Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle set forth admonitions; here he assigns the reasons for them. Now he set forth two admonitions: the first, that they should not share in the works of darkness; the second, that they should reprove sinners. According to this, therefore, he does two things. First he sets forth the reason for the first admonition; second, the reason for the second, at the place "For all things that are reproved," etc.

He says, therefore: I said well, "do not share"; nay rather, you ought also to rebuke and reprove such persons. Why? Because "the things that are done by them in secret, it is shameful to speak of." Now this concerns carnal vices, in which there is great shamefulness, because there is very little of the goods of reason in them, since acts of this kind are common to us and to brute animals.

There follows "All things that are reproved," etc. Here the Apostle sets forth the reason for the second admonition, and he does two things. For first he sets forth the reason; second he assigns a confirmation, at the place "Wherefore he says," etc.

As to the first, then, he wishes to prove that it is fitting for them to reprove those who transgress, and he proves this thus: whatever is shown to be evil is reproved, for every reproof is a certain manifestation; but every manifestation comes about through light, and you are light; therefore it is fitting for you to reprove and to manifest them. Now he sets forth the major premise of this argument at the place "But all things that are reproved," etc. And he sets forth the minor premise at the place "everything that," etc.

As if to say: it is fitting for them to reprove for this reason, because, as is said in 1 Corinthians 2:15: "the spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one." Hence the Gloss explains it thus: "all things" — namely, the sins that are reproved by the light, that is, by good and holy men, who are the children of light — "are made manifest," namely, through confession. Proverbs 28:13: "But he who shall have confessed and forsaken them shall obtain mercy." And "everything" — namely, the evil — "that is manifested" through confession "is light," that is, it is turned into light.

Then he confirms this by an authority, saying "Wherefore he says: Rise," etc. The Gloss explains it thus: on account of the fact that it is light, he says — namely, the Holy Spirit — "O you who sleep, rise," etc. But this is not Paul's custom. And therefore it must be said that the Apostle introduces the figure set down in Isaiah 60:1: "Arise, be enlightened, Jerusalem," etc., saying "Wherefore" — namely, Scripture — "says: Rise" from the negligence of good work, "you," namely, "who sleep." Proverbs 6:9: "How long, sluggard, will you sleep?" Psalm 40:9: "Shall not he who sleeps go on to rise again?" And "rise from the dead," that is, from dead works, or works that put to death. Hebrews 9:14: "he will cleanse our conscience from dead works," etc. Isaiah 26:19: "Your dead shall live, my slain shall rise again." "Rise, therefore, and Christ will enlighten you." Psalm 26:1: "The Lord is my light," etc. The same, 12:4: "Enlighten my eyes, lest I ever sleep in death."

But can we, by ourselves, rise from sin, since he says: "Rise, and Christ will enlighten you"? I respond: it must be said that for the justification of the ungodly two things are required, namely, free will cooperating toward rising, and grace itself. And indeed free will has this very cooperation from prevenient grace, and afterward has to work meritoriously from subsequent grace. Hence it is said in the last chapter of Lamentations: "Convert us, O God, and we shall be converted."