will: The analysis of satisfactory punishment relies on the Thomistic account of the voluntary and involuntary, distinguishing absolute from conditional willing
• Grace and Nature: The question of whether punishment is remissible depends on whether grace (via baptism or penance) can be applied; venial sin remains within the scope of natural repair in purgatory

Pedagogical Observations #

• Berquist emphasizes the importance of understanding the distinction between aversion and conversion as foundational to resolving apparent contradictions in Aquinas
• He stresses that punishment is not arbitrary but follows necessarily from the structure of divine justice and the nature of sin
• The discussion of satisfactory punishment illustrates how willing acceptance transforms the character of an act from purely punitive to medicinal
• Reference to literary and biblical examples (David, Don Giovanni, Nicodemus) grounds abstract theological concepts in narrative and character