Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Corinthians 1

This epistle is divided into two parts: in the first, he sends his greeting, and in the other, his message (v. 4). The greeting itself has three sections: first, he mentions the persons who send the greeting; secondly, the persons greeted (v. 2); and thirdly, he wishes them well (v. 3).

First, he mentions the principal person, describing him by his name, Paul. Enough has been said about this name in the epistle to the Romans. Suffice it to say here that this name is mentioned as a token of humility, for Paul means “a small amount,” which pertains to humility: Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? (1 Samuel 15:17); You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25).

Then he describes himself by his dignity. First, he mentions how dignity should be obtained when he says he was called, since it is stated in Hebrews 5:4: One does not take the honor upon himself, but is called by God, as Aaron was.

Secondly, he mentions his specific dignity, saying he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. This, of course, is the highest dignity in the Church and means “one who is sent,” because the apostles were sent by God to act in His name on earth. Hence, it says in Luke 6:13, He chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles, and later in this epistle, God has appointed in the church, first, apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28).

Thirdly, he indicates the source and cause of this dignity when he says, by the will of God. This refers to the will of His good pleasure, which chooses those who rule the Church: The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right man for the time .

However, when God sets someone in authority on account of the sins of the subjects, such a ruler is not according to God’s will but according to His indignation. As it is written, He makes a man that is a hypocrite to reign for the sins of the people (Job 34:30), and, I have given you kings in my anger, and I have taken them away in my wrath (Hosea 13:11).

Next, he mentions the other person sending the greeting when he says, and Sosthenes, our brother. He mentions him because Sosthenes was the one who had reported to the Apostle the quarrels and other failings current among the Corinthians. He calls him brother to show that he had done this not out of hatred but out of a zeal born of love: Reprove a wise man and he will love you (Proverbs 9:8).

Then he mentions the persons he is greeting, saying, to the church of God that is at Corinth.

He first addresses the primary recipients, whom he describes in three ways. First, by their location, when he says, to the church of God that is at Corinth, meaning Christ’s faithful people assembled at Corinth: I will thank thee in the great congregation (Psalms 35:18).

Secondly, he describes them by their gift of grace when he says, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus. This means they were sanctified in the faith, passion, and sacraments of Christ Jesus: You were washed, you have been sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11); Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people (Hebrews 13:12).

Thirdly, he mentions the source of this grace when he says they are called to be saints, because they arrived at sanctity through the grace of God’s call: Those whom he predestined he also called (Romans 8:30); He called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Then he mentions the other recipients: the faithful who were not in that city but lived in its diocese or surrounding region. Hence he says, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, confessing the true faith: All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered (Joel 2:32). This applies to every place under their jurisdiction. He is both their Lord and ours, because their subjection to the local bishop did not exempt them from the Apostle’s power; rather, they were more subject to the Apostle than to those under whom he had placed them: In all places of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul! (Psalms 103:22).

Finally, in his greeting, he mentions the beneficial gifts he wishes for them. The first of these is grace to you, by which we are set free from sin: They are justified by his grace as a gift (Romans 3:24). The last is peace, which is brought to perfection in eternal happiness: He makes peace in your borders (Psalms 147:14), and My people will abide in a peaceful habitation (Isaiah 32:18). These two gifts, grace and peace, include all others.

The one who causes them is mentioned when he says, from God our Father: Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). He adds, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom he has granted to us his precious and very great promises (2 Peter 1:4), for Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

The phrase from God our Father can be understood of the whole Trinity, by whom we have been created and adopted as sons. The Lord Jesus Christ is added, not as though He were a person separate from the three, but on account of His other nature.

Alternatively, God our Father is taken to mean the person of the Father, as in John 20:17: I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. In this case, the Lord Jesus Christ is added to indicate the person of the Son. The Holy Spirit is not mentioned because He is the bond of the Father and Son and is understood when the other two persons are mentioned. Or, because He is the gift of both, He is understood in the gifts of grace and peace, which are granted by the Holy Spirit: All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Then, when he says, I give thanks to my God, he begins his message. First, he gives thanks for their blessings, so that they will more easily bear the correction of their faults; secondly, he begins to instruct them (v. 10).

In this first section, he does two things. First, he gives thanks for the blessings they have already received, and secondly, for those they expected in the future (v. 7b). He mentions his thanks when he says, I give thanks to my God. God is not only the God of all things by creation and governance, but He is also his God and every righteous person’s God through faith and devotion: Thou art my God, and I will give thanks to you (Psalms 118:28).

He explains when he gives thanks by saying, always. This thanksgiving came from the fervor of his love, which was continually alive in his heart: A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17). Although he loved them at all times and continually gave thanks for their blessings, he did so especially during his set times for prayer. He also mentions for whom he gives thanks when he says, for you, rejoicing in their blessings as if they were his own because of their union in love: No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth (3 John 4).

