Chapter 1

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians

1 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter One

¹ Argument of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. The blessed Paul adds a second Epistle to the Corinthians, because in the first Epistle he had promised to come to them, but delayed—inasmuch as the Spirit was occupying him with other, more necessary matters, and trials had been laid upon him. It was necessary, then, to make a defense concerning the delay, which had grown long; and on this account he composes this second Epistle, defending himself for the things in which he had delayed. And at the same time it was fitting to receive and to praise them, since they had become better[1] as a result of the first Epistle; for as he had brought charges against them when they sinned, so it was necessary to praise them when they had been set right. Wherefore the Epistle is not the more accusatory in tone, except perhaps a few of its parts toward the end, and these on account of those from among the Jews who were boasting and slandering him as an unlettered man and worthy of no account.

² Chapter One. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother. In the first Epistle he had sent Timothy there; then, having received him back again, he reasonably joins him to himself. For Timothy too had given the Corinthians proof of his own virtue, and as one who had already become known to them and had set right many things among them, he takes him to himself in the Epistle. And observe: at one time he calls him son—for As a son with his father, he says, he served with me—at another, fellow-worker—For he works the work of the Lord, as I also do—but now, brother; making him in every way worthy of reverence.

³ To the Church of God which is in Corinth. Again he binds them together, by saying “Church.” For those who are torn asunder are not a Church.

⁴ With all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia. He makes mention of all those in Achaia, at once both honoring the Corinthians, as one who through the Epistle to them addresses all, and at the same time gathering the whole nation into concord. And besides, because they too were being shaken, he makes the treatment common as well; which he does also when writing to the Galatians and to the Hebrews. And by calling them saints he shows that, if anyone is unclean, he is not worthy of this appellation and of this approach.

⁵ Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes the customary salutation now also. And concerning these things it has been said in other places.

⁶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He had promised in the first Epistle to come to them; then, having delayed, he strongly suspected that they were grieved, as though others had been preferred to them by him. Wishing, therefore, to make a defense, and to show that he had been hindered by reason of the many trials laid upon him, he makes his defense skillfully. For I give thanks, he says—to God, that is—as to one who delivered me from dangers; intimating through the thanksgiving that the things which hindered him were something great; being set free, he gives thanks. And consider the word God; then, and Father of the Lord; and if you should also understand it conjointly, The God and Father of the Lord, there is nothing strange; for it belongs to one and the same Christ to be, according to that which is human, [his] God, and according to the Godhead, [to have him as] Father.

⁷ The Father of mercies, and God of all comfort. That is, he who displayed mercies so great as to lead us up from the very gates of death, and to count us worthy of all comfort in our afflictions. And it is the custom of the saints to name God from the benefactions done to them: upon victory in wars, I will love thee, O Lord, my strength, he says; and, The Lord is my defender; but when they are delivered from gloom, and darkening of mind, and grief, The Lord is my light. So then now also Paul names him Father of mercies and God of comfort, from what had befallen him. And observe his humility. For having been delivered from the trials endured for the sake of the preaching, he does not say that I was delivered according to my desert, but, On account of the mercies of God.

⁸ Who comforts us in all our affliction. He did not say, Who does not allow us to be afflicted, but, Who comforts us in our being afflicted. For he allows us to be afflicted, that through endurance we may have a reward; and whenever he sees us flagging, he comforts; and he ever does this. Wherefore Paul too did not say that he comforted once, but, He who comforts—that is, always. And not in this or that affliction, but, In all.

⁹ So that we may be able to comfort those who are in every affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Not because we are worthy to be comforted, he says, does God on this account comfort us; but that from the example of the comfort shown to me I may be able to comfort others also who are in trials. So that you too, seeing me thus comforted, may not fall down when you are in afflictions. And through this he shows both the work of the apostles, and that they are appointed for anointing and rousing others; and not, like the false apostles, that they live in luxury, and sitting at home overlook those who need comfort and rousing.

¹⁰ For just as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. Do not fall down, he says, O hearer, on hearing of afflictions and sufferings. For by as much as these abound, by so much do the comforts also abound. And he did not say simply, Sufferings, but, Of Christ, that from this very thing he might also console. For these sufferings which we suffer are Christ’s, and we become partakers with him of the sufferings; so that let this very thing be the greatest comfort to you, that you undergo the afflictions of Christ; or rather, not those alone, but even more. For the sufferings of Christ, he says, abound unto us—that is, We suffer more than the things which Christ suffered. But perceiving how great a thing he had uttered, and that it was a weighty thing, he again draws it in, saying, So through Christ does our comfort also abound. For he refers the whole to him. And he does not say that the comfort is of equal measure with the afflictions, but, It abounds, and this is far greater than the afflictions.

¹¹ Whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. But on this account, he says, you ought not to be troubled at my afflictions, since it is for your salvation and comfort that we are afflicted. For it was possible for us to pass our life in safety by not preaching; but now, by preaching, that we may by all means save you, and comfort your souls through the preaching and the good things that come from it, we fall in with afflictions. We endure the afflictions, then, for your salvation; and so you ought not to be disturbed.

¹² Which works inwardly in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. This salvation, he says, is worked inwardly not only through our endurance, but also through yours; that is, Your salvation is the work not of me alone, but also of yourselves. For just as I am afflicted in preaching, so you also, in receiving the preaching, endure the same sufferings which I also do. And he bears them much witness of virtue, in that they received the preaching amid trials.

¹³ And our hope for you is firm. That is, we are firmly confident concerning you, that you will not be overturned by the trials that befall you; much more, then, will you not be disturbed at the things in which you see us suffering.

¹⁴ Whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation. Having said above that we are afflicted, lest he should seem to say something burdensome, he now says, And we are comforted for your sakes; that is, Our comfort becomes a refreshment to you. For if we breathe even a little, this suffices for your consolation. For you share with us in the gladness.

¹⁵ Knowing that, just as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of our comfort. Just as, he says, you grieve when we are persecuted, as suffering this yourselves, so we know that, when we are comforted also, you reckon that you yourselves enjoy the comfort.

¹⁶ For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning the affliction which came upon us in Asia, that we were exceedingly weighed down beyond [our] strength, so that we despaired even of living. Since he had made mention of affliction indefinitely, he now says of what kind. And through this he shows also his love toward them. For it belongs to love to lay bare the things that befall one to another; and at the same time he weaves a defense for the delay. And he says that the affliction came upon him in Asia, concerning which he spoke also in the former Epistle, that a great door has been opened to me, and the adversaries are many. And he seems to say the same thing by exceedingly and by beyond strength; but it is not so. What he means is this: The trial was exceeding—that is, great. Then, since it is possible for a trial to be great, yet to be borne nobly by one who is strong, he says that it was not only great, but also beyond our strength; that is, both great, and unbearable, and so great that we despaired even of living—that is, that we no longer even expected to live. And such a thing David calls the gates of Hades, and birth-pangs that bring forth death, and the shadow of death.

¹⁷ But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves. The judgment, the verdict, the decree which the circumstances rendered, all but uttering a voice; that is, As far as our own surmise the expectation of death stood, and the answer which the nature of the circumstances gave; but it advanced no further.

¹⁸ That we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God alone. And why did this come to pass? he says: That we might learn not to be confident in ourselves, but in God alone. And this Paul says, not as though he himself needed now to learn this (for who knew better than he that one must be confident in God?), but as regulating the others, in the things which he speaks concerning himself; and at the same time teaching humility.

¹⁹ To him who raises the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us. Again he reminds them of the discourse concerning the resurrection, on behalf of which he had said so much in the former Epistle, confirming it also from things present. Wherefore he added, Who delivered us from so great a death. For he did not say, From danger, but, From death. For since the resurrection was a thing to come and unseen, he shows that this comes to pass every day. For whenever God draws up a man who has come to the very gates of Hades, he displays nothing other than a resurrection; whence we too are accustomed to say of such men, We have seen a resurrection of the dead.

²⁰ And we have hoped that he will yet deliver us. From this we learn that our life ought ever to be in a struggle; for by saying He will deliver, he announces beforehand the snow-flurries of many trials.

²¹ You also helping together on our behalf by your supplication. Since the words That we should not be trusting in ourselves seemed to some a common accusation, intimating those men also, he softens the saying, calling their prayers a great shield in their stead. And we are taught from this both humility, if indeed Paul had need of the prayer of the Corinthians, and the power of prayer itself. For the prayer that is made by the Church as it ought has great power, so that Paul too has need of it.

²² That from many persons the gift bestowed upon us may be given thanks for by many on our behalf. God delivered us, he says, and will deliver us through your prayers, that the gift bestowed upon us through many—that is, the grace that came to me through many—that is, through you having prayed earnestly for me—may be given thanks for by many persons, namely, by you. For my salvation, which comes to pass through your prayers, he bestowed upon you all, that many persons might give thanks to him on your behalf. And we learn from this not only to pray for one another, but also to give thanks for one another. And observe how, at the beginning, he says that he was saved on account of the mercies of God; but now he ascribes his salvation to their prayers. For together with the divine mercy we must contribute also the things on our part. And here too Paul neither gave the whole of the achievement to the Corinthians, lest he puff them up, nor altogether estranged them from it, lest he make them more slothful. For God will deliver us, he says, you also helping together by supplication—that is, contributing the things on your own part.

²³ For this is our boasting, the testimony of our conscience. And this also, he says, is to us an occasion of consolation, our conscience bearing us witness that we are driven and persecuted not as men caught in wicked deeds, but for virtue’s sake and the salvation of the many. The former comfort, then, was from God; but this, he says, is from the purity of my conscience; wherefore he also names it a boasting, showing the great confidence which he had in his pure conscience.

²⁴ That in simplicity and godly sincerity. What, he says, does the conscience bear us witness of? and why do we boast? That in simplicity—that is, in a guileless mind—and sincerity—that is, in purity of understanding and in freedom from deceit, having nothing shadowed over and underhanded, such as God accepts. And these things he says on account of the deceitful false apostles.

²⁵ Not in fleshly wisdom. That is, in cleverness of words and in the contrivance of sophistries. For this is the fleshly wisdom in which, while those men were boasting, he himself denies it and thrusts it from him.

²⁶ But in the grace of God we conducted ourselves in the world. That is, in the wisdom bestowed by him, and in the signs and wonders which were the grace of God. And it is a very great comfort for one to be conscious to himself that he does all things not by human power, but by divine grace. And not in Corinth only, but also in the whole world.

²⁷ And more abundantly toward you. How? Because, together with the signs, he also preached the Gospel among them without charge. And observe that what was his own achievement, this he ascribes to the grace of God.

²⁸ For we write no other things to you than what you read, or also acknowledge. Since he seemed to say great things concerning himself, lest anyone should say that these were a vaunting of words, he says that We write to you those things which you read indeed in these letters, but which you also knew, having known them beforehand. For your knowledge, which you have taken up beforehand concerning me, is not contrary to my letters. But some understood this thus: We write to you those things which you read—that is, are put in remembrance of; for reading is a putting in remembrance, or a knowledge from of old. And why do I speak, he says, of the things of which you are reminded? Nay rather, the things which you acknowledge to be our own, not even needing a reminder, because they are manifest.

²⁹ And I hope that you will acknowledge even to the end, just as you also acknowledged us in part. He refers the whole to God. For I hope, he says—in God, that is—that you will acknowledge us to be such as my epistles also declare, and as my past life guarantees. For in part you acknowledged us—that is, You had experience of us, who showed you in part certain tokens of a virtuous life. And this he said with modesty.

³⁰ That we are your boast, just as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord [our] Jesus Christ. What will you acknowledge? That I am your boast; that is, I am such as to give you occasion of boasting in me, in that you have such a teacher, who taught nothing human, nothing underhanded, nothing deceitful. Then, lest he should seem to speak great things concerning himself, he makes the boast common, and says that You too will be my boast. For I shall boast that I obtained such disciples, who are not led astray, nor deceived by the false apostles. And when shall we boast in one another? Both now, but especially in that day. For now indeed the many see the reproaches and the mockeries which we undergo, and perhaps slander us; but then, when all things are uncovered, I too shall appear to be not such as the false apostles slander me to be; and you also will be our boast, in that you were not joined to the deceivers.

³¹ And in this confidence I was minded to come to you before. In what confidence? In being conscious to myself of nothing wicked, in being your boast, in being not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and in having you as witnesses of all these things. On these accounts, then, he says, I was minded to come to you.

³² That you might have a second grace. That is, a twofold joy: both that through the former Epistle, and that through my presence.

³³ And to pass through you into Macedonia. Just as he had said in the former Epistle, And I will come to you, when I have passed through Macedonia. But here he says, I was minded to come to you first. What then? Does he contradict himself? God forbid. For he did not say, I wrote that I would go away through you into Macedonia, but, I was minded. For even if I did not so write, he says, nevertheless I was zealous and minded to come to you even before I should see Macedonia; so far was I from being slothful to come to you, and from falling short of the promise, that I even wished to anticipate it.

³⁴ And again to come to you from Macedonia, and by you to be set forward toward Judea. In the former Epistle he had spoken indefinitely, That you may set me forward wherever I may go; fearing lest, having said, To Judea, and then being constrained by the Spirit to go away elsewhere, he should appear a liar. But now, since he had failed of coming to them, he speaks boldly thereafter, saying, To Judea I wished to be set forward by you; but God was not pleased that I should come to you at all, nor that I should be set forward by you toward Judea. Hear, then, what follows also.

