Chapter Eleven

¹ Chapter Eleven. Would that you bore with me in a little of my folly; but indeed you do bear with me. Being about to enter upon his own praises, he uses many forecorrections, avoiding the burdensomeness of seeming to praise himself. And necessity brought him to this, and the fear lest it should turn to the harm of the disciples that he himself be made contemptible, while the false apostles seem to be something. For that it was under great necessity, and for the profit of the disciples, that he came to this, is plain even to the exceedingly senseless. For he who remembers his former sins, from which he was set free through baptism, and who calls himself unworthy of the appellation of apostle, how could he, without necessity, have spoken boastfully concerning himself? He says, then: Would that you bore with me as I play the fool a little; nay rather, do bear with me. For I am confident that you love me, and bear with all that is mine.

² For I am jealous over you with a jealousy of God. He did not say, I love, but that which was far more vehement, I am jealous. For jealousy is born in those who love ardently. Then, lest they suppose that it is for the sake of something human—such as money, or glory—that he is jealous over them, he says, with a jealousy of God; for God too is said to be jealous, because of his loving us exceedingly, not that he himself may gain anything, but that he may save us, gathering us to himself and joining us to himself. Such, then, he says, is my jealousy also toward you: not that I may gain, but that you may not be corrupted.

³ For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. I espoused you beforehand, he says, to Christ. Therefore it is on his behalf that I am jealous, not on my own. For I am not the husband, but the bridesman. And observe how he did not say, I am your teacher, and on this account you ought to bear with me; but he sets them in the rank of a bride, and himself in the place of the bridesmaid, dignifying them. And consider now what comes to pass in the case of the Church: for in the world, after marriage they no longer remain virgins; but here, even those who were not virgins before this become virgins after this marriage; thus the whole Church is a virgin. For Paul says these things to all, both to the men who have married and to the women who have been married. And what bridal gifts do I bring, who have made the betrothal? The kingdom of heaven. A figure of this is what happened in the case of Abraham, when he sent his servant to betroth a foreign maiden. For here too God sent his servants the prophets to betroth the Church to his Son Christ; as in David’s saying, Hearken, O daughter, and behold, and forget your people, and the house of your father; and the apostles, and Paul, saying, On behalf of Christ we are ambassadors. The present time, then, is that of the betrothal; but the time to come is that of the marriage, when the cry shall be raised: Behold, the bridegroom.

⁴ But I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the simplicity that is toward Christ. For even if the destruction be yours, yet the fear is mine. And he does not declare, You have been corrupted—although they had been corrupted—but he has set it down doubtfully: Lest, as the serpent deceived Eve. For that one too, by promising greater things, deceived; and the false apostles likewise, vaunting and wishing to say certain great things, deceive in their craftiness. But just as neither the craftiness of the serpent, nor the simplicity of Eve, sufficed for her to pardon, so neither shall these things avail for you. And he did not say that Adam was deceived, that he might show being deceived to be a womanish thing. And he did not say, Be not deceived, but, Let not your thoughts be corrupted, continuing in the metaphor; for corruption is spoken of in the case of virgins. Lest you be corrupted from the guilelessness which you have toward Christ. This is: Be not deceived away from your guilelessness. And some take it thus: Be not carried over from the simple faith into the cleverness of those without; for this is the greatest corruption.

⁵ For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different Spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you bore with him well. What do you say, O Paul? Writing to the Galatians: If anyone preaches to you any gospel beside that which you received, let him be accursed; now you say that, if those men were preaching another Jesus, you bore with them well? Hear, then: The false apostles vaunted, as bringing in something more than the apostles. Since, then, they prated many senseless things, using the wisdom that is without, he says that, If they were preaching another Christ, who ought to have been preached, while we had passed him over, you bore with them well. For on this account he added, Whom we did not preach. But if the chief points of the faith are the same, what have those men more? And mark, he did not say, If he that comes preaches something more; for indeed they did say something more, with greater authority and much beauty of words; but, preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach; which has no need of fine speech. Or you receive a different Spirit; that is, If he made you richer in the spiritual gifts; which neither does this need elegance of words. Or a different gospel; which neither does this need words. And everywhere he shows that one must give heed, not simply if they say something more, but if they say anything that ought to have been said and was passed over by us. For mark: Another Jesus whom we did not preach; a different Spirit, which you did not receive; a different gospel, which you did not accept. So that, since they say the same things, why do you gape after them? And since they say the same things, O Paul, why do you hinder them? Because, using hypocrisy, they bring in other doctrines.

