Chapter Six

¹ Chapter Six. And working together we also entreat, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. We work together, he says, both with you and with God: with you, that you may be saved; and with God, to the fulfilling of his will, that is, the saving of us; and we entreat always, according to his presence, and as long as we are in this life, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For what profit is it to be released from sins by the divine grace, and then again to be filled with them through one’s own sloth? For again there is enmity, and the grace becomes thenceforth void to us. Do not, then, suppose that to have believed, this alone is reconciliation, but there is need also of the manner of life.

² For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is the well-accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. Now is the well-accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. This—Why well-accepted? The time of grace, in which is remission of sins and the bestowal of righteousness; an acceptable time, in which God receives us, and hearkens to us, and saves. For in the time of judgment he will neither hearken, nor help, nor save. In this time of grace, therefore, we ought to struggle; for easily shall we obtain the good things.

³ Giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that the ministry be not blamed. We entreat, he says, and work together. How? By conducting ourselves without offence. And in the manner of a narrative he counsels, that they too may look to him. For thus, he says, do I direct my life, that—I do not say of accusation, but not even of bare blame—rather, I give no one room for stumbling, that the ministry be not blamed. Again he did not say, That it be not accused, but, That my work and my ministry receive not even the slightest reproach. But some interpreted thus: That the reproach run not back upon the preaching; for this he calls his ministry. For if I live ill, the preaching will be trampled upon, and the blasphemy will run back upon Christ and the faith.

⁴ But in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God. This is the greater thing, not only to make oneself clear of accusations and reproaches, but also to display such a life that through it one is seen to be a minister of God. And he did not say, Appearing, but, Commending, that is, demonstrating.

⁵ In much endurance. He tells also the manner, how he became such, that it was thus through endurance; and not simply, but also much. For it does not suffice to bear one thing and a second, but one must endure to the end.

⁶ In afflictions, in necessities. This is the intensifying of the affliction, when the evils that throttle the man are without outlet.

⁷ In straits. Those from famine, or simply those of the trials.

⁸ In stripes, in imprisonments. When there are both stripes and imprisonments, see how great the evil; whereas even either of these by itself is most grievous.

⁹ In tumults. That is, in persecutions, when one has nowhere to stand, being driven from place to place.

¹⁰ In labours, in watchings, in fastings. Having told the things from those outside, he here adds the things from himself, with which he willingly afflicted himself: Labours, those of the hands, by which he fed both himself and others; and with all these he also watched and fasted.

¹¹ In purity. By this he means chastity, or rather purity in all things, and incorruptibility by gifts, and preaching without expense.

¹² In knowledge. That is, in the wisdom of God, which is truly knowledge; not in the outside wisdom, like the false apostles.

¹³ In long-suffering, in kindness. It is the mark of an adamantine soul, when provoked and goaded on every side, not only to be long-suffering, but also to show kindness.

¹⁴ In the Holy Spirit. He shows whence he accomplished all these things: that it was in the Holy Spirit. And when he had displayed the things from himself, then he set down the help of the Holy Spirit. And it is understood also of spiritual gifts; for in these too we show that we are ministers of God, in that we display miracles. Or that even in the Holy Spirit we gave no offence, that is, in the gifts of the Spirit. For many, being lifted up, like those who have tongues, do not use these as they ought; but Paul not so.

¹⁵ In love unfeigned. This is the cause of all good things; this it was that made the Spirit also to remain with us.

¹⁶ In the word of truth. That is, rightly dividing the word of God.

¹⁷ In the power of God. Nothing, he says, is mine, but all these things came to pass in the power of God, or also in signs and wonders, and the demonstrative power.

¹⁸ Through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. The left-hand weapons of righteousness are all the grievous things; weapons, as walling about and setting in safety; and left, on account of the opinion of the many. For indeed the Lord also commanded us to pray not to enter into temptation. And the right are the more cheerful things. Through both, therefore, Paul was shown blameless, neither contracted by the grievous things, nor puffed up by the more cheerful, but as doing these things of righteousness.

¹⁹ Through glory and dishonour. He interpreted the right-hand and left-hand things, that they are glory and inglory. But how is glory a weapon of righteousness? Because the honouring of teachers leads many to piety. What, then, is this an achievement of Paul’s? Yes, because he was not made vain by being glorified; and the inglory, working endurance, made him approved, and showed the preaching to be of good odour.

²⁰ Through evil report and good report. This too is a great thing, to endure evil report; for it greatly fastens upon the soul. Wherefore the Lord also blesses those who endure reproach. For in the tortures the body shares with the soul the pains; but in the evil report, the whole weight is upon the soul. Whence to Job also this was heavier than the rest.

²¹ As deceivers, and yet true. This is what he says, Through evil report and good report.

²² As unknown, and yet well known. For some were greatly sought after and familiar; but others did not even deign to know them. And this is the same as Through glory and dishonour.

