Homilies on 2 Corinthians 25.1–25.3

"But in whatever anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold too" [2 Cor 11:21]. See him again drawing back, and using a plea for pardon and a correction beforehand; though already [he had said much: "Bear with me a little] in my foolishness"; and again, "Let no one think me a fool; but if you do, receive me even as a fool"; and, "Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast"; and here again, "But in whatever anyone is bold, I speak in foolishness, I am bold too." He calls saying something great about oneself boldness and folly, and that when there is necessity, teaching us abundantly to flee such a thing. For if after doing everything we must call ourselves unprofitable [Luke 17:10], what pardon would one deserve who exalts himself and brags when no cause presses? That is why the Pharisee suffered what he suffered [Luke 18:10–14], and suffered shipwreck in the harbor, because he dashed against this rock. That is why Paul too, though he saw countless necessity, nevertheless draws back and continually reminds them that such a thing belongs to folly. And then at last he ventures on it, putting forward the defense of necessity, and says, "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I" [2 Cor 11:22]. For not all Hebrews were Israelites, since the Ammonites [and Moabites were Hebrews. So he added something to make clear] his noble birth, and he says, "Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I." "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as beside myself) I more" [2 Cor 11:23]. He was not content with the former plea for pardon, but uses it again here: "I speak as beside myself, I more." I am stronger and better than they. And yet he had clear proofs of his superiority; but nevertheless he even so calls the thing madness. And surely, if they were false apostles, he ought not to have introduced his superiority by comparison, but to have denied that they were ministers at all. He did deny it, by saying, "false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ"; but now he does not do it so; for his discourse was going to proceed to a test. And no one, when there is no test, simply declares; but first, by setting down the refutation through facts in the form of a comparison, he shows it to be very firm. Besides, he sets down their own opinion, not his own declaration, in saying, "Are they ministers of Christ?" And having said, "I more," he carries on the comparison, and shows how, not by declaring but by bringing in the proof through deeds, he preserves the character of an apostle.

And leaving aside all the signs, he begins from his trials, saying thus: "In labors more abundantly, in stripes [above measure]." This is greater than that: both to be wounded and to be scourged. "In prisons more abundantly." And here again there is an increase. "In deaths often." "For I die daily," he says [1 Cor 15:31]. But here it is in deed too; for often I was handed over to dangers that held death. "From the Jews five times I received forty lashes less one" [2 Cor 11:24]. Why "less one"? There was an old law that one who [received] more than forty [lashes] was dishonored among them [Deut 25:3]. So that the force and impetus of the one striking might not carry him beyond the number and make the man dishonored, they fixed that he should be struck forty less one; so that even if the striker went too far, he might not exceed the forty, but, remaining within the customary number, might not dishonor the one being struck. "Three times [I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck; thrice I suffered shipwreck]" [2 Cor 11:25]. And what is this to the gospel? Because I have made long journeys [by sea]. ["A night and a day I have spent in the deep."] Some say this means in the middle of the sea, others, as one swimming; which is truer to say. That at any rate is no matter for wonder, nor would he have set it down as greater than the shipwrecks. "In dangers of rivers." For he was compelled to cross rivers too. "In dangers of robbers, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness." Everywhere the contests lay before me, in places, in countries, in cities, in deserts. "In dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers among false brothers." See another kind of war. For not only enemies, but those who feigned brotherhood also struck at him; and he needed great vigor and great understanding. "In labor and toil" [2 Cor 11:27]. Dangers followed toils and toils dangers, one upon another and continually, and did not allow him to take breath even a little. "In journeys often, in hunger and thirst and nakedness. Besides what is outside" [2 Cor 11:28]. The things left out are more than those counted; or rather, it is not possible to say even how many those counted were; for he did not set them down by kind, but where the number was easy to grasp and small, he mentioned these, saying "three times" and "three times" and "once"; but the rest no longer so, because he had endured them often. And he does not mention the achievements that came from them, for instance that he converted so many and so many, but only what he suffered for the preaching; at once being moderate and showing that even if nothing is achieved, there is something more for the one who toils; for so the rewards are filled up.