⁶ For I reckon that I have come short in nothing of the apostles who are above measure. Henceforth he compares himself with those around Peter, wishing to show this, that If they know anything more than I, then they know more than those also—leading the argument to an absurdity. And observe his humility: I reckon, he says, as it were, I consider, I suppose, and nothing assertive. And he does not simply say, the apostles, but, those above measure, hinting at Peter, and John, and James. And this he says because there was now need of it, since elsewhere he says, who am not worthy to be called an apostle.

⁷ But though I be unlearned in speech, yet not in knowledge. Since the false apostles adorned themselves in this, in not being unlearned, he himself shows that he does not flee from unlettered plainness, but even glories in it. And he does not say, If I too am unlearned, so also are the apostles, lest he seem to slander them along with himself; but he overthrows the very matter of the wisdom that is without, as also in the former Epistle he showed it to be not only unprofitable, but rather even ruinous to the glory of the cross. In speech, then, I am unlearned, not in knowledge. And by this he hints at those men, that as much as they vaunt in eloquence, so much are they deprived of the knowledge of God, and are unlearned with respect to it.

⁸ But in everything having been made manifest among all men toward you. Not as the false apostles, being one thing and appearing another, but in all things which we do and say we are manifest toward you; there is no duplicity or hypocrisy in us, as in those men, who wear about them only the mask of piety, and do all the basest things.

⁹ Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you the Gospel of God freely? This, he says, I sinned, and on this account you have grounds to accuse me and to exalt yourselves over me: that I abased myself, begging and famishing, that you might be exalted—that is, be built up to the faith. For they were no longer offended (which is also their greatest accusation), since they were not built up otherwise, except by his own being starved. But since they slandered him, that when present he is lowly, but when absent he vaunts, as if now making his defense concerning this, he strikes them: that I became lowly, but you were exalted thereby.

¹⁰ Other churches I robbed, taking wages for the ministry to you. And yet he was able to say, I ate from the labor of my own hands; but, making his speech more striking, From others, he says, I took, and that while ministering to you. And the word I robbed is instead of, I stripped them bare, and made them poor. And he hints also at the Macedonians, who, being most poor, had me besides as a further burden upon them, although they were not in need of superfluities, but of the necessary expenses. For I took wages; but nevertheless not even these did you give me; which is the greatest accusation, and what is worse, that it was for the ministry to you; for while preaching to you, and working your things, I was fed by others.

¹¹ And being present with you and in want, I was burdensome to no one. The charge is threefold: that, being both present with you, and ministering to you, and in want, I was not deemed worthy of a word. Not only did you not send, as the Macedonians did, but you did not even feed me when present. And the words, I was burdensome to no one, signify this: I did not weigh upon anyone. And he shows them to be sluggish and torpid in contributing. But some take I was not burdensome instead of, I was not negligent, nor did I become more slothful toward the preaching; but on my part all that was needful was done for your salvation; yet I passed my time in want, and did not ask, nor did I relax my endurance by growing torpid.

¹² For my want the brethren supplied when they came from Macedonia. He casts them into jealousy, that he may the more rouse them to almsgiving, lest, having been outdone by the Macedonians in the feeding of him, they be outdone also in almsgiving. And by saying, my want, he shows that he received nothing beyond the necessary need; and those who fed him were his own.

¹³ And in everything I kept myself unburdensome to you, and will keep myself so. He shows that they even accounted it a burden to furnish him with food. And well does he say, I will keep. For do not suppose, he says, that I said these things in order that I might receive from you for the future; but I both kept myself unburdensome, and will keep myself so; which is a great blow to them, if he no longer has confidence in them, but has once for all given up receiving anything from them.

