Thomas Aquinas

The Apostle had said above, "we speak wisdom among the perfect." After, therefore, he showed what sort of wisdom this is — unknown to worldly men, but known to the saints — here he shows for what reason the saints speak this wisdom among the perfect. And first he sets forth what he intends; second he assigns the reason, at "but the animal man," etc.

Concerning the first, he first sets forth the manifestation of the things revealed, saying: it has been said that we have received the Spirit of God, that we may know the things that have been given to us by God — namely, the things that have been revealed to us through the Spirit, we speak. For these things have been revealed to them for usefulness. Hence also Acts 2:4: "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak." Second he touches on the manner of declaring, excluding an unfitting manner, saying "not in words taught by human wisdom," that is, we do not strive to prove our teaching through words composed from human wisdom, whether as to the ornamentation of words or as to the subtlety of reasonings. Is. 33:19: "you will not see a people of lofty speech." For he establishes the fitting manner when he says "but in the teaching of the Spirit," that is, insofar as the Holy Spirit teaches us inwardly as we speak, and illumines the hearts of the hearers to grasp it. Jn 16:13: "when that Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you all truth." Third he determines the hearers, saying "comparing spiritual things to spiritual," as if to say: by a right comparison we hand down spiritual teachings to spiritual men, to whom they are fitting. 2 Tim. 2:2: "commend these things to faithful men, who will be fit also to teach others." And he names here as spiritual the same men whom above he called perfect, because through the Holy Spirit men are perfected in virtue, according to that saying, Ps. 32:6: "by the spirit of his mouth is all their power."

Then, when he says "animal," etc., he assigns the reason for what has been said, and first he shows why spiritual things are not to be handed down to animal men; second why they are to be handed down to spiritual men, at "the spiritual man," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he gives the reason; second he explains it, at "for it is foolishness," etc.

The reason, then, is this: to no one are teachings to be handed down which he cannot grasp; but animal men cannot grasp spiritual teachings; therefore they are not to be handed down to them. This, then, is what he says, "the animal man," etc. And therefore by right reason they cannot be handed down to them. Here it must first be considered what man is called animal. It must be considered, then, that the soul is the form of the body. Hence those powers are properly understood as of the soul which are the acts of bodily organs, namely the sensitive powers. Men are called animal, therefore, who follow powers of this kind, among which is the apprehensive power and the appetitive; and therefore a man can be called animal in two ways. In one way as to the apprehensive power, and such a one is called animal in sense, who, as is said in the Gloss, judges concerning God according to the phantasm of bodies, or the letter of the law, or philosophical reasoning, which are received according to the sensitive powers. In another way someone is called animal as to the appetitive power, namely one who is affected only toward those things which are according to sensitive appetite, and such a one is called animal in life, who, as is said in the Gloss, follows the dissolute wantonness of his own soul, which the ruling spirit does not contain within the bounds of the natural order. Hence it is said in the canonical letter of Jude, v. 19: "these are they who separate themselves, animal, not having the Spirit."

Second it must be seen why such men cannot perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God — which indeed is manifest both as to the animal in sense and as to the animal in life. For the things concerning which the Holy Spirit illumines the mind are above human sense and reason, according to that saying, Ecclus. 3:25: "many things above the sense of man have been shown to you"; and therefore they cannot be grasped by him who relies only on sensitive cognition. The Holy Spirit also kindles the affection to love spiritual goods, with sensible goods held in contempt; and therefore he who is animal in life cannot grasp spiritual goods of this kind, because the Philosopher says in Ethics IV that as each one is, such does the end appear to him. Prov. 18:2: "the fool does not receive the words of prudence, unless you speak to him the things that are turning in his heart." Ecclus. 22:9: "he speaks with one asleep, who tells wisdom to a fool."

Then, when he says "for it is foolishness," etc., he makes manifest what he had said, by a sign; for when someone rejects things wisely said as though foolish, it is a sign that he does not grasp them. Because, therefore, the animal man reckons the things that are of the Spirit of God to be foolish, from this it is made manifest that he does not grasp them. And this is what he says: "for it is foolishness to him," namely to the animal man. For he judges to be foolish the things that are done according to the Spirit of God. Eccle. 10:3: "the fool walking in the way, since he himself is unwise, esteems all others fools." But that to the animal man the things that are according to the Spirit seem foolish does not proceed from rectitude of sense — just as the wise judge some things to be foolish which seem wisdom to fools, on account of a defect of intellect — because a man given over to sense cannot understand the things that are above sense, and a man affected by carnal things does not understand anything to be good except what is delightful according to the flesh. And this is what follows, "and he cannot understand." Ps. 81:5: "they have not known nor understood, they walk in darkness." But why he cannot understand, he shows by adding "because it is spiritually examined," that is, the examination of spiritual things takes place spiritually. For the lower can never examine and judge the things that belong to the higher, just as sense cannot examine the things that belong to intellect. And likewise, neither sense nor human reason can judge the things that are of the Spirit of God. And so it remains that things of this kind are examined only by the Holy Spirit, according to that saying, Ps. 17:31: "the words of the Lord examined by fire" — proved, namely, by the Holy Spirit. Because, therefore, the animal man lacks the Holy Spirit, he cannot examine spiritual things, and consequently neither understand them.

