2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become foolish in glorying; ye compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you.
Having fully completed what he had to say about his own praises, he did not stay at this; but again excuses himself and asks pardon for what he said, declaring that his doing so was of necessity and not of choice. Still nevertheless, although there was necessity, he calls himself a fool. And when he began indeed, he said, As foolish receive me, and as in foolishness; but now, leaving out the ‘as,’ he calls himself foolish. For after he had established the point he wished by saying what he did, he afterwards boldly and unsparingly grapples with all failing of the sort, teaching all persons that none should ever praise himself where there is no necessity, seeing that even where a reason for it existed, Paul termed himself a fool [for so doing]. Then he turns the blame also of his so speaking not upon the false Apostles, but wholly upon the disciples. For ye, he says, compelled me. ‘For if they gloried, but were not by doing so leading you astray nor causing your destruction, I should not have been thus led on to descend unto this discussion: but because they were corrupting the whole Church, with a view to your advantage I was compelled to become foolish.’ And he did not say, ‘For I feared lest if they obtained the highest estimation with you, they should sow their doctrines,’ yet this indeed he set down above when he said, I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds should be corrupted. Here however he does not so express himself, but in a more commanding manner and with more authority, having gained boldness from what he had said, For I ought to have been commended of you. Then he also assigns the reason; and again he mentions not his revelations nor his miracles only, but his temptations also.
For in nothing was I behind the chiefest Apostles. See how he here too again speaks out with greater authoritativeness. For, before indeed he said, I reckon I am not a whit behind, but here, after those proofs, he now boldly speaks out asserting the fact, as I said, thus absolutely. Not that even thus he departs from the mean, nor from his proper character. For as though he had uttered something great and exceeding his deserts, in that he numbered himself with the Apostles, he thus again speaks modestly, and adds,
2 Corinthians 12:12
Although I be nothing, the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you.
‘Look not thou at this,’ he says, ‘whether I be mean and little, but whether you have not enjoyed those things which from an Apostle it was meet you should enjoy.’ Yet he did not say ‘mean,’ but what was lower, nothing. For where is the good of being great, and of use to nobody? Even as there is no advantage in a skilful physician if he heals none of those that be sick. ‘Do not then,’ he says, ‘scrutinize this that I am nothing, but consider that, that wherein ye ought to have been benefitted, I have failed in nothing, but have given proof of mine Apostleship. There ought then to have been no need for me to say anything.’ Now he thus spoke, not as wanting to be commended, (for how should he, he who counted heaven itself to be a small thing in comparison with his longing after Christ?) but as desiring their salvation. Then lest they should say, ‘And what is it to us, even though you were not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles?’ he therefore added,
The signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, and by signs and wonders. Amazing! What a sea of good works has he traversed in a few words! And observe what it is he puts first, patience. For this is the note of an Apostle, bearing all things nobly. This then he expressed shortly by a single word; but upon the miracles, which were not of his own achieving, he employs more. For consider how many prisons, how many stripes, how many dangers, how many conspiracies, how many sleet-showers of temptations, how many civil, how many foreign wars, how many pains, how many attacks he has implied here in that word, patience! And by signs again, how many dead raised, how many blind healed, how many lepers cleansed, how many devils cast out! Hearing these things, let us learn if we happen upon a necessity for such recitals to cut our good deeds short, as he too did.
- Then lest any should say, Well! If you be both great, and have wrought many things, still you have not wrought such great things, as the Apostles have in the other Churches, he added,
2 Corinthians 12:13
For what is there wherein you were made inferior to the rest of the Churches?
‘You were partakers,’ he says, ‘of no less grace than the others.’ But perhaps some one will say, ‘What can be the reason that he turns the discourse upon the Apostles, abandoning the contest against the false Apostles?’ Because he is desirous to erect their spirits yet further, and to show that he is not only superior to them, but not even inferior to the great Apostles. Therefore, surely, when he is speaking of those he says, I am more; but when he compares himself with the Apostles, he considers it a great thing not to be behind, although he labored more than they. And thence he shows that they insult the Apostles, in holding him who is their equal second to these men.
Except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? Again he has pronounced their rebuke with great severity. And what follows is of yet more odious import.
Forgive me this wrong. Still, nevertheless, this severity contains both words of love and a commendation of themselves; if, that is, they consider it a wrong done to them, that the Apostle did not consent to receive anything from them, nor relied on them enough to be supported by them. ‘If,’ says he, ‘ye blame me for this:’ he did not say, ‘You blame me wrongly,’ but with great sweetness, ‘I ask your pardon, forgive me this fault.’ And observe his prudence. For because the mooting this continually tended to bring disgrace upon them, he continually softens it down; saying above, for instance, As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped in me; then again, Because I love you not? God knows…But that I may cut off occasion from them that desire occasion, and that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. And in the former Epistle What is my reward then? Verily, that when I preach the Gospel, I may make the Gospel without charge. And here; Forgive me this wrong. For every where he avoids showing that it is on account of their weakness he takes not [from them]; and here not to wound them. And therefore here he thus expresses himself; ‘If you think this to be an offense, I ask forgiveness.’ Now he spoke thus, at once to wound and to heal. For do not say this, I pray you; ‘If you mean to wound, why excuse it? But if you excuse it, why wound?’ For this is wisdom’s part, at once to lance, and to bind up the sore. Then that he may not seem, as he also said before, to be continually harping upon this for the sake of receiving from them, he remedies this [suspicion], even in his former Epistle, saying, But I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void; but here with more sweetness and gentleness. How, and in what manner?