Homilies on Second Corinthians

“I rejoice therefore, that in every thing I am of good courage concerning you.” Do you see that he rejoices more on their account; 'because,' he says, 'you have in no particular shamed your teacher, nor show yourselves unworthy of my testimony.' So that he joyed not so much for Titus?' sake, that he enjoyed so great honor; as for their own, that they had displayed so much good feeling. For that he may not be imagined to joy rather on Titus?' account, observe how in this place also he states the reason.

As then he said above, “If in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf I was not put to shame;” so here also, “In everything I am of good courage concerning you.” 'Should need require me to rebuke, I have no apprehension of your being alienated; or again to boast, I fear not to be convicted of falsehood; or to praise you as obeying the rein, or as loving, or as full of zeal, I have confidence in you. I bade you cut off, and you did cut off; I bade you receive, and you did receive; I said before Titus that you were great and admirable kind of people and knew to reverence teachers: ye proved these things true by your conduct.

And he learned these things not so much from me as from you. At any rate when he returned, he had become a passionate lover of you: your behavior having surpassed what he had been told.'