EXPOSITION BY THEOPHYLACT, ARCHBISHOP OF BULGARIA, OF THE SECOND EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS
A The blessed Paul adds this second Epistle to the Corinthians because, although he had promised in the first to come to them, he delayed, since the Spirit was occupying him with other, more necessary matters, and temptations were arising against him. He was obliged, therefore, to compose an apology for his long delay. For this reason he writes this second Epistle, rendering an account of why he had put off his arrival until now. At the same time, he needed to acknowledge and praise them for having become better through the first Epistle. For just as he had censured them while they were sinning, so it was fitting that he should praise them now that they had been corrected. Hence, this Epistle is not overly sharp or vehement, except in a few parts toward B the end, and this only because of certain arrogant men from among the Jews who were slandering him as an unlearned man, unworthy of any consideration.
THEOPHYLACTI COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS
CHAPTER I
A VERSE 1. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy the brother." Having sent Timothy there in the first Epistle, and then having received him back, he not unjustly joins him to himself; for Timothy had also provided for the Corinthians a proof of his own virtue. He therefore takes him along in this Epistle, as one who had already become known to them and had corrected many things among them. Observe, however, that sometimes he calls him a son: "As a son," he says, "with a father, he has served with me"; sometimes a fellow-worker: "For he works the work of the Lord, as I do"; now, however, he calls him a brother, making him worthy of honor from every side.
"To the Church of God which is at Corinth." Again he unites them by calling them a Church; for those who are scattered are not a Church.
"With all the saints who are in all Achaia." He makes mention of everyone in Achaia, partly to honor the Corinthians, as though by the letter written to them he were greeting everyone, and partly to gather the whole nation into concord. Furthermore, because all B were being shaken in common, he provides a common care and thus a common remedy, which he also does when writing to the Galatians and to the Hebrews. By calling them saints, he shows that if anyone is impure, he is not worthy of this greeting and appellation.
VERSE 2. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." He employs the customary greeting again now; but concerning these things, it has been spoken of elsewhere.
VERSE 3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He had promised in the first Epistle C to come to them; then, having delayed, he strongly suspected that they were grieved, as though others had been preferred before them. Wishing, therefore, to defend himself and to show that he had been hindered by many temptations that had beset him, he makes his apology skillfully. "I give thanks," he says—to God, that is—as one who has been delivered from dangers; by means of his thanksgiving, he hints that the things which hindered him were great, from which, being delivered, he gives thanks. Place a comma after "God"; then begin: "and Father of the Lord." But if you should understand it conjunctively, "The God and Father of the Lord," it is nothing new; for He is His
A God according to his humanity, but Father according to his divinity. "The Father of mercies, and God of all consolation." That is to say, He who has displayed such great mercies that He has led us out from the very gates of death, and deemed us worthy of all consolation in our afflictions. It was the custom of the saints to name God from the benefits which they received from Him: upon victory in war, "I will love You, O Lord, my strength," he says; and, "The Lord is my protector." But when they have been snatched from darkness and the obscuration of reason and from grief: "The Lord is my light." Thus, therefore, Paul also now calls Him "Father of mercies" and "God of consolation," naming Him from what has occurred. Observe also his humility. For having been rescued from the temptations which he encountered on account of the preaching of the Gospel, he does not say that "I was delivered according to my worthiness," but rather, "Through the mercies of God."
VERS. 4. "Who consoles us in all our tribulation." He did not say, "Who does not permit us to be afflicted," but, "Who consoles us in our affliction." For He permits us to be afflicted in order that we might have a reward through patience; and when He sees us faltering, He consoles us, and He does this always. Therefore, Paul did not say, "Who has consoled us once," but, "Who consoles," which is to say, always. And not in this or that affliction, but "in all."
"That we may be able to console those who are in any affliction, by the consolation with which we ourselves are C consoled by God." Not because we are worthy, he says, to receive consolation does God console us; but so that, by the example of the consolation which has come to me, I might be able to console others also, if ever they should be in temptations. Therefore, you too, seeing me so comforted, do not lose heart in your own afflictions. By this, he also points out the work of the apostles, namely, that they are established to, as it were, anoint and excite others to the struggle; and that they do not, just as the false apostles, pursue luxuries and, sitting at home, neglect those who have need of consolation and excitement.
VERS. 5. "Because as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also through Christ does our consolation abound." Do not lose heart, he says, O hearer, when you hear of afflictions and evils. For by as much as these abound, by so much do the consolations abound. But he did not simply say, "sufferings," but, "of Christ," so that even from this he might embolden the Corinthians. For these are the sufferings of Christ, he says, which we suffer, and we are made partakers of His afflictions. Wherefore, let this be the greatest consolation to you, that you endure the afflictions of Christ; nay rather, not those alone, but even more. "For," he says, "the sufferings of Christ abound in us," that is, we suffer more things than Christ suffered. Perceiving, however, how great a thing he had said, he again restrains it, "Thus,"
through Christ our consolation also abounds. A For he attributes everything to Him. And he does not say that the consolation is equal to the afflictions, but, "It abounds," and this is much greater than the afflictions.
"Whether we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation." For this reason, he says, you ought not to be troubled at my afflictions, because we are afflicted for your salvation and consolation. For we could have lived in safety if we were not preaching; but now, because we are preaching in order that we may by all means save you, and console your souls through the preaching and the good things resulting therefrom, we fall into afflictions. Therefore, we endure afflictions for your salvation; and henceforth you ought not to be disturbed.
"Which is effected in the patience of the same sufferings which we also suffer." This salvation, he says, is effected not only through our patience, but also through yours; that is to say, your salvation is not my work alone, but also your own. For just as I am afflicted while preaching, so you, by receiving the preaching, endure the same sufferings that I do. And he testifies to much virtue in them, because they received the preaching along with tribulations.
"And our hope for you is firm." B That is, we firmly trust concerning you that you will not be overturned by the temptations falling upon you; much less, therefore, will you be disturbed at what you see us suffering.
"Whether we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation." Having said above that we are afflicted for your sake, lest he should seem to say something grievous, he now says that we are also comforted for your sake; that is to say, our consolation becomes your refreshment. For if we breathe a little, this is sufficient for your comfort. For you share in our joy.
"Knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation." As you grieve, he says, when we are persecuted, as if you yourselves were suffering this, so we know that when we are comforted, you consider that you yourselves are enjoying that consolation.
"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, regarding the affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we even despaired of life." C Since he had mentioned affliction indefinitely, he now explains specifically what kind it was. Through this, he also shows his love toward them. For it is characteristic of love to reveal to one another the things that have happened. At the same time, he also weaves an apology for his delay. He says this occurred in Asia
A regarding the affliction, of which he had also spoken in the former Epistle: "A great door is opened to me, and there are many adversaries." It may seem that he says the same thing when he says, "beyond measure" and "beyond our power"—but this is not so. What he says is rather of this kind: The temptation was "beyond measure," that is, great. Then, since a temptation may be great but also be borne bravely by some strong person, he says it was not only great, but that it even exceeded our powers; that is, it was both great and unbearable, and so much so that "we despaired even of life," that is, we did not expect to live any longer. Such a temptation David calls the gates of hell, and the pains of a woman in labor, as if it gives birth to death and the shadow of death.
B VER. 9. "But we ourselves have had the sentence of death in ourselves." The judgment, the verdict, the decision which circumstances were giving—all but uttering a voice; that is, the expectation of death stood even until our suspicion, and the answer which the nature of things was giving; but it did not progress any further.
"That we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who alone [raises the dead]." Why did this happen, he asks? That we might learn not to trust in ourselves, but in God alone. Paul says this, not as though he himself had need to learn this now (for who knew better and more fully than he that one ought to trust in God alone?), but rather framing others by what he says about himself, and at the same time teaching us to aspire to nothing else.
VER. 9, 10. "Who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver." Again he reminds them of the discourse concerning the resurrection, about which he said so much in the former Epistle, confirming it also from the present events. Hence he also added: "Who delivered us from such a death." For he did not say, from danger, but, "from death." For because the resurrection was a future and uncertain thing, he shows that this happens every single day. For when God draws back a man who has come even to the very gates of hell, nothing else but a resurrection is exhibited; whence we are accustomed to say in such cases that we have seen a resurrection of the dead.
C "And we have hoped that he will also still deliver us." From this we learn that our life ought to be constantly in conflict; for by saying, "He will deliver," he foretells a flurry of many temptations.
VER. 11. "You helping together by prayer for us." Since that saying, "That we should not trust in ourselves," seemed to some like a common accusation and one pointing toward them, he now softens what he had said, calling their prayers a great protection. We are taught.
A hence also humility, inasmuch as Paul was in need of the Corinthians' prayers, and of the power of prayer itself. For much is accomplished by the prayer offered as it ought to be by the Church, to such extent that even Paul had need of it. A
"That on many persons the gift by many may be thanked for on our behalf." — "He delivered," he says, "us, O God, and will deliver," through your prayers, "that the gift upon us, which is by many" — that is, the grace which came to me through many, that is, through your interceding for me — "may be thanked for by many persons," that is, by you. For my salvation, which came about through your prayers, He granted to all of you, that many persons might give thanks to Him on your behalf. We learn from this not only to pray for one another, but also to give thanks for one another. And observe how, beginning by saying he was saved through the mercies of God, he now attributes his salvation to their prayers. For it is necessary, along with divine mercy, to contribute what is ours as well. Yet here too, Paul neither gave the whole of the achievement to the Corinthians, so as not to puff them up, nor did he entirely deprive them of it, so as not to make them more sluggish. "He will deliver," he says, "us, God, with you also helping together in prayer," that is, contributing what is from your own selves. B
"For our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience." And this, he says, is for us an occasion of consolation, our conscience bearing witness to us that it is not as having been caught in wicked deeds that we are driven about and persecuted, but for the sake of virtue and the salvation of many. The former consolation, therefore, was from God; this one, however, is from the purity of my conscience, he says. For this reason he also calls it a "glorying," showing the great confidence which he had in a pure conscience. C
"That in simplicity and sincerity of God." What, he says, does the conscience testify to us? And why do we glory? "That in simplicity," that is, in an uncorrupt intent, "and sincerity," that is, in purity of mind and an artlessness that is free from deceit, having nothing overshadowed or ulcerous, such as God accepts. He says these things on account of the deceitful false apostles. D
"Not in fleshly wisdom," that is, in cleverness of words and the interweaving of sophistries. For this is the "fleshly wisdom," concerning which, since those men were puffed up, he himself denies and rejects it. "But in the grace of God we have conducted ourselves in the world," that is, in the wisdom granted to me by Him, and in the signs and wonders which were the grace of God. And it is the greatest consolation for anyone to be conscious to himself that he does all things not by human power, but by divine grace. And not only among the Corinthians, but also in the whole world. D
"And more abundantly toward you." How? Because with the signs, and furthermore, even without charge to them, the Gospel
A he proclaimed to them. Note, however, that he ascribes his own achievement to the grace of God.
VERS. 13. [In the Greek text it is written as Verse 15, but following the Latin context] B "For we write no other things unto you, than what ye read or even acknowledge." Because he seemed to have said great things about himself, lest anyone say that these were mere boastful words, he says: Those things we write to you, which you read in these letters, and which you already know beforehand. For your knowledge, which you previously conceived concerning me, does not contradict my letters. Some, however, have understood this in this way: namely, those things we write to you, which you read, that is, which are called to your memory; for reading is a suggestion, or a superior kind of knowledge. And what, he says, do I mean by those things which are called to your memory? Those things which you acknowledge to be my own, and which do not need any suggestion, because they are manifest.
VERS. 13, 14. "I hope, however, that even unto the end ye will acknowledge; even as ye have acknowledged us in part." He refers the whole matter to God. "I hope," he says—in God, clearly—that you will acknowledge us to be such as our letters indicate and our past life guarantees. For "in part" ye have acknowledged us, that is, you have made trial of us, since we demonstrated to you in part certain proofs of a life passed in virtue. He said this out of a modest heart.
"That we are your glory, even as ye are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." What are you to acknowledge? That I am your glory; that is, I am such a one as to be able to offer you an occasion for boasting in me, because you have such a teacher, who has taught you nothing human, nothing feigned, nothing deceitful. C Then, lest this might appear to have been said boastfully about himself, he makes it a common glory, saying: Ye also shall be my glory. For I shall boast that I have attained such disciples, who are neither shaken nor deceived by the false apostles. When, however, shall we boast one in another? Even now, indeed, but most fully on that day. For today, not a few see the revilings and reproaches which we endure, and perhaps calumniate us; but then, when all things have been revealed, I shall also appear as I am, not such as the false apostles calumniate me to be. You, however, shall be our glory, because you have not joined yourselves to impostors.
VERS. 15. "And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before." With what confidence, I ask? That I am conscious of no evil in myself, that I am your glory, that I have not walked in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God, and that I have you as witnesses of all these things. For these reasons, therefore, he says, "I was minded to come unto you."
"That ye might have a second benefit." That is, a double joy: both that which came through the former Epistle, and that which you are to receive through my coming. D
A And “to pass through by you into Macedonia.” Although in the former Epistle he had said, “I will come unto you when I have passed through Macedonia,” yet here he says, “I willed to come to you first.” What then? Is he in conflict with himself? God forbid! For he did not say, “I wrote that I would pass through you into Macedonia,” but, “I willed.” For if I did not write it that way, he says, yet I was eager and willed to come to you even before I should see Macedonia; so far was I from being slothful to come to you, or from failing to keep my promise, that I even desired to anticipate it. And again, “To come from Macedonia unto you, and to be brought on my way by you into Judaea.” In the former Epistle he spoke indefinitely, saying, “That ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go,” being afraid lest if he had said, “into Judaea,” and then were compelled by the Spirit to go elsewhere, he might appear to be a liar. But now, since it did not happen that he went to them, he speaks boldly and says that he desired to be brought on his way by them into Judaea; but it seemed good to God that he should neither come to you at all, nor be brought on his way by you into Judaea. Hear, then, what follows. B
“When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay?” Here he defends his delay more clearly, saying: Since I had decided to come to you, why did I not come? Is it because I am light and fickle, and one who thinks one thing at one time and another at another? By no means. Is it, therefore, that I deliberate according to the flesh—that is, in a human way—and am governed by my own will, so that what I have determined within myself, I must also fulfill, whether it be yea or nay? It is not so. But I am led by the Spirit, and I do not have the authority to go where I will, but where He shall command. Thus, often with me the “yea” is not “yea,” because it did not seem good to the Spirit, nor is the “nay” “nay,” because what I shrink from, the Spirit commands. Observe also his wisdom, how he takes what those who were slandering him made an occasion for reproach—that he had not come, though he had promised—and places it in the light of an encomium: namely, that he does not have power over himself, but is led by the Spirit whithersoever it pleases Him. But what then? Did he promise those things without the energizing of the Spirit, or was he ignorant of the future? He was ignorant; for he did not know all things. C Thus, he even prayed for things that were unprofitable, as in the case of the thorn. Indeed, in the Acts he is found desiring to go elsewhere, but being forbidden by the Spirit. That, however, God did for their benefit, that men might not attend to them as if they were gods, which is what happened to the Lycaonians.
“But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay.” He dissolves an objection that was arising. For it was likely that someone would say: If what you say is not
A certain, but you often say yea, and it is found to be nay, we fear lest your word and preaching be of this sort, namely yea and nay, that is to say, fickle and unstable. Therefore, in resolving this, he says: My promise to come to you was my own, and that is why I also failed; but the preaching is God’s, and it is impossible for the things of God to be false. That is why he said, “God is faithful,” that is, true. Since, therefore, He is true, His word toward you, which we have preached, is not fickle and unstable, now yea, and then nay. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yea and nay, but in him it was yea.” B Next, he says what kind of word was not yea and nay. “He who was preached among you was not yea and nay,” that is to say, it was not the case that this was preached at one time, and that at another; but it was “yea,” that is, it was preached firmly and unshakeably. He also lists the multitude of those who preached, thereby making the testimony worthy of belief and teaching humility, since he makes his own disciples fellow-teachers. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” In the preaching there are many things that are promised: the resurrection of the dead, adoption as sons, and, in short, the hopes of the future age. He says, therefore, that not only does the preaching remain always the same and was preached firmly, but so also are the promises within it; for they are of God. As for those things which God has C promised, “in him they have the yea and the Amen,” that is, stability. For they are not fulfilled in any man, but in God Himself; therefore they are firm. Furthermore, they are to His glory; and certainly, if for no other reason, God will fulfill His promises for the sake of His own glory. How will He fulfill them? “Through us,” that is, through the benefits which He bestows upon us. For we ourselves are the occasion for Him to fulfill the promises, as we are the ones who receive what is promised. If, then, the promises of God are firm, much more will He Himself and the word concerning Him be firm. Or, “through us” is to be understood in another way, that is, to the glory of God which is offered to Him through us; for through us He is glorified. “Now he who confirms us with you in Christ, and who has anointed us, is God, who also has sealed us and given us the guarantee of the Spirit in our hearts.” Having said D above that He Himself fulfills the promises, he now confirms this and says that even the fact of our standing firmly in the faith in Christ—both you and I, your teacher—He brings about; and He Himself has anointed and sealed us: that is to say, He has made us prophets, and kings, and priests. For such is everyone who has been baptized: a prophet, inasmuch as he has seen what the eye has not
A seen, and the ear has not heard; a priest, as one who ought to offer himself as a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God; and a king, as having been made a son of God, the King of all, and an heir of the kingdom to come, and as now reigning over absurd thoughts, and being set above the whole world. Therefore, just as in ancient times priests and kings were anointed with oil, so also we have now been anointed with the Spirit, God having given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. And if He has given the earnest, He will certainly give the whole as well. He calls the charisms of the Spirit which are now given an "earnest." For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but then we shall receive what is perfect and absolute, when Christ is manifested in His glory. Do not, therefore, think that we are the ones who make promises to you, and might perhaps be found liars. For we are not at all the ones who confirm you; rather, it is God who both promises and confirms, both me and you. Therefore, He Himself is going to fulfill all things. For you must understand that: "God, having done this and that, Himself fulfills His own promises."
VER. 23. "But I call God to witness to my life, that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth." Yet he said above that, "For this reason I did not come, because I did not have authority over myself, but was hindered by the Spirit." How, then, does he now say that, "I did not come to spare you"? Or was this very thing also from the Spirit? For the Spirit suggested to him B not to arrive, proposing and providing to spare them; or, perhaps the Spirit first hindered him, but afterward he himself also considered that this was better, and therefore remained. Observe his wisdom here. For since they were saying, "You did not come for this reason, because, as it seems, you hate us," he says the contrary, "For this reason I did not come to you, because I spare you." He says this because there were some among them sinning and not having repented, on whom he would have inflicted punishment, had he arrived and found them uncorrected. He waited, therefore, so that when they had corrected their behavior, he might then come, and not find occasion for punishment.
VER. 24. "Not that we lord it over your faith, but are helpers of your joy." Since to say that he "spares" them seemed to imply greater authority (for one spares those over C whom one has the right to punish), he now treats and mitigates the harshness of his speech, saying: "I did not say that I spare you because I have authority over your faith (for faith is a matter of free choice, and no one compels one who is unwilling to believe), but because your joy is my own; I did not come, so that I might not cast you into sorrow, and be sorrowful myself also. For I do everything for your joy, and for this reason I remained: so that, having found you brought to a better state through threats alone, I might keep you free from sorrow." D
"For by faith you stand." A He speaks with them in a subdued manner, because he had struck them not a little in his former Epistle. What he says is of this kind: "In those things that pertain to faith, you stand; therefore, I could not complain about you on that account. But in other things you were shaken; and had those not corrected these, I would have proceeded against them, and would have justly caused them sorrow, as I myself would have been sorrowful."
CAPUT II
VERS. 1. "But I determined this in my own self, that I would not come again to you in sorrow." By saying "again," he indicates that he had also been affected by sorrow previously. He did not say openly, "You also caused me sorrow at other times," but rather stated it differently: "For that reason I did not come to you, so that I might not again cause you sorrow"—which has the same meaning. For he caused them sorrow with his rebukes because they had caused him sorrow with their faults; yet it does not sting in the same way.
VERS. 2. "For if I cause you sorrow, who is he who makes me glad, but he who is made sorry by me?" Even if I cause you sorrow when I rebuke and turn away from you, yet from this very fact I am gladdened, because I see, as it seems, that you value me highly; so that it bites you when I turn away from you or rebuke you. For no one, he says, makes me so glad as he who is made sorry when he sees me incensed with anger. For it shows that he does not despise me; whence, by offering hopes of correction, he also makes me glad.
