The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
No man shall stop me of this boasting . Or, this boasting shall not be stopped in me. This liberty and liberality of mine shall not be stopped, nor therefore my boasting of it It is a metaphor, taken from springs and rivers, which no barriers can stop.
Secondly, it is better to suppose that S. Paul, following a Hebrew usage, employs the simple verb denoting to seal up for the compound verb unseal (σφραγίζω for ἀνασφραγίζω). “ I have determined,” he then would say, “ to receive nothing from you ; and I have so confirmed that determination by the strong seal of my oath, that I shall not open this seal, or break my purpose, whatever need or necessity may lay upon me.”
Ver. 12. — Which desire occasion. Of finding fault with me for anything peculiar to myself more than others.
That wherein they glory they may be found even as we. They boast that in their preaching they are equal to me, when they are inferior; for I preach freely, they for the sake of gain. Cf. ver. 21 (Anselm, Chrysostom, Theophylact).
Ver. 13. — Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ. From this it appears that these detractors of Paul were not believers who were impelled by mere vanity or by envy of Paul, but were heretics ; for, in ver. 15, he calls them false apostles and ministers of Satan.
Secondly, he censures their hypocrisy in that, in order that they might impose on the Christians, they took to themselves the appearance and name of the Apostles of Christ, as though they were ministers of Christ, and preachers of the Christian faith. The Calvinists of the present day are of the same kind, for they deform and profane everything sacred — our rites, sacraments, churches, monasteries, sanctuaries, altars, all true worship, religion, and godliness — and yet wish to be looked upon and spoken of as reformers.
Ver. 14. — For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. He says of light, because good angels, being blessed, are wont, when they show themselves to men, to appear full of light and glory.
Secondly, of light refers to the light of truth, righteousness, and godliness. Satan assumes these virtues, promises them to those men before whose eyes he appears in visible form, or into whose imagination he insinuates himself and his counsels, when really he is an angel of darkness, inasmuch as he suggests nothing but what is sinful, erroneous, and false. To unmask him and recognise his wiles there is nothing better, as the Fathers, and holy men, and experience itself teach, than to disclose your thoughts and suggestions to some prudent, pious, and learned man, preferably your Superior or Confessor, and to follow his advice. But Satan hates the light, and therefore dissuades and prevents his followers from doing this. From neglecting this counsel many, even hermits, have been by him most terribly deceived. In the lives of the Fathers there are extant many sad instances of this, e.g., in the case of that monk whom the devil persuaded to throw himself headlong into a well, by declaring that he would find that God, for his merits, would most gloriously deliver him. S. Epiphanius, Irenaeus, and Augustine tell us the dreadful and abominable delusions instilled by the devil into such heretics as the Ophites, the Artotyritae, and the Circumcelliones.
Under the form of a good angel the devil attempted to deceive the hermit S. Abraham, as S. Ephrem records in his Life. While he was singing psalms at midnight, a light like that of the sun suddenly shone in his cell, and a voice was heard saying : “ Blessed art thou, Abraham : none is like thee in fulfilling all my will.” But the humility of the Saint recognised the fraud of the devil, and exclaimed : “ Thy darkness perish with thee, thou full of all fraud and falsehood; for I am a sinful man; but the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, whom I have loved and do love, is a wall to me, and in it I rebuke thee, thou unclean dog.” And then the devil vanished from his sight as smoke.
Similarly, the devil appeared in splendour, with horses of fire and a chariot of fire, near the column on which was S. Symeon Stylites, and said to him : “The Lord hath sent me, His angel, to carry thee off as I carried Elijah. Ascend, therefore, with me into the chariot, and let us go into heaven. The holy angels, the Apostles, martyrs, and prophets, and Mary the Mother of the Lord long to see thee.” When S. Symeon was lifting his right foot to get into the chariot he made the sign of the Cross, on which the devil disappeared. This is recorded by Antony, his disciple, in his Life.
Another, on hearing from the devil, “ I am Christ,” shut his eyes and said: “I would not see Christ in this life but in the next.” Hence the Fathers used to warn people, saying : “ Even if an angel really appear to you, do not readily receive him, but humble yourself and say : ‘I am not worthy, while I live in my sins, to see an angel.’ ”
S. John, who foretold to the Emperor Theodosius his victory over the tyrants, saw devils like an army and chariots of fire, saying to him : “ In all things, O man, you have borne yourself well. Now worship me, and I will take you up like Elias.” John answered : “ God is my Lord and King : Him I ever worship ; thou art not my King.” Then the devil vanished. Palladius gives this account.
The devil appeared to Pachomius in the form of Christ, saying : “ Pachomius, I am Christ, and I come to thee, my faithful friend.” Pachomius knew by Divine inspiration the fraud, and thought within himself : “ The coming of Christ gives tranquillity ; but I am now fiercely assailed by conflicting thoughts.” Then, making the sign of the Cross, and breathing on him, he said : “ Depart from me, O devil, for accursed art thou with thy vision and treacherous wiles ; there is no place for you among the servants of God.” Then, leaving a horrible stench, he departed, saying : " I should have gained thee, had not the surpassing power of Christ hindered me. Nevertheless , so far as I can, I will not cease to trouble thee.” Cf. Dionysius, in Vita Pachomii.
The monk Valens was frequently deceived by the devil under the form of an angel. From this Valens became swollen with pride, because of his intimacy with angels. At length the devil appeared to him, feigning that he was Christ, accompanied by a thousand angels holding lights and a fiery wheel. One of them said to him : “ Christ has loved thy free and confident life, and has come to see thee; come out, therefore, and worship Him.” Then he went out and worshipped the devil as Christ. This so unhinged his mind that he went into the church and said : “ I have no need of communion . I have seen Christ to-day.” The Fathers, therefore, bound him and threw him into fetters. Cf. Palladius, c. 31.
Ver. 16. — If otherwise, yet as a fool receive me. If I can obtain from you nothing else, then receive me as a fool, only that I may have license to glory somewhat. As Cato says: “ Neither praise nor blame thyself; leave this to fools, whom empty glory vexes.” Notice how S. Paul hesitates, and paves the way for self-praise, to show how unwillingly he was driven to it (Chrysostom).
Ver. 17. — That which I speak. The praises of myself, that I propose to utter directly.
I speak it not after the Lord. If regarded by itself. But it will be after God if charity and necessity be taken into account, the necessity, that is, of preventing you from despising me, and glorifying the false apostles.
In this confidence of boasting. In this substance (Latin version). In this subject-matter of boasting, i.e., my works, of which I am now going to speak.
Ver. 18. — Seeing that many glory after the flesh . In things merely outward and carnal, as, e.g., in birth, riches, wisdom, circumcision , having Hebrew parents — of all which these false apostles boast. Hence I too will glory in them (Chrysostom).
Ver. 19. — For ye suffer fools gladly , seeing ye yourselves are wise. Irony. You have foolishly suffered the boastings of these vainglorious false apostles ; I hope that you will suffer me to glory wisely and usefully among them that are wise. Theophylact, however, and Anselm think that this is said seriously, in the way of exaggerated rebuke. Since you are wise in Christ, you ought to have exploded the folly of the false apostles. Why, then, do you gladly suffer them?