Homilies on First Corinthians

⁵ “Love never fails.”

Do you see when he put the crown on the arch, and what of all things is peculiar to this gift? For what is, “fails not?” it is not severed, is not dissolved by endurance. For it puts up with everything: since happen what will, he that loves never can hate. This then is the greatest of its excellencies.

Such a person was Paul. Wherefore also he said, “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh;” and he continued hoping. And to Timothy he gave a charge, saying, “And the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all....in meekness correcting those that oppose themselves, if God perhaps may give them the knowledge of the truth.”

“What then,” says one, “if they be enemies and heathens, must one hate them?” One must hate, not them but their doctrine: not the man, but the wicked conduct, the corrupt mind. For the man is God's work, but the deceit is the devil's work. Do thou not therefore confound the things of God and the things of the devil. Since the Jews were both blasphemers, and persecutors, and injurious, and spoke ten thousand evil things of Christ. Did Paul then hate them, he who of all men most loved Christ? In no wise, but he both loved them, and did everything for their sakes: and at one time he says, “My heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them that they may be saved:” and at another, “I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for their sakes.” Thus also Ezekiel seeing them slain says, “Alas, O Lord, dost Thou blot out the remnant of Israel?” And Moses, “If You will forgive their sin, forgive.”

Why then says David, “Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate You, and against Your enemies did I not pine away? I hate them with perfect hatred.”

Now, in the first place, not all things spoken in the Psalms by David, are spoken in the person of David. For it is he himself who says, “I have dwelt in the tents of Kedar;” and, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept:” yet he neither saw Babylon, nor the tents of Kedar.

But besides this, we require now a completer self-command. Wherefore also when the disciples besought that fire might come down, even as in the case of Elias, “You know not,” says Christ, what manner of spirit you are of. For at that time not the ungodliness only, but also the ungodly themselves, they were commanded to hate, in order that their friendship might not prove an occasion of transgression unto them. Therefore he severed their connections, both by blood and marriage, and on every side he fenced them off.

But now because he has brought us to a more entire self-command and set us on high above that mischief, he bids us rather admit and soothe them. For we get no harm from them, but they get good by us. What then does he say? We must not hate, but pity. Since if you shall hate, how will you easily convert him that is in error? How will you pray for the unbeliever? For that one ought to pray, hear what Paul says: “I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayer, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men.” But that all were not then believers, is, I suppose, evident unto every one. And again, “for kings and all that are in high place.” But that these were ungodly and transgressors, this also is equally manifest. Further, mentioning also the reason for the prayer, he adds, “for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who wills that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” Therefore, if he find a Gentile wife consorting with a believer, he dissolves not the marriage. Yet what is more closely joined than a man to his wife? “For they two shall be one flesh,” and great in that instance is the charm, and ardent the desire. But if we are to hate ungodly and lawless men, we shall go on to hate also sinners; and thus in regular process you will be broken off from the most even of your brethren, or rather from all: for there is not one, no, not one, without sin. For if it be our duty to hate the enemies of God, one must not hate the ungodly only, but also sinners: and thus we shall be worse than wild beasts, shunning all, and puffed up with pride; even as that Pharisee. But not thus did Paul command us, but how? “Admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be long suffering toward all.”

6. What then does he mean when he says, “If any obeys not our word by this epistle, note that man, that you have no company with him?” In the first place, he says this of brethren, however not even so without limitation, but this too with gentleness. For do not thou cut off what follows, but subjoin also the next clause: how, having said, “keep no company,” he added, “yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” Do you see how he bade us hate the deed that is evil, and not the man? For indeed it is the work of the devil to tear us asunder from one another, and he has ever used great diligence to take away love that he may cut off the way of correction, and may retain him in error and you in enmity, and thus block up the way of his salvation. For when both the physician hates the sick man and flies from him, and the sick man turns away from the physician, when will the distempered person be restored, seeing that neither the one will call in the other's aid, nor will the other go to him?

But wherefore, tell me, do you at all turn away from him and avoid him? Because he is ungodly? Truly for this cause ought thou to welcome and attend him, that you may raise him up in his sickness. But if he be incurably sick, still you have been bidden to do your part. Since Judas also was incurably diseased, yet God left not off attending upon him. Wherefore, neither do thou grow weary. For even if after much labor thou fail to deliver him from his ungodliness, yet shall you receive the deliverer's reward, and wilt cause him to wonder at your gentleness, and so all this praise will pass on to God. For though you should work wonders, and raise the dead, and whatsoever work you do, the Heathen will never wonder at you so much, as when they see you displaying a meek, gentle, mild disposition. And this is no small achievement: since many will even be entirely delivered from their evil way; there being nothing that has such power to allure men as love. For in respect of the former they will rather be jealous of you, I mean the signs and wonders; but for this they will both admire and love you: and if they love, they will also lay hold of the truth in due course. If however he become not all at once a believer, wonder not nor hurry on, neither do thou require all things at once, but suffer him for the present to praise, and love, and unto this in due course he will come.