Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:1-2

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." — 2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (ASV)

In this epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle discusses these ministers and points out their dignity. First, he gives his greeting; second, he begins his message (verse 3). In the greeting, he does three things: first, he mentions the people who send the greeting; second, those who are greeted; and third, the good things he wishes for them. Regarding the first point, he does two things: first, he mentions the primary person sending the greeting, namely Paul; and second, his companion, Timothy.

The person sending the greeting is described by his humility, because he is Paul, which in Latin means "humble." He is that humble person of whom it is said in Isaiah 60:22: The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation. He is also described by his doctrine, because Paul is called the mouth of the trumpet. This is the trumpet mentioned in Zechariah 9:14: The Lord God will sound the trumpet, and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. He fits what is said in Isaiah 58:1: Lift up your voice like a trumpet.

He is also described by the authority of his office, because he calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Here he mentions three things. First, that he is a representative; hence, he is called an apostle, meaning "one who is sent," for only twelve apostles were sent directly by Christ: He chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles (Luke 6:13). The other disciples, however, were not sent directly, but secondarily. This is why the apostles are succeeded by bishops, who have a special care for the Lord’s flock, while other priests succeed the seventy-two disciples and perform duties assigned to them by the bishops. His office, therefore, is that of an apostle: If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you (1 Corinthians 9:2); He who worked through Peter for the ministry to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8).

But why does he call himself an apostle here, when in the epistle to the Romans he calls himself a servant? The reason is that he was rebuking the Romans for their quarreling and pride—which is the mother of quarrels, as there are always disputes among the proud. Therefore, to cure them of quarreling, he leads them to humility by calling himself a servant. The Corinthians, however, were obstinate and rebellious. So, to curb their boldness, he uses a title of authority here, calling himself an apostle. Second, he mentions the one he represents, Jesus Christ: We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Third, he mentions how he obtained his ambassadorship. He is not a false apostle, like those of whom it is said, I did not send them, yet they ran (Jeremiah 23:21). Nor was he given to the people in God’s anger, in the sense of Job 34:30, who makes a hypocrite to reign, or Hosea 13:11, I have given you kings, but in my anger. Instead, he obtained his apostleship by God’s will and pleasure: He is a chosen instrument of mine (Acts 9:15). Therefore, he says, by the will of God.

The other person is Timothy; therefore, he says, and Timothy our brother. He is a brother, I say, because of their shared faith—You are all brothers (Matthew 23:8)—and also because of his office, for he was a bishop. This is why the Pope calls all bishops brothers. Paul mentions Timothy because, since Timothy had visited them, as mentioned in the first epistle (chapter 16), the people might believe that he had maliciously reported to the Apostle the things about which he is now writing to them.

Next, he mentions the people being greeted: first, the primary recipients, and second, those associated with them. He says, to the church of God, which includes all believers, both clergy and laity: that you may know how one ought to behave (1 Timothy 3:15). This church is at Corinth, because Corinth was the chief city of Achaia. Those associated with the primary recipients are all the saints who are reborn by the grace of the one Holy Spirit: But you were washed, you were sanctified... in the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11). These saints are in all Achaia, of which Corinth is the chief city.

The Apostle wishes good things for the people he greets; therefore, he says, grace to you and peace. In this, he does two things: first, he mentions the good things wished; second, their author (verse 2b).

He mentions these two gifts as two extremes, between which all other good things are contained. The first good is grace, which is the beginning of all good things, because before grace there is only a diminished goodness in us. The last of all goods is peace, because peace is the ultimate goal of the mind. No matter how peace is defined, it has the character of an end. In eternal glory, in government, and in one's way of life, the end is peace: He makes peace in your borders (Psalms 147:14).

He indicates the author of these gifts when he says, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These two expressions can be understood in two ways. First, when he says, from God our Father, it can refer to the entire Trinity. For although the person of the Father is the Father of Christ by nature, the entire Trinity is our Father by creation and governance: For you are our Father (Isaiah 63:16); You would call me, My Father (Jeremiah 3:19). Therefore, good things come from God our Father—that is, from the entire Trinity: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11).

But if God our Father is taken to mean the entire Trinity, why is the person of the Son added when he says, and the Lord Jesus Christ? Is there another person in the Trinity? I answer that the Son is added, not as if he were an additional person, but on account of the other nature—namely, the humanity assumed by the Son into his divine person. The reason Paul lists him with the Trinity is that all good things come to us from the Trinity through the Incarnation of Christ. First, grace: grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17), and second, peace: He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

Alternatively, when he says, from God our Father, it can be taken to mean the person of the Father alone. Although the entire Trinity is our Father, as has been said, the person of the Father is called our Father by appropriation. Then the Lord Jesus Christ can be referred to the person of the Son. No mention is made of the Holy Spirit because, as Augustine says, since he is the bond between the Father and the Son, whenever the Father and the Son are mentioned, the Holy Spirit is also understood.