"That which presses on me daily": the uproars, the disturbances, the sieges of crowds, and the onsets of cities. For the Jews warred against him most of all, since he confounded them most of all, and was the greatest refutation of their madness, [since he changed sides all at once. And a great war breathed against him,] from his own, by strangers, by those who feigned; and everywhere waves and precipices, in the inhabited world and the uninhabited, on land, on sea, from without, from within. And he did not even have plenty of necessary food, nor a bare covering; but the athlete of the world contended naked and [fought hungry]. And he was not vexed, but gave thanks to the president of the games. "The care of all the churches." This is the chief of all, that his soul was torn and his mind cut in pieces. For even if nothing from outside had assailed him, the war within was enough: the waves one upon another, the snowstorms of cares, the war of thoughts. For if someone who provides for one house, and has servants and stewards and managers, often cannot even breathe for his cares, though there is no one troubling him, consider what this man endured, who had the care not of one house but of cities and peoples and nations and the whole world, and over such great matters, and with so many attacking him, and being alone, and suffering so much, and caring for them as not even a father for his children. For so that you may not say, "What if he was anxious, but only so-so?" he added the intensity of his care, saying, "Who is weak, and I am not weak?" [2 Cor 11:29]. He did not say, "I share in his despondency," but, as though I were in the very passion, in the very sickness, so I am troubled and disturbed. "Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" See again the excess of his pain, how it is present in the word "burning." I am set on fire, he says; which was greater than all. For those other things, even if vehement, nevertheless passed quickly and had a pleasure that did not fade; but this was what afflicted and straitened him and pierced his mind through, suffering such things for each of the weak, whoever he might be. For he did not grieve for the greater ones and despise the lesser, but counted even the outcast among those dear to him. That is why he said, "Who is weak?" showing that it was whoever it might be. And as though he himself were the church throughout the world, so he felt pain for each member.

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness" [2 Cor 11:30]. Do you see that he nowhere boasts of signs, but of persecutions and trials? For this, he says, belongs to weakness. And he shows the war to be manifold. For the Jews warred against him, and the Gentiles stood against him, and the false brothers boxed with him, and the brothers grieved him by their weakness [and their stumbling; everywhere there was trouble] and disturbance, from his own, from strangers. This is the apostolic character; through these things the gospel is woven. "The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows that I do not lie. In Damascus the ethnarch of King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me" [2 Cor 11:31–32]. Why does he confirm and affirm this here, though he did this in none of the earlier things? Because perhaps this was older and less known; but those were known to them, the care of the churches and all the rest. See then how great the war was, if indeed he guarded the city because of him. And when I say the war, I mean Paul's zeal; for if he had not breathed vehemently, he would not have kindled the ethnarch to such madness. These things belong to an apostolic soul: to suffer so much and nowhere be overturned, but to bear nobly what befalls, and not to rush to meet dangers nor leap upon them. See, at any rate, how here he consented to escape the siege, "let down in a basket through a window" [2 Cor 11:33]. For even if he desired to depart from here [Phil 1:23], nevertheless he also loved the salvation of men. That is why he often contrived such things, keeping himself for the preaching; and he did not refuse even to use human contrivances when the occasion demanded; so sober and watchful was he. For where the evils were inescapable, there was need of grace alone; but where the trial was moderate, he devises many things of himself too; and here again reckoning the whole to God. And as a spark of unquenchable fire, falling into the sea, might be submerged when many waves came on, and rise up again bright, so the blessed Paul now was buried in dangers, now, slipping through them, [came up more radiant, conquering by suffering harm].

