The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Ver. 21. — Now He which stablisheth us. Some think that this is an ellipse, and we must understand the meaning to be, He which stablisheth us prevented the execution of my purpose. But it is far better to refer these words, as others do, to what immediately precedes them. The promises of God have been fulfilled in Christ ; but He who by His power and authority fulfils them is God Himself : as He promised, so in fact does He stablish us, anoint us, and seal us in Christ. In the third place, it would not be amiss to refer these words to what was said in ver. 18, “ Our word toward you was not yea and nay.” In other words — I am not fickle and inconstant in my speech, my preaching, and promises. It is God who gives me this constancy, and therefore let no one think that I am arrogant enough to ascribe it to my own strength and fortitude, since I profess that I have it, not from myself but from God. As God in Himself and in His promises is yea, that is, is ever constant, firm, and unchangeable, so does He strengthen us, and make us firm and constant in the faith and in what we promise.
And hath anointed us in God , who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts . This seal, says Calvin, is that special Divine faith by which each has a certain knowledge that he is predestinated. But this seal is uncertain and unreliable, and this faith is false and foolish presumption. For the Apostle, who had as great faith as possible, fears reprobation in 1 Cor. ix. 27. His Divine faith, therefore, did not give him certain assurance of his predestination . Moreover, he frequently impresses on all the faithful that they carefully work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, and by so doing he takes from them all ground for assurance of their salvation. Add to this that no one is certain that he has this Divine faith, or that he will always have it ; nay, many have fallen away from this faith of Calvin’s who before believed with him that they were of the number of the predestinate.
I say, then, 1. that God hath sealed means, He has confirmed His promises as though He had stamped them with His seal, by giving, according to them, as a pledge of our future inheritance, His grace, He has sealed and anointed us to be the sons of God, separated off from the sons of the devil. So Chrysostom, Theodoret, Œcumenius. This seal is altogether certainly known to God, but to us is only a matter of probability. This establishing, anointing, and sealing take place through one and the self-same grace. Similarly, in Eph. i. 13 he says that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
2. This passage may be referred to baptism ; for (a) in baptism God anointed us with the oil of His grace ; ( b ) He gave the earnest of the Spirit in the testimony of a good conscience ; (c) He sealed us with the “character” of baptism. Cf. Bellarmine ( de Effectu Sacr. lib. ii. c. 20). The exposition of Theophylact and Chrysostom is to be referred to this. They say : “ He hath anointed us and sealed us to be prophets, priests, and kings.” Cf. Chrysostom ( Hom . 3) on these words, who points out how Christians who govern their passions are kings anointed by God.
3. It is the best explanation which refers these words to the sacrament of Confirmation, which, in olden times, was received by all the faithful to strengthen them against persecution. S. Paul has expressly distinguished, “ He hath established us,” “ He hath given the earnest of the Spirit,” “hath anointed us,” “hath sealed us.”
But these four things cannot be distinguished anywhere save in the sacrament of Confirmation.
These words point to four effects of the sacrament of Confirmation : (i.) The gift of faith, by which we are strengthened in Christ. Hence, as was said in ver. 18, S. Paul’s faithful preaching of Christ was firm and constant, because God had strengthened him for it in Christ by means of the sacrament of Confirmation, i.e., through Christ and His merits. (2.) The second effect is the grace of charity, with which we are abundantly anointed, as with a spiritual chrism. The Greek, indeed, for anointed is the very word whence come “Christ” and “ Christians,” so that “ Christians ” are “ the anointed ones.” Hence S. Augustine (Sent 342) says: “The word ‘Christ’ is from chrism, i.e., anointing. Every Christian, therefore, is sanctified , in order that he may understand that he not only is made a partaker of the priestly and royal dignity, but also an adversary of the devil.” (3.) The third fruit is the earnest of the Spirit, which is the testimony of a good conscience given by the Holy Spirit, and which is as the earnest of the future glory promised, and to be given by the Holy Spirit. For the sense in which the Holy Spirit is the pledge or earnest, see notes to Eph. i. 14. (4.) The fourth fruit is the seal and sign of the Cross on the forehead, signifying the “ character ” imprinted on the soul, by which we are sealed as His servants, or rather His soldiers and leaders. Cf. Ambrose (de his qui Mysteriis Initiantur, c. vii.), Suarez (pt. iii. qu. 63, art. 1 and 4).
Ver. 23. — Moreover , I call God for a record upon my soul. From this it is lawful for a Christian to take an oath, says S. Augustine (qu. 5, inter. 83); for the Apostle here takes an oath, and that one of execration. If I lie, he says, may God be my Judge and condemn my soul.
That to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Lest I should be forced to exert my apostolic authority against the vices of the offenders among you : it was to spare you from being grieved by my coming to correct you. So Anselm. Cf. also chap. ii. 1. S. Paul here gives the real reason why he had not kept his promise, or his purpose of visiting Corinth, which was that the Corinthians had not yet given up the vices of which he had admonished them in his First Epistle, and deserved therefore to be rebuked still more sharply and punished. But he deals gently with them, and by his absence he wished tacitly, and by his Epistle openly to remind them once more of their duty, and so correct them with gentleness.
Let prelates learn from this not to be ever chiding and rebuking those under them for their faults, lest they make them hard and callous. And more than this, the faults of some people, especially those that are more high-minded and sensitive, are more effectually corrected if they are pointed out patiently and indirectly than if they are rebuked openly, or actually visited with punishment. Cf. S. Gregory (Pastor, pt iii. c. 8 and 9).
As yet. That is, after his first visit, or after the First Epistle.
Ver. 24. — Not for that we have dominion over your faith , but are helpers of your joy. This is a well-known rhetorical figure of speech, he tones down what had been said before of his power.
He means : I said that I was unwilling to punish, and wished you of your own accord to correct yourselves ; but I said this not from love of power, or as though I wished to act arbitrarily, but to improve you, that when you were so corrected you might rejoice both on earth and in heaven. This rebuke of mine, therefore, is not so much a rebuke as a support and help to your joy. So Anselm.
For by faith ye stand. “Which,” says S. Anselm, “ works by love and is not forced by dominion.” In your faith I have nothing to correct, but only in your actions ; and, since you are of the faithful , I will not imperiously scold you, but gently admonish you by this letter, that so you may all rejoice with me. Since you are of the faith, I have little doubt but that you will at once listen to my admonitions.