Homilies on 2 Corinthians 11.1–11.3

“[Knowing,] then, the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; [but we are made manifest to God, and I hope that we are made manifest] in your consciences too.” … “if we say anything great” … to be thought too bold among you. “Knowing, then,” he says, “that fearful tribunal, we do everything so as to give you no handle, no stumbling block, nor any false suspicion of a wicked deed against us.” Do you see the strictness of his way of life and the earnestness of a caring soul? “For not only if we do something wicked,” he says, “are we accused; but even if we do not, but are suspected, and, having it in our power to beat off the suspicion, [neglect to do so,] we pay the penalty.”

“We are not commending ourselves to you again, [but giving you cause to boast] on our behalf.” See how continually he corrects the suspicion of seeming to praise himself. For nothing so offends hearers as someone saying great and wonderful things about himself. Since, then, he was compelled to fall into this subject of discourse, he uses a correction, saying, “We do this for you, not for ourselves, so that you may have something to take pride in, not so that we may”; and not simply this, but because of the false apostles. That is why he added, “against those who boast in appearance and not in heart.” Do you see how he drew them away from those men and drew them to himself, showing that the Corinthians themselves longed to have some occasion by which they could speak for him and defend him against his accusers? “For we say these things not so that we may boast,” he says, “but so that you may have freedom to speak on our behalf”—which bears witness to great love for them—“and not simply so that you may boast, but so that you may not be swept away.” But he does not say it so plainly; he handles the statement differently and more gently, and without striking at those men, saying, “so that you may have something to boast of against those who boast in appearance.” But not even this does he bid them do simply, without a cause, but when those men exalt themselves; for everywhere he looks for the right occasion. So he does this not to show himself splendid, but to stop those who were using the matter improperly and to the harm of these. What is “in appearance”? In what is seen, in what is for display. For such were those men, doing everything for ambition and empty within, having the face of piety and appearing grave, but destitute of good works.

“For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.” … [If we have said something great about ourselves,] the word (for this is what he calls being beside oneself, as elsewhere he calls it foolishness), we do it for God’s sake, so that you may not think us mean, despise us, and perish; and if something moderate and humble, it is for your sake, so that you may learn humility. Or again he means this: if anyone thinks us mad, we demand the reward from God, for whose sake we are suspected of this; but if he thinks us of sound mind, let him enjoy our sound mind. And again in another way: does someone say we are mad? It is for God that we are mad so.

That is why he adds, “For the love of God controls us, having judged this.” “For not only the fear of things to come,” he says, “but also what has already happened does not let us be careless or sleep, but rouses us to labors for you and drives us on.” And what has already happened? “That if one died for all, then all died.” “As if all had perished,” he says. For he would not have died for all if all had not died. For here are the occasions of salvation, but there no longer. That is why he says, “The love of God controls us and does not let us be still.” For it is the extremity of wretchedness, and harder than Gehenna itself, after he has shown so great a deed, that some should be found reaping nothing after such great care of his. For great is the excess of love, both to die for so great a world, and to die for it when it was in such a state. “That those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” If, then, we must not live for ourselves, do not be disturbed, he says, nor troubled when dangers and deaths come upon you. And he sets down an indisputable reasoning, by which he shows that the thing is a debt. For if we live through him who died, we ought to live for him through whom we live. And what is said seems to be one thing, but if one examines it exactly, it is two: one, that we live through him; the other, that he died for us; each of which by itself is enough to make us liable; and when both come together, consider how great the debt is. Or rather it is three; for he also raised the firstfruits for your sake and took it up to heaven; that is why he added, “for him who died and was raised for us.”

“So from now on we know no one according to the flesh.” For if all died and all rose—died in that sin’s tyranny condemned them, and rose through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit—he rightly says, “We know no one of the faithful according to the flesh.” For what if they are in the flesh? That fleshly life has perished, and we have been born again from above in the Spirit, and we know another way of life and conduct and life and state, that in the heavens. And again he shows that Christ is the author of this very thing; that is why he added, “Even though we once knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him so.”

What then, tell me? Did he lay aside the flesh, and is he not now with the body? Far from it; for even now he is in the flesh. “For this Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way.” In what way? In the flesh, with the body. How then does he say, “Even though we once knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him so”? For us, “according to the flesh” means being in sins, and “not according to the flesh” means not being in sins; but for Christ, “according to the flesh” means being subject to the sufferings of nature, such as thirsting, hungering, growing tired, sleeping (“For he committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth”; that is why he said, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” and again, “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me”); and “not according to the flesh” means being freed from these too from now on, not being outside the flesh. For he comes with it to judge the world, having it free from suffering and pure; to which we too shall go, when our body is conformed to the body of his glory.

