Chapter Twelve

¹ Chapter Twelve. But it is not expedient for me to boast; for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Since he is passing over to another kind of boasting—the kind that made him illustrious, that of revelations—he says that this is not expedient for me, lest it lift me up into conceit. But what if you do not speak of them? Do you not know them all the same? Yet we are not lifted up in the same way when we ourselves know them and when we publish them to one another. And he says these things, not as one who is himself about to suffer anything of the sort, but to school us to hold such things in reserve within ourselves. And in another sense also, It is not expedient, lest anyone reckon of me beyond what he sees me to be—which he also says a little further down. For the false apostles, even though they had nothing, kept speaking; but this man, although he had many visions and revelations of the Lord, nevertheless mentions one only, and that unwillingly. And know that the revelation has something more than the vision. For the one grants only to see; but the other lays bare something deeper than what is seen.

² I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago. He neither mentions all the revelations (for he would have been burdensome, since they were many), nor passes over all of them in silence; but even against his will he speaks of one only, that he may show that he mentions even this unwillingly. And the phrase In Christ, he added, lest the false apostles should say that he was caught up by demons. Nor is this either without reason… that one may learn that, having kept silence for fourteen years, he would not even now have spoken out without necessity.[1] And [observe] that if, fourteen years ago, he was deemed worthy of such things, how great he now is, after so many dangers for Christ’s sake!

³ (Whether in the body, I do not know; or out of the body, I do not know; God knows) that such a one was caught up to the third heaven. See his modesty of mind, how he confesses that he does not know whether he was in the body or out of the body when he was caught up. And the third heaven you may understand thus: Scripture calls the air “heaven,” as in The birds of heaven; and, The dew of heaven; behold, this is one heaven. It knows the firmament also as heaven; for He called the firmament heaven; behold, this is the second. And it knows also the one created in the beginning together with the earth; behold, the third.

⁴ And I know such a man (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know; God knows), that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. From the third heaven, he says, he was caught up again into paradise. He was caught up, then, that not even in this might he be inferior to the rest of the apostles who had companied with Christ. And into paradise, because the name of that place was much spoken of; whence also the Lord promised it to the thief. And unspeakable were the words he heard, which to those who are minded after the manner of men, and have nothing spiritual, it is not permitted to utter. And hence it is clear that the so-called Apocalypse of Paul is spurious; for how could it be otherwise, if those things were unspeakable?[2] Now according to the letter, the third heaven is one place and paradise another; but according to the anagogical sense, perhaps the same, perhaps not the same. For though there are many things that might be said anagogically, we shall say a few, and those more easily grasped. For there is a first heaven, the limit and boundary of the ethical discipline, when one sets his own character in order. Then the natural discipline is a second heaven, when one circumscribes, so far as is attainable, the knowledge of the nature of the universe. Then the theological discipline is a third heaven, when, through contemplation, one attains the measure—attainable to him for the time—of the apprehension of things more divine and beyond knowledge. And so Paul too, in the regions concerning the Trinity, became wholly caught up—that is, having transcended all created things; and neither being in the body (for he was not acting according to the bodily senses), nor out of the body; for his understanding too was at rest. For in things divine all human understanding is at rest, while the man is caught up and taken by God, so as to be borne and energized by Him. And since in the regions of theology too there are ascents, for this reason he is caught up again into paradise, dwelling among the more mystical things of the Godhead—which, being unknown and unspeakable, no one could ever receive unless he go out beyond human meanness.

⁵ Of such a one will I boast. See his freedom from vanity, how he relates these things as though concerning some other. For Of such a one, he says, will I boast. And yet, for what reason, if another was caught up, do you boast? So it is clear that he says these things concerning himself.

⁶ But of myself I will not boast. Either because, there being no necessity, I will say nothing of the sort lightly and at random; or, veiling his statement as far as may be, he says these things.

⁷ Except in my weaknesses. That is, in afflictions, in persecutions.

⁸ For if I should wish to boast, I shall not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. How is it that, having said before that boasting is folly, he now says, I shall not be foolish if I boast? It is not in respect of boasting that he now said he would not be foolish, but in respect of not lying. For he added, For I will speak the truth. As one speaking truth, then, I shall not be foolish.