VERS. 3. "And I wrote this same thing to you." What thing? "That sparing you, I did not come." And where did I write this? In this very Epistle. "That when I came, I might not have sorrow from those from whom I ought to rejoice." B For this reason, he says, I have written to you now, so that you might be corrected, and that I might not, by arriving while you are uncorrected, have sorrow over you, who ought to provide me with reasons for rejoicing.
"Having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all." I wrote, he says, trusting that you would be corrected, and that I would rejoice from this. "And my joy is the joy of you all." Therefore, I said "that I might not have sorrow," not looking to my own interest, but to yours. For I know that if you see me rejoicing, you rejoice; and if you see me pained, you are pained. C
VERS. 4. "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears." Since he had said above that "he who is made sorry gladdens me," lest they say, "You strive for this, to throw us into sorrow so that you yourself might be gladdened," he says that for this reason he himself is also extremely pained, even more than they who were sinning. For he wrote not simply "from affliction," but "from much," nor simply "through tears," but "through many," and "from anguish of heart"—that is to say, D
A affliction oppressed my heart, holding it tight and pressing it, and for this reason I wrote. Just as if some father who is a physician, cutting or cauterizing his child, is pained for two reasons—both because the child is ill, and because he is forced to apply his hand and cut—yet on the other hand he is gladdened by the hope of health; so also I, casting you into sorrow as you were sinning, am myself sorrowful, but on the other hand, while you are sorrowful, I am gladdened on account of the hope of your amendment.
"Not that you should be grieved, but that you may know the love which I have more abundantly toward you." It would have followed to say, "Not that you should be grieved, but that you may be amended," but he does not say this. Rather, he sweetens his speech, desiring B to draw them to himself by indicating that he embraces them with greater love than his other disciples, and that even if he grieves them, he grieves them out of love, and not out of anger. For it is a token of the greatest love that I should be grieved by your sins and hasten to rebuke you, and thence to grieve you. For if I did not love you, I would have left you unhealed.
"But if any has caused grief, he has not caused grief to me, but in part, that I may not burden you all." By these words he wishes love to be confirmed toward the fornicator, concerning whom he had written in the former Epistle. For indeed all had turned away from him as from an abominable thing at the command of Paul. In order, therefore, that they might not, when again commanded the opposite—namely, to receive C him and to forgive him—take offense at Paul as being fickle, he handles the argument most wisely, and makes them participants in the forgiveness, saying that just as he grieved us collectively, so also may you collectively be gladdened at his forgiveness. For not me alone, he says, has he grieved, but you all "in part"; that is, he grieved you a little bit, not to say that he grieved you utterly, in order not to burden him. Since in truth he grieved you just as he did me, yet nevertheless, so as not to burden him who has committed fornication, I say that you were grieved "in part."
"Sufficient to such a one is this rebuke, which is by the many." He does not say, "to the fornicator," but "to such a one," just as also in the former D Epistle. But there, he not even wishing to name him; here, however, sparing him, he nowhere makes mention of the sin, instructing us to be more compassionate toward those who are crushed.
"So that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him." Not only, he says, remove the rebuke, but also grant him something more, and comfort him; that is, restore him, heal him; just as if someone, while beating someone, were urged not only to release him, but also to heal his wounds. And beautifully he said, "Forgive." For lest that man think that he has been forgiven as having sufficiently...
confessed and repented, he shows A that he receives remission not so much from his own repentance as from their grace.
"Lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up by overmuch sorrow." He says one must take him, console him, and heal him, lest he be swallowed up as by some wild beast, or by a storm and tempest of sorrow, and either come to the point of strangulation, like Judas, through despair; or else break away, not bearing the pain from the excessive rebuke, and be headlong cast into greater wickedness. Observe, moreover, how he also restrains him, so that he does not become more sluggish after his dismissal. For he says, "I did not receive you because you had perfectly washed away your filth, but so that you might not suffer something more grievous by reason of your infirmity." Observe, too, that rebukes B must be moderated not according to the nature of the sins, but according to the disposition of those who sin.
VERS. 8. "Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." No longer as a teacher does he command, but as an advocate he beseees the judges to confirm, that is, to establish their love, and not simply or commonly to receive him. He indicates also their virtue; for whereas they had formerly loved the man so that they applauded him, now they had turned from him to such an extent because of this sin, that even Paul himself had to intercede for him.
VERS. 9. "For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things." He strikes them with fear, so that, fearing lest they be condemned for disobedience, they might easily forgive the man. "For to this end," he says, "I wrote, that I might know the proof of you," that is, the virtue of your obedience, to see if, just as you obeyed me in rebuking him, so now you might also obey me in comforting him; for this is what is meant by "whether you be obedient in all things." And yet he wrote not for this reason, but for the sake of that man's salvation; nevertheless, where no harm is done, he simultaneously shows himself a friend also to them. C
VERS. 10. "To whom you forgive anything, I also." By these words, he mitigates their rising contentiousness and stubbornness, whereby they were not going to forgive the man. For behold, he makes them the primary authors of this grace, while he himself follows after, saying, "To whom you forgive, I also forgive."
"For if I also have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven, it was for your sakes in the person of Christ." Lest they should think themselves the lords of forgiving, and thereby neglect to absolve the man, he indicates to them that he himself has already forgiven such a one, so that they can no longer oppose him. D But lest they be wounded as though held in contempt, he says, "For your sakes I forgave him, for I knew that this would be grateful to you." Then, lest it should appear that he had granted pardon for the sake of men, he added, "In per-
person of Christ," that is, according to God and in the presence of Christ, and as though He were commanding this, and as one representing Him, I forgave him; or, "for the glory of Christ." If, therefore, the forgiveness is brought about for the glory of Christ, how ought this man not to be forgiven, so that Christ may be glorified? "Lest we should be circumvented by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices." Lest, he says, the harm be common, and the number of Christ's flock be diminished. He has well termed the matter "circumvention"; for the devil does not take only what pertains to himself, but he also snatches away what is ours, and most especially if it be through a method of our own, that is, through repentance that is becoming immoderate. For this reason he called the devil's machinations his B wickedness and guile, and he showed how he destroys under the guise of piety. For he trips us up not only through fornication, but also through immoderate sorrow. How, therefore, is this not a circumvention, when he catches us even by means of our own affairs?
"Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ, and a door was opened unto me in the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother." He mentioned above that he had tribulation in Asia, and showed how he was delivered from it; now, once again, he teaches that he was also afflicted in another way, by not having found Titus. For when he who might console one is not present, the temptation is more severe. Why, therefore, do you accuse me of delay, C I, who have fallen into so many calamities which do not suffer us to travel as we would? He does not say simply, "I went to Troas," but, "to the Gospel," that is, in order to preach. How, therefore, did you not preach, even though a door was opened? I did preach, but not for long, because I did not find Titus. "I had no rest," that is, I was afflicted and distressed on account of his absence. Did you therefore abandon the work of God? Not at all on account of that, but because the work was hindered while he was absent. For I indeed greatly desired to preach, but the absence of Titus was an impediment; for he greatly co-operated when he was present.
"But taking my leave of them, D I went from thence into Macedonia." That is, I did not spend much time there, being pressed. For a great door was indeed opened, that is, a great work, but it was being hindered by the absence of [my] co-worker.
"Now thanks be unto God, which always leadeth us in triumph in Christ." Since he had recounted many sorrows — that in Asia, that in Troas, that which resulted from not not having gone to them — so that he might not appear to be lamenting as he listed them, he says, "I thank God, because He always leadeth us in triumph," that is, He makes us conspicuous. For a triumph is called the procession after a victory...
A of a king or a general through the middle of the city. And so, God also makes us conspicuous with the trophies against the devil. For the things that seem to be insults are our glory; for then the devil falls. But these things come to pass "in Christ," that is, through Christ and the preaching; or because we are made to triumph in Christ, that is, we are glorified; for carrying Christ as if He were a trophy, we too are glorified in His conspicuousness.
"And He maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." Preciously, he says, the knowledge of God is an ointment, which we manifest to all men, or rather, not the ointment itself, but its savour. For indeed present knowledge is not very clear, but through a glass and in a riddle. As therefore one who smells a fragrance knows that an ointment is placed somewhere, but does not know what it is in its essence, so also we know that God is, but we do not know what He is as to His substance. As B if, then, we were a royal censer, and wherever we go, we carry about the savour of the spiritual ointment, that is, of the knowledge of God. Having said above that "He always leadeth us in triumph," he now says that "in every place we make men smell the good odour." For every place and every time is filled with our teachings. Wherefore it is necessary to endure bravely, if indeed we are so glorified even now, before we obtain the future blessings.
VERS. 15. "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish." Either he says this, because we offer ourselves as a sacrifice, dying for Christ; or because, at the slaughter of Christ, we too are ignited like a certain incense. But what he says is of this kind: whether some are saved or perish, the Gospel retains its own virtue, and we remain that which we are. And just as light, even if it brings darkness to those who have weaker sight, is still light; and honey, even if it be bitter to those laboring with jaundice, is still sweet; in this way also the Gospel is of good odour, even if some who are unbelieving perish. And we are "a good odour," C not however simply, but "to God." And when He judges, who is he who contradicts?
VERS. 16. "To the one indeed the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life." Because he had said that we are a good fragrance to those who are perishing, lest you think that they also are acceptable to God, he brought in these words and says, that some receive this odour so as to be saved, and others so as to perish; just as it is said that the ointment suffocates sows and beetles; and Christ [is] a stone of stumbling, and is set for a ruin. Then fire D
and it illuminates the gold more brightly, but it burns up and consumes the thorns. B «And for these things who is sufficient?» Because he had said great things, namely, «We are a sweet fragrance,» and «We are led in triumph,» he returns again to a moderate frame of mind, saying: To this, our weakness would not suffice without the power of God; for all this that we do is His, and nothing is ours. «For we are not as many, peddling the word of God.» Here he points to the false apostles, who claimed that the grace of God was their own achievement; and he says that for this reason I said, «Who is sufficient?» and I attributed everything to God, because I am not, like the false apostles, peddling and adulterating the gift of God. He also hints at them for corrupting the teaching of the Gospel with the sophistries of worldly wisdom and for attempting to sell for money what ought to be given freely. But we are not like them. He continues, therefore: C «But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.» That is, from a pure and guileless mind, and as having from God those things which we speak, and not as if we were achieving them ourselves from our own resources. And «in Christ»: not through our own wisdom, but filled with and instructed by His power. He said «in the sight of God,» that he might show the rectitude and freedom of his heart. For our heart is so pure, he says, that we manifest it even to God.
CAPUT III
D VERS. 1. «Do we begin again to commend ourselves?» Since he had spoken great things about himself, he says: Perhaps someone might say, What is this, O Paul? By saying these things about yourself, you are exalting yourself. He therefore dissolves this objection by what follows. «Do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?» He speaks this with severity, making his discourse sharper. He hints at the false apostles who, because they could not become famous through their own proper works, forged letters of recommendation and carried them to whomever they wished, and by these they were recommended and became known. What he says with severity, therefore, is of this sort: Does someone then say that it is necessary for us to bring letters of recommendation to you, so that through them we might be manifested to you, or again from you to others? Then, with affection, he adds: C VERS. 2. «Our epistle you are, written in our hearts, known and read by all men.» What letters, he says, would have done—recommending us and rendering us venerable—this you yourselves do, while others see you and hear about you; and wherever we may have gone, we carry you around: for we bear you inscribed on our heart, everywhere
A and we show all men your virtue. So then, since I have you as an epistle commending me to others, I do not need other epistles from you, in order to be made known through them to those who are ignorant of me. But also, because you are in my heart, I do not need for any others to commend me to you. For one needs letters to those who do not know him, not to those who know him; but you are inscribed in my heart, so that you cannot even fall away. Here, then, he testifies not only to their love, but also to their deeds, in that they were able to demonstrate the dignity of their teacher to all men. For the virtue of the disciples adorns the teacher.
*Manifested that you are an epistle of Christ.* How? By the law of Christ and His commandments remaining B among you and being kept after the manner of letters.
*Ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of hearts of flesh.* Seizing the opportunity to compare the law with the Gospel, he begins from here, saying: Just as Moses became a minister of the law, so we also became ministers of your faith for the preaching; and just as he carved the tablets, so we carve your hearts. And the law indeed was written with ink; but the Gospel is written in you by the Spirit. Therefore, by as much as the Spirit differs from ink, and a heart from stone, by so much does the New Testament differ from the law. C But as to what he says, *in tablets of hearts of flesh*, read it thus with a hyperbaton: *in tablets of flesh*, then add what is interposed in the middle: *that is, of hearts*. Or because the hearts of those who are hardened are stony, for that reason he said the hearts of believers are of flesh, as being susceptible to the Word.
*And such trust we have through Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient to think of anything as of ourselves.* Since he showed that the things of the New Testament are greater than those of the Old, it was consequential to reason that we, the apostles and ministers of the New Testament, are greater than Moses, who served the Old Testament; but this seemed like arrogance—he says that nothing is ours, but our trust, that is, our boasting, is through Christ D toward God. For Christ is the cause for us to boast in God, and absolutely nothing is ours, not even the smallest thing. For this is what he indicates when he says: *Not that we are sufficient to think of anything as of ourselves.*
*But our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the New Testament.* Our power, he says, is from God; for He Himself made us sufficient—that is, He strengthened us and made us fit ministers of this great and divine matter, namely, the New Testament.
A "Not of the letter, but of the Spirit." For the Law was indeed spiritual, that is, given by the Spirit; yet it did not supply the Spirit, as the New Covenant does. He says this, therefore, that "we have been entrusted not with the letter," as Moses was, "but with the supply of the Spirit." For the apostles not only taught spiritual and divine things, but also by the laying on of hands, they bestowed the Spirit.
"For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." The Law, he says, if it catches someone sinning in even the smallest way, according to its judgment—such as him who gathered wood on the Sabbath—it removes him from the midst. But the Holy Spirit, receiving those who have committed innumerable evils, justifies them in the laver of baptism and gives life to those who are dead to sin.
B "But if the ministry of death, written in letters upon stones, was in glory." Having taught above the difference between the New Covenant and the Old—that the former was written in ink and the latter in the Spirit; and that the former was on stones, but the latter in hearts; and that the former kills, but the latter gives life—now he wishes to show that the glory of the Gospel is also greater. Since the Law had a sensory glory, namely that which shone on the face of Moses, while the New Covenant has an intelligible glory, which no one sees with the senses, he demonstrates the excellence of the Gospel's glory through reasoning, saying that the Law was a minister of death. He did not say "Maker" of death, lest he give room to heretics, but "Minister." For sin was the maker of death, but the Law brought the punishment. Moreover, the Law was only a letter, providing no aid to those struggling, which happens in baptism, but rather indicating indelible punishments. For it was on stones that this ministry of death was imprinted. If, therefore, the Law, being of such a nature, was in glory, how much more the grace that incomparably surpasses it?
C "So that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face, which was being brought to an end." He silently accuses the Jews. For they were so dull, he says, that they could not even behold a sensory glory. He did not say that the Law and the tablets had the glory, but the face of Moses; for Moses was glorious, not the tablets of the Law. Furthermore, he even diminishes that very glory of Moses, calling it "being brought to an end," by which he means ceasing. Observe also that he did not say "evil," but "that which is receiving an end and becoming inactive."
D "How will the ministry of the Spirit not be in glory?" Just as he had called the Law the ministry of death, it was consequent to call the Gospel the ministry of life; but he said something greater, namely, "of the Spirit." For the New Testament has the power of supply not only of life, but, what is greater, of the Spirit, who supplies the life.
This, therefore, will be much more renowned A than the law.
VER. 9. "For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Again he turns the same thought over. While interpreting how he said, "The letter killeth," he says the law is a ministration of condemnation, as one that punishes sin, not one that makes [us] righteous; but the Gospel is a ministration of righteousness; for it not only frees from punishment and torment, but also justifies sinners. Much more, therefore, will the Gospel be in glory.
259 VERS. 10. "For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth." What am I comparing, he says, the Old and the New Testament with one another? For so great is the excellence of the New, that "in this respect," that is, in the comparison, that which was made glorious, B namely the Old Testament, is thought to have no glory at all, by reason of the supereminent glory of the New. Even though the law was glorified in itself, yet, because of the excellence of the glory of the Gospel, it appears inglorious. Observe, moreover, that even by this he commends the Old Testament. For comparisons are made between things that are related.
VERS. 11. "For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." He adds another argument: For if the law, which was to be abolished and abrogated, was given through glory, much more will the New Testament be in glory, as it is stable and everlasting.
VERS. 12. "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech." Because he has attributed a certain C immense glory to the New, and those who heard this, being as it were weak, desired to see a sensible glory: We have hope, he says. What kind? That we who believe are honored and gifted with greater goods than Moses. Hence we use great plainness of speech toward those whom we instruct, concealing nothing, omitting nothing; nor do we fear your presence, as Moses feared that of the Jews. For you are not as weak as they were. For when Moses had received the tablets for the second time and was descending from the mountain, he had a face so radiant, that the Jews could neither approach him nor speak anything with him, until he covered his countenance. D Paul is now reminding them of this history, and says:
VERS. 13. "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." That is, there is no need for us to be covered, just as Moses covered himself. For you are witnesses that you behold this glory which we have—I mean the glory of the Gospel—though it is far more radiant than that. That is, you are able to understand the myst-
- ery of God, namely the Gospel; nor is there need to cover it from you with that obscurity, like some kind of veil. But the Israelites, being dull, could not see that the law was to have an end and that it would be abrogated; for the veil signifies their thick and coarse mind, as you will presently learn. A Some, however, understood this in such a way that the very fact of their inability to gaze upon it showed that this glory had an end. For if it were not meant to be looked at, it would not have been glory at all; and by this means it was signified that it would not last long, since it did not even appear as glory.
VERS. 14. B "But their senses were dulled." For until this day the same veil remains in the reading of the Old Testament being not unveiled, in that it is abolished in Christ. "Dulled," he says, is their mind; and for this reason neither those who lived then saw, nor do those who survive today perceive, since they are blinded and have that same veil upon the face of Moses—that is, in the superficial reading of the Law. For Christ calls the Law "Moses," as in that passage: "They have Moses and the prophets." Nor is it revealed or discerned by them that Christ was to abolish the Old Testament. And so, the fault is with their own judgment; for a dulling of the mind is a mistake of judgment. Therefore, he says, do not marvel if the Jews cannot behold the glory of Christ and believe; for they could not even behold the glory of the Law, which was less. C For if they had seen that glory, they would certainly have seen the glory of Christ as well. For the glory of the Law is to turn toward Christ. But where did he say that the Law was to be abolished in Christ? There, where he says: "The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet; you shall listen to him in all things." Thus, since they were ordered to listen to him, and he himself abolished the Sabbaths, and circumcision, and all other things, the Law therefore commanded its own dissolution. Moreover, by the fact that it ordered sacrifices to be made in one temple, and then itself destroyed that same temple, did it not do away with sacrifices altogether? And, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek"; and, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire." For all these things are a dissolution of the Law.
VERS. 15. "But until this day, when Moses is read, a veil is laid upon their heart." D Because he had said above that a veil is laid upon the reading of the Old Testament, lest anyone should think that by "veil" he means the obscurity of the Law, "By no means," he says, "but the blindness and thickness of their own heart, this I call a veil"; since even in the case of the face of Moses, it was not placed there on his account, but on account of their thickness and dim-sightedness.
VERS. 16. "But whenever one shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away."
the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit.” He explains now the manner by which A it is possible for the Israelites to be corrected: “When he shall have turned to the Lord,” he says, that is, when he shall have departed from the Law and approached the spiritual Gospel, then the veil is taken away. For indeed, even in history, when Moses turned to the Lord, he was unveiled. And this was a type of the future: that when anyone shall have turned to the Spirit (for this is the Lord), then he shall see the naked face of the lawgiver; or rather, he himself shall be in the order and place of Moses, and shall enjoy that glory which surpasses the glory of the Law, in that measure which has been spoken of—for the Spirit, as Lord and omnipotent, will grant this to you.
VERS. 17. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In the Law there was a yoke and servitude; but in the Law of the Spirit and the Gospel, there is liberty, so that one may see the glory of the Lord without hindrance and freely.