³⁵ Being minded of this, then, did I perhaps use levity? Or the things which I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea, yea, and the nay, nay? Here he makes his defense more openly concerning the delay, and says that, Being minded to come to you, for what reason did I not come? Was it as one fickle and easily swayed, and minded now one thing, now another? By no means. Do I, then, purpose according to the flesh—that is, in human fashion—and govern myself by my own judgment, so that whatever I determine with myself, this I also accomplish, whether yea or nay? Neither is this so. But I am led by the Spirit, and I have no authority to go away wherever I will, but wherever it shall command. So that often with me the yea is not yea, because this did not also seem good to the Spirit; nor the nay, nay, because what I myself refuse, this the Spirit commands. And observe his wisdom: how that which the slanderers made a pretext for reviling—his promising to come, and not coming—this he himself ranks in the place of a commendation, namely, that he had no authority over himself, but was led by the Spirit wherever it seemed good to it. But what then? Did he promise the things he promised without the working of the Spirit, but was ignorant of the future? He was ignorant; for he did not know all things; so that he even prayed for things not expedient, as in the matter of the thorn. And in the Acts also he is found wishing to go away elsewhere, and being hindered by the Spirit. And this God did profitably, lest they should worship them as gods, which is what the Lystrans experienced.

³⁶ But God is faithful, that our word toward you was not yea and nay. He resolves an objection that arises, by representing someone as saying: If the things you say are not firm, but you often say yea, and it is found to be nay, we are taught to suspect lest your word and your preaching too be of this kind, yea and nay—that is, unstable and unsure. He says, then, resolving this, that to promise to come was mine, wherefore I also failed of it; but the preaching is God’s, and it is impossible that the things of God should prove false; wherefore he also said, God is faithful—that is, true. So that, since he is true, neither is his word toward you, which we preached, unstable and unsure, that with you there should be yea and yea, and nay.

³⁷ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you through us, through me and Silvanus and Timothy, became not yea and nay, but in him was yea. Thereafter he says what word became not yea and nay: that which was preached among you became not yea and nay—that is, it was not that now this was preached, now that; but it became yea, that is, it was preached firmly and immovably. And he enumerates also the multitude of those who preached, both making the testimony worthy of credit, and teaching humility, in that he makes his own disciples fellow-teachers.

³⁸ For as many as are the promises of God, in him is the yea, and in him the Amen, to the glory of God through us. In the preaching there are many things that have been promised: the resurrection of the dead, adoption as sons, and, in a word, the hopes of the age to come. He says, then, that not only does the preaching stand thus, and was preached firmly, but that the promises in it are God’s as well. And what God promised, they have in him the yea, and the Amen—that is, the firmness. For they are fulfilled not in any of men, but in God himself; so that they are firm. But they are also unto his glory; and by all means, if for no other reason, yet at least for the sake of his own glory, God will fulfill his promises. And how will he fulfill them? Through us—that is, the occasion to him of fulfilling the promises is those who receive the things promised. If, then, the promises of God are firm, much more shall he himself, and the word concerning him, be firm. Or the words through us are to be taken in another way also: that is, to the glory of God which is brought to him through us; for through us he is glorified.

³⁹ Now he who confirms us with you unto Christ, and who anointed us, is God; who also sealed us and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Having said above that he himself fulfills the promises, he now establishes this, and says that the very fact that you stand firmly in the faith that is unto Christ, and I myself, your teacher, he himself gives; and he himself anointed us and sealed us—that is, he made us prophets, and kings, and priests. For such is every spiritual man: a prophet, having seen the things which the simple did not see; and a priest, as one who ought to offer himself a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God; and a king, as having become a son of God the King of all, and heir of the kingdom to come, and as now reigning over disordered thoughts, and set above the whole world. As, then, of old the priests and kings were anointed with oil, so now also we have been anointed with the Spirit, God having given in our hearts the earnest of the Spirit; and if he gave the earnest, he will assuredly give the whole also. And by “earnest” he means the present gifts of the Spirit. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but then we shall receive that which is perfect, when Christ shall be manifested in his glory. Do not, then, suppose that it is we who promise to you, and that perhaps we shall prove false. For neither are we the ones who establish you, but God both promises, and establishes, both me and you. He, then, will fulfill all things. And you ought to infer besides, that the God who did such and such things, he himself fulfills his own promises.

⁴⁰ But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that, sparing you, I came no more to Corinth. And yet above he said that, For this reason I did not come, because I had no authority over myself, but was hindered by the Spirit. How then does he now say that, Because I spared you I did not come? Either this very thing is of the Spirit; for the Spirit suggested to him not to come, putting forward the sparing of them. Or because at the beginning the Spirit hindered, but afterward he himself also, reckoning that this was better, remained. Observe his wisdom: since those men said that, For this reason you did not come, because, as it seems, you hated us; he, on the contrary, says that, For this reason I did not come, because I spare you. And this he says because there were certain among them sinning and not having repented, against whom he would have proceeded had he come and found them unamended. He waited, then, that when they had been set right, he might then come, and not find them deserving of punishment.

⁴¹ Not that we have lordship over your faith, but we are fellow-workers of your joy. Since again what he had said seemed too imperious (for one spares those over whom, when he punishes them, he is lord), he soothes the roughness of the saying, and says that, I said that I spare you, not because of having authority over your faith (for faith is a matter of free choice, and no one constrains there the one who is unwilling); but because your joy is mine, I did not come, lest I should cast you into grief, and I myself also be grieved. For I do all things for your joy, and on this account I remained, that, finding you set right by the mere threat, I might keep you free from grief.

⁴² For by faith you stand. He discourses with them in a subdued manner, because of having struck them much in the former Epistle. And what he means is this: In the things that pertain to faith you stand. In these things, then, I had nothing to blame you for; but in others you were being shaken; and had you not set these right, I would have proceeded against them, and with reason would have grieved you, as being myself also grieved.

2 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Two

¹ Chapter Two. But I determined this with myself, not to come again to you in grief. The word again shows that, You grieved me at another time also; but otherwise [he means], that, For this reason I did not come, lest I should grieve you again; which has indeed the same sense (for on this very account he too grieved them with the penalties, because they grieved him with their sins), only it is not equally severe.

² For if I grieve you, who then is he that gladdens me, except he who is grieved by me? Even though I grieve you, he says, in rebuking you and turning away from you, yet for this very reason I am gladdened, in that, as it seems, you set great store by me, so as to be stung whenever I turn away from you and rebuke you; for no one, he says, gladdens me so much as he who is grieved when he sees me angered. For he makes plain that he does not despise me. Whence also, by giving hopes of amendment, in this respect too he gladdens me.

³ And I wrote to you this very thing. What thing? That, sparing you, I did not come. And where did I write it? In this Epistle.

⁴ Lest, when I came, I should have grief from those over whom I ought to rejoice. For this reason, he says, I have now written to you, that you may be set right, and that I may not, coming upon you unamended, have grief over you, who ought to be giving me occasions of gladness.

⁵ Having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. I wrote, he says, having confidence that you will be set right, and that from this I shall rejoice. And my joy is the joy of you all. So that for this reason I said, Lest I should be grieved—not looking to my own interest, but to yours. For I know that, if you see me rejoicing, you rejoice; and if grieving, you grieve.

⁶ For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears. Since he said above, He who is grieved gladdens me, lest they should say, This very thing you are eager for, to grieve us, that you yourself may be gladdened; for this reason he says that, I myself also grieve exceedingly, more than you who sin. For it was not out of affliction simply, but out of much; nor through tears simply, but through many, and out of anguish of heart, I wrote; for despondency seizes my heart, constraining and straitening it, and on this account I wrote. Just as if some father who is a physician, cutting or cauterizing his child, is grieved on both sides—both because he is in pain, and because he is compelled to cut him—yet in another way is gladdened, because of the hope of healing; so I too, seeing you sinning, am grieved; but in another way I am gladdened at your being grieved, because of the hope of your amendment.

⁷ Not that you should be grieved, but that you should know the love which I have more abundantly toward you. The consistent thing would have been to say, Not that you should be grieved, but that you should be set right; but he does not say this; rather, he sweetens the discourse, wishing to draw them to himself, by showing that he loves them more abundantly than the other disciples, and that, even if he grieves, he grieves out of love, and not out of anger. For it belongs to the greatest love that, when you sin, I am grieved, and hasten to rebuke you, and thereby grieve you. But if I had left you unhealed, it would have been [a mark] of negligence.

⁸ But if anyone has caused grief, he has grieved not me, but in part—that I may not overburden—all of you. Through these words he wishes love to be confirmed toward the one who had committed fornication, concerning whom he wrote in the former Epistle; for at Paul’s command all had turned away from him as abominable. Lest, then, being commanded the contrary—that is, to receive him, and to forgive him—they should again be scandalized at Paul as inconstant, he handles the discourse most wisely, and makes them partakers of the pardon, saying that, Just as he grieved us in common, so in common again be gladdened at his pardon. For he has grieved, he says, not me alone, but you all also, in part; that is, He grieved you a little—that I may not say that he grieved you utterly—so as not to overburden him; since in truth he grieved you also, in like manner as me; but nevertheless, that I may not overburden him who committed the fornication, in part, I say, you were grieved.

⁹ Sufficient for such a one is this rebuke, which was [inflicted] by the many. He does not say, To the one who committed fornication, but, To such a one, as also in the former Epistle. But there, indeed, he was unwilling even to name him; while here, sparing him, he does not even anywhere make mention of the sin; teaching us also to be more compassionate toward the contrite.

¹⁰ So that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive and comfort him. Not only, he says, loose the rebuke, but bestow something more upon him, and comfort him; that is, recover him, heal him; just as if one who is scourging another should be urged not only to release him, but also to heal his stripes. And well did he say, Forgive. For lest that man should suppose that he was let off as having sufficiently confessed and repented enough, he shows that he receives the remission not so much from his repentance as from their favor.

¹¹ Lest such a one be swallowed up by the excessive grief. He must be received, he says, and comforted, and healed, lest he be swallowed up, as it were by some wild beast, or by a storm and surge—[that is, by] grief; and lest either he come to a halter, like Judas, through despair, or spring away, not bearing the pain of the immoderate rebuke, and be hurled headlong into a greater wickedness. And observe how he restrains that man also, lest he become more slothful after the remission. For I did not receive you, he says, because you have wholly washed off the defilement, but lest you suffer something more grievous through your weakness. And mark, that the penalties must be defined not according to the nature of the sins, but according to the disposition of those who sin.

¹² Wherefore I beseech you to confirm love toward him. No longer as a teacher does he command, but as an advocate he beseeches the judges to confirm—that is, to ratify—love, and not simply, and as it chanced, to receive him. And he shows also their virtue, if indeed, having formerly so loved the man as even to support him, they now, on account of the sin, so turned away from him that Paul must even beseech on his behalf.

¹³ For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. He frightens them, that, fearing the condemnation of disobedience, they may readily forgive the man. For to this end, he says, I wrote, that I might know the proof of you—that is, the virtue that is in obedience; that, just as you hearkened to me in rebuking him, so now also you may hearken in comforting him; for this is the meaning of whether you are obedient in all things. And yet it was not for this that he wrote, but for that man’s salvation; nevertheless, where no harm is done, he gratifies them also.

¹⁴ But to whom you forgive anything, I also. Through these words he softens the contentiousness and obstinacy that perhaps would rise up among them, so as not to forgive the man. For behold, he sets them as taking the lead in the favor, and himself as following, saying that, To whom you forgive, to that man I also forgive.

¹⁵ For I too, if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven it, [I did so] for your sakes in the person of Christ. Lest they should think themselves lords of forgiving, and on this account also be negligent of releasing the man, he shows them that he himself has already forgiven such a one, so that they can no longer set themselves in array against him. But lest they be wounded as being overlooked, he says, For your sakes I forgave him; for I knew that this is acceptable to you. Then, lest he should seem to have pardoned for men’s sake, he added, In the person of Christ—that is, According to God, and in the sight of Christ, and as though Christ commanded this, and as being a representative of him, I pardoned; or, “to the glory of Christ.” If, then, the pardon is done to the glory of Christ, how must not this man be pardoned, that Christ may be glorified?

¹⁶ That we be not overreached by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices. Lest the harm become common, he says, and the number of Christ’s flock be diminished. And well did he name the thing covetousness; for the devil takes not the things that belong to himself, but seizes our things also; and especially if [he does so] through a method of our own—that is, through repentance that becomes immoderate; wherefore he also called the devil’s malice and craft “devices,” and [showed] how under a pretext of piety he destroys. For he trips men up not only by fornication, but also by immoderate grief. How then is it not covetousness, when he captures us even out of our own things?

¹⁷ Now when I came to Troas for the Gospel of Christ, and a door had been opened to me in the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother. He said above that afflictions came upon him in Asia, and showed how he was delivered from them; now again he teaches that he was afflicted in another way too, by not finding Titus. For when the comforter is not present, the trial is more grievous. So why do you blame me for the delay, who fell in with so many constraints, which did not allow us to travel as we wished? And he does not say simply that he sojourned at Troas, but, For the Gospel—that is, in order to preach. How then did you not preach, and that when a door had been opened to you? I preached indeed, but not for long, because I found not Titus. For I had no rest—that is, I was afflicted, I was pained, because of his absence. Did you then on this account abandon the work of God? Not on this account, but because the work was hindered in his absence. For I indeed greatly desired to preach, but the absence of Titus became a hindrance; for he was a great help when present.

¹⁸ But taking leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia. That is, I did not spend more time there, being straitened. For a great door had been opened—that is, much work; only by the absence of my fellow-worker I was hindered.

¹⁹ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ. Since he had recounted many griefs—the one in Asia, the one in Troas, the one because of not coming to them—lest he should seem to be enumerating these as one lamenting, he says that, I give thanks to God, because he always leads us in triumph—that is, he shows us conspicuous. For a triumph is the procession, with victory and trophies, of a king or general through the midst of the city. And so God too makes us conspicuous with the trophies over the devil. Our dishonors, at least, are our glory; for then the devil falls. And these things come to pass in Christ—that is, on account of Christ and the preaching; or because in Christ we are led in triumph, that is, we are glorified, bearing Christ as a kind of trophy, and in his splendor we too are glorified.

