The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
We learn from this passage to recognise in every good work our own weakness, and to ascribe to Christ’s grace all the goodness and worth of what we do. S. Gregory (Morals, lib. xxii. c. 19), says : “ Let no one think himself to have any virtue , even when he can do anything successfully ; for if he be abandoned by the strength that cometh from above he will be suddenly overthrown helplessly on the very ground where he was boasting of his firm standing.” S. Augustine ( contra Julian., lib. ii. c. 8) commends the refutation of the Pelagians by S. Cyprian in the words : “ They trust in their strength and exclaim that the perfection of their virtue is from themselves ; but you, O Cyprian , reply that no one in his own strength is strong , but is safe only under the merciful indulgence of God.” The Psalmist, too, says the same thing (Ps. lix. 9) : “ My strength will I guard unto Thee,” meaning that he would lay it up in safety under his ward, hoping to overcome his enemies in God’s strength and not in his own, because God is the Fount of all virtue and strength. Cf. Ezek. xxix. 3, 5, where Pharaoh is forewarned of his fate for ascribing his power and success to himself!
Again, this passage teaches us to pray to God constantly that He would direct our thoughts, and inspire us with heavenly thoughts and desires, for such are the fount and beginning of all good works. This is beautifully expressed in the Collect for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. S. Bernard (Serm. 32 in Cantic.) says learnedly and piously : “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything good as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is of God. When , therefore, we find evil thoughts in our heart, they are our own ; if we find a good thought, it is the word of God: Our heart utters the former and hears the latter. “I will hear,” it says, “what the Lord God will say in me, for He shall speak peace to His people.” So, then, he speaks in us peace, righteousness , godliness ; we do not think such things of ourselves, but we hear them within ourselves ; but murders, adulteries, thefts, blasphemies, and such things proceed from the heart: we do not hear them, we say them,” or at all events they are suggested to us by the devil.
Ver. 6. — Not of the letter but of the spirit Not of the law, but of grace. I am a minister of the New Testament, but not in such a way that I bring tables of the law and of the covenant and its words, as did Moses in the Old Testament, but so that God may by my words inspire into you heavenly thoughts and desires. Cf. Augustine (de Spirit. et Lit. c. iii.).
For the letter killeth . (1.) Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine (de Doctr . Christ. lib. iii. c. 4) explain this to be that the letter of the law convicts and condemns them to death who do not obey this letter, i.e., the precepts of the law relating to righteousness and charity. For this letter of the law enacts that whosoever breaketh the law is to die the death. (2.) S. Augustine gives another explanation : If you abuse the literal meaning, and neglect the sense of Scripture, and fall into error, as Jews and heretics do, then the letter killeth. (3.) When metaphorical sayings are taken literally (S. Augustine, ibid. c. v., vi.). (4.) When types of the new law contained in the old are understood to be still binding in their literal meaning (ibid. Cf. also Origen, contra Celsum, lib. iii. ; Didymus, de Spirit. Sanct. lib. iii.). The Fathers in general frequently say that the letter, i.e., the literal meaning of the law killeth, but the spirit, i.e., the spiritual and allegorical meaning, giveth life. This is because it is not now lawful to Christians to observe the ceremonies and ritual precepts of the old law literally under penalty of death ; but they are bound to do what those ceremonies allegorically signified if they wish to attain the life of grace and glory. (5.) S. Augustine again in the same place says that the letter, both of the old and new law, killeth if separated from the spirit ; but that this passage refers to the old law alone, because Moses, when he gave the law, gave only the letter, but Christ gave the spirit and the letter, and from this he lays down that the law cannot be fulfilled by the strength of nature alone, but requires the grace of Christ. (6.) S. Augustine once more and Anselm say that the letter killeth by giving occasion to sin ; for the law is the occasion by which concupiscence is kindled and sin produced which kills the soul. This sense and the first are the most literal.
But the Spirit giveth life . (1.) The Spirit gives to the soul the supernatural life of grace and charity. (2.) He gives motives and strength for good works and for fulfilling the law. (3.) He guides us towards that eternal life promised by the law to them that keep it. Of this life and Spirit the Apostles were sent by Christ as ministers.
Ver. 7. — If the ministration of death , . . was glorious. If the ministration and promulgation of the old law, which threatened death and condemnation, were glorious, i.e., accompanied by the sound of the heavenly trumpet, by an earthquake and the splendour of Moses’ countenance : if the old law, engraven on tables of stone, was so gloriously promulgated, how much more glorious is the Gospel ?
Paul here calls the old law the attendant and lictor of death, because it could indeed slay them that broke it, but not give life to them that kept it. From this we may gather that S. Paul is writing against the false apostles, and that they were Jews who were endeavouring to blend the old and the new law. He therefore silences the Jews by depreciating the old law as the law of condemnation , and by extolling himself and his fellow-apostles as the ministers of the evangelical law of righteousness and the life of the Spirit. Cf. in this connection chaps. x. and xi.
Ver. 8 . — How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? This glory of the evangelical law of righteousness was seen in the mighty wind and the different tongues of fire which, when the new law was promulgated, glorified the Apostles before all nations. It was seen too in the gifts of tongues, of prophecy, &c., which used to descend visibly on Christians, as appears from 1 Cor. xiv. 26 ; even as now the graces, gifts and virtues of the Holy Spirit are received invisibly.
So that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance . God as a sun so brilliantly shone on the face of Moses on the mount that his face shone as a second sun. The Vulgate rendering of Exod. xxxiv. 29 is that “he wist not that his face was horned while He talked with him,” where the " horns ” of course refer to the appearance of rays of light.
Which glory was to be done away . This bright glory left Moses when he was dying, to signify that the old law would fade away with its glory when the new came.