Unpacking The Dab

So, remember the post titled "A Dab of Augustine"? Well, for my omnibus class, I wrote a paper that expounded on that passage from Augustine's City of God. Here it is. Enjoy! :D

Two Cities, Two Loves, One Almighty God

St. Augustine of Hippo is considered by many to be one of the great Church Fathers. He lived from 354 A.D. to 430 A.D., through many important historical events, such as the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in 410 A.D. When Rome was sacked, the Roman people began blaming the Christians for the tragedy. They claimed that the Roman gods were angry because the Christians wouldn’t offer them sacrifices or worship them in any form. St. Augustine found the idea ridiculous, and, in order to refute it, wrote the first book of what would become The City of God, Augustine’s greatest and most famous theological work.

The City of God is a collection of books that Augustine published throughout his later years that was meant to explain his idea of these two cities, the City of God and the City of Man. Both were “inextricably intertwined” (Augustine, I.35)—for the time being—but polar opposites. Like Jesus’ parable of the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30, the two cities will coexist until the time of harvest—that is, Judgment Day—when the City of Man will be thrown into the fire, and the City of God will be gathered into the barn, or God’s heavenly kingdom on earth.

Each of the two cities was founded on a distinct “love”: “the earthly (the City of Man) by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly (the City of God) by the love of God, even to the contempt of self” (Augustine, XIV.28). The citizens of the earthly city are all those who hold the laws of God in contempt, led by a desire for their own pleasure and glory, while those who inhabit the Heavenly city are led by a desire for God to be glorified.

Augustine quotes a passage from the first chapter of the book of Romans to describe the city of Man. Romans 1:19-20 says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Because it is a passive verb, the phrase “by _____” can be added after the word “perceived.” In this case, the subjects doing the perceiving are the citizens of the earthly city. So even though they clearly knew that there was an omnipotent God, they still persisted in their wickedness. “Exchanging the Truth of God for a lie,” they “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). Because of this, God “gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity” (Rom. 1:24).

According to one Bible Commentary, the “giving up by God” of them is a reaction to idolatry. “The idol worshipper refuses to recognize that God our Maker is the center of all existence. He worships the ‘creature’ rather than the ‘Creator’” (ESV Student Study Bible, note for Romans 1:24).

Another reference to God giving up those who reject Him comes only a few verses later, in Romans 1:26: “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another”. Because of the people’s idolatry, God abandoned them to their homosexual desires. Obviously, homosexuality is a sin, as it is a direct result of what happens when God is rejected and is committed only in the absence of God.

But why would Augustine choose this passage to define the City of Man? For one, it sums up the nature of fallen humanity quite well. It describes fallen man as a suppressor of the truth, one who sees God’s “invisible attributes” displayed in all creation, yet exchanges God’s truth for the lie that the creation should be worshipped instead of its Creator. Verse 21 says “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to Him.” They paraded about as sages, becoming fools in the process, and “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (v. 23).

Augustine also describes the City of God with a Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 15:28. But, once again, the verse must be read in the context of the surrounding passage—which, in this case, is 1 Corinthians 15:12-33. As the two cities are different, it follows that the two passages attributed to them would be different as well. While Romans 1:18-32 depicts the wickedness and depravity of man, and the consequences of man’s idolatry, 1 Corinthians focuses on Christ’s overthrow of all existing reigns and rules and the institution of His glorious new kingdom. Christ’s conquering of His enemies will culminate in the destruction of death (1 Cor. 15:26), which is signified by the Resurrection of His saints.

After the Resurrection and the overthrow of nations, the author of 1 Corinthians says that “Then comes the end, when [Christ] delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (v. 24). The author goes on to quote Psalms 8:6, saying that “God has placed all things under His (Christ’s) feet.” “All things,” the author clarifies, excludes God himself, because “He is excepted who put all things in subjection under [Christ]. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be all in all” (vv. 27-28).

In choosing this particular passage to symbolize the City of God, Augustine is comparing the city of God to the coming kingdom of God as a reflection to its true image. While all Christians are currently citizens of the heavenly city, it is not until Christ comes again that we will live in a physical city of God on earth. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (The Holy Bible, 1 Cor. 13:12). Death and sadness exist in the City of God that now exists, but they will have no place in the coming kingdom.

The citizens of the earthly city are lovers of self, lusting after pleasure and glory. Because He has made Himself known through all creation, “they have no excuse” (The Holy Bible, Rom. 1:20). In the end, they will be condemned to eternal punishment by the Almighty God. The citizens of the heavenly city are lovers of God, “even to the contempt of self.” They will be resurrected to eternal life by the same Almighty God, and they will rejoice forever in His presence in His coming kingdom.