Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Corinthians 2:1-7

"And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: but we speak God`s wisdom in a mystery, [even] the [wisdom] that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory:" — 1 Corinthians 2:1-7 (ASV)

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.”