Homilies on Second Corinthians

³ “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,” and the Father, “and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.” After having united them to one other by the salutations and the kisses, he again closes his speech with prayer, with much carefulness uniting them unto God also. Where now are they who say that because the Holy Spirit is not inserted in the beginnings of the Epistles, He is not of the same substance? For, behold, he has now enumerated Him with the Father and Son. And besides this, one may remark, that when writing to the Colossians and saying, “Grace to you, and peace from God our Father,” he was silent of the Son, and added not, as in all his Epistles, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Is then the Son not of the same substance either, because of this? Nay, these reasonings are of extreme folly. For this very thing especially shows Him to be of the same substance, that Paul uses the expression [or not] indifferently. And that what is here said is no conjecture, hear how he mentions Son and Spirit, and is quite silent of the Father. For, writing to the Corinthians, he says, “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” What then, tell me? Were these not baptized into the Father? Then assuredly they were neither washed nor sanctified. But did they baptize them? Doubtless then just as also they did baptize. How then did he not say, 'You are washed in the name of the Father.' Because it was indifferent in his view, at one time to make mention of this, at another of that Person; and you may observe this custom in many places of the Epistles. For writing to the Romans he says, “I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God,” although those mercies are of the Son; and, “I beseech you by the love of the Spirit,” although love is of the Father. Wherefore then mentioned he not the Son in “the mercies,” nor the Father in “the love?” Because as being things plain and admitted, he was silent about them. Moreover, he will be found again, to put the gifts also themselves transposedly. For having said here, “The grace of Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost;” he in another place speaks of “the communion of the Son,” and of “the love of the Spirit.” For, “I beseech you,” he says, “by the love of the Spirit.” And in his Epistle to the Corinthians, “God is faithful, by Whom you were called into the communion of His Son.” Thus the things of the Trinity are undivided: and whereas the communion is of the Spirit, it has been found of the Son; and whereas the grace is of the Son, it is also of the Father and of the Holy Spirit; for [we read], “Grace be to you from God the Father.” And in another place, having enumerated many forms of it, he added, “But all these works the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally as He will.” And I say these things, not confounding the Persons, (away with the thought!) but knowing both the individuality and distinctness of These, and the Unity of the Substance.

4. Let us then continue both to hold these doctrines in their strictness, and to draw to us the love of God. For before indeed He loved us when hating Him, and reconciled us who were His enemies; but henceforth He wishes to love us as loving Him. Let us then continue to love Him, so that we may be also loved by Him. For if when beloved by powerful men we are formidable to all, much more when [beloved] by God. And should it be needful to give wealth, or body, or even life itself for this love, let us not grudge them. For it is not enough to say in words that we love, but we ought to give also the proof of deeds; for neither did He show love by words only, but by deeds also. Do thou then also show this by your deeds and do those things which please Him, for so shall you yourself reap again the advantage. For He needs nothing that we have to bestow, and this is also a special proof of a sincere love, when one who needs nothing and is not in any necessity, does all for the sake of being loved by us. Wherefore also Moses said, “For what does the Lord God require of you, but to love Him, and that you should be ready to walk after Him?” So that when He bids you love Him, He then most of all shows that He loves you. For nothing does so secure our salvation as to love Him. See then, how that all His commandments even tend together to our repose and salvation and good report. For when he says, “Blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the peacemakers;” He Himself indeed reaps no advantage from these, but he enjoins them for our adorning and attuning; and when He says, “I was an hungred,” it is not as needing that ministry from us, but as exciting you to humanity. For He was well able even without you to feed the poor man; but as bestowing upon you an exceeding treasure, he laid these commands upon you. For if the sun, which is but a creature, needs not our eyes; for he abides in his own proper brightness, even though none should look upon him, and we it is who are the gainers when we enjoy his beams; much more is this so with God. But that you may learn this in yet another way; how great will you have the distance to be between God and us? As great as between gnats and us, or much greater? Quite plainly it is much greater, yea, infinite. If then we vainglorious creatures need not service nor honor from gnats, much rather the Divine Nature [none from us], seeing It is impassible and needing nothing. The measure of that which He enjoys by us is but the greatness of our benefit, and the delight He takes in our salvation. For this reason He also oftentimes relinquishes His own, and seeks yours. “For if any,” he says, have a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away; and, “He that puts away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery.” Do you see what unspeakable goodness? 'If a wife be a harlot,' He says, 'I do not compel the husband to live with her; and if she be an unbeliever, I do not forbid him.' Again, 'if you be grieved against any one, I command him that has grieved you to leave My gift and to run to you.' For He says, “If you are offering your gift, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” And what says the parable of him that had devoured his all? Does it not show this? For when he had eaten up those ten thousand talents, He had mercy on him, and let him go; but when he demanded of his fellowservant an hundred pence, he both called him wicked and delivered him over to the punishment. So great account does He make of your ease. The barbarian was about to sin against the wife of the just man, and He says, “I spared you from sinning against me.” Paul persecuted the Apostles, and He says to him, “Why do you persecute Me?” Others are hungry, and He Himself says He is an hungred, and wanders about naked and a stranger, wishing to shame you, and so to force you into the way of almsgiving.