Homilies on Second Corinthians

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into Apostles of Christ.

What do you say? They that preach Christ, they that take not money, they that bring not in a different gospel, “false apostles?” 'Yes,' he says, and for this very reason most of all, because they make pretense of all these things for the purpose of deceiving. “Deceitful workers,” for they do work indeed, but pull up what has been planted. For being well aware that otherwise they would not be well received, they take the mask of truth and so enact the drama of error. 'And yet,' says one, 'they take no money.' That they may take greater things; that they may destroy the soul. Yea rather, even that was a falsehood; and they took money but did it secretly: and he shows this in what follows. And indeed he already hinted this where he said, “that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we:” in what follows, however, he hinted it more plainly, saying, “If a man devour you, if a man take you captive, if a man exalt himself, you bear with him.” But at present he accuses them on another account, saying, “fashioning themselves.” They had only a “fashion;” the skin of the sheep was but outside clothing.