²⁰ And who makes manifest through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place. A costly ointment, he says, is the knowledge of God, which we make manifest to all men; or rather, not the ointment itself, but the fragrance of it. For the present knowledge is not exceedingly clear, but through a mirror and in an enigma. As, then, he who smells the fragrance knows indeed that there is an ointment lying somewhere, but of what nature in its substance, no longer; so we too know that it is, but what it is in its substance, no longer. We are, as it were, a royal censer, and wherever we go, we carry about also the fragrance of the spiritual ointment—that is, of the knowledge of God. Having said above, then, that We are always led in triumph, he now says that, In every place also we make men fragrant. For every place and time is filled with our things. So that we must bear nobly even this, that we are glorified now also, even before the things to come.

²¹ We are a fragrance of Christ to God, among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing. Either he means this, that We offer ourselves a sacrifice, dying for Christ; or that, At the slaying of Christ, we too are offered up as a kind of incense. And what he means is this: that whether some are being saved, or are perishing, the Gospel abides, holding its own excellence, and we abide being this which we are. And just as the light, even if it darkens the weak, is nonetheless light; and honey, even if it be bitter to those who are jaundiced, is nonetheless sweet; so also the Gospel is fragrant, even if some, disbelieving, perish. And we are a fragrance, and not simply, but, to God. And when he gives the verdict, who is there to gainsay?

²² To the one a fragrance of death unto death; to the other a fragrance of life unto life. Since he said, We are a fragrance among those who are perishing, lest you should think that they too are acceptable, he added these words, and says that of this fragrance some so receive it as to be saved, others so as to perish; just as the ointment is said to choke both swine and beetles; and Christ is a rock of offense, and set for a fall. This shows that the fire burns up the thorns, but refines the precious things.

²³ And who is sufficient for these things? Since he uttered great things, that We are a fragrance, and that We are led in triumph, again he is modest, and says that for these things our weakness did not suffice, except for the power of God; for his is the whole, and nothing is ours.

²⁴ For we are not, like the many, peddling the word of God. Here he indicates the false apostles, who declared the grace of God to be their own achievement; and he says that, For this reason I said, Who is sufficient? and I referred the whole to God, because I am not, like the false apostles, peddling and adulterating the gift of God. And he intimates that they also falsified the teaching with the sophistries of outward wisdom, and sold for money that which ought to be given freely. But we are not such; he adds, then:

²⁵ But as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, in Christ we speak. That is, from a pure and guileless mind, and as having from God the things which we speak, and not as ourselves achieving them from our own resources. And in Christ—not in our own wisdom, but resounding with the power that is from him. And he said in the sight of God in order to show the uprightness of his heart and its boldness. For so pure is our heart, that we make it manifest to God.

3 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Three

¹ Chapter Three. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Since he uttered great things concerning himself, he says: Perhaps someone will say, What is this, O Paul? You exalt yourself in saying these things about yourself. This objection, then, he resolves through what follows.

² Unless we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you? This he says with severity, making the discourse more cutting; and he intimates the false apostles, the false ones, who, not having it in them to be known from their own works, fabricated letters of commendation and carried them about wherever they wished, being by these commended and made known. What he means, then, speaking with severity, is this: Unless perhaps someone should say that we must bring letters of commendation to you, that through them we may be made known; or again, [letters] from you to others. Then he adds, with feeling:

³ You are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. What the letters would have done, commending us and making us reverenced, this you do, both being seen and being heard; and wherever we go, we carry you about; for, written in the heart, we both behold you and point out your virtue to all. So that, since I have you as an epistle commending me to others, I do not need letters from you beforehand, that through them I may be made known to those who do not know me. But also, since you are in my mind, I do not need that any others should commend me to me. For toward those who are unknown one needs letters, not toward those who know; but you are written in my mind, so that you cannot even fall away. And here he bears them witness not only of love, but also of good deeds; if indeed they were able to show to all men the dignity of their teacher. For the virtue of disciples adorns the teacher.

⁴ Made manifest, that you are an epistle of Christ. How? In that the law of Christ[2] and his commandments abide with you, and are kept in the manner of letters.

⁵ Ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. Taking occasion to compare the law with the gospel, he begins from here, and says that, Just as Moses became a minister of the law, so we too became ministers of your faith unto the preaching; and just as he hewed[3] the tablets, so we too [hewed] your hearts. And the law indeed was written with ink; but the gospel has been written in you with the Spirit. By as much, then, as the Spirit differs from ink, and a heart from stone, by so much also does the New differ from the law. And the words In tablets that are hearts of flesh, read thus, by transposition: In tablets of flesh; then, in the middle, that is, of hearts. Or also, since the hearts of the hardened are of stone, on this account he called the hearts of the faithful fleshly, as receptive of the word.

⁶ And such confidence we have through Christ toward God; not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reckon anything, as from ourselves. Since he showed the things of the New to be greater than those of the Old, and the consistent inference was to conclude that, We too, then, the apostles, the ministers of the New, are greater than Moses, who ministered to the Old—but this seemed [a mark] of arrogance—he says that, Nothing is ours, but our confidence—that is, our boasting—is through Christ toward God. For Christ is the cause to us of boasting in God, and nothing is ours, not even the least. For this is what he makes plain by saying, For we are not sufficient to reckon anything as from ourselves.

⁷ But our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of a New Covenant. Our power, he says, is from God; for he himself made us sufficient—that is, empowered us, wrought us fit—as ministers of this great and divine thing, the New Covenant.

⁸ Not of letter, but of Spirit. The law also indeed was spiritual—that is, set down by the Spirit; yet it did not supply the Spirit, as the New does. This, then, is what he means: that We were entrusted not with letter, as Moses was, but with the supply of Spirit. For the apostles not only taught spiritual and divine things, but also, laying on their hands, gave the Spirit.

⁹ For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. The law, he says, if it take one who has sinned in what seems a very small matter—as the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath—puts him to death; but the Holy Spirit, receiving those who have transgressed in ten thousand evil things, justifies them in the laver of baptism, and gives life to those who are dead in sin.

¹⁰ But if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came to be in glory. Having taught above the difference of the New as compared with the Old—that the one was written with ink, this with the Spirit; and the one on stones, this on hearts; and the one kills, but this gives life—he now wishes to show that the glory of the Gospel also is greater. But since the law had a sensible glory, that of the face of Moses, while the New has an intelligible glory, which no one beholds sensibly, he shows the surpassing excellence of the glory of the Gospel from reasoning, and says: that the law was a minister of death. And he did not say productive, lest he give room to the heretics, but a servant. For sin was productive of death; but this brought on the punishment. And it was also mere letters, supplying no help to those who struggle—which is what happens in baptism—but rather pointing out the penalties as ineffaceable. For engraved on stones, he says, was this ministry of death. If, then, the law, being such, came to be in glory, how much more the grace, which surpasses incomparably?

¹¹ So that the sons of Israel could not gaze upon the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face, which was being done away. And he accuses the Jews with reason. For so gross were they, he says, as not to be able even to behold a sensible glory. And he did not say that the law and the tablets had the glory, but the face of Moses; for Moses was glorious, not the tablets of the law. But he also takes down this very glory of Moses, calling it being done away, instead of, ceasing. And observe that he did not say, The evil [glory], but, That which takes an end, and is being brought to a close.

¹² How shall not the ministry of the Spirit be much more in glory? Just as he called the law a ministry of death, the consistent thing was to call the gospel a ministry of life; but he said the greater thing, of the Spirit. For the New Covenant has the supply not of life only, but, what is greater, of the Spirit also, which supplies the life. Much more, then, shall this be in glory than the law.

¹³ For if the ministry of condemnation was glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. Again he turns the same thought about; and, in explaining how he said that The letter kills, he says that the law is a ministry of condemnation, as punitive of sin, not productive of it; and the Gospel a ministry of righteousness; for it not only releases from punishment, but also justifies sinners.

¹⁴ For indeed that which was glorified has not been glorified in this respect, by reason of the surpassing glory. And why, he says, do I compare the Old and the New? For so great is the surpassing excellence of the New that in this respect—that is, in being compared—that which was glorified, namely the Old, will not be reckoned even to have glory, because of the surpassing glory of the New. For although the law was glorified, considered in itself, yet, because of the surpassing measure of the glory of the Gospel, it appears without glory. And observe that in this also he commends the Old; for comparisons are made among good things.

¹⁵ For if that which is being done away [came] through glory, much more that which abides [is] in glory. And he adds another reasoning. For if the law, which was to be done away and to cease, was given through glory, much more shall the abiding New Covenant, which ever continues, be in glory.

¹⁶ Having, therefore, such a hope, we use great boldness. Since he bore witness to some great glory of the New, but the hearers perhaps, as being weak, desired to see a sensible glory, he says that, We have a hope. Of what kind? That we, all who have believed, have been counted worthy of greater things than Moses; and on this account we use great boldness toward those who are being taught, hiding nothing, withholding nothing; and we do not dread your faces, as Moses did those of the Jews; for you are not weak, as they were. For Moses, after receiving the tablets the second time, having come down from the mountain, had his face shining, so that the Jews could not approach him and converse with him, until he put a veil upon his face. Of this history Paul now reminds them, and says:

¹⁷ And not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the sons of Israel should not gaze upon the end of that which was being done away. That is, there is no need for us to be veiled, as Moses was; for you are able to see this glory which we have, the glory of the Gospel, though it is brighter than that one; that is, you are able to understand the mysteries of God, namely the gospel, and we need not hide these things from you, as with a kind of veil, [namely] by obscurity. But the Israelites, being gross, were not able to see that the law has an end, and that it would be done away; for the veil signifies their gross understanding, as you will learn hereafter. But some understood it thus: that this very thing, their not being able to gaze, showed that the glory had an end. For, not being seen, neither was it a glory; and thus it was made plain that it would be short-lived, from its not even being seen openly.

¹⁸ But their minds were hardened; until this day the same veil remains upon the reading of the Old Covenant, not being uncovered, because in Christ it is done away. Their mind was hardened, he says, and on this account neither did those of that time see, nor those of now, as being hardened, and having the same veil upon the face of Moses—that is, in the superficial reading of the law (for Christ calls the law Moses, as in the saying, They have Moses and the prophets)—and it is not uncovered to them, nor discerned, that Christ was to abolish the Old. So that the fault is of their own mind; for the hardening is a fault of the mind. Do not, then, he says, marvel if the Jews cannot see the glory of Christ and believe; for neither were they able to see that of the law, the lesser. For if they had seen that one, they would assuredly have seen that of Christ also. For the glory of the law is to turn toward Christ. And where did he say that the law was to be abolished in Christ? Both in the saying, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up to you; him you shall hear in all things. So that, since they were commanded to hear him, and he both loosed the Sabbaths, and circumcision, and all the rest, the law therefore ordained beforehand its own dissolution. But also, in commanding that the sacrifices should be made in one temple only, and then in destroying this same temple, he did not abolish the sacrifices utterly. And, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek; and, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. For all these things are a dissolution of the law.

¹⁹ But unto this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart. Since he had said above that a veil lies upon the reading of the Old, lest anyone should think that by “veil” he means the obscurity of the law, No, he says, but [I mean] the hardening and grossness of their heart; this I call a veil; since even upon the face of Moses it lay, not on his account, but on account of their grossness and dull-sightedness.

²⁰ But whenever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away; and the Lord is the Spirit. He now states the manner by which it is possible for the Israelites to be set right. Whenever it shall turn to the Lord, he says—that is, Whenever it departs from the law, and draws near to the spiritual Gospel, then the veil is taken away. For indeed in the history also, when Moses turned to God, he was unveiled. And this was a type of the future: that whenever one turns to the Spirit (for this is the Lord), then he shall see bare the face of the lawgiver; or rather, he himself shall be in the rank of Moses, and shall enjoy the glory that surpasses the glory of the law, as much as has been said; for this the Spirit will bestow upon you, as Lord and almighty.

²¹ And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. In the law there was a yoke and slavery; but in the law of the Spirit and in the Gospel, freedom, so as to behold the glory of the Lord without hindrance and freely.

²² But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord, the Spirit. So great is the freedom and nobility we enjoy, he says, that all we who are faithful—not, as there, one alone, Moses—with unveiled face (for among the believers there is no veil) beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image; that is, we partake of the same glory, being as it were a mirror and receiving the splendor, and again reflecting it back. And just as silver lying opposite sends back certain rays itself also at the striking of the sun upon it, so we too, being cleansed in baptism through the Spirit, and illumined by his rays, send back ourselves also a kind of intelligible radiance, and are transformed into the same image, from the glory which is of the Spirit, to our own glory—and such a glory as it is fitting for him to have who is illumined by the Spirit of the Lord, and is subject to none. For being Lord, he has lordly splendors also. For all the faithful are filled with the Holy Spirit through baptism, and their soul shines; since Moses too, having beheld the divine glory, was himself also transformed toward it—that is, he too partook of it, and his face shone, being a type of us.

4 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Four

¹ Chapter Four. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not. Since he had said many and great things—that We the apostles are greater even than Moses (for if all are, much more these)—he now tends the swelling, and says that the whole is nothing. For we are only ministers, and not even this, the ministry, is our own, but, even as, he says, we obtained mercy; for this too is of the divine mercy. And the inversion, Therefore we faint not; that is, Because we were accounted worthy of such things, we do not give up before the dangers, before the afflictions, since, having once obtained mercy, we were appointed his ministers.

² But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness. He hints at the false apostles, who dissembled in all things. Taking secretly, they appeared not to take; they seemed holy, and were unclean. We, then, he says, have renounced the doing of such things as, when brought to light, put to shame the one who does them—those, that is, which are done with dissimulation. For he adds, Not walking in craftiness. So that these are the things that work shame—the things done in craftiness. And if you should understand this also of shameful deeds, it is nothing strange; such too were the false apostles.

³ Nor handling the word of God deceitfully. Not only, he says, is our life simple and pure and free from guile, but our doctrine also and our word are simple. For we mix into it nothing of the outside wisdom, nor anything flattering, nor money got from the word,[4] teaching now this and now that according to the seasons and the persons, as the false apostles do.

