Homilies on First Corinthians

⁷ “But by the grace of God I am what I am.”

Do you see again another excess of humility? In that the defects he imputes to himself, but of the good deeds nothing; rather he refers all to God. Next, lest he might hereby render his hearer supine, he says, “And His grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.” And this again with reserve: in that he said not, “I have displayed a diligence worthy of His grace,” but, “it was not found vain.”

“But I labored more abundantly than they all.” He said not, “I was honored,” but, “I labored;” and when he had perils and deaths to speak of, by the name of labor he again abates his expression.

Then again practicing his wonted humility, this also he speedily passes by and refers the whole to God, saying, “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” What can be more admirable than such a soul? Who having in so many ways depressed himself and uttered but one lofty word, not even this does he call his own; on every side finding ways, both from the former things and from them that follow after, to contract this lofty expression, and that because it was of necessity that he came to it.

But consider how he abounds in the expressions of humility. For so, “to me last of all He appeared,” says he. Wherefore neither does he with himself mention any other, and says, “as of one born out of due time,” and that himself is “the least of the apostles,” and not even worthy of this appellation. And he was not content even with these, but that he might not seem in mere words to be humble-minded, he states both reasons and proofs: of his being “one born out of due time,” his seeing Jesus last; and of his being unworthy even of the name of an apostle, “his persecuting the Church.” For he that is simply humble-minded does not this: but he that also sets down the reasons utters all from a contrite mind. Wherefore also he elsewhere makes mention of these same things, saying, “And I thank him that enabled me; even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that He counted me faithful, appointing the to his service, though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious.”

But wherefore did he utter at all that same lofty expression, “I labored more abundantly than they?” He saw that the occasion compelled him. For had he not said this, had he only depreciated himself, how could he with boldness call himself to witness, and number himself with the rest, and say,