VERS. 18. “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We enjoy, he says, such liberty and nobility that we all, the faithful, not as there was one Moses, with unveiled face (for there is no veil among those who believe) beholding the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image; that is, we receive the same glory, being as it were a mirror, receiving the splendor and again radiating it back. B And just as silver placed opposite the sun reflects back certain rays by the impact of the sun, so we too, being cleansed in baptism through the Spirit and illuminated by His rays, send back a certain spiritual radiance ourselves, and are transformed into the same image, from the glory of the Spirit to our own glory, and such a glory as it is fitting for him to have who is illuminated by the Spirit of the Lord, who is subject to no one. For being Lord, He has also sovereign splendors. For all the faithful are filled with the Holy Spirit through baptism, and their soul shines; since Moses also, having beheld the divine glory, was transformed into it himself—that is, he also partook of it, and his countenance shone, being a type of us. C
CAPUT IV
VERS. 1. “Therefore, having this ministry, as we have obtained mercy, we faint not.” D Since he had said many and great things, namely, “We apostles are greater than Moses” (for if all, how much more these!), he now takes care to deflate that swelling pride, saying that the whole is God’s. For we are only ministers, and not even this ministry is our own, but, “as,” he says, “we have obtained mercy,” for it is also of the divine mercy. The transposition is: “Therefore, we faint not…”
that is, because we have been deemed worthy of such things, we do not grow faint toward dangers and afflictions, since, having once obtained mercy, we were appointed to minister. A
“But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness.” He alludes to the false apostles who used to feign everything. For while they took money in secret, they appeared not to take; they seemed holy, but were unclean. “We therefore,” he says, “have renounced doing such things, which, when they are revealed, put the doer to shame,” namely, those things that are done with hypocrisy. For he adds, “not walking in craftiness.” So these are the things which bring shame, those things which are done in craftiness. But if you were to understand this concerning shameful deeds, it would be no wonder, for such also were the false apostles.
“Nor handling the word of God deceitfully.” Not only, says he, is our life simple and pure and free from wickedness, but also our doctrine and our word are guileless. For we do not mix into it any of the worldly wisdom, nor anything flattering, nor do we collect money from our preaching, nor do we teach now this and now that according to the circumstances and the persons, as the false apostles do. B
“But by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.” The false apostles, he says, commend themselves by hypocrisy, and by the fact that they appear to be one thing when they are another. But I commend myself “by manifestation of the truth,” that is, using the very deeds themselves as witnesses; for instance, I say that I take nothing, and I have you as witnesses; and so it is with other things. And thus I commend myself to all men, both unbelievers and believers, by laying bare my life and by setting the preaching openly before all, so that they may learn it. Then, since it is possible for men to be deceived, he says, “in the sight of God,” whom the false apostles would not admit as a witness. C
“But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” Having already said above that, even if a veil lies upon the Israelites, yet we who are believers see with unveiled face, he says now, “If our Gospel is hid, it is hid to the unbelievers.” For what then happened to the Jews with regard to Moses, that is now happening to the unbelievers with regard to the Gospel. The crime, however, is theirs, not that of the Gospel; for if they had believed, they too would have clearly and openly beheld the glory of God. D
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them.” Among those who are lost, he says, who are many and various, there are also the unbelievers.
A Of these, therefore, God has blinded the minds of this age. Here, the Marcionites say that these things are spoken concerning the Creator, whom they call just and good; but the Manichaeans say they are spoken of the devil, whom they also assert to be the creator of this world. But it is neither of these; rather, this is said concerning our God. And if He is called the God of this age, this is nothing new, since He is also called the God of heaven; nor is He the God of this world only. He is also called the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; and He is God not of them alone, but of all. What is new, therefore, if Paul now opportunely calls Him the God of this age, in order to show the unbelievers all the more that He Himself created even these things that are seen, from which they derive pleasure while they disregard the Creator Himself? And indeed, it should be read in this manner: “He has blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this age,” for the age to come has no unbelievers. B But what is the meaning of “He has blinded”? It means He permitted them to be blind, just as it is written, “God gave them up to shameful passions.” For since they leaped away from Him, He let them go and abandoned them; for He does not force anyone toward salvation. Observe, however, that he did not say “He blinded them so that they might not believe,” but that their profane eyes might not see the illumination of the glory of Christ. The illumination is to believe that He was crucified, that He was taken up into heaven, and that He will grant things to come. Just as if someone were to exclude a man suffering from ophthalmia from seeing the rays of the sun, lest he be harmed by them; in this same way, these men became unbelievers of their own accord; but having become such, God withheld the rays of the glory of the Gospel, just as He covered the face of Moses from the Israelites. So, too, He commanded us not to cast our pearls before swine. C And well did he say, “shine forth,” for we have a moderate illumination now, and not the whole enlightenment; this is what he spoke of before as odor and earnest, showing that something greater remains there. “Who is the image of the invisible God.” He shows here that they are ignorant not only of the glory of Christ, but also of the Father. For since Christ is the image of the Father, he who does not see Him does not know the Father either. D VERSE 5. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; but ourselves your servants, for Christ’s sake.” Above he said, “we do not walk in craftiness,” and then he added [something] about the unbelievers, how they are covered. He says now, therefore, that we do not act fraudulently, because we do not preach ourselves, like the vain apostles. For those men persuaded their disciples to take names from them, as he indicated in the former Epistle, with some saying, “I am of Apollo, I am of Cephas,” or, lest you think, you who fight against us, that you are waging war with us, “For we do not preach ourselves,”
A but Christ. Therefore, you are waging war against Him who is preached. For we do not preach ourselves to the extent that we even refuse to be your servants for Christ’s sake; that is, because He so loved us, and did all things for our sake.
“For God, who said that light should shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts, for the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Why, he says, do we not preach ourselves? Because God has shone in our hearts, and just as He did formerly upon the face of Moses, so now He has shone upon us. But it is not as in the first creation, where He said, “And light was made” out of darkness, that He says now, “And light was made”; rather, He Himself has become light to us. For He Himself has shone upon us in the face of Christ, that is, through Christ. For through Christ, the Father shines in us, and grants the illumination of knowledge, not of His own essence, but of His glory. B Observe also the theology of the Trinity in Paul, even in this passage. For concerning the Spirit, he says, “We behold the glory of the Lord; and the Lord is the Spirit”; concerning the Son, “The illumination of the glory of the gospel of Christ”; and concerning the Father now, “The illumination of the knowledge of the glory” of Him.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Since he had said many great things concerning the ineffable glory, lest anyone should say, “How then do we remain in a mortal body if we have received such things, as you say?” he replies that this very thing itself must be attributed to the power of God, that an earthen vessel contains such treasures.
“That the excellence of the power may be of God, and not of us.” That—he says—the excellence of the power appearing in us may be of God, and that we may not be thought to have accomplished anything from ourselves, but that all who see it may say that God is the whole cause. He hints here at the false apostles, because they attributed everything to themselves. C
“In all things suffering tribulation, but not distressed.” The whole thing, he says, is so much the power of God that, although we are earthen and are buffeted by such great and various temptations, we are not broken nor do we lose the treasure that is in us. For we are afflicted at every time, and in every place, and in every matter, among friends and among enemies; but we are not brought to distress, for God expands our hearts.
“Perplexed, but not in despair.” That is, falling into perplexities and difficulties, yet standing upright and not being at a loss or defeated, but finding ways in God and overcoming.
“Persecuted, but not forsaken.” Men persecute us, but God does not forsake us. For these things are permitted for our exercising, not for our defeat. D
A “Cast down, but not destroyed.” We are cast down in our body and in our external affairs by those who wrestle against us, but we are not destroyed in our zeal and in the constancy of our soul, and even as regards the body itself, we are preserved by God.
“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be manifested in our body.” That is to say, suffering daily deaths and always imitating the death of the Lord Jesus, and from this demonstrating His life—that is, His resurrection—in our body. For if anyone does not believe that the Lord has risen, upon seeing us dying daily and yet living daily, he would no longer reasonably doubt.
Vers. 11. “For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh.” By these words he interprets what he meant by “the dying of Jesus,” for it was obscure; for he is wont to clarify what is stated obscurely. Furthermore, the clause, “That the life of Jesus might be manifested,” is to be understood, besides the previous interpretation, in this way also: Just as we endure the death of Christ now, and while living choose to die for His sake, so He will then also be willing to give life again to those who have died; which is what he says elsewhere: “For if we have died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.” B
Vers. 12. “So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” He calls temptations “death” here, saying this: “We are indeed in perils, but you enjoy the life that is prepared out of these perils, since the Gospel is preached to you, through which you live the eternal life.”
Vers. 13. “Having however the same Spirit of faith, according to that which is written: ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken;’ we also believe, and therefore speak.” He made mention of temptations and death above; then he says that Jesus delivers us also from these, and he provided the reason, namely, that He delivers us for this purpose: that He might confirm His own resurrection. He adds, therefore, that even now this ought to be made certain by faith, and not by reasonings alone. He says that, just as David, being in temptations and delivered by God alone from them, said, “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” C so also we, having the same Spirit of faith which he had, believe, and for this cause also we speak—because, just as Jesus rose, so we also shall both prevail over the perils of this time and shall ourselves be raised up again. Note, moreover, that the Spirit is the same in the Old and in the New Testament, for the sake of those who slander the Law. D
Vers. 14, 15. “Knowing that He who raised up Jesus will raise us up also, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, abounding through the many, may cause thanksgiving to redound to the glory of God.” What, he says, do we believe, and what do we know? That even now He will deliver us out of perils, and later He will raise us up
and will raise us up with you, that we may enjoy the good things. He encourages them towards faith and a good manner of life. While hinting at those who said—the false apostles—"We are the mediators of the good things that come to the disciples from God," he says that "all things are for your sakes," and this resurrection is not for this person or that. God does this, and he bestows grace upon many, so that as grace abounds, thanksgiving may also abound through many persons to the glory of God. Thus, the false apostles, by appropriating for themselves the grace of God, obscure even His glory. A
VERS. 16. "Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." Because, he says, we know the power of God, and that He delivers us from dangers in this present time, and will later raise us up radiant, we do not lose heart, nor do we despair while suffering. For "the outward man," that is, the body, "is perishing." How? By being scourged, by being driven. "But the inward," that is, the spirit and the soul, "is being renewed." How? By having good hopes and being bold, as one who suffers for God's sake, and rejoices. B
VERS. 17. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." He explains how the inward man is renewed, and says that it is by considering that the affliction is for a moment, that is, temporary, and light, for the very reason that it is temporary; but the glory is also eternal, and it has weight, that is, a magnitude that is exceedingly excellent; for this is what he says through the phrase, "far more exceeding." C
VERS. 18. "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." He shows how the affliction is light. For, he says, all "the things which are seen are temporary," and so too are the affliction and the rest; for even this is something seen. For this reason he said "the things which are seen," so that it might also include this. Therefore, we shall neither be crushed by affliction, nor shall we be weakened by rest; for both are temporary. Since these things are such, "the things which are not seen are eternal," that is, the kingdom and the punishment; so that one should desire the former, and avoid the latter. D
CAPUT V
VERS. 1. "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Since he said above that as much as the outward man perishes, the inward is to that extent renewed, and it seemed that he was saying something new, he says that when this mortal and earthly body is perfectly destroyed, then [he will receive] myriads.
A of goods that will blossom for us. At the same time, he discusses the resurrection itself again, although not as clearly as in the previous passage, so that he may not appear to still consider them uncorrected. He called the body "an earthly house of a tabernacle"; but by calling it "a tabernacle," he indicated its temporary nature, for such is a tabernacle. And even if the repose of the righteous is often called "tabernacles," it is said with a qualification, namely, "eternal tabernacles." Observe, moreover, how he contrasted the celestial with the earthly, and the eternal with the tabernacle. Expanding the praise of the future glory of our body, he also added, "not made with hands," not by way of antithesis to this body—for this, too, is not made with hands. Some, however, say that the "house made with hands" is our life on earth, and "the tabernacle" is the body itself, so that what is meant is this: If the life of our body upon the earth—which might also be called "made with hands," as being composed by hands (for bread and wine and such things, of which our life consists, are produced by hands)—is dissolved, we shall have another life in the heavens, incorruptible and "not made with hands," that is, not needing the work of our own hands.
B Vers. 2. "For in this we groan, desiring to be clothed with our dwelling which is from heaven." What dwelling? The incorruptible body. He says it is "from heaven," not because it comes down from above, but because it has the grace of incorruptibility sent down from there. Therefore, there is no need for anyone to be troubled on account of the sufferings of the body that occur in part; rather, on the contrary, we ought to groan that we do not put off the corruptible body entirely, so that we might clothe ourselves with this incorruptible one. C For this reason, he did not call it a "tabernacle" anymore, but a "dwelling," as being more permanent.
Vers. 3. "If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked." Lest all should grow overconfident because of the incorruptibility of the body, he says: "If so be that, being clothed" with incorruption and receiving an incorruptible body, "we shall not be found naked" of glory and security, as though we possessed the deformity of sin. For the resurrection is common [to all], but the honor is not.
Vers. 4. "For we also who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; for we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." Because that which he said, "We groan, desiring to be delivered from the body," seemed burdensome—for the affection of the soul toward the body is ineffable—he says that we do not groan for this reason, that we might simply be delivered from the body, but wishing to be clothed with incorruptibility; so that we do not even wish to put off this body, but to be delivered from corruption, so that corruption may be consumed and spent D by life, not the body.
A For we are not burdened by the body simply on account of the body, but because it is corruptible. Hence, the mouths of the heretics are stopped completely. For the argument is not about one body and another, but about corruption and incorruptibility.
B *He who has prepared us for this same thing is God.* He is God, he says, who from the beginning prepared us for this very thing; for He created us so that we might be incorruptible; and this did not seem good to Him only now, but from the beginning. Therefore, it will certainly come to pass.
*Who also has given us the pledge of the Spirit.* Do you want a proof, he says? I shall give you another. In giving us the Spirit through Baptism, He also imparted to us the pledge of immortality. For He sanctified both soul and body, and He made both more divine, having delivered them from sin, from which death had sprung. Wherefore, since He gave the Spirit, it is clear that He delivered us from sin; and having delivered us from sin, He also destroyed corruption; for corruption comes from sin. Thus, therefore, the Spirit is a pledge of future immortality. Or otherwise: since He has given us the Spirit in part in the present, He has surely given a kind of pledge that He will also give Himself entirely. But how will He give Himself, unless we are to be incorruptible in soul and body? Therefore, having received the little here as a pledge, as it were, for both soul and body, trust that you will also possess the whole then in its entirety.
C *Therefore, we are always confident, and knowing that while we are in this body, we are away from the Lord. (For we walk by faith, not by sight.) We are confident, and we wish rather to be away from the body and to be at home with the Lord.* He continues to establish what he said above, that we do not care about dangers; for dangers, he says, and deaths bring about the object we desire, namely, the incorruptibility for which we groan, and they bring us more quickly to our Master. *Therefore, we are always confident*, that is, not fearing either persecutions, or snares, or deaths. And observe the wisdom, how he has hidden the names of death and life, making the one an "at-home [presence] with the Lord," and the other a "journey away from the Lord," so that no one might be attached to the present life, as it is something that leads one away from the Lord. Then, lest anyone say: What then? Does the body make us strangers to God? D He corrected this, saying: *For we walk by faith, not by sight*; that is, here we do indeed know Him, but moderately—for this is what "by faith" means—not, however, face to face, which is what "by sight" signifies. Since, therefore, these things are so, *we wish*, that is, we desire fervently, to put off this body and to be with the Lord. But he did not say, to attain immortality, but what is superior, to be with the Lord; for this is greater than immortality.
A
VERS. 9. "Therefore we are ambitious, whether at home or away, to be pleasing to Him." The question at issue here is that we should be pleasing to Him in our life. For do not imagine, upon hearing of a "departure from the body," that this alone is sufficient for your salvation; rather, he says, "strive" to depart approved, by living a life well-pleasing to God while you are here.
VERS. 10. "For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ." He strikes fear here by mentioning that fearful judgment seat, and by saying, "We must be manifested." For do not suppose that there are walls there, or veils, or that the depth of the heart hides either deeds or thoughts, but all things are manifested.
"That each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Through these words he makes those who have lived well and rightly more hopeful, while he makes the more slothful more diligent through fear. He confirms once more the teaching regarding the resurrection of the bodies; for that which served and obeyed whether good or bad works, that very thing is either crowned or punished. Thus, therefore, are the mouths of the heretics stopped.
VERS. 11. "Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but we have been manifested to God; and I hope we have been manifested also in your consciences." Knowing, he says, that fearful tribunal, we do all things so as not to cause a scandal to men; for this is what is meant by "we persuade men," which is to say, we heal offenses. For even if we perform no evil, yet if we give cause for suspicion and do not remove the scandals, though we are able to do so, we are condemned. To God, however, we are manifest, and He knows well how we conduct ourselves; and there is no need to persuade Him, as though He were scandalized. We have been manifested also to you, as to those who know all our affairs well. There is no need, therefore, to persuade you, as though you had been scandalized. B
VERS. 12. "For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but we give you an occasion to boast on our behalf." He immediately rids them of the suspicion of boasting, saying that we have come to these words not in order to commend ourselves—that is, to exalt ourselves or laud ourselves with empty praises—but rather by giving you an occasion to make your boast and to array yourselves on our behalf against the false apostles who are tearing you to pieces.
"That you may have an answer for those who boast in face, and not in heart." That you may have something to say and to boast of on our behalf to the false apostles, "who boasted in face"—that is, in matters of outward show, in things according to the face. For such were they: wearing a mask of piety, though in their hearts they possessed no good thing at all. He does not, however, command them to boast always, but only when those others exalt themselves. C
VERS. 13. "For whether we were beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we are of sound mind, it is for you." If we speak of something great (for he calls this a "being beside oneself," just as he elsewhere calls it "folly"), D
"), we do this for the sake of God, lest you, considering us base, should despise us and perish; or if we say something moderate and humble, it is for your sake, that you may learn to be humble-minded. A Or otherwise: If anyone suspects that we are mad, we expect our reward from God for the things by which we are suspected in such a way; but if he thinks that we are of sound mind, let him himself also enjoy the benefit that results from our sobriety. Or to another reasoning: If we are mad, we are mad for the sake of God, so that we may bring you to Him. And so Paul was mad with an amorous madness, loving God, and as a lover living for Him—I mean, for the Beloved—and being beside himself, and having entirely crossed over to God, and living not his own life, but that of the Beloved, as one deeply loving, or rather, dearly loved. If, therefore, we are beside ourselves, he says, we are beside ourselves for God, that is, for the sake of God.
B VERS. 14, 15. "For the love of Christ urges us, because we have judged this, that if One died for all, then all have died; that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." The love of God which He showed toward us urges us and compels us to undergo dangers for His sake, since we have judged this well among ourselves, that since He died for all, it is manifest that we were all lost, and for this reason He died for those who were lost and dead, that He might make us live. Since, therefore, He has brought us to life, we ought no longer to live for ourselves, but for Him through whom we live; who not only died for us, but also rose again, carrying our firstfruits, that is, His own body, into heaven, and so that He might by all means lead us up there as well. For what need was there at all for Him to ascend, if we were not also to attain to similar things? Therefore, because He died for us, and because He brought us to life, and because He gave us the pledges of incorruption, we ought to live for Him, and not for our own desires.
"So from now on we know no one according to the flesh." C Since all, having been put to death by sin, have been brought to life by Christ through baptism, naturally, he says, we know no one of the faithful as living according to the flesh, that is, according to the old and carnal way of life. For all, having been regenerated by the Spirit, are passing into a new and spiritual life.
"And even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know Him." He shows that we have Christ as the leader and prince of this very thing—I mean, of not living according to the flesh; and he says that even if Christ was once according to the flesh, yet now He is no longer. What then? Did He put off the flesh? Far be it! For as He was taken up, so also will He come. D But He was taken up in the flesh and with the body. What then does he say? That we...
A are said to live according to the flesh when we are in sins, and not to live according to the flesh when we do not sin. But Christ is said to have lived according to the flesh when He lived according to the natural and blameless affections, hungering, thirsting, sleeping, and laboring. Now, however, He is no longer according to the flesh—that is, He has been delivered from these natural and blameless affections, having an impassible and incorruptible body—in order that, he says, He may also instruct us abundantly no longer to live according to the flesh and in a sinful manner, but according to the Spirit.
VERS. 17. « Therefore if any man be in Christ, a new creature. » If any man has believed in Christ, he has come into another creation, and a new creature has been made. We ought not, therefore, to live according to the old ways. « Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. » B What old things? Both those of sin and those of the Jews. For indeed, the old sin has passed away, and a new soul and a new body have been made for us; and for all the Jewish things, all things have been made new for us: for the law, the Gospel; for Jerusalem, heaven; for the temple, the inner veil in which the Trinity is; for circumcision, baptism; for manna, the body of God; for water, the blood of the Lord; for the rod of Moses or of Aaron, the cross; for the lamb, the Son of God; and all other things in the same way.
VERS. 18. « But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. » All these things have been given to us by God, who has reconciled us to Himself through the intercession C of His Son. For we did not run to Him, but He Himself called us through the death of His Son. « And hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. » O the depth of divine clemency! For when the Father had sent His Son as an ambassador, and then saw Him slaughtered by those who were in need of reconciliation, not even in this way did He neglect men, but, he says, gave the ministry of reconciliation to us, to the apostles, so that, going about, we might act as ambassadors to those who have revolted from God, and lead them to Him.
