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2 COR. XII. 11.
I am become foolish in glorying; ye compelled
me: for I ought to have been commended of you.
HAVING fully completed what he had to say
about his own praises, he did not stay at this;
but again excuses himself and asks pardon for for
what he said, declaring that his doing so was of
necessity and not of choice. Still
nevertheless, although there was necessity, he
calls himself "a fool." And when he began
indeed, he said, "As foolish receive me,
"and" as in foolishness;" but now, leaving
out the 'as,' he calls himself "foolish."
For after he had established the point he wished
by saying what he did, he afterwards boldly and
unsparingly grapples with all failing of the
sort, teaching all persons that none should ever
praise himself where there is no necessity,
seeing that even where a reason for it existed,
Paul termed himself a fool [for so doing].
Then he turns the blame also of his so speaking
not upon the false Apostles, but wholly upon
the disciples. For "ye," he saith,
"compelled me." 'For if they gloried, but
were not by doing so leading you astray nor
causing your destruction, I should not have
been thus led on to descend unto this
discussion: but because they were corrupting the
whole Church, with a view to your advantage I
was compelled to become foolish.' And he did
not say, 'For I feared lest if they obtained
the highest estimation with you, they should sow
their doctrines,' yet this indeed he set down
above when he said, "I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your
minds should be corrupted." (Chap. xi.
3.) Here however he does not so express
himself, but in a more commanding manner and
with more authority, having gained boldness from
what he had said, "For I ought to have been
commended of you." Then he also assigns the
reason; and again he mentions not his
revelations nor his miracles only, but his
temptations also.
"For in nothing was I behind the chiefest
Apostles." See how he here too again speaks
out with greater authoritativeness. For,
before indeed he said, "I reckon I am not a
whit behind," but here, after those proofs,
he now boldly speaks out asserting the fact, as
I said, thus absolutely. Not that even thus
he departs from the mean, nor from his proper
character. For as though he had uttered
something great and exceeding his deserts, in
that he numbered himself with the Apostles, he
thus again speaks modestly, and adds, Ver.
12. "Although I be nothing, the signs of
an Apostle were wrought among you."
'Look not thou at this,' he says, 'whether
I be mean and little, but whether thou hast not
enjoyed those things which from an Apostle it
was meet thou shouldest enjoy.' Yet he did not
say 'mean,' but what was lower, "nothing."
For where is the good of being great, and of
use to nobody? even as there is no advantage in
a skilful physician if he heals none of those
that be sick. 'Do not then,' he says,
'scrutinize this that I am nothing, but
consider that, that wherein ye ought to have
been benefitted, I have failed in nothing, but
have given proof of mine Apostleship. There
ought then to have been no need for me to say
aught.' Now he thus spoke, not as wanting to
be commended, (for how should he, he who
counted heaven itself to be a small thing in
comparison with his longing after Christ?) but
as desiring their salvation. Then lest they
should say, 'And what is it to us, even
though thou wast not a whit behind the very
chiefest Apostles?' he therefore added,
"The signs of an Apostle were wrought among
you in all patience, and by signs and
wonders." Amazing! what a sea of good works
hath he traversed in a few words! And observe
what it is he puts first, "patience." For
this is the note of an Apostle, bearing all
things nobly. This then he expressed shortly by
a single word; but upon the miracles, which
were not of his own achieving, he employs more.
For consider how many prisons, how many
stripes, how many dangers, how many
conspiracies, how many sleet-showers of
temptations, how many civil, how many foreign
wars, how many pains, how many attacks he has
implied here in that word, "patience!" And
by "signs" again, how many dead raised, how
many blind healed, how many lepers cleansed,
how many devils cast out! Hearing these
things, let us learn if we happen upon a
necessity for such recitals to cut our good deeds
short, as he too did.
Then lest any should say, 'Well! if thou be
both great, and have wrought many things, still
thou hast not wrought such great things, as the
Apostles have in the other Churches,' he
added, Ver. 13. "For what is there
wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the
Churches?"
