Homilies on Second Corinthians: Homily XXIII
Ver. 9. “And when I was present with you, and was in want, I was not a burden on any man.”
For he did not say, ‘ye did not give to me,’ but, ‘I did not take,’ for as yet he spares them. But nevertheless even in the subduedness of his language he covertly strikes them again, for the word, “present,” is exceedingly emphatic, and so is “in want.” For that they might not say, ‘what matter then, if you had [enough]?’ he added, “and was in want.”
“I was not a burden” on you. Here again he hits them gently, as making such contributions reluctantly, as feeling them a burden. Then comes the reason also, full of accusation and fraught with jealousy. Wherefore also he introduced it, not in the way of a leading point, but as informing them whence and by whom he was supported, so as to stimulate them again, in an unsuspicious way, as to the point of almsgiving;
“For the measure of my want,” he says, “the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied.” Seest thou how he provokes them again, by bringing forward those that had ministered to him? For inspiring them first with a desire of knowing who these could be, when he said, “I robbed other churches;” he then mentions them also by name; which would incite them also unto almsgiving. For he thus persuades those who had been beaten [by them] in the matter of supporting the Apostle, not to be also beaten in the succor they gave to the poor.
And he says this also in his Epistle to the Macedonians themselves, “For in my necessities ye sent unto me once and again, even in the beginning of the Gospel;”‸ which point also was a very great commendation of them, that from the very beginning they shone forth.
But observe how everywhere he mentions his “necessity,” and no where a superfluity. Now therefore by saying “present,” and in “want” he showed that he ought to have been supported by the Corinthians; and by the words, “they supplied the measure of my want,” he shows that he did not so much as ask. And he assigns a reason which was not the real one. What then is this? That he had received from others; “for,” says he, “the measure of my want those that came supplied.” ‘For this reason,’ he says, ‘I was not a burden; not because I had no confidence in you.’ And yet it is for this latter reason that he so acts, and he shows it in what follows; but does not say it plainly, but throws it into the shade, leaving it to the conscience of his hearers. And he gives proof of it covertly in what follows, by saying,
“And in every” thing “I kept myself from being burdensome, and so will I keep” myself. “For think not,” says he, “that I say these things that I may receive.” Now the words “so will I keep myself,” are severer, if he has not even yet confidence in them; but once for all had given up the idea of receiving aught from them. He shows, moreover, that they even considered this to be a burden; wherefore he said, “I have kept myself from being burdensome, and so will I keep myself.” He says this in his former Epistle also, “I write not this that it may be so done unto me; for” it were “good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.”‸ And here again, “I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep” myself.
[6.] Then, that he may not seem to speak these things for the sake of winning them on the better [to do this], he saith,
Ver. 10. “As the truth of Christ is in me.” ‘Do not think that I therefore have spoken, that I may receive, that I may the rather draw you on: for,’ saith he, “as the truth is in me, “No man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.” For that none should think again that he is grieved at this, or that he speaks these things in anger, he even calls the thing a “glorying.” And in his former Epistle too he dressed it out in like terms. For so that he may not wound them there either, he says, “What then is my reward?” “That when I preach the Gospel, I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge.”‸ And as he there calls it “reward,” so doth he here “glorying,” that they may not be excessively ashamed at what he said, as if he were asking and they gave not to him. ‘For, what, if even ye would give?’ saith he, ‘Yet I do not accept it.’ And the expression, “shall not stop me,” is a metaphor taken from rivers, or from the report, as if running every where, of his receiving nothing. ‘Ye stop not with your giving this my freedom of speech.’ But he said not, ‘ye stop not,’ which would have been too cutting, but “no man shall stop me in the regions of Achaia.” This again was like giving them a fatal blow, and exceedingly apt to deject and pain them, since they were the only persons he refused [to take from]. ‘For if he made that his boast, it were meet to make it so every where: but if he only does so among us, perchance this is owing to our weakness.’ Lest therefore they should so reason and be dejected, see how he corrects this.
Ver. 11. “Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.”
Quickly [is it done], and by an easy method. But still, not even so did he rid them of those charges. For he neither said, ‘ye are not weak,’ nor yet, ‘ye are strong;’ but, “I love you,” which very greatly aggravated the accusation against them. For the not receiving from them, because they felt it an exceeding grievance, was a proof of special love toward them. So he acted in two contrary ways out of love; he both did receive, and did not receive: but this contrariety was on account of the disposition of the givers. And he did not say, ‘I therefore do not take of you, because I exceedingly love you,’ for this would have contained an accusation of their weakness and have thrown them into distress; but he turned what he said to another reason. What then is this?
Ver. 12. “That I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.”
For since this they sought earnestly, to find some handle against him, it is necessary to remove this also. For this is the one point on which they pique themselves. Therefore that they might not have any advantage whatever, it was necessary to set this right; for in other things they were inferior. For, as I have said, nothing doth so edify worldly people as the receiving nothing from them. Therefore the devil in his craftiness dropped this bait especially, when desirous to injure them in other respects. But it appears to me that this even was in hypocrisy. And therefore he did not say, ‘wherein they have well done,’ but what? “wherein they glory;” which also was as jeering at their glorying; for they gloried also of that which they were not. But the man of noble spirit not only ought not to boast of what he has not, but not even of what he possesses; as this blessed saint was wont to do, as the patriarch Abraham did, saying, “But I am earth and ashes.”‸ For since he had no sins to speak of, but shone with good works; having run about in every direction and found no very great handle against himself, he betakes himself to his nature; and since the name of “earth” is in some way or other one of dignity, he added to it that of “ashes.” Wherefore also another saith, “Why is earth and ashes proud?”‸
[7.] For tell me not of the bloom of the countenance, nor of the uplifted neck, nor of the mantle, and the horse, and the followers; but reflect where all these things do end, and put that to them. But and if thou tell me of what appears to the eye, I too will tell thee of things in pictures, brighter far than these. But as we do not admire those for their appearance, as seeing what their nature is, that all is clay; so therefore let us not these either, for these too are but clay. Yea rather, even before they are dissolved and become dust, show me this uplifted [neck] a prey to fever and gasping out life; and then will I discourse with thee and will ask, What has become of all that profuse ornament? whither has that crowd of flatterers vanished, that attendance of slaves, that abundance of wealth and possessions? What wind hath visited and blown all away? Nay, even stretched upon the bier, he beareth the tokens of that wealth and that pride; a splendid garment thrown over him, poor and rich following him forth, the assembled crowds breathing words of good omen. Surely this also is a very mockery; howbeit even this besides is presently proved naught, like a blossom that perishes. For when we have passed over the threshold of the city gates, and after having delivered over the body to the worms, return, I will ask thee again, where is that vast crowd gone to? What has become of the clamor and uproar? where are the torches? where the bands of women? are not these things, then, a dream? And what too has become of the shouts? where are those many lips that cried, and bade him ‘be of good cheer, for no man is immortal?’ These things ought not now to be said to one that heareth not, but when he made prey of others, when he was overreaching, then with a slight change should it have been said to him, ‘Be not of good cheer, no man is immortal; hold in thy madness, extinguish thy lust;’ but ‘Be of good cheer’ is for the injured party. For to chant such things over this man now, is but like men exulting over him and speaking irony; for he ought not for this now to be of good cheer, but to fear and tremble.