Then he indicates the blessings for which he gives thanks. First, he speaks generally when he says it is because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus—that is, by Christ Jesus: Of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace (John 1:16).

Secondly, he speaks in detail, first mentioning the abundance of their grace. He says, because in every way... you were enriched in him—that is, you were made to overflow through Christ in every way that pertains to salvation: For your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

He explains in what matters they became rich when he says, with all speech—either because they spoke in all kinds of tongues or because they abounded in proclaiming doctrine. But because a word is not proclaimed properly unless it proceeds from knowledge, he adds, and all knowledge. This means the understanding of all Scriptures and, in general, of all things pertaining to salvation: He gave them a knowledge of holy things .

What the Apostle says here refers to those in the Church who were more perfect, but it also includes less prominent members who possessed these riches. As Augustine says, “If you love the unity of which you are a member, you have whatever the others have in it. Remove envy and the possessions of others are yours, for love unites those whom greed and envy would separate.”

Secondly, he shows their correctness when he says, even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you. For the proclamation of doctrine would not be correct, nor would knowledge be correct, if it disagreed with the testimony of Christ or if Christ’s testimony did not have a firm hold on their hearts by faith. As it says in James 1:6, He who wavers is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

He says, in testimony to Christ, for several reasons: either because the prophets have spoken of Him—To him all the prophets give testimony (Acts 10:43)—or because Christ Himself gave testimony—Although I give testimony of myself, my testimony is true (John 8:14)—or even because the Apostle in his own preaching gave testimony, as Christ said to him, they will not accept your testimony about me (Acts 22:18).

Thirdly, he touches on the perfection of grace when he says, you are not lacking in any spiritual gift. This is because various persons among them enjoyed all the charismatic graces. For it is fitting that divine providence bestows the necessities of life generously: Those who fear him have no want (Psalms 34:9), and again, Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing (Psalms 34:10).

Next, he mentions the blessings to be expected in the future. First, he mentions their expectation of a future blessing when he says they are those waiting for the... revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is because He will be revealed to His saints not only in the glory of His humanity—Your eyes will see the king in his beauty (Isaiah 33:17)—but also in the glory of His divinity: The glory of the Lord shall be revealed (Isaiah 40:5).

This is the revelation that makes people happy: When he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). Eternal life consists in this revelation: This is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent (John 17:3). Just as those to whom Christ is revealed are happy in reality, so those who await this revelation are happy in hope: Blessed are all they that wait for him (Isaiah 30:18). This is why he gives thanks for their expectation.

Secondly, he shows that this expectation is not in vain because of the help of God’s grace. He adds that Christ, who gave them the hope of such a revelation, will sustain you in the grace you have received: After you have suffered a little while, He will restore, establish and strengthen you (1 Peter 5:10). This sustenance is to the end of your life: He who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22).

This does not mean you will be without sin, because If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Rather, it means that you may be guiltless—that is, without mortal sin: If they prove themselves blameless let them minister (1 Timothy 3:10).

This, I say, will be in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. A person found without blame on the day of death will arrive at the day of judgment without blame: If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie (Ecclesiastes 11:3). For unless a person is found blameless now, he awaits that revelation in vain.

Thirdly, he gives the reason for his promise, saying that God will strengthen you because God is faithful: God is faithful and without iniquity (Deuteronomy 32:4). It is by this faithful God that you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

This means being called to have fellowship with Christ, both in the present life through a likeness in grace—If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7)—and in the future by sharing in His glory: provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:17).

God would not seem faithful if He called us to the fellowship of His Son and then, for His part, denied us the means by which we could attain it. Hence it is said in Joshua 1:5: I will not fail you or forsake you.

After the greeting, the Apostle begins to instruct them. First, he instructs them about matters concerning all of them generally, namely, the sacraments. Secondly, he addresses matters concerning only some of them (chapter 16). In the sacraments, three things should be considered: first, the sacrament itself, such as baptism; secondly, the reality signified and contained, namely, grace; thirdly, the reality signified but not contained, namely, the glory of the resurrection. Therefore, he first discusses the sacraments themselves; secondly, the graces (chapter 12); and thirdly, the glory of the resurrection (chapter 15). Regarding the first, he does three things: first, he establishes what pertains to baptism; secondly, what pertains to the sacrament of matrimony (chapter 5); and thirdly, what pertains to the sacrament of the Eucharist (chapter 8).

In the first part, the Apostle deals with doctrine alongside baptism, following the example of the Lord, who commanded the disciples to teach and to baptize in one command: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Now, it should be noted that there was dissension among the Corinthian believers, because those who had been instructed by certain teachers assumed they had received better teaching and a better baptism, and they began to look down on the others.

Hence, the Apostle does two things: first, he resolves the conflict; secondly, he addresses the cause of the conflict, namely, that they boast in some of Christ’s ministers and despise the others (chapter 3). Regarding the first point, he does three things: first, he gives a friendly warning; secondly, he shows the need for the warning (verse 11); and thirdly, he gives the reason for it (verse 13).

