Thomas Aquinas

This epistle, then, is divided into two parts. In the first part he sets forth the epistolary greeting; in the second he pursues his intention, at the words I give thanks to my God. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the persons who greet; second, the persons greeted, Church of God, etc.; third he wishes them salutary goods, at the words grace to you and peace.

Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the principal person, whom he describes by name, saying Paul, concerning which name enough has been said in the epistle to the Romans. Here, however, let it suffice to say that he places this name first as a sign of humility; for Paul is the same as small, which pertains to humility. 1 Kings 15:17: When you were small in your own eyes, you were made head over the tribes of Israel. Matthew 11:25: You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to little ones.

Next he describes him by his dignity. And first he sets forth the manner of attaining this dignity, when he says called, according to Hebrews 5:4: No one takes the honor to himself, but he who is called by God, as Aaron was. Second he sets forth the dignity itself, saying apostle of Jesus Christ, which indeed is the first dignity in the Church, and is interpreted as one sent, because they were sent by God, that they might act in his place on earth. Hence it is said in Luke 6:13, that he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles, and below, 12:28: God has placed some in the Church, first indeed apostles, etc. Third he sets forth the origin or cause of this dignity, when he says through the will of God. This is to be understood of the will of good pleasure, from which those who in manifold ways preside over the churches are made perfect. Ecclesiasticus 10:4: In the hands of God is the power of the earth, and he will raise up over it a useful ruler in due time. And concerning this aforesaid will it is said to us under a figure, Job 37:12, that they go about all things in a circuit, wherever the will of the one governing has led them. But God allows some to be set in charge on account of the sins of their subjects, according to Job 34:30: He makes a hypocrite to reign on account of the sins of the people. But such a ruler is not said to be according to the will of God, but according to his indignation, according to Hosea 13:11: I will give you a king in my fury, and I will take him away in my indignation.

Second he sets forth the person joined with him, when he says and Sosthenes, the brother, whom he joins to himself in the greeting, because he had reported to the apostle the contentions and other failings of the Corinthians, lest this should seem to have been done out of hatred; and therefore he names him brother, to show that he had done this out of zeal for charity. Proverbs 9:8: Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

Then he sets forth the persons greeted, when he says to the Church of God which is at Corinth. And first he sets forth the principal persons, whom he describes in three ways. First indeed from place, when he says to the Church of God which is at Corinth, that is, to the faithful of Christ gathered at Corinth. Psalm 34:18: I will confess to you in the great church. Second from the gift of grace, when he says sanctified in Christ Jesus, that is, in the faith, the passion, and the sacrament of Christ Jesus. Below 6:11: but you have been washed, but you have been sanctified. Hebrews, last chapter: Jesus, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Third he sets forth the origin of grace, when he says called saints; because, namely, they came to holiness through the grace of their calling. Romans 8:30: Whom he predestined, these he also called. 1 Peter 2:9: He called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Second he sets forth the secondary persons, namely the faithful who were not in the city itself but dwelt in the diocese of the city or its district. Hence he adds to you, I say, who are at Corinth I write, with all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, namely through a true confession of faith. Joel 2:32: Everyone who shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And this in every place of theirs, that is, subject to their jurisdiction, and ours, because by the fact that they were subject to the bishop of the city, they were not exempted from the power of the apostle; rather they were themselves more subject to the apostle than to those to whom he himself had subjected them. Psalm 102:22: In every place of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul.

Finally, in the greeting, he sets forth the salutary goods that he wishes for them, the first of which is grace, through which we are justified from sins, Romans 3:24: justified freely through his grace; and the last is peace, which is perfected in eternal happiness. Psalm 147:14: Who has placed peace as your borders. Isaiah 32:18: My people shall sit in the beauty of peace. But by these two he includes all the others. Hence he says grace and peace. He shows the cause of these, adding from God our Father, according to James 1:17: Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights. But he adds and from the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom, as it is said in 2 Peter 1:4, God has given us the greatest and precious promises. John 1:17: Grace and truth were made through Jesus Christ.

Now what he says from God our Father can be understood of the whole Trinity, by whom we were created and adopted as sons. But and from the Lord Jesus Christ is added, not because he is another person or hypostasis besides the three persons, but on account of another nature. Or what is said God our Father is taken, by a certain appropriation, for the person of the Father, as in John 20:17: I ascend to my Father, my God and your God. But in that he adds and the Lord Jesus Christ, the person of the Son is made manifest. But the Holy Spirit is passed over in silence, because he is the bond of the Father and the Son, and is understood from both; or because he is the gift of both, he is understood in the gifts, of which he speaks when he says grace and peace, which are given through the Holy Spirit. Below 12:11: All these things the one and the same Spirit works.

Then when he says I give thanks to my God, he begins the epistolary treatise. And first he gives thanks for their goods, that they might bear the correction of their failings more tolerably; second he sets forth their instruction, at the words but I beseech you, brothers. Concerning the first he does two things. First he gives thanks for the goods which they had already received; second for the goods which they were awaiting for the future, at the words waiting for the revelation.

Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the giving of thanks, when he says I give thanks to my God, who, namely, although he is the God of all through creation and governance, is nevertheless his own and that of any just person through faith and devotion. Psalm 117:28: You are my God, and I will confess to you. He also shows when he gives thanks, when he says always, because this giving of thanks proceeds from the affection of charity, which was constant in his heart. Proverbs 17:17: He who is a friend loves at all times. And although he loved them at all times, and actually gave thanks for their goods, nevertheless he also gave thanks for them at all the hours which he had set apart for prayer. He also shows for whom he gives thanks, when he says for you, concerning whose goods, namely, he rejoiced on account of the union of charity, as if they were his own. 3 John 4: I have no greater grace than this, than to hear my children walk in truth.

Second he shows the matter of the thanksgiving, and first in general, when he says in the grace of God, that is, through the grace of God, which is given to you in Christ Jesus, that is, through Christ Jesus. John 1:16: Of his fullness we have all received grace for grace. Second in particular, where first he shows the abundance of grace when he says that in everything, namely, that pertains to salvation, you have been made rich, that is, abounding, in him, that is, through Christ, according to 2 Corinthians 8:9: for your sake he became poor, that by his poverty you might become rich. And he explains in what things they have been made rich, when he says in all speech, either because they spoke in every kind of tongue, or because they abounded in the word of doctrine. But speech would not be uttered in an orderly way unless it proceeded from knowledge, and therefore he adds in all knowledge, that is, understanding of all the Scriptures, and universally of all things that pertain to salvation. Wisdom 10:10: He gave him the knowledge of the saints. But this that the apostle says must be referred to those who were more perfect in the Church, in whom also the other lesser ones possessed these riches, as Augustine says on John: if you love the unity to which you cling, you have whatever another has in it; take away envy, and what another has is yours; for those whom desire and envy separate, charity joins together.

Second he shows their rectitude, saying as the testimony of Christ has been confirmed in you; the word of doctrine would not be right, nor the knowledge right, if it disagreed with the testimony of Christ, or if the testimony of Christ did not firmly adhere to their hearts through faith; because, as it is said in James 1:6, he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind. But he says testimony of Christ, either because the prophets foretold concerning him, according to Acts 10:43: to him all the prophets bear witness; or because Christ himself bore witness, according to John 8:14: if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; or also because the apostle in his preaching gave testimony to Christ. Acts 22:18: They will not receive your testimony concerning me.

Third he touches on the perfection of grace, when he says so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, because, namely, in different persons they had all the gratuitous graces. For it pertains to divine providence, that it grant necessary things without defect. Psalm 33:10: Nothing is wanting to those who fear him; and again: but those who seek the Lord shall not be diminished of any good.

Then he sets forth the goods to be awaited in the future. And concerning this he does three things. First he sets forth the awaiting of the future good, saying to you, I say, not only having grace in the present, but also awaiting, for the future, the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, namely by which he will be revealed to his saints, not only through the glory of his humanity, according to Isaiah 33:17: they shall see the king in his beauty, but also through the glory of his divinity, according to Isaiah 40:5: the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; which revelation indeed makes men blessed. 1 John 3:2: But when he shall appear, we shall be like him, and we shall see him as he is. And in this eternal life consists, according to John 17:3: this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. But as those to whom Christ is revealed are blessed in reality, so those who await this are blessed in hope. Isaiah 30:18: Blessed are all who wait for him. And therefore he gives thanks for this very expectation.

Second he shows that this expectation is not vain, by the help of divine grace. Hence he adds: who, namely Christ, who gave you the hope of this revelation, will also confirm you in the grace received. 1 Peter, last chapter: after you have suffered a little, he himself will perfect, confirm, and establish you. And this even to the end, namely of your life. Matthew 10:22: He who perseveres to the end, he shall be saved. But not that you may be without sin: because, if we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, as it is said in 1 John 1:8, but that you may be without reproach, that is, without mortal sin. 1 Timothy 3:10: Let them minister, having no crime. And this, I say, will be in the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, because, namely, he who is found without reproach on the day of death, will arrive without reproach at the day of judgment, according to Ecclesiastes 11:3: if the tree falls to the south, or to the north, in whatever place it falls, there it shall be. But unless one is now found without reproach, he would await that revelation in vain.

Third he assigns the reason for his promise, saying that God will confirm you, which you ought to hope, because God is faithful (Deuteronomy 32:4: God is faithful and without any iniquity), through whom you have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that is, that you may have fellowship with Christ, both in the present through the likeness of grace, according to 1 John 1:7: if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship with him with one another, and in the future through the participation of glory, Romans 8:17: if we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together. But God would not seem to be faithful, if he called us to the fellowship of his Son and denied us, as far as it is in him, those things by which we could arrive at him. Hence Joshua 1:5 says: I will not forsake you, nor abandon you.