“So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” For since he had urged them to virtue from love, he now leads them to it from the facts themselves too; that is why he added, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” “If anyone has believed in him,” he says, “he has come into another creation; for he was born again from above through the Spirit. So for this reason too,” he says, “we ought to live for him: not only because we are not our own, nor only because he died for us, nor only because he raised our firstfruits, but because we have come into another life.” See how many claims to living well he sets down. That is why he calls the amendment by a more weighty name, to show how great the transfer and change is. Then, going further into what he said, and showing how it is a new creation, [he says,] “The old things have passed away.” What old things? He means sins and impieties, or all the Jewish things; or rather both these and those. “Behold, all things have become new. And all things are from God.” Nothing from us. For forgiveness of sins and adoption and incorruptible glory have been given us by him. For he urges them on no longer from things to come only, but from present things too. Consider: he said that we shall rise, and go on to incorruption, and have an eternal house; but since present things have greater force to persuade than future ones for those who do not believe these as they should, he shows how much they have already received and what they were when they received it. What were they when they received it? All dead (“For all,” he says, “died, and he died for all,” [so he loved all alike; all grown old] in evils). But behold, a new soul (for it was cleansed), and a new body, and a new worship, and new promises, and covenant, and life, and table, and robe, and simply all things new. For instead of the Jerusalem below we have received the mother city above; instead of a temple of sense we have seen a spiritual temple; instead of [tablets of stone, tablets of flesh; instead of circumcision, baptism]; instead of manna, the Master’s body; instead of water from the rock, blood from the side; instead of the rod of Moses or Aaron, the cross; instead of the land of promise, the kingdom of heaven; instead of countless priests, one high priest; instead of an irrational lamb, a spiritual lamb. Reckoning these and such things he said, “All things are new.” And all these are from God, through Christ and his gift. That is why he added, “who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” For from this come all good things. He who made us friends is himself the cause of the other things too, which God gave to his friends. For he did not repay us so while letting us remain enemies, but by making us his friends. When I say that Christ is the cause of reconciliation, I mean the Father too; when I say that the Father gave, I mean the Son too. “For all things came to be through him”; and he himself is the cause of this too. For we did not run to him, but he called us. How did he call? By the slaying of Christ.

“And gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Here again he shows the dignity of the apostles, showing how great a thing they were entrusted with, and the excess of God’s love. For not even when they refused to hear the ambassador who came was he provoked and let them go; but he persists in beseeching, both through himself and through others. Who could be amazed enough at this care? The Son, the true-born and only-begotten, came for reconciliation and was slain; and not even so did the Father turn away from those who had killed him, nor say, “I sent my Son as an ambassador, and they not only would not hear him, but killed and crucified him; it is right to let them go from now on”; but quite the opposite: when he had departed, he entrusted the matter to us. “For he gave us,” he says, “the ministry of reconciliation: that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” Do you see a love surpassing all speech, all mind? Who was the one insulted? He. Who came first to reconciliation? He. “And yet he sent the Son,” someone says; “he did not come himself.” He sent the Son, yet the Son did not beseech alone, but the Father too, with him and through him. That is why he said, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,” that is, through Christ. For since he said, “who gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” he uses a correction, saying, “Do not think that we are the authors of the thing; we are ministers; but the one who does the whole is God, who reconciled the world through the Only-begotten.” And how did he reconcile it to himself? For this is the wonder, not only that he became a friend, but that he became a friend in this way. In what way? By forgiving them their sins; for there was no other way. That is why he added, “not counting their trespasses against them.” For if he had wished to demand an account of their offenses, we would all have perished, for all died. Yet though the sins were so many, he not only did not exact the penalty, but was even reconciled; not only forgave, but did not even count them. So we too must forgive our enemies, so that we too may obtain the same forgiveness. “And has entrusted to us the word of reconciliation.” “For we have not come now on any burdensome errand, but to make all men friends of God. Since they were not persuaded by me,” he says, “you remain, beseeching, until you persuade them.” That is why he added, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were beseeching through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, [be reconciled] to God.”

Do you see how he exalted the matter, bringing in Christ as the one who makes this supplication? Or rather not Christ only, but the Father too? [For the Father sent the Son] to beseech and to be his ambassador to human nature. “Since, then, he was slain and departed, we have succeeded to the embassy, and we beseech you in his stead and the Father’s. So greatly is the human race honored that he both gave up his Son, knowing that he would be slain, and made us apostles for your sake”; so he rightly said, “All things are for your sake.” “So we are ambassadors for Christ,” that is, in Christ’s place; “for we have taken up his work.” And if this seems great to you, hear what follows too, by which he shows that they do this not in Christ’s place only but also in the Father’s. That is why he added, “as though God were beseeching through us.” “For he beseeches not only through his Son, but through us too, who have taken up his work. Do not think, then,” he says, “that it is we who are entreating you; Christ himself beseeches you, the Father of Christ himself, through us.” What could equal this excess? For he who had bestowed countless benefits, and was insulted, not only did not exact the penalty, but gave his Son [that we might be reconciled; and those who received him were not reconciled], but even slew him. Again he sent other ambassadors to beseech; and when these were sent, it is he himself who entreats. What does he entreat? “Be reconciled to God.” And he did not say, “Reconcile God to yourselves”; for it is not he who is hostile, but you; for God is never hostile. [Then, urging his cause like] an ambassador sent [on a mission, he says,]

