Homilies on Second Corinthians

“But if I should even desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth.”

How then did you say before, “Would that you could bear with me a little in my foolishness;” and, “That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly;” but here, “Though I should even desire to glory, I shall not be foolish?” Not in regard of glorying, but of lying; for if glorying be foolishness, how much more lying?

It is then with regard to this that he says, “I shall not be foolish.” Wherefore also he added,

“For I shall speak the truth; but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he sees, or that he hears from me.” Here you have the acknowledged reason; for they even deemed them to be gods, on account of the greatness of their miracles. As then in the case of the elements, God has done both things, creating them at once weak and glorious; the one, to proclaim His own power; the other, to prevent the error of mankind: so truly here also were they both wonderful and weak, so that by the facts themselves were the unbelievers instructed. For if while continuing to be wonderful only and giving no proof of weakness, they had by words tried to draw away the many from conceiving of them more than the truth; not only would they have nothing succeeded, but they would even have brought about the contrary. For those dissuasions in words would have seemed rather to spring of lowliness of mind, and would have caused them to be the more admired. Therefore in act and by deeds was their weakness disclosed. And one may see this exemplified in the men who lived under the old dispensation. For Elias was wonderful, but on one occasion he stood convicted of faint-heartedness; and Moses was great, but he also fled under the influence of the same passion. Now such things befell them, because God stood aloof and permitted their human nature to stand confessed. For if because he led them out they said, 'Where is Moses?' what would they not have said, if he had also led them in? Wherefore also [Paul] himself says, “I forbear, lest any should account of me.” He said not, 'say of me,' but, “lest any should even account of me” beyond my desert.' Whence it is evident from this also that the whole discourse relates to himself. Wherefore even when he began, he said, “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory,” which he would not have said, had he been going to speak the things which he said of another man. For wherefore is it “not expedient to glory” about another? But it was himself that was counted worthy of these things; and therefore it is that he goes on to say,