Armed With Such Authority, I Will Come and Not Spare (2 Cor. 12:19–13:3)

Here is the conclusion of all that has been said in this third part of the epistle and as it were its conclusion. He has defended his dignity and cleared his activity of all reproaches, now he asks: what then? Did I say all this only to justify myself before you and for nothing else? — No. I have in view your edification—namely, so that you, recovering the conviction of the apostolic authority present in me, would hasten to set yourselves in order before my arrival and thus free me from the necessity of manifesting this authority among you and acting toward you strictly. For if, coming, I find you not set in order, I will not spare. This one suggestion in various turns of speech dominates throughout this small concluding section.

2 Cor. 12:19. Do you think that we have been defending ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ; and everything, beloved, is for your upbuilding.

“We defend ourselves,” απολογουμεθα, we justify ourselves. The Apostle’s thought is what was expressed before: do you think that we have only in mind to justify ourselves before you? — No, we write all this for your edification. Or thus: do you think that in speaking so we only cleanse our person and justify the outward appearance of our action, while on our hearts we have something quite different? — No; we speak before God, in Christ,—we speak of ourselves as we are before the all-seeing eye of God. Neither flattery nor deceit is hidden in our words. One can combine both thoughts, and one will correspond to the words: “We speak before God in Christ,” and the other—to the words: “everything…is for your edification.” Saint Chrysostom says: “Do you see how he everywhere feared lest he seem a flatterer?” — “Not flattering you and defending ourselves only before you, we say this, but as before the face of the all-seeing God, in Christ and through Christ we speak. But is it possible that one who speaks before the face of God and in Christ speaks with flattery for merely concealing himself?” (Oecumenius).

“Everything, beloved, is for your edification.” And “building”—there is no such word in the original. “Edification” — οικοδομη, building, arrangement, ordering. So, he says: everything we direct toward bringing into seemly order and arrangement what among you has fallen into disorder and taken on perverted direction. To this is added: “beloved,” to show that it was sincere fatherly love for you that moved us to this. Being inspired by it, “we humble ourselves or speak about ourselves in an elevated manner, we accuse you or praise you, we do all for your benefit” (Theodoret).

2 Cor. 12:20. I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

I write all this so that you set yourselves in order and so that, when you are set in order, I find you fully corrected in everything, as I wish to find you, and so that you meet in me only kindness, approval, and praise of you. Fearing lest the opposite happen, I remind you of what I would not wish to meet among you. “This already shows not arrogance or teaching authority, but fatherly care, when he fears more than the very sinners, and approaches their correction with trembling. Yet even then he does not attack them, and speaks not directly, but in the form of doubt: ‘I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish.’ He did not say: virtuous, but: ‘as I wish,’ everywhere using words expressing friendship. And the word: ‘find’ expresses something unexpected them, as well as ‘you may find me’: both, he says, depend on yourselves.” (Saint Chrysostom). “He fears,’ he says. Do you see fatherly care? Others sinned, but Paul is afraid. ‘I fear that when I come’: he does not affirm, but as one knowing nothing, fears lest he encounter something unrepaired in them. ‘I may find you not as I wish,’ that is, disorganized and corrupted (in character and thoughts), and as a result I too shall be forced to appear to you as ‘you do not wish,’ that is, as a strict punisher of those who turn out incurably ill.” (Oecumenius). “He could have said: as I myself do not wish to be found among you, thus showing his love, but he does not wish to weaken the listener; moreover, his speech would then be far harsher. But now he made them feel the wound more deeply, and showed himself more gentle. For it is fitting for wisdom to act so that the wound be deeper, and the blow lighter.” (Saint Chrysostom).

What exactly would he not wish to find among them? — Discord and deeds of lust. He speaks of discord in this verse, of lustful deeds in the next.