⁹ But I forbear, lest anyone should reckon of me beyond what he sees me to be, or hears anything from me. This is the avowed reason: that men might not make a god of him; for on this account he was always silent concerning himself; and if ever he was compelled to say anything, he veiled it, lest men should conceive a greater notion concerning him. For he did not say, Let no one speak concerning me, but, That no one may reckon anything greater than my worth. For if they wished to sacrifice bulls to him on account of the signs, what would they not have done, had he also disclosed the revelations?

¹⁰ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Some have supposed the messenger of Satan and the thorn to be a headache brought on by the devil. But far be it; for the body of Paul would not have been delivered over to the devil, seeing that Paul rather gave commands to him and set limits to him, when he delivered the fornicator to him for the destruction of the flesh, and that one did not overstep the limits. What, then, is “Satan”? In the Hebrew tongue he is called “the adversary.” The messengers of Satan, therefore, are all the adversaries: Alexander the coppersmith, Hymenaeus and Philetus, and all who afflict and ill-treat him, as doing the works of Satan.[3] He says, then, that God did not allow my preaching to proceed without dangers and toils, lest I should be exalted as having been deemed worthy of many revelations. And why did he not say, Messengers of Satan were given, but a messenger? Because in each place some one is found, perhaps, who resists and stirs up the populace, at whose instigation the rest also follow along; or—which is also better—he named the thing itself, that is, the opposition to the preaching and the bringing-on of dangers, “a messenger of Satan.” And by whom was it given? By God, he says, it was permitted; for this is the meaning of It was given; and not that he should buffet me once, but continually. And as for Lest I should be exalted above measure, some have understood it as meaning, Lest I should be glorified by men. But Paul does not say this here, even though he said it above; rather this very thing, Lest I become vainglorious, he says; for he too was a man.

¹¹ For this I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me; and He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. Three times, meaning, many times, I besought. And this too belongs to humility, to confess that he could not bear the plots and the afflictions, and on this account besought. He has said to me, then, It is sufficient for you, for I have given you such grace, that you may raise the dead, that you may accomplish all mighty works. Do not seek that the preaching be set before you free of danger as well; for this is superfluous; but what is sufficient for you, you have received.

¹² For my power is made perfect in weakness. That is: But perhaps you grieve, O Paul, lest this should seem to be a weakness of mine, that many plot against the word—take courage. For then my power shines forth the more perfectly, when, being persecuted, you prevail over your persecutors. And observe how he himself said that he was given over to the trials in order that he might not be exalted; but God stated another cause of this, namely, that His power then appears as having its perfection, when they are in weakness, that is, in persecutions and dangers.

¹³ Most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Since, he says, I have heard these things, and that the power of God is made perfect in weakness, henceforth I will boast in my weaknesses. For the more these abound, the more abundant the power of God they procure for me. Do not, then, suppose that I spoke the things concerning the thorn as one grieving, but rather as one rejoicing and boasting, as one drawing the greater power of God toward myself through the intensifying of the afflictions.

¹⁴ Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. I desired, he says, as a man, to be delivered from these grievous things; but since I heard what I heard, from that time I both boast and take pleasure—that is, I rejoice, and giving thanks I am well content in weaknesses. Then, lest you should suppose a fever and such-like maladies, he interprets these for you, that the insults and the rest are the weaknesses. And these things both put the false apostles to shame, who boast in the opposite things, as enemies of God; and console the disciples, that they may not be ashamed of their teacher, but rather may even glory in him, since God wills this, and since the dangers are for Christ’s sake.

¹⁵ For when I am weak, then I am strong. Why do you marvel if the power of God is then displayed? For I too am then strong, when grace comes upon me more abundantly; as when he was shut up in prison, then he catechized the jailer; when he was shipwrecked, he astonished the barbarians on the island; when he stood bound before the judge, then he prevailed over both him and the accusers. When, therefore, he was weak—that is, was in dangers—then he was strong and illustrious.