⁴ But by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men in the sight of God. The false apostles, he says, commend themselves by dissimulations, and by appearing to be one thing while being another; but I commend myself by the manifestation of the truth; that is, using the very deeds as witnesses—as when I say that I take nothing, and have you as witnesses; and so likewise for the rest. Thus I commend myself to all men, both unbelievers and believers, laying my life bare and setting the preaching openly before all, that they may learn it. Then, since it is possible to deceive men, he says, In the sight of God, whom the false apostles would not consent to have as a witness.

⁵ But if our gospel also is hidden, it is hidden in them that perish. Having said above that, even if a veil lay upon the Israelites, yet we the faithful behold with unveiled face, he now says that, Even if the gospel is hidden, it is hidden to the unbelievers. For what then befell the Jews with respect to Moses, this now befalls the unbelievers with respect to the gospel. And the charge is theirs, not the gospel’s; since, if indeed they had believed, they too would have beheld unveiled the glory of God.

⁶ In whom the god of this age hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should not dawn upon them. For among the manifold, he says, as also the diverse, are the unbelievers too; the minds, therefore, of these the god of this age blinded. Here the Marcionites say that these things are spoken of the Demiurge, whom they call just and good; and the Manichaeans, of the devil, whom they also call the maker of this world. But it is neither of these; rather it is spoken of our God. And if he is called the God of this age, it is nothing strange, since he is called also the God of heaven; and he is not the God of this only; and the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and not of these only, but of all. What, then, is strange if now also Paul has opportunely named him God of this age, that he may the rather show the unbelievers that He made these visible things too, in which they luxuriate while they set him at nought? And it is also to be read thus: that Of the unbelievers of this age he blinded the minds; for the age to come has no unbelievers. And what is He blinded? That is, he permitted them to be blind; as also the saying, He gave them up unto passions of dishonour. For since they leaped away from him, he let them be, he forsook them; for he does not force toward salvation. And mark that he did not say that he blinded them unto unbelief, but unto the not seeing by their profane eyes the light of the glory of Christ. And the light is to believe that he was crucified, that he was taken up, that he will give the things to come. As if one should shut off a man whose eyes are diseased from seeing the rays of the sun, lest he be further harmed; so then these too became unbelievers of themselves, and to them, being become such, God shut off the rays of the glory of the Gospel, as also to the Israelites the face of Moses. So also he charged us not to cast the pearls before the swine. And well did he say Dawn; for we have now a moderate radiance, and not the whole light—which before he called a fragrance and a pledge, showing that the greater part remains yonder.

⁷ Who is the image of the invisible God. He shows here that they are ignorant not only of the glory of Christ, but also of that of the Father. For since Christ is the image of the Father, he who does not see him knows not him either.

⁸ For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Christ’s sake. Above he said, We walk not in craftiness; then he inserted the matters concerning the unbelievers, how they are veiled. He says, therefore, now that For this reason we do not deal craftily, because we preach not ourselves, as the false apostles do. For they persuaded the disciples to be named after themselves, as he showed also in the former epistle: I am of Apollos, and I of Cephas. Or else, that Do not suppose, as they who war against us seek to make you think, that you war against us. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ. Against him, then, you war, the one preached. For we are so far from preaching ourselves that we do not even refuse to be your servants for Christ’s sake; that is, Because he so loved us, and did all things for our sake.

⁹ For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, is he who shined in our hearts, unto the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Why, he says, do we not preach ourselves? Because God shined in our hearts, as of old into the face of Moses, so now into us. Yet not as at the first creation, where he spoke and there came light out of darkness, so now also he spoke and there came light; but he himself became light to us. For he himself shined to us in the face of Christ; that is, through Christ. For through Christ the Father shines in us, and bestows the light of the knowledge—not of his essence, but of the glory. And mark the theology of the Trinity in Paul even here: concerning the Spirit, We behold the glory of the Lord; the Lord is the Spirit; concerning the Son, The light of the glory of the Gospel of Christ; and concerning the Father now, The light of the knowledge of the glory of him.

¹⁰ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels. Since he had said many and great things concerning the unspeakable glory, lest anyone say, And how do we, who have received such things as you say, remain in a mortal body? he says that This very thing too is of the power of God, that an earthen vessel contains such treasures.

¹¹ That the excellency of the power may be God’s, and not from us. That, he says, the excellency of the power of God shown forth in us may be his, and that we may not be thought to accomplish anything of ourselves, but that all who behold may say that the whole is God’s. And he hints at the false apostles, that they ascribed the whole to themselves.

¹² In everything afflicted, but not straitened. And so great, he says, is the whole of the power of God, that although we are earthen, and beaten about by so many trials, we are not shattered and do not lose the treasure within us. For we are afflicted in every season, and place, and matter, and among friends, among enemies; but we are not straitened, since God enlarges our hearts.

¹³ Perplexed, but not in despair. This is, falling into perplexities and straits, yet standing upright and not despairing and falling, but finding ways through in God and conquering.

¹⁴ Persecuted, but not forsaken. Men persecute us, but God does not forsake us. For these things are permitted for our exercise, not for our defeat.

¹⁵ Cast down, but not destroyed. Cast down in body and in outward things by our adversaries, but not destroyed—by the eagerness and the firmness of the soul, and, as to the body itself also, preserved by God.

¹⁶ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our body. That is, undergoing daily deaths, and ever imitating the death of the Lord, and thereby showing also his life, that is, the resurrection, in our body. For if anyone disbelieves that the Lord is risen, seeing us dying day by day and yet living day by day, he could no longer with reason disbelieve.

¹⁷ For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. By these words he interprets how he had spoken of the dying of Jesus; for it was obscure, and he is ever wont to make clear the obscure things. And the saying, That the life of Jesus may be made manifest, is, in addition to the former interpretation, to be taken also thus: that As we endure the death of Christ, and, living, choose to die for his sake, so also he will choose to give life to us when we are dead; which he says also elsewhere: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him.

¹⁸ So then death works in us, but life in you. By death here he means the trials, saying this: that We are in dangers, but you reap the life that comes from the dangers, since the gospel is preached to you, through which you live the eternal life.

¹⁹ And having the same Spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore also speak. He had made mention of trials and of deaths above; then, that Jesus delivers us also out of these, he says; and he added a consideration, that for this reason he delivers us, that he may confirm his own resurrection. Now therefore, he says, that this must be assured by faith also, and not by reasonings alone. And he says that As David, being in trials, and delivered by God alone, said, I believed, therefore have I spoken; so we also, having the same Spirit of faith which he too had, believe, and therefore also speak, that as Jesus rose, so we also shall both now prevail over the dangers and again rise together with him. And note that the same Spirit is in the Old also, and in the New, on account of those who are ignorant of the law.

²⁰ Knowing that he who raised up Jesus shall raise up us also, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which has abounded may, through the more, make the thanksgiving to overflow unto the glory of God. What do we believe, he says, and what do we know? That even now he will deliver us out of the dangers, and afterward will raise us up, he who raised up Jesus also, and will present us with you to enjoy the good things. And he encourages them toward faith and the good manner of life. And hinting at the false apostles, who say, We are the mediators to the disciples of the good things from God, he says that For your sakes are all things, and this resurrection, and not for the sake of this man or that. And this God does, and bestows upon many, so that, the grace abounding, the thanksgiving also may abound, being brought through many persons unto the glory of God. So that the false apostles, by appropriating the grace of God, darken also his glory.

²¹ Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day. Because, he says, we know the power of God, and that he both now delivers us from the dangers and afterward will raise us up in splendour, we faint not, neither do we give up in suffering; and the outward man, that is, the body, perishes. How? By being scourged, by being driven about. But the inward, that is, the spirit and the soul, is renewed. How? By having good hopes, and by speaking with boldness, as suffering for God’s sake, and rejoicing.

²² For our momentary lightness of affliction, exceedingly unto excess, works for us an eternal weight of glory. He interprets how the inward man is renewed, and says that he considers that the affliction is momentary, that is, temporary and light, for this very reason that it is temporary; but the glory is both eternal, and has weight, that is, a greatness excessively excessive; for this he says by the words, Exceedingly unto excess.

²³ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. He shows how the affliction is light. Because, he says, all the things that are seen are temporary; so that both the affliction and the repose; for this too is a thing seen. For this reason he said The things that are seen, that he might include this also. We shall therefore neither be cast down by the affliction, nor be made slack by the repose; for both are temporary. And these being such, the things not seen are eternal, that is, the kingdom and the punishment; so that we should both long for the one and flee the other.

5 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Five

¹ Chapter Five. For we know that if our earthly house of the tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Since he had said above that, as far as the outward man perishes, so far the inward is renewed, he seemed to be saying something strange; he says that rather, when this mortal and earthy body is wholly destroyed, then myriad good things will spring up for us; and at the same time he discourses to them again concerning the resurrection, though not so plainly as in the former epistle, lest he seem still to reckon them incorrigible. And he called the body an earthly house of the tabernacle; and by calling it a tabernacle, he showed its temporariness; for such is a tent. And if often the resting-places of the righteous also are called tents, yet it is with an addition; for they are eternal tents. And mark how against the earthly he set the heavenly; against the tabernacle, the eternal. And, augmenting the praise of the coming glory of our body, he added also Not made with hands; not as in contradistinction to this body—for neither is this made with hands. But some say that the house made with hands is the life on earth, and the tabernacle the body; so that the meaning is this: If the life of our body on earth be dissolved—which might also be called made with hands, as being put together by hands (for bread and wine, and such things, from which our life also comes, are made by hands)—we shall have another life in the heavens, incorruptible and not made with hands, that is, not needing the labour of our hands.

² For indeed in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven. What habitation? The incorruptible body. And he says it is from heaven, not because it comes down from above, but because from thence it has the grace of incorruption sent forth. So far, then, ought we not to grieve over the trials that befall the body in part, that on the contrary we ought rather to groan, because we do not wholly put off the corruptible body, that we may be clothed upon with this incorruptible one. For this reason he did not even call it a tabernacle, but a habitation, as more abiding.

³ If so be that being clothed also we shall not be found naked. Lest all should take courage on account of the incorruption of the body, he says: If so be that being clothed with incorruption, and having received an incorruptible body, we shall not be found naked of glory and security, as having unseemliness from sin. For the resurrection is common, but the honour is not.

⁴ For indeed we who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; in that we wish not to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life. Since what he was saying seemed burdensome—that We groan, desiring to be released from the body (for there is an unspeakable bond of the soul toward the body)—he says that Not for this do we groan, that we may simply be released from the body, but wishing to be clothed upon with incorruption; so that we do not even wish to be unclothed of this, but to be released from corruption, that the corruption may be consumed and spent by life, not the body. For we are burdened not simply on account of the body, but because it is corruptible. And hence the mouths of the heretics are utterly stopped. For the word is not concerning one body and another, but concerning corruption and incorruption.

⁵ And he who wrought us for this very thing is God. It is God, he says, who wrought us from the beginning for this very thing; for he created us that we might be incorruptible; and this did not seem good to him now, but from the beginning. So that it will assuredly come to pass.

⁶ Who also gave us the pledge of the Spirit. Do you wish, he says, a proof? I will give you another also. By giving us the Spirit through baptism, he gave the pledge of incorruption. For he sanctified both soul and body, and made both more divine, releasing them from sin, out of which comes death. So that since he has given the Spirit, it is manifest that he has released us from sin; and having released us from sin, he has also abolished corruption; for corruption is from sin. Thus, then, the Spirit is a pledge of the coming immortality. And in another way too: having now given us the Spirit in part, he has assuredly given a kind of pledge, so that he will give the whole also. And how should he give it, unless we were to be made incorruptible both in soul and in body? Having received here, then, the little, both in soul and in body, as a kind of pledge, hope that you will then have the whole also in its entirety.

⁷ Being therefore always confident, and knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight), we are confident, and are well pleased rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. He still establishes that which he said above, that We are not anxious about the dangers; for the dangers, he says, and the deaths procure for us the thing to be prayed for, incorruption, for which we also groan, and bring us the sooner to our Master. Being therefore always confident, that is, Fearing neither persecutions, nor plots, nor deaths. And mark his wisdom, how he hid the names of death and of life; and he called the being at home a being toward the Lord, and the being absent a being away from the Lord, that no one might cling to the present life, as though it led away from the Lord. Then, lest anyone say, What then? does the body estrange us from God? he corrected this, saying, For we walk by faith, not by sight; that is, Here indeed we know him, but in measure; for this is the meaning of By faith; not, however, face to face, which is the meaning of By sight. And since these things are so, We are well pleased, that is, We greatly desire to put off this body, and to be with the Lord. And he did not say, To partake of incorruption, but the greater thing, To be with the Lord; for this is greater than incorruption.

⁸ Wherefore also we are ambitious, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing to him. This is the thing sought, to live in a manner well-pleasing to him. For lest, hearing of the departure, you should suppose that this suffices you for salvation, he says, Be earnest to depart approved, by living here in a manner well-pleasing to him.

⁹ For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ. He frightens here by the reminder of that fearful judgment-seat, and by saying, We must be made manifest. For do not suppose that there walls, and curtains, and the depth of the heart hide either the deeds or the counsels, but all are made manifest.

¹⁰ That each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he hath done, whether good or evil. By these words he makes the more hopeful those who have done well; and the more slothful more earnest through fear. And he confirms also the doctrine concerning the resurrection of the bodies; for that which ministered, whether to good or to base deeds, that assuredly is either crowned or punished. Hence too the mouths of the heretics are stopped.

¹¹ Knowing therefore the fear of God, we persuade men; but we have been made manifest to God; and I hope also to have been made manifest in your consciences. Knowing, he says, that fearful tribunal, we do all things so as not to give offence to men; for this is the meaning of We persuade men, instead of, We heal the occasions of stumbling. For even if we do nothing evil, yet give ground for suspicion, and, being able to dissolve the offence, do not dissolve it, we are condemned; to God, however, we are manifest, and he knows how we conduct ourselves; and there is no need to persuade him, as though he were offended. And to you also we have been made manifest, as to those who well know all our affairs. There is no need, therefore, to persuade you as though you had been offended.

