Homilies on Second Corinthians

“I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you.”

What he says is this; 'I lived in straitness;' for this is the force of “abasing myself.” 'Can you then lay this to my charge? And do ye therefore lift up yourselves against me, because I abased myself by begging, by enduring straits, by suffering, by hungering, that you might be exalted?' And how were they exalted by his being in straits? They were more edified and were not offended; which also might [well] be a very great accusation of them and a reproach of their weakness; that it was not possible in any other way to lead them on than by first abasing himself. 'Do ye then lay it to my charge that I abased myself? But thereby you were exalted.' For since he said even above that they accused him, for that when present he was lowly, and when absent bold, in defending himself he here strikes them again, saying, 'this too was for your sakes.'

“I robbed other churches.” Here finally he speaks reproachfully, but his former words prevent these from seeming offensive; for he said, “Bear with me in a little foolishness:” and before all his other achievements makes this his first boast. For this worldly men look to especially, and on this also those his adversaries greatly prided themselves. Therefore it is that he does not first enter on the subject of his perils, nor yet of his miracles, but on this of his contempt of money, because they prided themselves on this; and at the same time he also hints that they were wealthy. But what is to be admired in him is this, that when he was able to say that he was even supported by his own hands, he did not say this; but says that which especially shamed them and yet was no encomium on himself, namely, 'I took from others.' And he did not say “took,” but “robbed,” that is, 'I stripped them, and made them poor.' And what surely is greater, that it was not for superfluities, but for his necessities, for when he says 'wages,' he means necessary subsistence. And what is more grievous yet, “to minister unto you.” We preach to you; and when I ought to be supported by you, I have enjoyed this at others' hands. The accusation is twofold, or rather three-fold; that when both living among them and ministering to them, and seeking necessary support, he had others supplying his wants. Great the excess, of the one negligence, of the other in zeal! For these sent to him even when at a great distance, and those did not even support him when among them.

5. Then because he had vehemently scourged them, he quietly again relaxes the vehemence of his rebuke, saying,