Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Corinthians 2

After indicating the proper way to present Christian doctrine, the Apostle now shows that he followed it. In this regard, he does three things. First, he shows that he did not make use of worldly greatness with them. Second, he shows in which cases he employs spiritual excellence (1 Corinthians 2:6). Third, he indicates the reason (1 Corinthians 2:7).

Concerning the first point, he does three things:

1. He states that he did not manifest the loftiness of worldly wisdom among them.
2. He shows that he did not pretend to have the excellence of worldly power (1 Corinthians 2:3).
3. He shows that he did not pretend to have lofty eloquence (1 Corinthians 2:4).

Regarding the first of these, he states his purpose and then gives the reason for it (1 Corinthians 2:2).

He says, therefore: I have said that Christ sent me to preach the Gospel not in eloquent wisdom and that there are not many wise. And so, brothers, although I possess worldly wisdom, as stated in 2 Corinthians 11:6, “Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge,” when I came to you to convert you to Christ, I did not come with lofty words or wisdom. As it says in Acts 18:11, he was “teaching the word of God among them.” And again, “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 4:33).

Now, lofty wisdom consists in considering sublime and exalted matters that transcend human reason and understanding: “I dwelt in the highest places” . Lofty words can refer to the words that signify the thoughts of wisdom—“The words of the wise are as goads and as nails deeply fastened in” (Ecclesiastes 12:11)—or to its method of reasoning through subtle paths. The Greek version has “logos,” which signifies both speech and reason, as Jerome says. The Apostle says this because he did not wish to support the teaching of Christ with the lofty speech of wisdom: “Talk no more so very proudly” (1 Samuel 2:3).

Then he discloses the reason for this, saying: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ. This work did not require a display of wisdom but a demonstration of His power: “We preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Consequently, he employed only those things which proved Christ’s power and regarded himself as knowing nothing but Jesus Christ: “Let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:24).

In Christ Jesus, as it says in Colossians 2:3, “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” This is true because of the fullness of His godhead, the fullness of His wisdom and grace, and the profound reasons for the incarnation. Yet the Apostle did not declare these things to them, but only what was more obvious and lowly in Christ Jesus. Therefore, he adds: and him crucified. It is as if to say: I have presented myself to you as though I know nothing but the cross of Christ. Hence he says in Galatians 6:14, “Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, since the cross of Christ is made void by the wisdom of speech, as has been stated, the Apostle did not come in loftiness of speech or of wisdom.

Then, when he says, and I was, he shows that he did not pretend to have any power when he was among them but, on the contrary, showed weakness both within and without. Regarding his external state, he says: and I was with you in weakness, meaning, I suffered tribulations among you. “You know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you before” (Galatians 4:13); “Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows” (Psalms 16:4). As for his internal state, he says: and in fear, namely, of threatening evils, and in much trembling, since inward fear flows over to the body: “Combats without, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5).

Next, when he says, and my speech, he shows that he made no pretense of lofty speech among them. In this regard, he does three things. First, he disavows any improper method of preaching when he says: and my speech, whenever I instructed anyone separately and in private, and my message, whenever I spoke in public, was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom. This refers to rhetoric, which crafts phrases to persuade. Therefore, just as he had said earlier that it was not his intention to make his preaching rest on philosophical reasoning, so now he says that it was not his intention to make it rest on the persuasions of rhetoric. “You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech which you cannot comprehend” (Isaiah 33:19).

Second, he discloses the correct method he employed in preaching when he says: But my speech was in demonstrating the Spirit and power. This can be interpreted in two ways. One way is that the Holy Spirit was given to those who believed his preaching, as in Acts 10:44: “While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all of them that heard the word.” Similarly, God also confirmed his preaching by showing power, that is, by working miracles: “Confirming the word with signs that followed” (Mark 16:20). Another way it can be understood is that the Spirit spoke through him: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me” (2 Samuel 23:2); “Since we have the same spirit of faith, we too believe” (2 Corinthians 4:13). He also confirms his preaching by showing forth many powerful works in his manner of life: “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers” (1 Thessalonians 2:10).

