238 Many correctives, yet this Epistle an Eulogium of Paul.

HOMILY XXI.

2 Cor. x. 1, 2.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: but I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

HAVING completed, in such sort as behoved, his discourse of almsgiving, and having shewn that he loves them more than he is loved, and having recounted the circumstances of his patience and temptations, he now opportunely enters upon points involving more of reproof, making allusion to the false apostles, and concluding his discourse with more disagreeable matter, and with commendations of himself. For he makes this his business also throughout the Epistle. Which also perceiving, he hence oftentimes corrects himself, saying in so many words'; Do we begin again to commend ourselves? 1ard and further on; We commend not ourselves again, but give τοῦτο you occasion to glory: and afterwards; I am become a fool c. 5,12. in glorying; ye have compelled me. And many such corc. 12,11. rectives doth he use. And one would not be wrong in

styling this Epistle an eulogium of Paul; he makes such large mention both of his grace and his patience. For since there were some amongst them who thought great things of themselves, and set themselves above the Apostle, and accused him as a boaster, and as being nothing, and teaching no sound doctrine; (now this was in itself the most certain evidence of their own corruptness;) see how he begins his

X. 1, 2.

4, 21.

His emphatic preface here. Prays not to be forced to smite. 239 rebuke of them; Now I Paul myself. Seest thou what 2 COR. severity, what dignity, is here? For what he would say is this, I beseech you do not compel me, nor leave me to use my power against those that hold us cheap, and think of us as carnal.' This is severer than those threats towards them uttered in the former Epistle; Shall I come unto you with a 1 Cor. rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? and then again; Now some are puffed up as though I would not ib.18.19. come to you; but I will come, and will know not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power. For in this place he shews both things, both his power, and his philosophy and forbearance; since he so beseeches them, and with such earnestness, that he may not be compelled to come to a display of the avenging power pertaining to him, and to smite and chastise them, and exact the extreme penalty. For he implied this in saying, But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For the present, however, let us speak of the commencement. Now I Paul myself. Great emphasis, great weight' is here. So he 1Or, 'sesays elseverity' where, Behold I Paul say unto you; and again, As Paul Gal. 5, the aged; and again in another place, Who hath been a phile.9. succourer of many, and of me. So also here, Now I Rom. Paul myself. This even is a great thing, that himself beseecheth; but that other is greater which he added, saying, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. For with the wish of greatly shaming them, he puts forward that meekness and gentleness, making his entreaty in this way more forcible; as if he had said, 'Reverence the gentleness of Christ, by which I beseech you.' And this he said, at the same time also shewing, that although they should lay ever so strong a necessity upon him, he himself is more inclined to this: it is from being meek, not from want of power, that he does not proceed against them for Christ also did in like manner.

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Who in presence am base amongst you, but being absent am bold towards you. What, pray, is this? Surely he speaks in irony, using their speeches. For they said this, that when he is present indeed, he is worthy of no account,

2.

16, 2.

240 Is slow even to vindicate the Gospel, much more himself.

HOMIL, of no account, but poor and contemptible; but when absent, XXI. swells, and brags, and sets himself up against us, and

v. 10.

threatens. This at least he implies also afterwards, saying, for his letters, say they, are weighty, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. He either then speaks in irony, manifesting great severity, and saying, 'I, the base, I, the mean, when present, (as they say,) and when absent, lofty:' or else meaning, that even though he should utter great things, it is not out of pride, but out of his confidence in them.

But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us, as if we walked according to the flesh. Seest thou how great his indignation, and how complete his refutation of those sayings of theirs? For he saith, I beseech you, do not compel me to shew that even present I am strong, and have power.' For since they said, that when absent, he is quite bold against us, and exalteth himself,' he uses their very words, 'I beseech therefore, that they compel me not to use my power.' For this is the meaning of, that confidence. And he said not, 'wherewith I am prepared,' but wherewith I think. For I have not yet resolved upon this; they however give me reason enough, but not even so do I wish it.' And yet he was not doing this to vindicate himself, but the Gospel. Now if, where it was necessary to vindicate the Message, he is not harsh, but draws back and delays, and beseeches that there may be no such necessity; much more would he never have done any thing of the kind in his own vin(2.) dication. Grant me then this favour,' he saith, that ye compel me not to shew, that even when present, I am able to be bold against whomsoever it may be necessary; that is, to chastise and punish them.' Seest thou how free he was from ambition, how he did nothing for display, since even where it was matter of necessity, he hesitates not to call the act, boldness. For I beseech you, he says, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some. For this especially is the part of a teacher, not to be hasty in taking vengeance, but to work a reformation, and ever to be reluctant and slow in his punishments. How, pray, does he describe those whom he

