Distinction between Lawlessness and Transgression

But one who does good wants to be unknown—and sometimes does this because of blindness—but he strives to have such works as being illuminated in addition to men, so that the Father who is in the heavens might be glorified; for 'let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens' (Matt 5:16).

2 There is no fear of God in the face of his eyes. No one having the divine fear before his eyes sins; for the divine fear is a refuter of sin. When men despise it, sinning occurs, having become outside of the divine fear. In the same way also the divine writing of the proverbs introduces wisdom, saying: 'The fear of the Lord hates injustice, and insolence and pride and the ways of the wicked' (Prov 8:13). If the fear of God hates these things, no one having it acts unjustly; for 'the fear of the Lord hates injustice.' He is not an insolent man, he is not a slanderer, he is not self-willed. And the name of insolence (hybris) at times signifies slander, and at other times exaltation and arrogance. 'And the ways of the wicked the fear of God hates.' And the 'ways of the wicked' are the ungodly opinions and the lawless actions. Since, therefore, he does not have the fear of God before his eyes, because of this he says in himself that he sins. 'But from the fear of the Lord everyone turns away from evil' (Prov 16:6).

3 Because he acted deceitfully in his own presence to find his own lawlessness and to hate it. In his own presence he acted deceitfully. He hides the evil through deceit, knowing that, if he does not hide the lawlessness through deceit, once found, hatred is activated in the one who has found and known it. So that he might not be hated because of the lawlessness, he hides it through deceit; for the one finding it hates it.

232 You know that many times probabilities overshadow evil works, so that they may go unnoticed. For example, the false prophets, being 'snaring wolves' according to the opinion, bring a sheep's fleece, so that they may be thought sheep. And from which they want to be known as sheep, it is evident that they hate the wolf-like way; but they hide it; for if it is found, hatred is activated. And no one is so dishonest as to say: 'I love lawlessness and I hate piety'—for possessing it and finding pleasure in practicing it, he does not want to hate it—for if it were made manifest, he would be shown...

For it also brings punishment. The words of his mouth are lawlessness and deceit. The words which he brings forth are lawlessness and deceits. If he sins morally by being uncontrolled, angry, or unjust, his words possess lawlessness. If he deceives with false opinion, those words possess deceit; for he acts deceitfully so that the impiety of his words may not appear, lest they be trampled upon and some turn away from them.

Furthermore: did he not say 'transgression'? Transgression is lawlessness, but lawlessness is not always transgression. If one acts outside of the law, he is acting outside of it, and that is lawlessness. But if, having received the law, he violates it, he acts contrary to the law, and that is transgression. Therefore, transgression is lawlessness, but lawlessness is not always transgression. The one acting contrary to the law and acting in opposition to the law is judged by the extent to which it reaches into actual deeds. If, however, we see the disposition of the one acting, even one who has received the law but does not act according to it, he transgresses. But if he has no law, I say—as it is written—he only commits lawlessness. 'As many as sinned in the law' (Psalm 78:52), he says; those sinning in the law are transgressors. 'They sin lawlessly' are those not possessing the law. However, the thing being done is one and the same. I take the difference from the volition and the disposition of the one acting, so that at times he is called lawless, and at times he is called a transgressor.

He did not will to understand the good. Lest anyone think that it is nature which separates the servant of God from transgression, and the diligent from the wicked, but rather that he has assigned both to volition, and says that according to his own will he is either evil or diligent; 'he did not will.' But another wills to understand the good. The diligent man wills this very thing, to do good things. Again, he who is not in these things will have become outside of them by his own will. Thus the word constructs self-determination and that which is autonomous and free through volition, because no one is a transgressor by nature, and no one is good by essence; for we all humans are of the same substance. But according to our own choice, or flight, we are either wicked or diligent.

He reckoned lawlessness upon his own bed. He says this to mean that not only when he is awake and acting does he work lawlessness, but also upon the bed.