In regard to the first point, two things should be considered. First, he uses humble language as one way of persuading them to heed his warning; hence he says, I appeal to you. The second way is by brotherly love when he says, brethren, because this warning came from the warmth of his brotherly love: A brother helped by a brother is like a strong city (Proverbs 18:19). The third way is by appealing to their reverence for Christ when he says, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who should be honored by all and to whom all should be subject: In the name of Jesus every knee should bend (Philippians 2:10).

The second thing to be considered is that he urges them to three things. First, to concord, when he says, that you all agree; that is, that all confess the same faith and hold the same opinion in matters requiring common action: That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).

Secondly, he forbids the vice contrary to this virtue when he says, that there be no dissensions (schisms) among you, because the Church's unity must not be broken. As a sign of this unity, the soldiers said of the seamless coat: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be (John 19:24). Properly speaking, schisms occur when the members of one group separate into various factions according to their different beliefs or opinions about conduct: You shall see the breaches of the city of David (Isaiah 22:9).

Thirdly, he urges them to seek perfection, which is the good of the whole. Therefore, he says, but that you be united in the same mind, which pertains to conduct, and in the same judgment, which pertains to belief. It is as if he is saying: These things will enable you to be perfect if you continue in unity: Over all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14); Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

Then, when he says, It has been reported, he shows the necessity of his warning: they were burdened with the vice of contentiousness. It is as if he is saying: It is necessary to persuade you of this, because it has been reported to me, my brethren, by Chloe’s people—that is, from a certain village under Corinthian jurisdiction. Or Chloe might be the name of a matron in whose home many believers assembled. He says, that there is quarreling among you, which is contrary to what is said in Proverbs 20:3: It is an honor for a man to separate himself from quarrels.

He then specifies the nature of the contention when he says, What I mean is—that is, the conflict consists in this—that each of you identifies himself with the person by whom he was baptized and instructed, saying, I belong to Paul, because he had been baptized and instructed by Paul. Another says, I belong to Apollos, who had preached to the Corinthians (Acts 19). Still another says, and I belong to Cephas, that is, Peter, to whom it had been said: You shall be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter (John 1:42). They made these statements because they thought they received a better baptism from a better baptizer, as though the minister's virtue had an effect on the one being baptized. Finally, others say, I belong to Christ, who alone gives grace, because the grace of Christ alone works in Christ’s baptism: He upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). Accordingly, the baptized are called Christians from Christ alone and not Paulians from Paul: Only let us be called by your name (Isaiah 4:1).

To avoid this error, the Greeks are said to have used the following formula in baptism: “Let Christ’s servant, Nicholas, be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” to show that a person is not baptized inwardly unless baptized by Christ. But because a man also baptizes as a minister and member of Christ, the Church uses this formula: I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is more in keeping with the formula given by Christ, who said to the disciples, Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), where He also calls the apostles baptizers. It is according to this command that the minister says, I baptize you.

Then, when he says, Is Christ divided?, he gives the reason for his warning that there should be no schisms and contentions among them: first, regarding baptism; secondly, regarding doctrine (verse 17b). Regarding the first, he does three things: first, he mentions the mistake that follows from their contention; secondly, he explains why that mistake follows (verse 13b); thirdly, he dismisses a false assumption (verse 14).

He says, therefore: I have said that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” from which it follows that Christ is divided.

This can be understood one way, as if he were saying: Since there is conflict among you, Christ is divided from you, because He dwells only in peace: His place is in peace (Psalms 76:2); Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God (Isaiah 59:2).

However, it is better understood as him saying: Since you believe that a baptism performed by a better minister is superior, it follows that Christ—who baptizes principally and inwardly—is divided. That is, His power and effect would differ depending on the minister. But this is false, because it says in Ephesians 4:5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism. An even better interpretation is that the Apostle is saying that because you attribute to others what belongs exclusively to Christ, you divide Christ by creating many “Christs.” This is contrary to what is stated in Matthew 23:10, One is your master, Christ, and in Isaiah 45:22, Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other.

It should be noted that two powers proper to Christ are at work in the sacrament of baptism. The first is the divine power by which He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit inwardly cleanse from sin. This power cannot be communicated to any creature.

The other is the power proper to His human nature, which is the power of excellence in the sacraments. This consists of four things: first, that He instituted the sacraments; second, that He can produce the effect of the sacraments without the sacraments; third, that the merit of His passion works in baptism and the other sacraments; and fourth, that the sacraments are conferred by calling on His name. Christ could have shared this power of excellence with His ministers—particularly the fourth point, that baptism be consecrated in their names—but He reserved it for Himself. Otherwise, schism would arise in the Church, as people would suppose there are as many baptisms as there are baptizers. According to Augustine, this is why John the Baptist confessed that he did not know whether Christ would keep this power for Himself.

