Theological

Virtues
“As for us, through the Spirit and faith,
we eagerly await for the hope of
righteousness. In Christ Jesus it is
irrelevant whether we be circumcised
or not; what matters is faith working
through love.”
- Galatians 5: 5-6
The greatest of the three theological virtues

“ Now we have faith, hope, and love,

these three, but the greatest of these is
love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
 Theological
• Theos-is a Greek word for God
• Theological virtues are centered on
God.
• God is the source and goal of these
virtues.
 1. Faith
• It perfects a person’s practical intellect
regarding the understanding of present
realities.
• It comes in the form of a personal attitude of
total and absolute self-surrender to God
“ Yet without faith it is impossible to please Him
no one draws near to God without first
believing that He exists and that He rewards
those who seek Him earnestly.”

- Hebrew 11: 6
 2. Hope
• It perfects a person’s practical intellect
regarding the understanding of the future
realities.
• It concerns the acceptance of some future
good that is hard but possible to get.
• Hope makes a person seek the salvation God has
promised, with that firm confidence in the help that God will
provide.
• Hope is characterized by balance.
Presumption- is excessive hope
Ex. Wants to gain salvation without making any effort at all.
Despair- it is lack of hope
Ex. It is expressed in the conviction that no salvation is
possible for him or her anymore.
 3.Love
• It perfects the will so that its decisions are all for
God and the good of others.
• It is the strongest force in the world.
• It has made people do what was seemingly
impossible.
• Love has only one source- God.
“ And you shall love Yahweh, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
- Deuteronomy 6:5

Love for God must be the from the very core of

ourselves (heart), for as long as we live (soul, the
principle of life), and duly expressed in deeds
(strength).
“ Love one another as I have loved you!”
- John 15:12

“ By this everyone will know that you are my

disciples, if you have love one another.”
- John 13:35
“Love is patient, kind, without envy. It
is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill
mannered nor does it seek its own
interest.”
1 Corinthians 13:4
 Capital virtues
• The seven capital virtues oppose the seven capital
sins.
• They are called capital because the virtues move
on them like hinges.
1. HUMILITY- as opposed to pride
2. GENEROSITY- as opposed to avarice or greed
3. KINDNESS- as opposed to envy
4. PATIENCE or MEEKNESS- as opposed to anger
5. CHASTITY- as opposed to lust
6. TEMPERANCE- as opposed to intemperance,
particularly gluttony.
7. DILIGENCE- as opposed to spiritual sloth
 Essential qualities of Virtues
1. Symmetry- the sense of proportion whereby one
cannot have too much of one virtue and too little of
another; all virtues must be possessed in due
measure.
Ex. A person cannot be considered beautiful who has
a beautiful nose, while all the other parts of his or her
body is ugly.
2. Vision- It is the way of seeing the world. A
virtuous person sees the world around him or her
from the perspective of the Reign of God.

3. Character- It is the personal determination to

pursue one’s vision. A virtuous person is not the
product of fortunate circumstances. Virtue is the
fruit of wholehearted pursuit.
4. Narrative- It is the story that can be drawn
from one’s entire life.
• A virtuous person need not be free from sin and
evil doing, provided he or she can integrate with
determination these negative elements of his life
with the vision he or she has.
• Such negative elements should serve as lessons in
life or steppingstones to growth and progress.