Homilies on Second Corinthians

For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world.

Here again he opens to us yet another ground of comfort, and that not small, yea rather, exceeding great, and well fitted to upraise a mind sinking under perils. For seeing he had said, God comforted us, and God delivered us, and had ascribed all to His mercies and their prayers, lest he should thus make the hearer supine, presuming on God's mercy only and the prayers of others, he shows that they themselves had contributed not a little of their own. And indeed he showed as much even before, when he said, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound [in us,] so our consolation also abounds.” But here he is speaking of a certain other good work, properly their own. What then is this? That, says he, in a conscience pure and without guile we behave ourselves every where in the world: and this avails not a little to our encouragement and comfort; yea, rather, not to comfort merely, but even unto somewhat else far greater than comfort, even to our glorying. And this he said, teaching them too not to sink down in their afflictions, but, if so be they have a pure conscience, even to be proud of them; and at the same time quietly though gently hitting at the false Apostles. And as in the former Epistle he says, “Christ sent me to preach the Gospel, not in wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect:” and, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God;” so here also, “Not in wisdom, but in the grace of Christ.”

And he hinted also something besides, by employing the words, “not in wisdom,” that is, 'not in deceit,' here too striking at the heathen discipline. “For our glorying,” says he, “is this, the testimony of our conscience;” that is, our conscience not having whereof to condemn us, as if for evil doings we were persecuted. For though we suffer countless horrors, though from every quarter we be shot at and in peril, it is enough for our comfort, yea rather not only for comfort, but even for our crowning, that our conscience is pure and testifies unto us that for no evil-doing, but for that which is well-pleasing to God, we thus suffer; for virtue's sake, for heavenly wisdom's, for the salvation of the many. Now that previous consolation was from God: but this was contributed by themselves and from the purity of their life. Wherefore also he calls it their glorying, because it was the achievement of their own virtue. What then is this glorying and what does our conscience testify unto us? “That in sincerity,” that is to say, having no deceitful thing, no hypocrisy, no dissimulation, no flattery, no ambush or guile, nor any other such thing, but in all frankness, in simplicity, in truth, in a pure and unmalicious spirit, in a guileless mind, having nothing concealed, no festering sore. “Not in fleshly wisdom;” that is, not with evil artifice, nor with wickedness, nor with cleverness of words, nor with webs of sophistries, for this he means by 'fleshly wisdom:' and that whereupon they greatly prided themselves, he disclaims and thrusts aside: showing very abundantly that this is no worthy ground for glorying: and that not only he does not seek it, but he even rejects and is ashamed of it.

“But in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world.”

What is, “in the grace of God?” Displaying the wisdom that is from Him, the power from Him given unto us, by the signs wrought, by overcoming sages, rhetoricians, philosophers, kings, peoples, unlearned as we are and bringing with us nothing of the wisdom that is without. No ordinary comfort and glorying, however, was this, to be conscious to themselves that it was not men's power they had used; but that by Divine grace they had achieved all success.

[“In the world.”] So not in Corinth only, but also in every part of the world.

“And more abundantly to you-ward.” What more abundantly to you-ward? “In the grace of God we behaved ourselves.” For we showed both signs and wonders among you, and greater strictness, and a life unblameable; for he calls these too the grace of God, ascribing his own good works also unto it. For in Corinth he even overleapt the goal, making the Gospel without charge, because he spared their weakness.