“I fear there may be quarreling,” ερεις, disputes, contentious strivings to have one’s way, efforts to outshout everyone, under which there always lies scorn not only for others’ opinions, but also for them: I know no one;—“jealousy,” ζηλοι, envy, perverted rivalry—the first daughter of conceit and pride, when, not having the strength to become equal or surpass others, they chafe with annoyance at why those are so and why everything goes so well for them; “anger,” θυμοι, irritation, outbursts of wrath and irritation, at clashes with others not to one’s advantage, finding and departing, because random heating of pride is overcome by the sympathetic harmony of the heart; but there is danger that frequent irritations can turn into constant hatred, which is evil;—“hostility,” εριθειαι, contentious ambition, “when someone challenges another to compete in some matter” (Theophylact), or strains with all strength to overtake others and leave them behind, in which, of course, strict examination of means is not made and little attention is paid to whether this will bring good to oneself or others;—“slander,” καταλαλιαι, defamation; not condemnation only, which is built secretly in the heart, but also the spreading with the tongue of evil about others, without assurance in the truth of it, but by mere suspicion, often even by malevolent lies; “gossip,” ψιθυρισμοι, cowardly defamation, which, not daring to speak openly, whispers evil about others to the ear of more influential people who, if they believe, can do something unpleasant to the one in question: here it is more appropriate—false defamation (Theophylact); “conceit,” φυσιωσεις,—puffedness, arrogance, high-handedness, when, without examination, one rises above others and relates to them scornfully, not even hiding this: this is a soap bubble;—“disorder,” ακαταστασιαι, disorder, confusion, when everything is not in its place—the direct consequence of all that precedes. Saint Chrysostom derives all these evil deeds from one envy, saying: “All this: slander, accusations, disagreement, was born from envy; envy, like a harmful root, produced irritation, condemnation, arrogance, and through them grew itself.”

In the first epistle, beginning the rebuke of the Corinthians, the Apostle says: “there are rivalries among you” (1 Cor. 1:11). Because of some empty considerations they began to divide into factions, standing under the standards of a few outstanding persons among them: from this came disputes, oppositions and disorders (1 Cor. 1:10). Having rebuked them properly in the first epistle and learning from Titus that his rebuke had not been without effect, yet supposing that there might still be remnants of that disorder, he again persuades that nothing similar, not even traces of it, should remain among them, threatening beforehand that he will not look at it with forbearance.

2 Cor. 12:21. I fear that when I come, my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many who have sinned previously and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery that they have practiced.

The second matter in which the holy Paul condemned the Corinthians in the previous epistle was fornication, which you would not find even among pagans. He wrote especially about this shameful deed; but as he even after this twice repeated lessons about abstaining from fornication and at length set forth rules of life for the married and unmarried, one may presume that among the Corinthians the Apostle knew not just one sinner guilty of this kind of sinfulness, but many, and that, writing a stern judgment against one, he had in view awakening all the others as well. The awakening effect began, one must presume, and was noticed by the holy Titus and reported to the holy Paul. But as in relation to divisions, so here too, the Apostle could not without reason think that some unrepentant remained, with whom he would have to deal himself, so as to put them in proper order – which cannot happen without unpleasantness for him and for them. Wishing to avoid this grievous necessity, he urges the unrepentant to repent themselves before his arrival, and surrounds this suggestion with the most touching representations, saying: “I fear that God may humble me among you” with what? – If I have to weep over those who have sinned in uncleanness, fornication and sexual immorality, and have not repented. He speaks as it were: that they have sinned, already done; cannot be undone; but what is bitter is if I find those who have sinned unrepentant and stubbornly remaining in impenitence. What is to be done with such? Though it grieves me, I must cut them off from the body of the Church: for stubborn sinners are not tolerated in the Church. There I will weep. And I will weep, yet must still cut them off if they do not repent. By this God will humble me among you. It will be shameful to me both before myself, before God, and before men, that I boasted of you before them and of myself, yet will be forced to deal with you thus. So that I may not be in such shame and sorrow, and write all this, with the desire that with you all should come to proper order and all take their place, and I, coming to you, should only rejoice and be glad at your propriety and progress.