¹² For we do not again commend ourselves to you, but are giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf. Continually he rubs off the suspicion of seeming to boast, and says that We came to these words not commending ourselves, that is, exalting our own praise, but that you might have occasion of glorying on our behalf against the false apostles, who disparage you.

¹³ That you may have something against those who glory in appearance, and not in heart. That you may have something to say and to glory on our behalf against the false apostles, who gloried in appearance; that is, in the things for display, in the things according to the outward face. For such were they, having indeed the mask of piety, but bearing in the heart nothing good. And he does not bid them glory always, but whenever those men exalt themselves.

¹⁴ For whether we were beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we are sober-minded, it is for you. Whether we utter anything great (for he calls this being beside oneself, as also elsewhere folly), we do it for God’s sake, that you, not thinking us mean, may not despise us and perish; or whether we say anything moderate and lowly, it is for your sakes, that you may learn to be humble-minded. Or also in another way: if anyone suspects us to be mad, we await the reward from God for the things in which we are suspected on such grounds; but if he deems us sober-minded, let him himself enjoy the benefit of our being sober-minded. And in another way: If we are mad, we are mad in such things for God’s sake, that we may present ourselves to him. And Paul, then, was mad with a love-madness, loving God, and living to him as a lover to the beloved—I mean, having gone out of himself, and wholly passed over to God; and not living his own life, but that of the beloved, as one exceedingly in love, or rather full of affection. If, then, we were beside ourselves, he says, of them, it was wholly to God that we were beside ourselves, instead of, for God’s sake.

¹⁵ For the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judged, that if one died for all, then all died; that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again. The love of God which he showed toward us constrains us and impels us to face danger for his sake, having judged this well within ourselves, that since he died for all, it is manifest that we all were perished, and for this reason he died for the perished and slain, that he might give us life. Since, then, he gave us life, we ought no longer to live to ourselves, but to him for whose sake we live; who not only died for us, but also rose again; that he might draw us up by way of recall,[5] that is, having led his own body up into heaven, and that he might also assuredly lead us up. For what need at all was there for him to ascend, unless we too were to obtain the like? So that both because he died for us, and because he gave us life, and because he gave us the pledges of incorruption, we ought to live to him, and not to our own desires.

¹⁶ So that we from now know no one according to the flesh. Since all, having been slain by sin, were brought to life again by Christ through baptism, with reason we know no one, he says, of the faithful as living according to the flesh, that is, according to the old and fleshly manner of life. For having been wholly regenerated by the Spirit, they pass over to a new and spiritual life.

¹⁷ But if we have also known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. He shows that of this very thing also, the not living according to the flesh, I mean, we have Christ as leader; and he says that Even if Christ was once according to the flesh, yet now he is so no longer. What then? Did he lay aside the flesh? God forbid; for as he was taken up, so also will he come. And he was taken up in the flesh and with the body. What, then, does he mean? That we are said to live according to the flesh then, when we are in sins; and then not to live according to the flesh, when we do not sin. But Christ is said to have lived according to the flesh when he was in the natural and blameless passions, hungering, thirsting, sleeping, growing weary. But now, no longer according to the flesh; that is, he was released from these natural and blameless things, having an impassible and undefiled body; that he might, he says, assuredly teach us also out of his abundance to live no longer according to the flesh, and in the manner of sin, but according to the spirit.

¹⁸ So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. If anyone has believed in Christ, he has come into another fashioning, and has become a new creation. We ought not, therefore, to live according to the old things.

¹⁹ The old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. What old things? Both the things of sin and the Jewish things; for the old sin too is passed away, and a new soul has come to be for us, and a new body; and in place of all the Jewish things, all things are new for us: instead of the law, the gospel; instead of Jerusalem, heaven; instead of the temple, the inner part within the veil, in which is the Trinity; instead of circumcision, baptism; instead of the manna, the body of God; instead of the water, the blood of the Master; instead of the rod of Moses or Aaron, the cross; instead of the lamb, the Son of God; and the rest likewise.

²⁰ But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ. And all these things have been given to us of God, who reconciled us to himself through the mediation of his Son. For we did not run to him, but he himself called us through the death of the Son.

²¹ And gave to us the ministry of the reconciliation. O depth of loving-kindness! For the Father, having sent the Son as ambassador, and then seeing him slain by those who had need of the reconciliation, not even so neglected men, but gave the ministry of the reconciliation to us, he says, to the apostles, that going about we might be ambassadors to the apostates from God, and bring them to him.

²² To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses. He said above that he himself reconciled us to himself. Lest, then, anyone say, And yet he sent the Son, he now says that He sent the Son indeed; but it was not the Son alone who entreated, but the Father also was reconciling the world to himself through Christ; for this is the meaning of In Christ; and showing such goodness to men that he not only did not punish, but was even reconciled; and not only forgave, but did not even reckon their sins. For indeed, if he had wished to demand an account, they would assuredly have perished.

²³ And put in us the word of the reconciliation. Nothing burdensome, then, were we appointed by God to do to you, but to reconcile you to him. For since those before Christ, he says, were not persuaded, do you remain entreating, until you persuade.

²⁴ On behalf of Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors, as though God were entreating by us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. On behalf of Christ, that is, in Christ’s stead we are ambassadors. For what he was about to do, we have now undertaken; and as through him the Father entreated us, so now also through us he entreats, that you may be reconciled to him. And he did not say, Reconcile God to yourselves, but, Be ye reconciled to him. For you are at enmity with him, but he never with you; for he is God and Father. And as though God had offended against them, so he makes the embassy, that they may forgive God. O riches of compassion and of condescension!

²⁵ For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. That I may not mention, he says, all the rest—that you dishonoured your benefactor, that he did not demand satisfaction, that rather he himself first chose to be reconciled—is it not, even for what he did, now unworthy in you to be reconciled to him? What is this? That his Son, who knew no sin, that is, who is righteousness itself, he made to die on our behalf as a sinner and a malefactor. For cursed is everyone that hangs upon a tree; and, He was reckoned with the lawless. And he did not say that he made him a sinner, but sin; which is the greater thing. That what might come to pass? That we might be justified—not by works of the law, but by the grace of God. For this is the righteousness of God, when one is justified by grace, when no stain is found; for this reason he did not say, That we might become righteous, but, The righteousness of God, declaring the surpassing greatness of the grace.

6 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — 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, unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 unto us through baptism?

7 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Seven

¹ Chapter Seven. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Which promises? That we are temples of God, and that we have him dwelling and walking within us, who is also our Father. Let us cleanse ourselves from shameful deeds; for these are a defilement of the flesh. And from filthy and passionate thoughts; for these are a defilement of the spirit—that is, of the soul.

² Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It is not enough, he says, to abstain from uncleanness, but one must also accomplish something good—holiness, that is, purity and self-control. And he added, In the fear of God, either because there is also a contrived self-control that aims at pleasing men, and not according to the mind of God; or he shows us how we shall perfect it, namely, in the fear of God. For even if the desire of the flesh plays the tyrant, yet have the fear of God, and the madness will be dissolved. And do not understand this self-control as chastity alone, but simply as all purity in life.

³ Make room for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have defrauded no one. Again he takes up the discourse concerning love. For since he had rebuked them, saying that they spurn him but cleave to unbelievers and the unclean, he now soothes them and says, Make room for us; that is, Receive us with an open heart, and let us not be straitened among you. And hinting at the false apostles, he says that We have wronged no one in money; we have corrupted no one; that is, We have not deceived, corrupting their mind with impious doctrines; We have defrauded no one; that is, We have not plundered, nor enriched ourselves under pretext of the preaching.

⁴ I speak not to condemn you; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. Not to condemn you do I say these things. Whence is this clear? From love, in that you are in our hearts. And since it is possible to love yet not to be willing to share in danger, he says, To die together. And since many do not rejoice together with their friends when they prosper, because of envy, he added also, To live together. The whole, then, is this, that both in dangers we will not flee you, and in prosperity we will live together with you and will not envy.

⁵ Great is my boldness toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. Since he seemed to wound them by saying, You are straitened, and, Make room for me, he now makes his defense, healing them, and says that Not as condemning you did I say these things, but because of my great boldness toward you, and wishing you to rise toward virtue. For that I do not condemn you is clear from the fact that to others also I boast on your behalf.

⁶ I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction. Having been corrected, he says, in those things for which I condemned you in the former Epistle, you filled me with comfort; and not only did you comfort me (which is to be delivered from grief), but you also filled me with joy in abundance. For the abundance of the joy he shows by the word I overflow. And so great, he says, was the joy that, against all our affliction, great as it was, this joy prevailed and quenched it. These things seem indeed to be contrary to what he said about them a little before, but they are not; for both these and those belong to one who loves—those of one reproving, these of one confirming that the reproofs were not from enmity, but from vehement love.

⁷ For indeed, when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief. He recounts the affliction and exalts it by his words, that he may show their joy also to be great, if indeed it repelled so great a pain. And he said well that the flesh had no relief; for Paul’s soul is unconquerable.

⁸ But being afflicted in everything: without were fightings—of the unbelievers.

⁹ Within were fears. On account of the weak among the faithful, lest they be swept away by the false brethren.

¹⁰ But God, who comforts the lowly, comforted us by the coming of Titus. He testified many great things to them, and brings forward Titus also as a witness. And who is it that comforts the lowly? God, he says; he it is who comforted us also, in that he sent Titus to us; for his coming sufficed to scatter our affliction. And he wishes to render the man venerable to them, and makes much of his coming.

¹¹ And not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted concerning you. Not only, he says, by this very thing, that he stood by us in a time of affliction and consoled us, but also because he reported such virtue of yours, by which he himself also was comforted—that is, he rejoiced over you, accepting you on account of your good deeds. And he endears the man to them, as one who praised them to him.

¹² Declaring to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal on my behalf. For it was likely that they grieved and were pained: Why did the teacher come thus, why was he away so long a time? And he did not simply say, Tears, but Mourning; not Desire, but Longing, that is, a vehement seeking; nor Anger, but Zeal, against him who had committed fornication. For on my behalf you were set on fire and burned, so as to keep my command; or you were also zealous on my behalf against the false apostles. And the Apostle says these things not only to heal his former rebukes, but truly also to accept those who had done well. For there are indeed many ill-disposed and unworthy of these praises; but nevertheless he himself does not separate them, but sets both the commendations and the accusations in common in the midst, giving to the conscience of each to choose out what is his own.

¹³ So that I rejoiced the more. And having rejoiced at his coming, he rejoiced the more, he says, at the things he reported concerning you.

¹⁴ So that even if I grieved you in the Epistle, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. Even if I wrote such things to you, he says, as to exceed the measure of rebuke and to make me regret it, as having reproved beyond measure, nevertheless the great gain that comes from them does not allow me now to regret it. These things he said, not as having truly rebuked immoderately, but augmenting their praises.

¹⁵ For I see that that Epistle, even if for an hour, grieved you; now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved unto repentance; for you were grieved according to God. For an hour was the grief; but the gain is perpetual. I rejoice, he says, not that you were grieved (for what gain is it to me that you were grieved?), but that you were grieved unto repentance. And observe how the grieving he assigns to the Epistle; and then he says that It benefited you—which was also true; but he makes the matter belong to their virtue. For you, he says, were grieved; and you were grieved according to God.

¹⁶ That in nothing you might suffer loss from us. Having been rebuked by us, he says, you were grieved according to God, and thereafter you suffered loss from us in nothing. For all of you—even he himself who had sinned the uttermost and committed fornication—were made better. For the teacher then causes loss to the disciple, when he does not rebuke him as he sins. For if he had been rebuked, he was about to gain.

¹⁷ For the grief that is according to God works repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted; but the grief of the world works death. He philosophizes concerning grief, and shows that grief is not always an evil, but only when it comes to be according to the world [ƒ. world], that is, on account of money, on account of glory, on account of those who die. For this works death—altogether the death of the soul, and often that of the body also; for many have perished on account of these things. But whoever is willing to grieve on account of his sins grieves according to God; for this remedy is suited to this disease alone, working salvation not to be regretted (for no one condemns himself for having grieved over his sins), and it snatches the man from the death of the soul.

¹⁸ For behold, this very thing, that you were grieved according to God, what earnestness it wrought in us.[6] Not from others, he says, do I show the benefit of the grief that is according to God, but from your own case. For not only did you not regret that you were grieved, but you became even more earnest.

¹⁹ But what clearing of yourselves. Toward me. For you cleared yourselves to me through repentance.

²⁰ But what indignation. Against him who had committed fornication.

²¹ But what fear. Toward me; for such, and so swift, a correction was a mark of fear.

²² But what longing. Toward me. And having said fear, lest he should seem to lord it over them, he briefly set it right by saying longing—which is indicative of love, not of authority.

²³ But what zeal. That which is on God’s behalf.

²⁴ But what vindication. Of the laws of God; for they made use of these when they had been outraged.

²⁵ In everything you proved yourselves to be pure in the matter. Not only, he says, was nothing of the sort dared, such as by him who had committed fornication, but you did not even take part with him. For since in the former Epistle he had said, And you are puffed up, which had made them partakers of the charge, he says that Now you have wiped away even this suspicion and have shown yourselves clean of every such blemish.

²⁶ So then, even if I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of him who did the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered the wrong, but that our earnestness on your behalf might be made manifest to you before God. Lest they should say to him: Why then did you rebuke us, if we were pure in the matter? he says that I have such gratitude for those letters, and do not regret the rebuke, that I even say that for this very reason I wrote these things, that my love and my earnestness on your behalf might be made manifest to you before God—that is, with God beholding that it is true. For I was afraid lest the corruption should spread even to you. And whom does he call the one who did the wrong and the one who suffered the wrong? Those who had committed fornication; for both wronged one another. But how does he say that I did not write for the sake of these? That is, I did indeed write, on account of these also, but not chiefly for their sake; rather for your sake, being earnest that the city should not be harmed; just as also when he says, Does God care for oxen? he does not mean this, that he does not care—for how then would they have been created?—but that he does not chiefly legislate for the sake of the oxen.