He wars, with weapons not carnal but mighty; the might God's. 241 threatens? Those that think of us as though we walked 2 COR. according to the flesh for they accused him as a hypocrite, as wicked, as a boaster.

[2.] Ver. 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

X. 4.

Here he goes on to alarm them also by the figure' he uses, 'poĦT 'for,' says he,' we are indeed encompassed with flesh; I own it, but we do not live by the flesh;' or rather, he said not even this, but for the present reserves it, for it belongs to the encomium on his life: but first discourseth of the Preaching, and shews that is not of man, nor needeth aid from beneath. Wherefore he said not, we do not live after the flesh,' but, we do not war after the flesh, that is, we have undertaken a war and a combat; but we do not war with carnal weapons, nor by help of any human succours.'

Ver. 4. For our weapons are not carnal. For what sort of weapons are carnal? power, fluency, cleverness, circumventions, crisies, whatsoever else is similar to these. of this sort but of what kind are they? Mighty through God.

Wealth, glory, flatteries, hypo-2 EPIBut ours are not δρομαί

4

ἀντιδια

false

And he said not,' we are not carnal,' but, our weapons. For as I said, for the present he discourseth of the Preaching, and refers the whole power to God. And he says not, 'spiritual,' although this was the fitting opposite to carnal, but mighty, in 3 rò πPÒS this implying the other also, and shewing that their weapons are weak and powerless. And mark the absence of pride in the him; for he said not,' we are mighty,' but, our weapons are Apomighty through God. We did not make them such, but God stles Himself. For because they were scourged, were persecuted, and suffered wrongs incurable without number, which things dewere proofs of weakness: to shew the strength of God, he а says, but they are mighty through God. For this especially shews His strength, that by these things He gains the victory. So that even though we are encompassed with them, yet it is He that warreth and worketh by them. Then he goes through a long eulogium upon them, saying,

5

To the pulling down of strong holds. And lest when hearing of strong holds thou shouldest think of aught material, 6 aloonhe says,

τὸν

R

HOMII..
XXI.

242 Besieges souls, and takes captive, i. e. makes full conquest.

Ver. 5. Casting down imaginations.

First giving emphasis by the figure, and then by this addi1 VonTòv tional expression declaring the spiritual1 character of the warfare. For these strongholds besiege souls, not bodies. Whence they are stronger than the others, and therefore also the weapons they require are mightier. But by strongholds he means the Grecian pride, and the strength of their sophisms and their syllogisms. But nevertheless, these weapons,' he says, 'confounded every thing that stood up against them; for they cast down imaginations,

11, 8.

And every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.' He persisted in the metaphor that he might make the emphasis greater. For though there should be strongholds,' he saith, though fortifications, though any other thing soever, they yield and give way before these weapons.

And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And yet the name, captivity, hath an ill sound with it; for it is the destruction of liberty. Wherefore then has he used it? With a meaning of its own, in regard to another point. For the word captivity conveys two ideas, the loss of liberty, and the being so violently overpowered, as not to rise up again. It is therefore in respect to this second meaning that he took it. As 2 Cor. when he shall say, I robbed other churches, he does not intend the taking stealthily, but the stripping and taking their all, so also here in saying, bringing into captivity. For the fight was not equally maintained, but he conquered with great ease. Wherefore he did not say,' we conquer and have the better,' only; but we even bring into captivity;' just as above, he did not say, ' we advance engines against the strongholds:' but,' we cast them down, for great is the superiority of our weapons.' 'For we war not with words,' he saith, but with deeds against words, not with fleshly wisdom, but with the spirit of meekness and of power. How was it likely then I should hunt after honour, and boast in words, and threaten by letters;' (as they accused him, saying, his letters are weighty,) when our might lay not in these things?' But having said, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, because the name of captivity