880. Huius autem rationem assignat, dicens non enim permittitur eis loqui, scilicet ab Ecclesiae auctoritate, sed hoc est officium earum, ut sint subditae viris. Unde cum docere dicat praelationem et praesidentiam, non decet eas quae subditae sunt.
880. He assigns the reason for this, saying: for it is not permitted them to speak, namely, by the authority of the Church, but their function is to be subject to men. Hence, since teaching implies prelacy and presiding, it is not suited to those who are subjects.
Ratio autem quare subditae sunt et non praesunt est quia deficiunt ratione, quae est maxime necessaria praesidenti. Et ideo dicit Philosophus, in Politica sua, quod corruptio regiminis est quando regimen pervenit ad mulieres.
The reason they are subject and not in the forefront is that they are deficient in reasoning, which is especially necessary for those who preside. Therefore, the Philosopher says in his Politics that corruption of rule occurs, when the rule comes to women.
881. Consequenter cum dicit si quid volunt, etc., quia possent aliqui dicere quod ad minus de dubiis possunt quaerere in Ecclesia, ideo Apostolus hoc excludit, et circa hoc duo facit. Primo enim removet obiectionem, secundo rationem assignat, ibi turpe est, et cetera.
881. Then when he says, if they would learn anything, because some might say that at least they can ask the Church about their doubts, he excludes this and does two things: first, he removes an objection; second, he assigns the reason, at for it is a shame.
Dicit ergo: dico quod mulieres taceant in ecclesia, sed si aliqua, de quibus dubitant, addiscere volunt, interrogent viros suos domi. I Tim. II, 11: mulier in silentio discat cum omni, et cetera.
He says, therefore: I say that let women keep silence in the churches, but if they would learn anything about which they doubt, let them ask their husbands at home: let women learn in silence (1 Tim 2:11).
Huius autem ratio est quia turpe est, non solum indecens: in mulieribus enim commendatur verecundia. Eccli. XXVI, 19: gratia super gratiam, et cetera. Si ergo in publico quaereret et disputaret, signum esset inverecundiae, et hoc est ei turpe. Et inde est etiam quod in iure interdicitur mulieribus officium advocandi.
The reason for this is that it is a shame and not only unbecoming; for in women the natural feeling of shame is commended. A holy and shamefaced woman is grace upon grace (Sir 26:19). If therefore they ask and dispute in public, it would be a sign of shamelessness, and this is shameful to them. Hence it also follows that in law the office of advocate is forbidden to women.
882. Consequenter cum dicit an a vobis sermo, etc., confutat contradicentes. Et quia possent omnes simul contradicere, vel ad minus sapientes inter eos, ideo circa hoc duo facit.
882. Then when he says: or did the word of God come out from you?, he answers those who contradict him. And because they could all contradict at once or at least the wise among them, he does two things in regard to this:
Primo enim confutat eos quantum ad totam eorum ecclesiam;
first, he refutes them as to their entire church;
secundo quantum ad sapientes tantum, ibi si quis autem videtur, et cetera.
second, as to the wise only, at if any seem to be a prophet or spiritual.
883. Circa primum sciendum est quod causa quare populus consuevit contradicere Domino, vel rectori, est singularitas. Singularitas enim potest causari vel ex prioritate in aliquo bono, vel excellentia. Et ideo Apostolus, volens contradicentes Corinthios confutare, excludit primo ab eis prioritatem, cum dicit an a vobis sermo Dei processit? Quasi dicat: non, sed a Iudaeis. Is. II, 3: de Sion exibit lex, et cetera. Quasi dicat: si in Ecclesia Iudaeorum facerem aliquas ordinationes contra ordinationes suas, possent contradicere, quia ipsi prius habuerunt verbum Dei, sed vos non, quia non processit a vobis sermo Dei.
883. In regard to the first it should be noted that the reason the people were wont to contradict the Lord or a ruler is singularity. For singularity can be caused by either a priority in some good or excellence. Therefore, the Apostle, wishing to refute the contradicting Corinthians, first excludes priority from their church, when he says: did the word of God come out from you? As if to say: no, but rather with the Jews: the law shall come forth from Zion (Isa 2:3). As if to say: if I made some rules in the church of the Jews against their rules, they could contradict, because they had the word of God before you, for the word of God did not originate from you.