Then, when he says, Was Paul crucified for you?, he shows that their mistake follows from their error of supposing that baptisms differ depending on the baptizer. This would only be true if baptism derived its power from the baptizers and not from Christ alone.

He shows this in two ways. First, regarding Christ's passion, by which baptism is effective, as it says in Romans 6:3: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Accordingly, he says, Was Paul crucified for you? This is as if to ask: Were Paul’s sufferings the cause of our salvation, making baptism dependent on him for its saving power? Certainly not. For Christ alone is the one by whose sufferings and death our salvation is accomplished: It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish (John 11:50); One has died for all (2 Corinthians 5:14).

On the other hand, the Apostle seems to say the opposite in Colossians 1:24: I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church. The answer is that Christ’s sufferings benefited us not only as an example—Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21)—but also by their merit and efficacy, since we have been redeemed and sanctified by His blood: So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood (Hebrews 13:12). But the sufferings of others benefit us only as an example: If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation (2 Corinthians 1:6).

Secondly, he shows the same thing from the power of Christ’s name, which is invoked in baptism; hence he adds, or were you baptized in the name of Paul? As if to say, “No.” For as it is stated in Acts 4:12: There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved. Hence, Isaiah 26:8 also says: Your name and your remembrance are the desire of the soul.

But it seems that people are not baptized in Christ’s name, for it is commanded in Matthew 28:19: Teach all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The answer is that in the early Church, because Christ’s name was so hated, the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to baptize in the name of Christ. Yet, as Ambrose says, the whole Trinity is understood in the name of Christ. For “Christ” means “anointed,” which implies not only the Son who is anointed, but also the anointing itself (the Holy Spirit) and the one who anoints (the Father), as Psalm 45:7 says: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

Now that Christ’s name is great among the Gentiles from the rising of the sun to its setting (Malachi 1:11), the Church uses the formula first instituted by Christ, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, everyone baptized in this form is baptized in the name of Him who is truly Son of God: That we may be in his true Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 5:20). Furthermore, all the faithful are baptized in the name of Christ; hence they are called Christians, for as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). Therefore, if the sufferings of Christ alone (si solius Christi passio) and the name of Christ alone (si solius Christi nomen) confer the power of salvation on the baptized, then it is from Christ alone (verum esse proprium esse Christo) that baptism receives its sanctifying power. Consequently, anyone who attributes this to others divides Christ into many parts.

Then, when he says, I am thankful, he dismisses a false assumption. For since he had said, Was Paul then crucified for you?, someone might suppose that he had baptized many people as a minister, though not in his own name. In regard to this, he does three things: first, he gives thanks for having baptized only a few; secondly, after naming the few, he adds certain others (verse 16); thirdly, he gives the reason why he did not baptize many (verse 17a).

He says, therefore: I give God thanks that I baptized none of you except Crispus—Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household (Acts 18:8)—and Gaius, to whom John’s third epistle is addressed. Because thanksgiving is only appropriate for blessings received, the Apostle explains why he gives thanks in this case, continuing: lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name. For holy men do not want their good deeds to become an occasion for others to fall into error or sin. And because the Corinthians had fallen into the error of identifying themselves by their baptizer and saying, “I belong to Paul” and “to Apollos,” he thanked God that his ministry had not occasioned such an error. This is why he was careful to name those he had baptized, who were immune from this error.

When he says, I baptized also, he mentions the others he had baptized, so that his words would be completely truthful. He adds: I baptized also the household of Stephanas. Then, because human memory is unreliable about specific facts, he adds: Beyond that, I do not know—that is, do not recall—whether I baptized anyone else.

When he says, For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, he gives the reason why he baptized so few.

This seems to contradict the Lord’s command: Teach all nations, baptizing them (Matthew 28:19). The answer is that Christ sent the apostles to do both, but with the expectation that they would preach in person, as they said in Acts 6:2: It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. They baptized, however, through their ministers. They did this because the diligence or virtue of the one baptizing contributes nothing to the sacrament; it makes no difference whether baptism is administered by a greater or lesser person. In the preaching of the gospel, however, the wisdom and virtue of the preacher contribute a great deal. Consequently, the apostles, being better qualified, exercised the office of preaching themselves. In the same way, it is said of Christ that He Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did (John 4:2). Of Him it says in Luke 4:43, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose, and in Isaiah 61:1, The Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted.

After condemning their conflict with a reason based on baptism, the Apostle disapproves of it again with a reason based on doctrine. For some of the Corinthians gloried in the teaching of false apostles, who corrupt the truth of the faith with elegant words and arguments born of human wisdom. First, therefore, the Apostle says that this method is not suitable for teaching the faith; secondly, he shows that he did not use this method of teaching when he was among them (in chapter 2). Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he states his proposition; secondly, he explains it (verse 17b).

