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Homily VIII.
2 Cor. iv. 1, 2
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we
obtained mercy we faint not, but we have renounced the hidden
things of shame.
Seeing he had uttered
great things and had set himself and all the faithful before Moses,
aware of the height593
and greatness of what he had said,
observe how he moderates his tone again. For it was necessary on
account of the false Apostles to exalt594
| 594 ἑπαιρεῖν. The Benedictine Latin translates,
“necessary to exalt [himself] both on account of the false
Apostles, and his hearers.” | his hearers also, and again to calm
down that swelling; yet not to do it away, since this would be a
trifler’s part595
. Wherefore
he manages this in another manner, by showing that not of their own
merits was it, but all of the loving-kindness of God. Wherefore
also he says, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry.” For
nothing more did we contribute, except that we became ministers,
and made ourselves subservient to the things given by God.
Wherefore he said not ‘largess596
,’ nor ‘supply597
,’ but ‘ministry.’ Nor was
he contented with this even, but added, “as we obtained
mercy.” For even this itself, he saith, the ministering to
these things, is of mercy and loving-kindness. Yet it is
mercy’s to deliver from evils, not to give so many good things
besides: but the mercy of God includes this also.
“We faint not.” And this indeed is to be
imputed to His loving-kindness. For the clause, “as we obtained
mercy,” take to be said with reference both to the
“ministry,” and to the words, “we faint not.” And observe
how earnestly he endeavors to lower his own things. ‘For,’
saith he, ‘that one who hath been counted worthy of such and so
great things, and this from mercy only and loving-kindness, should
show forth such labors, and undergo dangers, and endure
temptations, is no great matter. Therefore we not only do not
sink down, but we even rejoice and speak boldly.’ For instance,
having said, “we faint not,” he added,
Ver. 2.
“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully.”
And what are “the hidden things of shame?” We
do not, he saith, profess and promise great things, and in our
actions show other things, as they do; wherefore also he said,
“Ye look on things after the outward appearance;” but such we
are as we appear, not having any duplicity, nor saying and doing
such things as we ought to hide and veil over with shame and
blushes. And to interpret this, he added, “not walking in
craftiness.” For what they considered to be praise, that he
proves to be shameful and worthy of scorn. But what is, “in
craftiness?” They had the reputation of taking nothing,, but
they took and kept it secret; they had the character of saints and
approved Apostles, but they were full of numberless evil things.
But, saith he, “we have renounced” these things: (for these
are what he also calls the “hidden things of shame;” being such as we appear to be, and
keeping nothing veiled over. And that not in this [our] life
only, but also in the Preaching itself. For this is, “nor
handling the word of God deceitfully.”
“But by the manifestation of the truth.”
Not by the countenance and the outward show, but by
the very proof of our actions.
“Commending ourselves to every man’s
conscience.”
For not to believers only, but also to
unbelievers, we are manifest; lying open unto all that they may
test our actions, as they may choose; and by this we commend
ourselves, not by acting a part and carrying about a specious
mask. We say then, that we take nothing, and we call you for
witnesses; we say that we are conscious of no wickedness, and of
this again we derive the testimony from you, not as they (sc. false
Apostles) who, veiling over their things, deceive many. But we
both set forth our life before all men; and we lay bare598
the
Preaching, so that all comprehend it.
[2.] Then because the unbelievers knew not its
power, he added, this is no fault of ours, but of their own
insensibility. Wherefore also he saith,
Ver. 3, 4. “But if our Gospel is
veiled, it is veiled in them that are lost; in whom the God of this
world hath blinded the eyes of the unbelieving.”
As he said also before, “To some a savor from
death unto death, to others a savor from life unto life,” (ch. ii.
