Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 5:11-15

"Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but [speak] as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we are beside ourselves, it is unto God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again." — 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 (ASV)

Having shown how the saints prepare for the reward of eternal glory by pleasing God, the Apostle now shows how they prepare for this by helping their neighbor. In this regard, he does two things. First, he shows his own concern for the salvation of his neighbor; second, he explains the reason for this concern (2 Corinthians 5:14). Regarding the first point, he does three things. First, he mentions the care he takes for his neighbor’s salvation by persuading them; second, he excludes a false opinion (2 Corinthians 5:12); third, he shows that even in his teaching methods, he intends his neighbor’s welfare (2 Corinthians 5:13). Regarding the first of these, he does two things. First, he mentions his zeal to benefit his neighbor; second, he explains this (2 Corinthians 5:11b).

He says, therefore, that we must all be revealed before the tribunal of Christ, and this consideration leads people to fear the judgment. For this reason, he says, therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. This means we persuade people to fear and believe, knowing how purely the Lord Jesus should be feared. “When I consider, I am in dread of him” (Job 23:15); “Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?” (Jeremiah 10:7); “But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13).

Because someone might argue that he persuades people not from a good conscience but for his own gain, he shows this is false by appealing to two witnesses. The first is the witness of God, as he says, but what we are is known to God. This means he is speaking from the fear of God, for God sees the intention of our heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? I the LORD search the mind and try the heart” (Jeremiah 17:9–10); “For he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25). The second witness is their own consciences; therefore he says, I hope it is known also to your conscience. I truly hope this, because I have shown myself to you in such a way that you might know we are approved and might firmly hold to this, even if you do not admit it verbally: “Commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).

Then, because they might think the Apostle said this to commend himself, he corrects this false assumption, saying, we are not commending ourselves to you again. In other words, we are not saying this for our own commendation, as if trying to commend ourselves again. For previously (in chapter three and in 1 Corinthians 3) he said certain things for his own commendation: “For it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:18). Instead, we say this for your benefit, but giving you cause to be proud of us, that is, giving you a reason to glory. For the false apostles boasted proudly, saying that they were taught by the apostles who were from the Lord—namely, by Peter and James, who were pillars of the faith. They did this while discrediting the Apostle, as if he had not been with the Lord Jesus, and wishing to destroy his teaching. Therefore, he said this so that the Corinthians might also have something in which to glory against those false apostles—namely, the grace given to the Apostle—in order to refute them and not be led astray by them. He continues, so that you may be able to answer those, that is, to speak against them or to those who reprimand you.

He speaks of those, I say, who pride themselves on a man’s position and not on his heart [who glory in face and not in heart]. This can be explained in three ways.

1. They glory in appearance, that is, in the external observances of the Law, because that is what they taught, and not in heart, that is, in the virtue of Christ, which is in the heart. This is unlike the Apostle, who, in the power of the cross of Christ, said: “Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).
2. They glory in appearance, that is, in the presence of others, as hypocrites do, and not in heart, that is, in the testimony of conscience, as the Apostle says above: “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience” (2 Corinthians 1:12).
3. They glory in appearance because they pretend to have outward qualities that they do not feel in their hearts. For example, they claimed to have been instructed by the apostles and to be following their doctrine, which, on the contrary, they were trying to destroy.

It is clear, therefore, how the Apostle worked for the salvation of his neighbor through his teaching.

Now we must see how he worked for their salvation even in the way he taught. He says, for if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind [if we are sober], it is for you. This is explained in two ways. In one way, the Apostle calls himself “beside himself” when he speaks by commending himself, and “sober” when he is not speaking of his own commendation. According to this, he is saying: no matter how we teach, it is either for the honor of God or the benefit of his neighbor. For if we are beside ourselves, that is, if we commend ourselves, it is for God, that is, for the honor of God or for observing God’s judgment. If we are in our right mind [if we are sober], that is, not saying great things about ourselves, this is for you, that is, for your benefit.

