THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
The narrative begins with 1 Samuel 16:23, where we observe that while pursuing David, Saul was overtaken by the prophetic Spirit of God. This situation raises a profound inquiry: how can it be that Saul, filled with hatred and jealousy while chasing the innocent David, experienced the Spirit of the Lord and began prophesying? It’s clear that no spirit but the good Spirit can be attributed to this prophetic utterance, as the prophets of God were able to foresee the future through such a Spirit. This is evident, not just from the occurrence of prophesying, but also because in earlier passages translated from Hebrew, it is noted, “And the next day the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house” (1 Sam. 18:10).
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Throughout Scripture, we find references to both good and evil prophecies, including the prophets of Baal (1 Sam. 18:19, 22, 25, 40), which shows that it is not necessary to conclude that the Spirit which later came upon Saul was good merely because it is noted that he prophesied.
What is significant is that when it is said, “And as he went, he prophesied” (1 Sam. 19:23), the absence of the phrase “the evil spirit of God” implies that the Spirit of God he encountered was good and prophetic in nature. This context reveals that David was in Samuel’s company, where prophets were engaged in prophecy, and it was this same Spirit that filled Saul’s servants, causing them to prophesy as well. Eventually, when Saul himself joined them, “the Spirit of God also came upon him, and he went and prophesied” (1 Sam. 19:20). Clearly, this was the same Spirit active among the prophets, making it necessary to consider this Spirit as good.
This raises the question: how can those sent to capture an innocent man be graced with such a Spirit, and why does Saul, who himself sought to take innocent life, manage to receive the same prophetic gift? Can one possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit devoid of love? Without love, the gifts of the Spirit are rendered void. The Apostle Paul aptly illustrates this by stating: “If I speak with human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions and hand over my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-4). Here, Paul highlights the Holy Spirit's manifestations which include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:7-12). Thus, it is evident that prophecy is a gift of the Spirit, yet one without love amounts to nothing.
From this, we glean that some individuals, even if they are unworthy of eternal life, may still exhibit some manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but without love, these gifts, while real, offer no benefit to them. Prophecy devoid of love does not lead to the Kingdom of God; however, love without prophecy is still efficacious. When the Apostle discusses the Body of Christ, he poses the question, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets?” indicating that one does not need the gift of prophecy to belong to the Body of Christ; yet, without love, one counts as nothing among them. Notably, Paul does not ask, “Do they all have love?” in the same manner as he inquires about the other gifts (1 Cor. 12:29-30).
Moreover, some may argue that while one could lack the gift of prophecy yet possess love, it seems impossible to hold prophecy without love, for a man possessing prophecy absent of love is considered a nullity. This assertion mirrors the idea that a person with a soul but lacking reason signifies emptiness—not because such a creature could not exist, but because if it did, it would not fulfill its intended purpose. Thus, if one were to have prophecy without love, it wouldn't serve any purpose.
To address this dilemma, we look for an example in someone flawed yet endowed with prophecy, and indeed Saul exemplifies this. Another illustrative case is Balaam, who, despite being condemned in Scripture yet granted the gift of prophecy, demonstrated a lack of love through his desire to curse Israel motivated by monetary gain. His prophetic utterances ended up as blessings (Num. 22, 23, 24). This notion aligns with the teaching in the Gospel, stating, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:22-23). It is evident that they will not be disingenuous in that judgment, where truth prevails, for they cannot claim, “We loved You.” They might assert, “We prophesied in Your name,” despite their wickedness, yet they fail to state, “We obeyed Your command of love.” Thus, had they maintained love, they would not receive the response, “I never knew you.” The Lord said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
This account of Saul contradicts the beliefs of certain arrogant heretics who deny that any good gifts from the Holy Spirit could be granted to those outside the inheritance of the saints. We remind these individuals that such people can indeed receive the sacrament of baptism, which should not be condemned once they arrive at the Catholic Church. However, we assert that they should not place unwavering hope in their salvation, as they cannot reject the gifts they might possess. They must embrace the importance of unity and love, as possessing high gifts without love renders them spiritually deficient. True love is essential in rightly employing these gifts, and endurance in love exemplifies the strongest bond of unity. The servant in the parable also received a talent—a Divine gift. “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 25:29). What one doesn't possess cannot be taken; thus, if one lacks love, all other gifts lose their value.
Ultimately, it is not surprising that Saul initially received the prophetic Spirit at his anointing, yet later, after his disobedience led to the Spirit departing, he was overtaken by an evil spirit from the Lord. This spirit may be called the Spirit of the Lord in the context of service, as the Lord employs even evil spirits for His purposes—whether for correction or testing—showing that all authority ultimately derives from God (Rom. 13:1). Even the deep sleep that overtook Saul’s soldiers during David’s stealth is referred to as “the sleep of the Lord,” not because God Himself slumbers, but as a means to fulfill His will that David's approach remain undetected. Similarly, it is evident that Saul again received the prophetic Spirit while chasing the righteous David in the company of the prophets, reinforcing the idea that possessing this gift does not guarantee one is in good standing with God, particularly if lacking love. This prophetic gift may have been granted to Saul for an undisclosed reason, even if he remained unrepentant and ungrateful despite its giving.