St. Paul’s Teachings
on Love & other Virtues:
A Neglected Treasure
Fr. Felix Just, S.J.
Loyola Institute for Spirituality
Orange, CA
http://catholic-resources.org
March 1, 2009
Religious Education Congress
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Opening

2 Cor 13:11
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace
will be with you.”

Prayer of Thanksgiving
2
It’s all about Love

Most important Christian Teaching?
– God loves me; God loves you
– God adopts us as children
– We are beloved sons & daughters of God

How do we respond to God’s Love?
– How do we love God?
– How do we love each other?
– How do we love ourselves?

Do we say “Yes” to God?
3
Christian Morality / Biblical Ethics

Not only based on the Ten Commandments,
but also focuses on the seven “Deadly Sins”
and the opposing seven “Principal Virtues,”
and other categories of virtues and vices.

These teachings are found in books of the
Old Testament and in the words of Jesus
in the Gospels, but are especially prominent
in the writings of St. Paul, for whom love is
the most important virtue.
4
Preliminary Definitions

Virtue
– “An habitual and firm disposition to do the good. The
moral virtues are acquired through human effort aided
by God’s grace; the theological virtues are gifts of God”
(CCC §1803)

Vice
– “A habit acquired by repeated sin in violation of the
proper norms of human morality. The vices are often
linked with the seven capital sins. Repentance for sin
and confession may restore grace to a soul, but the
removal of the ingrained disposition to sin or vice
requires much effort and self-denial, until the contrary
virtue is acquired.” (CCC §1866)
5
Decalogue / Ten Commandments:
Two Main Lists in the Torah:
Exodus 20:1-17 & Deuteronomy 5:6-21
1)
2)
3)
4)
5-6)
7-8)
9-10)
No other Gods, idols
Revere God’s name
Keep holy the Sabbath
Honor your parents
Don’t murder, commit adultery
Don’t bear false witness, steal
Don‘t covet spouses/property
See http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Decalogue.htm
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7
Decalogue / Ten Commandments:

Quotations & Applications in the OT:
– Leviticus 19:1-18
 “Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy…”
– Jeremiah 7:3-11
 Stealing, murder, adultery, perjury
– Hosea 4:1-2
 False swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery!
– Wisdom 14:21-31
 Idolatry, murder, adultery, theft, etc.

Many OT texts also discuss idolatry
8
Decalogue / Ten Commandments:

Quotations & Applications in the NT:
– Matthew 5:17-48 (“antitheses”)
 Murder, adultery, swearing falsely, revenge
– Mark 7:10, 21-22 & Matt 15:4, 19 (“purity”)
 Theft, murder, adultery, greed, etc.
– Mark 10:17-22 (rich man; Mt 19:16-22; Lk 18:18-23)
 Kill, adultery, steal, false witness, honor parents
– Romans 13:8-10
 Adultery, kill, steal, covet
– James 2:8-11
 Adultery & murder
9
Commandments to Love God
and Love Others

Shema / “Hear, O Israel…”
– Deut 6:4-5 – “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our
God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love
the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
– Most important Jewish “Creed”

Quoted by Jesus:
– Mark 12:29-30 (full quote)
– Matt 22:37 (only Deut 6:5)
– Cf. Luke 10:27 (quoted by scribe)
10
Commandments to Love God
and Love Others

“Love your neighbor as yourself ”
– Lev 19:18

Quoted often in the NT:
– Mark 12:31 & par.
– Matt 5:43
– Matt 19:19
– Rom 13:9
– Gal 5:14
– James 2:8
– Var. “love one another…”
11
Seven “Deadly Sins”
& Seven “Principal Virtues”
Capital/Deadly Sins:
Principal Virtues:
Pride, arrogance, superbia
Humility, modesty, humilitas
Avarice, greed, avaritia
Generosity, charity, liberalitas
Envy, jealousy, invidia
Kindness, gratitude, humanitas
Wrath, anger, ira
Patience, compassion, patientia
Lust, impurity, luxuria
Chastity, purity, castitas
Gluttony, voracity, gula
Temperance, moderation, temperantia
Sloth, laziness, acedia
Diligence, fervor, industria

