Homily
XIII.
2 Cor. vi. 11, 12
Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians, our
heart is enlarged, ye are not straitened in us, but ye are
straitened in your own affections.
Having detailed his own
trials and afflictions, for “in patience,” saith he, “in
afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, (v. 4,
5.) in stripes, in
imprisonments, in tumult, in labors, in watchings;” and having
shown that the thing was a great good, for “as sorrowful,”
saith he, “yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things;” (v. 10.) and having called those
things “armor,” for “as chastened,” saith he, “and not
killed:” and having hereby represented God’s abundant care
and power, for he saith, “that the exceeding greatness of the
power may be of God, and not of us;” (c.
iv. 7.) and having recounted his
labors, for he saith, “we always bear about His dying;” and
that this is a clear demonstration of the Resurrection, for he
says, “that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our
mortal flesh;” (c. iv. 10.)
and of what things he was made partaker, and with what he had been
entrusted, for “we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ,” (c.
iii.
20.) saith he, “as
though God were entreating by us;” and of what things he is a
minister, namely, “not of the letter, but of the Spirit;” (c.
iii.
6.) and that he was
entitled to reverence not only on this account, but also for his
trials, for, “Thanks be to God,” saith he, “which always
causeth us to triumph:” he purposeth now also to rebuke them as
not being too well minded towards himself. But though purposing
he does not immediately come upon this, but having his discussion
of these things. For if even from his own good deeds he that
rebuketh be entitled to reverence; yet still, when he also
displayeth the love, which he bears towards those who are censured,
he maketh his speech less offensive. Therefore the Apostle also
having stepped out of the subject of his own trials and toils and
contests, passes on into speaking of his love, and in this way
toucheth them to the quick. What then are the indications of his
love? “Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians.” And
what kind of sign of love is this? or what meaning even have the
words at all? ‘We cannot endure,’ he says, ‘to be silent
towards you, but are always desiring and longing to speak to and
converse with you;’ which is the wont of those who love. For
what grasping of the hands is to the body, that is interchange of
language to the soul. And along with this he implies another
thing also. Of what kind then is this? That ‘we discourse
unto nothing.’ For since afterwards he proposes to rebuke, he
asks forgiveness, using the rebuking them with freedom as itself a
proof of his loving them exceedingly. Moreover the addition of
their name is a mark of great love and warmth and affection; for we
are accustomed to be repeating continually the bare names of those
we love.
“Our heart is enlarged.” For as that
which warmeth is wont to dilate; so also to enlarge is the work of
love. For virtue is warm and fervent. This both opened the
mouth of Paul and enlarged his heart. For, ‘neither do I love
with the mouth only,’ saith he, ‘but I have also a heart in
union. Therefore I speak with openness, with my whole mouth, with
my whole mind.’ For nothing is wider than was Paul’s heart
which loved all the faithful with all the vehemence that one might
bear towards the object of his affection; this his love not being
divided and therefore weakened, but abiding in full entireness with
each. And what marvel that this was so in the case of the
faithful, seeing that even in that of the unfaithful, the heart of
Paul embraced the whole world? Therefore he said not ‘I love
you,’ but with more emphasis, “Our mouth is open, our heart is
enlarged,” we have you all within it, and not this merely, but
with much largeness of room729
. For he that is
beloved walketh
with great unrestraint within the
heart of him that loveth.
Wherefore he saith, “Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are
straightened in your own affections.” And this
reproof, see it
administered with forbearance, as is the wont of such as
love
exceedingly. He did
not say, ‘ye do not
love us,’ but, ‘not in the same
measure,’ for he does not wish to touch them too sensibly. And
indeed every where one may see how he is inflamed toward the
faithful, by selecting words out of every
Epistle. For to the
Romans he saith, “I long to see you;” and, “oftentimes I
purposed to come unto you;” and, “If by any means now at length
I may be
prospered to come unto you.” (
Rom. i. 11, 13, 10.) And to the Galatians, he
says, “My little
children of whom I am again in
travail.”
(
Gal. iv. 19.) To the Ephesians again,
“For this cause I bow my
knees” for you. (
Eph. iii. 14.) And to the
Philippians,
730
| 730 This passage is not in the Epistle to the
Philippians, but in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians (ii.
