For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
Read Chapter 4
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Hear Paul the apostle first acknowledging grace and afterwards seeking what was owed. What is the acknowledgment of grace in Paul? He “was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and contumelious,” he says, “but I obtained mercy.” He said that he was unworthy to obtain it, but that he obtained it not by his own merits but by the mercy of God. Hear him now ready to receive what is owed, he who had first accepted unmerited grace. He says, “For I am even now ready to be sacrificed, and the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice.” Now he demands what is owed. Now he exacts what is to be paid. For look at the following words: “Which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in that day.”
Let me say something about this; I am helped, you see, by their words, which have gone out to the ends of the whole wide world. Notice first of all his holy act of pouring himself out. He said he was being immolated, not that he was dying. It is not because one who is immolated doesn’t die but that not everyone who dies is immolated. So being immolated he is dying for God. The word is taken from sacrifice. Everything that is sacrificed is slaughtered for God.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.".
There now remains for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me in that day; and not only to me, but to all also who love His appearing."
He did not add next something like “he will deliver me out of the mouth of the lion,” for he saw in the spirit that his death was all but at hand. So he adds to his words, “And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” He says: “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom,” indicating his speedy martyrdom, which he foretells even more clearly in the same writing, when he says, “For I am even now ready to be sacrificed, and the time of my dissolution is at hand.”
I am even now ready to be sacrificed. Literally, to be immolated. See Philippians ii. 17.
The time of my dissolution (literally, resolution) is at hand. This makes many judge that this letter was written during his last imprisonment; but the sense perhaps may be, that being old and worn out with labours, he could not live long. (Witham)
He has not said of my sacrifice; but, what is much more, of my being poured out. For the whole of the sacrifice was not offered to God, but the whole of the drink-offering was.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; there is laid up for me the crown which the Lord will give me on that day"
