Thomas Aquinas

Of these ministers, then, the Apostle treats here, showing in this epistle their dignity, even while writing to the Corinthians. In this epistle he sets down certain things beforehand. First, the salutation; second, he continues the epistle, at the place blessed be God, etc.

Now in the salutation he sets down three things: for first he describes the persons who greet; second, the persons greeted, at the place to the Church which is, etc.; third, the goods wished for, at the place grace to you, etc.

Concerning the first, first the principal person who greets is described, namely Paul; second, the person joined to him, namely Timothy.

The person greeting is described from humility, since Paul, in Latin, is said to mean small. This is that small one of whom Isaiah 60:22 speaks: the smallest shall become a thousand, etc. Or from teaching, since Paul is said to be the mouth of a trumpet. This is that trumpet of which Zechariah 9:14 speaks: the Lord shall sound the trumpet, etc. And what is said in Isaiah 58:1 fits: lift up your voice like a trumpet, etc. From the authority of dignity, since apostle, etc.

Here three things are set down. First, that he is an envoy, whence he is called apostle, that is, one sent in a principal way. For only the twelve chosen apostles were sent by Christ. Luke 6:13: he chose twelve, whom also apostles, etc. But the other disciples were not sent in a principal way, but in a secondary way. And hence it is that bishops succeed the apostles, who have special care of the Lord's flock. But the other priests succeed the seventy-two disciples, who carry out the duties entrusted to them by the bishops. His dignity, then, is that he is an apostle. 1 Corinthians 9:2: if to others I am not an apostle, yet to you I am, etc. Galatians 2:8: he who worked in Peter, etc.

But why does he call himself apostle here, saying Paul, apostle, when in the epistle to the Romans he writes of himself as servant? The reason for this is that he rebukes the Romans for dissension and pride, which is the mother of dissension, since among the proud there are always quarrels. Hence, in order to call them back from dissension, he leads them to humility, by calling himself servant. But the Corinthians were stubborn and rebellious, and therefore, in order to repress their insolence, he here uses the name of dignity, calling himself apostle.

Second, it is set down whose envoy he is, namely of Jesus Christ. Below, 5:20: we discharge an embassy for Christ. Third, the manner is set down by which he obtained the embassy, namely that he did not thrust himself forward like a false one. Jeremiah 23:21: I did not send them, and they ran. He was not given to the people out of divine fury, according to that word of Job 34:30: who makes a hypocrite to reign, etc. Hosea 13:11: I will give you a king, but in my fury. He obtained the apostolate from the will and good pleasure of God. Acts 9:15: this man is a vessel of election to me. And therefore he says through the will of God.

Now the person joined to him is Timothy. Hence he says, and Timothy the brother. Brother, I say, on account of the faith, Matthew 23:8: you are all brothers, etc., and on account of dignity, since he was a bishop; and hence it is that the Pope calls all bishops brothers. Now he numbers Timothy along with himself, because, since he himself had passed through them, as he said in the first epistle, in the last chapter, they might believe that he had maliciously reported to the apostle those things about which he himself writes to them.

Consequently the persons greeted are set down, first the principal ones, second those joined to the principal ones, in what he says, to the Church of God, which is the whole faithful people, both clergy and laity. 1 Timothy 3:15: that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself. Which is at Corinth, since Corinth was the metropolis of Achaia. But the persons joined are all the saints, who are reborn by the grace of the one Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:11: but you have been washed, but you have been sanctified, etc. Who are in Achaia, whose metropolis is Corinth.

Now to these persons greeted the Apostle wishes good things. Hence he says, grace to you, etc. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the goods themselves; second, their author, at the place from God the Father, etc.

Now he sets down these two extreme goods, so that in them the intermediate ones may be understood. For the first good is grace, which is the principle of all goods. For before grace there is nothing in us but what is diminished. But the last of all goods is peace, since peace is the general end of the mind. For however peace is taken, it has the nature of an end; and in eternal glory, and in governance, and in conduct of life, the end is peace. Psalm 147:3: who has placed peace as your boundaries.

But who is the author of these goods he shows, adding from God the Father, etc. And these two can be distinguished in two ways, since when he says from God the Father, it can be understood of the whole Trinity. For although the person of the Father is said to be the Father of Christ by nature, yet the whole Trinity is our father by creation and governance. Isaiah 63:16: and now, Lord, you are our father. Jeremiah 3:19: you shall call me father. From God our father, then, that is, from the whole Trinity, goods come forth. Matthew 7:11: if you, though you are evil, etc.

But if God our father is taken for the whole Trinity, why is the person of the Son added, when he says and the Lord Jesus Christ? Is he then another person besides the Trinity? It must be said that he is added not on account of another person but on account of another nature, namely of the humanity assumed by the Son into the divine person; and this indeed he numbers along with the Trinity, since all goods come to us from the Trinity through the incarnation of Christ; and first grace, John 1:17: grace and truth, etc., second peace, Ephesians 2:14: he himself is our peace, etc.

Likewise, when he says from God our father, the person of the Father alone can be understood; and although the whole Trinity is our father, as has been said, yet the person of the Father is our father by appropriation; and thus what he says, and the Lord Jesus Christ, is understood of the person of the Son. But no mention is made here of the person of the Holy Spirit, because, as Augustine says, since he is the bond of the Father and the Son, wherever the person of the Father and the person of the Son are set down, the person of the Holy Spirit is understood.