He says, therefore: I have stated that Christ sent me to preach the Gospel, but not to preach it with eloquent wisdom—that is, the worldly wisdom which makes people verbose, since it inclines them to use many empty arguments: The more words, the more vanity (Ecclesiastes 6:11); Mere talk tends only to want (Proverbs 14:23). Or, by "eloquent wisdom" he means rhetoric, which teaches elegant speech by which people are sometimes drawn to assent to error and falsehood: By fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded (Romans 16:18). Under the figure of a harlot, which stands for heretical doctrine, it is said: You will be saved from the adulteress with her smooth words (Proverbs 2:16).

On the other hand, it says in Isaiah 33:19: You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech which you cannot comprehend. But because the Greek version has logos, which signifies both reason and speech, it might be more fitting to interpret "eloquent wisdom" as human reason, because the things of faith transcend human reason: Matters too great for human understanding have been shown you .

But the fact that many teachers in the Church have used human reason and human wisdom, as well as elegant words, would seem to contradict this. For Jerome says in a letter to Magnus, a Roman orator, that all the teachers of the faith have filled their books with a rich portion of philosophical doctrines and sciences, so that it is hard to know whether to admire their worldly learning more or their knowledge of the Scriptures. And Augustine, in his book On Christian Doctrine, says: "There are churchmen who have treated divine matters not only with wisdom but with elegance."

The answer is that it is one thing to teach in eloquent wisdom (whichever way you understand it), and another to use eloquent wisdom in teaching. A person teaches in eloquent wisdom when he takes that wisdom as the main source of his doctrine, so that he admits only those things which contain it and rejects others that do not. This is destructive to the faith. But a person uses eloquent wisdom when he builds on the foundations of the true faith, so that if he finds any truths in the teachings of the philosophers, he employs them in the service of the faith. As Augustine says in On Christian Doctrine, if philosophers have said things suitable to our faith, they should not be feared but taken from them as from an unjust possessor for our use. Again, in the same book he says: "Since the faculty of eloquent speech has great power to persuade a person toward what is base or what is right, why not use it to fight for the truth, if evil men misuse it for sin and error?"

Then, when he says, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power, he proves his statement. He argues first from the perspective of the subject matter, and secondly from the perspective of the teachers (verse 26). Regarding the first, he does three things: first, he shows that the method of teaching by eloquent wisdom is not suitable for the Christian faith; secondly, he proves something he had presupposed (verse 18); thirdly, he clarifies the proof (verse 22).

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that even in philosophical doctrines, the same method is not suitable for every subject; therefore, the forms of speech must fit the material, as it says in Ethics I. A particular method of teaching is unsuitable for the subject matter when that method destroys the chief element in it. For example, in purely intelligible matters, it would be unsuitable to use metaphorical proofs, which do not go beyond the imagination and leave the hearer stranded in images, as Boethius says in his book On the Trinity.

But the chief element in the doctrines of the Catholic faith is the salvation accomplished by the cross of Christ; as he says in 1 Corinthians 2:2: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. On the other hand, a person who depends chiefly on eloquent wisdom when he teaches, to that extent, makes the cross of Christ void. Therefore, to teach in eloquent wisdom is not suitable for the Christian faith. Consequently, he says, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power—that is, lest in trying to preach with eloquent wisdom, faith in the power of Christ’s cross be made void. Then is the stumbling block of the cross made void (Galatians 5:11); Remember how they said, ‘Rase it, rase it! Down to its foundation!’ (Psalms 137:7).

Then, when he says, for the word of the cross, he proves that the cross of Christ is made void by the method of teaching that consists in eloquent wisdom. First, he gives the proof; secondly, he gives the reason for his statements (verse 19).

He says, therefore: The reason I have said that the cross of Christ is emptied of its power if the teachings of the faith are presented in eloquent wisdom is that the word of the Cross—that is, the proclamation of Christ’s cross—is folly to those who are perishing. To unbelievers, who consider themselves wise according to the world, it appears foolish, for the preaching of the cross of Christ contains things that seem impossible to worldly wisdom—for example, that God should die, or that the Omnipotent should suffer at the hands of violent men. Furthermore, that a person should not avoid shame when he can, and other things of this sort, are matters that seem contrary to the prudence of this world. Consequently, when Paul was preaching such things, Festus said: Paul, you are beside yourself; much learning makes you mad (Acts 26:24).

And Paul himself says below that the word of the Cross actually does contain foolishness. But he adds: but to us that are being saved—namely, Christ’s faithful who are saved by Him, for He will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)—it is the power of God. This is because they recognize in the cross of Christ God’s power, by which He overcame the devil and the world: The Lion of the tribe of Judah... has conquered (Revelation 5:5). They also experience this power in themselves when, together with Christ, they die to their vices and sinful desires, as it says in Galatians 5:24: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Hence it says in Psalm 110:10: The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter; and, Virtue went out of him and healed all (Luke 6:19).