Secundo excludit ab eis excellentiam an in vos solos, etc., quasi dicat: non solum vos credidistis, sed etiam alii. Unde vos non excellitis eos, Ps. XVIII, 5: in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum, et ideo debetis facere, ut alii faciunt.
Second, he excludes excellence from them, saying: or came it only unto you? As if to say: you are not the only ones who have believed, but others also. Hence you do not excel them: their sound went forth in all the earth (Ps 19:5), and therefore, you ought to do as the others do.
884. Consequenter cum dicit si quis autem videtur, etc., in speciali confutat maiores. Et circa hoc duo facit.
884. Then when he says: if any seem to be a prophet or spiritual, he refutes the greater ones in particular. In regard to this he does two things:
Primo confutat eos;
first, he refutes them;
secundo respondet cuidam tacitae obiectioni, ibi si quis autem ignorat, et cetera.
second, he answers a tacit objection, at but if any man knows not.
885. Dicit ergo: esto quod tota ecclesia non contradicat, sed aliquis, qui videtur esse propheta, et cetera.
885. He says, therefore: suppose that the entire church does not contradict, except someone who seems to be a prophet.
Et dicit videtur, quia si contradicit non vere est propheta vel sapiens seu spiritualis, quia non contradiceret.
He says, seems, because, if he contradicts, he is not really a prophet or wise or spiritual.
Dicit etiam, propheta, et spiritualis, quia multi sunt spirituales qui non sunt prophetae, licet omnes prophetae sint spirituales. Iste, inquam, qui sic videtur propheta et spiritualis, non contradicat, sed cognoscat, id est sciat quia ea, quae scribo vobis, sunt mandata Dei et non tantum mea. Quasi dicat: ex quo nullus ausus est mandatis Domini contradicere, et ea quae scribo sunt mandata Dei, non audeat aliquis contradicere. II Cor. ultimo: an experimentum quaeritis, et cetera.
He says a prophet and spiritual because many are spiritual who are not prophets, although all prophets are spiritual. He, I say, who so seems to be a prophet and spiritual, let him not contradict, but let him know that the things I am writing to you are commands of the Lord and not mine only. As if to say: from the fact that no one had dared to contradict the commands of the Lord, and the things I write are the commands of the Lord, no one should dare to contradict them: do you desire proof that Christ is speaking? (2 Cor 13:3).
Et ex hoc possumus colligere, quod verba apostolorum sunt ex familiari revelatione Spiritus Sancti et Christi et ideo servanda sunt sicut praecepta Christi. Unde et signanter Apostolus distinguit illa, quae ex se mandat, cum dicit de virginibus autem mandatum Domini non habeo.
And from this we can gather that the Apostle’s words are from a familiar revelation of the Holy Spirit and of Christ and, therefore, are to be obeyed as commands of Christ. Hence the Apostle is careful to distinguish things he commands of himself, when he says: about virgins I have no command of the Lord (1 Cor 7:25).
886. Sed posset dicere: o Apostole, quomodo ego cognoscam quod haec sint mandata Dei? Non possum hoc scire. Hoc Apostolus excludit, dicens: non valet tibi hoc, quia non debes ignorare. Quare? Quia omnis ignorans, et cetera. Matth. XXV, 12: amen dico vobis: nescio vos. Ex quo patet quod omnes tenentur scire ea quae sunt de necessitate salutis, quae ipse prius mandat et apostoli et prophetae.
886. But they could say: O Apostle, how am I to know that these are commands of God? I am unable to know this. The Apostle excludes this, saying: this is of no value to you, because you should not be ignorant. Why? But if any man knows not, he shall not be known: amen, I say to you: I know you not (Matt 25:12), from which it is clear that all are bound to know the things necessary for salvation, which he previously commanded, as well as the apostles and prophets.
Vel aliter: si quis videtur, etc., ut sit confirmatio praecedentium, quasi dicat: ita scribo, sed vos non potestis ea agnoscere propter eorum difficultatem, et quia simplices estis, sed ut sciatis quod ea, quae scribo, iusta sunt et honesta, volo adducere testimonium prophetarum et spiritualium virorum, qui sunt inter vos. Et ideo dicit si quis autem, et cetera. Supra II, 15: spiritualis iudicat omnia.