²⁷ Therefore we have been comforted. Because my earnestness on your behalf was made manifest, and my hopes were not belied, therefore, he says, I received the greatest consolation.

²⁸ And in your comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly at the joy of Titus. And now, he says, by your comfort, with which I was comforted from you, by this I rejoiced still more exceedingly, and at the joy of Titus; and this joy and comfort too is yours, and on your account. He therefore says next:

²⁹ Because his spirit was refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame. For this reason, he says, I rejoiced, because Titus found you such as I had told him you were; and he himself also was refreshed, finding you such, and nothing troublesome was reported to him on your part. And that Paul boasts over his disciples shows both that they were virtuous and that he was loving toward his children. Such ought both the disciples and the teachers to be.

³⁰ As I spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus was found to be true. Just as, he says, whatever I preached to you was true, such also was my speaking of the commendations concerning Titus to them. As, therefore, all these things are true, so also whatever I boasted concerning you was shown to be true.

³¹ And his inward affection is more abundant toward you. For this reason he commends Titus to them, that they too may love him in return, as one who has embraced them and is fervent toward them. For this reason he said, His inward affection, that he might show the inward and ardent disposition of genuine love.

³² While he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. He sets down the causes for which Titus so loves them, showing the beginning of the love to be from them, and at the same time urging them on still toward it. For not simply love or earnestness did you show toward him, but obedience, having received him as children a father, but also as a ruler. For with fear, and still with trembling. For he testifies to a twofold virtue in them: love, as toward a father; and fear, as toward a ruler; that neither the love, being without fear, should be relaxed, nor the fear, being without love, should be graceless.

³³ I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you. Not on account of Titus do I rejoice so much, that he was honored by you, but because I find you such, not putting me to shame, but making me to have confidence and to speak boldly concerning you in every matter and season. And in another way too, I have confidence in you, because whatever I either do or say toward you, you gladly receive these things, and to your own betterment, whether it be needful to reprove, or to commend, or to enjoin something burdensome.

8 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Eight

¹ Chapter Eight. Now we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God which has been given in the Churches of Macedonia. Not in vain did he weave the many commendations for these beforehand, but smoothing them in advance, since he was about to urge them on to love of the poor. For this reason indeed he said above, I have confidence in you; that is, that Whatever I say to you, you do. He did not therefore say at once, Give alms, but setting in the midst the things done by others, he urges these also to the same zeal. And observe how he calls the merciful disposition the grace of God, at once making his discourse free from envy, and at the same time also calling forth the Corinthians to seize this same thing for themselves as a gift of God. And he did not say, To this or that city, but he praises the whole of Macedonia, that they too may all look toward the same.

² That in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy. That is, having been much afflicted, and so as to become approved through endurance; nevertheless they did not fall, but rather had joy also; and not simply, but also with abundance.

³ And their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. That is, just as the much affliction abounded unto joy, so their much and deep poverty not only did not hinder them unto almsgiving, but rather persuaded them even to abound unto riches. And he did not say, Of the things given, but, Of liberality; that is, of the ungrudging and generous disposition. For not by the multitude of the things given, but by the will, is munificence judged. This, then, is wonderful, that out of so great a want (for they had been plundered by their own countrymen) they displayed so great a munificence.

⁴ That according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, of their own accord, with much entreaty beseeching us. He explains what he said, and says that As much as their power, or rather even beyond their power; for this is the abundance of liberality, the beyond their power, he says. But neither were they urged on by us, but of their own accord. And why do I say this? Nay, they themselves brought much entreaty, and besought us. And he says these things that he may urge them on also, not so much to give much, as to give with eagerness. Wherefore he also dwells on the discourse concerning this.

⁵ The grace and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints. There is lacking the clause, They besought us to undertake this ministry. And he said The grace, in order that, since the Corinthians were zealous of the spiritual gifts, they might run after this also as a gift, as has been said above. And he called it fellowship, that they might learn that they not only give, but also receive.

⁶ And not as we had hoped. We did not hope that, having so great a poverty and being in so great an affliction, they would beseech us so much, that we should receive their ministry.

⁷ But they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. Here he testifies to the other virtues also in them; for not because they were earnest about almsgiving, being puffed up, did they neglect the rest, but they gave their whole selves to the Lord, toward every well-pleasing work with their whole soul, and not inclining with a divided mind. And to us also they gave themselves, that is, in all things they submitted, and showed love through the will of God; that is, as it pleases God, and not by human reasoning.

⁸ So that we besought Titus, that as he had begun before, so he would also complete in you this grace as well. So greatly, he says, did those men give themselves to almsgiving, that I, seeing the matter, became anxious on your behalf, lest you should be left behind them, and for this reason besought Titus to come to you; and that before my exhortation. And he endears Titus to them through these things, that when he comes and counsels concerning almsgiving, they may more easily be persuaded by him, as one minding the things that are for them. And again he called the matter grace. For it is truly great, and a gift of God, and able to make him who pursues it like to himself; whence a certain wise man also says: A great thing is a man, and an honorable thing a merciful man.

⁹ But just as you abound in everything—in faith, and word, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love toward us—that you may abound in this grace also. With commendations he urges them on, and says that Just as you have all other things with abundance, so here also, not that you may give, but that you may abound, either beyond the Macedonians, or that you may simply be lavish. In faith, that of the gifts, the unhesitating; in word, that of wisdom; in knowledge, that of the doctrines; and in all earnestness, that toward the rest of virtue; and in your love toward us. For he said before that You showed to Titus the love toward me, being zealous on my behalf.

¹⁰ I speak not by way of commandment. That is, not constraining you, nor as exercising authority.

¹¹ But through the earnestness of others, and proving the genuineness of your love. That is, For this reason I praise the Macedonians, that through their earnestness I may show your love toward the poor saints to be more approved and more brilliant.

¹² For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he became poor, being rich, that you by his poverty might become rich. That is, Consider, reckon up the great mystery, and you will spare nothing. For if you disbelieve, he says, that poverty is productive of riches, consider your Master, and you will no longer disbelieve. For unless he had become poor—that is, had taken up the lowly and dishonored flesh, and had undergone all the rest of the dishonor, and these things for our sakes, the unworthy, the enemies—we would not have become rich. And what riches does he mean? Those of piety, the cleansing, the sanctification, and the other good things, which he both gave and will give.

¹³ And in this I give my judgment; for this is profitable for you. Observe how he is earnest to be inoffensive. For I give, he says, my judgment; that is, I lay upon you counsel, not necessity; and this counsel itself I make on account of its being profitable for you rather than for those who receive.

¹⁴ Who not only to do, but also to will, began before, a year ago; but now complete the doing also. No longer from the earnestness of others does he urge them on, but from their own eagerness; and he says that Of your own will you came to this, and not only laid a beginning toward the doing, but also toward the willing; that is, toward doing it voluntarily, and with no one urging. Now therefore I give my judgment, that you may complete the work also.

¹⁵ That as the eagerness of the willing, so also the completing out of what you have. That the good may not be only as far as the eagerness, but may also be worked out more perfectly. For just as the willing makes the eagerness and the purpose, so also the work comes to be out of what one has. Whoever, then, has, let him fulfill the work; since he who has not has fulfilled that which comes of the purpose.

¹⁶ For if the eagerness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he has not. Observe his wisdom, how the Macedonians—the Thessalonians, I mean, and the rest—as having done beyond their power, of these he demands nothing more than their power. If, therefore, you have the eagerness, he says, bring in the things according to your power, and God accepts these.

¹⁷ For it is not that there should be relief to others, but affliction to you. Not, he says, that those should revel in ease, while you must give beyond your power, so as to endure both want and affliction from this. And yet the Lord praised the widow, as having given her whole living; but Paul does not do this now—at once because they were weaker, and at the same time because they were also rich; and certainly, had they given according to their power, the gift would have been ample, and noteworthy, and rich. And further he also hopes that by the example of the Thessalonians they will rather be roused; and for this reason he leaves the matter to their own authority; but in what follows he will urge them, in a riddling manner, to this very thing.

¹⁸ But by way of equality, in the present time your abundance for their want, that their abundance also may be for your want. That is, You pride yourselves on money; they pride themselves on their boldness toward God. Give, then, of the money in which you abound, but which they do not have, that you may receive of the boldness in which they are rich, but you are lacking. And observe how secretly he establishes the giving even beyond one’s power. For if you wish, he says, to receive of the abundance, as you also give of the abundance. But if you wish to receive the whole recompense, do you also furnish the whole; which is out of want, and beyond power; but this he says covertly. For the present, then, according to appearance, he counsels the giving according to power.

¹⁹ That there may be equality; as it is written: He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. How may there be equality? If both you and they give back in turn the things that abound, and fill up the wants. And what equality is it, to give spiritual things in return for carnal? Not according to the more honorable or the less honorable of the things given and received is the equality spoken of, but inasmuch as what abounds to you, you give; and again, what abounds to them, they give; and again, what you lack, you receive; and what they lack, they receive: according to this is the equality. And besides, this equality is according to the present time; but in the time to come there is a great superiority of the things which they give. So that be abased, you rich, if indeed in the things that abide the poor surpass you. And he brings forward what happened with the manna, at once that he may show how the equality comes to be—that when the rich man who has much then gives the surplus to him who has little, neither does he himself have over, and he who has little is not diminished, inasmuch as he received from that other. And again, in the case of boldness toward God, the same; and at the same time he accomplishes something greater also, showing to the rich that, just as in the case of the manna, neither those gathering more nor those gathering less—all were found to have the same measure, God chastising greediness—so also now one must not reach after the more.

²⁰ But thanks be to God, who put the same earnestness on your behalf into the heart of Titus. Having discoursed concerning almsgiving as much as was needful, he henceforth praises those sent for this purpose, that, having become free of suspicion, they may rather cast them into eagerness for contributing together. And since Titus was first of these, he praises him, and says that it was a work of God that he was roused to minister. For the same earnestness that I too have on your behalf, he put into him. And from this he urges them on to make the gift noteworthy. For if God roused him, God henceforth looks on, and you ought to make the gift worthy of God.

²¹ That he indeed received the exhortation; but being more earnest, of his own accord he went out to you. Whence is it clear that God urged on Titus? Because, even when exhorted by me, he eagerly received the exhortation, and did not murmur, but indeed also of his own accord went out, so that even had I not exhorted him, he himself displayed his own earnestness.

²² And we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Gospel is throughout all the Churches. Some say it is Luke, on account of the Gospel which he wrote; but some, Barnabas; for he calls the unwritten preaching also a Gospel. But he does not dwell upon the commendations of this man, as upon those of Titus, perhaps because he was unknown; whereas Titus was sufficiently known. He gives him a sufficient commendation: For not simply, he says, does he preach the Gospel, but he is also praised; not by two or three, but by all the Churches.

²³ And not only so, but who was also chosen by the Churches as our fellow-traveler, together with this grace which is ministered by us. He praises the man also from the judgment of those who chose him. For not only, he says, is he praised as approved in preaching the Gospel, but he was also chosen as our fellow-traveler by the Churches. So that he is also a partner of the trials and the dangers. But these things rather befit Barnabas. And he was chosen also unto this grace, that is, unto the ministry of the money, that he might minister together with us.

²⁴ Unto the glory of the Lord and your eagerness. That is, That both God may be glorified, and you may become more eager, inasmuch as those who receive this money are approved, and no one is able to bring forth suspicion against them.

²⁵ Avoiding this, that no one should blame us in this abundance which is ministered by us. This is worthy of the holy soul of Paul, and of his great solicitude and condescension. For this reason, he says, we sent such men, and not one, but several, avoiding, that is, being apprehensive and fearful lest anyone should suspect us as embezzling from the money. And he did not say, Lest you; but, Lest anyone, that they might not be vexed as being suspected of thinking such things about him. For this abundance too, he says—that is, the multitude of the money—is sufficient to furnish suspicion to the wicked, unless we display security.

²⁶ Taking forethought for good things, not only before the Lord, but also before men. Behold the soul of Paul, how he took thought for the stumbling of the brethren. For he did not say: I am clean, let whoever wishes wail; but, Just as before God, he says, I take forethought—that is, I take care to appear blameless—so also before men; and the more they are weaker, the more must one condescend; since we condescend even to little children, if we are going to bear them up.

²⁷ And we sent together with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has toward you. And he adds yet another, naming him a brother, and commending him from having proved and judged him to be earnest, and that in many things and many times; and it is an intensification of praise, thus to double the word. But now, he says, he has become more earnest, inasmuch as he is confident that you will make the almsgiving more lavish, unto which he is about to minister.

²⁸ Whether for Titus, my partner and fellow-worker toward you. That is, If one must say anything for Titus, this I have to say, that he is my partner, working together with me unto your teaching and benefit; or, that If you do anything for Titus, you will do it not for any chance person, but for my partner.

²⁹ Or our brethren. That is, Whether you wish to hear something concerning the others, they too have great claims to be judged trustworthy; for indeed they are our brethren.

³⁰ Apostles of the Churches. That is, sent and chosen by the Churches.

³¹ The glory of Christ. The greatest of all he has placed last. To Christ, he says, the whole is referred, whatever may be done unto these.

³² Therefore show toward them, before the face of the Churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf. Now show, he says, both how you love us, and how we too do not boast in vain over you. And you will show it, if you display love toward them. For indeed you will do before the face of the Churches whatever you do unto these, that is, unto the honor of the Churches. For these stand in the person of the Churches that sent them.

9 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Nine

¹ Chapter Nine. For concerning the ministry to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. Having said so much before, and being about to say more again, he nevertheless says that it is superfluous for him to write concerning these things. And he does this wisely, so as the more to draw them on. For they will be ashamed if, when Paul has such an opinion concerning them—that they do not need counsel toward showing mercy—they should then appear to be less than the opinion.