Then, when he says, For it is written, he states the reason for the above. First, he tells why the word of the cross is folly to men; secondly, why this folly is the power of God to those who are saved (verse 21). Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he brings forward a text that foretells what is asked; secondly, he shows that it has been fulfilled (verse 20).

It should be noted in regard to the first point that anything good in itself cannot appear foolish to anyone unless there is a lack of wisdom. This, therefore, is the reason why the word of the cross, which is saving for believers, seems foolish to others: they are devoid of wisdom. This is what he says: For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart. This can be taken from two places, for it is written in Obadiah 1:8: Will I not destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau? But it is more explicit in Isaiah 29:14: The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid.

Now, wisdom and prudence are different. Wisdom is knowledge of divine things; therefore, it pertains to contemplation: The fear of the Lord is wisdom (Job 28:28). Prudence, however, is properly speaking knowledge of human things; hence it says in Proverbs 10:23: Wisdom is prudence to a man, because knowledge of human affairs is called wisdom. The Philosopher also says in Ethics VI that prudence is the right understanding of things to be done, and so prudence pertains to reason.

Yet it should be noted that people, however evil, are not altogether deprived of God’s gifts, nor are God’s gifts in them destroyed. Consequently, he does not say absolutely, "I will destroy wisdom," because all wisdom is from the Lord God . Instead, he says, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise—that is, the wisdom which the wise of this world have invented for themselves against the true wisdom of God, because as it says in James 3:15: This is not wisdom, descending from above; but earthly, sensual, devilish.

Similarly, he does not say, "I will reject prudence," for God’s wisdom teaches true prudence. Rather, he says he will reject the prudence of the prudent—that is, the prudence which is highly regarded by those who esteem themselves prudent in worldly affairs, so that they cling to the goods of this world, or because the prudence of the flesh is death (Romans 8:6). Consequently, because of their lack of wisdom, they suppose that it is impossible for God to become man and suffer death in His human nature. And due to a lack of prudence, they consider it unfitting for a man to endure the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2).

Then, when he says, Where is the wise man? he shows that the prophecy about the destruction of human wisdom and prudence has been fulfilled. First, he presents the proving reason in the form of a question; secondly, he draws the conclusion (verse 20).

He says, therefore: Where is the wise? As if to say: He is not found among the faithful who are saved. By "the wise" he understands one who searches for the secret causes of nature: How will you say to Pharaoh: ‘I am the son of the wise?’ (Isaiah 19:11). This refers to the Gentiles, who pursue the wisdom of this world. Where is the scribe? This refers to one skilled in the Law, and it applies to the Jews. As if to say: He is not among the believers. Where is the debater of this age? This refers to one who, through prudence, examines what is suitable for human life in the affairs of this world. As if to say: He is not found among the believers. This refers to both Jews and Gentiles: The sons of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth . The Apostle seems to have based this question on Isaiah 33:18: Where is the learned? for which he substitutes "the wise"; and where is the one that ponders the words of the law? for which he substitutes the debater of this age, perhaps because it is mainly the young who are customarily instructed in matters pertaining to the moral life.

Then, when he says, Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? he draws the conclusion contained in the question. It is as if he were saying: Since those who are considered the wise of this world have failed in the way of salvation, has not God made the wisdom of this world foolish? That is, has He not proven it foolish, since those versed in this wisdom have been found so foolish that they have not discovered the road to salvation? Every man is stupid and without knowledge (Jeremiah 51:17); Your wisdom and your knowledge have led you astray (Isaiah 47:10).

Another way to interpret this is as if he were saying: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the prudence of the prudent I will reject—that is, I will first strike it from my preachers, as it says in Proverbs 30:1: Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. Then, Where is the wise? As if to say: He is not found among the preachers. You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little ones (Matthew 11:25). Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? That is, has He not proven it foolish by achieving what it considered impossible—namely, that a dead man should rise, and other things of this sort?

Then, when he says, For since, he states the reason why the faithful are saved by the foolishness of preaching. He had already stated that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish, but the power of God to those who are saved. This is because it pleased God by the folly of what we preach—that is, by the preaching which human wisdom considers foolish—to save them that believe.

The reason for this is that the world—that is, worldly people—did not know God by the wisdom taken from the things of the world, and this was in the wisdom of God. For divine wisdom, when making the world, left indications of itself in created things, as it says in Sirach 1:10: He poured wisdom out upon all his works. Therefore, the creatures made by God’s wisdom are related to that wisdom, whose signposts they are, just as a person’s words are related to the wisdom they signify.

Just as a disciple comes to understand the teacher’s wisdom by the words he hears, so can a person come to understand God’s wisdom by examining the creatures He made, as it says in Romans 1:20: His invisible nature has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. But on account of the vanity of his heart, man wandered from the right path of divine knowledge; hence it says in John 1:10: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.