Third, he gives the reason for this when he says: that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God. This means that faith should not rest on human wisdom, which frequently deceives people—“Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray” (Isaiah 47:10)—but on divine power, so that it will not fail. “I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith” (Romans 1:16).

Then, when he says, We impart wisdom, he shows with whom he uses the loftiness of spiritual wisdom. First, he states what he intends; second, he clarifies it (1 Corinthians 2:6b).

He says, therefore: Among you I have only preached Christ crucified, but we impart wisdom, that is, profound doctrine, among the mature. Now, people are said to be mature in two ways: first, in regard to the intellect, and second, in regard to the will, for among all the powers of the soul, these are unique to humanity. Consequently, a person’s maturity must be measured in terms of these powers.

The mature in intellect are those whose minds have been raised above all carnal and sense-perceptible things and can grasp spiritual and intelligible things. Of such it says in Hebrews 5:14: “Solid food is for the perfect, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” The mature in will, on the other hand, are those whose will, being raised above all temporal things, clings to God alone and to His commands. Hence, after setting forth the commandments of love, Christ added: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Since the teachings of the faith are aimed at making faith work through love (Galatians 5:6), it is necessary that a person instructed in these teachings be well-disposed not only in intellect for accepting and believing the truth, but also in will for loving and doing good works.

Then, when he says, although it is not, he explains what sort of wisdom he means. First, he gives the explanation, and second, he supports it with a reason (1 Corinthians 2:8). In the first part, he explains the nature of that wisdom in relation to unbelievers, and then in relation to believers (1 Corinthians 2:7).

He says, therefore: I have said that we speak wisdom among the mature, although it is not the wisdom of this age, that is, of worldly things, or the wisdom which rests on human reasoning, or of the rulers of this age. Thus he separates it from worldly wisdom in its method, its subject of inquiry, and its authors, who are the rulers of this world.

This can be understood of three classes of rulers, corresponding to the three types of human wisdom:

1. Worldly kings and potentates can be called the rulers of this age, as in Psalm 2:2: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed.” From these rulers came the wisdom of human laws, by which the affairs of this world are conducted.
2. The devils can be called rulers: “The ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me” (John 14:30). From these rulers comes the wisdom of honoring devils, namely, necromancy, magical arts, and the like.
3. Philosophers can be called the rulers of this world, insofar as they present themselves as rulers of humanity in their teaching. Of these it says in Isaiah 19:11: “The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.” From these rulers all human philosophy has come.

Now, the first of these three types of rulers are destroyed by death and the loss of power; the second, the devils, are destroyed not by death but by the loss of power, as in John 12:31: “Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out.” Of the third group, Baruch 3:16 asks, “Where are the rulers of the nations?” and then answers : “They have vanished and gone down to Hades.” Consequently, just as none of them lasts, so their wisdom cannot be solid. Therefore, it should not be relied on.

Then, when he says, But we impart, he explains this wisdom as it relates to believers. First, he describes it as to its subject matter and authority when he says: But we impart a hidden and secret wisdom of God, that is, a wisdom which is about God and from God. For although all wisdom is from God, as it says in Sirach 1:1, this wisdom, which is about God, is from God in a special way, namely, by revelation: “Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou has given wisdom and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?” .

Second, he indicates one of its characteristics, saying: hidden. This wisdom had been hidden from humanity, since it transcends the human intellect: “Many things are shown to you above the understanding of men” . Hence Job 28:21 says: “It is hid from the eyes of all living.” And because the method of teaching should suit the doctrine, he says that he speaks it in a mystery, that is, in hidden words or signs: “He utters mysteries in the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:2).

