Lecture 1 — Instruction and care

^2:1^ For I would have you know what manner of care I have for you and for them that are at Laodicea and whosoever have not seen my face in the flesh: [n. 74]

^2:2^ That their hearts may be consoled, being instructed in charity and unto all riches of fullness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ Jesus: [n. 77]

^2:3^ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [n. 81]

^2:4^ Now this I say, that no man may deceive you by loftiness of words. [n. 83]

74. Above, Paul commended the condition of those who believe, that is, their state of grace, and its author, Christ; here he protects them from what is opposed to this state.

First, from teachings that destroy it;

and second, from evil habits, at **therefore if you be risen with Christ **(Col 3:1).

In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he shows his concern over their state;

and second, he warns them against evil teachings, at now this I say.

The first part is again divided.

First, he mentions his concern;

second, the persons about whom he is concerned, at for you;

and third, the matter which concerns him, at that their hearts may be consoled.

75. Paul says, for I would have you know what manner of care I have, that is, how great it is; and this is a mark of a good prelate: to govern others with concern (Rom 12:8); and in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8).

76. His concern is not only for those whom he converted and who were with him, but also for others. And so he says, for you, whom I have not seen in person, but in my mind’s eye. And his concern is also for all whosoever have not seen my face in the flesh. In fact, Paul cared about the whole world: for upon his long robe the whole world was depicted (Wis 18:24); and, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all of the churches (2 Cor 11:28).

But about whom was Paul most concerned? I answer that in a certain sense he was most concerned about those whom he could not see, because he did not know what was happening to them. But he was not concerned more about them in an absolute sense.

77. Then when he says, that their hearts may be consoled, he shows what he is concerned about, that is, their consolation.

First, he mentions this;

and second, he states how it can be brought about, at being instructed.

78. Paul says, that their hearts might be consoled, that is, that by means of me they might have spiritual consolation. Such consolation is produced by what is good, for when one is sad over something, it is a source of joy to be consoled by something equally good.

Now there are two things that console us: meditation on wisdom: she would give me encouragement in cares and grief (Wis 8:9), and prayer: is any one of you sad? Let him pray (Jas 5:13).

79. Then when he says, being instructed in charity, he mentions their instruction in wisdom.

There are two versions of this passage. First, the one we have here. Second, the one found in the Gloss: that the hearts of those instructed in love might be consoled, so that they might know the mystery of God, the Father, and of Jesus Christ. But the meaning is the same.

When one is instructed in wisdom, he is consoled against temporal evils. But here a person should be instructed about the way; and so Paul says, in charity, which is the way to God: I will show you a still more excellent way. If I should speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Cor 12:31).

Having been instructed in charity, that is, in the love with which God loves us, and in the love with which we love him; for we are consoled by each of these loves. We are consoled because God loves us: who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20); rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (Eph 2:4). And we are also consoled because we love God, for it is consoling to a friend of God to endure evils for his sake: if any evil happen to me because of him, I will bear it (Sir 22:31).

80. And Paul continues, and unto all riches, that is, to the extent of their capacity.

Our intellect is in potency to know things, while the intellect of the angel was filled at its creation with a knowledge of understandable things. And so our human intellect must acquire its knowledge; and it does this either by study (and this is insufficient, because a thing can never be known so well so that it fulfills the capacity of our intellect); or it acquires its knowledge by a divine revelation and as a gift from God: and this is sufficient. She will feed him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of wisdom to drink (Sir 15:3). And so he says, of fullness of understanding, that is, of an understanding in abundance: what is richer than wisdom? (Wis 8:5); the riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge (Isa 33:6).

In short, they are to be instructed with such an abundance of divine wisdom that it fulfills the capacity of their intellect. We will have this abundance of divine wisdom by knowing God; and so Paul says, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father, that is, to know the truth of this mystery which had been hidden, which is that God is the Father of Jesus Christ. Or, we could say, the mystery of God the Father, which mystery is Christ.

And so Matthew says about the apostles: you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes (Matt 11:25). Or, we will have this abundance of the divine wisdom by our knowledge of the eternal generation and of the Incarnation of Christ: to fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding (Wis 6:15). As Augustine says, happy are those who know you, and unhappy those who do not. It is by knowing God that man has all fullness: this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).

81. But is our intellect filled by knowing Christ? I say that it is because in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. God has a knowledge of all things, and this knowledge is called a treasure: it is an unfailing treasure for men; those who get it obtain friendship with God (Wis 7:14).

Now a treasure is a collection of riches; they are not called a treasure when scattered about, but only when collected in one place. God has poured out his wisdom upon all his works (Sir 1:10); from this point of view his wisdom does not have the nature of a treasure. But his wisdom is a treasure when the ideas behind all his works are considered collected together, that is, in the divine wisdom. And all such treasures are in Christ. Wisdom is the knowledge of divine things, and science is the knowledge of created things. Now whatever can be known about God, which pertains to wisdom, God knows in himself, and exhaustively. And likewise, whatever can be known about created things, God knows in himself, and in an super-eminent way. Now whatever is in the wisdom of God is in his single Word, because he knows all things by one simple act of his intellect, for in God knowledge is neither in potency nor in a habitual state. And thus in this Word are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

82. He adds that these treasures are hid, because there are two reasons why something might be hidden from me: either because my intellect is weak, or because the thing is somehow covered. Thus, a person may not see a candle either because he is blind, or because the candle has been covered. And so, in the Word of God there are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but they are hid from us because our eyes are not clear but bleary: a little light is in you (John 12:35); and they are hid because they are covered with two veils: the veil of creatures, because at this time our intellect cannot come to this knowledge except through the likeness of creatures: ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Rom 1:20); and the veil of the flesh: the Word became flesh (John 1:14). And even if we do know something about God, yet we do not see all: truly, you are a God who hides yourself (Isa 45:15); open your treasure for him (Num 20:6).

Let us suppose that a person has a candle that is covered; he would not look then for another light, but wait for the light he has to become uncovered. And in the same way we do not have to look for wisdom anywhere but in Christ: for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). When he appears, that is, is revealed, we shall be like him, that is, knowing all things (1 John 3:2). In other words, if I had a book in which all knowledge was contained, I would seek to know only that book; similarly, it is not necessary for us to seek any further than Christ.

83. Then, when he says, now this I say, he teaches and warns them about destructive doctrines.

For they were being misled by certain philosophers in matters against the faith, and by heretics who taught that the ceremonies of the law had to be observed. First, he teaches them in opposition to the philosophers; and second, in opposition to the Judaizers, in whom also you are circumcised (Col 2:11).

In worldly knowledge there are two things: a knowledge of the spoken language, and a knowledge of things themselves. And so they could be deceived in two ways. Thus

he first warns them against those philosophers who were deceiving them by their ability to speak well;

and second, against those who were misleading them about the knowledge of things, when he says, beware lest any man cheat you (Col 2:8).

First, he mentions this deception;

and second, the reason for it, at for though I be absent in body (Col 2:5).

84. Thus he says: I say that in Christ there is all knowledge. And this I say so that you will not be deceived in seeking for knowledge from anywhere else. And he says, that no man, that is, neither Demosthenes or Cicero, may deceive you by loftiness of words. You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech which you cannot comprehend (Isa 33:19).

85. But is it a sin to use beautiful language?

I answer that it is not, because even saintly men, like Ambrose, Jerome, and Pope Leo, speak with more eloquence than the orators of this world. For if one can use fine language to persuade those who are evil, then it can be used much more to convince those who are good.