Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 9. Victory over death in Christ
15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality. [n. 1012]
15:54 And when this mortal has put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: death is swallowed up in victory. [n. 1016]
15:55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? [n. 1018]
15:56 Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law.
15:57 But thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 1022]
15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast and unmoveable: always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. [n. 1023]
1012. Here the Apostle established the necessary effect of the resurrection proceeding from its own cause. And concerning this he establishes two things in correspondence with the two he had established in the progress of the effects from the cause itself. The first is general for all, namely, that the dead shall rise again incorruptible (1 Cor 15:52). And so first he says concerning this, for this corruptible must put on incorruption. The second is particular for the apostles and the good, namely, and we shall be changed (1 Cor 15:52), and so, second, he says concerning this, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1013. For because the corruptible is contrasted to the incorruptible, and in the present state of life we are subject to corruption, he says that when we rise, this corruptible must put on incorruption, namely, by a necessary congruence. And this for three reasons.
First, for the completion of human nature. For as Augustine says, the soul, inasmuch as it is separated from the body, is imperfect, not possessing the perfection of its nature, and so existing separately it is not in such beatitude as it will be when united to the body in the resurrection. Therefore, so that it might enjoy perfect beatitude, this corruptible, i.e., the body, must put on as an adornment incorruption, so that ‘this mortal’ will not be afflicted further in any degree.
Second, for the necessity of divine justice, so that those who have done good or evil in the body are rewarded or punished likewise in the same bodies.
Third, for the conformity of the members to the head, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4).
1014. It should be noted that he compares incorruption itself or immortality to a garment, when he says, put on. For a garment is present to the one having vested, and absent, remaining the same numerical substance of the one vested, so that by this he shows that the same numerical bodies will rise and the same men will be the same numerically in the state of incorruption and immortality, in which they are now.
Thus by this the error is excluded that says that the same numerical body will not rise. Hence he says expressly, this corruptible, namely the body, must put on incorruption, for the soul is not corruptible.
Likewise, the error is excluded that says that glorified bodies will not be the same as these, but will be heavenly; and in a similar way 2 Corinthians says: here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling (2 Cor 5:2); put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem (Isa 52:1); deck yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor (Job 40:10).
1015. But against this, it seems impossible that this corruptible should put on incorruption, i.e., that the same numerical bodies will rise, because it is impossible for things which differ in genus or species to be the same numerically. But corruptible and incorruptible do not differ in species, but in genus. Therefore, it is impossible that resurrected bodies will be incorruptible and will remain the same numerically.
Moreover, the Philosopher says that it is impossible that the corruptible substance which is changed be restored to the same numerically, but to the same in species. But the substance of human bodies is corruptible; therefore, it is impossible for it to be restored to the same numerically.
I respond: it should be said first that each thing attains to its genus or species from its own nature, and not from something extrinsic to its own nature; and therefore I say that if the resurrection of bodies would be future from the principles of the nature of bodies, it would be impossible that bodies would rise the same numerically. But I say that the incorruption of resurrected bodies will be given from another principle, than from the nature of the bodies themselves, namely, from the glory of the soul, from whose beatitude and incorruption all beatitude and incorruption of bodies will be derived. Therefore, just as free will is of the same nature and the same numerically, while it is in a changeable mode to either side, and when it will be firmly fixed in the final state, so too the body will be of the same nature and the same numerically, in that corruptible mode and then, when by free will it will be firmly fixed by the glory of the soul, it will be incorruptible.
To the second objection, which the reason of the Philosopher advances against those who would maintain that all things in the sublunary bodies are caused by a change of the heavenly bodies, and that by the same turnings of the revolutions of superior bodies, the same numerical effects followed which were at some previous time. Hence they said that still the same numerical Plato will lecture to Athens and that he will have the same schools and the same pupils that he had. And so the Philosopher argues against this, that although there is the same numerical heaven, and the same sun is in its same revolutions, nonetheless the effects which arise from there do not result in numerical identity, but in identity of species, and this according to the course of nature.
In like manner, I say that if bodies were to put on incorruption, and were to rise according to the course of nature, they would not rise the same numerically, but the same in species. But since the renewal and the resurrection, as was said, will occur by divine power, we say that bodies will be the same numerically, since the individual principles of that man are nothing other than this soul and this body. In the resurrection the soul too will return the same numerically, since it is incorruptible, and this body will be the same numerically from the same dust from which it was dissolved, restored by divine power; thus it will be the same numerical man who rises.
I do not do violence to the intermediary forms, because I do not hold that there is any other substantial form in man except the rational soul, from which the human body will have it, that it is animated by a sensible and vegetable nature, and that it is rational. Accidental forms in no way hinder the numerical identity that we maintain.