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin.” “I do not speak of the former things: that you insulted him, though he had done no wrong, though he had done you good; that he did not exact a penalty; that he beseeches first, though he was insulted first; let none of those things count for now. For this alone would you not be bound to be reconciled, for what he has done for you now? And what has he done? He made him who knew no sin to be sin for your sake.” For even if he had accomplished nothing else, and had done this alone, consider how great a thing it was to give his Son for those who had insulted him. But now he has both accomplished great things, and besides these, let the one who had done no wrong be punished for those who had done wrong. But he did not say this; he set down what is far greater than this. What is that? “Him who knew no sin,” he says, him who is righteousness itself, “he made to be sin”; that is, he let him be condemned as a sinner, die as one accursed: “For cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” For to die so was far greater than to die; hinting at which elsewhere too he says, “becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” For the thing carried not punishment only, but shame too. Consider, then, how much he has given you. For it is a great thing even for a sinner to die for anyone at all; but when the one who suffers this is righteous, and dies for sinners, and not only dies but as one accursed, and not only as one accursed, but also bestows on us from it great goods which we never expected (“so that we might become the righteousness of God in him,” he says), what speech, what mind will be able to set these things forth? “For he made the righteous one a sinner,” he says, “so that he might make sinners righteous.” Or rather he did not even say so, but something far greater; for he did not set down the state but the very quality. For he did not say, “He made him a sinner,” but “sin”; not “him who did not sin” only, but “him who did not even know sin”; “so that we might become”—he did not say “righteous,” but “righteousness,” and “the righteousness of God.” For this is God’s, when we are justified not from works (when there must be no stain found), but from grace, where all sin has been blotted out. This at once does not let us be puffed up, since God has given the whole, and teaches the greatness of what was given. For that former righteousness was of the Law and of works, but this is the righteousness of God.

Considering these things, then, let us fear these words more than Gehenna; let us revere these deeds more than the kingdom; and let us think it hard not to be punished, but to sin. For even if he did not punish us, we ought to exact the penalty from ourselves, having been so ungrateful toward our benefactor. Now one who has a beloved has often even slain himself when he did not obtain his love; and when he has obtained it and offended against her, he does not think himself worthy to live; but when we insult one so loving and gentle, shall we not cast ourselves into the fire of Gehenna? I will say something paradoxical and wonderful, and perhaps incredible to many: for one who has provoked one so loving, if he has sense and loves the Master as he ought, it will be a greater consolation to be punished than not to be punished. And this can be seen from common experience too. For one who has wronged his dearest friend is most at rest when he exacts the penalty from himself and suffers ill. So David too said, “I the shepherd have sinned, and I the shepherd have done evil; but these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand be upon the house of my father.” And when he lost Absalom, he exacted the utmost penalty from himself; and yet he was not the wrongdoer but the wronged; yet since he greatly loved the one who had departed, he racked himself with pains, consoling himself in this way. We too, then, when we sin against one against whom we ought not to sin, should exact the penalty from ourselves. Do you not see those who have lost true-born children, how for this reason they beat themselves and tear their hair, because punishing themselves for the ones they love brings consolation? And if, when we have done no harm to our dearest, it brings us consolation to suffer ill because they have suffered ill, when we ourselves are the ones who provoked and insulted, will it not much more give us rest to pay the penalty, than not to be punished? It is plain to everyone. If anyone loves Christ as he ought, he knows what I am saying: how he will not endure not being punished, even if Christ allows it; for you suffer the greatest punishment in having provoked him. I know I am saying things incredible to many; but so it is … as I have said. If, then, we love Christ as we ought, we shall punish ourselves when we sin. For to those who love anyone, it is not suffering ill for having provoked the beloved that is unpleasant, but, before everything, the very provoking of the beloved. And if the beloved, being angry, does not punish, he torments the lover the more; but if he exacts a penalty, he consoles him the more. Let us not fear Gehenna, then, but offending God; for this is harder than that, since this is more burdensome than all things. And so that you may learn how great it is, consider what I say. Suppose a king, seeing a robber and evildoer being punished, gave his beloved, only-begotten, true-born son to be slain, and with the death transferred the guilt too from that man to his son, who was not such, so as both to save the condemned man and to free him from his evil repute; and then, having raised him to high office after the salvation and the unspeakable glory, he were insulted by the one who had received such benefits; would not that man, if he had sense, choose to die ten thousand times rather than be shown guilty of such ingratitude? Let us reckon this now too, and groan bitterly for having provoked our benefactor; and let us not take courage because he bears our insults patiently, but be stung by this very fact. For among men too, when someone struck on the right cheek offers the left, he avenges himself more than if he had given countless blows; and when someone reviled not only does not revile in return but even blesses, he has struck harder than if he had poured countless reproaches on him. If among men we are put to shame [by such patience], much more with God must those who sin continually and suffer nothing dreadful be afraid; for the unspeakable punishment is being stored up for them to the hurt of their own heads. Considering these things, then, let us fear sin before all; for this is punishment, this is Gehenna, this is countless evils. And let us not only fear it but flee it, and be eager continually to please God; for this is the kingdom, this is life, this is countless goods. So we shall obtain the kingdom from here and now, and the good things to come; which may we all obtain, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory, might, and honor to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.