² For I know your eagerness, of which I boast on your behalf to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been prepared a year ago. I myself also know, he says, your eagerness; and not only this, but I also boast to others that all Achaia is ready, not Corinth alone; and nothing is lacking, except the coming of those who are to receive the money. So that it is a shame to me, if I shall appear to have boasted in vain and falsely.

³ And your zeal has provoked the greater number. And yet above he said that They were of their own accord, and beseeching us. How then does he now say that Your zeal has provoked the greater number? But he did not say, All, but, The greater number. For some were of their own accord, and beseeching us; but others were provoked by the zeal toward you; for the greater number need a goad. Or also, that We did not counsel, we did not exhort, but only praised you, and this sufficed for them unto exhortation. Do you see how he rouses both those through these, and these through those? You became teachers, he says, to those; do not then appear to be falling short of the disciples.

⁴ But I sent the brethren, lest our boasting on your behalf should be made empty in this respect; that, as I said, you might be prepared. As it were, he makes himself a part of the Corinthians, and is in anguish on their behalf; for he says that Since I boasted, I was afraid lest we be put to shame; and for this reason I sent the brethren, lest it be made empty, that is, lest it be proved vain and empty, my boasting on your behalf. For I, he says, priding myself on you, boasted among all, and among those men too; so that if you fall short, the shame is common; yet not everywhere, but in this respect; that is, That I might not be put to shame in the matter concerning almsgiving alone; but be prepared, as I said to the Macedonians, that all those of Achaia are ready, and nothing is lacking to them.

⁵ Lest by any means, if the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you) should be put to shame in this confidence of boasting. Again he turns about the same things, and heightens the anguish, leading them up from human reasonings. For greater is the shame, when one is put to shame before the faces of strangers. For perhaps, he says, you have confidence in me, as one who is forbearing; but consider the Macedonians, who will perchance come with me (for this is likely), and if they find you—he did not say, unwilling to give, but, unprepared. For if not to be prepared, nor to contribute amply, is a shame, much more is it to contribute nothing at all, or less than what is due. And he tempers the saying, saying that We shall be put to shame (that I say not, that you) in this confidence of boasting; that is, We shall not be put to shame elsewhere, but in this boasting concerning almsgiving alone, since your other things are unimpeachable. And this he says, not flattering them, but rather making them more eager, that, being well-approved in the other things, they may not in this be found disapproved and less than themselves. And by saying, that I say not, that you, he shows that they themselves rather will be put to shame; for theirs is the fault. And by confidence he means the subject, and the matter itself, that is, the substance of the boasting.

⁶ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they should go before to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised blessing, that this might be ready as a blessing, and not as covetousness. Lest he should seem to contradict himself—having said above that It is superfluous for me to write, but now again discoursing concerning these things—he now discourses concerning lavishness, and concerning the doing of the work with eagerness; and on account of these things he says he sent the brethren. And urging toward two contrary things—both to give munificently, and to give with eagerness—he most wisely handles them both. For first he discourses concerning giving with eagerness, then also concerning the other head. He says, then, that what is given is a blessing; and no one giving a blessing is grieved. And he shows the fruit also straightway here sprouting forth, and those who give being filled with blessing. And not even with this was he satisfied, but he added, And not as covetousness. For do not suppose, he says, that we receive these things from you as those who overreach you, but as those who wish to procure a blessing for you. So that he who gives alms unwillingly is, as it were, overreached.

⁷ But this: he who sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he who sows on blessings shall reap also on blessings. He passes over to the other head, that concerning giving with lavishness, and says that I say this also, in addition to what I said, that one must not give in a niggardly way. And he did not say, Niggardly, but more auspiciously he set down the name of sparing. And he called the matter a sowing, that you may straightway look to the recompense, and may learn that you receive more than you give. And having spoken concerning giving with lavishness, he again made mention also of giving with eagerness; for the phrase, He who sows on blessings, shows this, as has been said above.

⁸ Each as he purposes in his heart, not of grief or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. He dwells on the discourse concerning giving with eagerness, knowing that, toward giving much, the example of the Macedonians also will be sufficient to rouse them, and the being ashamed to appear less than they. But their will he leaves free, that what is done by them may also be a virtue. For if it is involuntary, it is not a virtue. As, therefore, a true teacher, he wishes the disciples to do what they do according to the principle of virtue, and at the same time also that the reward may be whole for them, doing the good voluntarily; since the involuntary cuts short the reward. For this reason he says: Each as he purposes, and not of grief, or of necessity; and he brings forward a testimony from Solomon.[7] And yet the saying of the wise man was spoken not concerning lavishness; but nevertheless he himself took it up unto giving with eagerness; and, if you will, unto both.

⁹ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. Through these words he overturns the reasoning which many of us have, saying: If I give much, I fear lest I become poor. He says, then, that God is able to make you so free from want, that you can do all grace also—that is, all almsgiving—with abundance. Give, then, lavishly, that your almsgiving may ever and ever abound.

¹⁰ That in everything always having all sufficiency, you may abound unto every good work. Do you see? Not riches for them, but sufficiency does he pray. And in saying this, he shows that he neither forces them nor compels them to give out of want; for then they would no longer have sufficiency; and at the same time he also teaches where one must use the gifts of God. For, he says, that you may abound unto every good work. For in carnal things, he says, I pray sufficiency for you; but in spiritual things (for this is the meaning of Unto every good work), abundance; that you may not only show mercy abundantly, but also do every God-pleasing work munificently.

¹¹ As it is written: He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness abides forever. He said, That you may abound. Establishing such a thing, he brought a testimony from the prophet, the phrase, He has scattered abroad. For this word shows the lavishness and the abundance. The money, then, does not abide; but the righteousness—that is, the love of mankind (for so he calls it, as justifying the man and dissolving his sins)—this at least abides forever, both that here and that there. For from this also the merciful man is beloved by all, and his descendants by those born afterward.

¹² And may he who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. He prays for them in the same breath both bodily and spiritual things, and he makes his discourse trustworthy from the perceptible husbandry. For if to those who sow the earth God gives seed, and if to those who nourish the body he furnishes nourishment, much more to those who till heaven and nourish the soul. Having said, then, May he supply and multiply your seed, he speaks concerning the perceptible wealth, which he wishes to become a spiritual seed when given to the poor. For from this grows every good work in us, and the sheaves of righteousness; wherefore he also adds: And increase the fruits of your righteousness. And note here too, that he introduces God as giving us not luxury, but nourishment. For bread, he says, for food.

¹³ (But this is from Jeremiah.)

¹⁴ Being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God. And again he shows how one must use wealth. For he says that one must not bury it, but have it unto all liberality—that is, to empty it out with lavishness. And since many display their liberality toward harlots and actors, he says that I mean such liberality as brings much thanksgiving to God; or rather, not thanksgiving only, but also many other things, which he sets down as he proceeds; that, having shown the many good things begotten of liberality, he may render them more eager toward it.

¹⁵ That the ministry of this service not only fills up the wants of the saints, but also abounds through many thanksgivings to God (while through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for the submission of your confession unto the Gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your fellowship toward them and toward all); and in their supplication on your behalf they long after you, on account of the surpassing grace of God upon you. The ministry, he says—that is, the supplying of the money—accomplishes many things. For not only do you fill up the need for the brethren, but you also abound; that is, You furnish them more than the need, and many thanksgivings come about through this approved ministry, witnessed to for its love of mankind. For they glorify God, that you so submitted to the Gospel as to fulfill his commands with lavishness. For the Gospel teaches almsgiving. And for another reason they glorify God, that your liberality and goodness is poured out not toward them alone, but also toward all the poor of Christ. For they do not envy, as the rest of the poor, but give thanks, even for what you give to others. Which is a sign of their great virtue. So that one must give more lavishly to such men, so ungrudging, so virtuous. But they also make supplication on your behalf, that they may be counted worthy to see you—not on account of the money, but on account of the grace of God given to you surpassingly. And again he called the matter of almsgiving grace, referring the whole to God, that they themselves may not be lifted up. And in saying, The surpassing grace of God, he rouses them, that they may make their munificence more lavish, and that others may not surpass and outdo them.

¹⁶ But thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. By gift he means the good things that come about through almsgiving both to those who give and to those who receive; or he also calls to mind the good things of which we were counted worthy through the incarnation of Christ, as though saying such things as these: Do not suppose that you do anything great; for unspeakable are the good things which we received from God; and if we give a few perishable things, what is that great?

10 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — Chapter Ten

¹ Chapter Ten. Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Having finished his words concerning almsgiving, he now begins the sterner matters, both against the false apostles and against those who slandered him as unlearned and as boasting to no purpose; and he is about to commend himself, being constrained to it, lest the preaching be brought into contempt. He therefore recounts both his own achievements and the grace of God that was given. So that one would not err in calling this Epistle an encomium of Paul. For the present, then, at the very outset the discourse displays some such intention, directed against those who called him powerless and a boaster: that I entreat you, I Paul myself, the teacher of the world (for the words I Paul myself display dignity, just as also the I Paul say to you), and I beseech you, that those who revile me may not compel me to use my power against them. Now it is a great thing even that he himself entreats. But he also brings forward the meekness of Christ unto mediation, as if saying: Reverence the gentleness of Christ, through which I entreat you; and at the same time he shows why he spares them: that it is on account of imitating the meekness of Christ, and not on account of being weak. Do not, therefore, compel me to depart from it—which I so long for that I even set it before you as a mediator.

² Who in presence indeed am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. Either he says this ironically, making use of the words of those who slandered him; for those men said that, when he is present, he is worthy of no account, but lowly, contemptible, whereas when he is absent he puffs himself up and vaunts, and is over-bold against us and threatens. Or he says these things truly concerning himself: that I, who in my presence am lowly and meek toward you, now, even if I utter great things, do not do this out of madness, but out of being bold toward you.

³ But I beseech you that, when present, I may not be bold with that confidence wherewith I reckon to be daring against certain ones who reckon of us as walking according to the flesh. I beseech you, he says, that you may not compel me to use my power with boldness (for he calls his power “confidence”); wherewith I reckon to be daring—that is, I suppose and reckon, or conjecture, from the things wherein those men compel me—against those who slander us as hypocrites and boasters; for this is the meaning of walking according to the flesh. And observe how he calls it daring, merely to defend himself against certain ones; and yet it was not on his own behalf, but on behalf of the preaching, that he was about to do this. But nevertheless it is more proper to a teacher always to delay in punishments, and not quickly to employ them.

⁴ For though walking in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. That is, though clothed with flesh, we do not use fleshly weapons. For he is discoursing about the preaching, showing that it is not human, nor in need of help from below. And by saying we war, he showed that we have taken up war and battle.

⁵ For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly. That is, not wealth, not glory, not eloquence, not flatteries, not pretences; for such are the fleshly weapons.

⁶ But mighty before God, unto the casting down of strongholds. He did not say, But spiritual (for this he certainly ought to have said, in contradistinction to the fleshly), but, mighty, hinting that the weapons of those men are weak and powerless. And mark his freedom from pride: he did not say, We are mighty, but, The weapons are mighty before God—that is, God made them mighty. For since they were driven about and scourged, and these things seemed to be marks of weakness, he says that they are mighty before God. For the strength of God appears especially through these, and it is he who works and wars, even though we are the ones clothed with them. And where are they mighty? Unto the casting down of strongholds; and what the strongholds are, he goes on to add.

⁷ Casting down reasonings. The syllogisms of the Greeks, he says, and their conceit, we cast down through these weapons; or else, that we overthrow their very reasonings and their souls out of the error by which they are held fast, and subject them to the truth. For the reasoning of the Areopagite, and his great-mindedness, was indeed cast down from impiety, but was bowed beneath piety. And observe, he did not say, We bring up siege-engines, but, Straightway we cast down—showing the ease of the victory and the might of the darts.

⁸ And every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God. He continues in the metaphor, that he may more vividly show what he means. He says, then, that even if you should name a high thing—that is, a tower, or a fortress set against the knowledge of God, that is, against the Gospel—this also we cast down.

⁹ And bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ. The word “captivity” signifies two things: both the loss of freedom, and the complete capture, so as not to resist again. According to the second signification, then, Paul now said bringing into captivity. For we do not merely prevail, he says, and conquer every human thought, but we also take it captive—which is the more perfect victory. Then, since the word “captivity” is harsh, he says, unto the obedience of Christ; that is, We lead them into subjection to him—a slavery more precious than all freedom; for from perdition unto salvation, and from death unto life, we subject them to Christ. Consider, then, those in Ephesus who burned their books of magic, and you will understand how Paul took men captive.

¹⁰ And being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Here too he put these men in fear. For we wait for you, he says, until, when through exhortation we have set you right and removed you from those men, then upon those alone, left behind as incurable, we may bring the knife. We hold our punishment, therefore, in readiness, but, while you are mingled together with them, we are hindered, lest the blow touch you also. And by saying, when your obedience is fulfilled, he hints that they obey even now, but not perfectly. And he threatens these things that both these and those may be set right, and that he may strike no one. Now first within us reasonings are formed, as the worse wrestle against the better; then they become high things, when, namely, they conquer, when also they are exalted against the divine knowledge, and so greatly that they run up even into the rank of thought—such as are called inspirations. For a thought is a simple and non-discursive application of the mind, showing the things themselves more excellently than demonstration does. There are, then, even among those deceived by demons, such seeming thoughts, which Paul, and whoever is according to him, takes captive unto the obedience of Christ.

¹¹ Look at the things that are before your face. Not only does he put in fear those who deceive, but he also rebukes those who are deceived; wherefore he says: Judge from the things that appear—whoever boasts greatly, whoever is rich, whoever wears about him the mask of virtue.

¹² If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him reckon this again from himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so also are we. For the false apostles boasted greatly as being Christ’s, and perhaps eyewitnesses. And the words from himself he used instead of: Let him not wait for our rebuke against him, but let him consider that, in this very thing—being Christ’s—he has nothing more than we. For it is not that he is Christ’s, while I am another’s. But this he said condescendingly, since, as he goes on, he shows how much he himself excels.

