Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:1-3

"Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." — 1 Corinthians 11:1-3 (ASV)

Having addressed the practice of eating food offered to idols—a practice contrary to the Eucharist—the Apostle now instructs the believers about the sacrament itself. He begins with a general admonition before developing his main point (1 Corinthians 11:3). Regarding the admonition, he first presents it and then shows how the Corinthians responded to it (1 Corinthians 11:2).

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that the natural order is arranged so that lower beings imitate higher beings as much as possible. Thus, a superior natural agent makes the thing it acts upon similar to itself. The primary principle in the creation of all things is the Son of God, as it says in John 1:3: All things were made through him. He is, therefore, the primary exemplar whom all creatures imitate as the true and perfect image of God. Hence, it says in Colossians 1:15: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for in him all things were created.

In a special way, He is the exemplar of the spiritual graces with which spiritual creatures are endowed, as is said to the Son in Psalm 110:3: In the splendors of the saints before the morning star I begot you. This is because He was begotten before every creature through resplendent grace, having in Himself an exemplar of the splendors of all the saints.

But this divine exemplar was at first very remote from us, as it says in Ecclesiastes 2:12: What is man that he could follow the king, his Maker? Therefore, He willed to become man so that He might offer humanity a human exemplar. As Augustine says in The Christian Combat: “This perversity he does not lack who loves to inspect and imitate that man’s words and actions, in which the Son of God offered Himself to us as an example of living.” Just as angels were the first to imitate the exemplar of His divinity, and other creatures secondarily (as Dionysius says in The Celestial Hierarchy), so the exemplar of His humanity is proposed chiefly for the leaders of the church to imitate, as they are in a higher position. Hence, the Lord says in John 13:15: I have given you an example that as I have done, so do you. Secondly, the leaders who are shaped by Christ's example are presented to their people as models for living: Being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:3); To give you in our conduct an example to imitate (2 Thessalonians 3:9).

Therefore, the Apostle expressly says that you should be without offense to anyone. This, of course, you can do if you take note of what he says: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. For he imitated Him, first, in devotion of mind: I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Secondly, in his concern for his people: Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all (Philippians 2:17). Jesus Christ also offered Himself for us, as it says in Ephesians 5:2. Thirdly, in tolerating suffering: Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:10); I bear on my body the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17). But it must be noted that he does not merely say, Be imitators of me, but adds, as I am of Christ. This is because believers ought not to imitate their leaders in everything, but only in those things in which they imitate Christ, who is the unfailing exemplar of holiness.

Then, when he says, I commend you, brethren, he shows how the Corinthians were acting in regard to this admonition. In this regard, it should be observed that believers follow their leaders in two ways: in their deeds and in their words. Regarding deeds, they follow when they imitate the example of their leaders; hence it says in James 5:10: As an example take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Regarding words, they follow when they obey their instructions: Keep my commandments and live (Proverbs 4:4). But the Corinthians, especially the great majority, failed in these things. Consequently, the Apostle addressed them with irony: I commend you, brethren. It is as if he said: You should be praiseworthy on this point, but you are not, because you do not remember me in everything so as to imitate my example. For we cannot imitate the examples of those we do not remember. Hence it says in Hebrews 13:7: Remember your leaders; consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith.

As for his words, he adds: You maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you. It is as if to say: You observe them in the same manner as I delivered them to you. He says this because he himself had not departed from observing the commandments: If they keep my word, they will also keep yours (John 15:20).

This manner of speaking might seem unsuited to the truth of Sacred Scripture, which contains no falsehood, as it says in Proverbs 8:8: All the words of my mouth are righteous; and there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. The answer is that irony is a figure of speech. In irony, one does not derive the truth from the literal sense of the words, but from what the speaker intends to express in a contrary or similar way. Therefore, in irony, the truth is actually the contrary of what the words indicate, just as in a metaphor, the truth consists in a similarity.

