So also art thou thyself made king and priest and prophet in the Laver; a king, having dashed to earth all the deeds of wickedness and slain thy sins; a priest, in that thou offerest thyself to God, having sacrificed thy body and being thyself slain also, "for if we died with Him," saith he, "we shall also live with Him;" (2 Tim. ii. 11.) a prophet, knowing what shall be, and being inspired of God [523] , and sealed [524] . For as upon soldiers a seal, so is also the Spirit put upon the faithful. And if thou desert, thou art manifest [by it] to all. For the Jews had circumcision for a seal, but we, the earnest of the Spirit. Knowing then all this, and considering our high estate, let us exhibit a life worthy of the grace [525] , that we may obtain also the kingdom to come; which may we all obtain through the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.
[477] The rec. text has eilikrineia theou. Chrysostom omits theou.
[478] baptizomenen.
[479] The clause "God comforted us," is inserted by Mr. Field on the authority of two ancient mss.
[480] i.e. the Apostles.
[481] hoikothen.
[482] oikeion katorthoma.
[483] erema kathaptomenos.
[484] ten exo paideusin.
[485] Or "boast" kauchesis.
[486] hupoulon.
[487] i.e. the false Apostles.
[488] ek pollou tou periontos.
[489] These words are not found in the mss. though the commentary seems to require them. If they are omitted, there is no stop.
[490] hakribeian.
[491] ta skammata huperebe.
[492] sustengein ton onkon.
[493] R.T. om. our' and Christ.' [R.V. omits the latter. C.]
[494] hupotemnetai.
[495] enenguesato.
[496] medamothen paralogizomenous.
[497] charin.
[498] charan.
[499] Chrysostom, boulomenos. Received text, boulenomenos.
[500] sunethes theorema.
[501] elekenktai.
[502] [The later critics have the present "is." C.]
[503] dogmaton.
[504] Ben. omits "and."
[505] Rec. text, eis apolutrosin tes peripoieseos, eis epainon tes doxes autou. Chrys. eis peripoiesin tes d. a.
[506] St. Chrysostom plainly means by "these," not what was last mentioned but what they are to lead to. There are other instances in his writings of similar inaccuracies.
[507] The Ben. and other Editions insert some words, "much more will He who gave these supply these also."
[508] Rom. 12. 1. where the Rec. text has somata, not mele, as St. Chrysos. reads.
[509] poikilon.
[510] ekpesontas.
[511] chalepoteron.
[512] tandros.
[513] tes peri ton Theon eunoias.
[514] katetolmesen.
[515] Ben. "checked."
[516] rhuthmou Ben. rhomes.
[517] mechri prothumias.
[518] niphades stratopedon.
[519] kataklontai.
[520] philosophia.
[521] perieirgasato.
[522] In Levitical consecrations, the thumb of the priest's right hand was sprinkled with blood. Lev. viii. 23.
[523] enthous.
[524] vid. Hom. iii. on Rom., comment on v. 11. p. 113. Oxford Transl.
[525] tes charitos.
Homily IV.
2 Cor. i. 23
But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth.
What sayest thou, O blessed Paul? To spare them thou camest not to Corinth? Surely thou presentest us with something of a contradiction. For a little above thou saidst that thou therefore camest not, because thou purposest not according to the flesh nor art thine own master, but art led about every where by the authority of the Spirit, and didst set forth thine afflictions. But here thou sayest it was thine own act that thou camest not, and not from the authority of the Spirit; for he saith, "To spare you I forbare to come to Corinth." What then is one to say? either, that this too was itself of the Spirit, and that he himself wished to come but the Spirit suggested to him not to do so, urging the motive of sparing them; or else, that he is speaking of some other coming, and would signify that before he wrote the former Epistle he was minded to come, and for love's sake restrained himself lest he should find them yet unamended. Perhaps also, after the second Epistle though the Spirit no longer forbade him to go, he involuntarily stayed away for this reason. And this suspicion is the more probable, that in the first instance the Spirit forbade him: but afterwards upon his own conviction also that this was more advisable, he stayed away.
And observe, I pray you, how he remembers again his own custom, (which I shall never cease to observe,) of making what seems against him tell in his favor. For since it was natural for them to respect this and say, It was because thou hatedst us, thou wouldest not come unto us,' he shows on the contrary, that the cause for which he would not come was that he loved them.
What is the expression, "to spare you?" I heard, he saith, that some among you had committed fornication; I would not therefore come and make you sorry: for had I come, I must needs have enquired into the matter, and prosecuted and punished, and exacted justice from many. I judged it then better to be away and to give opportunity for repentance, than to be with you and to prosecute, and be still more incensed. For towards the end of this Epistle he hath plainly declared it, saying, "I fear lest when I come, my God should humble me before you, and that I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the lasciviousness and uncleanness [526] which they committed." (2 Cor. xii. 20, 21.) This therefore here also he intimates, and he saith it indeed as in his own defence; yet rebuketh [527] them most severely and putteth them in fear; for he implied that they were open to punishment, and will also have somewhat to suffer, unless they be quickly reformed. And he says the same thing again at the end of the Epistle thus; "If I come again, I will not spare." (2 Cor. xiii. 2.) Only there he says it more plainly: but here, as it was the proem, he does not say it so but in a repressed [528] tone; nor is he content even with this, but he softens it down, applying a corrective. For seeing the expression was that of one asserting great authority, (for a man spares those whom he has also power to punish,) in order to relieve it, and draw a shade over what seems harsh, he saith,
Ver. 24. "Not for that we have lordship over your faith."
