|
1 COR. III. 18, 19.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man (en
umin omitted.) thinketh that he is wise in this
world, let him become a fool, that he may
become wise. For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God.
AS I said before, having launched out before
the proper time into accusation of the
fornicator, and having half opened it obscurely
in a few words, and made the man's conscience
to quail, he hastens again to the battle with
heathen wisdom, and to his accusations of those
who were puffed up there-with, and who were
dividing the Church: in order that having added
what remained and completed the whole topic with
accuracy, he might thenceforth suffer his tongue
to be carried away with vehement impulse against
the unclean person, having had but a preliminary
skirmishing with him in what he had said before.
For this, "Let no man deceive himself," is
the expression of one aiming chiefly at him and
quelling him beforehand by fear: and the saying
about the "stubble," suits best with one
hinting at him. And so does the phrase,
"Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God,
and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" For
these two things are most apt to withdraw us from
sin; when we have in mind the punishment
appointed for the sin; and when we reckon up the
amount of our true dignity. By bringing forward
then "the hay" and "the stubble, "he
terrifies; but by speaking of the dignity of
that noble birth which was theirs, he puts them
to shame; by the former striving to amend the
more insensible kind, by the latter the more
considerate.
"Let no man deceive himself; if any man
thinketh that he is wise in this world, let him
become a fool."
As he bids one become, as it were, dead unto
the world;--and this deadness harms not at
all, but rather profits, being made a cause of
life:--so also he bids him become foolish unto
this world, introducing to us hereby the true
wisdom. Now he becomes a fool unto the world,
who slights the wisdom from without, and is
persuaded that it contributes nothing towards his
comprehension of the faith. As then that
poverty which is according to God is the cause
of wealth, and lowliness, of exaltation, and
to despise glory is the cause of glory; so also
the becoming a fool maketh a man wiser than all.
For all, with us, goes by contraries.
Further: why said he not, "Let him put off
wisdom," but, "Let him become a fool?"
That he might most exceedingly disparage the
heathen instruction. For it was not the same
thing to say, "Lay aside thy wisdom," and,
"become a fool." And besides, he is also
training people not to be ashamed at the want of
refinement among us; for he quite laughs to
scorn all heathen things. And for the same sort
of reason he shrinks not from the names,
trusting as he does to the power of the things
[which he speaks of].
Wherefore, as the Cross, though counted
ignominious, became the author of innumerable
blessings, and the foundation and root of glory
unspeakable; so also that which was accounted to
be foolishness became unto us the cause of
wisdom. For as he who hath learned anything
ill, unless he put away the whole, and make his
soul level and clear, and so offer it to him who
is to write on it, will know no wholesome truth
for certain; so also in regard of the wisdom
from without. Unless thou turn out the whole
and sweep thy mind clear, and like one that is
ignorant yield up thyself unto the faith, thou
wilt know accurately nothing excellent. For so
those also who see imperfectly if they will not
shut their eyes and commit themselves unto
others, but will be trusting their own matters
to their own faulty eyesight, they will commit
many more mistakes than those who see not.
But how, you will say, are men to put off this
wisdom? By not acting on its precepts.
Then, seeing that he bade men so urgently
withdraw themselves from it, he adds the cause,
saying, "For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God." For not only it
contributes nothing, but it even hinders. We
must then withdraw ourselves from it, as doing
harm. Dost thou mark with what a high hand he
carries off the spoils of victory, having proved
that so far from profiting us at all, it is even
an opponent?
And he is not content with his own arguments,
but he has also adduced testimony again,
saying, "For it is written, (Job v.
13.) He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness." By "craftiness," i. e. by
their own arms getting the better of them. For
seeing that they made use of their wisdom to the
doing away of all need of God, by it and no
other thing He refuted them, shewing that they
were specially in need of God. How and by what
method? Because having by it become fools, by
it, as was meet, they were taken. For they
who supposed that they needed not God, were
reduced to so great a strait as to appear
inferior to fishermen and unlettered persons;
and from that time forth to be unable to do
without them. Wherefore he saith, "In their
own craftiness" He took them. For the saying
"I will destroy their wisdom," was spoken in
regard to its introducing nothing useful; but
this, "who taketh the wise in their own
craftiness, with a view of shewing the power of
God."
Next, he declares also the mode in which God
took them, adding another testimony:
Ver. 20. "For the Lord," saith he,
"knoweth the reasonings of men (Ps. xciv.
11. anqrwpwn Sept.) that they are vain."
Now when the Wisdom which is boundless
pronounces this edict concerning them, and
declares them to be such, what other proof dost
thou seek of their extreme folly? Formen's
judgments, it is true, in many instances fail;
but the decree of God is unexceptionable and
uncorrupt in every case.