19) but the same
expressions occur in Phil.
iv. 1. |
“For what
is my
hope, or
joy, or
crown of rejoicing? are not even ye?” and
he said that he bare them about in his
heart, and
731
in his
bonds. (
Philip. i. 7.) And to the Colossians,
“But I would that ye knew greatly I
strive for you, and for as
many as have not seen my face in the
flesh; that your
hearts might
be
comforted.” (
Col.
ii. 1, 2.) And to the
Thessalonians, “As when a
nurse cherisheth her
children, even so
being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to
impart unto you, not the
Gospel only, but also our own
souls.”
(
1 Thess. ii. 7, 8.) And to Timothy,
“Remembering thy
tears, that I may be filled with
joy.”
(
2 Tim. i. 4.) And to Titus, “To
my
beloved732
| 732 So Chrys.: Rec. text, “own son.” [Rev.
Vers. “my true child.”] |
son;
(
Titus i. 4.) and to Philemon, in like
manner. (
Philem. 1.) And to the Hebrews too, he
writes many other such-like things, and ceaseth not to beseech
them, and say, “A very little while, and he that cometh shall
come, and shall not tarry:” (
Heb. x. 37.) just like a mother to
her pettish
733
children.
And to themselves
734
he says,
“Ye are not straitened in us.” But he does not say only that
he
loves, but also that he is
beloved by them, in order that hereby
also he may the rather win them. And indeed testifying to this in
them, he says, Titus came and “told us your longing, your
mourning, your
zeal.” (
2 Cor. vii. 7.) And to the Galatians,
“If possible, ye would have plucked out your
eyes and given them
to me,” (
Gal. iv.
15.) And to the
Thessalonians, “What manner of entering in we had unto you.”
(
1 Thess. i. 9.) And to Timothy also,
“Remembering thy
tears, that I may be filled with
joy.”
(
2 Tim. i. 4.) And also throughout his
Epistles one may find him bearing this
testimony to the
disciples,
both that he
loved and that he is
loved, not however equally. And
here he saith, “Though the more
abundantly I
love you, the less I
be
loved.” (
2 Cor.
xii. 15.) This,
however, is near the end; but at present more vehemently, “Ye are
not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own
affections,” ‘You receive one,’ he says, ‘but I a whole
city, and so great a population.’ And he said not, ‘ye do not
receive us,’ but, ‘ye are straitened;’ implying indeed the
same thing but with forbearance and without touching them too
deeply.
Ver. 13. “Now for a recompense in
like kind (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also
enlarged.”
And yet it is not an equal return, first to be
loved, afterwards to love. For even if one were to contribute
that which is equal in amount, he is inferior in that he comes to
it second. ‘But nevertheless I am not going to reckon
strictly,735
| 735 οὑδὲν
ἀκριβολογοῦμαι. |
’ saith he,
‘and if ye after having received the first advances
736
from me do
but show forth the same amount, I am well-pleased and
contented.’ Then to show that to do this was even a
debt, and
that what he said was
void of
flattery, he saith, “I speak as
unto my
children.” What meaneth, “as unto my
children?”
‘I ask no great thing, if being your
father I wish to be
loved by
you.’ And see
wisdom and
moderation of
mind. He mentions not
here his
dangers on their behalf, and his
labors, and his
deaths,
although he had many to tell of: (so free from
pride is he!) but
his
love: and on this account he claims to be
loved;
‘because,’ saith he, ‘I was your
father, because I
exceedingly
burn for you,’ [for] it is often especially
offensive
to the person
beloved when a man sets forth his benefits to him;
for he seems to
reproach. Wherefore
Paul doth not this; but,
‘like
children,
love your
father,’ saith he, which rather
proceeds from instinct
737
; and is the due of every
father.
Then that he may not seem to speak these things for his own sake,
he shows that it is for their
advantage even that he invites this
love from them. And therefore he added,
Ver. 14. “Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers.”