Saint Chrysostom says on this passage: “Do you see how he shows both indignation and fatherly concern? What does the word ‘humble’ mean? To accuse, to punish, to demand account, to appear in the role of judge seems to constitute glory, yet he calls it humiliation. He not only was not ashamed that his bodily presence was weak and his word contemptible, but even desired always to be such and asked not to reach the opposite state. He speaks of this more clearly in continuation. And to come to the necessity of punishing others he considers as the greatest humiliation for himself. Why did he not say: when I come I will be humiliated, but—‘I fear that my God may humble me’? If it were not for God, he says, I would pay no attention to it, would not care about it. For not arbitrarily and not willfully do I impose punishment, but by God’s command. He expressed the same thing above, saying: ‘you may find me not as you wish,’ but here he weakens the speech and speaks with greater condescension and meekness: ‘I may have to mourn over many who have sinned,’ not simply sinned, but—‘have not repented.’ And he did not say: all, but ‘many’; he does not even declare the names of these many, giving them thereby an opportunity to come to repentance, making it known that repentance can correct their transgressions, mourning only over those not repenting, incurably sick, remaining in wounds. So, imagine what virtue the Apostle has! — Knowing nothing wrong in himself, he weeps over others’ sins and is humiliated by the transgressions of others. For it is especially the duty of a teacher to have compassion on the misfortunes of disciples, to mourn and sob over the wounds of those under him.”

2 Cor. 13:1. This is the third time I am coming to you. ‘Any charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.’ (Deut. 17:6)

He calls witnesses his personal admonitions and written exhortations. What word then will be established by these witnesses? — The word of threat against you; it will at last certainly be carried out. Thus Saint Chrysostom and others. Oecumenius understands by three witnesses three personal admonitions and three non-personal ones. As if thus: I was with you twice, and a third time I am going. These will be three witnesses. Also—I wrote in the first epistle, reminded you through Titus and here I remind again in this second epistle. This is also three witnesses. Coming in pairs, they strengthen the significance of the testimonies. — “This is the third time I am coming,” as in the previous chapter: “Here I am, ready to come to you this third time” (2 Cor. 12:14). Our interpreters do not determine how this count will work out, they do not indicate, that is, when Saint Paul’s second visit to Corinth was. Let us leave this also undefined, for the conjecture that the second time the Apostle was in Corinth directly from Ephesus, as some suppose, is very inconvenient and disturbs the whole order of events. It is more convenient to suppose that the Apostle was away from Corinth for about a year and a half and returned to them again, which can be reckoned as a second coming to them. One cannot fail to notice that in the present passage—“This is the third time I am coming,” according to the flow of the discourse, has a great difference from—“Here I am, ready to come to you this third time” of the previous chapter. There he speaks that a third time he goes and will not burden them, which cannot fail to refer to his personal presence. But here he speaks of threefold testimony and then only mentions: “This is the third time I am coming.” According to the flow of the discourse, the subject of these cases is one—threats for not setting themselves in order. Consequently, it does not apply to the first visit. Threats began with the first epistle, were reminded through Titus and now are being reminded for the third time. Is this not what means in this passage: “This is the third time I am coming,” that is, for the third time the threat comes to you? — Then he adds: “If I come again.” If after this I come and find you not set in order,—do not ask for mercy, “I will not spare.” If we accept this supposition, then cannot we also put it thus: that the second stay was nothing other than the first epistle, in which he wrote that in declaring judgment on the fornicator he would be among them in spirit as truly as if in body? (1 Cor. 5:3) Then the count would be determined more simply, and there would be no need to construct suppositions for which there is nowhere to place them.

2 Cor. 13:2. I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again, I will not be lenient—

Holy Chrysostom says on both these verses: “The wisdom of St. Paul and his fatherly heart can be seen from much else, but preeminently from the fact that he is abundant and stern in threats but gentle and slow in punishments. For he did not at once punish the sinners, but twice exhorted them; even those disobedient to his exhortations he does not punish but again exhorts, saying: ‘Behold, I am about to come to you the third time,’ and before my coming I write another epistle. And lest slowness produce carelessness, he constantly threatens, saying: ‘if I come again, I will not spare.’ He acts in imitation of the Lord of all. For God, though constantly threatening and many times exhorting, does not often punish. So the Apostle. ‘For the third time,’ he says, ‘Behold, I am about to come to you: Every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ Instead of witnesses he presents his repeated presence in Corinth and his exhortations. His words mean: I have spoken to you once and again, coming to you, and now I speak in writing. If you obey me, my wish is fulfilled; if you do not obey, I must fulfill what I have said and lay on punishment. For if ‘every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses,’ and I have already been with you two times and spoken to you, now I speak in writing, then I must keep my word. Do not think my epistle to you is less important than my personal presence. As when with you I spoke, so now in absence I write. See the fatherly care of the Apostle! See what teaching he has and what befitting Providence! He neither was silent nor punished; several times he already forestalls and does not cease to threaten, but delays punishment. Finally he pronounces these fearful words and says: ‘if I come again, I will not spare.’ He first said he cannot do this unless forced, calling punishment sorrowful for himself; he has already forestalled them once, twice, three times, doing everything to avoid punishment by words alone; finally he pronounces these fearful words: ‘if I come again, I will not spare.’ He did not say: I will avenge, punish, torture, but even of punishment speaks paternally, showing his love and compassion toward them, by which, sparing them, he has delayed punishment till now. And only being forced, he says: ‘I will not spare,’ that is, I will not delay punishment, if I find you uncorrected, but will certainly punish and fulfill what I said. This he added finally, so they not think punishment will be delayed again and threats are only in words.”