VERS. 19. « For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins. » He said above that He Himself reconciled us to Himself. Lest therefore anyone should say, "And yet He sent the Son," he now says that while He did send the Son, yet the Son was not the only one exhorting, but the Father also was reconciling the world to Himself through Christ. For this is what is meant by « in Christ, » and by Him showing such goodness to men, that not only did He not punish, but He was also reconciled; and not only did He forgive, but He did not even impute (or "count") their sins. For indeed, if He had wished to exact an account, they would have altogether perished. D
Exposition on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians - Chapter VI
A "And He has placed in us the word of reconciliation." Therefore, we are not commanded by God to impose anything burdensome or onerous upon you, but rather to reconcile you to Himself. For since they did not listen to me, He says, persist in your exhortations until you have persuaded them.
"For Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors, as though God were exhorting through us; we beseech you for Christ, be reconciled to God." "For Christ," that is, in Christ's stead we act as ambassadors. For what He was about to do, we have now undertaken; and just as through Him the Father exhorted us, so also now through us He exhorts you, that you may be reconciled to Him. He did not say, "Reconcile God to yourselves," but, "Be reconciled to Him." For you are His enemies, but He is never yours; for He is God and Father. As if God were the one who had offended them, thus He acts through His ambassadors so that they might grant forgiveness to God. O the wealth of His compassion and His condescension! B
"For Him who knew no sin, He made sin for our sake, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Why, he says, should I recount all the other things—that you insulted your benefactor, that He did not demand justice, that instead He Himself chose to be the first to be reconciled—and is it not, because of what He has now done, worthy that you should be reconciled to Him? What is this? That He gave His Son, who knew no sin, that is, who was righteousness itself, to die for our sake as a sinner and a criminal. "For cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree," and, "He was reckoned with the wicked." And he did not say that He made Him a sinner, but "Sin," which is a greater thing. To what end? That we might be justified; not by the works of the law, but by the grace of God. C For this is the righteousness of God, when anyone is justified by grace, when no stain or blemish is found in him; for this reason He did not even say, "That we might become just," but, "The righteousness of God," demonstrating the excellence of grace.
CHAPTER VI
"Working together with Him, we also exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain." We work together, he says, both with you and with God: with you, that you may be saved; and with God, to fulfill His will, that is, to save you. And we exhort you in the stead of Christ, until His second coming, and as long as we are in this life, that you may not receive the grace of God in vain. For what profit is there to be freed from sins by divine grace, D and then again to be filled with them through one's own negligence? For enmity is born again, and the grace of God toward us becomes thereafter in vain. Do not, therefore, think that belief alone is reconciliation, but a life of virtue is also necessary.
"For He says: 'In an acceptable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is the acceptable time...'"
'" What is this acceptable time? It is the time of grace, in which there is the forgiveness of sins and the provision of righteousness. This is the acceptable time in which God receives us, hearkens to us, and saves us. For in the time of judgment, He will neither hearken, nor help, nor save. In this time of grace, therefore, we ought to struggle, for we shall easily obtain the prizes.
"Giving no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed." We exhort, he says, and we work together. How? By living without offense. By the order of his narrative, he councils that they also should look to him. For so, he says, I direct my life that I do not say room for accusation, but not even for the slightest complaint, or indeed for scandal, do I give to anyone, so that our ministry may not be blamed. Again, he did not say, "that it may not be accused," but "that my work and my ministry may not receive even the slightest reproach." Some, indeed, have interpreted it thus: "that the reproach may not recoil upon the preaching"; for he calls his preaching his ministry. For if I live wickedly, the preaching will be trampled upon and reviled. Secretly, however, he also hints at them—that if you yourselves live wickedly, the blasphemy will recoil upon Christ and the faith.
"But in all things commending ourselves, as ministers of God." This is even greater—not only to make oneself pure from accusations and reproaches, but also to demonstrate such a life that through it one might even appear to be a minister of God. He did not say, "appearing," but "commending" (exhibiting), that is, proving.
"In much patience." He also states the manner in which he became such: namely, through patience; and not simply, but "much." For it is not enough to endure one thing or another, but one must persevere to the end.
"In tribulations, in necessities." This is an intensification and exaggeration of tribulation, when the evils which oppress a man are inescapable.
"In distresses." These are those which arise from famine, or simply from temptations.
VERS. 5. "In stripes, in imprisonments." When stripes and imprisonments are present, see how great the evil is; since even one of these by itself is most grievous.
"In tumults." That is, in persecutions, when one has nowhere to set his foot, being driven from place to place.
"In labors, in watchings, in fastings." When he had spoken of external things, he now adds what is his own, to which he voluntarily bound himself: "In labors," namely of the hands, through which he sustained both himself and others.
and with all these things he also watched and fasted.
A "In purity." He calls temperance thus, or purity in all things, both in that he did not admit the corruption of gifts, and in that he preached without charge.
"In knowledge." That is, in the wisdom of God, which is truly knowledge; not that of the external sort, after the manner of false apostles.
"In long-suffering, in kindness." It is the sign of an adamantine soul for one, when he is being irritated and stung from all sides, not only to be long-suffering but also to be gentle and kind.
"In the Holy Spirit." He shows whence he accomplished all these things: namely, "in the Holy Spirit." But when he had displayed what was his own, then he placed the help of the Holy Spirit. It is understood also as, "in spiritual gifts"; for through these we also give proof that we are ministers of God, as those who exhibit miracles. Or, "in the Holy Spirit we have given no offense," that is, in the gifts of the Spirit. For many who are puffed up, like those who have tongues, do not use them as they ought; but Paul did not do so.
"In love unfeigned." This is the cause of all good things; this also caused the Spirit to remain with him.
"In the word of truth." That is, not corrupting the word of God.
B "In the power of God." Nothing, he says, is mine, but all these things were done in the power of God, or even in signs and wonders, and in the power that both punishes and bestows benefits.
"By the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." The armor of righteousness on the left are the grievous things; armor, because it acts like a wall and sets us in safety; but on the left, because of the opinion of the many. For surely the Lord also commanded us to pray that we might not enter into temptation. But things on the right are the more cheerful. Through both, therefore, Paul was shown to be blameless—neither shrinking from the grievous things, nor being puffed up by the more cheerful things, but using these as armor of righteousness.
"By glory and dishonor." He has interpreted for us the right and the left, that they are glory and dishonor. But how is glory the armor of righteousness? Because the honor which is deferred to teachers leads many to piety. What then? Is this the virtue of Paul? Yes, because when he was affected by glory, he did not become proud. Dishonor, however, which works patience, made him approved and made his preaching successful.
C "By evil report and good report." This also is a great thing: to endure evil report, for it touches the soul deeply. Therefore the Lord also calls those blessed who endure reproach. For in the midst of torments D
A the body shares the pain with the soul; in the case of slander or infamy, the whole burden falls upon the soul. Whence to Job also this was heavier than the other blows.
« As deceivers, and yet true. » This is what he said: « By evil report and good report. »
VERS. 9. « As unknown, and yet well known. » For to some they were cherished and well known; others did not even deign to know them. This is the same as what he said, « By honor and dishonor. »
« As dying, and behold, we live. » That is, as if addicted to death and condemned, and as far as the intent of those plotting against us is concerned, « dying »; but by the power of God, « behold, we live. »
« As chastened, and not killed. » God permits these things, he says, that He may instruct and chasten us. Wherefore, even before those future rewards, no small gain accrues to us from chastening. This, moreover, is taken from David B; for he says, « The Lord has chastened me, but He has not given me over to death. »
VERS. 10. « As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. » Among outsiders, he says, we appear to be sorrowful; but we enjoy a solid pleasure. For we do not rejoice at one time and not at another, but always.
« As poor, yet making many rich. » He made many rich both in spiritual and in material wealth. For having the houses of all open to him, he was most opulent, and able to provide for and nourish others, just as also the saints in Jerusalem. He indicates this also through what follows.
« As having nothing, and yet possessing all things. » For he who is attached to none of the things pertaining to sustenance C for life, possesses the things which belong to all. « For if it were possible, » he says, « you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me »; how then would such people have spared money for him? He recounted all these things to them, so that they might not be troubled by anything of those things which appeared sad.
VERS. 11. « Our mouth is opened unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. » After he had recounted his own struggles, and had shown them as in a kind of narrative how they ought to imitate him, he is about to rebuke them, as if they did not love him much. But before doing this, he shows his own charity, and says that he always wishes to speak and discourse to you, and to speak freely and with confidence. For this is what « Our mouth is opened » signifies. He says it this way, however, because he is about to rebuke them, indicating that this is charity in the highest degree, namely, freedom of speech. I show my love not only with the mouth, but also D with the heart, having it wide [enlarged] toward you. For the fervor of charity both opens my mouth, and has enlarged my heart, and it
A makes it spacious, so that it may receive you all; which he also adds:
"And you are not straitened in us: but you are straitened in your own bowels." You, he says, have a place in my heart—which is wide—without any straitness, and that though you are so many. But in your own bowels you have great straitness, and you are not able to receive me amply, although I am one; that is, I indeed love you exceedingly, but you love me indeed, and have me in your bowels, but in a narrow way, and not amply.
"But having the same reward (as to children I speak), be you also enlarged." Bring the same compensation of friendship and equality, and be you also enlarged, as I am. He shows that this is also a debt: "As to children," he says, "I speak," nothing great is requested of them, if, being a father, I ask to be loved by my children. For this is a debt to parents.
"Bear not the yoke with unbelievers." Lest he appear to say these things for his own sake, he shows that he is in need of their friendship for their own profit, as if he said: This is to love me, that you do not intermingle with unbelievers and incline toward their side. He did not say, "Do not intermingle," but, "Bear not the yoke," that is, do not wrong justice by inclining and leaning toward those with whom it is not permitted. B For "bearing the yoke" is said of an unjust balance, when one scale becomes heavier.
"For what participation hath justice with injustice?" Here he does not make a comparison between himself and the unbelievers, but between the virtue and nobility of the Corinthians and the depravity of the others; as if a father, seeing his son consorting with depraved men, should say to him: What communion has your nobility with their pollution? You therefore, he says, are justice itself; they however are injustice: what communion then have you with them?
"Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?" Wishing by all means to draw them away from unbelievers, he did not say, "What fellowship have those of the light with those of the darkness?" or "those of Christ with those of Belial?" But he put the things themselves instead of the persons: light and darkness, which is more powerful; and Christ and Belial, which signifies the deserter. By this, he made his discourse entirely more C formidable.
"Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?" Here he made mention of persons, lest he appear to simply accuse vices or commend virtue.
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God." The unbelievers are indeed temples of idols, or even the idols themselves; but you are the temple of God, not such as they themselves fable, but of the living One. D
what they themselves imagine, but of the living God. What concord, therefore, that is, what similarity or agreement, have you with them?
A "As God said: 'I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'" That he may not appear to flatter, he confirms from Scripture that they are the temple of God. Now that God should dwell in us is provided by the purity of our previous life; but that He should walk among us is brought about by our subsequent endeavor and diligence. For when a man has become pure, God dwells in him; then, if he is moved to other good works, God is said to walk in him, at which time he also becomes God of that man, as he ascends to the rank of the patriarchs.
B "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, saith the Lord." He did not say, "Do not behave absurdly," but, "Do not even touch [anything unclean]." But uncleanness is twofold: either of the body or of the soul. Of the soul, such as shameful thoughts, gazing with unchaste eyes, desire for vengeance, deceits, and things of that kind; of the body, as fornication, adultery, and every form of impurity. He desires, therefore, that we be pure in both respects. Come out, then, from the midst of the unbelievers, and be segregated—that is, stand apart and be purified—and then I will receive you. For when you have departed from the wicked, then you will be united to God.
C "And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Do you see how the prophet foretold what has now come to pass in us through baptism—our regeneration and adoption as sons?
CAPUT VII.
D "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." What kind of promises? That we are the temple of God; that we have God Himself, the Father, dwelling and walking in us. Let us cleanse ourselves from impure works—for these are the defilement of the flesh—and from filthy and confused thoughts; for these are the contamination of the spirit—that is, of the soul.
"Perfecting holiness in the fear of God." It is not enough, he says, to abstain from impurity; rather, there is a work to be performed, namely, true holiness, which is to say, purity and temperance. But he added "in the fear of God," either because there is a temperance practiced to please men and not in the fear of God, or to show us how we are to achieve this—namely, in the fear of God. For even if the concupiscence of the flesh rages, possess the fear of God, and the madness will be dispelled. And do not understand holiness as temperance alone, but as any purity whatsoever in life.
Chapter VII
A Ver. 2. "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man." He again initiates a discourse about love. For since he had rebuked them, saying that they were starting away from him and were joining themselves to the unbelieving and the unclean, now he softens them, and says, "Receive us"—that is, "Receive us broadly, and let there not be a narrow place for us in you." But hinting at the false apostles, he says, "We have wronged no man"—that is, in money matters; "we have corrupted no man"—that is, we have not deceived them, by destroying their mind with impious doctrines; "we have defrauded no man"—that is, we have not seized, we have not sought gain under the pretext of preaching.
B Ver. 3. "I say this not to condemn you; for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together." I do not say these things for the purpose of condemning you. Where is this evident? From the love, because you are in our hearts. And since it is possible for one to love, but not to wish to share in danger, he says, "To die together." And since many, when their friends are prospering, do not rejoice with them because of envy, he added also, "To live together." Therefore, the whole of this means that even in dangers we will not flee from you, and in prosperity we will live together and not envy.
C Ver. 4. "Great is my boldness toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf." Since he seemed to strike them by saying, "You are restricted," and "Receive me," he now defends himself, healing them, and says that he did not say these things as if judging them, but because of his great boldness toward them, and wishing them to advance toward virtue. For that I do not judge you, it is clear from the fact that I also boast to others on your behalf. "I am filled with comfort; I superabound with joy in all our affliction." Having been corrected, he says, in those things for which I judged you in the former Epistle, you have filled me with comfort; and not only have you comforted me (which is to rid me of sorrow), but you have also filled me with joy in abundance. For he indicates the multitude of joy by the word, "I superabound." And so great, he says, was the joy, that in all our affliction, though it was great, this prevailed and extinguished that. D These things seem to be contrary to what he said about them a little earlier, but they are not. For both these and those things are the words of one who loves; the former indeed are of one reproving, but these are of one confirming, that such rebukes do not come from enmity, but from vehement love.
Ver. 5. "For when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest." He narrates his affliction, and heightens it by his words, so as to show also the great joy [that came] from them, if indeed such pain...
A has been repelled and repressed. He says well that the "flesh had no rest," for the soul of Paul was invincible.
"But in every way afflicted; fightings without." By the unbelievers. "Fears within." For the sake of the weaker believers, lest they be led astray by false brothers. B
VERS. 6. "But he who comforts the lowly, comforted us God in the coming of Titus." Since he had testified greatly to them, he also produces Titus as a witness. Who then is the one who comforts the lowly? God, he says; He also comforted us, in that He sent Titus to us, for his coming was sufficient to disperse our affliction. He wishes, moreover, to make this man venerable to them. For this reason he makes much of his coming.
VERS. 7. "And not only in his coming, but also in the consolation with which he was comforted in you." Not only, he says, for this reason—that he was present with me in the time of my affliction—was I comforted, but also because he reported your virtue of such a kind, from which he himself also was comforted, that is, he rejoiced in you, accepting you because of your virtues. He reconciles the man to them, and makes him familiar, inasmuch as he had praised them to him. C
"Reporting to us your longing, your weeping, your zeal for me." For it was likely that they should mourn and be anxious, [asking] why the teacher was so sick at heart, and why he was absent for so long a time. Hence, he did not simply say "tears," but "weeping"; nor "desire," but "longing," that is, a vehement searching; nor "anger," but "zeal," namely, against him who had committed fornication. For you were inflamed and kindled for my sake, so that you might fulfill my command; or you were also zealous for me against the false apostles. The Apostle says these things not only to heal the former rebukes, D but also truly to accept those who had behaved well. For there were many endowed with evil habits, and unworthy of these praises; yet he does not separate them, but places both the encomiums and the reproaches in common in their midst, giving to the conscience of each the power to choose what pertains to himself.
"So that I rejoiced more." Rejoicing also from his presence, I was, he says, even more delighted because he reported such things to me about you.
VERS. 8. "Therefore, even if I grieved you in the Epistle, I do not regret it, although I did regret it." Even if I wrote such things to you, he says, as to exceed the measure of rebuke, and to make me feel regret, as having rebuked beyond measure; yet the great profit which resulted from them does not allow me to be led by regret now. He said these things, not as though he had in truth rebuked them immoderately, but [to] heighten their commendations.
A VERS. 8, 9. "For I see that that Epistle, even if it caused you sorrow for a short time, I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to God." Sorrow lasts for a moment, but the profit is everlasting. "I rejoice," however, he says, "not that you were made sorrowful" (for what profit is there to me from your being made sorry?), "but because you were made sorrowful to repentance." Observe, however, how he attributes the sorrow to the Epistle, and does not say that it profited you (that which was the truth), but ascribes the matter to their own virtue. "For you," he says, "were made sorrowful; but you were made sorrowful according to God."
"That in nothing you might suffer loss from us." Having been rebuked, he says, by us, you were made sorrowful according to God, and furthermore you have not been damaged by us in anything. For all of you, and even he himself who had sinned extremely and fornicated, have been improved. For the teacher then causes loss to the disciple, when he does not rebuke the one who is sinning. For if he had been rebuked, he would have gained.
B "For the sorrow that is according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world works death." He philosophizes about sorrow, and shows that sorrow is not always a harmful thing, but when it happens according to the world—that is, because of money, because of glory, because of those who die. For this works death, certainly of the soul, and frequently of the body as well; for many have perished because of these things. If, however, one wishes to be sorrowful because of sins, he is sorrowful according to God; for this medicine is suited only to this sickness, working a salvation not to be repented of (for no one condemns himself for having been sorrowful for sins), and it snatches man from the death of the soul.
"For behold, this very thing, your being made sorrowful according to God, what diligence it produced in you." C Not from others, he says, do I show the usefulness of the sorrow according to God, but from your own affairs. For not only did you not repent that you had been made sorrowful, but you even became more diligent.
"But defense." Toward me. For you defended yourselves to me through repentance. "But indignation." Toward the one who had fornicated. "But fear." Toward me; for such and so swift a correction was of fear. "But longing." Toward me. And having said "fear," lest he be thought to be speaking of these things out of a certain authority of his own, he immediately corrected himself, saying "longing," which is an indication of love, not of authority. "But zeal." For God. D
A "But vindication." Of the laws of God; for they vindicated those who had suffered injury thereby. "In all things you have shown yourselves to be pure in the matter." Not only, he says, have we dared nothing like this—such as the one who has committed fornication—but you have not even taken pleasure in him. For since in the former Epistle he had said, "And you are puffed up"—which rendered them partners in the crime—he says that now you have both turned aside this suspicion and have shown yourselves pure from the stain in this matter. B "For even if I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but for the sake of our zeal which we have for you being made manifest before God." Lest they say to him, Why then did you rebuke us, if we were pure in the matter? He says, "I have such gratitude for those letters," and I do not repent of the rebuke, so that I even say that I wrote these things for this very reason, that my love and my zeal for you might be made manifest to you before God, that is, with God looking upon it, that it is true. For I feared lest the contagion also spread to you. But whom does he call the one who did the wrong and the one who suffered the wrong? Those who had committed fornication; for both injured one another. But how, he asks, do I say that I did not write for their sake? That is, I did write, even for their sake, but not primarily for their sake; but for your sake, taking pains lest the whole city be harmed; just as when he says, "Is it for oxen that God is concerned?" he does not mean that God is not concerned for oxen—for how would they even have been created?—but that He does not legislate primarily for the sake of the oxen. C VERSE 13. "Therefore we have been comforted." Because my zeal was manifest for you, and my hopes were not deceived. For this reason, he says, I received the greatest comfort. "And in addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus." Now, in addition to the comfort with which I was comforted by you, as has been said, I rejoiced much more at the joy of Titus; and this joy and comfort are from you, and for your sake. He says therefore in what follows: VERSES 13, 14. "Because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I have not been put to shame." For this reason, he says, I rejoiced, because Titus found you to be such as I told him you were; and he himself was refreshed, finding you to be such, and nothing harsh or unpleasant occurred to him from you. Now, that Paul boasts in the name of his disciples indicates that they were conspicuous for their virtues, and that he himself was a lover of his spiritual children. Such, therefore, it behooves disciples and teachers to be even today. D "But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also" (1 Cor. 15, 15).
and our boasting which was before Titus proved true. A As if he said, all that I preached to you was true, or because it was likely that he would have spoken praises to them concerning Titus. Just as therefore all these things were true, so too whatever I boasted of concerning you, was proven true.