¹⁴ The truth of Christ is in me, that this boasting shall not be stopped against me in the regions of Achaia. Lest they suppose that he said, I will keep myself, in order the more to draw them on, he says: In truth, the truth which is in Christ Jesus, I say that I will not receive; and lest anyone suppose that he says these things from grief or anger, he calls the matter a boasting. For to preach the Gospel without cost was a great boast to him, as to one who, for Christ’s sake, leaps beyond the bounds set by Christ. And the words, shall not be stopped, are from the metaphor of rivers; for, as though his fame flowed everywhere, he says: This good and glorious stream shall not be stopped by my receiving from this time forward. And the saying, in the regions of Achaia, belongs to one who strikes. For if this is a boasting, he ought to have kept it everywhere; but if he keeps it among them alone, it is manifest that they are not sound, as the rest are.

¹⁵ Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knows. Being about to introduce the cause for which he did not receive from them, namely, that it was on account of the false apostles, he first removes what the Corinthians would have suspected: that, As it seems, it is because you hate us that you do not receive. And he says that, Rather it is because I love you, and do not wish you to be harmed, as being easily made to stumble. But thus plainly he does not say it, lest he reprove their weakness; and he turns the discourse to another cause.

¹⁶ But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the occasion of those who desire an occasion, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we. Here most plainly he sets forth the cause for which he did not receive. For since the devil saw that worldly men are especially won over in this, in the teachers’ not receiving, he taught the false apostles to feign this also. For neither did they truly succeed even in this, though they were rich; but, while seeming not to receive, they received. Wherefore he did not say, That wherein they succeed, but, wherein they boast; which is also indicative of arrogance. The Apostle, therefore, perceiving these things, determined within himself not to receive anything from anyone, and that while being poor, in order to cut off their occasion, and that they might not find room to find fault with him. And yet this was no fault; for it is a law of Christ; but nevertheless, since the Corinthians, as weak, were easily made to stumble, he guarded himself. And henceforth the false apostles, being inferior in the other things, had nothing more even in this; unless one should say that in this also they were inferior, both because, being themselves rich, they did not receive, while Paul, in much want, did not receive; and because not even this did they truly succeed in, but feigned it; whereas the Apostle truly succeeded.

¹⁷ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. What do you say? Those who preach Christ, those who bring in no different gospel, as you said above—are they now false apostles? Yes, he says, for this very reason; for, feigning these things, they secretly bring in unholy doctrines. And deceitful workers, inasmuch as they seem indeed to work, but tear up the things that have been planted; they have only the form of apostles, and the hide of sheep, but are in truth wolves.

¹⁸ And no marvel; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. For when their teacher dares all things, it is no marvel; he who stands by, proclaiming that God too is light, in that he himself is light. But the devil transforms himself into such a one; he does not become such. Thus, then, these men also bear only the form of apostles, not the very working. And we learn from this, that to do anything for display is, most of all things, devilish.

¹⁹ It is no great thing, then, if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. That is, as ministers of the Gospel which has righteousness; or they invest themselves with the reputation of righteous men; but they shall not escape to the end; for according to their works shall be their end—that is, evil. So that from their works we shall recognize them; for they shall have an end corresponding to their works.

²⁰ Again I say: let no one think me to be foolish; but if otherwise, yet even as foolish receive me, that I too may boast a little. For even though he had already used forecorrections, yet nevertheless, I am not content, he says, with what has been said, but I say again, lest anyone think me to be foolish. For to boast is, simply, a mark of folly; but I do not do this as a senseless man, but being constrained. Nevertheless, if you do not pardon me, but altogether judge me too to be foolish, although I boast of necessity, I do not decline this. Therefore bear with me as I say: that I too, like those men, may boast, but this too only a little.

²¹ What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting. What I speak, he says, is not according to the Lord—that is, the words; but the aim of the words is exceedingly according to the Lord. And he did not say, In folly, but, As in folly. For the boasting resembles folly; but it is not so in truth. And lest you suppose that everywhere he speaks in folly, and not according to the Lord, he says that it is in this part of the boasting, not in certain others.

²² Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. That is, from outward things, from noble birth, from having circumcision, and Hebrew forefathers. For this is what he calls not according to the Lord: to boast in such things; for what profit is it to be of the Hebrews? I do not, then, set these down as a virtue, but since those men, he says, boast in these, I too am constrained to make the comparison from hence.