That is, I did not therefore say, "To spare you I came not," as lording it over you. Again, he said not you, but "your faith," which was at once gentler and truer. For him that hath no mind to believe, who hath power to compel?
"But are helpers of your joy."
For since, saith he, your joy is ours, I came not, that I might not plunge you into sorrow and increase my own despondency; but I stayed away that ye being reformed by the threat might be made glad. For we do every thing in order to your joy, and give diligence in this behalf, because we are ourselves partakers of it. "For by faith ye stand."
Behold him again speaking repressedly. For he was afraid to rebuke them again; since he had handled them severely in the former Epistle, and they had made some reformation. And if, now that they were reformed, they again received the same reproof, this was likely to throw them back. Whence this Epistle is much gentler than the former.
Chap. ii. 1. "But I determined [529] for myself that I would not come again to you with sorrow."
The expression "again" proves that he had already been made sorry from thence, and whilst he seems to be speaking in his own defence he covertly rebukes them. Now if they had both already made him sorry and were about again to make him sorry, consider how great the displeasure was likely to be. But he saith not thus, Ye made me sorry,' but turns the expression differently yet implying the very same thing thus, For this cause I came not that I might not make you sorry:' which has the same force as what I said, but is more palatable.
[2.] Ver. 2. "For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad, but he that is made sorry by me?"
What is this consequence? A very just one indeed. For observe, I would not, he saith, come unto you, lest I should increase your sorrow, rebuking, showing anger and disgust. Then seeing that even this was strong and implied accusation that they so lived as to make Paul sorry, he applies a corrective in the words, "For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad, but he that is made sorry by me?"
What he saith is of this kind. Even though I were to be in sorrow, being compelled to rebuke you and to see you sorry, still nevertheless this very thing would have made me glad. For this is a proof of the greatest love, that you hold me in such esteem as to be hurt at my being displeased with you.'
Behold too his prudence. Their doing what all disciples do, namely, smarting and feeling it when rebuked, he produces as an instance of their gratifying him; for, saith he, No man maketh me so glad as he that giveth heed to my words, and is sorry when he seeth me angry.'
Yet what followed naturally [530] was to say, For if I make you sorry, who then is he that can make you glad?' But he doth not say this, but turns his speech back again, dealing tenderly with them, and says, Though I make you sorry, even herein ye bestow on me a very great favor in that ye are hurt at what I say.'
Ver. 3. "And I wrote this very thing unto you."
What? That for this cause I came not, to spare you. When wrote he? In the former Epistle when he said, "I do not wish to see you now by the way?" (1 Cor. xvi. 7.) I think not; but in this Epistle when he said, "Lest when I come again, my God should humble me before you." (2 Cor. xii. 21.) I have written then towards the end this same, saith he, "lest when I come, my God will humble me, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore."
But why didst thou write? "Lest when I came I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all?" For whereas he said he was made glad by their sorrow, and this was too arrogant and harsh, again he gave it a different turn and softened it by what he subjoined. For, he saith, I therefore wrote unto you before, that I might not with anguish find you unreformed; and I said this, "lest I should have sorrow," out of regard not to my own interest but yours. For I know that if ye see me rejoicing ye rejoice, and if ye behold me sad ye are sad. Observe therefore again the connection of what he said; for so his words will be more easy to understand. I came not, he says, lest I should cause you sorrow when finding you unreformed. And this I did, not studying my own advantage, but yours. For as to myself, when ye are made sorry I receive no little pleasure, seeing that you care so much about me as to be sorry and distressed at my being displeased. "For who is he that maketh me glad, but he that is made sorry by me." However, though it be so with myself, yet because I study your advantage, I wrote this same thing to you that I might not be made sorry, herein also again studying not my advantage, but yours; for I know, that were ye to see me sad, ye also would be sorry; as also ye are glad when ye see me rejoicing. Observe now his prudence. He said, I came not, that I might not make you sorry; although, saith he, this makes me glad. Then, lest he should seem to take pleasure in their pain, he saith, In this respect I am glad inasmuch as I make you feel, for in another respect I am sorry in that I am compelled to make those sorry who love me so much, not only by this rebuke, but also by being myself in sorrow and by this means causing you fresh sorrow.
But observe how he puts this so as to mingle praise; saying, "from them of whom I ought to rejoice," for these are the words of one testifying kindred and much tender affection; as if one were speaking of sons on whom he had bestowed many benefits and for whom he had toiled. If then for this I write and come not; it is with weighty meaning [531] I come not, and not because I feel hate or aversion, but rather exceeding love.