Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Chapter 12
Diversity of Office
Lecture 1
Unity through Jesus Christ
12:1 Now concerning spiritual things, my brethren, I would not have you ignorant. [n. 709]
12:2 You know that when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led. [n. 711]
12:3 Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, says anathema to Jesus. And no man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Spirit. [n. 715]
12:4 Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit. [n. 720]
12:5 And there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord. [n. 722]
12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who works all in all. [n. 723]
709. After discussing the three sacraments of baptism, matrimony and the Eucharist, the Apostle begins to talk about things pertaining to the reality signified in the sacraments. But this is twofold: one is signified and contained, namely, grace, which is conferred at once by the sacrament; the other is signified but not contained, namely, the glory of the resurrection, which is expected at the end.
First, therefore, he deals with the gifts of graces;
second, with the glory of the resurrection, at now I make known unto you (1 Cor 15:1).
In regard to the first he deals with the charismatic graces;
second, he prefers to all of these charity, which pertains to sanctifying grace, at if I speak with the tongues of men (1 Cor 13:1);
third, he compares the charismatic graces to one another, at follow after charity (1 Cor 14:1).
710. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he principally explains his intention, saying: I have said that and the rest, which pertain to the use of the sacraments, I will set in order when I come (1 Cor 11:34). And this is what he says: now concerning spiritual things, i.e., the gifts of the graces which come from the Holy Spirit, I would not have you ignorant, brethren.
For it is the worst form of ingratitude to be ignorant of benefits received, as Seneca says in the book On Benefits. Therefore, in order that man not be ungrateful to God, he should not be ignorant of spiritual gifts: we have received the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God (1 Cor 2:12); therefore, my people go into exile for want of knowledge (Isa 5:13), i.e., of spiritual things.
711. Second, when he says, you know that when you were heathen, he follows out his intention:
first, he shows the need for spiritual graces;
second, he presents the distribution of graces, at now there are diversities.
Now the need for a thing is best known from its absence.
Hence, in regard to the first he does two things:
first, he manifests the loss they suffered, before they received grace;
second, he concludes to the need for grace, at wherefore, I give you to understand.
712. First, therefore, he says: you know by experience that when you were heathen, i.e., living as heathen without having yet received grace through baptism: we are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners (Gal 2:15); the gentiles living in the futility of their minds (Eph 4:17). You went, as though with a ready and constant mind: everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging into battle (Jer 8:6); their feet run to evil (Prov 1:16). To dumb idols, namely, to adore and worship: they have a mouth but do not speak (Ps 114:5). Their lack of speech is particularly stressed, because speech is the proper effect of knowledge. Hence it is shown that idols do not understand and, as a consequence, they have nothing divine, if they are mute.
And this, as you were led, i.e., without any resistance. For they were led, either attracted by the beauty of the idols; hence it says in one of Jerome’s letters: you will see in Babylon gods of gold and silver; see that fear does not overtake you in them. Or even by the command of some prince, as it is read that Nebuchadnezzar compelled men to adore a golden statue (Dan 3:1). It is stated that some were led to the sacrifice with bitter necessity on the king’s birthday (2 Macc 6:7). Or even by the instigation of demons, who aspire in a special way to have divine worship paid to them: all these things will I give you, if falling down you adore me (Matt 4:9).
Therefore, they went to cultivate idols according as they were led without resistance, as it is said of the silly youth: all at once he follows her as an ox is led to the slaughter (Prov 7:22).
This shows that before receiving grace, man quickly runs into sin without resistance.
713. He makes special mention of the sin of idolatry for three reasons: first, because it is a very grave sin to introduce another God, just as one would sin very gravely against a king by introducing another king into his kingdom. Hence, it is said: if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor and my mouth has kissed my hand (Job 31:26), namely, as a worshipper of the sun and moon, which is the greatest iniquity and denial against God Most High.
Second, because from the sin of idolatry all other sins arise: for the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil (Wis 14:27).
Third, because this sin was common among the heathens and was not counted; hence it is said: all the gods of the heathens are demons (Ps 96:5).
714. It should be noted that some have said that man existing in mortal sin cannot without grace be freed from the sin he lies under, because the remission of sins is brought about only by grace: they are justified by his grace (Rom 3:24); but he can preserve himself from mortal sin without grace, through free will.
But this position does not seem to be true. First, because one cannot preserve himself from mortal sin except by observing all the precepts of the law, since no one sins mortally except by transgressing some precept of the law. And so someone could observe all the precepts without grace, which is the Pelagian heresy.
Second, because no one can without grace have charity, through which God is loved above all things: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Rom 5:5). But no one can avoid all sins, unless he loves God above all things: just as that is more despised which is loved less.
Therefore, it could happen that for some time a person who lacks grace will abstain from sin, until he encounters that for which he will despise God’s precept, and by which he is led into sin. It is significant that the Apostle says, as you were led.
715. Then when he says, wherefore, he concludes to two effects of grace:
the first is that it makes one abstain from sin;
the second is that it makes one do good works, at and no man can say.
716. First, therefore, he says: from the fact that when you were without grace, you ran after sin rapidly, I give you to understand that if you had possessed grace, this would not have happened to you, for no one speaking by the Spirit of God says anathema to Jesus, i.e., blasphemes Jesus: every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God (1 John 4:3).
It should be noted that above he said that the gravest sin is blasphemy, which is avoided through grace; hence the other lesser sins are avoided.