Then, when he says "but the spiritual man judges all things," etc., he assigns the reason why spiritual things are handed down to spiritual men, and first he gives the reason; second he explains the cause, at "for who has known." He assigns this reason: spiritual things are to be handed down to him who is able to judge, according to that saying, Job 12:11: "the ear discerns words"; but the spiritual man is of this kind; therefore spiritual things are to be handed down to him. And this is what he says: "but the spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one." Here first it must be seen what man is called spiritual. But it must be noted that we are accustomed to name incorporeal substances "spirit"; since, therefore, there is some part of the soul which is not the act of any bodily organ — namely the intellective part comprising intellect and will — this part of the soul is called the spirit of man, which is nevertheless illumined as to intellect by the Spirit of God, and inflamed as to affection and will. A man, therefore, is called spiritual in two ways. In one way on the part of the intellect, the Spirit of God illumining. And according to this it is said in the Gloss that a man is spiritual who, subject to the Spirit of God, knows spiritual things most certainly and faithfully. In another way on the part of the will, the Spirit of God inflaming; and in this way it is said in the Gloss that a life is spiritual by which, having the Spirit of God as ruler, one rules the soul, that is, the animal powers. Gal., last chapter: "you who are spiritual, instruct such a one," etc.

Second it must be considered why the spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one. Here it must be noted that in all things, he who is rightly disposed has right judgment concerning particulars. But he who suffers a defect of rectitude in himself also fails in judging: for one who is awake rightly judges both that he himself is awake and that another is asleep; but one who is asleep has no right judgment about himself, nor about the one who is awake. Hence things are not such as they appear to one asleep, but such as they appear to one awake. And the same reasoning holds for the healthy and the sick concerning the judgment of tastes, and for the weak and the strong concerning the judgment of weights, and for the virtuous and the vicious concerning things to be done. Hence also the Philosopher says in Ethics V that the virtuous man is the rule and measure of all human things, because indeed in human affairs the particulars are such as the virtuous man judges them to be. And according to this manner the Apostle here says that the spiritual man judges all things, because indeed a man having his intellect illumined and his affection ordered by the Holy Spirit has right judgment concerning the particulars that pertain to salvation. But he who is not spiritual has also his intellect darkened and his affection disordered concerning spiritual goods, and therefore the spiritual man cannot be judged by a man who is not spiritual, just as one who is awake cannot be judged by one who is asleep. As to the first of these, therefore, it is said, Wis. 3:8, that "the just shall judge the nations." As to the second it is said below, 4:3: "to me it is a very small thing that I be judged by you, or by man's day."

Then, when he says "for who has known," etc., he makes manifest the reason he had adduced. And first he brings in an authority; second he applies it to the point at hand, at "but we," etc. It must be considered that for someone to be able to judge concerning some man, two things are required. First, that the one judging know the things that belong to the one judged, because, as is said in Ethics I: "each one judges well the things he knows, and of these he is the best judge." From which it is clear that no one can pass judgment on the mind, that is, the wisdom of God judging all things. Therefore he says, "for who has known the mind of the Lord?" As if to say: no one; because the wisdom of God exceeds every desire of man. Ecclus. 1:3: "who has searched out the wisdom of God that precedes all things?" Wis. 9:17: "but who shall know your mind, unless you give wisdom?" Second it is required that the one judging be superior to the one judged. Hence a lord has judgment concerning a servant, a master concerning a disciple. From which it is also clear that no one can judge the mind of God. On account of which there follows, "or who has instructed him?" As if to say: no one. For he does not have knowledge received from anyone, but rather is the fount of all knowledge. Job 26:3: "to whom have you given counsel? Perhaps to him who does not have wisdom?" But these words seem to be taken from what is said, Is. 40:13: "who has helped the Spirit of the Lord, or who has been his counselor and showed him? With whom did he take counsel, and who instructed him?"

Then he applies what he had said to the point at hand, saying "but we" — namely spiritual men — "have the mind of Christ," that is, we receive in ourselves the wisdom of Christ for judging. Ecclus. 17:6: "he created for them the knowledge of the spirit, he filled their hearts with understanding." Lk., last chapter, it is said that "he opened their mind, that they might understand the Scriptures," and so, because the mind of Christ cannot be judged, it is fitting that the spiritual man, who has the mind of Christ, be judged by no one.