²³ For gladly you bear with the foolish, being yourselves wise. You, he says, compel me to say such things; for if you did not receive those men, and from this I saw you being harmed, neither would I have come to this. And he calls foolish those who boast in fleshly things. For if even to boast in spiritual things is folly, how much more to boast in things that are not at all? And the words, being wise, seem indeed to be cheerful, yet rather they have an intensification of accusation, that, In knowledge, he says, you sin. For if you were senseless, you would be worthy of pardon.

²⁴ For you bear with it, if anyone enslaves you. See how great a servility he charges against the Corinthians, and how excessively they had bowed beneath the false apostles.

²⁵ If anyone devours you, if anyone takes from you. Do you see that he shows them to be receiving, and that excessively? For the word devours signifies this. So that also what he said above, that wherein they boast, he said well. For they had only a boast, not the truth, feigning not to receive.

²⁶ If anyone exalts himself. That is, if anyone tyrannizes over you, and lords it over you; for the masters are not gentle, but burdensome and grievous.

²⁷ If anyone strikes you on the face; I speak as concerning dishonor. Did you see the intensification of dishonor and outrage? For they treated them as slaves. And these things he says, 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 with a view to their outrage. For what could be more shameful than this, when, having taken away both their possessions, and their freedom, and their honor, they treat them as slaves?

²⁸ As though we had been weak. But for what reason, he says, do you bear with them? As though we were weak, and not able so to deal with you? Which is not the case. For we too are able so to walk among you; but we by no means wish it. He therefore ascribes the whole cause of those men’s arrogance to the servility of these. For you, by bowing beneath them in too slavish a manner, are the cause both to them of their outrage, and to us of the present words.

²⁹ But wherein anyone is bold (I speak in folly), I am bold also. See how again he calls the matter boldness and folly, and all but says: By force I come to this. And yet how many forecorrections had he laid down beforehand, and others before these? And this he does, teaching us also not to come to such words without necessity. He says, then, that wherein, in any matter, anyone is bold to boast, I am bold also; “with labor” is to be supplied from without. Then also the things wherein they boast. As—

³⁰ Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Since not all the Hebrews were Israelites—for the Moabites also and the Ammonites made themselves Hebrews along with them—on this account, purging the nobility of birth, he added, Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I; indicating Isaac.

³¹ Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so. Some say that he ought not to have brought forth the word by way of comparison, but to have denied altogether that they were ministers of Christ. And we say that this he showed in a single phrase, by calling them false apostles. But now, having begun to make his speech by way of comparison, he brings in the demonstration that is through facts, and gives the hearer to understand that he himself is, while those men are not. He says, then, that, Even if they are ministers of Christ, yet even so I am above them. And again he calls the matter madness, because of the ocean of his humility.

³² In labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in imprisonments more frequently. He recounts the things that characterize the apostles, and, leaving aside the signs, begins from the trials; and he says that, I both undertake more labors, passing from place to place, and teaching night and day, and still working with my hands; but also—what is greater—enduring stripes too, and these excessively; and—what is still greater—together with the stripes being also imprisoned. And the words, above measure, and the words, more abundantly, are comparative indeed, as against the false apostles; yet by way of hypothesis: as if to say, Granted that those men toil; but I, more abundantly and above measure. But some say that these things were not said by way of comparison, but are simply significant of abundance and intensity.

³³ In deaths often. Not only dying in purpose, but also being given over to dangers that were in very deed death-bringing.

³⁴ Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Why save one? There was a law that he who was beaten with more than the forty stripes should be dishonored; they ordained, therefore, to give one short, that is, thirty-nine; so that even if the one striking, carried away by the impetus of striking, should give one too many, he should give forty, and the one beaten should not become dishonored, as having been struck within the number prescribed by law.

³⁵ Three times was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned. Not all the things that Paul suffered did Luke write down for us; for you see how many of the things here enumerated that man omitted. For it was not for the sake of vainglory that the labor of the composition was undertaken by him.

³⁶ Three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have passed in the deep. In journeyings often. And what has it to do with the Gospel, if you suffered shipwreck? For it was for the Gospel’s sake that, being sent on long voyages across the sea, I suffered shipwreck. And a night and a day he continued in the deep, swimming. But some say that, having been hidden in a certain well, after the danger at Lystra, in a place called the Deep, he now says this.