By saying, anathema to Jesus, any mortal sin can be understood. For ‘anathema’ signifies separation. It is derived from ana, which means above and thesis, which is a placing; as it were, placed above, because in olden times things separated from men’s use, were hung up in temples or in public places. But every mortal sin separates from Jesus: your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God (Isa 59:2). Therefore, whoever sins mortally says in his heart or with his mouth, anathema, i.e., separation from Jesus. Therefore, no one speaking by the Spirit of God says anathema to Jesus, because no one through the Spirit of God sins mortally because, as it is said: the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from deceit (Wis 1:5).
717. But according to this it seems that whoever had the Holy Spirit cannot sin mortally; further, it is said: no one born of God commits sin, because God’s seed abides in him (1 John 3:9).
The answer is that as far as the Spirit of God is concerned, man does not commit sin but rather is drawn away from sin. But he can sin through a defect of the human will which resists the Holy Spirit: you always resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). For by the indwelling Holy Spirit the ability to sin is not taken away totally from the free will in this life. Therefore, it is significant that the Apostle did not say: no one having the Holy Spirit, but no one speaking by the Spirit of God.
718. Then when he says, and no man, he mentions the second effect of grace, namely, that without it man cannot perform a good work. He says, therefore: and no man can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
But against this seems to be the fact that by the Holy Spirit man is introduced to the kingdom of heaven: your good spirit leads me along the right path (Ps 143:10). The Lord, however, says: not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7:21). Therefore, not everyone who says Lord Jesus, says it in the Holy Spirit.
The answer is that saying something in the Holy Spirit can be understood in two ways: in one way in the Holy Spirit moving but not possessed. For the Holy Spirit moves the hearts of certain men to speak, although he does not dwell in them, as it is read that in predicting the utility of the Lord’s death Caiaphas did not speak from himself but through the Spirit of prophecy (John 11:49). Balaam also predicted many true things, but moved by the Holy Spirit, although he did not possess him (Num 23–24). According to this, therefore, it must be understood that no one can say anything true, unless moved by the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, of whom it is said: when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). Hence Ambrose says in a Gloss: every truth by whomsoever spoken is from the Holy Spirit. This applies especially to matters of faith, which are had by a special revelation of the Holy Spirit. Among these is the fact that Jesus is Lord of them all. Hence it is said: let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36).
In another way someone speaks in the Holy Spirit moving and possessed. And according to this, what is said here can be verified, but in such a way that ‘to speak’ refers not only to the mouth but also to the heart and the deed. For something is said by the heart: the fool says in his heart: there is no God (Ps 14:1). But something is said by deed, inasmuch as someone by an external work manifests his thought. No man, therefore, except by having the Holy Spirit can say the Lord Jesus, in such a way that he confesses this not only by the mouth but also with the heart reveres him as Lord and in work obeys him as Lord.
719. Therefore, from the foregoing words we can consider three things about grace. First, that without it man cannot avoid sin: if the Lord had not been my help, my soul soon would have dwelt in hell (Ps 94:17).
Second, that through it sin is avoided: no one born of God commits sin (1 John 3:9).
Third, that without it a man cannot do good: apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
720. Then when he says, there are diversities of graces, he begins to distinguish the charismatic graces:
first, he distinguishes them in general;
second, he manifests each in particular, at and the manifestation of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:7).
721. In things conferred by the grace of the Holy Spirit three things must be considered. First, indeed, men’s faculty to work; second, the authority; third, the execution of both.
The faculty is had by the gift of grace; for example, by prophecy or the power to work miracles or by something of that sort. The authority is had through some ministry; for example, by the apostolate or something of that sort. Execution pertains to operation.
First, therefore, he distinguishes the graces; second, the ministries; third, the operations.
In regard to the first, therefore, he shows the need for grace which, nevertheless, does not come in its totality to all, but only to Christ, to whom the Spirit was given without measure (John 3:34). But in regard to others there are divisions of graces, because some abound in one and some in another. For as in a natural body the head has all the senses, while the other members do not; so in the Church Christ alone has all graces, which are divided in the other members. This is signified where it says that a river, namely, of graces, flowed out to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers (Gen 2:12); and it is said that to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one (Matt 25:15).
And although the gifts of graces possessed by diverse persons are diverse, they do not proceed from diverse authors, as the gentiles believed, who attributed wisdom to Minerva, speech to Mercury, and so on for other gifts. To exclude this, he adds: but the same Spirit, namely, the Holy Spirit, who is the author of all graces: one body and one Spirit (Eph 4:4); the Spirit is one and manifold (Wis 7:22): one in substance, manifold in graces.
722. Then he mentions the distinctions of service, saying: and there are diversities of ministries, i.e., diverse ministries and offices are required to govern the Church. For the prelates of the Church are called servants: one should regard us as servants of Christ (1 Cor 4:1). But it pertains to the beauty and perfection of the Church that in it there be diverse ministries, which are signified by the orders of service, which the queen of Sheba admired in Solomon’s house (1 Kgs 10:5). Yet all serve one Lord; hence he adds: but the same Lord: to us there is but one. . . Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things (1 Cor 8:6).
723. Then he mentions the distinctions of operations, saying: and there are diversities of operations, by which one works the good in himself as by services to his neighbor; man goes forth to his work (Ps 104:23), namely, proper to himself: he distinguished them and appointed their different ways, i.e., operations (Sir 33:11). All of which come from one source. Hence he adds: but the same God, who works all, as the first cause creating all actions. But lest the other causes seem to be superfluous, he adds: all in all, because the first cause works in secondary causes: you have worked all our works in us (Isa 26:12).
It should be noted that the Apostle very fittingly attributes things to the Spirit who is love, because from love proceeds that someone is freely given the ministry from the Lord, to whom he ministers works to God, as to the first movent cause.
And that he says, Spirit, can be referred to the person of the Holy Spirit, what he calls Lord to the person of the Son, what he calls God in the person of the Father; or these three can be attributed to the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord God.