But there is another and more literal sense. I say that we give you an opportunity to glory in us because in everything we do, and even in the way we do it, we intend your good. It should be noted that the apostles were as intermediaries between God and the people: “While I stood between the Lord and you at that time” (Deuteronomy 5:5). Therefore, they were required to draw from God whatever they poured out upon the people. It was necessary that they sometimes raise themselves to God by contemplation to obtain heavenly things, and sometimes adapt themselves to the people to deliver what they had received from God. All of this was for their benefit.

Hence he says, for if we are beside ourselves, that is, raised to the state of receiving gifts of grace in order to be united to God, which is done by means of temporal things: “I said in my vision” (Psalms 116:11, Vulgate); as Dionysius says, “Divine love causes ecstasy.” If we are in our right mind, that is, if we adapt ourselves to you by delivering God’s precepts, it is for you, that is, for your benefit. This sobriety is not opposed to drunkenness from wine, which brings wars on earth, but to that inebriation which is from the Holy Spirit and draws people to divine things. It is about this that Song of Solomon says: “Eat, O friends, and drink: drink deeply, O lovers!” (Song of Solomon 5:1). For that sobriety is for the benefit of our neighbor, but the inebriation is for the love of God. Such a descent was signified by the descent of the angels on the ladder which Jacob saw (Genesis 28:12): “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51).

Then when he says, For the love of Christ, the Apostle indicates the cause of his concern, namely, the love of Christ. In this regard, he does two things. First, he shows that he is compelled by the love of Christ to work for the salvation of his neighbor; secondly, he indicates the source from which the love of Christ originates (2 Corinthians 5:14b).

He says, therefore: I say that whether we are beside ourselves for God, or sober for you, it is for your benefit. The reason for this is that the love of Christ controls [presses] us to do this. He says, “presses,” because it is the same as “stimulates.” It is as if to say: the love of God, like a goad, spurs us to do what love commands, namely, to work for the salvation of our neighbor: “Those who are led... by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14); “Its flashes are flashes of fire” (Song of Solomon 8:6).

Then he indicates the cause of his concern, namely, the love of Christ, adding, because we are convinced that one has died for all. First, he assigns the reason for this; second, he explains it (2 Corinthians 5:15).

He says, therefore: I say that we do all things for you because the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one, namely Christ, has died for all. Therefore we ourselves should so live for your benefit that we are even dead to ourselves—that is, we care nothing about ourselves, but about Christ and the things of Christ: “God shows his love for us” (Romans 5:8); “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

What follows from this, namely, therefore all have died, is explained in three ways.

1. It is as if to say that all have died the death of sin in Adam. For it would not have been necessary for Christ to suffer for all if all were not dead with the death of Adam’s sin: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
2. It is as if to say: all have died to the old life. For Christ died to remove sins; therefore, all should die to the old life of sin and live the life of righteousness: “The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10–11).
3. More literally, all have died means that each person should regard himself as dead to himself: “You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

He explains this interpretation when he says, and he died for all. He died that we might live for Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 1 John 4:9). He continues, that those who live might live—with a natural life—no longer for themselves, that is, solely for themselves and their own good, but for him who for their sake died and was raised, namely, for Christ. This means a person should direct his whole life to the service and honor of Christ: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20); “Forget not the kindness of your surety, for he has given his life for you” (Sirach 29:20, Vulgate).

The reason for this is that everyone who acts bases his actions on the goal. Therefore, if Christ is the goal of our life, we should regulate our life not according to our will but according to Christ’s will. For this is what Christ himself said: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38).

But note that he says two things: that Christ died and that he rose for us. In this, two things are required of us. Since he died for us, we, too, should die to ourselves, that is, deny ourselves for him: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is the same as saying: let him die to himself. But because Christ rose for us, we should so die to sin, to the old life, and to ourselves that we might rise to the new life of Christ: “So that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). This is why the Lord not only said, “Let him deny himself and take up his cross,” but added, “and follow me,” namely, in newness of life, by advancing in the virtues: “They shall go from virtue to virtue” (Psalms 84:7, Vulgate).