Homilies on Second Corinthians

^3. So then having brought the whole nation together in one, and saluted them with his accustomed greeting, for, says he, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:” hear how aptly to the purpose in hand he begins, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” Do you ask, how is this aptly to the purpose in hand? I reply, Very much so; for observe, they were greatly vexed and troubled that the Apostle had not come to them, and that, though he had promised, but had spent the whole time in Macedonia; preferring as it seemed others to themselves. Setting himself then to meet this feeling against him, he declares the cause of his absence; not however directly stating it, as thus; “I know, indeed, I promised to come, but since I was hindered by afflictions forgive me, nor judge me guilty of any sort of contempt or neglect towards you:” but after another manner he invests the subject at once with more dignity and trustworthiness, and gives it greatness by the nature of the consolation, so that thereafter they might not so much as ask the reason of his delay. Just as if one, having promised to come to one he longed for, at length arriving after dangers innumerable, should say, “Glory to You, O God, for letting me see the sight so longed for of his dear countenance! Blessed be Thou, O God, from what perils have You delivered me!” for such a doxology is an answer to him who was preparing to find fault, and will not let him so much as complain of the delay; for one that is thanking God for deliverance from such great calamities he cannot for shame drag to the bar, and bid clear himself of loitering. Whence Paul thus begins, “Blessed be the God of mercies,” implying by the very words that he had been both brought into and delivered from mighty perils. For as David also does not address God every where in one way or with the same titles; but when he is upon battle and victory, “I will love You, he says, O Lord my strength; the Lord is my buckler:” when again upon delivery from affliction and the darkness which overwhelmed him, “The Lord is my light and my salvation;” and as the immediate occasion suggests, he names Him now from His loving-kindness, now from His justice, now from His righteous judgment:— in like way Paul also here at the beginning describes Him by His loving-kindness, calling Him “the God of mercies,” that is, “Who has showed me so great mercies as to bring me up from the very gates of death.”

And thus to have mercy is the peculiar and excellent attribute of God, and the most inherent in His nature; whence he calls Him the “God of mercies.”

And observe, I pray you, herein also the lowly-mindedness of Paul. For though he were in peril because of the Gospel he preached; yet says he not, he was saved for his merit, but for the mercies of God. But this he afterwards declares more clearly, and now goes on to say, “Who comforts us in all affliction.” He says not, “Who suffers us not to come into affliction:” but, “Who comforts in affliction.” For this at once declares the power of God; and increases the patience of those afflicted. For, says he, “tribulation works patience.” And so also the prophet, “You have set me at large when I was in distress.” He does not say, “You have not suffered me to fall into affliction,” nor yet, “You have quickly removed my affliction,” but, while it continues, “You have set me at large:” that is, “hast granted me much freedom and refreshment.” Which truly happened also in the case of the three children, for neither did He prevent their being cast into the flame, nor when so cast, did He quench it, but while the furnace was burning He gave them liberty. And such is ever God's way of dealing; as Paul also implies when he says, “Who comforts us in all affliction.”

But he teaches something more in these words: Do you ask what? Namely, that God does this not once, nor twice, but without intermission. For He does not one while comfort, another not, but ever and constantly. Wherefore he says, “Who comforts,” not, “Who has comforted,” and, “in all affliction,” not, “in this or that,” but, “in all.”

“That we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” See you not how he is beforehand with his defence by suggesting to the hearer the thought of some great affliction; and herein also is his modesty again apparent, that he says not for their own merits was this mercy showed, but for the sake of those that need their assistance; “for,” says he, “to this end has He comforted us that we might comfort one another.” And hereby also he manifests the excellency of the Apostles, showing that having been comforted and breathed awhile, he lies not softly down as we, but goes on his way to anoint, to nerve, to rouse others. Some, however, consider this as the Apostle's meaning. “Our consolation is that of others also:” but my opinion is that in this introduction, he is also censuring the false Apostles, those vain boasters who sat at home and lived in luxury; but this covertly and, as it were, incidentally, the leading object being to apologise for his delay. “For,” [he would say,] “if for this end we were comforted that we might comfort others also, do not blame us that we came not; for in this was our whole time spent, in providing against the conspiracies, the violence, the terrors which assailed us.”

4. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.” Not to depress the disciples by an aggravated account of his sufferings; he declares on the other hand that great and superabundant was the consolation also, and lifts up their heart not hereby alone, but also by putting them in mind of Christ and calling the sufferings “His,” and prior to the consolation derives a comfort from the very sufferings themselves. For what joy can I have so great as to be partaker with Christ, and for His sake to suffer these things? What consolation can equal this? But not from this source only does he raise the spirits of the afflicted, but from another also. Ask you what other? In that he says, “abound:” for he does not say, “As the sufferings of Christ” are “in us,” but as they “abound,” thereby declaring that they endure not His sufferings only, but even more than these. For, says he, not whatsoever He suffered, that have we suffered; “but even more,” for, consider, “Christ was cast out, persecuted, scourged, died,” but we, says he, “more than all this,” which even of itself were consolation enough. Now let no one condemn this speech of boldness; for he elsewhere says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.” Yet neither here nor there is it from boldness or any presumptousness. For as they wrought greater miracles than He according to that saying of His, “he that believes in Me shall do greater works than these,” but all is of Him that works in them; so did they suffer also more than He, but all again is of Him that comforts them, and fits them to bear the evils that betide them.

With which respect Paul aware how great a thing he had said, does again remarkably restrain it by adding, “So our comfort also abounds through Christ;” thus at once ascribing all to Him, and proclaiming herein also His loving-kindness; for, he says not, “As our affliction, such our consolation;” but “far more;” for, he says not, “our comfort is equal to our sufferings,” but, “our comfort abounds,” so that the season of struggles was the season also of fresh crowns. For, say, what is equal to being scourged for Christ's sake and holding converse with God; and being more than match for all things, and gaining the better of those who cast us out, and being unconquered by the whole world, and expecting hence such good things “as eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man!” And what is equal to suffering affliction for godliness' sake, and receiving from God consolations infinite, and being rescued from sins so great, and counted worthy of the Spirit, and of being sanctified and justified, and regarding no man with fear and trembling, and in peril itself outshining all.