248. The Goodness of the Old Law and Divine Dispensation

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Goodness of the Old Law #

Thomas argues the Old Law is genuinely good despite objections from Scripture (Ezekiel 20:25, Romans 7, Acts 15:10). The Law is shown to be in harmony with reason because it represses concupiscence (lust contrary to reason) and prohibits all sins against reason. The apparent contradiction—that Scripture condemns the Law as “not good” while Paul calls it “holy, just and good”—is resolved by distinguishing ceremonial from moral precepts.

Perfect vs. Imperfect Goodness #

Goodness has two grades:

• Perfect goodness (bonitas perfecta): sufficient in itself to lead one to an end (e.g., medicine that cures disease)
• Imperfect goodness (bonitas imperfecta): aids toward an end but is insufficient alone (e.g., medicine that provides relief but cannot fully cure)

The Old Law represents imperfect goodness—it disposes toward salvation but cannot confer the grace necessary for salvation. This grace was reserved for Christ.

Human Law vs. Divine Law #

The distinction explains why the Old Law seems inadequate:

• Human law: aims at temporal tranquility of the city by preventing exterior evils
• Divine law: aims at eternal felicity, requiring transformation of both exterior acts and interior dispositions (especially the commandment against coveting, which addresses interior sin)

The Old Law, being divine, must address interior sins, but without grace it cannot perfect the will to fulfill these commands.

The Role of Grace #

The Law cannot confer grace—it reveals sin, occasions transgression through concupiscence, and shows the necessity of grace. As Romans 9:16 states, observance requires God’s mercy, not mere willing or running. The Old Law functions pedagogically like a pedagogue (tutor), preparing the people for maturity in Christ.

Divine Simplicity and Goodness (Digression) #

Berquist explores why Christ says “God alone is good” and why He tells Saint Catherine of Siena “I am Who Am, and you are she who is not.” Both statements reflect divine simplicity: God is goodness itself (bonitas ipsa), while creatures merely participate in goodness. God is being itself (ipsum esse), while creatures have being added to their substance. This proportional similarity between the two sayings reveals that God is the only being that is good simply speaking.

Key Arguments #

Against the Goodness of the Old Law (Objections from Scripture) #

1. Objection 1: Ezekiel 20:25—God gave precepts “not good”
2. Objection 2: Romans 7—the Law kills rather than saves; sin revived through the commandment
3. Objection 3: Acts 15:10—Peter says the yoke could not be borne by them or their fathers
4. Objection 4: The Law was not saving but “mortifera” (deadly/killing)

Thomas’s Responses #

• To Objection 1: The “not good” precepts refer to ceremonial precepts (ceremonial precepts, such as the law of sacrifice), not moral precepts. These do not confer grace, which is why they are said to be “not good.”
• To Objection 2: The Law kills not as an efficient cause (causa efficiens) but occasionally (occasionaliter). It reveals sin’s gravity and occasions greater transgression through concupiscence. The word “ut” (in order that) indicates purpose, not efficient causality—sin is shown to abound, not caused to abound.
• To Objection 3: The Law cannot be observed without grace, which the Law does not give. This is not a defect in the Law but a revelation of humanity’s need for grace.

Important Definitions #

Goodness (Bonitas) #

• Perfect goodness: sufficient to lead one to an end
• Imperfect goodness: aids toward an end but insufficient alone
• God is goodness itself; creatures participate in goodness

The Law (Lex) #

• Human law: ordered to temporal tranquility, restrains exterior acts
• Divine law: ordered to eternal felicity, addresses interior and exterior acts
• Old Law: divine law given through Moses, imperfect in grace but perfect in pedagogical function

Concupiscence (Concupiscentia) #

Desire for prohibited things; the tendency to lust after what is forbidden. The Law reveals this tendency and the need for grace to overcome it.

Occasionally (Occasionaliter) #

A form of accidental causality where something provides the occasion for an effect without being the efficient cause. The Law occasions sin without causing it efficiently.

Creature vs. Creator #

God is being itself (ipsum esse); creatures have being added to their substance. God is goodness itself (bonitas ipsa); creatures participate in goodness. This explains why Christ can say “God alone is good.”

Examples & Illustrations #

The Forbidden Fruit and Concupiscence #

When parents prohibit something (e.g., drinking alcohol), children become more tempted to desire it. The Law reveals this tendency in human nature and shows the impossibility of observance without grace.

The Pedagogue Analogy #

A tutor’s precepts are appropriate for a child’s stage though not perfect simply. Similarly, the Old Law’s precepts were perfect for the time and people to whom given, though not perfect in themselves.

The Expansion of the Heart #

From Psalm 118:32: “I have run the way of your commands when you have widened my heart.” Observance of the Law requires grace—the expansion of the heart through the gift of grace and charity.

God’s Goodness Itself #

Just as a medicine that cures is perfectly good, while medicine that merely provides relief is imperfectly good, the Old Law disposes toward but cannot effect salvation. Only Christ’s grace accomplishes what the Law commands.

Notable Quotes #

“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17)

This text serves as the basis for Thomas’s division: Old Testament (law) vs. New Testament (grace). Everything ordered to the Old Law aims at this fulfillment.

“It is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God who has mercy” (Romans 9:16)

Demonstrates that observing the Law requires grace, which the Law itself cannot provide.

“I have run the way of your commands when you have widened my heart” (Psalm 118:32)

Shows that observance requires grace—the expansion of the heart—not mere external compliance.

“Why do you call me good? God alone is good” (Gospel of Mark)

Christ as man is not good; God alone is goodness itself. This reflects the principle that goodness is God’s very substance.

“Remember just two things: I am Who Am, and you are she who is not” (Christ to Saint Catherine of Siena)

Parallels the teaching on goodness with the teaching on being: God is being itself; creatures have being added to their substance.

Questions Addressed #

Is the Old Law Good? #

Resolution: Yes, the Old Law is genuinely good (holy, just, good), though imperfectly so. It is good because:

• It is in harmony with reason
• It represses concupiscence and prohibits sins against reason
• It disposes the people toward salvation

However, its goodness is imperfect because it cannot confer the grace necessary to achieve salvation. This grace was reserved for Christ.

Why Does the Law Kill Rather Than Save? #

Resolution: The Law kills not as an efficient cause but occasionally—by revealing sin’s gravity and occasioning greater transgression through concupiscence. The Law shows humanity’s inability to fulfill the commands without grace, thereby revealing the necessity of divine mercy.

How Can the Law Be Impossible to Observe Yet Good? #

Resolution: The Law is good precisely because it commands what is truly good and reveals that perfect observance requires grace. The yoke cannot be borne without God’s mercy, but this is not a defect in the Law; it is the Law’s pedagogical purpose—to prepare the people for Christ by showing their need for grace.

Why Should Christ Say “God Alone Is Good”? #

Resolution: Because God is goodness itself (bonitas ipsa), while creatures merely participate in goodness. Christ as man is not goodness itself but possesses goodness by participation. The statement reflects divine simplicity: God’s essence is to be good, whereas a creature’s being and goodness are distinct from its essence.