15. “And his affections are more abundant toward you.” For this reason he commends Titus to them, so that they might in turn love him, as one bound to them and burning with love for them. For this reason he said, “his affections,” so that he might indicate the inner feeling and fire of genuine charity. “Rememebring the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.” He renders the reasons for which Titus loves them so much, showing that the beginning of the love is from them, and at the same time exhorting them to it still. For you did not display simply charity or B zeal toward him, but obedience, receiving him like children receiving a father, but also as a ruler. “For with fear,” and moreover “with trembling.” For he testifies that a twofold virtue is in them: love, as toward a father; and fear, as toward a ruler; so that neither may love, being without fear, grow lax, nor may fear, being separated from love, be unpleasant and ungrateful.
“I rejoice that in everything I am confident in you.” I do not rejoice so much on account of Titus, that he was honored by you, but because I find you to be such, not putting me to shame, but rather making me confident C and able to speak freely concerning you in every matter and time. And otherwise too, I am confident in you, because whatever I may either do or say to you, you receive these things gladly, and for your own improvement, whether it be necessary to rebuke, or to praise, or to order something severe.
CHAPTER VIII
1. “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given to the Churches of Macedonia.” He did not vainly in the foregoing weave many praises for them, but was smoothing the way for them, since he was about to exhort them toward poverty-loving charity. For this reason he also said above, D “I am confident in you”; that is to say, that whatever I say to you, you do. He did not, therefore, say immediately, “Give alms,” but bringing into the middle things done by others, he encourages them also toward a similar zeal. Observe, moreover, how he calls a merciful mind “the grace of God,” at once making his speech free from envy, and at the same time provoking the Corinthians so that they too might seize the same thing as a gift of God. And he did not say, “to this city or that,” but commends the whole of Macedonia, so that they all might look equally toward similar things.
2. “That in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy.” That is, being much afflicted, and so, as to have been proven through patience.
not to have fallen, but rather to have had joy; and not simply so, but with abundance.
“And their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” A That is, just as their great affliction abounded unto joy, so their great and deep poverty not only did not hinder them from almsgiving, but rather persuaded them to abound in the riches of it. He did not say, “of the things given,” but “of their liberality,” that is, of a generous and ready mind. For liberality is not judged by the quantity of the gifts, but by the intention of the giver. This, therefore, is marvelous, that from such poverty (for they had been plundered by their own fellow-tribesmen) they showed such liberality.
Vers. 3, 4. “For to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power they were willing, of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty.” B He interprets what he said, “to their power,” saying, rather, “and beyond their power.” For this is what he calls the abundance of their liberality, saying, “beyond their power.” Furthermore, they were not urged by us, but were “willing of their own accord.” And why do I say this? They themselves were even much exhorting and begging us. He says these things, that he might urge them also not so much to give much, as to give with readiness. Therefore he dwells upon the discourse regarding this matter.
“The grace and the fellowship of the ministry that is for the saints.” C The words “they begged us to accept this ministry” are missing. He calls it “grace,” so that, because the Corinthians were emulous of spiritual charisms, they might hasten to this also as a charism, just as it was mentioned above. He called it “fellowship,” that they might learn that they are not only giving, but also receiving.
Vers. 5. “And not as we hoped.” We did not hope that, being in such poverty and in such affliction, they would so much beg us to accept their ministry.
“But themselves they gave first to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.” D Here he commemorates their other virtues as well. For they were not so puffed up by their diligence in almsgiving that they neglected other things; rather, they gave themselves wholly to the Lord, inclining toward every work pleasing to God with a whole soul and an undivided mind. And they gave themselves to us as well, that is, they were subject in all things, and showed love through the will of God—that is, as is pleasing to God, and not according to human reasoning.
Vers. 6. “That we should exhort Titus, that as he had begun before, so he would also complete in you this grace.” So much, he says, did they give themselves to almsgiving, that I, having seen the matter, was anxiously concerned for you, lest you should be inferior to them, and for that reason I exhorted Titus to come to you, as he himself had already begun to do, that is,
A to recommend Titus to them by these means, so that when he arrives and gives counsel regarding the alms, they may believe him more readily, as one who has their own interests at heart. And again he called this work a "grace," for it is truly great, and a gift of God, and it is capable of making him who practices it resemble God; whence also some wise man says, "A great thing is man, and a precious thing is a merciful man."
VERS. 7. "But just as you abound in everything, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us, that you may abound in this grace also." He exhorts them with praises, saying, "Just as you hold all other things in abundance, so too in this place; not that you may give, but that you may abound, either beyond the Macedonians or that you may be simply generous." By "faith," he means the faith of the charisms—an unwavering faith; by "word," that of wisdom; by "knowledge," that of doctrines; and by "all diligence," that which is applied to other virtue; and by "the love from you toward us." For he said previously, "You showed to Titus your love for me, being zealous on my behalf." B
VERS. 8. "I do not speak as one commanding." That is to say, "I am not forcing you, nor do I speak as one having power over you."
"But by the diligence of others, and testing the genuine nature of your love." That is, "I praise the Macedonians for this reason, so that by their diligence I may prove your love toward the poor saints to be more tested and more brilliant." C
VERS. 9. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." That is, "Consider, ponder the great mystery, and you will spare nothing." For if you do not believe, he says, that poverty is the maker of wealth, consider your Master, and you will no longer doubt. For if He had not become poor—that is, if He had not taken upon Himself our lowly and inglorious flesh, and undergone all other ignominious things, and that for the sake of us who are unworthy, His enemies—we would not have been enriched. And what kind of wealth does he mean? The wealth of piety, purification, sanctification, and other goods, which He has both given and will give. D
VERS. 10. "And I give my opinion in this; for this is useful to you." Observe how he strives to be as little burdensome as possible. "I give my opinion," he says; that is to say, "I am offering advice, I am not imposing a necessity. And I am giving this advice because it profits you more than those who are to receive it."
VERS. 10, 11. "Who began not only to do, but also to desire from a year ago; but now complete the doing also." No longer does he urge them by the zeal of others, but by their own readiness. He says that "You came to this of your own accord, and not only did you lay a foundation for doing, but also..."
A that is, to do it willingly and without anyone urging you. Now, therefore, I give you counsel, so that you may also complete the work.
"That as there is a ready mind of the will, so there should be also of the performing, out of that which you have." That the good may not stop at readiness, but may also be fulfilled in the work B more perfectly. For just as the will creates the promptness and purposing, so the work is born from having. Therefore, whoever has, let him complete the work; for he who does not have, as far as the will is concerned, has completed the work.
VER. 12. "For if there be a ready will, it is accepted according to what a man has, not according to what he has not." See his wisdom, how, having praised the Macedonians, I mean the Thessalonians, because they performed beyond their strength, he asks nothing of these people beyond their strength. If, therefore, you have ready spirits, contribute as you are able, according to your power, and God accepts these things.
VER. 13. "For not that others may have ease, and you tribulation." It is not, he says, that others may luxuriate in ease while you are bound to give beyond your strength, so that you suffer want and affliction from this. Yet the Lord praised the widow who gave all her living; but Paul does not do this now, partly because they were weaker, and partly because they were wealthy, and certainly if they had given according to their strength, the contribution would have been noble, magnificent, and opulent. Moreover, he hopes that they will be more stirred up by the example of the Thessalonians, and for this reason he leaves the matter to their own discretion; indeed, in what follows, he exhorts them to this very thing in an enigmatic way. C
VER. 14. "But by an equality in this present time, your abundance may supply their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want." That is, you flourish in riches and money, but they flourish in confidence and boldness toward God. Give, therefore, out of the riches in which you abound, while they are destitute, so that you may receive from that confidence in which they are rich, though you are needy. Observe how he secretly encourages and urges them to give even beyond their strength. For if you wish, he says, to receive from the abundance, you too give from the abundance; but if you wish to receive the whole compensation, you likewise show the whole: which is indeed [to give] out of want and beyond strength, but he does this secretly. Until now, therefore, as it appears, he recommends giving according to one's strength. D
VER. 15. "That there may be an equality, as it is written: He that had much had nothing over, and he that had little had no lack." By what reason is there an equality? If both you and they exchange your abundances and fill up your lacks. And what kind of equality is it to give spiritual things in exchange for carnal ones? It is not according to the price or the cheapness of the things that are given and returned,
A but according to the measure that you have in abundance, that you give; and again, that which they have in abundance, they give; and again, that in which you are lacking, you receive; and in that in which they are lacking, they receive; according to this, there is equality. Otherwise, he also says that this equality is for the present time; but in the future, those things which they give excel greatly. Therefore, humble yourselves, O you wealthy, if indeed the poor surpass you in lasting things. He produces the account of what happened regarding the manna, partly to show how equality comes about: namely, when the rich man who has much, if he gives what is left over to him who has little, neither does he himself have a superfluity, nor is the one who has little diminished, inasmuch as he has received from the other. And again, the same thing happens regarding confidence toward God. But at the same time, he accomplishes something even greater, placing before the eyes of the wealthy the fact that, just as in the instance of the manna, those who gathered more and those who gathered less were all found to have the same measure B—God punishing their insatiability—so too now, one ought not to crave more.
Vers. 16. «Thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.» Having discussed the matter of almsgiving as much as was necessary, he next commends those who were sent for this purpose, so that they, having become beyond all suspicion, might the more vehemently impel [the Corinthians] to alacrity and readiness in contributing. Since Titus was the first among them, he praises him and says that his being stirred up to minister is the work of God. For the same care and concern that I have for you, He placed in his mind. From this, he exhorts them to make a contribution that is of significant value. For if God stirred him up, then it is God who asks, and you ought to make a gift worthy of God.
Vers. 17. «For he indeed accepted the exhortation, but being more earnest, he went of his own accord to you.» Whence is it clear that God stirred up Titus? Because when reminded by me, he readily accepted the exhortation and did not murmur, but indeed even went of his own accord, so that even if I had not exhorted him, he would have demonstrated his own zeal.
Vers. 18. «And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches.» Some say that this is Luke, because of the Gospel which he wrote; C but others say it is Barnabas; for he calls even unwritten preaching a Gospel. He does not dwell on this man’s praises as he did on those of Titus, perhaps because he was unknown to the Corinthians, whereas Titus was sufficiently well known. Nevertheless, even so, he weaves a sufficient encomium for him. For he says not simply that he preaches the Gospel, but that he is also praised, not by two or three, but by all the churches.
Vers. 19. «And not only that, but he was also chosen by these...
A churches as our fellow-traveler in this grace which is administered by us.» He commends the man also through the judgment of those who chose him. For not only is he praised, he says, as one approved in preaching the word of the Gospel, but he was also appointed by the churches as our fellow-traveler, so that he might also be a partner in trials and dangers. And these things are more fitting for Barnabas. Now he was appointed also for this grace, that is, for the ministry of the funds, so that he might administer them together with us. «To the glory of the Lord himself and your readiness.» That is, so that God may be glorified, and you may be more ready, since those who are receiving these funds are approved, and of such manifest faith, that no one can entertain any suspicion against them.
Vers. 20. «Taking precautions against this, lest anyone blame us in this abundance which is administered by us.» This becomes the holy soul of Paul, and his great care and condescension. For this reason, he says, we sent such men, and not one, but many, «taking precautions,» that is, suspecting and fearing lest anyone should suspect us of embezzling anything from the funds. Nor did he say «lest you,» but «lest anyone else,» so that they might not be angered as if they were suspected of thinking such things about him. For this abundance, he says, that is, the quantity of money, is quite sufficient to provide occasion for suspicion to evil men, if we do not show security.
Vers. 21. «Providing for good things, not only before the Lord, but also before men.» See the soul of Paul, how he worried about scandals for the brothers. B For he did not say, «I am pure, let him who wishes lament,» but just as I provide before God, he says, that is, I take care to appear blameless, so also before men. And by how much they are weaker, by so much the more it behooves us to descend to them, since we even condescend to small children if we are to carry them.
Vers. 22. «We have also sent with them our brother, whom we have often proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more diligent due to the great confidence which I have toward you.» He adds another [point], calling him a brother, and commending him from the fact that he tested him and judged C him to be diligent, and in many things, and often. The doubling of the word is an intensification of the praise. But now, he says, he has become more diligent, as one confident that you will provide a more bountiful alms, which he is about to administer.
Vers. 23. «Whether concerning Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper toward you.» That is, if anything must be said concerning Titus, these are the things I have to say: that he is my partner, helping me in your instruction and benefit; or, if you do anything in the name of Titus, you will not be doing it in the name of just anyone, but in the name of my partner. D
« Sive fratres nostri: » A That is, whether you wish to hear anything on behalf of others, they too possess great rights to be judged worthy of trust; for they are our brethren.
« Apostles of the Churches: » That is, sent and appointed by the Churches.
« Glory of Christ: » B He has placed what is greatest of all last. In Christ, he says, is everything referred to, whatever may happen to them.
« Therefore, show the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf to them before the face of the Churches. » Now show, he says, how you love us, and how we do not boast in vain concerning you. And you will show it, if you display love toward them. For in fact, whatever you do for these, you do before the face of the Churches, that is, for the honor of the Churches. For these men hold the standing of the Churches that sent them.
CAPUT IX
VERS. 1. « For as concerning the ministry that is to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. » C Although he had said so much before, and was about to say more, he nevertheless says that it is superfluous for him to write about these things. He does this wisely, however, in order to attract them all the more. For they will be ashamed if Paul has such an opinion of them—that they have no need of counsel to have mercy upon the saints—and then they should be found to be inferior to that opinion.
VERS. 2. « For I know your forwardness, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago. » I too, he says, know your forwardness; and not only this, but I even boast to others that all Achaia is ready, not just Corinth; and nothing is lacking except the arrival of those who are to receive the money. Therefore, it is a shame for me if I should appear to be boasting in vain and falsely.
« And your zeal hath provoked very many. » Yet above he said, « of their own accord and beseeching us. » How then does he say now, « Your zeal hath provoked very many »? He did not say, « all, » but, « very many. » For some contributed of their own accord and by beseeching us, but others were provoked through your zeal; since the majority have need of a goad. D Or it is because we did not consult, nor did we exhort, but we only praised you, and this was sufficient for them for encouragement. Do you see how he stirs up those through these, and these through those? You have become teachers to them, he says; do not, therefore, appear to be inferior to the disciples, seeing that you are teachers.
VERS. 3. « Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that (as I said) ye may be ready. » He makes himself, as it were, a part of the Corinthians, and struggles on their behalf; for he says: Since I have boasted in your name, I feared lest we should be put to shame, and for this reason I sent the brethren, lest…
that boast of mine regarding you be proved A empty, that is, vain and worthless. For I, he says, beautifying myself in you, have boasted before all, and before them as well. Thus, if you are found wanting, the shame rests on us both; not, however, everywhere, but in this specific part, that is, lest I be put to shame—and you as well—solely in this matter of the alms. Be prepared, just as I told the Macedonians that all of Achaea is ready, and that they lack nothing. B
VERS. 4. "Lest by any means, if the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say you—should be put to shame in this matter of boasting." He dwells again on the same points, and intensifies the struggle, instructing them by using human reasoning. For it is a greater disgrace when one is put to shame before others. Perhaps, he says, you have confidence in me, as one who will forgive you; but consider the Macedonians, who perhaps will come with me (for it is likely that this will happen), and if they find you—he did not say "unwilling to give," but "unprepared." For if it is a disgrace not to be prepared, or not to contribute quickly, how much greater a disgrace is it to contribute nothing at all, or less than is fitting? He corrects the turn of phrase, saying, "We—not to say you—should be put to shame in this matter of boasting," meaning: we shall not be put to shame in any other way, but only in this boast regarding alms, since your other affairs admit of no reproach. He says this not to flatter them, but rather to make them more ready, C so that being proven in other things, they might not be found unproven and inferior to themselves in this. But by saying, "not to say you," he shows that they themselves would bear the greater disgrace; for the fault was theirs. By "matter" (substantia), understand the subject, the object itself, or the essence of the boasting.
VERS. 5. "I thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and prepare your promised blessing, that the same might be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness." Lest he appear to say things contrary to what he said before—"It is superfluous for me to write"—now that he is again discoursing on these same things, he is speaking on generosity and the finished work performed with alacrity, and for this reason he says he has sent the brethren. Reminding them of two things which are at odds with each other—to give generously and with alacrity—he handles both most wisely. D First, he discourses on giving with alacrity, then on the other point. He says, therefore, that what is given is a blessing; and no one who gives a blessing is saddened. He also shows the fruit immediately budding forth from this, and that those who give are filled with that blessing. Nor was even this enough for him, but he added, "and not as covetousness." Do not imagine, he says, that we receive these things as if we were cheating you.
A Thus, he who gives alms against his will is, as it were, plundered.
B VERSE 6. "But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows in blessings will also reap in blessings." He passes on to another point, which is about giving generously, saying that this too is what I am adding to what I have already said, that one must not give sparingly. And he did not say "meanly," but used the more honorable term of "sparingly" (parsimony). He called the work itself "seed," so that you might immediately look toward the recompense and learn that you receive more than you give. Having spoken about giving generously, he again makes mention of giving with alacrity; for the words, "He who sows in blessings," indicate this, just as was said above.
VERSE 7. "Each one as he purposes within his heart, not out of grief or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." He dwells upon the discussion of giving with alacrity, knowing that the example of the Macedonians would be sufficient to stir them up to give more, and that they would be ashamed if they appeared inferior to them. He heals their mindset, so that what is done by them might also be a virtue. For if it is involuntary, it is not a virtue. As a true teacher, therefore, he wishes his disciples to do what they do in accordance with the principle of virtue, and at the same time so that their reward might be complete, they do the good thing voluntarily; for the involuntary C diminishes the reward. For this reason he says: "Each one as he purposes, and not out of grief or of necessity." And he produces a testimony from Solomon. Although the saying of the wise man is made concerning generosity, he himself interpreted it as concerning the alacrity in giving; or if you prefer, he referred it to both.
VERSE 8. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you." By these words he overturns the thought that we many have, saying: "If I give much, I fear that I might become poor." He says, therefore, that God is able to make you so free from need, that you might be able to perform all grace, that is, all almsgiving, with abundance. Give, therefore, generously, so that your almsgiving may abound more and more.
"That having all sufficiency in all things, you may abound to every good work." Do you see? He does not wish them riches, but sufficiency. By saying this, he indicates that he neither forces nor compels them to give out of their own lack, for then they would no longer have sufficiency. At the same time, he also teaches where one ought to use the gifts of God. "For that you may abound," he says, "in every good work." In D carnal things, he says, I wish for you sufficiency; but in spiritual things (for this is what "in every good work" means), I wish for you abundance, so that you may not only be abundantly merciful, but also eagerly perform every work that pleases God.
VERSE 9. "As it is written: He has dispersed, he has given to the"
poor, his righteousness remains forever." He said that "so that you may have abundance." Therefore, establishing this from the prophet, he brought forward the testimony: "He has dispersed." For this expression indicates liberality and abundance. Money and possessions, therefore, do not remain; but righteousness—that is, philanthropy (for he calls it this, just as it justifies man and dissolves sins)—this, then, remains forever, both here and there. And from this source, the merciful man is beloved by all, and his descendants by those of the future era.
VERSE 10. "Now may he who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness." He wishes for them both physical and spiritual blessings at the same time, and gives authority to his speech from sensible agriculture. For if God grants seed to those who sow the earth, and provides food to those who nourish the body, much more does he do so for those who cultivate heaven and nourish the soul. Therefore, saying, "May he supply and multiply your seed," he speaks of sensible wealth, which he desires to become spiritual seed when it is given to the poor. For from this, every good work grows in us, and thus the sheaves of righteousness increase; wherefore he adds, "and increase the fruits of your righteousness." B Note here, too, that he introduces God as providing not delicacies, but nourishment: "For bread," he says, "for food." And this is taken from Isaiah.
