The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle to the Corinthians
We shall all indeed rise again, but we shall not all be changed. There are three variant readings here, the first that of the Greek Fathers and of Ephrem, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” This is adopted by Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Origen (contra Celsum, lib. ii.), Theodorus Heracleotes, Apollinarius (quoted by S. Jerome, Ep. ad Minerium et Alexandrum), Tertullian (de Resurr. Carnis, c. 41 and 62), Augustine (qu. 3, ad Dulcitium), who think that all will not die, i.e. y that some who are alive at the end of the world will be caught up with Christ the Lord, and so will be glorified. For this change, Theophylact says, following Chrysostom, will be to them death; for corruption will die in them by being changed into incorruption. The second reading is, “We shall all sleep, but we shall not all be changed.” This appears in S. Augustine (de Civ. Dei, lib. xx. c. 20), and is approved by S. Jerome in the passage above quoted. The third reading is that of the text. S. Augustine prefers this to the others given above, and it is undoubtedly plainer, truer, and more certain, and more consistent with the context and with the other passages of S. Paul’s, in which he lays down that it is appointed unto all men once to die. Cf. also ver. 22: “As in Adam all die.”
Though the first rendering does not appear to be true, yet, because of the authorities in favour of it, it is not to be condemned as rash or certainly false. Hence Franciscus Suarez and others say that the opinion that all men, without a single exception, will die and rise again is only more probable than its opposite.
Ver. 52. — In a moment We shall rise in an instant, in a point of time, so short as to be indivisible, as S. Jerome says.
In the twinkling of an eye. The word for “twinkling” is derived from the hurling of a thunderbolt or a javelin. Others, with S. Jerome (Ep. ad Menerium), read another word, which denotes the instant fall of the balance when a heavier weight is placed in one
Theodoret, (Ecumenius, Anselm, Gregory of Nyssa (Oral. de Resurr.), S. Jerome (in the passage just quoted), Augustine (Ep. 49, c. 1) gather from this that the resurrection will take place, not in a very short space of time, but instantaneously. This may be true of the formation, organisation, and re-vivification of the body when it rises, and indeed the Apostle says as much when he writes “in a moment,” but it is very doubtful whether it refers to local motion, as to the coming together of the different parts of the body from different places. S. Augustine maintains, and Suarez (part iii. qu. 53, disp. 44, sect. 4) shows that it is possible that by the power of God these different parts of the body can pass from point to point without travelling over the intermediate space, and that so all can at once come to the same place, in a moment of time. But, as was pointed out at ver. 44, the nature of space and of motion does not seem to allow of that, but rather to force us to admit that nothing can pass from one place to another without crossing over the space between.
Hence it seems to others more likely that by the power of God motion may take place in an instant from one point to another by a passage over the intervening space, as the sun uniformly pours his light in every direction over half the world in a single instant Why should it not be said that the body can in the same way, by the power of God, dart itself from one place to another? If one is instantaneous, why may not the other be?
But it may plausibly be answered that there is a great difference between the nature of light and of material bodies; for though the mode of travelling of both may seem the same, yet in the case of light it is not the same point of light that is carried continuously onward, but point succeeding point; but in the case of a body it is the same identical body that in one instant has to leave one space and pass through the next, and in the self-same instant leave that and pass through a third, and a fourth, fifth, and sixth, and so on, through all the intermediate spaces to the end. But this seems impossible; for if so, in the same instant the same body would be crossing through and leaving the same space, would be in this space and not be in it, nay, would be in all the intervening spaces and would not be in them. Hence S. Thomas and others are better advised in denying that this transference of the parts of the body to the same place will take place instantaneously, especially since it will be brought about by the ministry of angels, who move bodies, not instantaneously, but in a very brief space of time. The Apostle then is speaking here of the resurrection alone, not of the transference of the risen bodies, when he says that it will take place in the twinkling of an eye, even in a moment.
At the last trump. From Rev. viii. and ix. it appears that, at the end of the world, the seven angels to whom the care of man has been wholly given will sound with seven trumpets, to announce the last calamities and punishments which are coming on the world, and as it were to call them forth and to bring them to pass. After them there will follow this last trumpet, calling out, “Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment” See notes to
Ver. 53. — For this corruptible must put on incorruption. The word “this” declares, in opposition to Origen, that the resurrection body will be numerically the same as now. Cf. S. Jerome (Ep. ad Pammachium).
Ver. 54. — Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. This is either from Isa. xxv. 8, where S. Paul follows the Hebrew text rather than the Septuagint, or the sense and not the words of Hosea xiii. 14 is given. This seems preferable, as ver. 55 seems to be taken from the same place.
Ver. 55. — O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? This question received its first answer when Christ rose back from their limbus the souls of the saints, and so rescued this part of His spoil from Hades. Cf. Anselm and Origen (Hom. xxii. in Evangl), and Augustine (Serm. 137 de Tempore). The final answer will be given at the resurrection of all, as the Apostle says here. S. Jerome, writing to Heliodorus about Nepotianus, lately dead, beautifully addresses Death, and exults over it with S. Paul. He says: “By Hosea He formerly sternly threatened thee: ‘O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.’ By His death thou now art dead; by His death we live . Thou hast devoured and been swallowed up, and when thou wast tempted with the bait of the body assumed by Christ, and thoughtest it a prey meet for thy greedy jaws, thou wast straightway pierced within by the barbed hook. We, Thy creation, give thanks to Thee, Christ our Saviour, that when Thou wast slain Thou didst slay this our powerful foe.”
Similarly, S. Francis, when suffering from the most grievous bodily pains, found no relief but in singing the praises of God and in hearing others singing them; and, when he was reproved by Elias for devoting his last moments to joy instead of to repentance, he replied that it was not right for him to do otherwise when he knew that in a short time he should be with God. S. Reginald, one of the first companions of S. Dominic, when bidden prepare himself, according to custom, by extreme unction, for his contest with the devil, said: “I have little fear of that contest; nay, rather, I joyfully look forward to it; for long ago was I anointed by the mother of mercy: in her I put my utmost confidence, and set out to her with eagerness.” S. Bernard (Serm. 26 in Cantica), speaking of the death of his brother Gerard, who in his last moments had broken out in the words of the Psalmist, “Praise the Lord of heaven; praise Him in the height,” wrote as follows: “On thee, my brother, though it was still midnight, day was dawning; the night was as bright as the day. I was summoned to behold that marvel, to see a man rejoicing in death, taunting death: ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ There is no longer a sting, but a shout of victory. Man now dies singing, and in singing dies.”
Ver. 56. — The sting of death is sin. Theophylact says that the sting by which death chiefly hurts and pierces us is like the sting of the scorpion, which, though a tiny animal, slays by its sting. So death slays all by sin, and would be powerless without sin. Moreover, death stings and pierces us by sin and by knowledge of sin as his sting, saying to the soul, as it were: “You die; you suffer deservedly, because you have sinned.”
The strength of sin is the law. Sin gains its strength chiefly through the law. The prohibitions of the law are the occasions of sin, for we always strive after what is forbidden and long for what is denied us. Cf. notes to Rom. viii. 8 and 13. Cf. also Theodoret, Theophylact, Ambrose, Anselm.
Ver. 57. — Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory. I.e., over death and sin.
Ver. 58. — Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable. Viz., in the belief of the resurrection, that ye may abound in good works well pleasing to God, stirring up yourselves to them by the hope of the resurrection and of the eternal reward, knowing that your labour will not be in vain, or without its reward with the Lord. This is the force of the phrase, “in the Lord.”