Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 3
Put away childish things
13:8 Charity never falls away: whether prophecies shall be made void or tongues shall cease or knowledge shall be destroyed. [n. 786]
13:9 For we know in part: and we prophesy in part. [n. 792]
13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. [n. 794]
13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. [n. 796]
786. After showing that charity excels the other gifts of the Holy Spirit by reason of need and fruitfulness, the Apostle now shows the excellence of charity over the other gifts in regard to permanence.
In regard to this he does three things: first, he mentions the difference between charity and other gifts of the Holy Spirit as to permanence; second, he proves what he had said, at for we know in part; third, he draws the intended conclusion, at and now there remain faith (1 Cor 13:13).
In regard to the first he does two things: first, he declares the permanence of charity; second, the cessation of other gifts, at whether prophecies.
787. First, therefore, he says: charity never falls away. Some, indeed, have misunderstood this and fallen into error, saying that charity once possessed can never be lost. This opinion seems to be consistent with what is said: no one born of God commits sin, because his seed remains in him (1 John 3:9).
But this opinion is false, because someone possessing charity can fall away from it by sin: you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember, then, from what you have fallen, and do penance (Rev 2:4). This is so, because charity is received in a man’s soul according to his mode, namely, that he can use it or not. But as long as he uses it, a man cannot sin; because the use of charity is loving God above all things, and nothing remains for the sake of which a man should offend God. And this is the way John’s quoted statement is understood.
Second, the quotation cited is not in accord with the Apostle’s intention, because he is not speaking here about the cessation of spiritual gifts through mortal sin, but rather about the cessation of spiritual gifts which pertain to this life through supervening glory. Hence, the sense of the Apostle is that charity never falls away, namely, because just as it exists in the state toward heaven, so it will remain in the state of glory and with increase: says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion (Isa 31:9), i.e., in the Church Militant, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem, i.e., in the peace of the heavenly fatherland.
788. Then when he says, whether prophecies, he sets forth the cessation of other spiritual gifts, and especially of those which seem principal.
First as to prophecy he says, whether prophecies shall be made void, i.e., will cease, namely, because in future glory prophecy will have no place for two reasons: first, because prophecy regards the future; but that state does not await anything in the future, but will be the final completion of everything previously foretold. Hence it is said: as we have heard, namely, through the prophets, so have we seen in the city of our God (Ps 48:9).
Second, because prophecy occurs with figurative and enigmatic knowledge, which will cease in heaven: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream (Num 12:6); it was I who multiplied visions and through the prophets gave parables (Hos 12:10).
789. Second, as to the gift of tongues he says: or tongues shall cease. This is not to be understood of the bodily members called tongues, as it says below: the dead shall rise again incorruptible (1 Cor 15:52), i.e., without loss of members. Nor is it to be understood of the use of the bodily tongue. For in heaven there will be vocal praise: let the high praises of God be in their throats (Ps 149:6), as a Gloss explains.
Therefore, it must be understood of the gift of tongues, by which some in the early Church spoke in various tongues (Acts 2:4). For in future glory each one will understand each tongue. Hence, it will not be necessary to speak in various tongues. For even from the beginning of the human race, as it is said: the whole earth had one language and few words (Gen 11:1), which will be more true in the final state, in which there will be complete unity.
790. Third, as to knowledge he adds: or knowledge shall be destroyed. From this some have wanted to suppose that acquired knowledge is totally destroyed with the body.
To investigate the truth it is necessary to consider that the cognitive power is twofold, namely, the sensitive power and the intellective. Between these there is a difference, because the sensitive power is the act of an organic power and therefore ceases to be, when the body dies; but the intellective power is not the act of any bodily organ, as is proved in On the Soul III, and therefore, it must remain when the body dies. Therefore, if any acquired knowledge is preserved in the intellective part of the soul, it must remain after death.
791. Some, therefore, have supposed that the intelligible species are not conserved in the possible intellect except as long as it is understanding. But the species of the phantasms are conserved in the powers of the sensitive soul; for example in the memory or the imagination, in such a way that when the possible intellect wants to think of something anew, even things it previously understood, it always needs to abstract from the phantasms by the light of the active intellect. Therefore, according to this the consequence is that knowledge acquired here does not remain after death.
But this position is, of course, against reason. For it is obvious that the intelligible species in the possible intellect are received at least while it is actually understanding. But whatever is received in something exists in it after the manner of the recipient. Therefore, since the substance of the possible intellect is fixed and unchangeable, the consequence is that the intelligible species remain in it unchangeably.