Third, he discloses the fruit of this wisdom, saying: which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. This means God prepared it for the glorification of the preachers of the faith, who deserve great glory before God and humanity for preaching such a lofty wisdom: “The wise who possess glory” (Proverbs 3:35). The phrase, for our glorification, can also refer to all the faithful, whose glory it is that they shall know in the full light the things now preached in a mystery, as it says in John 17:3: “This is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

Having explained the wisdom he speaks among the perfect, the Apostle now gives the reason for that explanation. He does this first as it relates to unbelievers, and second as it relates to believers (1 Corinthians 2:10). Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he states his proposition, and second, he proves it (1 Corinthians 2:8).

He says, therefore: I have said that the wisdom we speak is not the wisdom of the rulers of this world, for this is the wisdom that none of the rulers of this world understood. This is true regardless of which class of rulers is considered. Worldly rulers did not know this wisdom because it surpasses the principles of human government: He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless waste (Job 12:24). Philosophers also have not known it, because it transcends human reason; for this reason, Baruch 3:23 says: The searchers for understanding on the earth have not learned the way to wisdom. Finally, the devils have not known it, because it surpasses all created wisdom; therefore, Job 28:21 says: It is hid from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

Then, with the words for if they had known it, he proves his point. First, he proves it with a sign indicating that the rulers did not know God’s wisdom as it is hidden in Him. Second, he proves from scriptural authority that they did not know this wisdom as it was prepared for our glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).

He says, therefore: I am correct in saying that the rulers of this world did not understand God’s wisdom. For if they had known it, they would certainly have known that Christ is God—who is contained in this wisdom—and knowing this, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The Lord of glory is Christ the Lord, who gives glory to His own people: The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory (Psalms 24:10), and he brought many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). Since a rational creature by nature desires glory, it is inconceivable that the human will would choose to destroy the author of glory.

It is certain that the rulers crucified Jesus Christ, if by “rulers” we mean those in human power, for it says in Psalm 2:2: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed. In Acts 4:27, this is applied to Herod, Pilate, and the Jewish leaders who consented to Christ’s death. But the devils also had a part in Christ’s death by their persuasion, for John 13:2 says: The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray him. Furthermore, the Pharisees and scribes, who were versed in the law and students of wisdom, brought about Christ’s death by instigating and approving it.

Two difficulties arise here. The first concerns the statement that the Lord of glory was crucified, for Christ’s Godhead, according to which He is called the Lord of glory, cannot suffer. The answer is that Christ is one person existing in two natures, the human and the divine. Therefore, He can be described by names drawn from either nature. Furthermore, no matter which name is used to designate Him, it can be predicated of Him, because there is only one person underlying both natures. As a result, we can say that the man created the stars and that the Lord of glory was crucified. However, it was not as man that He created the stars, but as God; nor was it as God that He was crucified, but as man. Therefore, this phrase refutes the error of Nestorius, who asserted that there is one nature in Christ, composed of God and man; because if Nestorius were correct, it would not be true to say that the Lord of glory was crucified.

The second difficulty is that the Apostle seems to suppose that the Jewish rulers or the devils did not know that Christ was God. Regarding the Jewish rulers, this seems to be supported by Peter’s statement in Acts 3:17: I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. This, in turn, seems to contradict Matthew 21:38: But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ Furthermore, in explaining this, Chrysostom says, “By these words the Lord proves clearly that the Jewish rulers killed the Son of God not through ignorance but through envy.”

This difficulty is answered in a Gloss, which states that the Jewish rulers knew He was the one promised in the Law, although they did not know the mystery that He was the Son of God, or the sacrament of the incarnation and redemption. But this seems to be contradicted by Chrysostom’s own statement that they knew He was the Son of God. Therefore, the answer is that the Jewish rulers knew for certain that He was the Christ promised in the Law (although the people did not), yet they did not know for certain but only conjectured that He was the true Son of God. However, this conjectural knowledge was obscured in them by envy and by a desire for their own glory, which they saw was being diminished by Christ’s excellence.

