Homilies on Second Corinthians

Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you: yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence, wherewith I count to be bold against some, which count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

Having completed, in such sort as behooved his discourse of almsgiving, and having shown that he loves them more than he is loved, and having recounted the circumstances of his patience and trials, he now opportunely enters upon points involving more of reproof, making allusion to the false apostles, and concluding his discourse with more disagreeable matter, and with commendations of himself. For he makes this his business also throughout the Epistle. Which also perceiving, he hence oftentimes corrects himself, saying in so many words; “Do we begin again to commend ourselves?” and further on; “We commend not ourselves again, but give you occasion to glory:” and afterwards; “I have become a fool in glorying; you have compelled me.” And many such correctives does he use. And one would not be wrong in styling this Epistle an eulogium of Paul; he makes such large mention both of his grace and his patience. For since there were some among them who thought great things of themselves, and set themselves above the Apostle, and accused him as a boaster, and as being nothing, and teaching no sound doctrine; (now this was in itself the most certain evidence of their own corruptness;) see how he begins his rebuke of them; “Now I Paul myself.” Do you see what severity, what dignity, is here? For what he would say is this, 'I beseech you do not compel me, nor leave me to use my power against those that hold us cheap, and think of us as carnal.' This is severer than those threats towards them uttered in the former Epistle; “Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?” and then again; “Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you; but I will come, and will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.” (ib. 18, 19.) For in this place he shows both things, both his power, and his philosophy and forbearance; since he so beseeches them, and with such earnestness, that he may not be compelled to come to a display of the avenging power pertaining to him, and to smite and chastise them and exact the extreme penalty. For he implied this in saying, “But I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence, wherewith I count to be bold against some which count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.” For the present, however, let us speak of the commencement. “Now I Paul myself.” Great emphasis, great weight is here. So he says elsewhere, “Behold I Paul say unto you;” and again, “As Paul the aged;” and again in another place, “Who has been a succorer of many, and of me.” So also here, “Now I Paul myself.” This even is a great thing, that himself beseeches; but that other is greater which he added, saying, “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” For with the wish of greatly shaming them, he puts forward that “meekness and gentleness,” making his entreaty in this way more forcible; as if he had said, 'Reverence the gentleness of Christ by which I beseech you.' And this he said, at the same time also showing that although they should lay ever so strong a necessity upon him, he himself is more inclined to this: it is from being meek, not from want of power, that he does not proceed against them: for Christ also did in like manner.

“Who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.” What, pray, is this? Surely he speaks in irony, using their speeches. For they said this, that 'when he is present indeed, he is worthy of no account, but poor and contemptible; but when absent, swells, and brags, and sets himself up against us, and threatens.' This at least he implies also afterwards, saying, “for his letters,” say they, “are weighty, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” He either then speaks in irony, manifesting great severity and saying, 'I, the base, I, the mean, when present, (as they say,) and when absent, lofty:' or else meaning that even though he should utter great things, it is not out of pride, but out of his confidence in them.

“But I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence, wherewith I count to be bold against some which count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.” Do you see how great his indignation, and how complete his refutation of those sayings of theirs? For he says, 'I beseech you, do not compel me to show that even present I am strong and have power.' For since they said that 'when absent, he is quite bold against us and exalts himself,' he uses their very words, 'I beseech therefore that they compel me not to use my power.' For this is the meaning of, “the confidence.” And he said not, 'wherewith I am prepared,' but 'wherewith I count.' 'For I have not yet resolved upon this; they however give me reason enough, but not even so do I wish it.' And yet he was doing this not to vindicate himself, but the Gospel. Now if where it was necessary to vindicate the Message, he is not harsh, but draws back and delays, and beseeches that there may be no such necessity; much more would he never have done any thing of the kind in his own vindication. 'Grant me then this favor,' he says, 'that you compel me not to show, that even when present I am able to be bold against whomsoever it may be necessary; that is, to chastise and punish them.' Do you see how free he was from ambition, how he did nothing for display, since even where it was matter of necessity, he hesitates not to call the act, boldness. “For I beseech you,” he says, “that I may not when present show courage with the confidence, wherewith I think to be bold” against some. For this especially is the part of a teacher, not to be hasty in taking vengeance, but to work a reformation, and ever to be reluctant and slow in his punishments. How, pray, does he describe those whom he threatens? “Those that count of us as though we walked according to the flesh:” for they accused him as a hypocrite, as wicked, as a boaster.