Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 8:23-27

"And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [our] adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body. For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? But if we hope for that which we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for it. And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God." — Romans 8:23-27 (ASV)

1. After demonstrating the excellence of future glory from the longing of creation, the Apostle now demonstrates the same from the longing of the apostles. For something desired so anxiously by such great men cannot be a trifle.

   In regard to this, he does two things.

   First, he states his proposition.

   Second, he proves it, at the phrase for we are saved by hope.

2. Regarding the first point, he does three things.

   First, he describes the dignity of those who are longing when he says: and not only it, that is, creation, awaits the glory of the sons of God, but ourselves, that is, the apostles, who have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit. This is because the apostles had the Holy Spirit before others and more abundantly than others, just as earthly fruit that ripens earlier is richer and more delicious: Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest (Jeremiah 2:3); you have come to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:23).

   From this it is clear that the apostles are greater than all other saints regardless of their credentials—whether virginity, learning, or martyrdom—because they have the Holy Spirit more fully.

3. But someone might say that some other saints have endured more torture and greater austerities for Christ than the apostles.

   It should be understood, however, that the amount of one’s merit depends principally on charity, especially in respect to the essential reward. For the essential reward consists in the joy one has in God. But it is plain that one who loves God more will enjoy Him more. For this reason, the Lord promises that blessed vision to those who love: he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him (John 14:21). However, based on the quantity of his works, a person merits an accidental reward, which is the joy taken in those works. Therefore, the apostles performed the works they did with greater charity, which made their hearts prepared for much greater ones, if it had been appropriate.

4. But if it is said that someone can try so hard that he will have charity equal to that of the apostles, the answer is that a person’s charity is not derived from himself but from God’s grace, which is given to each according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Ephesians 4:7).

   Now, God gives to each the grace proportionate to his calling. Thus, the most excellent grace was given to Christ, because He was called to have His human nature taken into the unity of His divine person. After Him, the greatest fullness of grace was conferred on the blessed Mary, who was called to be the mother of Christ. Among the rest, however, the apostles were called to a greater dignity than all others, for they received from Christ Himself the things that pertain to salvation and the commission to deliver them to others. For this reason, the Church is in a sense founded on them, as it says in Revelation: the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14); and God has appointed in the church first apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28). Therefore, God gave them a greater abundance of grace than the rest.

5. Second, he mentions the anxiety with which they wait when he says, we ourselves groan inwardly. This groaning indicates the distress caused by the postponement of something desired with great longing: hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12); I am weary with my moaning (Psalms 6:6).

   This groaning, however, is more internal than external, because it proceeds from the hidden feelings of the heart and because it is concerned with internal goods. For this reason, he says, we ourselves groan inwardly: my groans are many (Lamentations 1:22).

6. Third, he mentions what is awaited, saying, waiting for the adoption of the sons, that is, for the completion of this adoption. This adoption was begun by the Holy Spirit justifying the soul: you have received the spirit of adoption of sons (Romans 8:15). But it will be brought to completion when the body is glorified: we rejoice in the hope of sharing the glory of the children of God (Romans 5:2). And that is why he adds, the redemption of our body, so that just as our spirit has been redeemed from sin, our body might be redeemed from corruption and death: I shall ransom them from death (Hosea 13:14); he will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21).

7. Then, when he says, for we are saved by hope, he proves what he had said with the following reason: Hope is concerned with things not seen in the present but awaited in the future. But we have been saved through hope; therefore, we await the completion of salvation as something in the future.

8. First, therefore, he presents the minor premise, saying that we, the apostles and the rest of the believers, are saved by hope, because we hope for our salvation: we have been born anew to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3); hope in him at all times, O people (Psalms 62:8).

9. Second, he presents the major premise, saying, but hope that is seen is not hope. This means that the thing hoped for, if it is seen as though possessed at present, is not something hoped for, but something possessed. For hope is the expectation of something future: wait for me, for the day when I arise (Zephaniah 3:8).

10. Third, he proves the major premise by asking, for who sees that which he hopes for? This is as if to say: hope implies a movement of the soul toward something not possessed. But when something is already possessed, there is no need for one to be moved toward it.

    And it should be noted that because hope somehow springs from faith, he attributes to hope something that belongs to faith, namely, that it is concerned with something not seen: faith is the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

11. Fourth, he presents the conclusion: but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

    For this reason, it should be noted that patience, properly speaking, inclines one to tolerate tribulation with a certain evenness of mind: be patient in tribulation (Romans 12:12). But because the postponement of something good has an aspect of evil, even the continued wait for absent goods with evenness of mind is attributed to patience, although this pertains more to long-suffering: be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (James 5:7). But patience is taken in both ways here, because the apostles awaited glory with evenness of mind, along with the delay and tribulation.

12. Then he shows how we are helped by the Holy Spirit in the defects of the present life, when he says, likewise, the Spirit.

    First, for the fulfillment of desires;

    Second, for the direction of external events, at and we know that (Romans 8:28).

    In regard to the first, he does two things.