Consequently, God brought believers to a saving knowledge of Himself by other means, which are not found in the natures of creatures, and which worldly people—who derive their ideas solely from human things—therefore considered foolish. These means include the articles of faith. It is like a teacher who, recognizing that his meaning was not understood from the words he used, then tries to use other words to indicate what he meant.

Then, when he says, For the Jews, he explains his proof: first, in regard to the statement that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; secondly, in regard to the statement that to those who are saved it is the power of God (verse 24). Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he mentions the differing interests of those who perish; secondly, from this he assigns the reason for what he had said (verse 23).

Among those who perish—that is, unbelievers—some were Jews and some were Gentiles. He says, therefore: I have said that the word of the cross is foolish to those who perish, and this is because the Jews demand signs. The Jews were used to being instructed in a divine manner—He led him about and taught him (Deuteronomy 32:10)—in the sense that God’s teachings were accompanied by many marvels: In the sight of their fathers he wrought marvels in the land of Egypt (Psalms 78:12). Consequently, they require signs from everyone asserting a doctrine: Master, we would see a sign from you (Matthew 12:38); We have not seen our signs (Psalms 74:9).

But the Greeks seek wisdom, being interested in the pursuit of wisdom—the wisdom, I say, which is founded on the reasoning of worldly things and of which it is said: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom (Jeremiah 9:23). By "the Greeks" are understood all the Gentiles who received worldly wisdom from the Greeks. Since they sought wisdom, therefore, they wished to judge every doctrine proposed to them according to the standard of human wisdom.

He then concludes why the word of the cross is foolishness to them, saying: But we preach Christ crucified, as he says below in 1 Corinthians 11:26, You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. This is to Jews a stumbling block, because they desired strength that works miracles and instead saw weakness in suffering. And it is to the Gentiles foolishness, because it seemed contrary to human reason that God should die and that a just and wise man should voluntarily expose himself to a very shameful death.

Then, when he says, But to those who are called, he explains what he meant when he said, to them that are saved it is the power of God.

He says, therefore: It has been stated that we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness. But we preach Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God to those who are called, whether Jews or Gentiles—that is, to those Jews and Gentiles who were called to faith in Christ. They recognize the power of God in Christ’s cross, by which devils are overcome, sins forgiven, and people saved: Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! (Psalms 21:13). He says this against the Jews, who made a stumbling block of Christ’s weakness. They also recognize in it the wisdom of God, since He delivered the human race in a most fitting manner by the cross: Men were taught what pleases you, and were saved by wisdom .

He is called the power of God and the wisdom of God by appropriation: the power, because the Father does all things through Him—All things were made through him (John 1:3); the wisdom, because the Word, which is the Son, is nothing less than begotten or conceived wisdom—I came forth from the mouth of the Most High . But this is not to be understood as though God the Father is powerful and wise by a begotten power or wisdom. For, as Augustine proves in The Trinity, it would follow that the Father would have His being from the Son, because for God, to be wise and to be powerful are His very essence.

Then, when he says, for the foolishness of God, he gives the reason for what he had said, explaining how something weak and foolish could be the power and wisdom of God. This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. As if he were saying: Something divine seems to be foolish, not because it lacks wisdom, but because it transcends human wisdom. For people are accustomed to regard as foolish anything beyond their understanding: Matters too great for human understanding have been shown you . And the weakness of God is stronger than men, because something in God is not called weak on account of a lack of strength, but because it exceeds human power, just as He is called invisible because He transcends human sight: You do show your strength when men doubt the completeness of your power .

However, this could also refer to the mystery of the incarnation. In this case, that which is regarded as foolish and weak in God—on account of the nature He assumed—transcends all human wisdom and power: Who is like to you among the strong, O Lord? (Exodus 15:11).

After showing that the method of teaching with eloquent wisdom does not suit Christian doctrine because of its subject matter—the cross of Christ—the Apostle now shows that this same method is unsuitable for Christian teaching because of the teachers themselves. As it is written in Proverbs 26:7, A parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools, and in Sirach 20:22, A parable from a fool’s mouth will be rejected. Therefore, since the first teachers of the faith were not wise in a worldly sense, it was not suitable for them to teach with eloquent wisdom.

In this regard, he does three things:

1. First, he shows how the first teachers of the faith were not versed in worldly wisdom and suffered from a disadvantage in human affairs.
2. Second, he shows how this disadvantage was compensated for them by Christ (verse 27).
3. Third, he gives the reason for this (verse 29).

He says, therefore: It has been stated that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and you can see this in your own lives. For consider your calling, brothers—that is, how you were called. You did not approach Him by yourselves; you were called by Him: Whom he predestined he also called (Romans 8:30); He has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). He urges them to ponder the manner of their calling by considering those by whom they were called, as Isaiah 51:2 says: Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you.