¹⁶ I have become foolish in boasting; you compelled me. Again he makes his defense concerning the boasting. And above he said, Receive me as a fool, and, As in foolishness; but now, taking away even the As, he calls himself a fool. For since he has established what he wished, he henceforth confidently condemns such a fault, instructing them out of abundance never to boast when there is no necessity—seeing that even when there was necessity, Paul calls himself a fool. For you compelled me; that is, Caring for your salvation I said these things, since I saw that the false apostles, by their boasting, were corrupting you who gave heed to them; for this very reason, then, I too chose to say something on my own behalf, for your sake.

¹⁷ For I ought to have been commended by you. It behooved you, he says, rather to recount my deeds and to speak well of me; but since you did not do this, but gave heed to those men and were corrupted, I said these things for your salvation.

¹⁸ For in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. Above, with hesitation, For I reckon, he says, that I am in nothing behind; but now he spoke more authoritatively, that In nothing was I behind; that is, I did not come after the great apostles, those around Peter. Yet here too he has not forgotten his own custom, but added, Though I am nothing. And observe his discernment. For he no longer compares himself with the false apostles, but, not deeming these worthy even of a word, he affirms that he is equal to the apostles, prevailing altogether out of abundance; and at the same time showing that the Corinthians insult the apostles also, when they hold one equal to them in second place after the false apostles.

¹⁹ Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you. I, he says, am nothing; but do not you look at this, but rather attend to the fact that I lacked nothing of the marks that characterize an apostle. For you are witnesses that I did all things.

²⁰ In all patience. The first mark of an apostle is patience, and the bearing of all things nobly. And see his humility, how many dangers, how many wars, within and without, by this single word he hinted at and passed over. For what was his own achievement—patience, I mean—he stated in a single word; but the matters of the signs, which were not his own but of the grace of God, he set forth at greater length. And listen.

²¹ In signs and wonders and mighty works. Wherein a sign differs from a wonder has been stated elsewhere. But lest anyone should suppose that these were said only of conferring benefit, he added also mighty works. For “power” indicates more plainly the punitive kind as well. And see here too how many dead, lepers, blind, and demoniacs—all of them benefited—he comprehended in a word; and likewise those who were brought to their senses, such as Elymas.

²² For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the Churches? Lest anyone should say, Great indeed are you, yet you did not work so many things as the apostles did in the other Churches, he says, In what were you made inferior? that is, In what did you have less? Did you obtain a lesser gift than the rest?

²³ Except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong. With much severity he reproves, and says: If you charge this against me, that I did not burden you, but preached to you without expense, I ask pardon; forgive me this sin. And at the same time the saying also contains a commendation of them, if indeed they consider themselves wronged by him who did not see fit to take anything from them.

²⁴ Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not what is yours, but you.[4] Lest he should seem to be continually bringing this forward to them, as though from now on he would take, he says, It is not because I do not take that I therefore do not come; rather, I both came a second time and have prepared to come a third, and I will not burden you. Why? Not because you are smitten, nor because you are weak, but because I seek you, not what is yours; that is, your salvation and your souls, not your money.

²⁵ For the children ought not to lay up treasure for the parents, but the parents for the children. Since it was likely that they would say, For it is not possible for us both to keep ourselves and to keep what is ours; so you are not kindly disposed toward us—on this account he brings in a consideration, that the parents owe it to give to the children; taking, in place of teachers and disciples, fathers and children, and showing that he is fulfilling a debt, and that the matter admits no excuse.

²⁶ And I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls. I, he says, not only will by no means take from you, but rather will give over and above; for this is the meaning of I will spend. And why do I say I will spend money? I myself will be utterly spent; that is, Even if it be necessary to spend the flesh for the salvation of your souls, I will not spare it.

²⁷ Even though, loving you more abundantly, I am loved the less. And this too is uttered with reproach together with love. For he says, And these things I do for those who are loved indeed, but do not love in like manner. And see how many degrees the matter has. When he ought to have taken, he did not take; second, being in want; third, even while preaching to them; fourth, that he even gives over and above; fifth, that he does so not simply, but even with eager generosity out of his want; for. Sixth, that he gives even himself; seventh, on behalf of those who do not love him exceedingly; eighth, that he does so even toward those loved exceedingly.