1016. Then when he says, for this corruptible, he confirms what he had said by authority.
And concerning this he does two things.
First, he establishes the authority;
second, from this he concludes three things, at O death, where is your victory?
1017. Therefore he says first: I said that this corruptible must put on incorruption, but when this mortal has put on immortality, then, namely, in the future (which is against those who say that the resurrection has already happened), then shall come to pass the saying that is written, that is, death is swallowed up in victory.
This saying, according to our translation, is not found in any book of the Bible; but if it be found in the Septuagint translation, it is not certain whence it is taken. It is possible to say that this saying is taken from Isaiah: the dead shall live, their bodies shall rise (Isa 26:19), and: he will swallow up death forever (Isa 25:8). In Hosea: I will be your death, O death (Hos 13:14); the Septuagint has death is swallowed up in victory, i.e., on account of the victory of Christ.
And he sets down the past for the future on account of the certitude of prophecy (1 Pet 3:22).
1018. Then when he says, O death, where is your victory?, he concludes three things on the basis of authority:
the scorn of the saints against death;
the actions of thanks toward God, at but thanks be to God;
and his admonition to the Corinthians, at therefore, my beloved brethren.
Concerning the first he does two things.
First, he mentions the scorn; second, he explains it, at now the sting of death.
1019. The Apostle, therefore, speaking of the victory of Christ over death, as if established in some special joy, takes upon himself the person of resurrected man, saying, O death, where is your victory?
This is not found in any place of Sacred Scripture; whether the Apostle got this from himself or from another source is not certain. If however, he took it from another place, it appears that he took it from Isaiah: how the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased (Isa 14:4).
He says therefore, O death, where is your victory?, namely, your victory of corruption, i.e., the power by which you overthrew the whole human race, but which you triumphed over all: we must all die (2 Sam 14:14); he is brought to the king of terrors (Job 18:14). O death, where is your sting?
1020. What the sting is, he explains in what follows, saying, the sting of death is sin. Therefore, he sets forth two points: one by which he explains what he said; the other by which he excludes an objection, at and the power of sin is the law.
It should be understood that the sting of death can be described either as a goad to death, or that which death uses or makes. But the literal sense is the sting of death, i.e., the goad to death, because man is propelled and cast down to death by sin: for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
But because someone could object, that this sting is removed by the law, the Apostle straightaway excludes this, adding, and the power, i.e., the increase, of sin is the law; as if to say: sin is not removed by the law, but rather the power of sin is the law, i.e., an increase in the occasion; that is to say, not that it impels to sin, but that it gives an occasion for sin and it does not confer grace, from which concupiscence to sin was roused all the more: law came in, to increase the trespass (Rom 5:20); but sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness (Rom 7:8).
1021. There is, however, another sense, but not the literal one, so that the sting of death is said to be that which death uses. And so by death is understood the devil: and its rider’s name was death (Rev 6:8). And so the sting of death is the temptation of the devil. And thus all that is said about death is interpreted of the devil, as in the Gloss.
Or the sting of death, i.e., made by death, i.e., concupiscence of the flesh: then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin (Jas 1:15). For concupiscence first draws those who are willing, as in the intemperate; second, it drags those who resist, as in the incontinent; next it contends, but does not conquer, as in the continent; next it is weakened in its contention, as in the temperate; and finally it is totally defeated, as in the beatified, about whom it is fitting to say: O death, where is your contention or your victory?
1022. Therefore, because the sting of death is destroyed, not by the law, but by the victory of Christ, acts of thanksgiving are rendered to God. And this is what he says: but thanks be to God, namely, I give thanks, or we give thanks, who has given us the victory, over death and sin, through Jesus Christ, not through the law: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith (1 John 5:4); who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus our Lord! (Rom 7:24–25); for God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do (Rom 8:3).
1023. Then when he says, therefore, my beloved brethren, he adds an admonition. For as it was said, the false apostles were destroying the Corinthians by denying the resurrection, and so, after he established faith in the resurrection, and displayed it through examples, he admonishes them to occupy themselves with good, and not be seduced by the false apostles.
And concerning this he does three things. First, he confirms them in the faith, saying, therefore, namely, with the resurrection already displayed, my brethren by faith, by which we are all sons of God: he gave power to become children of God (John 1:12) beloved, through love which we owe to love one another: and this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also (1 John 4:21) be steadfast, that is, in the faith of the resurrection, not withdrawing from faith: so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro (Eph 4:14) and unmovable, that is, do not be seduced by others: provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast (Col 1:23).
Second, he induces to good works, saying, always abounding in the work of the Lord: so then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men (Gal 6:10); the righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight (Prov 11:5).
Third, he confirms them in hope, saying, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord: for the fruit of good labors is renowned (Wis 3:15).