Homily III.
2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 12For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world.
Here again he openeth to us yet another ground of comfort, and that not small, yea rather, exceeding great, and well fitted to upraise a mind sinking under perils. For seeing he had said, God comforted us, and God delivered us, and had ascribed all to His mercies and their prayers, lest he should thus make the hearer supine, presuming on God's mercy only and the prayers of others, he showeth that they themselves had contributed not a little of their own. And indeed he showed as much even before, when he said, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound [in us,] so our consolation also aboundeth." (ver. 5.) But here he is speaking of a certain other good work, properly their own. What then is this? That, saith he, in a conscience pure and without guile we behave ourselves every where in the world: and this availeth not a little to our encouragement and comfort; yea, rather, not to comfort merely, but even unto somewhat else far greater than comfort, even to our glorying. And this he said, teaching them too not to sink down in their afflictions, but, if so be they have a pure conscience, even to be proud of them; and at the same time quietly though gently hitting at the false Apostles. And as in the former Epistle he saith, "Christ sent me to preach the Gospel, not in wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect:" (1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 17) and, "that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God;" (ib. ii. 5.) so here also, "Not in wisdom, but in the grace of Christ."
And he hinted also something besides, by employing the words, "not in wisdom," that is, `not in deceit,' here too striking at the heathen discipline. "For our glorying," saith he, "is this, the testimony of our conscience;" that is, our conscience not having whereof to condemn us, as if for evil doings we were persecuted. For though we suffer countless horrors, though from every quarter we be shot at and in peril, it is enough for our comfort, yea rather not only for comfort, but even for our crowning, that our conscience is pure and testifieth unto us that for no evil-doing, but for that which is well-pleasing to God, we thus suffer; for virtue's sake, for heavenly wisdom's, for the salvation of the many. Now that previous consolation was from God: but this was contributed by themselves and from the purity of their' life. Wherefore also he calls it their glorying, because it was the achievement of their own virtue. What then is this glorying and what doth our conscience testify unto us? "That in sincerity," that is to say, having no deceitful thing, no hypocrisy, no dissimulation, no flattery, no ambush or guile, nor any other such thing, but in all frankness, in simplicity, in truth, in a pure and unmalicious spirit, in a guileless mind, having nothing concealed, no festering sore. "Not in fleshly wisdom;" thatis, not with evil artifice, nor with wickedness, nor with cleverness of words, nor with webs of sophistries, for this he meaneth by `fleshly wisdom:' and that whereupon they greatly prided themselves, he disclaims and thrusts aside: showing very abundantly that this is no worthy ground for glorying: and that not only he doth not seek it, but he even rejecteth and is ashamed of it.
"But in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world."
What is, "in the grace of God?" Displaying the wisdom that is from Him, the power from Him given unto us, by the signs wrought, by overcoming sages, rhetoricians, philosophers, kings, peoples, unlearned as we are and bringing with us nothing of the wisdom that is without. No ordinary comfort and glorying, however, was this, to be conscious to themselves that it was not men's power they had used; but that by Divine grace they had achieved all success. ["In the world."] So not in Corinth only, but also in every part of the world.
"And more abundantly to you-ward." What more abundantly to you-ward? "In the grace of God we behaved ourselves." For we showed both signs and wonders amongst you, and greater strictness, and a life unblameable; for he calls these too the grace of God, ascribing his own good works also unto it. For in Corinth he even overleapt the goal, making the Gospel without charge, because he spared their weakness.
Ver. 13. "For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or even acknowledge."
For since he spoke great things of himself and seemed to be bearing witness to himself, an odious thing, he again appeals to them as witnesses of what he says. For, he saith, let no one think that what I say is a boastful flourish of writing; for we declare unto you what yourselves know; and that we lie not ye more than all others can bear us witness. For, when ye read, ye acknowledge that what ye know that we perform in our actions, this we say also in our writings, and your testimony doth not contradict our epistles; but the knowledge which ye had before of us is in harmony with your reading.
Ver. 14. "As also ye did acknowledge us in part."
For your knowledge of us, he saith, is not from hearsay but from actual experience. The words "in part" he added from humility. For this is his wont, when necessity constraineth him to say any highsounding thing, (for he never doth so otherwise,) as desiring quickly to repress again the elation arising from what he had said.
"And I hope ye will acknowledge even to the end."
[2.] Seest thou again how from the past he draws pledges for the future; and not from the past only, but also from the power of God? For he affirmed not absolutely, but cast the whole upon God and his hope in Him.