He said not, ‘Intermix not with
unbelievers,’ but rather dealing sharply with738
them, as transgressing what was
right, ‘
Suffer not yourselves to turn aside,’ saith he, “For
what
fellowship have
righteousness and
iniquity?” Here in what
follows he institutes a comparison, not between his own
love and
theirs who
corrupt them, but between their
nobleness and the
others’
dishonor. For thus his
discourse became more dignified
and more beseeming himself, and would the rather win them. Just
as if one should say to a son that
despised his
parents, and gave himself up
to vicious persons, ‘What art thou doing,
child? Dost thou
despise thy
father and prefer impure men filled with ten
thousand
vices? Knowest thou not how much better and more respectable thou
art than they?’ For so he detaches him more [readily] from
their society than if he should express admiration of his
father.
For were he to say indeed, ‘Knowest thou not how much thy
father
is better than they?’ he will not produce so much effect; but if,
leaving mention of his
father, he bring himself before them,
saying, ‘Knowest thou not who thou art and what they are? Dost
thou not bear in
mind thine own high
birth and
gentle739
blood, and
their infamy? For what
communion hast thou with them, those
thieves, those
adulterers, those
impostors?’ by elevating him
with these
praises of himself, he will quickly prepare him to
break
off from them. For the former address indeed, he will not
entertain with overmuch acceptance, because the exalting of his
father is an
accusation of himself, when he is shown to be not only
grieving a
father, but such a
father; but in this case he will have
no such feeling. For none would choose not to be
praised, and
therefore, along with these
praises of him that hears, the
rebuke
becometh easy of digestion. For the listener is softened, and is
filled with high thoughts, and disdains
740
the society of those
persons.
But not this only is the point to be admired in him
that thus he prosecuted his comparison, but that he imagined
another thing also still greater and more astounding; in the first
place, prosecuting his speech in the form of interrogation, which
is proper to things that are clear and admitted, and then dilating
it by the quick succession and multitude of his terms. For he
employs not one or two or three only, but several. Add to this
that instead of the persons he employs the names of the things, and
he delineates here high virtue and there extreme vice; and shows
the difference between them to be great and infinite so as not even
to need demonstration. “For what fellowship,” saith he,
“have righteousness and iniquity?”
“And what communion hath light with darkness?”
(v. 15, 16.) “And what concord
hath Christ with Beliar741
| 741 [This reading, given in the margin of the Rev.
Vers. is adopted by all the editors instead of “Belial,” for
which, as Westcott and Hort say, there is only Latin authority.
C.] |
? Or what portion
742
hath a
believer with an
unbeliever? Or what
agreement hath a
temple of
God with
idols?”
Seest thou how he uses the bare names, and how
adequately to his purpose of dissuasion. For he did not say,
‘neglect of righteousness743
,’ [but] what was stronger
[
iniquity744
| 744 The two words in brackets are not found in the
text, but seem required by the context. |
]; nor did he
say those who are of the
light, and those who are of the
darkness;
but he uses opposites themselves which can not admit of their
opposites, ‘
light and
darkness.’ Nor said he those who are of
Christ, with those who are of the
devil; but, which was
far wider
apart,
Christ and Beliar, so calling that apostate one, in the
Hebrew
tongue. “Or what portion hath a
believer with an
unbeliever?” Here, at length, that he may not seem simply to be
going through a censure of vice and an encomium of
virtue, he
mentions persons also without particularizing. And he said not,
‘
communion,’ but spoke of the
rewards, using the term
“portion. What
agreement hath a
temple of
God with
idols?”
“For ye745
are a
temple of the living
God.” Now what he says is this. Neither hath your King aught
in common with him, “for what
concord hath
Christ with Beliar?”
nor have the things [aught in common], “for what
communion hath
light with
darkness?” Therefore neither should ye. And first
he mentions their king and then themselves; by this separating them
most effectually. Then having said, “a
temple of
God with
idols,” and having declared, “For ye are a
temple of the living
God,” he is necessitated to subjoin also the
testimony of this to
show that the thing is no
flattery. For he that
praises except he
also exhibit
proof, even appears to flatter. What then is his
testimony? For,
“I will dwell in them,” saith he, “and
walk in them. I will dwell in,” as in temples, “and walk in
them,” signifying the more abundant attachment746
to them.
“And they shall be my people and I will be
their God747
| 747 The Received Text inverts the order of the two
clauses. |
.”