See CCC §1866 (briefly lists the capital sins)
12
Seven
Deadly
Sins
and
Four
Last
Things
Bosch
1485
13
“Deadly Sins” & “Principal Virtues”

The idea of listing seven major vices is
based in part on a passage from Proverbs:
– “There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that hurry to run to evil,
a lying witness who testifies falsely,
and one who sows discord in a family.”
(Prov 6:16-19)
14
“Cardinal Virtues”
& “Theological Virtues”

Seven main virtues are often listed not in contrast
to the “deadly sins,” but as a combination of four
“Cardinal Virtues” and three “Theological Virtues”:

Cardinal Virtues:
– prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance

Theological Virtues:
– faith, hope, love

CCC §§1805-1845
(discusses all seven virtues)
15
“Cardinal Virtues”

Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance
– Wisdom 8:7 – “If one loves justice,
the fruits of her works are virtues ;
for she teaches moderation and prudence,
justice and fortitude, and nothing in life
is more useful for people than these.”

Cf. Sirach 25:5 – “How becoming to the aged is wisdom,
understanding and prudence to the venerable!”
16
“Cardinal Virtues”

Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance
– “To live well is nothing other than to love God with
all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's
efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept
whole and uncorrupted (through temperance).
No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude).
It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is
careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised
by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).”

St. Augustine of Hippo, De moribus eccl. 1.25.46
– As quoted in CCC §§1809
17
“Theological Virtues”

Faith, Hope, Love
– 1 Thess 1:3 – “We give thanks to God always
for all of you… calling to mind your work of faith
and labor of love and endurance in hope of our
Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father”
– 1 Thess 5:8 – “…let us be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love and the helmet
that is hope for salvation.” (cf. Eph 6:13-17)

All three also in 1 Cor 13; Gal 5:5-6; Col 1:4-5, 23
– Compare Heb 10:39
18
“Theological Virtues”
 Faith
– Heb 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things
hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
– Better translated “trust” or “entrusting oneself”
 Hope
– Rom 8:24-25 – “For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For
who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope
for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.”
– Cf. 1 Peter 1:3-5
19
“Theological Virtues”

Love: Four Greek words:
– agape (charity); philia (friendship)
– eros (passion, desire); storge (natural affection)

God’s love & Christ’s love for us
– Rom 8:35-39 – “What will separate us from the
love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?… No, in
all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him
who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things,
nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (cf. 1 John 4:8, 16)
20
OT Texts with Virtues and Vices:
The OT contains very few lists of virtues
and/or vices, aside from the Decalogue;
ethical discussions didn’t become popular
until the 3rd cent. BCE and later.
 Isaiah 11:1-3a – Greek and Latin versions
list seven traditional “gifts of the Spirit”
(see CCC, §1831):

wisdom, understanding, counsel,
fortitude, knowledge, piety,
and fear of the Lord.
21
OT Texts with Virtues and Vices:
Exodus 34:6 – “God is merciful & gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness”
 Hosea 2:19-20 – righteousness, justice,
steadfast love, mercy, faithfulness
 Micah 6:8 – “do justice, love kindness, and
walk humbly with your God”


Psalms and Proverbs, Wisdom and Sirach also mention
other virtues and vices, but usually individually, not in lists.
– Prov 6:16-19 – mentioned earlier
22
Ethical Materials in the GOSPELS

Longer discussions of virtues and vices are not
often found in the Gospels, but are much more
frequent in the NT letters, esp. Paul’s.

