Thomas Aquinas

Above he showed his own condition, both as to sins under the law and as to the goods in the time of grace; here he shows the reason for these benefits, which is taken from divine mercy. And first he sets forth divine mercy in general; second he applies it to himself, at the words "of whom I am the first"; third he sets forth the giving of thanks, at the words "but to the king of ages." Concerning the first he does two things: first he commends the truth about to be proposed; second he sets forth the divine mercy, at the words "because Christ Jesus." As to the first he says, "a faithful saying," etc.

Now there are two things to be commended in a saying, namely that it be true and that it be acceptable. For sometimes a true saying is harsh, and stirs up hatred. Gal. 4:16: "I have become your enemy, telling you the truth." But this saying, first indeed, has truth; hence he says, "a faithful saying." Apoc., last chapter: "these words are most faithful and true." Likewise it is acceptable, because it concerns our salvation; therefore he says, "and worthy of all acceptance." Zach. 1:13: "and the Lord answered the angel who was speaking," etc. Another text has: "a human saying," because it concerns the taking up of men. Titus 3:4: "the kindness and love for mankind of our Savior appeared," etc. And this saying is such: "that Christ came," etc. That he came into the world expresses a twofold nature, namely that of divinity, in which he existed before he appeared in the world. John 16:28: "I came forth from the Father, and came into the world," etc. And that of humanity, in which he appeared. And because he is God, he fills heaven and earth, Jer. 23:24; therefore it does not belong to him according to the divine nature to be in any place, but it belongs to him according to the human nature. John 1:10: "he was in the world, and the world," et cetera. "He came unto his own," et cetera. But for what did he come? "To save sinners," that is, for the salvation of the peoples. John 3:17: "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." John 12:47: "For I did not come to judge the world."

But if no one had been a sinner, would he not have been incarnate? It seems not, because he came to save sinners. Therefore the incarnation would not have been necessary. Likewise the Gloss: "take away the disease, and there will be no need of medicine." I answer. It must be said that this is sufficiently clear from the words of the saints. But this question is not of great authority, because God ordained the things to be done according as the things to be done actually were. And we do not know what he would have ordained, if he had not foreseen sin; nevertheless the authorities seem expressly to declare that he would not have been incarnate, if man had not sinned — toward which side I myself incline more.

Then when he says "of whom I am the first," he applies this to himself. First confessing himself a sinner; second he says that he was saved, at the words "but I obtained mercy." He says therefore, "of whom I am the first." Here a certain heretic says that the soul of Adam was in Paul, and passed from body to body — as if to say: I am the first sinner, because the soul of Adam is my soul. But this is against the Apostle, Rom. 9:11: "when they were not yet born," etc. Therefore the soul does not exist before the body. He is first, therefore, not in time but in the greatness of his sins. And he says this out of humility. Prov. 18:17: "the just man is first the accuser of himself." Prov. 30:2: "I am the most foolish of men," etc.

But was the Apostle really the greatest sinner? And it seems that Judas was greater. But some say that Paul's sin was more general, because it was against the whole Church. But this is nothing, since Paul acted in unbelief, whereas many Jews persecuted out of malice. It must be said, therefore, that he is first, not because he was the greatest among the sinners who then existed, but the greatest among sinners who were saved; as if to say: he came to save sinners, of whom — namely, of the sinners saved — I am the first; which is to be understood of those who preceded the Apostle, since even before him many others had persecuted the Church. And he says this in order to show that everything God does, he does for the showing forth of his own goodness. Prov. 16:4: "the Lord has worked all things for himself." Ecclesiasticus: "his work is full of the glory of the Lord." Likewise for our benefit; and therefore he says, "therefore he saved me."

First for his own glory. Hence "first" is expounded as first in time, or as first, that is, most especially. "All patience," that is, perfect patience, because though provoked he did not punish, but rather exalted his adversary, and this for our benefit; hence he says "for an example," that is, for instruction and edification — as if to say: so that sinners might not despair of approaching him. 1 Peter, last chapter: "made a pattern of the flock."

Then when he says "to the king," etc., he sets forth the giving of thanks, and concerning this he does two things: first he commends him to whom thanks are given; second he renders thanks, at the word "honor." Now he commends him, first, from his power; second, from the property of his nature. As to the first he says, "to the king." His dominion is the greatest, because he alone rules, and has free power, not according to statutes, as a political ruler does. But God alone is the lord of all. And therefore he says, "to God." Apoc. 19:16: "king of kings and lord of lords." Ps. 46:7: "for God is king of all the earth." Likewise the power of any king, for the most part, lasts no more than fifty years, but this one is of all ages. Ps. 144:13: "your kingdom is of all ages," etc. Ecclesiasticus 10:4: "the power of the earth is in the hand of God."

