Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 4
Charity remains in heaven
13:12 We see now through a glass in a dark manner: but then face to face. Now I know in part: but then I shall know even as I am known. [n. 800]
13:13 And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. [n. 805]
799. Here he speaks of the vision, which is knowledge of God. Hence, all the preceding gifts must be understood as destined to be eliminated inasmuch as they are directed to knowledge of God.
In regard to this he does two things: first, he proves what he proposes in general; second, in detail about himself, at now I know in part.
800. He says, therefore: I have said that we know imperfectly, because we see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then, namely, in heaven, we shall see face to face.
The first consideration concerns what it is to see through a glass in a dark manner; the second concerns what it is to see face to face.
It should be noted, therefore, that something sensible can be seen in three ways, namely, by its presence in the one seeing, as light itself, which is present in the eye, or by the presence of its likeness in the sense and immediately derived from the thing, as whiteness in a wall is seen, even though the whiteness does not exist in the eye, but its likeness (although the likeness is not seen by the eye); or by the presence of a likeness not immediately derived from the thing itself but from a likeness of the thing in something else, as when a man is seen through a mirror. For the likeness of the man is not immediately in the eye, but the likeness of the man reflected in a mirror.
Therefore, speaking in this way about the vision of God, I say that by natural knowledge God alone sees himself; because in God essence and intellect are the same. Therefore, his essence is present to his intellect. But in a second way the angels perhaps see God by natural knowledge, inasmuch as a likeness of the divine essence immediately shines back on them. But in a third way we know God in this life, inasmuch as we know the invisible things of God through creatures, as it is said: and so all creation is a mirror for us (Rom 1:20); because from the order and goodness and multitude which are caused in things by God, we come to a knowledge of his power, goodness and eminence. And this knowledge is called seeing in a mirror.
801. It should be further noted that a likeness of this sort, which is of a likeness gleaming back on someone else, is twofold: because sometimes it is clear and open, as that which appears in a mirror, sometimes it is obscure and secret, and then that vision is said to be enigmatic, as when I say: me a mother begot, and the same is born from me. That is secret by a simile. And it is said of ice, which is born from frozen water and the water is born from the melted ice. Thus, therefore, it is clear that vision through the likeness of a likeness is in a mirror, by a likeness hidden in an enigma, but a clear and open likeness makes another kind of allegorical vision.
Therefore, inasmuch as we know the invisible things of God through creatures, we are said to see through a mirror. Inasmuch as those invisible things are secrets to us, we see in an enigma.
Or another way, we see now through a glass, i.e., by our reason, and then through designates the power only. As if to say: we now see through a glass, i.e., by a power of our soul.
802. In regard to the second it should be noted that God as God does not have a face, and therefore the expression face to face is metaphorical. For when we see something in a mirror, we do not see it, but its likeness; but when we see someone by face, then we see him as he is. Therefore, the Apostle wishes to say nothing else, when he says: in heaven we shall see face to face, than that we shall see the very essence of God: we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).
But opposed to this it is said: I have seen God face to face and yet my life is preserved (Gen 32:30). But it is evident that he did not at that time see the essence of God; therefore, to see face to face is not to see the essence of God.
The answer is that that vision was imaginary; but an imaginary vision is of a higher degree, namely, seeing what appears: in the image in which he appears is another lowest grace, namely, only to hear words. Hence Jacob, to indicate the excellence of the imaginary vision showed to him says: I have seen the Lord face to face, i.e., I have seen the Lord through my imagination in his own image and not through his essence. For then it would not have been an imaginary vision.
803. But still some say that in heaven the divine essence will be seen through a created likeness.
This, however, is entirely false and impossible, because something can never be known through its essence by a likeness, which does not agree with that thing in species. For a stone cannot be known as it is except through the stone’s species, which is in the soul. For no likeness leads to knowledge of a thing’s essence, if it differs from that according to species; and much less if they differ in genus. For the essence of a man, much less than the essence of an angel, cannot be known through the species of a horse or of whiteness. Much less, then, can the divine essence be seen through any created species, whatever it be, since any created species in the soul is more distant from the divine essence than the species of a horse or whiteness from the essence of an angel. Hence, to suppose that God is seen only by a likeness or through some brilliance of his clarity is to suppose that the divine essence is not seen.
Furthermore, since the soul is a certain likeness of God, that vision would not be more mirror-like or enigmatic, which it is in this life, than clear and open vision, which is promised to the saints in glory and in which will consist our beatitude. Hence Augustine says in a Gloss that a vision of God through a likeness pertains to a vision in a mirror and enigma.
It would also follow that man’s final beatitude would be in something other than God; which is alien to the faith. Even man’s natural desire, which is to arrive at the first cause of things and of knowing him in himself, would be in vain.
804. He continues: now I know in part. Here he proves in particular what he had proved in general about knowledge of himself, saying: now, i.e., in the present life, I, Paul, know in part, i.e., obscurely and imperfectly, but then, namely, in heaven, I shall know even as I am known. Just as God knows my essence, so I shall know God through his essence, so that the as does not imply equality of knowledge but only similarity.
805. Then he infers the principal conclusion, when he says: and now there remain.
But the reason he does not mention all the gifts but only three is that these three join to God; the others do not join to God, except through the mediation of those three; also the other gifts dispose for the birth of those three in the hearts of men. Hence, too, only those three, namely, faith, hope and charity, are called theological virtues, because they have God for their immediate object.
806. But since the gifts exist for perfecting the affections or intellect, and charity perfects the affections, and faith the intellect, it does not seem that hope is necessary but superfluous.
The answer is that love is a unitive force and all love consists in some union. Hence according to the various unions, the various species of friendship are distinguished by the Philosopher.
Now we have a twofold union with God: one refers to the goods of nature, which we partake of here from him; the other refers to beatitude, inasmuch as through grace we partake here of heavenly felicity, as far as it is possible here. We also hope to arrive at the perfect attainment of that eternal beatitude and become citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. According to the first communication with God there is a natural friendship, according to which each one, inasmuch as he is, seeks and desires as his end God as first cause and supreme being. According to the second communication there is the love of charity, by which only an intellectual creature loves God.
But because nothing can be loved unless it is known, for the love of charity a knowledge of God is first required. And because this is above nature, there is required, first of all, faith which is concerned with things not seen. Second, in order that a man not fail or fall away, hope is required through which he tends to that end as pertaining to himself. Concerning these three it is said: you who fear the Lord, believe in him, as to faith; you who fear the Lord, hope in him, as to hope; you who fear the Lord, love him (Sir 2:8), as to charity.
Therefore, these three remain now, but charity is greater than the others for the reasons indicated above.