The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle to the Corinthians
Thirdly, the Apostle teaches us (vers. 8 and 13) that faith and hope, both theological and justifying, remain in this life only, while charity remains also in the future life ; therefore faith is separated from charity. So Chrysostom, Anselm, Theophylact, and others; and
especially S. Augustine ( de Trin. lib. xv. c. 18) says: “Faith, according to the Apostle, can be without charity ; it cannot be profitable;” and in his sermon on the three virtues — faith, hope, and charity
(tom. x.), he speaks of charity alone, “that it distinguishes between the children of God and the children of the devil, between the children of the Kingdom and the children of perdition ; ” and again (Lib. de Natura et Gratia, c. ult.) he says : “Charity begun is righteousness begun ; charity increased is righteousness increased ; charity perfected is righteousness perfected.” See Bellarmine (de Justificatione, lib. i. c. 15). What faith which works miracles is I have said (chap. xii. 9); why the operation of miracles is to be attributed to faith, D. Thomas teaches (de Potentia, qu. 6, art. 9).
Ver. 3. — And though I bestow all my goods. The Greek verb signifies to put into the mouths of children or the sick bread, or food, in crumbs as cut up, as I have said (Rom. xii. 20); here, however, it denotes to expend all one’s substance for such a purpose.
Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. You will say, Martyrdom, then, can be without grace and charity, with sin and damnation. Note firstly, as one can give alms, so one can hand over one’s body in different ways and from different motives, e.g., for one’s country, for one’s neighbour, for correction of the body, from vain glory, or again for the faith, for the love of Christ and of God — and then it is martyrdom. Secondly, martyrdom is an act springing from the virtue of fortitude, ordered often by charity ; still it can be ordered not by charity, but virtue, as by religion or obedience ; e.g., if a man offer himself to martyrdom, that he may honour God or obey Him. These actions, however, flow from a general love of God. Thirdly, martyrdom , from whatever virtue springing, confers justifying grace, even the first, from the mere fact of its being wrought, as theologians teach ; and consequently it confers charity, nor can it be separated from it as from its end.
I say, then, firstly, that the Apostle speaks in general terms of any handing over of the body to be burned : Whether any one does it for his country, as Mucius Scævola did, who, wishing to kill King Porsena when he was besieging Rome, made a mistake, and fell into the power of his enemies ; then, to show how little he shrank from death for his country, he burnt his hand, “ In order that you may know,” he said to Porsena, “ how vile is the body in the eyes of us who look for glory ; ” or whether he do it for empty fame, as Peregrinus did, who, to obtain for himself an immortal name, threw himself at the Olympic games on a pyre to be consumed, as Lucian, an eyewitness, testified; or whether any one commit himself to fire for the faith of Christ, while at the same time keeping hatred of his neighbour, or a desire to commit mortal sin : which martyrdom is material, not formal ; for it is then without charity and profiteth nothing, as D. Thomas, Anselm, and Theodoret say.
Hence, I say secondly, that the Apostle also speaks of giving the body in material and formal martyrdom, but hypothetically, i.e., if martyrdom could be without charity it would profit nothing. So S. Chrysostom and Theophylact. Whence Theodoret and S. Basil (Epp. 75 ad Neocaesarienses) remark that there is here a hyperbole. But, if you wish, the Apostle speaks, not merely hypothetically, but absolutely.
I say thirdly, martyrdom antecedently, whether from the mere fact of being wrought, in so far as its work is regarded in itself, or in so far as the merit of him who suffers martyrdom is regarded, can be without charity, e.g., if one living in mortal sin is willing to die for the faith of Christ, when as yet he has not charity, martyrdom profits him nothing. Nevertheless, in consequence, from the mere fact of its being wrought, in his end martyrdom always brings charity; for, from the very fact that any one, even a sinner, is killed for the faith, charity and righteousness are infused into him as if from the very act itself, and in this way martyrdom eminently profits. In this way, therefore, the sense of the Apostle will be, Martyrdom profiteth nothing unless charity go before, follow after, or accompany it, whether as the source or the end and effect of martyrdom. So D. Thomas, Cajetan, and Francisco Suarez (p. 3, qu. 69, disp. 29, sec 2). Anselm says: “Without charity nothing profits, however excellent ; with charity everything profits, however vile, and becomes golden and Divine.”