There also seems to be a difficulty concerning the devil, for in Mark 1:23 and Luke 4:34 it says that the devil cried out: I know who you are—the Holy One of God! But lest this be attributed to the devils boasting to know what they did not, the evangelists assert that they did have knowledge of Christ. Mark 1:34 says, And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him, and Luke 4:41 says, But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. This is answered in the book of Questions of the New and Old Testament: the devils knew He was the one promised by the Law because they saw in Him all the signs foretold by the prophets; nevertheless, they did not know the mystery of His divinity.

Opposed to this, however, is Athanasius’s statement that the devils called Christ the Holy One of God because He is uniquely holy—He is holy by nature, and all others are called holy through participation in Him. Therefore, it must be said with Chrysostom that they did not have firm and certain knowledge of God’s coming, but only conjectures. For this reason, Augustine says in The City of God that Christ was recognized by the devils not by that which constitutes eternal life, but by certain temporal effects produced by His power.

Then, with the words But as it is written, he proves from Scripture that the rulers of this world did not know God’s wisdom regarding what He prepared for the glory of believers. He says: what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. Our version has: From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).

That this glorious vision is unknown to man is shown in two ways. First, it is not within the range of the human senses, from which all human knowledge begins. He mentions two senses: vision, which is used when a person discovers things for himself, and hearing, which is used when a person learns from someone else. Regarding vision, he says, what no eye has seen, for the bird has not known the path, nor has the eye of the vulture seen it (Job 28:7). The eye is of no use because the object of inquiry is not something colored and visible. Regarding hearing, he says, nor ear heard that glory, because it is not a sound or an audible word: His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen (John 5:37).

Next, he excludes the intellectual discovery of this glory when he says, nor the heart of man imagined. In one sense, whatever is known by humans in any way is said to “ascend into the heart of man”: Let Jerusalem come into your mind (Jeremiah 51:50). In this sense, “the heart of man” refers to the heart of a carnal man, as in his statement later in 1 Corinthians 3:3: For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving like ordinary men? The meaning, therefore, is that such glory is not known by the senses or even by the heart of a carnal man.

In another sense, something is said to “ascend into the heart of man” when it reaches the human understanding from a lower state, for example, from existing as something perceived by the senses. Things exist in the understanding according to its own mode; therefore, lower things exist in the intellect in a higher state than they exist in themselves. As a result, when they are grasped by the intellect, they “ascend” into the heart of man. But things that are more excellent than the intellect exist in a higher state in themselves than they do in the intellect; therefore, when they are grasped by the intellect, they somehow “descend”: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).

Therefore, since knowledge of that glory is not obtained from perceptible things but by divine revelation, he says quite significantly, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared—that is, predestined—for those who love him. This is because the essential reward of eternal glory is due to charity: If anyone loves me, he will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him (John 14:21), for the perfection of eternal glory consists in this. And Job 36:33 says, He shows his friend concerning it, that it is his possession. The “it” here refers to the light of glory. The other virtues, however, play a role in meriting eternal life only in that they are enlivened by charity.

Then, with the words but God has revealed to us, he applies the explanation of divine wisdom to the faithful. First, he states his proposition, and second, he proves it (1 Corinthians 2:10b).

He says, therefore: I have stated that none of the rulers of this world knew God’s wisdom, but to us God has revealed it through the Spirit, whom He sent to us. As it is written, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things (John 14:26), and, The breath of the Almighty gives me understanding (Job 33:4). For since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth—in that He proceeds from the Son, who is the truth of the Father—He is sent to those to whom He imparts the truth. As Matthew 11:27 says, No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Then, with the words For the Spirit searches everything, he proves that wisdom has been revealed to believers by the Holy Spirit. First, he shows that the Holy Spirit brings this about; second, he proves that He brought this about in Christ’s disciples (1 Corinthians 2:12). Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he states his proposition, and second, he proves it (1 Corinthians 2:11).