‘What?’ saith he, ‘Dost thou bear
God within thee, and
runnest unto them?
God That hath nothing in common with them?
And in what can this deserve
forgiveness? Bear in
mind Who
walketh, Who dwelleth in thee.’
Ver. 17. “Wherefore come ye out
from among them, and be ye separate, and touch no unclean thing;
and I will receive you, saith the Lord.
And He said not, ‘Do not unclean things;’ but,
requiring greater strictness, ‘do not even touch,’ saith he,
‘nor go near them.’ But what is filthiness of the flesh?
Adultery, fornication, lasciviousness of every kind. And what of
the soul? Unclean thoughts, as gazing with unchaste eyes, malice,
deceits, and whatsoever such things there be. He wishes then that
they should be clean in both. Seest thou how great the prize?
To be delivered from what is evil,
to be made one with God. Hear also what
follows.
Ver. 18. “And I will be to you a
Father, and ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the
Lord.”
Seest thou how from the beginning the Prophet
fore-announceth our present high birth, the Regeneration by
grace?
Chap. vii. ver. 1. “Having therefore these
promises, beloved.”
What promises? That we should be temples of God,
sons and daughters, have Him indwelling, and walking in us, be His
people, have Him for our God and Father.
“Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of
flesh and spirit.”
Let us neither touch unclean things, for this is
cleansing of the flesh; nor things which defile the soul, for this
is cleansing of the spirit. Yet he is not content with this only,
but adds also,
“Perfecting holiness in the fear of
God.” For not to touch the unclean thing doth not make clean,
but there needeth something else besides to our becoming holy;
earnestness, heedfulness, piety. And he well said, “In the fear
of God.” For it is possible to perfect chasteness, not in the
fear of God but for vainglory. And along with this he implies yet
another thing, by saying, “In the fear of God;” the manner,
namely, whereafter holiness may be perfected. For if lust be even
an imperious thing, still if thou occupy its territory with748
the
fear of
God, thou hast stayed its frenzy.
[4.] Now by holiness here he means not
chastity alone, but the freedom from every kind of sin, for he is
holy that is pure. Now one will become pure, not if he be free
from fornication only, but if from covetousness also, and envy, and
pride749
, and
vainglory, yea especially from
vainglory which in every thing
indeed it behoveth to
avoid, but much more in almsgiving; since
neither will it be almsgiving, if it have this distemper, but
display and
cruelty. For when thou dost it not out of
mercy, but
from parade
750
, such
deed
is not only no
alms but even an insult; for thou hast put thy
brother to open
shame751
. Not then the giving
money, but
the giving it out of
mercy, is almsgiving. For people too at the
theatres give, both to prostitute
boys and to others who are on the
stage; but such a
deed is not almsgiving. And they too give that
abuse the persons of prostitute
women; but this is not
lovingkindness, but insolent treatment
752
. Like this is the vainglorious
also. For just as he that abuseth the person of the
harlot, pays
her a
price for that
abuse; so too dost thou demand a
price of him
that receiveth of thee, thine insult of him and thine investing him
as well as thyself with an
evil notoriety. And besides this, the
loss is unspeakable. For just as a
wild beast and a
mad dog
springing upon us might, so doth this
ill disease and this
inhumanity make prey of our good things. For inhumanity and
cruelty such a course is; yea, rather more grievous even than
this. For the cruel indeed would not give to him that asked; but
thou dost more than this; thou hinderest those that wish to give.
For when thou paradest thy giving, thou hast both lowered the
reputation of the receiver, and hast pulled back
753
him that was about to give, if he
be of a careless
mind. For he will not give to him thenceforth,
on the ground of his having already received, and so not being in
want; yea he will often
accuse him even, if after having received
he should draw near to beg, and will think him impudent. What
sort of almsgiving then is this when thou both shamest thyself and
him that receiveth; and also in two ways Him that enjoined it:
both because while having Him for a spectator of thine
alms, thou
seekest the
eyes of thy fellow-
servants besides Him, and because
thou transgressest the
law laid down by Him forbidding these
things.