It profiteth me nothing. I am not helped, I receive no benefit, i.e., towards justification and salvation. So Ephrem. “So great is charity that, if it be wanting, other things are reckoned vain ; if it be present, we possess all,” says S. Augustine (tom. iii. Sententia , 326).
Ver. 4. — Charity suffereth long and is kind. Ambrose reads: “Charity is high-souled” (so also S. Cyprian and Tertullian, de Patientia, c. 12, read), “ and is pleasing.” Note, charity is long-suffering, not formally, but in the way of cause, because it produces patience and kindness; because patience, as well as kindness, is an act not elicited but ordered by charity. Tertullian (de Patientia, c. 2) beautifully teaches that no virtue is perfect which has not patience as its companion , and so in all the beatitudes which Christ (in S. Matt, v.) enumerates, patience also must be understood. He teaches also (c. 12) that the treasures of charity are held in by the discipline of patience, and that charity herself is taught by patience as her mistress; for, expounding these words of the Apostle, “charity suffereth long,” he says : Love, the great mystery of the faith, by whose training is she taught save by that of patience? Love, he says, “ is high-souled , so she adopts patience ; she does good, so patience works no evil; envieth not — that also is the property of patience; savours nothing of wantonness — she has drawn her modesty from patience ; is not puffed up, behaves not unseemly — for that belongs not to patience. But what would he have left to impatience? Therefore he says , ‘Love beareth all things, endureth all things,’ that is, because she is patient.
Hence S. Augustine (de Moribus Eccl. c. 15) then defines fortitude: “ Fortitude is love bearing easily all things for God's sake.” In like manner he defines by love the three other cardinal virtues, that they are different forms of love. “ We may say,” he says, “ that temperance is love preserving itself pure and uncorrupt for God; that justice is love, serving God only , and for the same cause duly ordering other things which have been placed under man ; that prudence is love, rightly discerning between those things by which God is served, and His service is hindered.” Again (c. xxii.) he says : “ That love which we must have towards God, inflamed with all holiness , is called temperate in things that ought not to be sought for, and brave in things which can be lost.” And shortly afterwards : “ There is nothing so hard, so steely, which cannot be overcome by the fire of love. By love, when the soul hastens towards God, rising above the defilement of the flesh, it will fly, freely and wonderfully, on most beautiful and most chaste wings, by which pure love strives for the embrace of God.” Every virtue therefore is love and charity, viz., an act of charity not elicited but ordered, because it is ordered, directed, formed, and perfected . Add to this that virtue by itself is love of good. Such was the charity of Christ on the Cross towards His crucifiers, about which S. Bernard ( Sermon de Passione Domini ) says: “He was smitten with scourges, crowned with thorns, pierced with nails, fastened to the Cross, laden with reproaches ; yet, heedless of all pains, He cried, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ How ready art Thou to forgive , O Lord ! How great is the multitude of Thy sweet mercies! How far are Thy thoughts from our thoughts! How is Thy mercy established on the wicked! A wondrous thing! He cries, ‘ Forgive ;' the Jews, ‘Crucify;' His words were softer than butter, and they are as darts. Oh, suffering charity, but also longsuffering, ‘Charity suffereth long’ — it is enough; ‘charity is kind’ — it is the crowning-point. Because charity is kind, she loves also those whom she tolerates , and loves them so ardently. And a little lower: ‘O Jews, ye are stones, but ye strike a softer stone, from which is given back the sound of piety, from which pours forth the oil of charity. How, O Lord, wilt Thou give drink to those who thirst for Thee of the torrent of Thy joy, who so overwhelmest those who crucify Thee with the oil of Thy mercy! "