He says, therefore: I have stated that God reveals His wisdom through the Holy Spirit. This is possible because the Spirit searches all things—not as though He learns them by searching, but because He fully knows even the most intimate details of all things. For this reason, it is stated in Wisdom 7:22 that the spirit of understanding is holy, overseeing all things, containing all spirits, intelligible, pure, and subtle. The Spirit knows not only created things perfectly but even the depths of God. These “deep things” are those hidden in God, not those that are known about Him through creatures, which are, so to speak, on the surface. As Wisdom 13:5 says, For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.

Then, with the words For what person knows, he proves his point about the Spirit of God by a comparison with the human spirit. He says: For what person knows another's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? The thoughts hidden in the heart, that is, are known only by the person’s own spirit, which is the intellect. Therefore, the things that lie within cannot be seen by others. But he says significantly, what person, so as not to exclude God from knowing them. For Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, because God alone knows what lies in another’s heart.

The reason a person cannot know what lies in another’s heart is that human knowledge begins with the senses. As a result, a person cannot know the thoughts in another’s heart unless they are manifested by perceptible signs: For man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Furthermore, not even a good or an evil angel can know what lies in a person’s heart, unless it is manifested by particular effects. The reason for this can be taken from the Apostle’s statement that a person’s spirit knows what is in the heart because it is in him. But no angel, good or evil, can enter the human mind to exist in a person’s heart or work from within it. God alone can do this; therefore, He alone is aware of the secrets of a person’s heart: My witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high (Job 16:19).

He then applies this comparison to the Spirit of God, saying: So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. The “thoughts” are the hidden things of God. As Job 36:26 says, Behold, God is great, and we know him not. But just as the thoughts in one person’s heart are made known to another by perceptible signs, so the things of God can be made known to humanity by their effects in the created world: For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator . However, the Holy Spirit, who is in God Himself and is consubstantial with the Father and the Son, sees the secrets of the Godhead directly. For “in her”—that is, in God’s wisdom—is the spirit of understanding, holy, having all power, overseeing all things .

Then, with the words Now we have received, he shows how knowledge from the Holy Spirit is obtained. He says that we who are filled with the Holy Spirit have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God. By the word “spirit” is understood a definite vital power, both cognitive and dynamic. Therefore, the “spirit of this world” can mean the wisdom of this world and the love of this world, by which a person is driven to do worldly things. This is not the spirit received by the holy apostles, who rejected and despised the world.

Rather, they received the Holy Spirit, by whom their hearts were enlightened and inflamed with the love of God: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things (John 14:26). This is like Caleb, of whom God said, But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went (Numbers 14:24). The spirit of this world can err, as Isaiah 19:3 testifies: And the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel. We, however, received His divine Spirit so that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God—that is, so we may know the divine things God has given to each of us: But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift (Ephesians 4:7).

These gifts are unknown to those who do not possess the same Spirit, for it is written: To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna... which no one knows except him who receives it (Revelation 2:17). From this it can be gathered that just as no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him, so no one knows the things of the Father and of the Son except the Holy Spirit and the one who has received Him (Matthew 11:27). This is so because just as the Son is consubstantial with the Father, so the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son.

Previously, the Apostle had said, “We speak wisdom among the perfect.” Therefore, after indicating that it is a mark of this wisdom not to be known by worldly people but to be known by the saints, he now discloses the way in which the saints speak this wisdom among the perfect. First, he states his proposition; secondly, he gives the reason (verse 14).

Regarding the first point, he shows that the things revealed are now clear, saying: I have said that we have received the Spirit of God so that we may know the things given to us by God. These things, which are revealed by the Spirit, we also impart, for they were given for a purpose. Hence it says in Acts 2:4, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.”