Second, it is against the authority of Aristotle in On the Soul III, who says that when the possible intellect is knowing anything, then also it is understanding in potency. And so it is clear that it has an intelligible species, through which it is said to be knowing, and yet it is still in potency to understanding in act, and so the intelligible species are in the possible intellect, even when it is not actually understanding. Hence the Philosopher says that the intellective soul is the locus of the species, namely, because the intelligible species are conserved in it.
Yet it needs to refer to the phantasms in this life in order actually to understand, not only to abstract species from the phantasms but also to apply the species it has to the phantasms. The sign of this is that if the organ of the imagination or even of the memory is injured, a man is not only prevented from acquiring new knowledge, but also from the use of knowledge previously possessed.
Thus, therefore, knowledge remains in the soul after the death of the body as to the intelligible species, but not as to inspecting phantasms, which the separated soul does not need, since it has existence and activity without union with the body.
And according to this the Apostle says here that knowledge is destroyed, namely, according to referring to phantasms: hence, it is said: the wisdom of their wise men shall perish (Isa 29:14).
792. Then when he says: for we know in part, he proves what he had said: first, he presents a proof; second, he clarifies things contained in the proof, at when I was a child.
793. To prove the proposition he presents this proof: when the perfect comes, the imperfect ceases; but gifts other than charity have imperfection. Therefore, they will cease, when the perfection of glory triumphs.
First, therefore, he proposes the minor proposition referring to the imperfection of knowledge, when he says: for we know in part, i.e., imperfectly. For a part has the nature of something imperfect. And this is especially true in regard to knowledge of God: behold, God is great, and we know him not (Job 36:26); behold, these are not but the outskirts of his ways (Job 26:14).
He also proposes the imperfection of prophecy, when he adds: and we prophesy in part, i.e., imperfectly. For prophecy is knowledge with imperfection, as has been said. But he is silent about the gift of tongues, which is more imperfect than these two, as will be shown (1 Cor 14:2).
794. Second, he proves the major proposition, saying: but when that which is perfect is come, the imperfect will pass away, i.e., every imperfection will be taken away. Of this perfection it is said: after you have suffered a little while, he will restore and strengthen you (1 Pet 5:10).
795. But according to this it seems that even charity will pass away through future glory, because it is imperfect in the present life as compared with the life of glory.
The answer is that imperfection is related in two ways to that which is called imperfect. For sometimes it pertains to a thing’s very nature and sometimes not, but is accidental to it. For example, imperfection pertains to the very notion of a boy, but not of a man; therefore, when perfect age comes, boyhood ceases, but the human nature becomes perfect. Imperfection, therefore, is of the very notion of knowledge, as we possess it of God here, inasmuch as it is known from sensible things; the same is true of the nature of prophecy, inasmuch as it is a figural knowledge tending into the future. But it is not so in the very notion of charity, to which it pertains to love a known good. Therefore, with the coming of perfect grace prophecy and knowledge cease; but charity does not cease. It is made perfect, because the more perfectly God will be known, the more perfectly will he be loved.
796. Then when he says: when I was a child, he clarifies what he had said above: first, he clarifies the major, namely, with the coming of the perfect the imperfect ceases; second, he clarifies the minor, namely, that knowledge and prophecy are imperfect, at we see now (1 Cor 13:12).
797. He shows the first by a likeness of the perfect and imperfect found in bodily age.
Hence, he first describes the imperfect state of bodily age, saying: when I was a child, namely, in age, I spoke as a child, i.e., as befitted a child, by babbling. Hence, on account of the natural lack of speech in children, wisdom is commended for making the tongues of babes speak clearly (Wis 10:2) and that the child should speak who utters vanities: everyone utters vanities to his neighbor (Ps 12:2).
As to judgment he adds: I understood as a child, i.e., I accepted or rejected certain things foolishly, as children do, who sometimes reject precious things and desire base things, as it is said: how long, O simple ones, will you love being simple (Prov 1:22). Therefore, they think as children who despise spiritual things and desire those of earth. Of such it is said: they glory in their shame with their minds set on earthly things (Phil 3:19).
As to reasoning he says: I thought as a child, i.e., certain vain things: the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain (Ps 94:11).
Now the Apostle seems to place these three in reverse order. For speech precedes the judgment of reason; but judgment presupposes the activity of reason. And this sufficiently befits childish imperfection, in which there is speech without judgment, and judgment without deliberation.
I spoke as a child can be referred to the gift of tongues; I understood as a child to the gift of prophecy; finally, I thought as a child to the gift of knowledge.
798. Second, he mentions what pertains to perfect age, saying: when I became a man, i.e., when I reached the perfect and virile age, I put away, i.e., cast off, the things of a child, because, as it is said: the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed (Isa 65:20).
It should be recognized that the Apostle is here comparing the present to childhood on account of its imperfection; but the state of future glory to the manly state on account of its perfection.