Then, when he says, But I want you to understand, he proceeds with his intention of instructing believers in the sacrament of the Eucharist. In this, he does three things:

1. He reproves their errors regarding the rite of this sacrament.
2. He shows the dignity of this sacrament (1 Corinthians 11:23).
3. He teaches the correct rite (1 Corinthians 11:27).

Regarding the first point, he corrects three errors:

1. He refutes their error concerning clothing, namely, that the women gathered for the sacred mysteries with their heads uncovered.
2. He corrects them in their gathering, because when they came together for the sacred mysteries, they indulged in quarrels (1 Corinthians 11:17).
3. He corrects them regarding food, because they approached the sacred mysteries after they had just eaten (1 Corinthians 11:20).

Concerning the first of these errors, he does two things:

1. He lays down a teaching from which the reason for the next admonition is drawn.
2. He gives the admonition itself (1 Corinthians 11:4).

Regarding his teaching, he presents three comparisons. The first is between God and man. He says, ironically, that they hold to his traditions, but then continues, “I want you to know.” This knowledge is necessary, in keeping with Isaiah 5:13 (My people went into exile for want of knowledge), and it is this: the head of every man is Christ. This is explained using the analogy of a natural head, in which four aspects are considered:

1. Perfection. While the other members have but one sense—touch—all the senses flourish in the head. Similarly, other people have single graces, as it says in 1 Corinthians 12:8: To one is given the spirit of utterance of wisdom, to another the spirit of knowledge. But in Christ alone is found the fullness of all graces, for, as John 3:34 says, it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit.
2. Sublimity. Just as the head in a person is superior to all other members, so Christ is preeminent not only over all people but also over all angels. As it says in Ephesians 1:20, God made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all power and dominion, and in Ephesians 5:22: Christ is the head of the Church.
3. Outflowing power. The head imparts sensation and movement to the other members. Likewise, from Christ comes movement and spiritual sense for the other members of the Church, according to Colossians 2:19: not holding fast to the head from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together, grows with a growth that is from God.
4. Conformity of nature. The head shares the same nature as the other members. Likewise, Christ shares the same nature as other humans, as it says in Philippians 2:7: taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man.

The second comparison he presents is between man and woman, when he says: The head of a woman is her husband. This is true according to the same four aspects mentioned above:

1. First, man is more perfect than woman, not only in body but also in the soul’s vigor. As the Philosopher says in his book On the Generation of Animals, “the female is an imperfect male,” and as it says in Ecclesiastes 7:29: One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.
2. Second, man is naturally superior to the woman, as it says in Ephesians 5:22: Wives, be subject to your husband as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife.
3. Third, the man has influence by governing his wife, as it says in Genesis 3:16: Your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.
4. Fourth, the man and the woman are alike in nature, as it says in Genesis 2:18: I will make him a helper like to him.

The third comparison he makes is of God to the Lord, when he says: The head of Christ is God. Here it should be noted that the name “Christ” can signify the person in His human nature. In this case, the name “God” refers not only to the person of the Father but to the whole Trinity, from whom, as from the more perfect source, all good things in Christ's humanity are derived and to whom Christ's humanity is subject. Alternatively, the name “Christ” can stand for that person in His divine nature. In this case, the name “God” stands only for the person of the Father. The Father is called the head of the Son not because of greater perfection or any subordination, but only according to origin and conformity of nature, as it says in Psalm 2:7: The Lord said to me: you are my Son; today I have begotten you.

These comparisons can also be understood mystically, regarding the spiritual union within the soul. For sensibility is compared to the woman, and reason to the man, by whom sensibility ought to be ruled. Hence, reason is called her head. Or, the lower reason, which is concerned with arranging temporal things, is compared to the woman. The higher reason, which occupies itself with contemplating eternal things, is compared to the man and is called the head of the lower reason. This is because temporal things should be arranged according to eternal principles, as it says in Exodus 25:9: Make it according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain. But Christ is called the head of the man (that is, of higher reason) because reason in its superior aspect belongs to God.