Secondly, he addresses the method they employed. He excludes an unsuitable method, saying: in words not taught by human wisdom. That is, we do not try to prove our doctrine with words drawn from human wisdom, for we depend neither on elegance of speech nor subtlety of reasoning: “The people of profound speech you shall not see” (Isaiah 33:19). But he points to the proper method when he says: but taught by the Spirit. That is, we speak just as the Holy Spirit teaches us inwardly and enlightens the hearts of our hearers to understand: “When he shall come, the Spirit of truth, he will teach you all truth” (John 16:13).

Thirdly, he describes the hearers, saying: interpreting spiritual things to those who possess the Spirit. It is as if to say: It is a proper arrangement for us to deliver spiritual teachings to spiritual people, to whom they are suited: “Commend the same to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Here he calls the same people spiritual whom he called “perfect” above, because people are made perfect in virtue by the Holy Spirit: “All their virtue by the spirit of his mouth” (Psalms 32:6).

Then, when he says, “But the sensual man,” he gives the reason for the above. First, he shows why spiritual things must not be entrusted to sensual people; secondly, why they should be entrusted to spiritual people (verse 15). Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he gives the reason; secondly, he explains it (verse 14).

The reasoning is this: No one should be taught what he cannot grasp. But sensual people cannot grasp spiritual things. Therefore, they should not be taught them. This, therefore, is the reason for his statement that the sensual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God. There is good reason, therefore, why they cannot be entrusted to him.

Here it should be noted what sort of person is called sensual [animalis]. Recall, therefore, that the soul [anima] is the body’s substantial form. Therefore, those powers of the soul that are associated with bodily organs—namely, the sensory powers—are proper to the soul [anima]. Consequently, people are called “sensual” who follow the lead of such powers, among which are the powers of perception and desire.

Hence, people are called sensual in two ways. First, on the basis of the power of perception, where a person is called sensual in perception because he judges God in terms of bodily images, the letter of the law, or philosophical reasons, all of which are interpreted in accordance with the sensory powers. Secondly, on the basis of the power of desire, which is attracted only to things that appeal to sensory appetite. In this case, a person is called sensual in his way of life because he follows the unrestrained indulgence of his soul, which his ruling spirit does not keep within the bounds of the natural order. Hence Jude 1:19 says: “It is these that set up divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”

Secondly, we should note why such people cannot perceive the things of the Spirit of God, whether they are sensual in perception or in their way of life. For the things about which the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind transcend sense and human reason, as Sirach 3:23 testifies: “Matters too great for human understanding have been shown you.” Consequently, they cannot be grasped by a person who relies solely on sense perception.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit ignites the affections to love spiritual goods and despise sensory goods. Hence, a person whose way of life is sensual cannot grasp spiritual goods of this sort, because the Philosopher says in Ethics IV that as a person is, so his end appears to him: “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2); “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words” .

Then when he says, “for they are folly,” he supports what he said with evidence: for when a person rejects wise statements as foolish, it is evidence that he does not understand them. Consequently, since the sensual man regards things of the Spirit of God as foolish, it is obvious that he does not understand them. This is what he says, namely, they are folly to him, that is, to the sensual man, for he judges things inspired by the Holy Spirit to be foolish: “Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he esteems everyone a fool” (Ecclesiastes 10:3).

Now, although wise people regard certain things that appear wise to a fool as foolish (because the wise have sound judgment), the sensual man’s estimation that spiritual things are foolish does not proceed from sound judgment but from a lack of understanding. This is because a person given to the senses cannot understand things that transcend the senses, and a person attracted by carnal things does not realize that other goods exist besides those that please the senses. That is why he continues: and he cannot understand them: “They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness” (Psalms 82:5).

But why he cannot understand is shown when he says: because they are spiritually discerned. That is, spiritual things are examined in a spiritual way. For the lower can never examine and judge things that pertain to the higher, just as the senses cannot examine things that are strictly intellectual. Similarly, neither the senses nor human reason can judge the things of the Spirit of God. The consequence is that things of this sort are examined by the Holy Spirit alone: “The words of the Lord are examined by fire” (Psalms 18:30), that is, probed by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, because the sensual man lacks the Holy Spirit, he cannot examine spiritual things and, consequently, cannot understand them.