²³ As dying, and behold we live. That is, as men under sentence of death and condemned, and, so far as concerns the purpose of those who plot against us, dying; but, on account of the power of God, behold we live.

²⁴ As chastened, and not put to death. God permits these things, he says, that he may chasten us; so that, even before the rewards yonder, no small good is the gain here, that of the chastening. And this is from David; for he says, Chastening, he says, the Lord chastened me, but he did not deliver me to death.

²⁵ As sorrowing, yet always rejoicing. Among those outside, he says, we seem to be despondent; but we have our pleasure at its height. For we do not rejoice at one time and not at another, but always.

²⁶ As poor, yet making many rich. And according to the spiritual wealth he made many rich, and according to the perceptible also. For having the houses of all opened to him, he was most rich, and able to provide for others and to feed them, as he did the saints in Jerusalem. And he shows this also through what follows.

²⁷ As having nothing, and possessing all things. For he who is nailed to nothing of the things of life has the things of all. For if it had been possible, he says, you would have plucked out even your eyes and given them to me. And all these things he recounted to them, that they might not be troubled at any of the things that seem grievous.

²⁸ Our mouth is opened to you, O Corinthians; our heart is enlarged. Having recounted his own struggles, and having shown them, as in the manner of a narrative, how they ought to imitate him, he is about now to lay hold of them, as not loving him very much. But before doing this, he shows them his own love, and says that I ever wish to speak to you and to converse, and to speak without reserve and with boldness. For this he signifies by The mouth is opened. And he speaks thus because he is about to rebuke them, showing that this above all is love, namely boldness. And not only by the mouth do I show the love, but also by the heart, having it wide toward you. For the warmth of love both opens my mouth, and has enlarged my heart, and made it broad, so as to contain you all; which he also adds:

²⁹ And you are not straitened in us; but you are straitened in your own bowels. You indeed, he says, are contained in my heart, which is broad, without being straitened, and that though you are so many. But in your own bowels you have much straitness, and you cannot contain me broadly, though I am but one; that is, I indeed love you exceedingly, but you, though you do love me, and have me in your bowels, yet do so straitenedly, and not broadly.

³⁰ But for the same recompense (I speak as to children) be you also enlarged. Bring in the same return and equality of friendship, and be you also enlarged, as I am. And he shows that this is also a debt; for As to children, he says, I speak; it is no great thing for him, being a father, to deem himself worthy to be loved by children. For this is a debt for children.

³¹ Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers. Lest he seem to say these things for his own sake, he shows that for the sake of their gain he has need of their friendship, and as it were says: This is to love me, your not mingling with the unbelievers and inclining toward their part. And he did not say, Mingle not, but, Be not unequally yoked; that is, Wrong not what is just, by inclining and attaching yourselves to those to whom it is not lawful. For to be unequally yoked is said of an unjust balance, when the one scale weighs down.

³² For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Here he makes the comparison not of himself and the unbelievers, but of the virtue and nobility of the Corinthians, and the baseness of those others; as when a father, seeing his son consorting with corrupt men, says to him: What fellowship has your nobility with their foulness? You, then, he says, are righteousness itself; but they are lawlessness; what partnership, therefore, have you with them?

³³ And what communion has light with darkness? and what concord has Christ with Belial? Wishing by every means to draw them away from the unbelievers, he did not say, What communion have those of the light with those of the darkness? or those of Christ with those of Belial? but he set the things themselves in place of the persons—light and darkness, which was more; and Christ and Belial, which signifies the apostate. And by this he made the word altogether more fearful.

³⁴ Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? Here he made mention of the persons, that he might not seem simply to accuse vice, or to praise virtue.

³⁵ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. The unbelievers are temples of idols, or even idols; but you are a temple of God—not such as they fable, but of the living God. What agreement, then—that is, likeness or meeting—have you with these?

³⁶ Even as God said, that I will dwell in them, and will walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Lest he seem to flatter, from the Scripture he shows that they are a temple of God. The indwelling of God in us, the purity of life procures; and the walking among us, the earnestness that follows thereafter. For in a man who is pure God dwells; then, when he is moved again to other works, God is said to walk among him; and then indeed God becomes his God, as he ascends into the rank of the patriarchs.

³⁷ Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separate, and touch not an unclean thing, and I will receive you, says the Lord. He did not say, Do not strange things, but, Touch not. And uncleanness is twofold: either of the body, or of the soul; of the soul, as filthy thoughts, and the looking with unchaste eyes, and bearing of grudges, and guiles, and such things; of the body, as fornication, adultery, and all licentiousness. He wishes, then, us to be pure on both sides. Come out, therefore, from the midst of the unbelievers, and be separate, that is, be set apart and cleansed, and then I will receive you. For when you are released from the wicked, then you shall be united to God.

³⁸ And I will be to you a Father, and you shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Do you see how the prophet proclaimed beforehand the regeneration and adoption that has now come to us through baptism?