'Ye were partakers,' he says, 'of no less
grace than the others.' But perhaps some one
will say, 'What can be the reason that he
turns the discourse upon the Apostles,
abandoning the contest against the false
Apostles?' Because he is desirous to erect
their spirits yet further, and to show that he
is not only superior to them, but not even
inferior to the great Apostles. Therefore,
surely, when he is speaking of those he says,
"I am more;" but when he compares himself
with the Apostles, he considers it a great
thing not to be "behind," although he labored
more than they. And thence he shows that they
insult the Apostles, in holding him who is
their equal second to these men.
"Except it be that I myself was not a burden
to you?" Again he has pronounced their rebuke
with great severity. And what follows is of yet
more odious import.
"Forgive me this wrong." Still,
nevertheless, this severity contains both words
of love and a commendation of themselves; if,
that is, they consider it a wrong done to them,
that the Apostle did not consent to receive
aught from them, nor relied on them enough to be
supported by them. 'If,' says he, 'ye
blame me for this: ' he did not say, ' Ye
blame me wrongly,' but with great sweetness,
'I ask your pardon, forgive me this fault.'
And observe his prudence. For because the
mooring this continually tended to bring disgrace
upon them, he continually softens it down;
saying above, for instance, "As the truth of
Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be
stopped in me;" (Chap. xi. 10.) then
again, "Because I love you not? God knoweth
. . . ..But that I may cut off occasion
from them that desire occasion, and that wherein
they glory, they may be found even as we.";
(Chap. xi. xx, 12.) And in the former
Epistle "What is my reward then?" Verily,
"that when I preach the Gospel, I may make
the Gospel without charge." (1 Cor. ix.
18.) And here;" Forgive me this wrong."
For every where he avoids showing that it is on
account of their weakness he taketh not [from
them]; and here not to wound them. And
therefore here he thus expresses himself; 'If
ye think this to be an offense, I ask
forgiveness.' Now he spoke thus, at once to
wound and to heal. For do not say this, I
pray thee; ' If thou meanest to wound, why
excuse it? but if thou excusest it, why
wound?' For this is wisdom's part, at once
to lance, and to bind up the sore. Then that
he may not seem, as he also said before, to be
continually harping upon this for the sake of
receiving from them, he remedies this
[suspicion], even in his former Epistle,
saying, "But I write not these things that it
may be so done in my case; for it were good for
me rather to die, than that any man should make
my glorying void;" (1 Cor. ix.
15.) but here with more sweetness and
gentleness. How, and in what manner?
Ver. 14 "Behold this is the third time I
am ready to come to you, and I will not be a
burden to you; for I seek not yours, but you:
for the children ought not to lay up for the
parents, but the parents for the children."
What he says is this; ' It is not because I
do not receive of you that I do not come to
you; nay, I have already come twice; and I
am prepared to come this third time, "and I
will not be a burden to you.'" And the reason
is a noble one. For he did not say, 'because
ye are mean,' 'because ye are hurt at it,'
'because, ye are weak:' but what? "For I
seek not yours, but you." ' I seek greater
things; souls instead of goods; instead of
gold, salvation.' Then because there still
hung about the matter some suspicion, as if he
were displeased at them; he therefore even
states an argument. For since it was likely
they would say, ' Can you not have both us and
ours?' he adds with much grace this excuse for
them, saying, "For the children ought not to
lay up for the parents, but the parents for the
children;" instead of teachers and disciples,
employing the term parents and children, and
showing that he does as a matter of duty what was
not of duty. For Christ did not so command,
but he says this to spare them; and therefore he
adds also something further. For he did not
only say that" the children ought not to lay
up," but also that the parents ought to.
Therefore since it is meet to give, Ver.
15. "I will most gladly spend and be spent
for your souls."
`For the law of nature indeed has commanded the
parents to lay up for the children; but I do
not do this only, but I give myself also
besides.' And this lavishness of his, the not
only not receiving, but giving also besides, is
not in common sort but accompanied with great
liberality, and out of his own want; for the
words, "I will be spent," are of one who
would imply this.' For should it be necessary
to spend my very flesh, I will not spare it for
your salvation.' And that which follows
contains at once accusation and love, "though
the more abundantly I love you, the less I be
loved." ` And I do this,' he says, ' for
the sake of those who are beloved by me, yet
love me not equally.' Observe then, now, how
many steps there are in this matter. He had a
right to receive, but he did not receive; here
is good work the first: and this, though in
want; [good work] the second; and though
preaching to them, the third; he gives
besides, the fourth; and not merely gives, but
lavishly too, the fifth; not money only, but
himself, the sixth; for those who loved him not
greatly, the seventh; and for those whom he
greatly loved, the eighth.
