Stipendia Peccati

Peter wept bitterly. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

St Bede's, Sunday 28th of July 2019.

St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, from Chapter 6:

[19] I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity; so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification.
Humanum dico, propter infirmitatem carnis vestrae : sicut enim exhibuistis membra vestra servire immunditiae, et iniquitati ad iniquitatem, ita nunc exhibete membra vestra servire justitiae in santificationem.

[20] For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice.
Cum enim servi essetis peccati, liberi fuistis justitiae.

[21] What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death.
Quem ergo fructum habuistis tunc in illis, in quibus nunc erubescitis? nam finis illorum mors est.

[22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting.
Nunc vero liberati a peccato, servi autem facti Deo, habetis fructum vestrum in santificationem, finem vero vitam aeternam.

[23] For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Stipendia enim peccati, mors. Gratia autem Dei, vita aeterna, in Christo Jesu Domino nostro.

Here is the Ronald Knox translation:

I am speaking in the language of common life, because nature is still strong in you. Just as you once made over your natural powers as slaves to impurity and wickedness, till all was wickedness, you must now make over your natural powers as slaves to right-doing, till all is sanctified.

At the time when you were the slaves of sin, right-doing had no claim upon you.

And what harvest were you then reaping, from acts which now make you blush? Their reward is death.

Now that you are free from the claims of sin, and have become God’s slaves instead, you have a harvest in your sanctification, and your reward is eternal life.

Sin offers death, for wages; God offers us eternal life as a free gift, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nota bene: [9] And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Et dicebat : Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat. [Mark 4. Parable of the Sower]