Beatitudes & Woes
– Matt 5:1-12 & 23:1-26; Luke 6:20-26

Love Enemies
– Matt 5:43-48 & Luke 6:27-36

Golden Rule
– Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31

“Evils from within” that “defile” people
– Matt 15:17-20 & Mark 7:20-23
23
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
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1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Galatians 5:13-26
Romans 13:8-14
Romans 12:9-21
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Colossians 3:1-17
Ephesians 4:25-32; 5:1-10
1 Timothy 3:2-11; 6:3-12
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Titus 1:6-9; 3:1-3
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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13
“LOVE is patient; love is kind; love is not
envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does
not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or
resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but
rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends... And now
faith, hope, and love abide,
these three; and
the greatest of these is love.”
25
26
How can we USE these texts?

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Hear them in the Liturgy of the Word
Read them on our own
Study and reflect on their meaning
Discuss them in Bible Study groups
Meditate on them in our own prayer
Focus on one element, one word per day
Consider real-life examples and models
Use them in “Examination of Conscience”
Not just the “vice lists” but esp. the virtues!
27
1 Cor 13: LOVE
LOVE is patient. Love is kind.
 Love is not envious or boastful
or arrogant or rude.
 Love does not insist on its own way.
 Love is not irritable or resentful.
 Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing,
but rejoices in the truth.
 Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
 Love never ends.

28
GOD is LOVE
GOD is patient;
 God is kind;
 God is not envious or boastful
or arrogant or rude.
 God does not insist on his own way,
 God is not irritable or resentful,
 God does not rejoice in wrongdoing,
but rejoices in the truth.
 God bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

29
How well do I love?
Am I patient? Am I kind?
 Am I envious or boastful
or arrogant or rude?
 Do I insist on my own way?
 Am I irritable or resentful?
 Do I rejoice in wrongdoing,
or do I rejoice in the truth?
 Do I bear all things, believe all things,
hope all things, endure all things?

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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
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1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Galatians 5:13-26
Romans 13:8-14
Romans 12:9-21
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Colossians 3:1-17
Ephesians 4:25-32; 5:1-10
1 Timothy 3:2-11; 6:3-12
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Titus 1:6-9; 3:1-3
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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Galatians 5:13-26 – “For you were called to
freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use
your freedom as an opportunity for selfindulgence, but through love become slaves to
one another. For the whole law is summed up in a
single commandment, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself." If, however, you bite and
devour one another, take care that you are not
consumed by one another. Live by the Spirit, I say,
and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For
what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and
what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh…
32
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Gal 5:13-26 (cont.) – “Now the works of the flesh
are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger,
quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and things like these. I am warning you,
as I warned you before: those who do such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against such things…”
(These are nine traditional “fruits of the Spirit”; the Vulgate also
includes goodness, modesty, and chastity, for a total of twelve.)
33
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Similarly Romans 13:8-14
“Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one
another; for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall
not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall
not steal; you shall not covet,’ and whatever
other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
34
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Rom 13:8-14 (cont.) – “And do this because you
know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake
from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than
when we first believed; the night is advanced, the
day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of
darkness (and) put on the armor of light; let us
conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in
orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and
licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the desires of the flesh.”
35
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Rom 12:9-21 – “Let love be genuine;
hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor. Do not
lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering…
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.”
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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
1 Thess 5:12-22 – We ask you, brothers, to respect
those who are laboring among you and who are over
you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show
esteem for them with special love on account of their
work. Be at peace among yourselves. We urge you,
brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted,
support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one
returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good
both for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray
without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for
this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not
quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain
from every kind of evil.
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38
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Colossians 3:1-17 – If then you were raised with
4
Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated
at the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is
above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you have
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears, then you too will
appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, then, the
parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.
6 Because of these the wrath of God is coming
upon the disobedient. 7 By these you too once
conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Col 3:1-17 (cont.) - 8 But now you must put
them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and
obscene language out of your mouths. 9 Stop
lying to one another, since you have taken off the
old self with its practices 10 and have put on the
new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
11
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and
uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
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Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Col 3:1-17 (cont.) – 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen
ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and forgiving one
another, if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
14
And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of
perfection. 15 And let the peace of Christ control
your hearts, the peace into which you were also
called in one body. And be thankful.
41
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices
Col 3:1-17 (cont.) –
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly, as in all wisdom you teach
and admonish one another, singing
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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43
Pauline Ethics: Virtues & Vices