Thus having set up so splendid a trophy of the
judgment from on high, he employs in what
follows a certain vehemence of style, turning it
against those who were under his ministry,
(arkomenous) and speaking thus:
Ver. 21. "Wherefore let no man glory in
men; for all things are yours." He comes
again to the former topic, pointing out that not
even for their spiritual things ought they to be
highminded, as having nothing of themselves.
"Since then the wisdom from without is
hurtful, and the spiritual gifts were not given
by you, what hast thou wherein to boast?" And
in regard to the wisdom from without, "Let no
man deceive himself," saith he, because they
were conceited about a thing which in truth did
more harm than good. But here, inasmuch as the
thing spoken of was really advantageous, "Let
no man glory."
And he orders his speech more gently: "for all
things are yours."
Ver. 22. "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or
things present, or things to come, all are
yours; and ye are Christ's and Christ is
God's." For because he had handled them
sharply, he refreshes them again. And as above
he had said, (1. Cor. iii. 9.) "We
are fellow-workers with God;" and by many
other expressions had soothed them: so here too
he saith, "All things are yours; taking down
the pride of the teachers, and signifying that
so far from bestowing any favor on them, they
themselves ought to be grateful to the others.
Since for their sake they were made such as they
were, yea, moreover, had received grace. But
seeing that these also were sure to boast, on
this account he cuts out beforehand this disease
too, saying, "As God gave to every man,"
(Supr. vi. 5. 6.) and, "God gave the
increase:" to the end that neither the one
party might be puffed up as bestowers of good;
nor the others, on their hearing a second time,
"All things are yours," be again elated.
"For, indeed, though it were for your sakes,
yet the whole was God's doing." And I wish
you to observe how he hath kept on throughout,
making suppositions in his own name and that of
Peter.
But what is, "or death?" That even though
they die, for your sakes they die, encountering
dangers for your salvation. Dost thou mark how
he again takes down the high spirit of the
disciples, and raises the spirit of the
teachers? In fact, he talks with them as with
children of high birth, who have preceptors,
and who are to be heirs of all.
We may say also, in another sense, that both
the death of Adam was for our sakes, that we
might be corrected; and the death of Christ,
that we might be saved.
"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is
God's." In one sense "we are Christ's,
and in another sense "Christ is God's," and
in a third sense is "the world ours." For we
indeed are Christ's, as his work: "Christ
is God's, as a genuine Offspring, not as a
work: in which sense neither is the world ours.
So that though the saying is the same, yet the
meaning is different. For "the world is
ours," as being a thing made for our sakes:
but "Christ is God's," as having Him the
Author of his being, in that He is Father.
And "we are Christ's," as having been
formed by Him. Now "if they are yours,"
saith he, "why have ye done what is just
contrary to this, in calling yourselves after
their name, and not after Christ, and God?"
C. iv. ver. 1. "Let a man so account of
us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of
the mysteries of God." After he had cast down
their spirit, mark how again he refreshes it,
saying, "as ministers of Christ." Do not
thou then, letting go the Master, receive a
name from the servants and ministers.
"Stewards;" saith he, indicating that we
ought not to give these things unto all, but
unto whom it is due, and to whom it is fitting
we should minister.
Ver. 2. "Moreover it is required in
stewards, that a man be found faithful:" that
is, that he do not appropriate to himself his
master's goods, that he do not as a master lay
claim for himself but administer as a steward.
For a steward's part is to administer well the
things committed to his charge: not to say that
his master's things are his own; but, on the
contrary, that his own are his master's. Let
every one think on these things, both he that
hath power in speech and he that possesses
wealth, namely, that he hath been entrusted
with a master's goods and that they are not his
own; let him not keep them with himself, nor
set them down to his own account; but let him
impute them unto God who gave them all.
Wouldest thou see faithful stewards? Hear what
saith Peter, "Why look ye so earnestly on
us, as though by our own power or godliness we
had made this man to walk?" (Acts iii.
12.) Unto Cornelius also he saith, "We
also are men of like passions with you:" and
unto Christ Himself, "Lo, we have left
all, and followed Thee." (St. Matt.
xix. 27.) And Paul, no less, when he had
said, "I labored more abundantly than they
all," (I Cor. xv. 10.) added, "yet
not I, but the grace of God which was with
me." Elsewhere also, setting himself strongly
against the same persons, he said, "For what
hast thou which thou didst not receive?" (C.
iv. 7.) "For thou hast nothing of thine
own, neither wealth, nor speech, nor life
itself; for this also is surely the Lord's.
Wherefore, when necessity calls, do thou lay
down this also. But if thou dostest on life,
and being ordered to lay it down refusest, thou
art no longer a faithful steward."