VERSE 11. "In everything being enriched for all liberality, which works out thanksgiving to God through us." He indicates here again how we ought to use wealth. For he says that it should not be buried, but held for all liberality—that is, it should be dispensed with generosity. Since, however, many show "liberality" on prostitutes and actors, he says: "I mean such a liberality as brings much thanksgiving to God." Indeed, not thanksgiving alone, but many other things which he sets forth as he proceeds; so that, by showing those many good things born from liberality, he may make them more eager for it. C VERSES 12-14. "For the administration of this service is not only fulfilling the needs of the saints, but also abounding through many thanksgivings to God, by the proof of this ministry, glorifying God for the obedience of your confession to the Gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of the fellowship towards them and towards all; and by their prayer for you, longing for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you." "The service," he says—that is, the supply of money—accomplishes many things. For it not only fills the need of the brothers, D but also abounds.
and you also abound; that is, you provide to them more than is necessary, and many thanksgivings are made through this tested and proven ministry of philanthropy. For they glorify God that you are so subject to the Gospel as to fulfill its commands with generosity. For the Gospel teaches almsgiving. And for another reason they glorify God, that your simplicity and goodness is poured out not only upon them, but upon all the faithful poor. For they do not labor under the affection of envy, like other beggars, but they give thanks that you give to others as well; which is proof of their own greatest virtue. Wherefore to such men it is necessary to give more generously, who are thus free from envy, who are thus endowed with virtues. Moreover, they also intercede with God for you, that they may be deemed worthy to see you; to see you, not for the sake of money, but B because of the excellent grace of God given to you. Again, he called the act of almsgiving "grace," referring everything to God, so that they might not be puffed up. But in saying "the excellent grace of God," he rouses them so that they might make their generosity more abundant, and that others might not surpass and defeat them. "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift." He calls the benefits that come through almsgiving, both to the givers and the recipients, a "gift"; or he also reminds them of the good things of which we were deemed worthy through the incarnation of Christ, as if saying: Do not think that you are doing anything great; for the good things we received from God are inexpressible. And if we give a few corruptible things, what is that, what is great?
CHAPTER X
C "I, Paul, myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." Having finished his words about almsgiving, he now commences with more severe ones against the false apostles and those who slandered him as unlearned and as one who boasted in vain; and he is about to commend himself, being compelled to do so, lest his preaching be brought into contempt. He therefore recounts both his own achievements and the grace of God given to him. So one would not err who called this Epistle a panegyric of Paul. So far, therefore, from the beginning, the discourse conveys such a thought against those who called him powerless and arrogant; namely: "I, Paul, myself beseech you," the teacher of the inhabited world (for the words "I, Paul, myself" indicate dignity and authority, just as the words "Behold, I, Paul, say to you and beseech you, that those who slander me might not force me to use my power against them"). But it is a great thing for an Apostle to beseech. He also brings forward the meekness of Christ as intercession, as if saying: "Reverence the gentleness of Christ, through which I beseech you"; at the same time showing why he spares them, namely, that he might imitate the meek-meekness of the Savior Christ, and not because he is A weak. Do not, therefore, force me to depart from this [gentleness], which I so much desire that I even put it before you as a mediator.
"Who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you." He says this with irony, using the words of those who were slandering him; for they were saying that when he is present, he is worth nothing of note, but is base and contemptible; whereas when he is absent, he puffs himself up and boasts, and is bold against us and threatens. He truly says these things about himself, that: "I, who when present am humble and meek toward you, if now I speak great things, I do not do this out of arrogance, but out of confidence in you."
VERS. 2. "But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, who reckon us as if we walked according to the flesh." I beseech you, he says, that you do not force me to use my power boldly (for he calls his power "confidence," which I think to be bold—that is, which I intend and reckon and conjecture—because they compel me against those who slander us as hypocrites and braggarts; for this is what "walking according to the flesh" means). Observe, however, how he calls it "boldness" that he should want to avenge himself on some at all, even though he was about to do this not for his own sake, but for the sake of the message [preached]. B Yet it is more suitable for a teacher to tarry in inflicting punishments and not to leap to them quickly.
VERS. 3. "For walking in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." That is, being clothed with flesh, we do not use carnal weapons. For he is discussing the preaching, showing that it is not human, nor in need of help from below. But by saying, "we war," he showed that we have undertaken a battle and a fight.
VERS. 4. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal." That is, not wealth, not glory, not eloquence, not flatteries, not hypocrisies; for such are carnal weapons.
"But mighty to God unto the pulling down of strongholds." He did not say, "But spiritual" (for this he would have absolutely had to say in order to contrast it with the carnal), but, "mighty," hinting thereby that their [the Greeks'] affairs are weak and impotent. Consider, however, the humble spirit in him: for he did not say, "We are mighty," but, D "The weapons are mighty to God," that is, God made them mighty. For because they were being driven out and scourged, and these things seemed to be signs of weakness, he says that these things are mighty to God. For the strength of God is most clearly manifest through these, and He is the one who acts and wages war, even if we are clothed with them. But where are they mighty? "To the pulling down of strongholds." And he brings in what these strongholds are.
"Casting down imaginations." The syllogisms of the Greeks, he says, and their pride, we demolish with these.
A by these weapons, or because we cast down their arguments and souls from the error in which they are held, and subject them to the truth. For the reasoning and great mind of the Areopagite was taken away from impiety and subjected to piety. Observe, moreover, that he did not say, "We bring forward engines," but, "We immediately demolish," indicating both the ease of victory and the power of the weapons.
"And every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." He persists in the trope, that he might explain more clearly what he wills. If, he says, there be a height, that is, a turreted fortification or bulwark resisting the knowledge of God, and therefore the Gospel, this too we demolish.
"And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The name of captivity signifies two things: both the fall from liberty, and the perfect taking, so that one is captured in such a way that he cannot even resist. B According, therefore, to the second meaning, Paul has now said, "Bringing into captivity." For we do not only, he says, overcome and win a victory over every human mind and intellect, but we also bring them into captivity, which is a more complete victory. Then, because the name of captivity is heavy, he adds, "To the obedience of Christ"; that is, we bring them into his service, which is more precious than any liberty; for, by subjecting them to Christ, we bring them from destruction to salvation, and from death to life. Consider, then, those in Ephesus who burned their books of magic, and you will understand how Paul took them captive.
"And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." Here C he also struck fear into them. For we wait for you, he says, so that when we have corrected you through admonition and have made you depart from them, then we may bring the cutting to those who are left incurable alone. We have, therefore, the punishment and vengeance "in readiness," but since you are mixed with them, we are hindered, that the wound might not touch you as well. But by saying, "When your obedience is fulfilled," he hints that they are indeed obeying even now, but not perfectly. He threatens these things, so that both the former and the latter might be corrected, and that he might strike no one. But first, reasonings are formed within us, with the worse struggling against the better; then they become high things or heights, D that is, when they are victorious, when they also exalt themselves against the divine knowledge, and to such a degree that they even run up into the order of the intellect, such as those which are called frenzies or divine inspirations. For an intellect is a simple act or impulse of the mind, devoid of reasoning, showing the things themselves better than demonstration. There are, therefore, in those misled by demons, such apparent intellects, which Paul—and if anyone else is led by the spirit of Paul—leads captive to the obedience of Christ.
A *Vers. 7. ‘What is before your faces, look at.’* He strikes terror not only into the deceivers, but also rebukes those who are misled. Therefore he says, ‘Judge from appearances,’ if anyone boasts, if anyone is wealthy, if anyone is cloaked in the guise of virtue.
‘If anyone has convinced himself that he is Christ’s, let him reconsider this of himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.’ For the false apostles were boasting as being of Christ, and perhaps as eyewitnesses. He said ‘of himself’ to mean: let him not wait for our rebuke against him, but let him perceive that, according to this very fact that he belongs to Christ, he has no advantage over us. For it is not the case that he is of Christ, while I am of someone else. But he said this with condescension, since as he proceeds he shows how much he himself excels. B
*Vers. 8. ‘For even if I should boast somewhat more of the authority which the Lord gave me for edification, and not for destruction, I shall not be ashamed.’* He did not say, ‘I have the authority to punish and to kill, which they do not have,’ but used the much more submissive phrase, ‘somewhat more.’ Nor did he say, ‘If I boast,’ but, ‘If I should have boasted,’ that is, if I should want to boast of the authority which the Lord gave me, again attributing everything to Him. I received this authority from God, so that I might build up the faith by bestowing benefits, not so that I might punish. Why then did you say, ‘destroying reasonings’? Because this is the very act of edification: to demolish rotting things and to tear down obstacles. C How then do you threaten them, if you did not receive authority for destruction? Primarily, I received it for edification; but if anyone is incurable, we will also make use of demolition. If, therefore, I should wish, he says, to boast that God has given me something more—so that I have the authority both to benefit primarily and, when I am forced, to punish—‘I shall not be ashamed,’ that is, I shall not be shown to be a liar or a braggart. D
*Vers. 9-11. ‘That I may not seem as though I would terrify you by my letters. For his letters, he says, are weighty and powerful, but the presence of the body is weak, and his speech contemptible. Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such we are also when present in deed.’* What he says is of this sort: I could have boasted, but so that I may not seem as though I am terrifying you by my letters, as those who slander me say—‘He is grand in his letters and writes horrifying things; but when he arrives, he is despicable and contemptible, and he is proven to be not such as he is in his writings’—let whoever it is who says such things know that we not only threaten grand things, but we are also able, when present, to carry the threats into effect through our deeds.
*Vers. 12. For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves...*
A to those who commend themselves. Here he shows that those people are arrogant and boast of great things concerning themselves. He says, therefore: "For we do not dare to classify ourselves," that is, to count—"or compare ourselves," that is, to set ourselves against some of those who praise themselves. "But they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand." Those people, he says, do not deign to be compared to other men, but they compare themselves to themselves and strive against one another, and they do not perceive how ridiculous they are in showing themselves off in such a way. For each one, by saying that he is better than the other, casts the other down, and thus all seem distinguished through one another; which absurdity they themselves do not understand.
B Vers. 13. "But we will not boast beyond limits." For those people, perhaps, were boasting and saying, "We have reached the ends of the earth and we have converted the world." But we, he says, are not like that. "But according to the measure of the rule which God has apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you." Just as God divides a vineyard for farmers, so also has He apportioned the world to us apostles. According, then, to the measure of the rule which God has apportioned to us, we will boast. And what is the measure? It is, "To reach even unto you." Since, therefore, this is our measure, we boast as far as you.
"For we do not, as though not reaching unto you, overextend ourselves; for we have reached even unto you in the Gospel of Christ." It is likely that the false apostles, having arrived somewhere even without preaching, C were boasting out of mere presence, and attributing everything to themselves. The Apostle says, therefore, that it is not as though we had not reached you that we overextend ourselves. "For we have reached you," not simply, but "in the Gospel of Christ"—that is, not merely by arriving, as they do, but even by preaching the Gospel.
Vers. 15, 16. "Not boasting beyond limits in other men's labors, but having hope as your faith grows, to be magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance: to preach the Gospel in regions beyond you, not to boast in another man's rule of things ready to hand." He indicates that they D pride themselves on the labors of the apostles and boast beyond measure—that is, excessively and in other men's labors. But we are not so; but having reached unto you, we use our freedom as far as you. We hope—in God, that is (for Paul is not accustomed to make it explicit)—that by teaching you abundantly and by increasing your faith, we shall be found such that "I am magnified in you." For then the teacher is magnified, when the things of the students have increased, and his rule has proceeded "unto abundance"—that is, the measure which fell to his lot, has increased excessively.
that is, the measure which he has received, that he may advance abundantly. What A then do we hope? That we shall preach the Gospel even to regions beyond you, and perhaps we shall boast even of those things, if we may be of benefit to them. He calls it a canon and a measure everywhere, as a builder and architect of the world, and that he may show that everything is of God, who gave the canon and the measure; therefore he adds: “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” For having such works and so great, we do not boast, nor do we impute anything to ourselves; but we attribute everything to God, and even the very measure we have reached. It was necessary, therefore, that they too should glory in this. “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” He did not say, We are approved; but, “whom the Lord commends,” that is, whom the truth of the labor and the work, together with the grace of God, proves to be approved. B
CAPUT XI.
VERS. 1. “Would that you would bear with me in a little of my foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.” Being about to enter upon his own praises, he uses many precautions, avoiding that which seems burdensome and annoying in the commendation of oneself. But necessity drove him to this, and the fear lest it might turn to the detriment of the disciples if he himself were vilified, while the pseudo-apostles were held in esteem. That he came to this out of great necessity and for the sake of his disciples’ benefit might be clear even to the extremely foolish. For he who remembers his former sins, from which he was freed through baptism, and calls himself unworthy of the name of apostle, C how would he, without necessity, speak boastfully about himself? He says therefore, Would that you would bear with me in a few foolish things; or rather, you do indeed bear with me. For I trust that you love me, and bear with all my things.
VERS. 2. “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.” He did not say, I love, but that which was much more vehement, “I am jealous.” For jealousy is born between those who love fervently. Then, lest they might think that he is jealous of them for the sake of any human thing, such as money or glory, he adds, “with a godly jealousy.” For even God is said to be jealous, because He pursues us with excessive love, not that He might gain any advantage from it, but that He might save us, gathering us to Himself and D binding us to Himself. Such, therefore, he says, is my jealousy toward you, not that I may gain anything, but that you may not be corrupted.
“For I espoused you to one man, to present you a pure virgin to Christ.” I have betrothed you, he says, to Christ. Therefore it is on His behalf that I am jealous, not on my own. For I am not the bridegroom, but the groomsman. Observe, however, how he did not say, I am your teacher, and therefore you ought to bear with me; but he placed them in the position of the bride, and he himself takes the place of the groomsman.
A He appoints them as a bridesmaid, honoring them. But a strange thing happens here in the Church: for in the world, after the wedding, maidens no longer remain; but here, even those who were not maidens before the wedding, after this wedding they become maidens. In this way, the whole Church is a virgin. For Paul speaks these things to everyone, both to husbands and to wives. And what dowry does he bring in betrothing her? The kingdom of heaven. The events under Abraham were a type of this, when he sent his servant to betroth a pagan girl for his son. For here too, God sent his servants, the prophets, to betroth the Church to his Son, Christ, as David says: "Hear, O daughter, and see; and forget your people, and your father's house." And he also sent the apostles, as Paul says: "We act as ambassadors for Christ." The present time, then, is that of the betrothal; but the future will be that of the wedding, when the cry is given: "Behold, the bridegroom."
B VERSE 3. "But I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." For even if the destruction is yours, the fear is mine. However, he does not openly declare, "You are corrupted," even if they had been corrupted; but he put it ambiguously: "Lest by any means as the serpent deceived Eve." For indeed he also, by promising greater things, practiced deception; and thus the false apostles, boasting and saying some great things to you, deceive you by their craftiness. But just as neither the craftiness of the serpent nor the simplicity of Eve sufficed for her in the way of excuse, so neither will these things avail you. And he did not say that Adam was deceived, so as to show that to be deceived C is effeminate. Nor did he say, "Lest you be deceived," but, "Lest your minds be corrupted," persevering in the begun trope or metaphor: for corruption is spoken of in regard to virgins. "Lest they be corrupted from your simplicity which you have in Christ," that is, "Lest you be deceived away from your simplicity." Some, however, take it thus: "Lest you be transferred from the simple faith unto the cleverness of those outside; for this is the greatest corruption."
VERSE 4. "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different Spirit, which you have not received, or a different Gospel, which you have not accepted, you would do well to put up with it." What are you saying, Paul? You who write to the Galatians: "If anyone preaches a gospel to you other than what you have received, let him be D anathema"; do you now say, "If they were preaching another Jesus, you would do well to put up with it"? Listen, therefore: the false apostles were swelling with pride, as if they were bringing something more than the true apostles. Since, therefore, they were babbling much foolishness, using outside wisdom, he says: "If they were preaching another Christ, whom it was necessary to be preached, and whom we had left out, you would do well to put up with it." For this is why he added—
A "Whom we have not preached." But if they are the same heads of the faith, what is the advantage to them? Observe, furthermore, he did not say, "If he who comes preaches something more"—for they were saying something more with greater authority and much beauty of expression—but, "If he preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached," for which there is no need of eloquence. "Or you receive a different Spirit"—that is, if he were making you richer in spiritual gifts, which also does not require elegance of speech. "Or a different Gospel"—neither does this require cultivated speech. Everywhere he indicates that one should not simply pay attention if they say something more significant, but only if they say something that needed to be said, and had been left out by us. Observe, indeed: "Other," he says, "Jesus (whom we have not preached), other Spirit (which you have not received), other Gospel (which you have not accepted)." Since, therefore, they say the same things, why are you gaping after them? B And since they say the same things, O Paul, why do you hinder them? Because they use hypocrisy to introduce other dogmas.
VERS. 5. "For I consider that I am in nothing inferior to those who are pre-eminent apostles." Here he next compares himself to those around Peter, wishing to show this: if they know more than I, they know more than them as well; leading the argument to an absurdity. Observe, moreover, his humility. "I consider," he says, that is, I think, I reckon; and he asserts and decides nothing. He does not simply say, To the rest of the apostles, but, "To those who are pre-eminent apostles," implying Peter, James, and John. He says this because the necessity now demanded it, even though he elsewhere says: "For I am not worthy to be called an apostle." C
VERS. 6. "For even if I am unskillful in speech, yet not in knowledge." Since in this the false apostles prided themselves—in not being unlearned—he shows that he does not deny that he is unskillful, but also that he prides himself in it. And he does not say, that "Even if I am unskillful, so are the other apostles," lest he appear to accuse them as well; but he abolishes the very matter of exterior wisdom, just as he also showed in the prior Epistle that it is not only useless, but rather that it undermines and destroys the glory of the Cross. I am unskillful in speech, therefore, but by no means in knowledge. Through this, however, he hints at those men, saying that in whatever degree they boast of eloquence, in that same degree are they bereft of the knowledge of God, and are unskilled and unlearned in regard to it. D
"But in every way we have been made manifest in all things to you." Not like the false apostles, being one thing and appearing another, but in all things that we do and say, we are manifest to you; there is no duplicity or hypocrisy in us, as there is in them—who have only the appearance of piety, and do all the worst things.
A
"Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?" In this, he says, have I sinned, and for this reason do you have cause to accuse me and rise up against me, that I humbled myself, begging and suffering hunger, "that you might be exalted"—that is, that you might be built up in the faith? For were they not scandalized—which is their greatest accusation—that they were not being built up in any other way, unless he himself were suffering hunger? Since they were slandering him, saying that while present he is humble, but while absent he boasts, he now frames his defense as if for this very reason, and strikes them, saying: I became humble, but you were exalted by this. B
"I robbed other churches, taking wages for your ministry." Although he could have said, "I ate from the labor of my own hands," yet, making his speech more stinging, he says, "I received from others," and that, too, while ministering to you. And the word "robbed" is used instead of "stripped," and he made them poor. He hints at the Macedonians, who, though they were very poor, still had me wearing them down, even though I did not need anything superfluous, but only for necessary expenses. For I received wages; yet you did not give me even these, which is a very great accusation—and what is worse—"for your ministry." For while preaching to you and laboring for your sake, I was fed by others. C
"And when I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone." The accusation is threefold: that while I was with you, and while I was ministering to you, and while I was in need, I was not considered worthy of a word. You not only did not send [anything], which the Macedonians were doing, but you did not even feed me while I was present. The phrase "I did not burden anyone" signifies this: I did not become a burden to anyone. It also points out that they were slothful and sluggish in contributing. Some take the phrase "I did not burden anyone" to mean, "I did not neglect, or become more slothful toward, the preaching; but everything that was necessary for your salvation was accomplished by me. Yet, I lived among you in need of necessary things, and I did not ask for anything, nor did I dissolve my patience by becoming sluggish."
"For the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what was lacking to me." He provokes them to emulation, so as to stir them up even more toward almsgiving, so that, not having been bested by the Macedonians in feeding him, they might not be bested in almsgiving as well. By saying "what was lacking," he shows that he did not receive anything beyond his necessary need; and it was the Philippians who fed him. "And D I kept myself from being a burden to you in everything, and will keep myself." He indicates that they thought it a burden—
indeed, it is a great wound to them, since he no longer trusts them, but has completely despaired of receiving anything from them.
VERS. 10. "Is the truth of Christ in me, that this boasting shall not be stopped in me in the regions of Achaia." Lest they think that he said, "I will keep myself," so as to draw them the more to providing for him, he says: According to the truth which is in Christ Jesus, I say that I will not accept anything. B But lest anyone think that he says these things out of pain or anger, he calls the matter "boasting." For to preach the Gospel without charge was a great boast to him, as if he were leaping beyond the bounds of Christ for the sake of Christ. And the statement, "shall not be stopped," or closed up, is a metaphor taken from rivers. For as if this fame of his were flowing to all the ends of the earth, he says: This good and famous rumor of mine shall not be stopped hereafter by the fact of my receiving anything. And the phrase, "in the regions of Achaia," aims a blow: for if this is a glory, it ought to be kept everywhere; but if he keeps it only in these places, it is manifest that they are not in a healthy state, like the others.
VERS. 11. "Why? Because I do not love you? God knows." About to introduce the reason why he did not accept from them—namely, because of the false apostles—he first removes what the Corinthians might have suspected: "That, as it seems, because you do not love us, you do not accept." No, rather, he says, it is because I love you and do not want you to be harmed, inasmuch as you easily take offense. C But he does not say this so clearly, lest he rebuke their weakness; instead, he turns the discourse to another reason.