Deutero-Pauline Texts with both Virt & Vice:
– Ephesians 4:25-32
– Ephesians 5:1-10
– 1 Timothy 3:2-11
– 1 Timothy 6:3-12
– 2 Timothy 2:22-26
– Titus 1:6-9
– Titus 3:1-3
44
More VICE Lists:

2 Cor 12:20-21 – “I fear that there
may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy,
anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit,
and disorder… I may have to mourn over
many who previously sinned and have not
repented of the impurity, sexual immorality,
and licentiousness that they have practiced.”

Also Rom 1:18-31; 1 Cor 5:9-11;
1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:8-11; 2 Tim 3:1-5
45
More VIRTUE Lists:

Romans 5:3-5 – “We also boast
in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces
hope, and hope does not disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us.”

Also Eph 6:10-20; Rom 14:17; Phil 4:8-9;
2 Cor 6:3-10; 1 Tim 4:12; 2 Tim 3:10-11a
46
Good Habits and Good Examples

Phil 4:8-9 – “Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence and
if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned
and received and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.”
47
“Household Codes” in the NT

Four later NT letters contain passages with
instructions for particular groups of people
within Christian “households” — how they
should treat other members of their family.
– Colossians 3:18—4:1; Ephesians 5:21—6:9;
Titus 2:1-10; and 1 Peter 2:18—3:7

These are similar to, yet also significantly
different from, “codes of conduct” found in
other Greco-Roman moral writings.
48
“Household Codes” in the NT
Col 3:18—4:1
Eph 5:21—6:9
Intro: for all (3:1-17)
Intro: for all (5:21)
Wives (3:18)
Husbands (3:19)
Children (3:20)
Fathers (3:21)
Slaves (3:22-25)
Masters (4:1)
Wives (5:22-24)
Husbands (5:25-33)
Children (6:1-3)
Fathers (6:4)
Slaves (6:5-8)
Masters (6:9)

How many different groups are addressed here?
49
“Household Code” in Col 3:18–4:1

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Wives : be subject to your husbands, as is
fitting in the Lord (3:18)
Husbands : love your wives and never treat
them harshly (3:19)
Children : obey your parents in everything;
it’s your acceptable duty in the Lord (3:20)
Fathers : do not provoke your children,
or they may lose heart (3:21)
Slaves : obey earthly masters in everything,
fearing the Lord. (3:22-25)
Masters : treat your slaves justly & fairly;
you also have a Master in heaven (4:1)
50
“Household Code” in Col 3:18–4:1

Pairs of Relationships:
– Wives / Husbands (3:18-19)
– Children / Fathers (3:20-21)
– Slaves / Masters (3:22-25; 4:1)

Consider historical and cultural context:
– Compared to modern expectations?
– Compared to ancient Greco-Roman views?

Recall that 3:1-17 is addressed to all !
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Other NT Ethical Texts

Hebrews 13:1-8, 16-17
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James 2:8-13; 3:13—4:4
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1 Peter 2:1; 3:8-9; 4:3-4, 15
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2 Peter 1:5-11
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1 John 2:1-11; 3:4-18; 4:7-21
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Revelation 9:20-21; 21:8; 22:15
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Prayer to the Apostle Paul
for the
Pauline Year
O Glorious St. Paul,
Most zealous Apostle,
Martyr for the love of Christ,
Give us a deep faith, a steadfast hope,
a burning love for our Lord,
so that we can proclaim with you,
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
Help us to become apostles,
serving the Church with a pure heart,
witnesses to her truth and beauty
amidst the darkness of our days.
With you we praise God our Father:
"To Him be the glory, in the Church and in Christ,
Now and for ever." Amen.
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Questions? Comments?
Thanks for coming!
More Pauline & Biblical Resources:
http://catholic-resources.org – website of Felix Just, S.J.
http://www.vatican.va – Vatican website (Holy See)
http://www.annopaolino.org – Basilica of St. Paul
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