Eighty-three Different Questions : a new translation.

64. On the Samaritan Woman

QUESTIONS 62-64 127 Spirit was seen to descend upon him with the appearance of a dove,16 so it should be understood that, even before the open and visible coming of the Holy Spirit, it was possible for all saintly men to possess him without visible show. We have, of course, said all this so that we might by all means understand that by this visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit (which is called his coming), his fulness, in an ineffable and even yet inconceivable way, has been poured out more bountifully into the hearts of men. 63. ON THE WORD "In the beginning was the Word."1 The Greek word logos signifies in Latin both "reason"2 and "word."3 However, in this verse the better translation is "word," so that not only the relation to the Father is indicated, but also the efficacious power with respect to those things which are made by the Word. Reason, however, is correctly called reason even if nothing is made by it. 64. ON THE SAMARITAN WOMANI (1) The gospel mysteries signified by the words and deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ are not open to all, and some, through interpreting them less attentively and less circumspectly , very often occasion destruction in place of salvation and error in place of knowledge of the truth. Among these mysteries is the Scripture passage that the Lord at the sixth hour of the day had come to Jacob's well, sat wearied from the journey, requested a drink from a Samaritan 16 Mt 3.13-16. 1 In 1.1. 2 ratio. 3 uerbum. 1 In 4.5-43. Cf. IE 15.5-33 (PL 35.1512-22). 128 ST. AUGUSTINE woman, and the other things requiring discussion and investigation which are mentioned in the same Scripture passage. In regard to such an enterprise, this above all must be kept in mind, that in all Scripture it is necessary for one to maintain the highest vigilance so that the expositon of the divine mystery be according to the faith. (2) Accordingly, at the sixth hour of the day, our Lord came to the well. I see in the well a gloomy depth. I am therefore led2 to understand [by this] the lowest parts of the universe, i.e., the earth, to which our LordJesus came at the sixth hour, i.e., at the sixth age of mankind as if in the old age of the "old man," whom we are commanded to strip off in order that we might put on the new who is created after the likeness of God. 3 For the sixth age is old age, since the first is infancy; the second, boyhood; the third, adolescence; the fourth, youth; the fifth, maturity. 4 Consequently the life of the old man, which is lived out in a carnal way under the condition of time, is concluded in the sixth period by old age. In mankind's old age, as I have said, our Lord came as both our Creator and Restorer so that'(with the death of the old man, of course) he might constitute in himself a new man whom he might convey, divested of earthly stain, into the heavenly kingdom. Therefore now the well, as was said, signifies by its gloomy depth the earthly toil and error of this [lowest part of the] universe. Moreover the old man is the outer man, and the new the inner, for it is said by the Apostle: "And if our outer man is corrupted, nonetheless, the inner man is renewed from day to day."5 Therefore, since all visible things pertain to the outer man and [thus] are renounced by the Christian code of conduct,6 it is altogether fitting that the Lord came to the well at the sixth hour, i.e., at midday when already this world's visible sun begins to set in the west. [For] the delight in things visible is diminished for us who have been called by Christ, so that the inner man, recreated by the love of things 2 admoneor. 3 secundum Deum. Cf. Eph 4.22-24. 4 See above, QQ. 44; 53.1; and 58.2. 5 2 Cor 4.16. 6 christiana disciplina. QUESTION 64 129 invisible, is turned to the inner light which never sets, and it seeks, in accord with the Apostle's teaching, not "those things which...