VERS. 12. "But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who want an opportunity, that in what they boast, they may be found just as we are." Here he most clearly explains the reason why he did not accept. For since the devil knows that people engrossed in the things of this life are most especially captivated by the fact that teachers do not take anything, he taught the false apostles to pretend this as well. D For they did not do this in reality, even if they were wealthy; but even if they seemed to take nothing, they were taking it nonetheless. Therefore he did not say, "In what they act diligently," but, "In what they boast," which is also an indication of arrogance. The Apostle, therefore, having perceived these things, decided with himself to accept nothing from anyone, even while being burdened by poverty, so as to cut off their handle and opportunity, and that they might have no room to find fault with him. And yet this was not a reproach; for it is the law of Christ. But because the Corinthians, as weak, were easily prone to taking offense, he kept himself. And since the false apostles were found inferior in other things, they had no advantage in this either, unless perhaps
A one says that they were even inferior in this, that while they were wealthy they took nothing, whereas Paul, in his great poverty, took nothing at all. And it is also true that they did not even truly accomplish this, but were only pretending, whereas the Apostle accomplished it in truth.
VERS. 13. « For such false apostles are deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. » What do you say? If they preach Christ and introduce no other Gospel, as you mentioned above, are they now false apostles? Yes, he says, for this very reason; for by pretending these things, they secretly bring in unholy dogmas. « Deceitful workers, » in that they seem to be working, but they uproot what has been planted, and they possess only the form of apostles and the skin of sheep, whereas they are in truth wolves. B
VERS. 14. « And no wonder. For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. » When their teacher, Satan, dares everything, it is no wonder if they also imitate him. By « angel of light » he means one who has boldness, one who stands before the true light, one who announces that God also is light, in that he himself is light. The devil transforms himself into such a one, but he does not become such a one. In this way, therefore, they also bear only the form of apostles, not the efficacy itself. From this we learn that to do anything for the sake of ostentation is, above all else, diabolical.
VERS. 15. « It is no great thing, therefore, if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. » That is, as ministers of the Gospel which possesses righteousness, or because they clothe themselves in the glory of righteous men. But they will not escape in the end; for according to their works, their end will also be; that is, it will be evil. Therefore, by their works we shall recognize them; for they will have an end corresponding to their works. C
VERS. 16. « I say again (let no one think me a fool: otherwise, receive me even as a fool, that I also may boast a little). » For even though he had already used mitigations, he says, « I am not content with what has been said, but I say again, » so that « no one may think me a fool. » To boast simply is indeed foolishness; but I do not do this as a senseless person, but being compelled. Yet, if you do not grant me this, but judge me a fool entirely, even though I am driven to boast by necessity, I do not refuse it. Therefore, tolerate me as a fool speaking, « that I also, » that is, just like those others, « may boast, » and this only « a little. » D
VERS. 17. « What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. » What I speak, he says, is not according to the Lord—that is, if you look at the words; but the purpose of the words is deeply according to
A the Lord. He did not say, "In folly," but, "As in folly." For my boasting seems to be folly, but in truth it is not. But so that you might not think that he speaks in folly everywhere, and not according to the Lord, he says, "In this part of the boasting," and not in other things.
Ver. 18. « Since many glory according to the flesh, I will glory also. » That is to say, from external things, from nobility, from having circumcision, and from Hebrew ancestors. For this is what he speaks of as not being according to the Lord, to boast in such things; for what use is it to be a Hebrew? I do not, therefore, set these things down as a virtue, but because they boast in such things, I am compelled also B to make the comparison from that point.
Ver. 19. « For you suffer the foolish gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise. » You, he says, compel me to say such things; for if you also had not received them, and I had not seen that you were being harmed by this, I would not even have come to this point. He calls those foolish who boast in carnal things. For if to boast in spiritual things is a sign of foolishness, how much more so to boast in things that do not exist at all? And that which he says, « Seeing you yourselves are wise, » seems indeed to be pleasant, yet it contains a more vehement accusation: for he says, "Since you are knowing, you sin." For if you were unlearned, you would be worthy of pardon.
Ver. 20. « For you suffer if anyone brings you into bondage. » Observe C how great a servile condition he accuses the Corinthians of, and that they had submitted themselves to the false apostles beyond measure. « If anyone devours, if anyone takes. » Do you see that he shows them to be taking, and with hyperbole? For « he devours » signifies this. Thus also what he said above, « That in which they boast, » he said well. For they had only the boasting, not the truth, pretending that they did not take. « If anyone exalts himself. » That is, if anyone exercises authority over you, and exalts himself against you; for they are not gentle masters, but burdensome and troublesome. « If anyone beats you in the face, I speak concerning reproach. » D Did you see the intensity of the reproach and the outrage? For they were using them as if they were slaves. He says these things, not that they were struck in the face, but that they suffered no less than those who are struck in the face; for he said this unto their reproach. For indeed, what could be more shameful than this, when, having taken away their money and property, and their liberty, and their honor, they have treated them as slaves?
Ver. 21. « As though we had been weak. » For the sake of what thing, he says, do you suffer them? Is it because we are weak, and cannot treat you in the same manner? No, the matter is not so. For we also are able to treat you in such an abusive
way, he says, but we do not wish to do so at all. He attributes, therefore, the whole cause of their arrogance to the servility of these people. For you, being subjected to them in a very servile manner, are both the authors of the injury to them, and the occasion for us of these present words. A
"In whatever anyone dares (I speak in foolishness), I dare also."
See how he again calls the matter boldness and foolishness, and almost says, "I am coming to this by force." Yet how many precorrectionary statements did he cast out before this, and others even before those? He does this to teach us not to descend to such words without necessity. He says, therefore, that "In whatever matter anyone dares to boast, I dare also," for these things must be understood as implied. Then he recounts those things in which they boast."Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they the seed of Abraham? I also." Since not all who are Hebrews were Israelites—for the Moabites and Ammonites also used to make themselves out to be Hebrews—for this reason, clarifying the nobility, he added: "Are they the seed of Abraham? I also," pointing to Isaac.
"Are they ministers of Christ (I speak as a fool); I more." Some say that he ought not to have brought forward the word by way of comparison, but should have altogether denied that they were ministers of Christ. We respond that he made this plain in a single phrase when he called them false apostles. But now, having begun to speak by way of comparison, he introduces a demonstration through the facts, and gives the hearer to understand that he, indeed, is one, but they are not. He says, therefore, that even if they are ministers of Christ, yet in this way I excel them in this ministry. And again, he calls the matter foolishness, because of the depth of his humility. B
"In labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more abundantly." He recounts the characteristics of the apostles, and leaving aside the signs, he begins with the temptations. And he says that I undergo more labors, changing from place to place, and teaching by night and day, and still working with my hands; but even more, enduring stripes, and these beyond measure; and what is even greater, along with the stripes, being imprisoned. C The terms "above measure" and "more abundantly" are indeed comparative, as regards the false apostles; yet they are by way of hypothesis, as if he were to say: "Let it be granted that they labor; but I, more excellently and more abundantly." Some, however, say that these things are not spoken by way of comparison, but simply denote an abundance and intensity.
"In deaths often." Not only dying by his own intent, but being delivered over to dangers that are truly mortal. D
"From the Jews five times I received forty stripes save"
one." Why, "save one"? The law was that he who had received more than forty stripes by being beaten should be held ignominious. Therefore they decreed to give one less, that is, thirty-nine; so that even if, in the heat of striking, the person striking should be carried away and give an extra blow, he would give forty, and the one being struck would not become ignominious, as he had been struck within the prescribed number.
VERS. 25. "Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned." A Luke did not write down for us all the things that Paul suffered; for you see how he passed over many of the things enumerated here. For he did not compose his history for the sake of vainglory.
VERS. 25, 26. "Thrice I made shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often." And what has shipwreck to do with the Gospel? It was for the sake of the Gospel that I traversed long and transmarine ways, and suffered shipwreck. And he swam in the deep by night and by day. B Some assert that, after the danger at Lystra, he was hidden in a certain well, called Bythos (which word signifies "depth" in Latin), and that he is now speaking of this.
"In perils of rivers." For he was also compelled to cross rivers.
"In perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea." C Everywhere Satan waged war, and God set forth the prizes of the contest. For robbers were stirred up, D and [he was in peril] from the Gentiles, and from his kinsmen the Jews—who indeed fought against him all the more, being embittered by their jealousy against him. Was he, then, free from danger in the city? In no wise. Was he, then, in the wilderness? But not even there; even if he fled from the land, the perils of the sea awaited him.
"In perils among false brethren." This is yet another kind of temptation, and the most grievous of all: to suffer snares from false and hypocritical brethren, of which also David laments: "For if an enemy had reproached me, I would have endured it; but thou, O man, like-souled;" and again, "The man of my peace."
VERS. 27. "In labor and toil, in watchings often." The external anxieties were not enough, but he himself wore himself out with his own labors and exertions and vigils.
"In fastings often, in cold and nakedness, 'besides those things that are without.'" After he had suffered so much, the teacher of the world did not even abound in the necessary food or clothing; but he contended naked, and fought while hungering—although he omitted many things. For this is what he says, "Besides those things that are without," or rather, not even those things which he mentioned.
A by name, he expressed specifically. But those whose number he could easily comprehend, he enumerated, saying, "Five times" and "Thrice." But of those which do not easily fall under a count, he makes indefinite mention; for "More abundantly," he says, and "Beyond measure," and "frequently." See, however, how in enumerating so many and such great adversities, he did not say how many he converted to Christ, at once breathing moderation, and at the same time teaching that even if nothing more accrues to the one laboring, even so he shall receive his full reward.
"The pressure upon me daily." B This is the raging assault and the insurrection which crowds make against me every day by common consent.
"The care of all the Churches." This is the sum of all. For if he who manages the care of a single house, and that with servants and stewards, is not able even to draw breath, what is it likely that one soul suffers, which, amidst so many dangers, is anxious for the whole world, and indeed for souls?
VER. 29. "Who is weak, and I am not weak?" Lest anyone should say, "He is solicitous, indeed, but solely in this way," he indicates the very species of his solicitude. Nor did he say, "I am a partaker of their sorrow," but, "I am affected in such a way, just as if I myself were weak." C You shall understand here the weakness of the body, but most especially that of the soul. And what he says, "Who," is to be taken as if he were to say, "Whether he be great, or whether he be lowly."
"Who is scandalized, and I do not burn?" Observe how he represented the magnitude of the pain. For I am set on fire, he says, and I burn. And while he rejoiced in suffering other things, knowing that he suffered those things for his Master, here his soul was being wounded, so that this very thing—that anyone, even a common or castaway person, should suffer scandal—afflicted him with greater sorrow. Furthermore, David teaches that "I burn" is to be understood as "I am scandalized." D For just as he said, "Who is weak, and I am not weak?" so he says: "And if anyone is scandalized, I also seem to be scandalized, and I strive to heal this evil, just as if it were my own." But where, pray, does David say this? "While the impious man acts proudly, the poor man is set on fire," that is to say, the poor man is scandalized, seeing in his mind the unworthy growing rich and being exalted.
VER. 30. "If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things that pertain to my weakness." He calls the persecutions his weakness. For in the endurance of hunger, of beating, of shipwreck, and of suffering all other things, human weakness is demonstrated. He makes no mention of signs here, for those were a gift of God; these, however, along with the power of God, demonstrated also his own endurance.
VER. 31. "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus"
Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I lie not.” Since in the preceding matters he made no confirmation of what he was saying, here he confirms it, and wins faith for his words: perhaps because what he was about to say was more ancient and more obscure; while the other things were known to them, such as the anxiety, and matters of that sort.
B Ver. 32. “In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me.” Observe how great the war was, since for his sake the prince was fortifying the city and keeping watch. The prefect of the people would by no means have behaved thus, had not the zeal of Paul set all things on fire. Now Aretas was the father-in-law of King Herod.
Ver. 33. “And through a window in a basket was I let down through the wall, and escaped his hands.” He escaped, fulfilling the law of the Lord: for the Lord also moved from place to place. For there is no need that we should throw ourselves into temptations. Where, therefore, such evils are as are inescapable, you have need of God alone, and from Him alone is deliverance to be sought and awaited; but where the temptation is moderate, something must also be devised by us: yet even so, everything is to be attributed to God, just as this man also escaped in a basket. For even if he desired to be with Christ, yet he also loved the salvation of men, and preserved himself for the ministry of the word.
CAPUT XII.
Ver. 1. “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” Since he passes to another form of boasting, which made him glorious—that of revelations, to wit—he says, “It is not expedient for me,” lest it lift me up to arrogance. But what if you do not speak? Do you not know them nonetheless? But we are not equally puffed up when we know them within ourselves, as when we bring them forth to others and manifest them. He did not say these things as if he himself were about to suffer something of this sort, but to instruct us that we should keep such things to ourselves. And otherwise, too, “It is not profitable,” lest anyone should think me greater than he sees me to be; which is what he says in the course of his discourse. For the false apostles, even if they had nothing, spoke nonetheless. But our apostle, even if he had many visions of the Lord and C revelations, mentions only one, and that against his will. Know, furthermore, that a revelation has something greater than a vision: for the latter only makes one see, whereas a revelation unveils something deeper than what is seen.
Ver. 2. “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago.” He does not mention all the revelations (for it would have been wearisome, as they were many), nor does he pass them all over in silence; but even against his will, he speaks of only one, that he might show that he mentions even this against his will. Moreover, he added, “in Christ,” D lest the false apostles should say that he was caught up by a demon just as Simon was. Nor is the time added without reason; that
you may learn that, since he had kept silence for fourteen years, he would not have spoken even now had he not been compelled by necessity. And if, fourteen years ago, he was deemed worthy of such things, how great must he be now after so many and so great dangers for Christ!
A “Sive in corpore, nescio; sive extra corpus, nescio (Deus novit) raptum hujusmodi usque ad tertium coelum.” Behold his modesty, in that he confesses he does not know whether he was in the body or out of the body when he was caught up. But you should understand the “third heaven” in this way: Scripture calls the air heaven, as in, “The birds of the heaven” and, “The dew of heaven”; this is one heaven. It also calls the firmament heaven. “For He called the firmament heaven”; this is the second heaven. That which was created in the beginning along with the earth, it also calls heaven: behold the third heaven.
B VERSE 3, 4. “Et scio hujusmodi hominem (sive in corpore, sive extra corpus, nescio, Deus scit), quod raptus sit in paradisum, et audiverit arcana verba, quae non licet homini loqui.” From the third heaven, he says, he was again caught up into paradise. He was caught up, therefore, so that not even in this respect should he be inferior to the rest of the apostles who lived with Christ. And “into paradise,” because the name of this place was celebrated; whence the Lord also promised it to the thief. Moreover, he heard “arcana” or ineffable “words,” which it is not permitted for those who only breathe human things, and have nothing spiritual, to speak. From this it is clear that what is called the Revelation of Paul is falsely ascribed to him; for how could it be anything else, if those things were ineffable? Therefore, according to the literal sense, the third heaven is one place and paradise another; but according to the anagogical sense, perhaps it is the same, and perhaps it is not. For since many things can be said anagogically, we shall say a few that are easier to grasp. For the first heaven is the end and limit of ethics, when someone has rightly ordered his morals. Then natural philosophy is the second heaven, when someone has circumscribed the knowledge of the nature of the universe as far as it is possible. Then the third heaven is theological science, when someone, as far as is possible for him, has attained through contemplation the measure by which divine things, and those that exceed human knowledge, are perceived. Paul, therefore, was altogether caught up to those places which are near the Trinity, that is to say, surpassing all created things; and he was neither in the body (for he was not working through bodily senses), nor out of the body; for his intellect would have been idle. For in divine matters, all human intellect is idle, with the man being caught up and seized by God, so that he is moved and acted upon by Him. But since there are also ascensions in the places of theology, for that reason he is again caught up into paradise, lingering D upon the more mysterious secrets of the divinity:
llbracketA which, being unknown and ineffable, no one could ever have understood unless he had transcended human lowliness.
VERS. 5. *De tali gloriabor.* Behold his lack of vainglory, how he recounts these things as if they concerned someone else. *De tali* (Of such a one), he says, *gloriabor* (I will glory). Yet for what reason, if someone else was caught up, do you glory? So it is clear that he says these things about himself.
*De meipso autem non gloriabor.* Either because when there is no need, I will not say anything of the sort simply and rashly; or, obscuring his speech as much as is possible, he says these things.
*Nisi in infirmitatibus meis.* That is to say, in afflictions and persecutions.
VERS. 6. *Nam si voluero gloriari, non ero insipiens, veritatem enim dicam.* How is it that, having previously said that to glory is foolishness, he now says, "I will not be foolish if I glory"? Not because of the act of glorying did he now say he would not be foolish, but because he would not be lying. For he added: *Veritatem enim dicam.* As one acting truthfully, then, I will not be foolish.
*Parco autem, ne quis de me existimet supra id quod videt in me, vel audit aliquid ex me.* This is the certain reason, that men might not make him into a god. For this very reason he was always silent about himself, and if ever he was forced to say anything, he would touch upon it lightly, lest men conceive a greater opinion of him than they should. For he did not say, "Lest anyone speak of me," but, "Lest he think or conceive anything greater of me than is appropriate." For if they wanted to sacrifice bulls to him because of his miracles, what would they not have done if he had also revealed his revelations B?
VERS. 7. *Et ne excellentia revelationum extollar, datus est mihi stimulus in carne, angelus Satanæ, ut me colaphizet, ne extollar.* Angelus Satanæ (an angel of Satan), and the stimulus, some have understood as a headache, that is, pain of the head, brought on by the devil. But heaven forbid! For Paul’s body would not have been handed over to the devil, since Paul rather commanded the devil, and set limits when he handed over the fornicator to him for the destruction of the flesh, and the devil did not overstep those limits. What, then, is Satan? He is called "the adversary" in the Hebrew tongue. The "angels of Satan," therefore, are all his adversaries: Alexander the coppersmith, Hymenæus, and Philetus, and all those who afflicted and harassed him, as performing the works of Satan. He says, therefore, that God did not allow my preaching to proceed without dangers and labors, lest I be puffed up by having been deemed worthy of many revelations. But why did he not say, "The angels of Satan have been given to me," but "An angel"? Because in every place some one person was found who was perhaps resistant and stirring up the people, whom the rest would follow as their leader; or, what is better, the thing itself, and thus the opposition C to the preaching of the Word, and the [ensuing] arrival of dangers, he called "an angel of Satan." For what reason D...
"[it] was given" means, and not that he might strike me once, but always. As for "lest I should be exalted above measure," some have understood this to mean "lest I be glorified by men." But Paul is not saying this here, even though he did say it above; rather, he means just this: "lest I be vainglorious," for he too was a man.
"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me; and He has said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee." "Thrice," instead of "often," I besought Him. And this also is a sign of humility, to confess that he did not bear the plots and afflictions [of his own strength], and for this reason he was beseeching Him. Therefore He said unto me: "Sufficient for thee," that I have given thee such grace, that thou raisest the dead, that thou performest all miracles. Do not seek that your preaching should proceed for you without danger; for this is superfluous; but what is sufficient for thee, you have received.
"For My strength is made perfect in weakness." That is to say: But perhaps you are grieving, O Paul, lest this seem to be of my weakness, that many plot against [your] word; take heart. For then my power is seen more perfectly, when you, having been persecuted, overcome those who persecute you. But observe how he himself said that for this reason he was given up to temptations, so that he might not be exalted above measure; but God gave another reason for this, namely, that His power [is] then seen to have its perfection, when they are in "weakness," that is, in persecutions and dangers. C
"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." For since, he says, I have heard these things, and that the power of God is made perfect in weakness, from now on I will glory in my infirmities. For the more numerous these are, by so much do they procure for me the more abundant power of God. Do not, therefore, suppose that I spoke about the "thorn" as if I were sorrowful, but rather as rejoicing and glorying, as one who is drawing even more of God’s power to himself through the intensity of the afflictions.
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake." I desired, he says, as a man, to be delivered from these evils; but since I heard what I heard, from then on I both glory and take pleasure—that is, I am cheered, I find delight in infirmities. Then, lest you should think of a fever or other such diseases, he interprets these for you, indicating that these "infirmities" are reproaches and the other things mentioned. Moreover, these things also put to shame the false apostles who boast in the contrary things, as if they were against God; and he comforts the disciples, so that they may not be ashamed of their teacher, but rather take pride in this, as God willing it, and because the dangers are pressing for the sake of Christ’s glory.