Then when he says, “But the spiritual man,” he gives the reason why spiritual things are imparted to spiritual people. First, he gives the reason; secondly, he clarifies it (verse 16).

The reason given is this: Spiritual things should be entrusted to one who can discern them: “The ear discerns with words” (Job 12:11). The spiritual person is such a one; therefore, spiritual things should be entrusted to him. And this is what he says: The spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one. Here it should be noted what sort of person is called spiritual. Recall, therefore, that we usually call incorporeal substances “spirits.” Consequently, because there is a specific part of the soul not associated with any bodily organ—namely, the intellectual part, which includes both intellect and will—that part of the soul is called the person’s spirit.

Now in this part of the soul, the Spirit of God enlightens the intellect and ignites the affections and will. Hence, a person is called spiritual in two ways. First, in regard to the intellect enlightened by the Spirit of God. In this way, a person is called spiritual because, being submitted to the Spirit of God, he knows spiritual things with the greatest certainty and faithfulness. Secondly, in regard to the will, ignited by the Spirit of God. In this way, a life is called spiritual because, with the Spirit of God as its guide, it directs the soul—that is, the sensory powers: “You who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1).

Secondly, we should note why a spiritual person judges all things and is himself not judged by anyone. The explanation is this: in all matters, a sound person has sound judgment regarding individual cases, whereas an unsound person fails in his judgments. Thus, a person who is awake makes the sound judgment that he is awake and that someone else is sleeping, but one who is sleeping has no sound judgment about himself or a person who is awake. Hence, things are not as they appear to be to a person asleep, but as they appear to be to a person awake.

The same holds for a healthy person’s judgment of flavors compared to that of a sick person; or a strong person’s judgment of an object’s weight compared to that of a weak person; and for a virtuous person’s judgment of morals compared to that of a vicious person. Hence the Philosopher says in Ethics V that the virtuous person is the rule and standard of all human acts, because in all human affairs, particular acts are as a virtuous person judges them to be. In this same way, the Apostle says here that the spiritual man judges all things, because a person with an intellect enlightened and ordered by the Holy Spirit has sound judgment about the specific matters that pertain to salvation. But a person who is not spiritual has a darkened intellect and a disordered will regarding spiritual goods. Consequently, the spiritual person cannot be judged by a person who is not spiritual, any more than a person who is awake can be judged by one who is asleep. Therefore, Wisdom 3:8, speaking about the first group, says that “the just shall judge all nations,” and in 1 Corinthians 4:3 the Apostle, speaking about the second group, says: “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court.”

Then when he says, “For who has known,” he supports the reason he gave. First, he cites an authority; secondly, he applies it to his point (verse 16).

Here it should be noted that if a person is to judge another, two things are required. First, the judge must know the things that pertain to the one being judged, because it says in Ethics I that each person judges well the things he knows, and of such things he is the best judge. From this it follows that no one can judge the mind—that is, the wisdom of God—which judges all things. Hence he says: For who has known the mind of the Lord? It is as if to say: no one, because God’s wisdom transcends all human ability: “Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom?” . Secondly, it is clear that no one can judge the mind of God; hence he continues: so as to instruct him? It is as if to say: No one. For God’s knowledge is not obtained from just anyone, but He is the source of all knowledge: “How you have counseled him who has no wisdom” (Job 26:3). It seems that these words of the Apostle were taken from Isaiah 40:13: “Who has helped the Spirit of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor and taught him? With whom has he consulted and who has instructed him?”

Then he applies this to his point, saying: But we, that is, spiritual people, have the mind of Christ. That is, we receive within ourselves the wisdom of Christ to enable us to judge: “He created in them the science of the spirit: he filled their heart with wisdom” ; “He opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:25). Consequently, because the mind of Christ cannot be judged, it is fitting that the spiritual person, who has the mind of Christ, be judged by no one.