1): "Let them choose for themselves the
better part," namely the contemplative life, "let them be busy with
the word, long for the sweetness of teaching, occupy themselves with
salutary knowledge," thus stating clearly that teaching belongs to
the contemplative life.

The other object of teaching is on the part of the speech heard, and
thus the object of teaching is the hearer. As to this object all
doctrine belongs to the active life to which external actions pertain.

Reply Obj. 1: The authority quoted speaks expressly of doctrine as to
its matter, in so far as it is concerned with the consideration and
love of truth.

Reply Obj. 2: Habit and act have a common object. Hence this argument
clearly considers the matter of the interior concept. For it pertains
to the man having wisdom and knowledge to be able to teach, in so far
as he is able to express his interior concept in words, so as to
bring another man to understand the truth.

Reply Obj. 3: He who prays for another does nothing towards the man
for whom he prays, but only towards God Who is the intelligible
truth; whereas he who teaches another does something in his regard by
external action. Hence the comparison fails.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 181, Art. 4]

Whether the Active Life Remains After This Life?

Objection 1: It would seem that the active life remains after this
life. For the acts of the moral virtues belong to the active life, as
stated above (A. 1). But the moral virtues endure after this life
according to Augustine (De Trin. xiv, 9). Therefore the active life
remains after this life.

Obj. 2: Further, teaching others belongs to the active life, as
stated above (A. 3). But in the life to come when "we shall be like
the angels," teaching will be possible: even as apparently it is in
the angels of whom one "enlightens, cleanses, and perfects" [*Coel.
Hier. iii, viii] another, which refers to the "receiving of
knowledge," according to Dionysius (Coel. Hier. vii). Therefore it
would seem that the active life remains after this life.

Obj. 3: Further, the more lasting a thing is in itself, the more is
it able to endure after this life. But the active life is seemingly
more lasting in itself: for Gregory says (Hom. v in Ezech.) that "we
can remain fixed in the active life, whereas we are nowise able to
maintain an attentive mind in the contemplative life." Therefore the
active life is much more able than the contemplati