Let us then also emulate this man! For it is a
serious charge, the not loving even; but
becomes more serious, when although one is loved
he loveth not. For if he that loveth one that
loveth him be no better than the publicans;
(Matt. v. 46.) he that doth not so much
as this ranks with the beasts; yea rather, is
even below them. What sayest thou, O man?
Lovest thou not him that loveth thee? What
then dost thou live for? Wherein wilt thou be
of use hereafter? in what sort of matters? in
public? in private? By no means; for nothing
is more useless than a man that knows not to
love. This law even robbers have oftentimes
respected, and murderers, and housebreakers;
and having only taken salt with one, have been
made his friends, letting the board change their
disposition, and thou that sharest not salt
only, but words and deeds, and comings in and
goings out, with him, dost thou not love?
Nay: those that live impurely lavish even whole
estates on their strumpets; and thou who hast a
worthy love, art thou so cold, and weak, and
unmanly, as not to be willing to love, even
when it costs thee nothing? 'And who,' one
asks, ' would be so vile, who such a wild
beast, as to turn away from and to hate him that
loves him?' Thou dost well indeed to
disbelieve it, because of the unnaturalness of
the thing; but if I shall show that there are
many such persons, how shall we then bear the
shame? For when thou speakest ill of him whom
thou lovest, when thou hearest another speak ill
of him and thou defendest him not, when thou
grudgest that he should be well accounted of,
what sort of affection is this? And yet it is
not sufficient proof of love, not grudging, nor
yet again not being at enmity or war with, but
only supporting and advancing him that loves
thee: but when a man does and says everything to
pull down his neighbor even, what can be more
wretched than such a spirit? Yesterday and the
day before his friend, thou didst both converse
and eat with him: then because all at once thou
sawest thine own member highly thought of,
casting off the mask of friendship, thou didst
put on that of enmity, or rather of madness.
For glaring madness it is, to be annoyed at the
goodness of neighbors; for this is the act of
mad and rabid dogs. For like them, these also
fly at all men's faces, exasperated with envy.
Better to have a serpent twining about one's
entrails than envy crawling in us. For that it
is often possible to vomit up by means of
medicines, or by food to quiet: but envy
twineth not in entrails but harboreth in the
bosom of the soul, and is a passion hard to be
effaced. And indeed if such a serpent were
within one, it would not touch men's bodies so
long as it had a supply of food; but envy, even
though thou spread for it ever so endless a
banquet, devoureth the soul itself, gnawing on
every side, tearing, tugging, and it is not
possible to find any palliative whereby to make
it quit its madness, save one only, the
adversity of the prosperous; so is it appeased,
nay rather, not so even. For even should this
man suffer adversity, yet still he sees some
other prosperous, and is possessed by the same
pangs, and everywhere are wounds, everywhere
blows. For it is not possible to live in the
world and not see persons well reputed of. And
such is the extravagance of this distemper, that
even if one should shut its victim up at home,
he envies the men of old who are dead.
Now, that men of the world should feel in this
way, is indeed a grievous thing, yet it is not
so very dreadful; but that those who are freed
from the turmoils of busy life should be
possessed by this distemper,--this is most
grievous of all. And I could have wished
indeed to be silent: and if silence took away
too the disgrace of those doings, it were a gain
to say nothing: if however, though I should
hold my peace the doings will cry out more loudly
than my tongue, no harm will accrue from my
words, because of their parading these evils
before us, but possibly some gain and
advantage. For this distemper has infected even
the Church, it has turned everything
topsy-turvy, and dissevered the connection of
the body, and we stand opposed to each other,
and envy supplies us arms. Therefore great is
the disruption. For if when all build up, it
is a great thing if our disciples stand; when
all at once are pulling down, what will the end
be?
