Homilies on First Corinthians

“For now we see in a mirror.” Further, because the glass sets before us the thing seen indefinitely, he added, “darkly,” to show very strongly that the present knowledge is most partial.

“But then face to face.” Not as though God has a face, but to express the notion of greater clearness and perspicuity. Do you see how we learn all things by gradual addition?

“Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I have been known.” Do you see how in two ways he pulls down their pride? Both because their knowledge is in part, and because not even this have they of themselves. “For I knew Him not, but He made Himself known to me,” says he. Wherefore, even as now He first knew me, and Himself hastened towards me, so shall I hasten towards Him then much more than now. For so he that sits in darkness, as long as he sees not the sun does not of himself hasten to meet the beauty of its beam, which indeed shows itself as soon as it has begun to shine: but when he perceives its brightness, then also himself at length follows after its light: This then is the meaning of the expression, “even as also I have been known.” Not that we shall so know him as He is, but that even as He hastened toward us now, so also shall we cleave unto Him then, and shall know many of the things which are now secret, and shall enjoy that most blessed society and wisdom. For if Paul who knew so much was a child, consider what those things must be. If these be “a glass” and “a riddle,” do thou hence again infer, God's open Face, how great a thing It is.

3. But that I may open out to you some small part of this difference, and may impart some faint ray of this thought to your soul, I would have you recall to mind things as they were in the Law, now after that grace has shone forth. For those things too, that came before grace, had a certain great and marvellous appearance: nevertheless, hear what Paul says of them after grace came: “That which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.”

But that what I say may be made yet clearer, let us apply the argument to some one of the rites then performed, and then you will see how great is the difference. And if you will, let us bring forward that passover and this, and then shall you be aware of our superiority. For the Jews indeed celebrated it, but they celebrated it “so as in a mirror, and darkly.” But these hidden mysteries they never at any time did even conceive in their mind, nor what things they prefigured. They saw a lamb slain, and the blood of a beast, and door-posts sprinkled with it; but that the Son of God incarnate shall be slain, and shall set free the whole world, and shall grant both to Greeks and Barbarians to taste of this Blood, and shall open heaven to all, and shall offer what is there to the whole human race, and having taken His blood-stained flesh shall exalt it above the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and, in a word, above all the hosts on high, of the angels and archangels and all the other powers, and shall cause it shining in unspeakable glory—to sit down upon the throne itself of the King, on the right hand of the Father these things, I say, no one, either of them or of the rest of mankind, either foreknew or was able ever to conceive.

4. But what say those who shrink from nothing? That the expression, “now I know in part,” is spoken in dispensations; for that the Apostle had the perfect knowledge of God. And now he calls himself a child? How sees he “in a mirror?” How “darkly,” if he has the sum of knowledge? And why does he refer to it as something peculiar to the Spirit, and to no other power in the creation, saying, “For who among men knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the things of God none knows, save the Spirit of God.” And Christ again says that this belongs to Himself alone, thus saying, “Not that any man has seen the Father, save He which is from God, He has seen the Father,” giving the name, “sight,” to the most clear and perfect knowledge.

And how shall he who knows the Essence, be ignorant of the dispensations? Since that knowledge is greater than this.

“Are we then,” says he, “ignorant of God?” Far from it. That He is, we know, but what He is, as regards His Essence, we know not yet. And that you may understand that not concerning the dispensations did he speak the words, “now I know in part,” hear what follows. He adds then, “but then shall I know, even as also I have been known.” He was surely known not by the dispensations, but by God.

Let none therefore consider this to be a small or simple transgression, but twofold, and threefold, yea and manifold. For not only is there this impiety that they boast of knowing those things which belong to the Spirit alone; and to the only-begotten Son of God, but also that when Paul could not acquire even this knowledge “which is in part” without the revelation from above, these men say that they have obtained the whole from their own reasonings. For neither are they able to point out that the Scripture has any where discoursed to us of these things.

5. But however, leaving their madness, let us give heed to the words which follow concerning love. For he was not content with these things, but adds again, saying,