Fathers

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What the Fathers say

1 Corinthians 2:9

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"But as it is written, Things which eye saw not and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them that love Him." Where are these words written? Why, it is said to have been "written," then also, when it is set down, not in words, but in actual events, as in the historical books; or when the same meaning is expressed, but not in the very same words, as in this place: for the words, "They to whom it was not told about Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand," …

Homily on 1 Corinthians 7 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

The words "and so it happened" are missing. The Apostle in many places employs the figure of omission. What then has God prepared for those who love Him? The knowledge of Christ and salvation through the incarnation. This no human eye has seen, nor human ear heard, nor human heart imagined. The prophets, however, did not see with human eyes, nor hear with human ears, nor comprehend the revelations about Christ with a human mind (Isa. 64:4), but everything in them was divine. For it is said: "The Lord... has given me an ear" (Isa. …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Alexander of Alexandria

Wherefore I do not think that he is to be reckoned amongst the pious who presumes to inquire into anything beyond these things, not listening to this saying: "Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength." For if the knowledge of many other things that are incomparably inferior to this, are hidden from human comprehension, such as in the apostle Paul, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them …

Epistles on the Arian Heresy - To Alexander, Bishop of the City of Constantinople ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, But as it is written, he proves by Scripture that the rulers of this world did not know God's wisdom as to what it prepared for the glory of believers, saying: what no eye has seen or ear heard or the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for them that love him, where our version has: "The eye has not seen, O God, besides you, what things you have prepared for them that wait for you" (Is 64:4). …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Bonaventure

Rouse yourself now, O my soul, and lift up your whole understanding and think, as much as you can, of what kind and how great that good is. For if individual goods are delightful, think intently how delightful is that good which contains the joyfulness of all goods, not such as we have experienced in created things, but differing as much as the Creator differs from the creature. For if created life is good, how good is the creative life? If wrought salvation is joyful, how joyful is the salvation that makes all salvation? …

Breviloquium, Part 7 ↗

Hippolytus of Rome

But the righteous will remember only the righteous deeds by which they reached the heavenly kingdom, in which there is neither sleep, nor pain, nor corruption, nor care, nor night, nor day measured by time; nor sun traversing in necessary course the circle of heaven, which marks the limits of seasons, or the points measured out for the life of man so easily read; nor moon waning or waxing, or inducing the changes of seasons, or moistening the earth; no burning sun, no changeful Bear, no Orion coming forth, no numerous wandering of …

Against Plato, on the Cause of the Universe ↗