³⁷ In perils of rivers. For indeed he was compelled to ferry across rivers also.

³⁸ In perils of robbers, in perils from his own race, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea. Everywhere both the devil made war, and God set forth the prizes. For robbers rose up against him, both from the Gentiles and from his kinsmen the Jews, who indeed warred the more, being made savage through their jealousy against him. But was he without danger in the city? By no means. But then in the wilderness? Not even in this; and if he fled the land, the perils in the sea succeeded.

³⁹ In perils among false brethren. This again is another kind of trial, and most grievous: to be plotted against by falsely-named and hypocritical brethren; and David too laments: For if an enemy had reproached me, I would have borne it; but it was you, a man my equal; and again, The man of my peace.

⁴⁰ In toil and hardship, in watchings often; The things from those without did not suffice, but he himself also, from his own resources, wore himself down with toils and hardships, and with watchings.

⁴¹ In fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the things that are without. Suffering so many things, he had not even the necessary food in plenty, nor covering—he, the teacher of the world; but he both contended naked, and fought as a boxer while famishing; and yet he passed over the greater part. For this is the meaning of besides the things that are without; nay rather, not even these things which he mentioned did he state in detail, but those of which the number was easily grasped he enumerated, saying, Five times, and, Three times; while of the things hard to number he made mention indefinitely; for more abundantly, he says, and, above measure, and, often. And observe how, having enumerated so many hardships, he did not say how many he converted to Christ, at once being moderate-minded, and at the same time teaching that, even if nothing more come to the one who labors, even so the things of the rewards will be fulfilled.

⁴² My daily pressure. This is the frenzied onset, and the rising up, which the populaces make against me each day by common consent.

⁴³ The care of all the churches. This is the chief of all. For if one who presides over a single household—and that, having servants and stewards—is not able even to breathe; what is it likely that a single soul should suffer, amid so many dangers, taking thought for the whole world, and that on behalf of souls?

⁴⁴ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Lest anyone should say, He took care indeed, but simply so, he shows also the kind of his care. And he did not say, I share in the despondency, but, As though I myself were weak, so am I disposed. And by weakness you will understand both the bodily, and especially the spiritual. And the word who—whether he be great, he says, or whether he be mean.

⁴⁵ Who is made to stumble, and I am not set on fire? See how he set forth the excess of his pain. For I am set ablaze, he says, and I burn; and the other things, while suffering them, he rejoiced, knowing that for the Master’s sake he suffers these things. But here he was wounded through in his soul, so that anyone’s being made to stumble—even the chance and cast-off man—grieved him the more. And David gives us to understand I am set on fire instead of, I am made to stumble. For just as he said, Who is weak, and I am not weak? so he says: Even if anyone is made to stumble, I myself seem to be made to stumble, and I am eager to heal the passion as my own. And where does David say this? When the ungodly man exalts himself in pride, the poor man is set on fire; that is, the poor man is made to stumble, beholding in his mind the unworthy growing rich and exalting themselves.

⁴⁶ If I must needs boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness. By weakness he means the persecutions. For in famishing, and being struck, and suffering shipwreck, and suffering all the other things, human weakness is shown. And of signs he makes no mention here; for those were a gift of God; but these, together with the inclining of God’s help, displayed also his own endurance.

⁴⁷ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knows, who is blessed to the ages, that I do not lie. Having made no asseveration upon any of the former things, here he asseverates and gives assurance; perhaps because it was more ancient and more obscure. But the other things were known also to them, such as the care, and the rest.

⁴⁸ In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me. See the war, how great it was, if indeed it was on his account that the ruler was guarding the city; and by no means would the ethnarch have been so disposed, had not Paul’s zeal set all things ablaze. And Aretas was the father-in-law of Herod.

⁴⁹ And through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. He escaped, fulfilling the Master’s law; for the Lord too removed from place to place; for we ought not to cast ourselves into trials. Where, then, the evils are inescapable, there is need of God alone, and from him alone must redemption be sought and awaited; but where the trial is moderate, something must be devised from one’s own resources also; yet even so the whole must be ascribed to God, even as this man too escaped in a basket. For even though he longed to be with Christ, yet he also took thought for the salvation of men, and kept himself for the preaching.