"And how is it possible, when God calls, to
resist?" Well, that is just what I say too:
and on this account do I chiefly admire the
loving-kindness of God, that the things which
He is able, even against thy will, to take
from thee, these He willeth not to be paid in
(eisenekqhnai) by thee unwillingly, that thou
mayest have a reward besides. For instance,
He can take away life without thy consent; but
His will is to do so with thy consent, that
thou mayest say with Paul, "I die daily,"
(1 COR. XV. 31.) He can take away thy
glory without thy consent, and bring thee low:
but He will have it from thee with thine own
goodwill, that thou mayest have a recompense.
He can make thee poor, though unwilling, but
He will have thee willingly become such, that
He may weave crowns for thee. Seest thou
God's mercy to man? Seest thou our own
brutish stupidity?
What if thou art come to great dignity, and
hast at any time obtained some office of Church
government? Be not high-minded. Thou hast
not acquired the glory, but God hath put it on
thee. As if it were another's, therefore,
use it sparingly; neither abusing it nor using
it upon unsuitable things, nor puffed up, nor
appropriating it unto thyself; but esteem
thyself to be poor and inglorious. For
never,--hadst thou been entrusted with a
king's purple to keep,--never would it have
become thee to abuse the robe and spoil it, but
with the more exactness to keep it for the
giver. Is utterance given thee? Be not puffed
up; be not arrogant; for the gracious gift is
not thine. Be not grudging about thy Master's
good, but distribute them among thy
fellow-servants; and neither be thou elated
with these things as if they were thine own, nor
be sparing as to the distribution of them.
Again, if thou hast children, they are God's
which thou hast. If such be thy thought, thou
wilt both be thankful for having them, and if
bereft thou wilt not take it hard.
Such was Job when he said, (Job i. 21.)
"The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away."
For we have all things from Christ. Both
existence itself we have through Him, and
life, and breath, and light, and air, and
earth. And if He were to exclude us from any
one of these, we are lost and undone. For (1
S. Pet. ii. xx.) "we are sojourners and
pilgrims" And all this about "mine," and
"thine," is bare words only, and doth not
stand for things. For if thou do but say the
house is thine, it is a word without a reality:
since the very air, earth, matter, are the
Creator's; and so art thou too thyself, who
hast framed it; and all other things also. But
supposing the use to be thine, even this is
uncertain, not on account of death alone, but
also before death, because of the instability of
things.
These things then continually picturing to
ourselves, let us lead strict lives; and we
shall gain two of the greatest advantages. For
first, we shall be thankful both when we have
and when we are bereaved; and we shall not be
enslaved to things which are fleeting by, and
things not our own. For whether it be wealth
that He taketh, He hath taken but His own;
or honor, or glory, or the body, or the life
itself: be it that He taketh away thy son, it
is not thy son that He hath taken, but His own
servant. For thou formedst him not, but He
made him. Thou didst but minister to his
appearing; the whole was God's own work. Let
us give thanks therefore that we have been
counted worthy to be His ministers in this
matter. But what? Wouldest thou have had him
for ever? This again proves thee grudging, and
ignorant that it was another's child which thou
hadst, and not thine own. As therefore those
who part resignedly are but aware that they have
what was not theirs; so whoever gives way to
grief is in fact counting the King's property
his own. For, if we are not our own, how can
they be ours? I say, we: for in two ways we
are His, both on account of our creation, and
also on account of the faith. Wherefore David
saith, "My substance is with Thee:" (Ps.
xxxix. 7. upostasis Sept. "hope" rec.
vers. of. ver. 6; Ps. cxxxix. 14.)
and Paul too, "For in Him we live and move
and have our being:" (Acts xvii. 28.)
and plying the argument about the faith, he
says, (1 COR. VI. 19, 20.) "Ye are
not your own," and "ye were bought with a
price." For all things are God's. When
then He calls and chooses to take, let us not,
like grudging servants, fly from the reckoning,
nor purloin our Master's goods. Thy soul is
not thine; and how can thy wealth be thine?
How is it then that thou spendest on what is
unnecessary the things which are not thine?
Knowest thou not that for this we are soon to be
put on our trial, that is, if we have used them
badly? But seeing that they are not our's but
our Master's, it were right to expend them
upon our fellow-servants.
It is worth considering that the omission of
this was the charge brought against that rich
man: and against those also who had not given
food to the Lord. (St. Luke xvi. 21.
St. Matt. xxv. 42.)
Say not then, "I am but spending mine own,
and of mine own I live delicately." It is not
of thine own, but of other men's. Other
men's, I say, because such is thine own
choice: for God's will is that those things
should be thine, which have been entrusted unto
thee on behalf of thy brethren. Now the things
which are not thine own become thine, if thou
spend them upon others: but if thou spend on
thyself unsparingly, thine own things become no
longer thine. For since thou usest them
cruelly, and sayest, "That my own things
should be altogether spent on my own enjoyment is
fair:" therefore I call them not thine own.