From these ministers of our calling, he first excludes wisdom when he says that not many of those by whom you were called were wise according to worldly standards—that is, in worldly and earthly wisdom. For this is not a wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic (James 3:15); the children of Hagar, who seek for wisdom on earth . He says "not many" because a few had been instructed in worldly wisdom, such as he himself and Barnabas, or Moses in the Old Testament, of whom Acts 7:22 says that he had been instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

Secondly, he excludes worldly power when he says, "not many powerful"—that is, powerful according to the world. Hence it says in John 7:48, "princes of nations? They are cut off and are gone down into hell." Thirdly, he excludes lofty birth when he says, "not many were of noble birth." Yet some of them were noble, such as Paul himself, who said that he had been born in a Roman city (Acts 22:25), and others referred to in Romans 16:7: They are men of note among the apostles.

Then, when he says, But God chose, he shows that they were lowly according to worldly standards. First, he shows that they lacked wisdom when he says God chose what is foolish in the world—that is, those whom the world would consider foolish—for the office of preaching, namely, ignorant fishermen. As it says, Understanding that they were illiterate and ignorant men, they wondered (Acts 4:13), and, Where is the one who is learned? Where is he who ponders the words of the law? (Isaiah 33:18). This was to shame the wise—that is, those who trusted in the wisdom of the world, while they themselves did not know the truths revealed to the simple: You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25); Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you what the LORD of hosts has purposed (Isaiah 19:12).

Secondly, he shows that they lacked power, saying God chose what is weak in the world—that is, men with no power in the world, such as peasants and commoners—for the office of preaching. As it is written, I will deliver them into your hand by the servants of the governors of the districts (1 Kings 20:13). And in Proverbs 9:3 it says that wisdom has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town. Weakness is indicated by both of these shortcomings in the first preachers, and this was to shame the strong—that is, the powerful of this world: The haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the pride of men shall be brought low (Isaiah 2:17).

Thirdly, he mentions a lack of splendid rank, which is implied in the word "nobility." In contrast to this, he says God has chosen what is despised in the world—that is, men looked down upon by the world—for the office of preaching: We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us (Psalms 79:4). Furthermore, in contrast to the grand opinion people have of the nobility, he says God has chosen things that are not—that is, people who seem to be nothing in the world: The strength of whose hands was as nothing to me, and they were thought unworthy of life itself (Job 30:2).

God did this to bring to nothing things that are—that is, those who seem to be something in this world: The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pride of all glory, and to dishonor all the honored of the earth (Isaiah 23:9). Then he reveals the reason for all this, saying that God has not chosen the great but the lowly, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. This means that no one may glory in his own worldly greatness before the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches (Jeremiah 9:23).

For since God did not bring the world to faith by using the great ones of the world but the lowly, no one can boast that the world was saved by means of worldly greatness. However, so that it would not seem that worldly greatness does not originate from God, He did employ a few—and later, a great number—of the world's great for the office of preaching. Hence, a gloss says, "if the faithful fisherman had not come first, the humble orator could not have come later." Furthermore, it brings glory to God to draw the great of the world to Himself by means of the lowly.

Then, when he says, He is the source, he prevents the preachers of the faith—who were lowly, not great in the world's eyes—from being seen as contemptible, by showing how God compensated for their defects. In this regard, he does three things.

First, he indicates who deserves the honor for the world's salvation, which was accomplished through the ministry of preaching. He says that you have been called not by the great of this world but by the lowly; consequently, your conversion should not be attributed to men but to God. In other words, He is the source of your life; that is, by God's power you are called in Christ Jesus, which means you are joined to Him by grace: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Then he shows how God supplies for the deficiencies of His preachers by means of Christ. First, regarding their lack of wisdom, he says that Christ was made wisdom for us by God. This applies to us who preach the faith, and through us to all the faithful. By adhering to Him who is the wisdom of God and by partaking of Him through grace, we have been made wise. This wisdom comes from our God, who gave Christ to us and drew us to Him, as it says in John 6:44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And as it says in Deuteronomy 4:6, This is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations.

Secondly, regarding their lack of power, he says Christ is our righteousness. Righteousness is called a breastplate because of its strength: He will put on righteousness as a breastplate . Christ is said to have been made righteousness for us, since we are made righteous by faith, as it says in Romans 3:22: the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

Thirdly, regarding their lack of nobility, he says Christ is our sanctification and redemption. We are sanctified by Christ, since it is through Him that we are joined to God, in whom true nobility is found. As it says in 1 Samuel 2:30, Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Hence it says in Hebrews 13:12, Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. He has been made our redemption, since we have been redeemed by Him from the slavery of sin, in which true baseness consists. Hence it says in Psalm 31:6, You have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

Finally, he gives the reason for all of this when he says, Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (Jeremiah 9:24). Our version of this verse reads, Let him who glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows me. For he is saying that if a person's salvation does not spring from any human greatness but solely from God's power, the glory belongs not to man but to God. As it says in Psalm 115:1, Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, and in Sirach 51:23, To him that gives me wisdom will I give glory.