Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle showed what the reward of those laboring well is; here he treats of the punishment of those laboring badly, or destroying. And concerning this he does two things. First he demonstrates the punishment; second he excludes the contrary error, at "let no one deceive you." Now he shows the punishment of those working toward destruction, pursuing the likeness of the spiritual building, and concerning this he does three things. First he shows the dignity of the spiritual building; second he determines the punishment of those who destroy, at "if anyone"; third he assigns the reason for the punishment, at "for the temple of God," etc.

He says therefore first: it has been said that he who builds upon it will receive the reward of salvation, either without loss or with loss; but so that you may be able to recognize what the punishment is of those laboring badly among you, it is necessary that you recognize your own dignity; which he first sets down, saying: "Do you not know that" you, the faithful of Christ, "are the temple of God?" Eph. 2:21f: "in whom every building, being constructed, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together into a habitation of God."

Second he proves that the faithful are the temple of God. For it belongs to the nature of a temple that it be a habitation of God, according to Ps. 10:5: "God is in his holy temple." Hence everything in which God dwells can be called a temple. Now God dwells principally in himself, because he alone comprehends himself. Hence God himself is called the temple of God, Apoc. 21:22: "the Lord God almighty is its temple." God also dwells in a consecrated house through the spiritual worship which is shown to him in it; and therefore a consecrated house is called a temple, according to Ps. 5:8: "I will worship toward your holy temple," etc. God also dwells in men through faith, which works through love, according to Eph. 3:17: "that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts." Hence, to prove that the faithful are the temple of God, he adds that they are inhabited by God, when he says "and the Spirit of God dwells in you." And in Rom. 8:11 it is said: "the Spirit who raised up Jesus Christ will dwell in you." Ez. 36:27: "I will put my spirit in the midst of you." From which it is clear that the Holy Spirit is God, through whose indwelling the faithful are called the temple of God. For the indwelling of God alone makes a temple of God, as has been said.

Now it must be considered that God is in all creatures, in which he is by essence, power, and presence, filling all things with his goodness, according to Jer. 23:24: "I fill heaven and earth." But God is said to dwell spiritually, as in a familiar house, in the saints, whose mind is capable of God through knowledge and love, even if they do not in act know and love, provided they have through grace the habit of faith and charity, as is clear in the case of baptized infants. And knowledge without love does not suffice for the indwelling of God, according to 1 John 4:16: "he who abides in charity abides in God, and God in him." Hence it is that many know God, either through natural knowledge or through unformed faith, whom nevertheless the Spirit of God does not inhabit.

Then when he says "but if anyone... the temple," etc., he adds the punishment of those working badly, in keeping with what has been said, saying "but if anyone," etc. Now the temple of God is violated in two ways. In one way through false doctrine, which is not built upon the foundation, but rather undermines the foundation and destroys the building. Hence it is said in Ez. 13:19 concerning false prophets: "they violated me and my people for a handful of barley and a piece of bread." In another way someone violates the temple of God through mortal sin, by which someone corrupts either himself or another, by deed or by example. Hence it is said in Mal. 2:11: "Judah has profaned the sanctification of the Lord which he loved." And thus it is fitting that he be destroyed by God through eternal damnation who violates the spiritual temple of God, or pollutes it in whatever way. Hence it is said in Mal. 2:12: "the Lord will destroy the man who has done this, the master and the disciple." And in Ps. 11:4: "the Lord will destroy all deceitful lips," etc.

Then when he says "the temple of God," etc., he assigns the reason for what he had said concerning the holiness of the temple. For whoever violates some sacred thing commits sacrilege, hence it is fitting that he be destroyed. "For the temple of God is holy, which you are," as has been said above, and in Ps. 64:5 it is said: "your temple is holy, wonderful in equity"; and elsewhere: "holiness becomes your house, O Lord." And indeed in a material temple there is a certain sacramental holiness, insofar as the temple is dedicated to divine worship, but in the faithful of Christ there is the holiness of grace, which they have obtained through Baptism, according to that below, IV, 11: "you have been washed, you have been sanctified."

Then when he says "let no one deceive you," he excludes the contrary error. And first he warns the faithful to beware of the seduction of errors; second he teaches the manner of being wary, at "if anyone among you"; third he assigns the reason, at "for the wisdom of this world," etc. Concerning the first it must be known that certain ones have said that God neither punishes nor rewards the deeds of men; in whose person it is said in Zeph. 1:12: "who say in their hearts: the Lord will not do good, and he will not do evil." And Lam. 3:37f: "who is this that said, let it be done, when the Lord has not commanded? Good and evil shall not go forth from the mouth of the Most High." To exclude this error, therefore, he says "let no one deceive you," asserting namely that he who violates the temple of God is not destroyed by God, as it is said in Eph. 5:6: "let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of this the wrath of God comes upon the sons of unbelief."