16.) so he saith
here too. But what is “the God of this world?” Those that
are infected with Marcion’s notions599
| 599 See Epiphanius adv. Hær. lib. i. tom.
iii. 33. | , affirm that this is said of the
Creator, the just only, and not good; for they say that there is a
certain God, just and not good. But the Manichees600
| 600 For a full account of Manichæism, see
Library of the Fathers, St. Augustin’s Confessions,
Note A. | say that the
devil is here intended, desiring from this passage to introduce
another creator of the world besides the True One, very
senselessly. For the Scripture useth often to employ the term
God, not in regard of the dignity of that so designated, but of the
weakness of those in subjection to it; as when it calls Mammon
lord, and the belly god. But neither is the belly therefore God,
nor Mammon Lord, save only of those who bow down themselves to
them. But we assert of this passage that it is spoken neither of
the devil nor of another creator, but of the God of the Universe,
and that it is to be read thus; “God hath blinded the minds of
the unbelievers of this world601
| 601 [This is one of the few instances in which
the expositor allowed himself to be diverted by dogmatic
considerations from the true meaning of the word. It is
exceedingly awkward to make of this world depend upon
unbelievers, and not upon the substantive God which
immediately precedes. The natural and legitimate construction is
the one given in both the English versions, “the God of this
world (or age).” But Chrysostom was led to depart from it, as
Augustin was afterwards, and Origen and Tertullian had been before,
by a desire to resist the Marcionites and the Manichæans who were
accustomed to quote this passage in favor of their doctrine of two
eternal principles, the one good, the other evil. But the
ordinary rendering of the phrase gives no countenance to the
Dualism, which for so many centuries opposed and embarrassed
the early Church. It is, alas, too certain that Satan rules this
world as if he were a God, and from the multitude he receives the
service which is due to the Most High alone, but this fact by no
means exalts him to an equality with the maker of all or makes him
an original and co-eternal principle of life and action. It is
because men turn away from the glory of God as it shines in the
face of Jesus Christ that God permits Satan to destroy, in whole or
in part, their capacity for spiritual vision. Such a work is
eminently appropriate in him who is prince of “the world-rulers
of this darkness” (Ephes. vi. 12 Rev. Ver.), and the element of
whose being is deceit and falsehood. C.] | .” For the world to come hath no
unbelievers; but the present only. But if any one should read it
even otherwise, as, for instance, “the God of this world;”
neither doth this afford any handle, for this doth not show Him to
be the God of this world only. For He is called “the God of
Heaven,” (Ps.
cxxxvi. 26. &c.) yet
is He not the God of Heaven only; and we say, ‘God of the present
day;’ yet we say this not as limiting His power to it alone.
And moreover He is called the “God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob;” (Exod. iii. 6. &c.) and yet He is not
the God of them alone. And one may find many other like
testimonies in the Scriptures. How then “hath” He
“blinded” them? Not by working unto this end; away with the
thought! but by suffering and allowing it. For it is usual with
the Scripture so to speak, as when it saith, “God gave them up
unto a reprobate mind.” For when they themselves first
disbelieved, and rendered themselves unworthy to see the mysteries;
He Himself also thereafter permitted it. But what did it behove
Him to do? To draw them by force, and reveal to those who would
not see? But so they would have despised the more, and would not
have seen either. Wherefore also he added,
“That the light of the Gospel of the glory of
Christ should not dawn upon them.”
Not that they might disbelieve in God, but that
unbelief might not see what are the things within, as also He
enjoined us, commanding not to “cast the pearls before the
swine.” (Matt. vii.
6.) For had He
revealed even to those who disbelieve, their disease would have
been the rather aggravated. For if one compel a man laboring
under ophthalmia to look at the sunbeams, he the rather increases
his infirmity. Therefore the physicians602
even shut them up in darkness, so
as not to aggravate their disorder. So then here also we must
consider that these persons indeed became unbelievers of
themselves, but having become so, they no longer saw the secret
things of the Gospel, God thenceforth excluding its beams from
them. As also he
said to the disciples, “Therefore I speak unto them in proverbs603
,
(Matt. xiii.