    First, he states his proposition;

    Second, he clarifies it, at for we do not know.

13. First, therefore, he says that it has been stated that our mortal bodies will be made alive by the Holy Spirit when our weakness is removed from us. Likewise, in the present life in which we are still subject to weakness, the Spirit also helps our infirmity, even though He does not take it away entirely: the spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heart of my spirit, as though weakness was not yet entirely removed, for the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me (Ezekiel 3:14); and in this way He helped me: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

14. Then he clarifies what he had said, when he says, for we do not know.

    First, he shows the need for the Spirit’s help, which pertains to a weakness of the present life;

    Second, he indicates the way He helps, at but the Spirit himself;

    Third, he shows the effectiveness of the help, at and he who searches.

15. First, therefore, he says: I am correct in saying that the Spirit also helps our infirmity, for we suffer from a weakness in that we do not know what we should pray for as we ought: why does God surround with darkness the man whose way is hid? (Job 3:23).

16. And it should be noted that the Apostle says there are two things we do not know: what we should ask for in prayer and the manner in which we ought to ask. But both seem to be false.

    For in the first place, we know what we should ask for, because the Lord taught us: hallowed be your name (Matthew 6:9), and so on.

    The answer is that we can know in a general way what it is suitable to pray for, but we cannot know this in particular.

    First of all, if we desire to perform a virtuous deed, which is to fulfill God’s will on earth as it is in heaven, it can happen that the virtuous deed is not suitable for this or that person. For example, the quiet of contemplation is not beneficial for a person who can advance usefully in action, as Gregory says in Morals on Job 5:26: you shall come to your grave in ripe old age. For this reason, it says in Proverbs: there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12).

    Second, a person may desire a temporal good to sustain life—which is to seek one’s daily bread—but it puts him in danger of death. For many have perished because of riches: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt (Ecclesiastes 5:13).

    Third, a person may desire to be freed from a bothersome trial which is, nevertheless, a guardian of his humility. For example, St. Paul sought the removal of a thorn of the flesh, but it had been given to him to keep him from being too elated by the abundance of revelations (2 Corinthians 12:7).

17. Likewise, it also seems that we know how to pray as we ought, since it says in James: let him ask in faith, with no doubting (James 1:6).

    Here, too, the answer is that we can know in general, but we cannot discern exactly the special motive; for example, whether we are asking from anger or from a zeal for justice. For this reason, in Matthew, the petition of the sons of Zebedee was refused because, although they seemed to be asking to share in divine glory, their petition proceeded from vainglory or from arrogance (Matthew 20:20).

18. Then he explains the way the Holy Spirit helps, saying, but the Spirit himself asks for us with unspeakable groanings. This statement seems to support the error of Arius and Macedonius, who held that the Holy Spirit is a creature and lower than the Father and Son, for intercession is the role of a lesser person. But if from the fact that He is said to intercede we understand that He is a creature subject to suffering and inferior to the Father, then from the fact that He intercedes with groanings, we should suppose that He is a creature subject to suffering and not yet enjoying beatitude—which no heretic has ever said. For a groan proceeds from pain that pertains to misery.

    Consequently, we must explain that asks means “makes us ask,” as in Genesis: now I know that you fear God (Genesis 22:12), which means, “I have made you know.”

19. For the Holy Spirit makes us ask by causing right desires in us, because to ask is to make desires known. Now, right desires arise from the ardor of love, which He produces in us: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5).

    But with the Holy Spirit directing and inciting our heart, our desires cannot help but be profitable to us: I am the Lord who teaches you to profit (Isaiah 48:17); therefore, he adds, for us.

    But when we desire something strongly and pray for it longingly, we suffer its delay with pain and groanings; therefore, he adds, with groanings, which He causes in our heart by inspiring us to desire heavenly things that are delayed for the soul. These are the moanings of the dove, which the Holy Spirit causes in us: moaning like doves (Nahum 2:7).

    They are unspeakable: either because they concern an indescribable thing, that is, heavenly glory: he heard things that cannot be told (2 Corinthians 12:4); or because those movements of the heart cannot be sufficiently described, since they proceed from the Holy Spirit: who can explain the wisdom of the heavens? (Job 38:37).

20. Then he shows the effectiveness of the help with which the Holy Spirit aids us, saying: he who searches the hearts—that is, God, who alone searches the heart: you who try the minds and hearts (Psalms 7:9).

    But God is said to search hearts, not as though He investigates the secrets of the heart, but because He clearly knows the hidden things of the heart: I will search Jerusalem with lamps (Zephaniah 1:12).

    God, I say, searches hearts and knows—that is, approves, according to what is said in 2 Timothy: the Lord knows who are his (2 Timothy 2:19)—what the Spirit desires, which means what He makes us desire: all my desires are known to you, O Lord (Psalms 38:9).

    But the desires which the Holy Spirit causes in the saints are accepted by God, because he asks for the saints—that is, makes them ask—according to God, which means for things pleasing to God: the desire of the just ends in all good (Proverbs 11:23). As an example of this, the Lord said to the Father: not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39).