Then when he says "if anyone among you," etc., he teaches the manner of being wary of this kind of seduction. Here it must be known that certain ones have said that God does not punish the sins of men, relying on the reasonings of human wisdom, such as that God does not know the particulars that happen here; in whose person it is said in Job 22:14: "he walks about the hinges of heaven, and does not consider our affairs." To avoid this, therefore, he says "if anyone among you seems to be wise in this age," that is, in worldly wisdom, which, insofar as it is contrary to the truth of faith, is not wisdom, although it may seem to be, "let him become foolish," by casting away that apparent wisdom, "that he may be wise," namely according to divine wisdom, which is true wisdom. And this must also be observed not only in those things in which worldly wisdom is contrary to the truth of faith, but also in all things in which it is contrary to the honesty of morals. Hence Prov. 30:1 says: "he was strengthened by God abiding with him," etc.

Then when he says "the wisdom of this world," etc., he assigns the reason for what he had said. And first he sets down the reason. For it seemed that he had given an unfitting admonition, that someone should become foolish, and it would truly be unfitting if that foolishness, of which he was speaking, were through the denial of true wisdom, but it is not so. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." Now that is called the wisdom of this world which principally relies upon the world. For that wisdom which, through the things of this world, attains to God, is not the wisdom of the world, but the wisdom of God, according to Rom. 1:19f: "for God has revealed it to them. For his invisible things are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made." The wisdom of the world, therefore, which so attends to things that it does not reach divine truth, "is foolishness with God," that is, it is reputed foolishness according to divine judgment. Is. 19:11: "the princes of Tanis are foolish, the wise counselors of Pharaoh have given foolish counsel."

Second he proves what he had said through two authorities, of which the first is written in Job 5:13. Hence he says "it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness." Now the Lord catches the wise in their own craftiness, because through this very fact that they think craftily against God, God impedes their endeavor, and fulfills his own purpose; just as through the malice of the brothers of Joseph, wishing to impede his rule, it was fulfilled through divine ordination that Joseph, sold into Egypt, should rule. Hence also, before these words, Job says: "who scatters the thoughts of them," namely of the malicious, "so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had begun"; because, as it is said in Prov. 21:30, "there is no wisdom, there is no knowledge, there is no counsel against the Lord."

The second authority is taken from the Psalm, hence he says "and again it is written: the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise," that is, according to the wisdom of the world, "that they are vain"; because namely they do not reach the end of human knowledge, which is the knowledge of divine truth. Hence it is said in Wisdom 13:1: "vain are men, in whom the wisdom of God is not present."

Then when he says "therefore let no one glory in men," he infers the conclusion principally intended, namely that they ought not to glory in the ministers of God. And first he concludes the proposition from what has been said, saying "therefore" — since the ministers are nothing, but labor for a reward — "let no one glory in men"; just as also in Ps. 145:2f it is said: "do not trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." And Jer. 17:5: "cursed is the man who trusts in man," etc.

Second he assigns the reason from the dignity of the faithful of Christ, assigning the order of the faithful in relation to things. And first he sets down the order of things in relation to the faithful of Christ, saying "all things are yours," as if to say: just as a man does not glory in things subject to him, so also you ought not to glory in the things of this world, which have all been given to you by God, according to Ps. 8:8: "you have subjected all things under his feet." Now he explains what "all things" are, among which he first sets down the ministers of Christ, who have been divinely ordained for the ministry of the faithful, according to 2 Cor. 4:5: "but ourselves your servants through Jesus." And this is what he says: "whether Paul," who planted, "or Apollo," who watered, "or Cephas," that is, Peter, who is the universal shepherd of the sheep of Christ, as it is said at the end of John.

After this he sets down external things, when he says "or the world," which is the containment of all creatures, which indeed belongs to the faithful of Christ, in that man is helped by the things of this world, whether as to bodily necessity, or as to the knowledge of God, according to Wisdom 13:5: "from the greatness of the beauty and of the creature," etc. Consequently he sets down those things which pertain to the very disposition of man, saying "or life, or death," because indeed for the faithful of Christ both life is useful, in which they merit, and death, through which they arrive at their rewards, according to Rom. 14:8: "whether we live, or whether we die," etc. And Phil. 1:21: "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Now to these two are reduced all the goods or evils of this world, because through goods life is preserved, through evils one arrives at death. Lastly he sets down what pertains to the present or future state of man, saying "or things present," that is, the things of this life, by which we are helped toward meriting; "or things to come," which are reserved for us unto reward. For we do not have here a lasting city, but we seek one to come, as is said at the end of Hebrews. "All things," he says, "are yours," that is, serving your benefit, according to Rom. 8:28: "to those who love God, all things work together unto good."

Thus therefore the first order is of the things of Christ in relation to the faithful; the second is of the faithful of Christ in relation to Christ, which he sets down adding "but you are Christ's," because indeed by his death he redeemed you. Rom. 14:8: "whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's." The third order is of Christ, insofar as man, in relation to God; therefore he adds "but Christ," insofar as man, "is God's." Hence he names him God and Lord in Ps. 7:2, saying: "O Lord my God, in you I have hoped," so that by the name of God the whole Trinity may be understood.

Because therefore no one ought to glory in that which is beneath him, but in that which is above him, therefore the faithful of Christ ought not to glory in the ministers, but rather the ministers in them. 2 Cor. 7:4: "great is my confidence in you, great is my glorying on your behalf." But the faithful of Christ ought to glory in Christ, according to that at the end of Galatians: "far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," just as Christ in the Father, according to Wisdom 2:16: "he glories that he has God as father."