Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle had shown the contention and division of the Corinthians, who were disputing with one another on account of the ministers of Christ by whom they had been baptized and taught; here he begins to reprove the judgment they held concerning the ministers, from which judgment contentions proceeded among them. And concerning this he does two things. First he reproves their judgment as to this, that they attributed more than they ought to certain of the ministers of whom they boasted; secondly, as to this, that they despised other ministers of Christ, in chapter IV, there so let a man esteem us. Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows the harm they were suffering on account of the contentions arising from a perverse judgment; secondly he reproves their perverse judgment, there what then is Apollo? Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the harm they had suffered thus far on account of their defect; secondly he shows that they still suffer the same, there but not even now indeed. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the harm they had suffered thus far on account of their defect. For he had said above that the apostles indeed handed on spiritual instructions to spiritual men, which men of soul could not perceive: this he adapts to them, saying and I, brethren, who namely among the other apostles speak spiritual things to spiritual men, could not, that is, fittingly, speak to you as to spiritual men, so as, namely, to hand on to you spiritual instructions, but as to carnal, that is, I spoke to you. For he calls carnal the same ones he called above men of soul, to whom must be handed on things suited to their weakness. Is. XXVIII, 9: whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand the hearing? Them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the breasts, that is, from carnal manner of life and sense. Secondly he applies a comparison, saying as to little ones in Christ, that is, as to those still little introduced into the perfect doctrine of the faith, which is owed to spiritual men. Hebr. c. V, 13: every one that is a partaker of milk, is unskilful in the word of justice; for he is a little child: but strong meat is for the perfect. Thirdly he assigns the reason, lest it be believed that he withheld spiritual doctrine from them out of envy, against which it is said Sap. VII, 13: which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy. Whence it is added for you were not yet able, as if he were to say: I did not withhold food from you out of my envy, but on account of your incapacity, because you were not yet well able to grasp spiritual words, according to that Io. XVI, v. 12: I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Then, when he says but neither indeed can you now, he shows that they still suffer the same harm. And first indeed he sets down the incapacity under which they still lay, saying but neither indeed can you now, as if he were to say: that from the beginning you could not grasp the perfect doctrine was no wonder, because this ignorance befitted your newness, according to that I Petr. c. II, 2: as newborn babes, desire the milk. But this seems to be blameworthy, that after so much time in which you ought to have progressed, you retain the same incapacity, according to that Hebr. V, 12: whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the elements of the words of God. Secondly he assigns the reason for the aforesaid incapacity, saying for you are yet carnal, namely in life and sense. And therefore you cannot grasp the things that are of the spirit, but you savor the things that are of the flesh, according to that Rom. VIII, 5: they that are according to the flesh, savor the things that are of the flesh. Thirdly he sets down the reason of the proof he had brought forward, saying for whereas there is among you zeal and contention, are you not carnal, and walk according to man? Here it must be considered that he rightly joins together zeal and contention, because zeal, that is, envy, is the matter of contention. For the envious man is grieved at the good of another, which the other strives to promote, and from this contention follows. Whence Iac. III, 16: where zeal and contention is, there is inconstancy and every evil work. And likewise conversely charity, by which one loves the good of another, is the matter of peace. Secondly it must be considered that zeal and contention have no place except in carnal men, because they are affected with regard to bodily goods, which cannot be fully possessed by several at once together. And therefore, because one possesses some bodily good, another is impeded from the full possession of it, and from this envy follows, and consequently contention. But spiritual goods, with which spiritual men are affected, can be possessed by several at once together, and therefore the good of one is not an impediment to another, and for this reason neither envy nor contention has place in such things. Whence Sap. VII, 13: I communicate without envy. Thirdly it must be considered why he says that carnal men walk according to man, since nevertheless man is composed of spirit and flesh, because it is consonant with human nature that the spirit receive knowledge from the senses of the flesh. Whence consequently the affection of human reason is moved according to the things that are of the flesh, unless the spirit of man be raised above man through the Spirit of God. Whence it is said Eccli. XXXIV, 6: as of a woman in travail, your heart suffers imaginings, unless a visitation from the Most High has been sent forth. The sense therefore is according to man, that is, according to human nature left to itself apart from the Spirit of God, just as also in Ps. IV, 3 it is said: sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart, why do you love vanity and seek after lying? Fourthly he manifests the proof he had brought forward, saying for when someone, that is, one of you, says: I indeed am of Paul, because baptized and taught by Paul, and another: I am of Apollo (in the genitive case), by which is denoted that there is among you zeal and contention, are you not men, namely carnal and not spiritual, inasmuch as you have zeal and contention over human things? For such as a man is, by such things is he affected and by affection does he cleave, according to that Osee IX, 10: they became abominable, as those things which they loved. Then, when he says what then is Apollo? he reproves their judgment, as to this, that they attributed more to the ministers than they ought. And first he shows the truth; secondly he excludes the error, there let no man deceive you; thirdly he draws the intended conclusion, there therefore let no man glory in men. Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows the condition of the ministers; secondly he treats of their reward, there every man shall receive his own reward. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the condition of the ministers; secondly he sets down a comparison, there I have planted, Apollo watered; thirdly he shows what he intended, there therefore neither he that planteth. Concerning the condition of the ministers he touches on two things. First that they are not lords, but ministers, saying: you glory of Paul and of Apollo, therefore I ask of you: what is Apollo, and what is Paul? That is, of what dignity or power, that you may worthily glory of them? And he answers: his ministers, namely of God. As if he were to say: what they do in Baptism and in doctrine, they do not principally as lords, but as his ministers, according to that Is. LXI, 6: ministers of God, it shall be said of you. But it might seem to someone a great thing to be a minister of God, and that one ought to glory in men concerning the ministries of God. And it would truly be so, if access to God did not lie open apart from men, as it is with those who are wont to glory of the ministers of a king, without whom access to the king does not lie open. But this has no place here, because the faithful of Christ have access to God through faith, according to that Rom. V, 2: through whom we have access to God through faith and this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God. Therefore he pointedly adds in whom you have believed, as if he were to say: through faith you are already joined to God, not to men. Whence above II, 5 it was said: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. And therefore you ought first to rejoice concerning God, rather than concerning men. Now it happens that the ministers of men, whether of lords or of craftsmen, first have from themselves some dignity or power, from which they become suited for the ministry, but this is not the case with the ministers of God. And therefore, secondly, he shows that the whole dignity and power of the ministers is from God, saying and to each as God has divided, as if he were to say: to such an extent does anyone, and each one of us, have of the power of ministering, as God has given to him, whence we ought not to glory even in this way. II Cor. c. III, 5 s.: our sufficiency is from God, who has made us fit ministers of the new testament. Then, when he says I have planted, he sets down a comparison of the ministers drawn from the comparison of farmers, where a twofold difference of operations is understood. One, of the operation of one minister to the operation of another. And as to this he says I have planted, that is, in preaching I bore myself after the manner of one planting, because namely I first preached the faith to you, Is. LI, v. 16: I have put my words in your mouth, that you may plant the heavens; Apollo watered, that is, he bore himself after the manner of one watering, who furnishes water to plants for this, that they may be nourished and grow. And likewise it is read Act. XVIII, 1 s. that, when Paul had converted many of the Corinthians, Apollo came upon the scene, who contributed much to those who had believed, publicly showing through the Scripture that Jesus is the Christ. Eccli. c. XXIV, 42 it is said: I will water my garden of plantations. The second difference is of the operation of the ministers, who work outwardly by planting and watering, in comparison with the operation of God, who works inwardly. Whence he adds but God gave the increase, namely working inwardly. II Cor. IX, 10: he will increase the increase of the fruits of your justice. So too in bodily things those who plant and water work outwardly, but God works inwardly through the operation of nature toward the increase of plants. Then when he says therefore neither he that planteth, nor he that watereth, etc., he draws two conclusions from what has gone before, of which the first is drawn according to the comparison of the ministers to God, saying: from this that Paul planted, and Apollo watered, they are nothing but ministers of God, and have nothing except from God, and work nothing except outwardly, God working inwardly. Therefore neither is he that planteth any thing, namely principally and great, of which one ought to glory, nor he that watereth, but God, who giveth the increase. For he himself in himself is something principal and great, of which one ought to glory. For action is not attributed to the instrument, to which the minister is compared, but to the principal agent. Whence Is. XL, v. 17 it is said: all nations are before him as if they were not. He draws the second conclusion pertaining to the comparison of the ministers to one another, saying now he that planteth, and he that watereth, since they are ministers of God, and have nothing except from God, and work only outwardly, are one, from the condition of nature and by reason of ministry: wherefore, namely, one cannot be preferred to another, except according to the gift of God, and thus, as far as they are in themselves, they are one. And because, consequently, in the intention of ministering to God they are one through concord of will, therefore it is foolish for those who are one to disagree. Ps. CXXXII, 1: behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in one. Rom. XII, 5: we, being many, are one body in Christ.