13.) because
hearing they hear not.” But what I say may also become clearer
by an example; suppose a Greek, accounting our religion604
to be
fables. This man then, how will he be more advantaged? by going
in and seeing the mysteries, or605
by remaining without? Therefore
he says, “That the light should not dawn upon them,” still
dwelling on the history of Moses. For what happened to the Jews
in his case, this happeneth to all unbelievers in the case of the
Gospel. And what is that which is overshadowed, and which is not
illuminated unto them? Hear him saying, “That the light of the
glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God, should not dawn
upon them.” Namely, that the Cross is the salvation of the
world, and His glory; that this Crucified One himself is about to
come with much splendor; all the other things, those present, those
to come, those seen, those not seen, the unspeakable splendor of
the things looked for. Therefore also he said, “dawn,” that
thou mayest not look for the whole here, for that which is [here]
given is only, as it were, a little dawning of the Spirit.
Therefore, also above as indicating this, he spoke of “savor;”
(c. ii. 16.)
and again, “earnest,” (c. i. 25.) showing that the greater
part remaineth there. But nevertheless all these things have been
hidden from them; but had been hidden because they disbelieved
first. Then to show that they are not only ignorant of the Glory
of Christ, but of the Father’s also, since they know not His, he
added, “Who is the Image of God?” For do not halt at Christ
only. For as by Him thou seest the Father, so if thou art
ignorant of His Glory, neither wilt thou know the Father’s.
[3.] Ver. 5. “For we preach not
ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants
for Jesus’ sake.”
And what is the nature of the connexion
there? What hath this in common with what has been said? He
either hints at them606
as exalting themselves, and
persuading the disciples to name themselves after them: as he
said in the former Epistle, “I am of Paul and I of Apollos;” or
else another thing of the gravest character. What then is this?
Seeing that they waged fierce war against them, and plotted against
them on every side; ‘Is it,’ he says, ‘with us ye fight and
war? [Nay but] with Him that is preached by us, “for we preach
not ourselves.” I am a servant, I am [but] a minister even of
those who receive the Gospel, transacting every thing for Another,
and for His glory doing whatsover I do. So that in warring
against me thou throwest down what is His. For so far am I from
turning to my own personal advantage any part of the Gospel, that I
will not refuse to be even your servant for Christ’s sake; seeing
it seemed good to Him so to honor you, seeing He so loved you and
did all things for you.’ Wherefore also he saith, “and
ourselves your servants for Christ’s sake.” Seest thou a soul
pure from glory? ‘For in truth,’ saith he, ‘we not only do
not take to ourselves607
aught of our Master’s, but even
to you we submit ourselves for His sake.’
Ver. 6. “Seeing it is God
that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in your608
| 608 “Our” Rec. Text, [which is correct. C.] |
hearts.”
Seest thou how again to those who were
desirous of seeing that surpassing glory, I mean that of Moses, he
shows it flashing with added lustre609
? ‘As upon the face of Moses, so
also hath it shined unto your hearts,’ he saith. And first, he
puts them in mind of what was made in the beginning of the
Creation, sensible light and darkness sensible, showing that this
creation is greater. And where commanded He light to shine out of
darkness? In the beginning and in prelude to the Creation; for,
saith he, “Darkness was upon the face of the deep. And God
said, Let there be light, and there was light.” Howbeit then
indeed He said, “Let it be, and it was:” but now He said
nothing, but Himself became Light for us. For he610
said not,
‘hath also now commanded,’ but “hath” Himself
“shined.” Therefore neither do we see sensible objects by the
shining of this Light, but God Himself through Christ. Seest thou
the invariableness611
in the Trinity? For of the
Spirit, he says, “But we all with unveiled face reflecting in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image
from glory to glory even as from the Lord the Spirit.”
(c. iii. 18.) And of the Son; “That
the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, Who is the Image of
God, should not dawn upon them.” (v. 4.) And of the Father;
“He that said Light shall shine out of darkness shined in your
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Christ.” For as when he had said, “Of the Gospel
of the glory of Christ,” he added, “Who is the Image of God,”
showing that they were deprived of His612
glory also; So after saying, “the
knowledge of God,” he added, “in the face of Christ,’ to show
that through Him we know
the Father, even as through the Spirit also we
are brought unto Him.
Ver. 7.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding
greatness of the power may be of God, and not from
ourselves.”