Or in another way: if any seem to be a prophet, as confirmation of the preceding. As if to say: so I write; but you cannot recognize them on account of their difficulty and because you are simple; but in order that you may know that the things I write are just and honest, I wish to adduce the testimony of prophets and spiritual men, who live among you. And therefore he says: if any seem to be a prophet: the spiritual man judges all things (1 Cor 2:15).
Et ne aliquis dicat: non curamus scire ista, subdit quod tenentur scire quia omnis ignorans, et cetera. Is. V, 13: propterea captivus ductus, et cetera. Ps. LXXXI, 5: nescierunt neque intellexerunt, et cetera.
And lest anyone should say: we are not instructed in knowing such things, he adds that they are bound to know, because if any man knows not, he shall not be known: my people go into exile for want of knowledge (Isa 5:13); they have neither knowledge nor understanding; they walk in darkness (Ps 82:5).
887. Itaque, fratres mei, et cetera. Apostolus hic concludit generalem admonitionem.
887. So, my brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy. Here the Apostle concludes the general admonition.
Et circa hoc tria facit. Primo monet eos ad appetitum omnium donorum, dicens: itaque et loqui linguis et prophetare est bonum. Aemulamini, id est desideretis, prophetare. Cuius causa est, quia, sicut dicitur Prov. c. XXIX, 18, deficiente prophetia, dissipabitur populus. Et accipitur prophetare hic, secundum quod totum capitulum expositum est. Et tamen, licet desideretis prophetare, nolite prohibere loqui linguis, ne fiat dissensio.
In regard to this he does three things: first, he admonishes them to desire all the gifts, saying: therefore, to speak in tongues is good. Be zealous, i.e., desire, to prophesy. The reason for this, as it is said: where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint (Prov 29:18). And prophesy is taken here as explained in this entire chapter. And yet, although you may desire to prophesy, do not forbid to speak with tongues, lest dissension arise.
Secundo inducit ad modum debitum, cum dicit omnia autem honeste, ut scilicet uno loquente, alii taceant, et mulieres in ecclesia non loquantur, et similia. Rom. XIII, 13: sicut in die honeste ambulemus, et cetera.
Second, he urges them to adopt the correct method, when he says: but let all things be done decently, namely, that when one is speaking, the others should be silent, and that women should not speak in the church, and so on: let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day (Rom 12:13).
Tertio inducit eos ad congruum ordinem, cum dicit et secundum ordinem, ut scilicet primo unus, et postea alius loquatur, et per partes et similia, quae dicta sunt. Iudic. V, v. 20: stellae manentes in ordine et cursu suo, adversus Sisaram pugnaverunt.
Third, he urges them to correct order, when he says: and according to order, namely, that one speak and then another and by parts and the other things I have said: from the heavens fought the stars, from their courses they fought against Sisera (Judg 5:20).
Caput 15
Chapter 15
Resurrectio
Resurrection
Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Testimonium Christo
Testimony to Christ
15:1 Notum autem vobis facio, fratres, Evangelium, quod praedicavi vobis, quod et accepistis, in quo et statis, [n. 889]
15:1 Now I make known unto you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand. [n. 889]
15:2 per quod et salvamini: qua ratione praedicaverim vobis, si tenetis, nisi frustra credidistis.
15:2 By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.
15:3 Tradidi enim vobis in primis quod et accepi: quoniam Christus mortuus est pro peccatis nostris secundum Scripturas: [n. 893]
15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures: [n. 893]
15:4 et quia sepultus est, et quia resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas: [n. 896]
15:4 And because he was buried: and that he rose on the third day according to the Scriptures: [n. 896]
15:5 et quia visus est Cephae, et post hoc undecim: [n. 898]
15:5 And because he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven. [n. 898]
15:6 deinde visus est plus quam quingentis fratribus simul: ex quibus multi manent usque adhuc, quidam autem dormierunt: [n. 901]
15:6 Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep. [n. 901]
15:7 deinde visus est Jacobo, deinde apostolis omnibus: [n. 902]
15:7 Then he was seen by James: then by all the apostles. [n. 902]
15:8 novissime autem omnium tamquam abortivo, visus est et mihi. [n. 903]
15:8 But last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due time. [n. 903]