"That we are your glorying, even as ye also are our's, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here he cuts at the root of the envy that his speech might occasion, by making them sharers and partners in the glory of his good works. `For these stick not with us, but pass over untoyou also, and again from you to us.' For seeing he had extolled himself, and produced proof of the past and given security for the future; lest his hearers should reflect on him for talking proudly, or, as I have said, be hurried to enviousness, he makes the rejoicing a common one and declares that this crown of praises is theirs. For if, he says, we have shown ourselves to be such, our praise is your glory: even as when ye also are approved, we rejoice and leap for joy and are crowned. Here also again he displays his great humility by what he says. For he so levels his expressions, not as a master discoursing to disciples, but as a disciple unto fellow-disciples of his own rank. And observe how he lifts them on high and fills them with philosophy, sending them on to That Day. For, he saith, tell me not of the present things, that is, the reproaches, the revilings, the scoffings of the many, for the things here are no great matter, neither the good nor the painful; nor the scoffings nor the praises which come from men: but remember, I pray, that day of fear and shuddering in the which all things are revealed. For then both we shall glory in you, and ye in us; when ye shall be seen to have such teachers, who teach no doctrine of men nor live in wickedness nor give [men] any handle; and we to have such disciples, neither affected after the manner of men nor shaken, but taking all things with readiness of mind, and unseduced by sophistries from what side soever. For this is plain even now to those that have understanding, but then to all. So that even if we are afflicted now, we have this, and that no light, consolation which the conscience affordeth now, and the manifestation itself then. For now indeed our conscience knoweth that we do all things by the grace of God, as ye also know and shall know: but then, all men as well will learn both our doings and yours: and shall behold us glorified through each other. For that he may not appear himself alone to derive lustre from this glorying, he gives to them also a cause of boasting, and leads them away from their present distresses. And as he did in respect to the consolation when he said, "We are comforted for your sakes," (ver. 6.) so he does here also, saying, `we glory on your account, as ye also on ours,' every where making them partakers of every thing, of his comfort, his sufferings, his preservation. For this his preservation he ascribes to their prayers. "For God delivered us," he saith, "ye helping together by prayer." In like manner also he makes the gloryings common. For as in that place he says, "Knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation:" so here too, "we are your glorying, as ye also are ours."
Ver. 15. "And in this confidence I was minded to come before unto you." What confidence? `In relying exceedingly on you, glorying over you, being your glorying, loving you exceedingly, being conscious to myself of nothing evil, being confident that all is spiritual with us, and having you as witnesses of this.'
"I was minded to come unto you, and by you to pass into Macedonia."
And yet he promised the contrary in his former Epistle, saying thus: "Now I will come unto you when I shall have passed through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia." (1 Corinthians chapter 16, verse 5) How is it then that he here says the contrary? He doth not say the contrary: away with the thought. For it is contrary indeed to what he wrote, but not contrary to what he wished.
Wherefore also here he said not, `I wrote that I would pass by you into Macedona; but, `I was minded.' For though I did not write on that wise,' he says, `nevertheless I was greatly desirous, and `was minded,' even before, to have come unto you: so far was I from wishing to be later than my promise that I would gladly have come before it.` "That ye might have a second benefit." What is, a second benefit?`That ye might have a double benefit, both that from my writings, and that from my presence.' By "benefit" he here means pleasure.
Ver. 16, 17. "And by you to pass into Macedonia, and to come again from Macedonia unto you, and of you to be set forward on my journey unto Judaea. When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness?"
[3.] Here in what follows, he directly does away with the charge arising out of his delay and absence. For what he says is of this nature. "I was minded to come unto you." `Wherefore then did I not come? Is it as light-minded and changeable?' for this is, "did I show fickleness?" By no means. But wherefore? "Because what things I purpose, I purpose not according to the flesh." What is, "not according to the flesh?" I purpose not `carnally.'
Ver. 17. "That with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay."
But still even this is obscure. What is it then he says? The carnal man, that is, he that is rivetted to the present things and is continually occupied in them, and is without the sphere of the Spirit's influence, has power to go every where, and to wander whithersoever he will. But he that is the servant of the Spirit, and is led, and led about by Him, cannot everywhere be lord of his own purpose, having made it dependent upon the authority thence given; but it so fares with him as if a trusty servant, whose motions are always ruled by his lord's biddings and who has no power over himself nor is able to rest even a little, should make some promise to his fellow-servants, and then because his master would have it otherwise should fail to perform his promise. This then is what he means by, "I purpose not according to the flesh." I am not beyond the Spirit's governance, nor have liberty to go where I will. For I am subject to lordship and commands, the Comforter's, and by His decrees I am led, and led about. For this cause I was unable to come, for it was not the Spirit's will. As happened also frequently in the Acts; for when he had purposed to come to one place, the Spirit bade him go to another. So that it was not from lightness, that is, fickleness in me that I came not, but that being subject to the Spirit I obeyed Him. Didst mark again his accustomed logic? That by which they thought to prove that "he purposed according to the flesh," namely, the non-fulfilment of his promise, he uses as the special proof that he purposed according to the Spirit, and that the contrary had been purposing according to the flesh. What then? saith one: was it not with the Spirit that he promised what he did? By no means. For I have already said that Paul did not foreknow every thing that was to happen or was expedient. And it is for this reason that he says in the former Epistle, "that ye may set me forward on my journey whithersoever I go;" (1 Corinthians chapter 16, verse 6) entertaining this very fear that after he had said, `into Judaea,' he might be compelled to go elsewhither; but now when his intention had been frustrated, he says it, "And of you be set forward on my journey unto Judaea." So much as was of love, he states, namely, the coming to them; but that which had no reference to them, his going, namely, from them into Judaea, he doth not add definitely. When however he had been proved wrong, he afterwards says here boldly, "toward Judaea." And this too befel for good, lest any among them should conceive of them (the Apostles, Acts chapter 14, verse 13) more highly than they deserved. For if in the face of these things they wished to sacrifice bulls to them. upon what impiety would they not have driven, had they not given many instances of human weakness? And why marvel if he knew not all things that were to happen, seeing that ofttimes he even in prayers knoweth not what is expedient.
"For," saith he "we know not what we should pray for as we ought." And that he may not seem to be speaking modestly, he not only saith this, but instances wherein he knew not in prayers what was expedient. Wherein then was it? When he entreated to be delivered from his trials, saying, "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7-2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9) Seest thou how he knew not to ask what was expedient, and so although he asked often he obtained not.
Ver. 18. "But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not yea and nay."