For seeing he had spoken many and great things
of the unspeakable glory, lest any should say, ‘And how enjoying
so great a glory remain we in a mortal body?’ he saith, that this
very thing is indeed the chiefest marvel and a very great example
of the power of God, that an earthen vessel hath been enabled to
bear so great a brightness and to keep so high a treasure. And
therefore as admiring this, he said, “That the exceeding
greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;”
again alluding to those who gloried in themselves. For both the
greatness of the things given and the weakness of them that receive
show His power; in that He not only gave great things, but also to
those who are little. For he used the term “earthen” in
allusion to the frailty613
of our mortal nature, and to
declare the weakness of our flesh. For it is nothing better
constituted than earthenware; so is it soon damaged, and by death
and disease and variations of temperature and ten thousand other
things easily dissolved. And he said these things both to take
down their inflation, and to show to all that none of the things we
hold614
is human.
For then is the power of God chiefly conspicuous, when by vile it
worketh mighty things. Wherefore also in another place He said,
“For My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. xii. 9.) And indeed in the
Old [Testament] whole hosts of barbarians were turned to flight by
gnats and flies, wherefore also He calleth the caterpillar His
mighty force615
;
(Joel ii. 25.) and in the beginning,
by only confounding tongues, He put a stop to that great tower in
Babylon. And in their wars too, at one time, He routed
innumerable hosts by three hundred men; at another He overthrew
cities by trumpets; and afterwards by a little and poor616
stripling,
David, He turned to flight the whole army of barbarians. So then
here also, sending forth twelve only He overcame the world; twelve,
and those, persecuted, warred against.
[4.] Let us then be amazed at the Power of
God, admire, adore it. Let us ask Jews, let us ask Greeks, who
persuaded the whole world to desert from their fathers’ usages,
and to go over to another way of life? The fisherman, or the
tentmaker? the publican, or the unlearned and ignorant? And how
can these things stand with reason, except it were Divine Power
which achieveth all by their means? And what too did they say to
persuade them? ‘Be baptized in the Name of The Crucified.’
Of what kind of man617
? One they had not seen nor looked
upon. But nevertheless saying and preaching these things, they
persuaded them that they who gave them oracles, and whom they had
received by tradition from their forefathers, were no Gods:
whilst this Christ, He Who was nailed [to the wood,] drew them all
unto Himself. And yet that He was indeed crucified and buried,
was manifest in a manner to all; but that He was risen again, none
save a few saw. But still of this too they persuaded those who
had not beheld; and not that He rose again only, but that He
ascended also into Heaven, and cometh to judge quick and dead.
Whence then the persuasiveness of these sayings, tell me? From
nothing else than the Power of God. For, in the first place,
innovation itself618
| 618 So one ms. at any
rate; Ben. “this innovation.” | was
offensive to all; but when too one innovates in such things, the
matter becomes more grievous: when one tears up619
the foundations of ancient custom,
when one plucks laws from their seat. And besides all this,
neither did the heralds seem worthy of credit, but they were both
of a nation hated amongst all men, and were timorous and
ignorant. Whence then overcame they the world? Whence cast they
out you, and those your forefathers who were reputed to be
philosophers, along with their very gods? Is it not quite evident
that it was from having God with them? For neither are these
successes of human, but of some divine and unspeakable, power.
‘No,’ saith one, ‘but of witchcraft.’ Then certainly
ought the power of the demons to have increased and the worship of
idols to have extended. How then have they been overthrown and
have vanished, and our things the reverse of these? So that from
this even it is manifest that what was done was the decree of God;
and not from the Preaching only, but also from the title of life
itself. For when was virginity so largely planted every where in
the world? when contempt of wealth, and of life, and of all things
besides? For such as were wicked and wizards, would have effected
nothing like this, but the contrary in all respects: whilst these
introduced amongst us the life of angels; and not introduced
merely, but established it in our own land, in that of the
barbarians, in the very extremities of the earth. Whence it is
manifest that it was the power of Christ every where that effected
all, which every where shineth, and swifter than any lightning
illumeth the hearts of men. All these things, then, considering,
and accepting what hath been done as a clear proof of the
promise of the things to
come, worship with us the invincible might of The Crucified, that
ye may both escape the intolerable punishments, and obtain the
everlasting kingdom; of which may all we partake through the grace
and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory
world without end. Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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