Commentary on 2 Timothy

Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Just as a man would not have wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of God unless, according to the prophet's words, he had received "the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, of counsel and of fortitude, of knowledge and of godliness, and of fear of God," and just as he would not have power and love and sobriety, except by receiving the Spirit of whom the apostle speaks, "We have not received the spirit of fear but of power and love and sobriety," so also he would not have faith unless he received the spirit of faith.

Why, then, is it that, in what follows, where they mention what the Pelagians themselves think, they say they confess that "grace also assists the good purpose of every one, but that yet it does not infuse the desire of virtue into a reluctant heart"? They say this as if man of himself, without God's assistance, has a good purpose and a desire of virtue, hence this preceding merit is supposedly worthy of being assisted by the subsequent grace of God. For they think perhaps that the apostle thus said, "For we know that he works all things for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to the purpose," so as to wish the…

See also

• More works by Augustine of Hippo

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