For this is the glorious victory, this the trophy of the church; so the devil is struck down, when we suffer harm. For when we suffer, he is caught, and suffers harm when he wishes to inflict it on us. Which happened in Paul's case too; and the greater the dangers he brought, the more he was defeated. For he did not contrive one kind of trial only, but a varied and manifold one. For some had toil, some despondency, some fear, some pain, some care, some shame, some all of these together; but nevertheless in all he prevailed. And as a single soldier who had the whole world making war on him might turn about in the midst of the enemy's ranks and suffer nothing terrible, so Paul too, alone among barbarians and Greeks, appearing everywhere on land and everywhere on sea, remained unconquered. And as a spark falling into straw and hay transforms what is burning into its own nature, so he too, attacking all, brought all over to the truth, coming on all things like a torrent and overturning the obstacles. And like an athlete himself wrestling, running, boxing, or a soldier storming walls, fighting on foot, fighting at sea, so he went through every kind of battle, and breathed fire, and was unapproachable to all; taking the world with one body, putting all to flight with one tongue. The many trumpets did not so fall upon the stones of the city of Jericho and pull them down [Josh 6:20] as this man's voice, sounding, both throws to the ground the strongholds of the devil and brings over his opponents to himself. And when he had gathered a multitude of captives, arming these very men he made them again his own army, and through them prevailed wonderfully. David brings down Goliath with one stone only [1 Sam 17:49]; but if you examine Paul's achievements, that is a boy's work, and you will see as great a difference as between a shepherd and a general. For this man brought down Goliath not by throwing a stone, but by only speaking he broke up the whole phalanx of the devil; and like a roaring lion, sending out flame from his tongue, so he was unbearable to all, and leapt about everywhere continually: he ran to these, came to those, passed over to these, leapt off to others, coming on swifter than the wind, and steering the whole world as one house or one ship, drawing up those who were sinking, steadying those who were dizzy, [giving orders] to the sailors, watching the prow, stretching ropes, handling the oar, hauling the mast, looking to heaven; being everything himself, both sailor and pilot and lookout and sail and ship, and suffering everything, so that he might undo the evils of others.

Consider: he underwent shipwreck, so as to end the shipwreck of the world; he spent a night and a day in the deep, so as to draw people up from the deep of error; he was in toil, so as to give rest to those who toil; he endured stripes, so as to heal those struck by the devil; he passed time in prisons, so as to lead out into light those who sit in prison and darkness; in deaths often, so as to free them from grievous deaths; five times he received forty lashes less one, so as to free those who did this very thing; [three times he was beaten with rods], so as to bring them under the rod and staff of Christ [Ps 23:4]; he was stoned, so as to free them from senseless stones; he was in the wilderness, so as to take them out of the wilderness; in journeys, so as to stop those who wander and to open the way that leads to heaven; he was in danger in cities, so as to show them the city above; in hunger and thirst, so as to take them away from a more grievous hunger; in nakedness, so as to clothe those in shame with the robe of Christ; under the onset of the crowd, so as to lead them away from the besieging of demons; he was set on fire, so as to quench the fiery darts of the devil [Eph 6:16]; he was let down through a window from the wall, so as to send up from below those who were cast down on the ground.

Shall we still speak, then, who do not even know what Paul suffered? Shall we still remember money? Still wife and city and freedom, when we have seen him despise life itself ten thousand times? The martyr dies once; but that blessed man in one body and one soul endured so many dangers as could disturb even a soul of adamant; and what all the saints suffered in so many bodies, he himself bore all in one; and as though entering the whole world as a stadium, and stripping himself against all, so he stood nobly. For he knew the demons who boxed with him. That is why he appeared glorious straightway from the beginning; from the very starting line to the end he remained the same; or rather he even intensified the pursuit as he came near the prize. And what is wonderful is that, suffering and doing so much, he knew how to be exceedingly moderate. For when he fell into the necessity of recounting his own achievements, he quickly ran past them all; and yet he would have filled countless books if he had wished to unfold each of the things mentioned, and had told of the churches he cared for, of the prisons and the achievements in them, and of the other circumstances and onsets day by day. But he did not wish to. Knowing these things, then, let us too learn to be moderate, and never to boast in wealth nor in the other things of this life, but in the insults suffered for Christ, and in these only when there is necessity; so that if nothing presses, let us not even mention these, so as not to be puffed up, but only our sins. For so we shall be freed from them easily, and shall have God gracious, and shall obtain the life to come; which may we all attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.