A “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Why do you wonder if the power of God is then displayed? For I also am strong then, when the grace of God more abundantly comes to be present and assists me: just as when he was imprisoned, he then instructed the jailer; when he suffered shipwreck, he struck the islanders, the Barbarians, with amazement; when he stood bound before the judge, he became superior to him and his accusers. When, therefore, he was weak—that is, when he was placed in dangers—he was then powerful, strong, and brilliant.
VERS. 11. “I have become a fool in boasting; you compelled me.” Again, he prepares a defense for his boasting. And above, indeed, he said, “Receive me as a fool,” and, “As if in foolishness”; but now, the particle “as” having been taken away, he calls himself a fool. For since he has established what he intended, he confidently thereafter condemns such a defect, instructing us abundantly never to boast without necessity, since, when necessity is urgent, Paul calls himself a fool. “For you compelled me,” that is, it was out of concern for your salvation that I said these things, when I saw that the false apostles, through their boasting, were corrupting you by turning your attention to themselves. For this very reason, therefore, I also desired to say something about myself, for your sake.
“For I ought to have been commended by you.” It was proper, he says, that you rather should have recounted my deeds and praised them. But because you did not do this, but applied your minds to those others and were being corrupted, I said these things for the sake of your salvation.
“For I was in no way inferior to the super-apostles, even though I am nothing.” Above, he spoke with some ambiguity, saying, “For I reckon that I have been in nothing inferior”; but now he has spoken with greater authority, saying, “I was in no way inferior,” that is, I am not to be ranked below those great apostles, Peter and those like Peter. Nevertheless, he has not forgotten his own custom here, but added, “Even though I am nothing.” But observe his prudence. For he no longer compares himself to the false apostles; rather, taking no account of them at all, he asserts that he is equal to the apostles themselves, since he easily surpasses them all. At the same time, however, he hints that the Corinthians treat the apostles with contumely, when they rank their equal below the false apostles.
VERS. 12. “The signs of an apostle were indeed wrought among you.” I, indeed, he says, am nothing; but do not look at that; rather, notice that I have omitted nothing of those things which characterize an apostle. For you are witnesses that I have accomplished all things.
“In all patience.” The first mark of an apostle is patience, and to bear all things valiantly. But see his [Varia lectiones omitted]
A humility, with how many dangers, how many wars—both internal and external—he has passed over, indicating them by this one expression. For that which was his own achievement, namely patience, he expressed in a single word; but that which pertains to signs—which were not his own, but of the grace of God—he explained at greater length; hear, therefore. B “In signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” What the difference is between a sign and a wonder has been stated elsewhere. But lest anyone think that these things were said only regarding benefits, he added “And in mighty deeds.” For power, or might, clearly signifies that which also has the force of punishment. Consider here how many of the dead, lepers, blind, and those possessed by demons—all those whom he effectively brought benefit to—he has simply included, just as he also included those who were chastised, such as Elymas himself.
VERS. 13. “For what is it wherein you were inferior to other Churches?” Lest someone say, “You are indeed great, yet you have not accomplished as much as the apostles in other Churches,” he says: “In what were you inferior?” that is, what did you have less? Did you receive a lesser gift than the others? C “Except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this injustice.” He rebukes them with great gravity and sharpness, saying, “If you blame this on me, that I did not burden you, but preached the Gospel to you without expense, I ask your pardon; forgive me this sin.” At the same time, however, his speech contains a compliment to them, since they think they are being wronged because he did not deign to receive anything from them.
VERS. 14. “Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you.” Lest this appear to them to be something brought up constantly, as if he might accept something hereafter, he says, “It is not because I do not accept that I do not visit you for that reason; nay, I even visited D you a second time, and a third time I am prepared to go to you, and I will not burden you.” For what reason? Not because you are intimidated, nor because you are weak, but because I seek not yours, but you yourselves—that is, your salvation and souls, not money.
“For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” Because it was likely they would say, “Is it not lawful that you should have both us and our things; and therefore are you disposed toward us with a heavy heart?” for this reason he introduces the reasoning: It is the duty of parents to give to their children, taking parents and children in place of teachers and disciples, and showing that he is fulfilling an obligation and an irrecusable duty.
VERS. 15. “And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” I, he says, not only will I not take from you, but I will rather give, for that is what it means to “spend.” And what is it I say
“If I love you more, I am loved less”? This contains both an accusation and love. For he says, “I do these things for those who are indeed loved, although they do not love me in return.” Observe how many degrees this matter has: First, when he ought to have taken, he did not take; second, he was in need; third, he was preaching the word to them; fourth, he even gives out of his own; fifth, and not simply so, but with generosity—for it is from his lack; sixth, that he even spends himself; seventh, for those who do not love him very much; eighth, that he loves those who are greatly loved A.
VERS. 16, 17. “But let it be, I did not burden you; but being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you?” What he says is of this kind: “I indeed did not take advantage of you; but someone may perhaps suspect that, while I did not take, I, as a crafty person, suborned those sent by me to ask for something from you in their own person, so that, by receiving through this artifice, I might not seem to be receiving.” If, therefore, this is true, look and examine. Again, he calls the act “taking advantage,” reproaching and shaming them, and showing that they were going to give unwillingly, and as if they were being taken advantage of; for this is taking advantage, to receive something from an unwilling person—which is the greatest shame for them, if they thought they were being taken advantage of while supporting their teacher.
VERS. 18. “I urged Titus, and I sent the brother with him; did Titus take advantage of you?” This also has some reproach in it; for he does not say, “I sent,” but, “I urged,” B indicating that even if he had taken, he would have taken rightly; for he came upon urging; yet even so he remained pure. And he had sent with him a certain other brother. “Did we not walk in the same spirit?” That is, in the same spiritual gift? For he calls that gift which, when he was in distress, he did not receive. And yet it was his own work, but he credits this to God. “In the same steps?” He means, not even in the smallest thing did they go beyond my path, but they showed the same exactness as was laid down by us. Observe, also, how Paul not only trained himself in this way, but also those with him, so as not to be defiled at all, even by a lawful receiving C.
VERS. 19. “Again, do you think that we are making our defense to you? We speak in Christ before God.” He fears lest he incur an opinion of flattery, and says that we do not say these things for your favor, nor so that we may apologize to you, but as before the sight of God, and in Christ—that is, we speak through Christ. Therefore, we tell those things which have happened and are known by God, and not to commend myself to you—which is what he also said at the beginning D.
A"But all these things, beloved, are for your edification." He did not say, "For this reason I did all these things and took nothing, because you are weak"—for this would have been harsh and severe—but, "For your edification." For he says, "In order that you might not be scandalized by me, for this reason I did not take, for your own benefit."
"For I fear that perhaps when I come, I will not find you as I wish, and that I may be found by you as you do not wish." Do you see his paternal care? Others sinned, and Paul was afraid; and he does not even state it as a fact, but is still hesitant. "Perhaps," he says, "when I come, I will find you not as I would wish," that is, corrupted; "and I might be found," by necessity, "as you do not wish," that is, as an avenger and punisher.
"Lest there be strife, jealousies, anger, contentions, backbitings, whisperings, puffings up, disorders." He was going to put the puffings up first, for they were arrogant against him; but nevertheless, so that he might not seem to be seeking his own, he says what is common first. For out of jealousy and envy all other things were born, and again from those, jealousy was ignited. "Contention" is called that when someone provokes another to a dispute about some matter. He calls disparagement "whispering"; "puffings up" are the arrogant and swollen manners, or when conceit is established in someone as a nature. For they were raising themselves against him out of esteem for the false apostles.
"Lest, when I come again, my God may humble me toward you." That is, the former things are enough; but I fear lest, having come, I might be forced to act toward you with severity. For he calls this "humiliation"—the punishing of some completely—even though most people consider this rather to be a glory. He did not say, "Lest I be humbled," but, "Lest my God humble me," C showing that for God's sake he is going to do even this; and if God and His command were not in the midst, he would not appear severe on his own account. The fact, moreover, that he says "my God" indicates his ardent love toward God.
"And I will mourn for many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed." See the apostle's compassion, how he mourns for the faults of others. He did not say, "All," but "many"; and not simply "those who have sinned," but "those who have not repented." For these are worthy of mourning, those who remain in the wound. And he does not even expose them, giving them an easy path of return to repentance. For it is indeed for this reason that he made mention of repentance, so that they might seize upon it, and that he might not, by coming, punish them and mourn for that reason—that is, be afflicted with the utmost sorrow. Note also the passage concerning repentance, because of the Novatians. By "uncleanness," you may understand every sin.
...any sin you may take, for any sin makes men unclean. Or specifically, the infamous mixing of bodies, by which unspeakable things are committed. For it was not one person who had fornicated, but many, and in many forms of lewdness. A
CHAPTER XIII
VERS. 1. *“Behold, this is the third time I am coming to you; in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”* Just as God threatens many things, but is always slow in inflicting punishment, in this same manner his imitator, Paul, gives abundant warning beforehand, saying: As it is written, that before two or three witnesses every controversy or doubt is brought to a stand—that is, it is confirmed—so also at the time of my three arrivals, every word with which I have threatened you will be set up against you and will be established, if you do not repent. For he places his arrivals in the place of witnesses. B
VERS. 2. *“I have told you before, and foretell, as if I were present the second time, and being absent now I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare.”* I have told you before, he says, and again I foretell; for just as I arrived a second time and told you when present, so also now do I proclaim through these letters, to those indeed who have committed disgraceful acts, as to those in need of correction; but to the rest, as to witnesses, that *“if I come again, I will not spare.”* And he did not say, "I will punish," but used a fatherly word of sparing: for if I find you uncorrected, he says, I will delay no longer. C
VERS. 3. *“Since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me.”* He says these things with great indignation toward those who despise him as an imbecile and a man of nothing. Since you wish to examine whether Christ dwells in me, D and on account of this you mock me as weak and abandoned by Christ, you will certainly know it, if you remain uncorrected. He demonstrates, however, that the words he speaks are spiritual, and that therefore his threats are to be feared, just as if Christ were speaking. He was not punishing them, however, for the purpose of giving them proof or experience, but because they had sinned beyond healing. If I am compelled, he says, to take a penalty from you, and thus to punish you, you will perceive through the very deeds themselves the proof that you seek.
*“Who is not weak toward you, but is mighty in you.”* Why did he add, *“Toward you,”* when He is mighty everywhere? Because it was likely that they had already experienced that power before. He says, therefore: Because you have already received the proof, you know perfectly well that He is not weak toward you, but strong, that is, mighty. Or because in this present life He demonstrates His power toward you, while you can still be corrected, striking you now so that He may spare you in the future judgment, whereas toward the infidels, [He will strike them] on the day of judgment. At the same time, he also indicates that even if he is about to punish, it is not he himself who will punish, but Christ.
*“For though He was crucified out of weakness, yet He lives by...”*
the power of God.”* A Many are offended by this statement; but learn that “weakness” is spoken of in relation to the body, and it is also spoken of as a feebleness regarding faith, as in the passage: *“Receive him who is weak in the faith.”* Weakness is also used to refer to plots, dangers, and insults, as in the passage: *“I take pleasure in infirmities,”* and such things. According to this meaning, then, the Lord was crucified “out of weakness,” having endured plots, danger, and insults; for these things appear to come from weakness. Just as Paul therefore calls the preaching “foolishness,” not because it is such in reality, but because it is so regarded by the unbelievers, so he says that the Lord was crucified “out of weakness”—that is, the weakness as it is supposed to be by the unbelievers, not the weakness that really exists. *“Yet He lives by the power of God,”* that is, the Father’s power, or rather His own; for all things that are the Father’s are also His, and those that are His are the Father’s. Thus, the power is common, or rather, He Himself is the power of the Father. Consequently, He also raised Himself, just as He previously said: *“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up.”* Paul says all these things because they were despising him, as one who was indeed being persecuted and plotted against, and they thought he was suffering these things out of weakness. He shows, therefore, that Christ, too, received no harm from this reputed weakness.
*“For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.”* That is, we are persecuted, we are driven about; for this is “weakness.” *“In Him”* is instead of “for Him” and for His message. But just as He was not harmed by being plotted against, neither are we; rather, we shall live with Him—that is, we shall be found unconquerable toward you, B which is to say, for your benefit. Perhaps he is still terrifying them, saying: “For if you think that we are weak, know that we are living toward you,” that is, toward you, for the purpose of punishing you if you do not amend your ways.
*“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”* And what do I say, he asks, about myself—that Christ speaks in me, and that although I am powerful [to punish], I do not attack you, yet imitating Him who was crucified? For you yourselves, if you wish to examine yourselves, will see Christ within you, if indeed you all have the faith (for those who believed then worked miracles), whether faith simply, or that of signs, which is a more particular faith. C So, if Christ is in you the disciples, much more is He in me, your teacher.
*“Or do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you are disqualified?”* This is, unless you have fallen from the grace of the signs which you received. He also hints that they have become corrupt in their manner of life. For since many who had faith were devoid of the working of miracles, D because they were corrupt in their manner of life, he says: “Do you not recognize yourselves, that Christ Jesus is in you?” It is not, however, in you,
because you are reprobate in your manner of life. Yet he did not state this definitively, so as not to wound them, but placed it ambiguously.
VERS. 6. “But I hope you will recognize that we are not reprobate.” Great threats proceed from this. For he says: Since you wish to receive the proof through the punishment that we shall inflict upon you, I hope that we will not lack the demonstration that we are not reprobate, nor that we have fallen away from the grace of the signs and the power; nor that we have corrupted our own life, such that Christ has been forced to depart from us, but rather that He is in us through our proved life, and He will punish those among you who are disobedient.
VERS. 7. “But I pray to God that you do nothing evil, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do what is good, while we may be as reprobate.” See his mercy. He was being reviled and mangled as one who could do nothing, but was only boasting in his letters. Yet he not only B delays and rejects the punishment, but actually prays that they may never commit a sin, and that he himself may never arrive at the necessity of punishing them. For he says: I do not strive for this, that I might appear approved, as if having the power to punish, but that you might always do what is good, and if you should ever sin, that you might repent, and that I might be as one reprobate—that is, that I might seem to the common people weak and impotent, as one who finds no place to punish you. For in truth he was not to be reprobate; rather, he was found to be approved because he so trains his disciples that they sin in nothing. But on account of the opinion of the many C he said, “As reprobate.”
VERS. 8. “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” So that he might not seem to be flattering them, he says: I do this from a mind entirely devoid of vainglory, namely, that if we find you without a fall, we shall not be able to punish you. And even if we should attempt it, God will not cooperate with us. For He gave us power so that we might bring a true judgment, not one contrary to the truth. For he truly judges who punishes the worthy; but he makes a verdict against the truth who attempts to punish one who does not sin.
VERS. 9. “For we rejoice when we are weak, but you are powerful.” Once again, he shows himself to be deeply devoted to them. For he says: Do not think that, because I cannot—since you do not stumble—display my power towards you, I am therefore grieved. For I rejoice greatly when I myself am weak, D that is, when I am considered weak, as not displaying any power in inflicting punishment; while you are powerful, that is, conspicuous in virtue, and free from falls.
“And this also we pray for: your perfection.” Not only, he says, do I wish for this, but I also pray for you to be blameless and sound—that is, perfected, providing no handle against you.
VERS. 10. “For this reason I write these things while absent, that when present I may not
A act more harshly, according to the power which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for tearing down.” Since he had sharply rebuked and threatened them, he now offers a defense, saying: “For this reason I wrote thus, as desiring the threat and the severity to remain merely in my letters, and not to be displayed in deeds.” For if they were not corrected, I would certainly punish them harshly, since the Lord has given me authority. From this he shows that the Lord also punishes through him as an intermediary. Further, showing that he does not desire to use his authority for their punishment, he added: “Not for tearing down, but for building up.” That is, primarily the Lord does not wish to tear down, or punish, but to build up—that is, to bestow benefits. Yet even to bring “tearing down” upon the uncorrectable is building up.
“Finally, brothers, rejoice.” I, he says, have done what was mine to do. It remains, therefore, for you to contribute what is yours. For if you are corrected, you will possess unfading joy from a clear conscience, even if I have spoken words of sadness to you.
“Be perfected.” That is, become perfect in your teaching and in your life, and supply what is lacking to you.
“Be comforted.” Since there were many B temptations and dangers, he says: Be comforted, both by yourselves and by one another, and by the change for the better. For a good conscience is a great consolation.
“Think the same, be at peace.” He had asked this of them in the former Epistle as well, as they were prone to dissension. It is possible to think the same thing in terms of doctrine, but not to be at peace in one’s mutual dealings; therefore, Paul requires both of them.
“And the God of peace and love will be with you.” He not only exhorts, but also prays—or rather, this is not even a prayer, but a prediction of what will consequently come to pass; namely, if you keep the peace among yourselves, God will be with you. God is called [the God] of love either as its source, C or because He has demonstrated an excessive love toward us, or because where love is, there is He Himself, and He appears as the Lord of it. Likewise also [the God] of peace: either as the source of it, or as having reconciled things in heaven and things on earth, or as Lord of it as His possession.
VERS. 12. “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” Not with one that is counterfeit and deceitful, like Judas. For this reason we kiss, that we may the more kindle love; since the mouth is, above other members, that which binds souls together. For indeed, even when we return home, we signify unity by kissing with the mouth. Or because we are the temple of God, and the mouth is the D vestibule of this temple, we kiss the vestibules; for through these vestibules Christ enters when we partake of communion.
A *Salutant vos sancti omnes.* He joins those who are present by the kiss, but those who are absent by the salutation; and indeed the mouth joins even these, for the salutation proceeds from the mouth.
VERS. 13. *Gratia Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et charitas Dei, et communicatio sancti Spiritus sit cum omnibus vobis. Amen.* After he had united all, he prays for them, according to his custom, for the grace of the Son, by which he saved us—not from our works, but by grace, having been himself sacrificed for us—and for the love of the Father, with which he loved us, giving his Only-begotten for our sake. As if interrogated, "Whence does the grace of the Son come?" he says, "From the love of the Father." But what has it accomplished? The communion of the Holy Spirit, that is, his participation and reception, by which we are sanctified, becoming participants of him through the advent of the Spirit the Comforter into us; nay, we are even changed into the Spirit, not in essence, but by participation. B Where then are those who reject the Holy Spirit because he does not place him at the beginning of his Epistles? Behold, he has now placed him, and the Trinity is completely enumerated for you by Paul; and by this Trinity may we be preserved, firmly holding the dogmas of truth and showing forth an incorrupt life, so that we may indeed be perfect, being rightly disposed on both sides, and declared perfect servants of the perfect God in Trinity. To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
THEOPHYLACTI ARCHBISHOP OF BULGARIA EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL TO THE GALATIANS
ARGUMENT OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS
The beginning is filled with much vehemence and indignation, and almost the entire Epistle is so; for to be perpetually gentle toward disciples who are in need of rebuke is not characteristic of a teacher
of the master. This is not the conduct of a good teacher. The Lord himself does the same; for when he had called Peter blessed, he later rebukes him, and he also calls his disciples senseless. And Paul indeed, when writing to others, uses austerity, just as he does to the Corinthians; but especially so to these Galatians. The cause is of this kind: those who had come to the faith from the Jews, partly held by the law of their fathers, and A partly desiring to be teachers, were instructing the Galatians that they ought to be circumcised and to observe Sabbaths and new moons, as if the disciples of Peter did not forbid these things. And truly they did not forbid them, not as if they were laying down dogmas, but as condescending to the weakness of those who from among the Jews had believed, to whom they were also preaching. But Paul, who was preaching to the Gentiles, had no need of this condescension. Yet whenever there was a need, he himself also complied; hence it is that he circumcised Timothy, and that he himself was sanctified according to the law. But the impostors, not stating the reasons why Peter and those who were with him did such things, would deceive the simpler folk, and yet would bring forward this very thing as a calumny against Paul, saying that at one time he circumcised, at another he abolished circumcision, and at other times preached other things; and above all, that Paul should not be obeyed, since he had neither seen Christ nor was his disciple, but rather a disciple of the apostles; whereas Peter and the others with him B were to be received as those who had seen Christ with their own eyes. For these reasons, therefore, the Apostle, being ablaze in his soul, composes the Epistle; and he first directs his discourse toward the point which they were saying—thereby undermining and debasing his reputation—namely, that while others were of Christ, he himself was a disciple of the apostles. Therefore he begins thus:
THEOPHYLACT’S COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS
CHAPTER ONE
VERS. 1. « Paul, an apostle, not from men, neither through man. » He immediately sets aside the idea that he is a disciple D of men. For he was not called from men, but from above, and from heaven; and not through a man, but through Christ himself. Ananias did indeed baptize him, but it was not he who called him to the faith, but Christ from heaven. But why did he not say, "Paul, called," but "An Apostle"? Because this was the whole subject of the question and discourse; for they were saying that he had been chosen as an apostle by men. Against this, therefore, he struggles, showing that the matter is otherwise.