I could have wished to carry this out into those
other subjects as well, both fasting and prayer, and to show in how
many respects vainglory is injurious there also; but I remember
that in the discourse before this I left unfinished a certain
necessary point. What was the point? I was saying, that the
poor have the advantage of the rich in the things of this life,
when I discoursed concerning health and pleasure; and this was
shown indistinctly. Come then, to-day let us show this, that not
in the things of this life only, but also in those that are higher,
the advantage is with them. For what leadeth unto a kingdom,
riches or poverty? Let us hear the Lord Himself of the heavens
saying of those, that “it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
heaven:” (Matt. xix.
24.) but of the poor the
contrary, “If thou wilt be perfect, sell that thou hast, and give
to the poor; and come, follow Me; and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven.” (Matt. xix.
21.) But if ye will,
let us see what is said on either side. “Narrow and straitened
is the way,” He saith, “that leadeth unto life.” (Matt. vii. 14.) Who then treadeth
the narrow way, he that is in luxury, or that is in poverty; that
is independent, or that carrieth ten thousand burdens; the lax754
and
dissolute, or the thoughtful and anxious? But what need of these arguments,
when it is
best to betake one’s self to the persons themselves.
Lazarus was
poor, yea very
poor; and he that passed him by as he
lay at his gateway was
rich. Which then entered into the
kingdom,
and was in
delights in
Abraham’s
bosom? and which of them was
scorched, with not even a drop at his command? But, saith one,
‘both many
poor will be lost, and [many]
rich will
enjoy those
unspeakable goods.’ Nay rather, one may see the contrary, few
rich saved, but of the
poor far more. For, consider, making
accurate measure of the hindrances of
riches and the defects of
poverty, (or rather, neither of
riches nor of
poverty are they, but
each of those who have
riches or
poverty; howbeit,) let us at least
see which is the more available
weapon. What defect then doth
poverty seem to possess?
Lying. And what,
wealth?
Pride, the
mother of evils; which also made the
devil a
devil, who was not
such before. Again, “the
love of
money is a root of all kinds
of
evil.” (
1 Tim. vi.
10.) Which then
stands near this root, the
rich man, or the
poor? Is it not very
plainly the
rich? For the more things anyone surrounds himself
with, he desires so much the more.
Vainglory again
damages tens
of
thousands of good
deeds, and near this too again the
rich man
hath his dwelling
755
.
“But,” saith one, “thou mentionest not the [evils] of the
poor man, his
affliction, his straits.” Nay, but this is both
common to the
rich, and is his more than the
poor man’s; so that
those indeed which appear to be evils of
poverty are common to
either: whilst those of
riches are
riches’ only. ‘But
what,’ saith one, ‘when for want of necessaries the
poor man
committeth many horrible things?’ But no
poor man, no, not one,
committeth as many horrible things from want, as do the
rich for
the sake of surrounding themselves with more, and of not losing
what stores they have
756
. For the
poor man doth not so
eagerly desire necessaries as the
rich doth superfluities; nor
again has he as much
strength to put
wickedness in
practice as the
other hath
power. If then the
rich man is both more willing and
able, it is quite plain that he will rather
commit such, and more
of them. Nor is the
poor man so much afraid in respect of
hunger,
as the
rich trembleth and is anxious in respect of the loss of what
he has, and because he has not yet gotten all men’s
possessions. Since then he is near both
vainglory and arrogance,
and the
love of
money, the root of all evils, what
hope of
salvation shall he have except he display much
wisdom? And how
shall he
walk the narrow way? Let us not therefore carry about
the notions of the many, but
examine into the facts. For how is
it not absurd that in respect to
money, indeed, we do not
trust to
others, but refer this to figures and calculation; but in
calculating upon facts we are lightly drawn aside by the notions of
others; and that too, though we possess an exact balance
757
, and
square
758
and rule
759
for all
things, the declaration of the
divine laws? Wherefore I
exhort
and entreat you all, disregard what this man and that man thinks
about these things, and inquire from the Scriptures all these
things; and having learnt what are the true
riches, let us
pursue
after them that we may obtain also the
eternal good things; which
may we all obtain, through the
grace and
love towards men of our
Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the
Father and the
Holy Spirit, be
glory, might, and honor, now and ever, and world without end.
Amen.
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