To whom also belongs the property of the nature of God. Concerning this it must be known that among things, the first difference of natural things is the corruptible and the incorruptible. And of incorruptible things, some are visible and corporeal, such as the terrestrial bodies; but some are invisible and spiritual, such as the angels. And these, according to the Platonists, are divided into gods, who are supreme by nature, and into intellects, which are not gods but are divine, and into souls; but among us there is one God alone. Deut. 6:4: "hear, O Israel, the Lord your God." He says therefore, first, "immortal," to distinguish him from corruptible things; "invisible," to show that he belongs to the invisible, and to distinguish him from other visible things. He says "to God alone," and not "alone immortal," or "alone invisible," because he alone is God by nature, although he could be called "alone immortal," and "alone invisible," that is, special above the others. Below, last chapter: "who alone has immortality."

Then when he says "honor and glory," he gives thanks; as if to say: honor is to be shown to him from the subjection of the whole creature, and in manifestation of his own most excellent goodness, brightness, and glory. Apoc. 7:12: "blessing, and brightness, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, power and strength to our God." "Forever and ever," because the age of others lasts but a little time. Is. 40:6: "all flesh is grass, and all its glory as the flower of the grass."

Then when he says "this commandment," etc., he instructs Timothy to remain in the things that are said. First he recalls what has been entrusted to him; second he admonishes him to the due use of it; and third he teaches the manner of using it. He says therefore, "this commandment" — namely, that you keep the end of the law, that is, that you preserve charity always, and not the fables of the Jews — "I commend to you," as a faithful deposit, because it has been entrusted to you for this reason. And how? "According to the preceding," etc., that is, because this Gospel does not disagree with the prophecies which he had learned before, since he was the son of a Jewish woman. 2 Peter 1:19: "we have a more sure prophetic word, to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place," etc. 1 Thess., last chapter: "do not despise prophecies," etc. Or "according to the preceding," that is, according to what I and other holy men knew through the spirit of prophecy was to be handed on to you concerning you. "That in them you may war," namely in those prophecies, "the good warfare."

Warfare is twofold: one spiritual, one carnal. 2 Cor. 10:4: "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God," etc. In a good warfare two things are required on the part of the soldier: namely, that he do nothing contrary to military discipline, and that he not grow slack through idleness. 1 Cor. 9:25: "everyone who competes in the contest abstains from all things," etc. Likewise on the part of the warfare two things are required: namely, that it fight down those opposed to the commonwealth, and that it subject those who ought to be subject. So too it is in the spiritual warfare, because it is ordered to destroying all who exalt themselves, and to subjecting every understanding to the obedience of Christ, as is said in 2 Cor. 10. And this is the true warfare, of which he says "that you war," etc. Where also, first, the manner of using it is set forth, and second its necessity, at the words "which some."

He says therefore, "that you war," etc., as if to say: you can indeed wage the good warfare, first through the good faith which you have. 1 John, last chapter: "this is the victory that overcomes the world, faith," etc. Likewise through a good conscience, because a man easily withdraws from that which bites him; hence the remorse of conscience is like a certain goad, which pricks the one who has a bad conscience, and therefore he quickly withdraws from sins through a good conscience and right faith. Acts 23:1: "I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day." 2 Cor. 1:12: "this is our glory, the testimony of our conscience."

The necessity of a good conscience is consequently shown, when he says "which some," etc.; where first he sets forth the fault; second the punishment; third the fruit of the punishment. The fault, at the word "which" — namely, a good conscience — "certain men, thrusting away, have made shipwreck concerning the faith." For he who errs against the faith loses everything that he has. Heb. 11:6: "without faith it is impossible to please God." Likewise he dies, because "my just man lives by faith," Habakkuk 2:4, and Rom. 11:17 — "of whom are Alexander and Hymenaeus." 2 Tim. 4:14: "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm," etc.

Then their punishment is set forth, when he says "whom I have delivered," etc., because he excommunicated them, so that the faithful might avoid them, lest they defile them. Now the excommunication of the Apostle was of such power that those excommunicated were soon seized upon by the Devil, and vexed bodily. 1 Cor. 5:4f.: "you being gathered together, and my spirit, in the power of the Lord Jesus, to deliver such a man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved." Yet even now men are delivered up to be vexed spiritually, because they lose the suffrages of the Church, which help much against the Devil. And "I have delivered" just as God "delivered up to a reprobate sense," Rom. 1:28, as it were withdrawing his help, and the communion of the Church, and its suffrages. And this not out of hatred, but out of charity for their profit. 1 Cor. 5:5: "that the spirit may be saved." Hence he says, "that they may learn," at least through punishment, "not to blaspheme."

Now one learns to withdraw from sin in three ways: sometimes, namely, through punishment, when he is vexed bodily; likewise through the confusion of excommunication; likewise from this, that when the Church delivers someone to Satan, he falls into manifest sins, whence, confounded, he is humbled, and abstains even from the hidden sins, which before he did not know himself to have.