1 Corinthians 15:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He is equally concerned that they should not think he is belittling the Apostles, and that the honor given to them should not lower him before those subject to him. Therefore he now again places himself on a level with them: "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach." From whomever you wish to learn, he says, learn from him. We differ in nothing.

He did not say, "If you do not want to believe me, then believe them." Rather, he presents himself also as worthy of belief. He says that, as he is worthy of it by himself, so they also are worthy by themselves. The difference of persons meant nothing where the dignity was equal.

He does the same in the Epistle to the Galatians, addressing the Apostles not because he needed them, and affirming that he himself lacked nothing: "From those who seemed to be something. Whatever they were, it makes no difference to me." Yet he wishes to be in agreement with them: "they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship" (Gal 2:6, 9).

If Paul's reliability depended on others and rested on the testimony of others, extreme harm would have come to the disciples. Therefore he exalts himself not from vainglory, but out of concern for the preaching. For this reason he also places himself on a level with the Apostles here: "whether I or they, so we preach."

He rightly said, "we preach," expressing great boldness. We do not preach secretly or in hiding, he says, but proclaim louder than a trumpet. He did not say, "we preached," but even now, "so we preach." "And so you believed." Here he did not say, "you believe," but "you believed." Since the Corinthians were wavering, he turns to former times and presents them as witnesses against themselves.

When I speak of Paul, I mean not him alone, but also Peter, James, John, and their whole company. As in one lyre, though the strings are different, the harmony is one, so in the company of the Apostles, though the persons are different, the teaching is one. For there was one Artist, the Holy Spirit, who moved their souls. Paul expresses this when he says, "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach" (1 Cor 15:11).

"And so you believed." He did not say, "you now believe," because they were already wavering. But together with the rest, he names their faith also as a witness of the truth. You, he says, would not have believed false and deceitful words in vain, if you had not been convinced of the truth of what was preached.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing and constantly remembering that your labor is not in vain before the Lord (1 Cor 15:58). Believe firmly in our risen Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household will be saved (Acts 16:31).

Testimony has greater force insofar as the witnesses are more trustworthy and their virtues are better known. Although he needed to exalt and praise himself so that his testimony might have all force and power, he nevertheless offered this in the form of wondrous humility, as you have heard.

Thus, having presented his testimony, he brings the discourse to its present subject, saying: "Therefore, whether I or they labored more," yet all "so we preach." That is, we all teach in agreement concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. "And so you believed." You also believed what we preached, namely, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Moved before the greatness of the grace of God manifested in him, he calls himself the least of all the Apostles. Yet lest anyone despise his testimony because of this, he turns the readers' attention to the presence of God's grace in him. This grace was clearly revealed in the multitude of his successful labors, and especially in their fruits, which grew through the faith of the Corinthians themselves.

Finally, he persuades them to receive the objects of faith not with regard to persons, but according to the essence of those objects and their undoubted reliability.

Dwelling on the Apostle's words, in which he speaks of himself with great humility, Bishop Theophan says: "Having touched upon himself and his calling, the Apostle could not refrain from pausing on this. He did so both from his feeling of humility and gratitude, and because of the purpose for which he was bringing forward testimony to the resurrection.

"I persecuted the Church, he says, and therefore I am not worthy to be called an Apostle. This is a strong expression of humility. Yet at the same time, if he formerly persecuted the Church, and now became a preacher of the faith whose foundation is Christ's resurrection, then everyone could infer from this that this persecutor must have received a striking assurance of the resurrection, since he became a preacher of the faith from being a persecutor.

"This inference gave Paul's testimony concerning Christ's resurrection a higher value than all the others. It also exalted them all and crowned them with itself."

The Apostle has said quite enough to renew in the Corinthians' consciousness the truth of the Lord's resurrection and to enliven conviction in it. Oecumenius writes: "Whether I or they, so we preach. We are agreed, he says, in the preaching. All are agreed and preach thus, not somewhere in a corner, but openly, to everyone everywhere.

"So also you believed together with all. The Apostle now calls this very faith of theirs as a witness to the truth of the resurrection. For by saying, 'you believed,' he makes clear that they were not carried away by deceptive and false words, but were convinced by reliable proofs of the truth of the preaching, and therefore believed."