¹³ For even if I should boast somewhat more abundantly concerning the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down, I shall not be put to shame.[8] He did not say, I have authority to punish and to exact penalty, while they do not have it; but, in a restrained way, somewhat more abundantly. And he did not say, If I boast, but, If I should boast—that is, If I should be willing; concerning the authority, he says, which the Lord has given me—again ascribing the whole to him. And I received this from God, that I might build up unto the faith, doing good, not that I might punish. How then did you say, Casting down reasonings? Because this very thing especially builds up: to cast down [all] the rotten things, and to throw down the hindrances. How then do you threaten them, if you did not receive the authority unto casting down? Primarily I received it unto building up; but if anyone be incurable, we shall use casting down also. If, then, I should be willing, he says, to boast that God has given me something more, so that I have authority both to do good primarily, and, when I am forced, to punish, I shall not be put to shame—that is, I shall not be shown to be a liar or a boaster.

¹⁴ That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by the epistles. For the epistles indeed, he says, are weighty and strong; but the bodily presence is weak, and the speech of no account. Let such a one reckon this, that what we are in word by epistles when absent, such are we also in deed when present. What he means is this: I was able to boast, but, lest I should seem to terrify you by my letters—such things as my slanderers indeed say, that “He vaunts in his epistles, and writes fearful things, but when he arrives he is contemptible, and is convicted of not being what he writes”—but let him know, he says, whoever it may be that says these things, that we not only threaten weighty things, but are also able, when present, to bring the threats into deed.

¹⁵ For we do not dare to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those who commend themselves. Here he shows them to be boasters, and boasting great things concerning themselves. He says, then, that we do not dare to rank ourselves—that is, to number ourselves with them—or to compare ourselves—that is, to set ourselves alongside certain of these who praise themselves.

¹⁶ But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand. Those men, he says, do not deem it worthy to be compared with any other men, but they compare themselves with themselves and contend with one another, and do not perceive how ridiculous they are in boasting such things. For each one, calling himself superior, casts down the other; and thus all appear estimable through one another—which, being laughable, they themselves do not understand.

¹⁷ But we will not boast unto things beyond measure. For those men, vaunting perhaps, said: We have reached the ends of the earth, and have turned the world about. But we are not so, he says.

¹⁸ But according to the measure of the rule which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you. As God, dividing a vineyard among husbandmen, so also marked off the world for us, the apostles. According, then, to the measure of the rule which God apportioned to us, we will boast. And what is the measure? To reach even unto you. Since, then, this is our measure, we boast even unto you.

¹⁹ For we do not overstretch ourselves, as though not reaching unto you; for we came even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ. It was likely that the false apostles, having arrived anywhere even without preaching, would vaunt from the bare sojourn, and reckon the whole to themselves. The Apostle therefore says that not as though we had not reached you do we overstretch ourselves. For we came, not simply, but, in the Gospel of Christ; that is, not having merely sojourned, as those men, but also with the preaching of the Gospel.

²⁰ Not boasting unto things beyond measure in other men’s labors, but having hope, as your faith grows, to be magnified among you according to our rule unto abundance, so as to preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another’s rule, in things made ready to hand. He indicates that those men adorn themselves with the labors of the apostles, and boast unto things beyond measure—that is, excessively, and in other men’s labors. But we are not so; rather, having reached as far as you, we speak freely as far as you. And we hope—in God, that is (for Paul is not wont to make pronouncements)—that, having sufficiently taught you and increased your faith, we may be magnified indeed among you. For then is a teacher magnified, when the things of his disciples increase—that is, when the measure which he obtained advances exceedingly. Why, then, “we hope”? Because we shall preach the Gospel also in the regions beyond you, and perhaps shall boast over those also, if indeed we shall profit them. And everywhere he calls it a rule and a measure, as a builder of the world and a master-builder, and that he may show that the whole is God’s, who gave the rule and the measure; wherefore he adds:

²¹ But let him that boasts, boast in the Lord. For having such works, we do not vaunt, nor reckon anything to ourselves; but to God we ascribe the whole, even the very measure which we have reached. Those men, therefore, ought also to have boasted in this.

²² For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. He did not say, We are approved, but, whom the Lord commends; that is, whom the truth of the work and of the labor, together with the grace of God, declares to be approved.

11 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians — 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 unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 Thrice 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 Thrice 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, Thrice; 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 unto 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.

12 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians — 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.[9] 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?[10] 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.[11] 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 thrice, that it might depart from me; and He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. Thrice, 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.[12] 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.[13] 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.

13 Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians — Chapter Thirteen

¹ Chapter Thirteen. Behold, this third time I am coming to you; in the mouth of two witnesses and of three shall every word be established.[14] Just as God threatens much but is ever slow to punish, so also Paul, His imitator, gives much warning beforehand, and says: As it is written, that before two or three witnesses every doubtful matter is established, that is, confirmed; so also at my three comings every threatening word shall be set in array against you, and shall be ratified, unless you repent. For in place of witnesses he sets his comings.

² I have said beforehand, and I say beforehand, as when present the second time, so also now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare. I both foretold, he says, and again I foretell; for as, having come a second time and being present, I told you, so also now through the letter I proclaim—to those who have sinned before, as needing correction; but to the rest, as witnesses: That if I come again, I will not spare. And he did not say, I will chastise, but used a fatherly word, that of sparing. For if I find them uncorrected, he says, I will no longer defer.

³ Since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me. With much indignation toward those who set him at naught as weak and despised, he says these things. For since you wish to test whether Christ dwells in me, and on this account mock me as weak and bereft of Christ—you shall know it assuredly, if indeed you remain uncorrected. And he shows that the words he speaks are spiritual, and that henceforth one must fear the threat, as of Christ speaking; yet he did not chastise for this reason, as though about to give them a proof and trial; but since you sin incurably, of necessity, he says, I must chastise you, and you shall know through the deeds themselves the proof which you seek.

⁴ Who toward you is not weak, but is mighty in you. Why did he add Toward you, seeing that He is mighty everywhere? Because it is likely that they had also formerly had experience of His power. He says, then, that From the time you have already received experience, you know assuredly that toward you He is not weak, but mighty—that is, able. Or because at the present He shows His power toward you who are able to be corrected, smiting now, that He may then let go; but toward the unbelievers, in the day of judgment. And he shows also that, even if He is about to take vengeance, it is not he himself who will take vengeance, but Christ.

⁵ For though He was crucified out of weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.[15] Many are made to stumble by this saying; but learn that “weakness” is spoken both of the body, and also of unsoundness concerning the faith, as in, Receive him who is weak in the faith. And “weakness” is spoken also of plots and dangers and dishonors, as in, I take pleasure in weaknesses, and the like. According to this signification, then, the Lord was crucified out of weakness, having endured plotting, and danger, and insult; for these things seem to come about out of weakness. As, therefore, Paul calls the preaching “foolishness,” not as being so, but as being so reckoned by the unbelievers, so also he says the Lord was crucified out of weakness—the weakness reckoned so among the unbelievers, not the real one. Yet He lives by the power of God, that is, of the Father, or rather His own; for all that is the Father’s is also His, and what is His, the Father’s. So that the power is common; or rather, He Himself is the power of the Father. So that He also raised Himself, as indeed He foretold: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up. And all these things Paul says because they set him at naught as one persecuted and plotted against, and supposed that he suffered these things out of weakness. He shows, then, that Christ also was in no way harmed by this reputed weakness.

⁶ For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. That is, We are persecuted, driven about; for these things are the “weakness.” In Him, meaning, For His sake and for His preaching. But just as He was not harmed when plotted against, so neither are we; but we shall live with Him; that is, We shall be found unconquered toward you; that is, for your profit. And perhaps he still frightens them, that, Even if you think us weak, yet we are living toward you; that is, for the purpose, if you are not corrected, of chastising you.

⁷ Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. And why do I speak, he says, concerning myself, that Christ speaks in me, and that I am indeed able, yet, imitating Him who was crucified, do not proceed against you? For you too, if you are willing to examine yourselves, will see Christ within yourselves—if indeed you all have the faith (for those who believed then worked miracles), whether the simple faith, or that of the signs, which is more particular. So that, if Christ is in you the disciples, much more is He in me the teacher.

⁸ Or do you not recognize your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are reprobate? That is, unless you have fallen from the grace of the signs which you received. And he hints that they had also been corrupted in their life. For since many who had faith were yet without share in the working of wonders, inasmuch as they were corrupted in life, he says that, As it seems, you do not recognize your own selves, that Christ is in you? But He is not in you, by reason of your being reprobate as to your life. Yet he did not declare it outright, lest he should wound, but set it down by way of hesitation.

⁹ But I hope that you will know that we are not reprobate. Great here too is the threat. For since, he says, you wish to receive the proof through the chastisement laid upon you, I hope that we shall not be at a loss to give you the demonstration that we are not reprobate, nor have fallen from the grace of the signs and of the power; or that we are not corrupted in our life, so that Christ should be banished from us, but that there is in us what belongs to an approved life, and that He will take vengeance on those among you who are disobedient.

¹⁰ Now I pray to God that you do no evil—not that we may appear approved, but that you may do what is good, and we may be as reprobate. See his tender affections: he was despised, mocked, as though able to do nothing, but only blustering in letters; and not only does he defer the punishment, but he even prays both that they may never sin, and that he himself may not come to the necessity of taking vengeance. For I am not earnest about this, he says, that I may appear approved, as having power to chastise, but that you may always do what is good, and even if you ever sin, that you may repent; and that I may be as reprobate—that is, that I may seem to the many weak and powerless, inasmuch as I find no occasion to chastise you. For he was not in truth going to be reprobate; rather he was found approved, in that he so schools his disciples that they sin in nothing. But because of the supposition of the many he said, As reprobate.

¹¹ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. Lest he should seem to be showing them favor, he says: It is altogether from a mind free of vainglory that I do this, that if we find you without fault, we shall not be able to chastise; but even if we attempt it, God will not cooperate. For He has given us power that we may bring a true verdict, not one contrary to the truth. And he votes truly who punishes the one who is worthy; but against the truth votes he who attempts to chastise the one who is not sinning.

¹² For we rejoice when we are weak, but you are strong. Again he shows himself exceedingly careful for them. For he says, Do not suppose that, because I am not able—you being without fault—to display my grace, I am grieved on this account; for I rejoice most of all when I myself am weak—that is, am reckoned weak, as not displaying any power in taking vengeance—but you are strong; that is, virtuous, faultless.

¹³ And this also we pray for, your perfecting. Not only, he says, do I wish this, but I even pray that you may be blameless and perfected—that is, made complete, presenting no gap.

¹⁴ For this reason I write these things while absent, that being present I may not deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for edification, and not for tearing down. Since he had reproved them severely and threatened them, he now makes his defense, and says: For this reason I wrote in this manner, wishing the threat and the sharpness to extend only as far as the letter, and not to be displayed in the deeds. For if I find them uncorrected, I will surely chastise them sharply, since the Lord has given me authority. From this, then, he shows that the Lord also chastises through him as His instrument. And showing that he does not desire to use the authority for their punishment, he added, Not for tearing down, but for edification; that is, primarily the Lord does not will to tear down, that is, to chastise, but to build up, that is, to confer benefit; yet even the bringing of demolition upon the uncorrected is to build up.[16]

¹⁵ Finally, brethren, rejoice. I, he says, have done my own part. It remains, therefore, for you to contribute your own. For having been corrected, you will gain the unfading joy that comes from a good conscience, even though I have spoken words of grief to you.

¹⁶ Be made complete. Meaning, Become perfect both in doctrines and in life, and fill up the things that are lacking to you.

¹⁷ Be comforted. Since the trials and dangers were many, he says: Be comforted both by yourselves and by one another, and by the change for the better. For a good conscience is a great comfort.

¹⁸ Be of the same mind, live in peace. This he asked of them in the former epistle also, as of men given to faction.[17] And it is possible to be of the same mind in doctrines, yet not to be at peace in one’s dealings with one another; Paul, therefore, requires both.

¹⁹ And the God of peace and love shall be with you. Not only does he exhort, but he also prays; or rather this is not even a prayer, but a foretelling of what will follow accordingly: that If you live in peace, God will be with you. And He is called the God “of love,” either as being its fountain, or as having displayed it toward us in surpassing measure; or because, where love is, there He too is present, and is shown to be its Master. And likewise also “of peace”: either as its fountain, or as having made peace with the things in heaven and the things on earth, or as Master of His possession.

²⁰ Greet one another with a holy kiss. Not with a treacherous and deceitful one, like Judas;[18] for on this account we kiss, that we may the more kindle love; since the mouth is, beyond the other members, that which binds souls together. For indeed, on returning home, we show our union by kissing with the mouth. Or also, since we are a temple of God, and the porch of this temple is the mouth, we kiss the porches; for through these porches Christ enters, when we commune.

²¹ All the saints greet you. Those who are present he joins through the kiss, but those who are absent through the salutation; and these too the mouth joins, for the salutation is from the mouth.

²² The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.[19] Since he has joined all together, he prays over them according to custom: the grace of the Son, through which He saved us, not from our own works, but by grace, being Himself slain on our behalf; and the love of the Father, with which He loved us, giving the Only-Begotten on our behalf. And, as though asked, Whence is the grace of the Son? he says, From the love of the Father. And what did He accomplish? The communion of the Holy Spirit—that is, the participation in Him and the partaking, by which we are sanctified, having become, by the visitation of the Paraclete upon us, partakers of Him, and being ourselves also “spirit,” not in essence, but by participation. And where are those who set aside the Spirit, because Paul does not place Him at the beginning of the Epistles? For behold, he has placed Him here, and the Trinity has been numbered in full by Paul; by which Trinity may we be preserved, holding fast the doctrines of the truth securely, and showing forth an incorruptible life, that we may be in very deed made complete, being well in both respects, and shown to be perfect servants of the perfect God in Trinity; to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.