2 Cor. 13:3. Since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me, he is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

He presents the reason why “I will not spare,” and shows that they themselves force him to act this way, not otherwise. He speaks as if to them: thus you yourselves have raised the question, that for me, if you do not set yourselves in order, it is inevitable not to spare you, but to manifest the apostolic authority and power of Christ acting in me given to me. You began to say about me: he is weak in body, and his word is not strong, thus leading even to the very teaching I am preaching, as if it too is not Christ’s. Therefore, since you talk thus about me, if I do not manifest apostolic strictness among you, you will truly be confirmed in such thoughts, and this will greatly harm the work of the Gospel and your salvation. Thus, one of two: either set yourselves in order, or I must not spare you, powerfully cutting off the disobedient from the Church or striking them with a direct punishment, as I struck the sorcerer Elymas with blindness in Cyprus. — And then you will see tangibly that in me Christ speaks and acts, the Lord.

Saint Chrysostom says on this passage: “Since you wish to test whether Christ dwells in me, you demand proof from me and therefore laugh at me as at a man low and contemptible, not having in himself the power of Christ, you will know that I am not deprived of it if you give occasion for it, though I do not wish it. He speaks thus, expressing his indignation and wishing to make them feel it—those who despised him. I do not wish, he says, to show such an experience over you. If you yourselves give occasion and wish to provoke me to it, then you will know it in deed.”

“He who in you is not weak, but able in you.” There he said: I must show to you the power and authority of Christ over you, because you wish to see experiential assurance that He speaks and acts in me. So you will see in me the power of Christ, – “He who in you is not weak, but able in you,” who is not powerless in you,“–” ουκ ασθενει but is mighty, – αλλα δυναται. He points to the power of Christ that the Corinthians have experienced, and moreover, that it continues yet to be manifest in their midst. The purpose, then, for which the Apostle added this, is either to strengthen in them fear, as if saying: and as Christ is mighty, you know this, have experienced it and experience it. Therefore, it is understood, take care not to provoke His power to punishment yourself. Or it is to shame them, suggesting that they ought not to subject him to such a test, because if Christ is mighty in you, then by no one’s mediation, as by the mediation of the holy Paul himself. If Christ is mighty in you, he says as it were, is it not shameful for you to test Christ who speaks and acts in me, when you have come to know Christ and have entered into communion with Him through me?

Here are the opinions of our interpreters on this. Saint Chrysostom says: “The Apostle transfers here the speech from himself to Christ, so as to make the threats more fearful. His words have such a meaning: if and I do what I will punish those who sin, then will it be I who punishes them? — Christ will punish, He who dwells in me. And the power of Christ you know. He ‘is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.’ For what reason did the Apostle add—‘among you,’ when Christ is mighty everywhere? Whether He wishes to punish the unbelieving or someone else, He can do all. What then does this addition mean? — The Apostle either wishes to shame them more by what they themselves have experienced, or expresses that Christ even now shows power among them.” Photius in Oecumenius writes: “Do you test, wishing to know whether Christ speaks in me, looking at me as such one who merely comes from Christ, you wish to test the one speaking in me, Christ, while you clearly know His power in me. The very attempt—to test in me the power of Christ—is sin. For to test is, especially after such manifestations of it, the deed of the ungrateful, unbelieving and inconstant. Therefore, it is evident that these words are words of threatening—threatening.” Theophylact says: “Of course, you have already experienced the power of Christ. Therefore the Apostle says to you, from the experiences you had, you certainly know that Christ among you is not weak, but mighty.” — What other evidence of His power do you need?