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5.Not that we are competent. (370) When he thus disclaims all merit, it is not as if he abased himself in merely pretended modesty, but instead of this, he speaks what he truly thinks. Now we see, that he leaves man nothing. For the smallest part, in a manner, of a good work is thought. In other words, (371) it has neither the first part of the praise, nor the second; and yet he does not allow us even this. As it is less tothink than to will, how foolish a part do those act, who arrogate to themselves a right will, when Paul does not leave them so much as the power of thinking aught! (372) Papists have been misled by the term sufficiency, that is made use of by the Old Interpreter. (373) For they think to get off by acknowledging that man is not qualified to form good purposes, while in the mean time they ascribe to him a right apprehension of the mind, which, with some assistance from God, may effect something of itself. Paul, on the other hand, declares that man is in want, not merely of sufficiency of himself, ( αὐτάρκειαν,) but also of competency ( ἱκανότητα,) (374) which would be equivalent to idoneitas (fitness), if such a term were in use among the Latins. He could not, therefore, more effectually strip man bare of every thing good. (375)
(370) “Non point que soyons suffisans;” — “ that we are sufficient.”
(371) “Pour le moins;” — “ least.”
(372) See Institutes, volume 1. — Ed.
(373) Wiclif (1380) following, as he is wont, the Vulgate, renders the verse as follows: “ that we ben sufficiente to thenke ony thing of us as of us: but oure sufficience is of God.” — Ed.
(374) “La disposition, preparation, et inclination;” — “ preparation, and inclination.”
(375) Charnock, in his “ on the Efficient of Regeneration,” makes an interesting allusion to Calvin’ exposition of this verse. “” says he, “ the lowest step in the ladder of preparation; ‘ the first act of the creature in any rational production; yet this the Apostle doth remove from man, as in every part of it his own act, (2Co_3:5)
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.
The word signifies — reasoning: no rational act can be done without reasoning; this is not purely our own. We have no sufficiency of ourselves, as of ourselves, originally and radically of ourselves, as if we were the author of that sufficiency, either naturally or meritoriously. And Calvin observes, that the word is not αὐτάρκεια, but ἱκανότη ” — not a self ability, but an aptitude or fitness to any gracious thought. How can we oblige him by any act, since, in every part of it, it is from him, not from ourselves? For as thinking is the first requisite, so it is perpetually requisite to the progress of any rational act, so that every thought in any act, and the whole progress, wherein there must be a whole flood of thoughts, is from the sufficiency of God.” — Charnock’ Works, volume 2, p. 149. — Ed.