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ER 2286

Ambrosiaster speaks about the gifts of Holy Spirit conferred on the ordained. The "Questiones Veteri et Novi Testamenti", written in Rome, the 370s or 380s.

Quaestio 93

2. Illud autem quod insufflasse in discipulos dominus legitur post dies paucos resurrectionis suae et dixisse: accipite spiritum sanctum, ecclesiastica potestas intellegitur esse. quia enim omnia in traditione dominica per spiritum sanctum aguntur, idcirco, cum regula eis et forma traditur huius modi disciplinae, dicitur eis: accipite spiritum sanctum. et quia uere ad ius ecclesiasticum pertinet, statim subiecit dicens: cuius tenueritis peccata, tenebuntur; si cuius remiseritis, remittentur eis. inspiratio ergo haec gratia quaedam est quae per traditionem infunditur ordinatis. per quam commendatiores habeantur. unde apostolus dicit ad Timotheum: noli, inquit, neglegere gratiam quae est in te, quae data est tibi per inpositionem manuum presbiterii. semel ergo fieri oportuit, ut de cetero traditio ista non sine dono spiritus sancti esse crederetur. sicut enim in saluatore forma data est uisibiliter, ut post baptismum spiritus sanctus credentibus de cetero inuisibiliter dari non ambigeretur, ita et in supra dicta causa forma data est in principio, ut ex eo traditioni ecclesiasticae spiritus sanctus infusus credatur. ut autem apostoli praesente domino uirtutes facerent, potestas data est, sicut et prius profetis. 3. Trium ergo officiorum formae donis spiritus sancti in apostolis sunt ostensae, quarum prima haec est, quae ad ius ecclesiasticum pertinet in regenerandis uel ceteris officiis; secunda, quae in pentecoste data est, quae est generalis - non solum enim in apostolos, uerum etiam in omnes decidit spiritus sanctus credentes; tertia forma est, quae solis apostolis uel ordinatis initio est concessa in signis ac uirtutibus faciendis, usque dum fidei semina iacerentur ad crementum.

(ed. Souter 1908: 163)

Quaestio 93

2. That [passage] in which it is said that the Lord breathed on the disciples after a few days after his Resurrection and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit" [John 20:22], should be understood [as referring] to ecclesiastical power. And because everything what the Lord teaches happens through the Holy Spirit, for that reason, when the rule and design is taught to them, it is said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit." And that it truly refers to the ecclesiastical power, He demonstrated sufficiently by saying: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" [John 20:23]. Inspiration is that grace which is poured on the ordained by transmission. Through which they become more valuable. Therefore, the Apostles says to Timothy: "Do not neglect the grace which is in you, which was given to you by the imposition of hands to presbyterate" [2 Tim 1:6]. It had to then happen once so that in future it is believed that this tradition was not without the gift of the Holy Spirit. Just as in [the case of] the Savior the form [forma] is given in a visible way so that in future there is no doubt that after baptism the Holy Spirit is given invisibly to the believers, similarly here, in the aforementioned case, the form (forma) is given at the beginning so that it is believed that by it the Holy Spirit pours into the ecclesiatical tradition [transmission of the ecclesiastical office]. In order that the apostles do miracles (virtutes) in the Lord's presence, the power is given just as it had been earlier given to the prophets. 3. The gift of the Holy Spirit was showed to the apostles in the three functional forms [formae officiorum]: the first which refers to the ecclesiastical law in the context of regeneration [baptism] and similar rites; the second, which was done in the Pentecost, is general - the Holy Spirit was given not only to the apostles but to all believers; the third, which is from the beginning given only to the apostles and the ordained in order that they could make signs and miracles so long as the grains of faith are sown to grow.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

For another Ambrosiater's interpretation of 2 Tm 1: 6 see [2278].

Place of event:

Region

Rome

City

Rome

About the source:

Author: Ambrosiaster
Title: Questiones Veteri et Novi Testamenti
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

"Ambrosiaster" is a name given in the scholarship (probably since the 17th-century edition of the Maurines) to the author of the Commentaries to the Letters of Paul which where attributed to Bishop Ambrose of Milan throughout the Middle Ages. Some proposed to identify Ambrosiaster with one of the known authors but none of these identifications is supported by compelling evidence. From the remarks scattered in the Commentaries we can deduce that he lived in Rome during the pontificate of Pope Damasus (366-384). As he sometimes speaks disapprovingly about the Roman deacons, it is possible that he was himself a presbyter (Hunter 2017).

Also the Quaestiones Veteris and Novi Testamenti, transmitted under the name of Augustine, are now unanimously attributed to Ambrosiaster. As manuscripts transfer various numbers of treatises, Souter, who edited the work in the CSEL series, thought that there was two editions of the work, first containing 150 treatises, and the second, revised one, with only 127 treatises. C. Martini, however, argued that neither of the collections found in the manuscripts derive directly from the author but that they are work of later compiler (Martini 1954).

Edition:

H.I. Vogels ed., Ambrosiaster, Commentarius in xiii Epistulas Paulinas, Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Lationorum 81, Wien 1966–9

Bibliography:

D.G. Hunter, "The Significance of Ambrosiaster," Journal of Early Christian Studies 17 (2009), 1-26

D.G. Hunter, "Rivalry between Presbyters and Deacons in the Roman Church: Three Notes on Ambrosiaster, Jerome, and The Boasting of the Roman Deacons," Vigiliae Christianae 71 (2017), 495–510

S. Lunn-Rockliffe, Ambrosiaster's Political Theology, Oxford 2007

C. Martini, "Le recensioni delle "Quaestiones Veteris et Novi Testamenti" dell'Ambrosiaster", Ricerche de Storia Religiosa 1 (1954), 40-62

A. Merkt, "Wer war der Ambrosiaster?" Wissenschaft und Weisheit 59 (1996) 19-33

A. Polliastri, "Ambrosiaster", in: Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity, ed. A. Di Berardino, Downers Grove 2013

Categories:

Act of ordination

Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens

Ritual activity - Imposition of hands

Ritual activity - Reconciliation/Administering penance

Theoretical considerations - On priesthood

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2286, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2286