²⁸ But be it so: I did not burden you; yet, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of those whom I sent to you? What he means is this: I, for my part, did not overreach you; but someone might perhaps suspect that I myself, while taking nothing, was preparing, like a crafty man, those sent by me to ask something of you in their own person, that, taking it by stratagem, I might not seem to take. Whether, then, this is true, look and consider. And he again calls the matter “overreaching,” fastening upon them and putting them to shame, and showing that they were about to give unwillingly, and as men overreached. For this is overreaching, to take something from an unwilling man; which was their greatest shame, if indeed they considered themselves overreached.

²⁹ I besought Titus, and sent with him the brother. Did Titus make any gain of you? And this too is by way of reproach; for he did not say, I sent, but, I besought; showing that, even if he had taken, he would have taken justly, for he came at his request; yet even so he remained clean. And he had sent along with him a certain other brother also.

³⁰ Did we not walk in the same spirit? That is, In the same spiritual gift? for he calls a gift the being earnest not to take. And though it was his own achievement, he attributes it to God.

³¹ Did we not walk in the same steps? Not in the least, he says, did I depart from my own way, but they showed the same exactness. And see how Paul schooled in this manner not only himself, but also those with him, to be not at all defiled even by a just gain.

³² Again, do you think that we are making our defense to you? We speak before God in Christ. He fears lest he should incur a reputation for flattery, and says: We do not speak these things to win your favor, nor that we may defend ourselves to you, but as in the sight of God, and in Christ; that is, Through Christ we speak. So that we say true things, things which have come to pass and are known by God, and not that I may commend myself to you; and this also he said at the beginning.

³³ But all things, beloved, are for your edification. He did not say, For this reason I did all these things and took nothing, so that you are weak (for this would have been wounding), but, For the sake of your edification. For that you may not be made to stumble at me, he says, on this account I took nothing, for the sake of your profit.

³⁴ For I fear lest, when I come, I should not find you such as I wish, and that I should be found by you such as you do not wish. Do you see fatherly solicitude? Others were sinning, and Paul was afraid; and he does not even declare it, but still hesitates: Lest perhaps, he says, when I come I should find you not such as I wish, that is, corrupted; and, that I also should be found of necessity such as you do not wish, that is, an avenger and chastiser.

³⁵ Lest perhaps there be strife, envyings, wraths, rivalries, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults. He was going to set the swellings first, for it was against him that they were boasting; but nevertheless, lest he should seem to be seeking his own, he names the common one first. For from envy and malice all the rest were engendered; and all envy was kindled by them. “Rivalry” is so called when one, in contention, challenges another to this or that. By “whispering” he means slander; and by “swellings,” the boastful and inflated characters; or also when conceit becomes second nature to someone. For being lifted up against him, they were honoring the false apostles.

³⁶ Lest, when I come again, my God should humble me before you. That is, The former things are enough; but I fear lest, when I come, I should be compelled to deal with you severely. For he calls this “humiliation,” the chastising of certain ones at all—and yet the many rather regard this as glory. But he did not say, Lest I be humbled, but, Lest God humble me; showing that for God’s sake he is about to do this also; and that, were not God and His command in the midst, he would not have appeared severe of himself. And by saying My God, he makes plain his burning love toward God.

³⁷ And I should mourn many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced. See the tender affections of the apostle, how he mourns for the offenses of others. And he did not say, All, but, Many; and not simply those who had sinned, but those who have not repented; for these are worthy of mourning, who remain in the wound. And he does not even expose these, granting them an easy return to repentance. For indeed it was for this reason that he made mention of repentance, that they might lay hold of it, and that he might not, when he came, chastise them and on this account mourn—that is, be grieved to the uttermost. And mark well the point concerning repentance, against the Novatians.[5] By “uncleanness” understand whatever every unclean person does, or, specifically, the unspeakable defilements of bodily intercourse; for it was not one man who had committed fornication, but many, and in many forms of licentiousness.