For they are common to thee and thy
fellow-servants; just as the sun is common,
the air, the earth, and all the rest. For as
in the case of the body, each ministration
belongs both to the whole body and to each
several member; but when it is applied to one
single member only, it destroys the proper
function of that very member: so also it comes
to pass in the case of wealth. And that what I
say may be made plainer; the food of the body
which is given in common to the members, should
it pass into one member, even to that it turns
out alien in the end. For when it cannot be
digested nor afford nourishment, even to that
part, I say, it turns out alien. But if it
be made common, both that part and all the rest
have it as their own.
So also in regard of wealth. If you enjoy it
alone, you too have lost it: for you will not
reap its reward. But if you possess it jointly
with the rest, then will it be more your own,
and then will you reap the benefit of it. Seest
thou not that the hands minister, and the mouth
softens, and the stomach receives? Doth the
stomach say, Since I have received, I ought
to keep it all? Then do not thou I pray, in
regard to riches, use this language. For it
belongs to the receiver to impart. As then it
is a vice in the stomach to retain the food and
not to distribute it, (for it is injurious to
the whole body,) so it is a vice in those that
are rich to keep to themselves what they have.
For this destroys both themselves and others.
Again, the eye receives all the light: but it
doth not itself alone retain it, but enlightens
the entire body. For it is not its nature to
keep it to itself, so long as it is an eye.
Again, the nostrils are sensible of perfume;
but they do not keep it all to themselves, but
transmit it to the brain, and affect the stomach
with a sweet savor, and by their means refresh
the entire man. The feet alone walk; but they
move not away themselves only, but transfer also
the whole body. In like manner do thou,
whatsoever thou hast been entrusted withal, keep
it not to thyself alone, since thou art doing
harm to the whole and to thyself more than all.
And not in the case of the limbs only may one
see this occuring: for the smith also, if he
chose to impart of his craft to no one, ruins
both himself and all other crafts. Likewise the
cordwainer, the husbandman, the baker, and
everyone of those who pursue any necessary
calling; if he chose not to communicate to
anyone of the results of his art, will ruin not
the others only but himself also with them.
And why do I say, "the rich?" For the poor
too, if they followed after the wickedness of
you who are covetous and rich, would injure you
very greatly and soon make you poor; yea
rather, they would quite destroy you, were they
in your want unwilling to impart of their own:
the tiller of the ground, (for instance,) of
the labor of his hands; the sailor, of the gain
from his voyages; the soldier, of his
distinction won in the wars.
Wherefore if nothing else can, yet let this at
least put you to shame, and do you imitate their
benevolence. Dost thou impart none of thy
wealth unto any? Then shouldest thou not
receive any thing from another: in which case,
the world will be turned upside down. For in
every thing to give and receive is the principle
of numerous blessings: in seeds, in scholars,
in arts. For if any one desire tO keep his art
to himself, he subverts both himself and the
whole course of things. And the husbandman, if
he bury and keep the seeds in his house, will
bring about a grievous famine. So also the rich
man, if he act thus in regard of his wealth,
will destroy himself before the poor, heaping up
the fire of hell more grievous upon his own
head.
Therefore as teachers, however many scholars
they have, impart some of their lore unto each;
so let thy possession be, many to whom thou hast
done good. And let all say, "such an one he
freed from poverty, such an one from dangers.
Such an one would have perished, had he not,
next to the grace of God, enjoyed thy
patronage. This man's disease thou didst
cure, another thou didst rid of false
accusation, another being a stranger you took
in, another being naked you clothed." Wealth
inexhaustible and many treasures are not so good
as such sayings. They draw all men's gaze more
powerfully than your golden vestments, and
horses, and slaves. For these make a man
appear even odious: (forticon, a conj. of
Saville's for fortica) they cause him to be
hated as a common foe; but the former proclaim
him as a common father and benefactor. And,
what is greatest of all, Favor from God waits
on thee in every part of thy proceedings. What
I mean is, let one man say, He helped to
portion out my daughter: another, And he
afforded my son the means of taking his station
among men: (eis andras emfanhnai) another,
He made my calamity to cease: another, He
delivered me from dangers. Better than golden
crowns are words such as these, that a man
should have in his city innumerable persons to
proclaim his beneficence. Voices such as these
are pleasanter far, and sweeter than the voices
of the heralds marching before the archons; to
be called saviour, benefactor, defender, (the
very names of God;) and not, covetous,
proud, insatiate, and mean. Let us not, I
beseech you, let us not have a fancy for any of
these titles, but the contrary. For if these,
spoken on earth, make one so splendid and
illustrious; when they are written in heaven,
and God proclaims them on the day that shall
come, think what renown, what splendor thou
shalt enjoy! Which may it be the lot of us all
to obtain, through the grace and
loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ;
with Whom unto the Father and the Holy
Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and
always and unto everlasting ages. Amen.
|
|