The Wisdom Of The Flesh And The Spirit

Qui enim secundum carnem sunt quae carnis sunt sapiunt qui vero secundum Spiritum quae sunt Spiritus sentiunt Sapientia odit malitiam. Quid est sapientia, nisi sapor boni? Quid malitia, nisi sapor mali? Quibus ergo sapit et dulce est in corde, sive bonum, sive malum, ipsi sunt qui sapiunt vel sentiunt quae sunt spiritus, vel quae sunt carnis: ipsi sunt et qui ambulant vel secundum spiritum, vel secundum carnem. Sequitur: Nam prudentia carnis mors est. Bene post saporem ponitur prudentia, quia sicut gustus est discernere cibos, quidquid sapiat, sic prudentiae est perpendere quid expediat. In quo si quis hoc tantum quaerit quod sapit carni, prudentia carnis est: quae mors animae est. Sicut enim anima vita est corporis, sic vita animae Deus est, et quidquid infra Deum appetit, mors illi est. Prudentia vero spiritus est quaerere vitam suam, quae Deus est: et pacem quae est in Deo, quae pax ei non potest, qui sapit quae carnis sunt: quia sicut dictum est sapientia odit malitiam: et sapientia carnis inimica est Deo, Legi enim Dei non est subjecta, nec enim potest. Quid est: neque enim potest? Non homo non caro, non spiritus, non ulla natura, non potest, sed prudentia carnis non potest. Vitium non potest, sed natura, quomodo si diceres: Claudicatio rectae ambulationi non est subjecta, nec enim potest. Pes potest, sed claudicatio non potest. Tolle claudicationem, et videbus rectam ambulationem. Quandiu claudicatio est, non potest, sic quandiu prudentia carnis est, non potest. Non sit prudentia carnis, et homo potest. Guillelmus S Theodorici Abbas, Expositio In Epistolam Ad Romanos, Liber II, Caput VIII Source: Migne PG 180.627d-628d

Those who are of the flesh know the things of the flesh but those of the spirit understand the things of the spirit. 1 Wisdom hates evil. What is wisdom unless the flavour of the good. What is wickedness but the flavour of evil? Therefore by the things it knows and are sweet to the heart, whether good or evil, there are those who know or know the things of the flesh and those who understand the things of the spirit, and there are those who walk according to the spirit and there are those who walk according to the flesh. It follows, 'For the wisdom of the flesh is death.' Rightly is wisdom placed after flavour, because as foodstuffs are distinguished by taste, whatever is known, it is of wisdom to reckon what is beneficial. In which if someone seeks only what he knows according to the flesh, it is the wisdom of the flesh, which is the death of the soul. For as the soul is the life of the body, so the life of the soul is God, and whatever is desired below God is its death. But the wisdom of the spirit is to seek its own life, which is God, and the peace which is in God, which peace is not possible for him who knows the things of the flesh, because as it was said, wisdom hates evil, and the wisdom of the flesh is the hatred of God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor is it able to be. What does it mean, that it is not possible? It is not man, nor flesh, nor the spirit, nor any nature, that is not able, but it is the wisdom of the flesh that is not able. Vice is not able, by its nature. As if you were to say, 'Lameness is not subject to correct walking, for it is not able.' The foot is able, but lameness is not able. Remove lameness, and you shall see correct walking. While there is lameness, it is not possible, and so while there is the wisdom of the flesh, it is not able. Let there be no wisdom of the flesh, and a man is able. William of St Thierry, Commentary on Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans, Book 5, Chapter 8 1 Rom 8.5