What doest thou, O man? Thou thinkest to
pull down thy neighbor's; but before his thou
pullest down thine own. Seest thou not them
that are gardeners, that are husbandmen, how
they all concur in one object? One hath dug the
soil, another planted, a third carefully
covered the roots, another watereth what is
planted, another hedges it round and fortifies
it, another drives off the cattle; and all look
to one end, the safety of the plant. Here,
however, it is not so: but I plant indeed
myself, and another shakes and disturbs [the
plant.] At least, allow it to get nicely
fixed, that it may be strong enough to resist
the assault. Thou destroyest not my work, but
abandonest thine own. I planted, thou oughtest
to have watered. If then thou shake it it,
thou hast torn it up by the roots, and hast not
wherein to display thy watering. But thou seest
the planter highly esteemed. Fear not: neither
am I anything, nor thou. "For neither is he
that planteth nor he that watereth any thing;"
(1 Cor. iii. 7.) one's is the work,
God's. So it is with Him thou tightest and
warrest, in plucking up what is planted.
Let us then at length come to our sober senses
again, let us watch. For I fear not so much
the battle without, as the fight within; for
the root also, when it is well fitted into the
ground, will suffer no damage from the winds;
but if it be itself shaken, a worm gnawing
through it from within, the tree will fall,
even though none molest.it. How long gnaw we
the root of the Church like worms? For of
earth such imaginings are begotten also, or
rather not of earth, but of dung, having
corruption for their mother; and they cease not
from the detestable flattery that is from women.
Let us at length be generous men, let us be
champions of philosophy, let us drive back the
violent career of these evils. For I behold
the mass of the Church prostrate now, as though
it were a corpse. And as in a body newly dead,
one may see eyes and hands and feet and neck and
head, and yet no one limb performing its proper
office; so, truly, here also, all who are
here are of the faithful, but their faith is not
active; for we have quenched its warmth and made
the body of Christ a corpse. Now if this
sounds awful when said, it is much more awful
when it appears in actions. For we have indeed
the name of brothers, but do the deeds of foes;
and whilst all are called members, we are
divided against each other like wild beasts. I
have said this not from a desire to parade our
condition, but to shame you and make you
desist. Such and such a man goes into a house;
honor is paid to him; thou oughtest to give God
thanks because thy member is honored and God is
glorified; but thou doest the contrary: thou
speakest evil of him to the man that honored
him, so that thou trippest up the heels of
both, and, besides, disgracest thyself. And
wherefore, wretched and miserable one? Hast
thou heard thy brother praised, either amongst
men or women? Add to his praises, for so thou
shalt praise thyself also. But if thou
overthrow the praise, first, thou hast spoken
evil of thyself, having so acquired an ill
character, and thou hast raised him the higher.
When thou hearest one praised, become thou a
partner in what is said; if not in thy life and
virtue, yet still in rejoicing over his
excellencies. Hath such an one praised? Do
thou too admire: so shall he praise thee ago as
good and candid. Fear not, as though thou wast
ruining thine own interest by thy praises of
another: for this is [rather] the result of
accusation of him. For mankind is of a
contentious spirit; and when it sees thee
speaking ill of any, it heaps on its praises,
wishing to mortify by so doing; and reprobates
those that are accusers, both in its own mind
arid to others. Seest thou what disgrace we are
the causes of to ourselves? how we destroy and
rend the flock? Let us at length be members
(of one another), let us become one body.
And let him that is praised repudiate the
praises, and transfer the encomium to his
brother; and let him that hears another
praised, feel pleasure to himself. If we thus
come together ourselves, we shall also draw unto
ourselves the Head; but if we live parted"
from each other, we shall also put from us the
aid which comes from thence; and when that is
put aside, the body will receive great damage,
not being bound together from above. That this
then may not happen, let us, banishing ill will
and envy, and despising what the many may think
of us, embrace love and concord. For thus we
shall obtain both the present good things and
those to come; where-unto may we all attain,
through the grace and love towards men of our
Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father
together with the Holy Ghost, be glory,
might, honor, now and forever, and world
without end. Amen.
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