THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Having thus shown the benefit of afflictions and breathed courage into them, the Apostle again kindles their hearts. He instills in them greater readiness and zeal for virtue by ascribing great power to their prayers, since by them they also helped Paul.
'You also helping together,' he says, 'by prayer for us.' What do his words mean: 'so that for the gift granted to us through many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf'?
'He delivered us,' he says, 'from so close a death, you also helping together by prayer for us.' That is, He did this through the intercession of all of you in prayers for us. For the gift in us, that is, our salvation, God willed to grant to all of you.
He did this so that many might give thanks to Him, since many also received the grace. He said this to move them to pray for others, and also to accustom them always to thank God for the deliverance of others from misfortunes.
At the same time he shows that God especially desires this. Those who pray and give thanks for others will do both all the more for themselves.
In addition, the Apostle teaches them humility and stirs them to a more fervent love. If he himself, being incomparably higher than they, ascribes his salvation to their prayers, and the gift he received from God to their intercession, consider how they had to humble and abase themselves.
Notice here also that even when God grants something by mercy, prayer contributes much there too. At the beginning of the epistle Paul ascribed his salvation to God's compassions: 'The God of compassions,' he says, 'delivered us.'
But here he also ascribes it to prayers. So also the master had mercy on the servant who owed ten thousand talents only when that servant fell at his feet, although it is said that 'being moved with compassion, he forgave him the debt' (Mt 18:24, 26).
Likewise, the Lord granted health to the Canaanite woman's daughter only after her long, persistent prayer and endurance, although He healed her by mercy alone (Mt 15:22-28).
From this we learn that even when we desire mercy from God, we must first show ourselves worthy of that mercy. Though He is merciful, He seeks the worthy. He does not distribute His mercies indiscriminately to all, even to the hardened.
'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion' (Ex 33:19; Rom 9:15).
See what the Apostle says here also: 'You also helping together by prayer.' He does not ascribe everything to them, lest he lead them to pride. Yet he does not deprive them altogether of merit, so that he may awaken their zeal, make them more fervent, and bring them into a bond of love with one another.
For this reason he said, 'God granted my salvation to you,' since often the unanimous and concordant prayer of many inclines God.
For this reason He said to the prophet Jonah: 'Should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons?' (Jon 4:11).
So that you may not think that God looks only to multitude, He says: 'Though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return' (Is 10:22).
Why, then, did He save the Ninevites? Because there was not only a multitude there, but a multitude converted to virtue: 'Each turned from his evil way' (Jon 3:8). The One who saved them said that they 'did not know their right hand from their left' (Jon 4:11).
From this it is clear that they had previously sinned more from ignorance than from corruption. This is also proved by the fact that they listened to a few words and repented.
If twelve myriads were enough for their salvation, what previously hindered Him from saving them? Why did God not say to the prophet, 'Shall I not spare this city, which has repented so sincerely,' but set those thousands before him?
Was this said in vain? No. Their repentance was known to the prophet, but their number and simplicity were not known.
Therefore the Apostle strives from every side to teach the Corinthians humility. Multitude has power only when it is joined with virtue.
Scripture confirms the same thing elsewhere, saying: 'The Church prayed earnestly to God for him' (Acts 12:5). This prayer was so powerful that, although the prison doors were locked, and chains bound the Apostle, and guards slept beside him on both sides, it led him out of prison and delivered him from all those dangers.
But as powerful as a multitude is when joined with virtue, so insignificant is it when filled with impiety. Thus those Israelites of whom the prophet says, 'Your people, O Israel, were as the sand of the sea,' all perished.
Likewise in Noah's days there were many people, even a countless multitude. Yet this brought them no benefit, because multitude by itself has no power. It is strong only when joined with virtue.
Therefore let us gather diligently for prayer and pray for one another, as the Corinthians prayed for the Apostles. By doing this, we shall fulfill the commandment and increase in love. When I name love, I mean here all the virtues.
We shall also learn to thank God more earnestly. Whoever thanks God for benefits shown to others will thank Him all the more for his own.
David acted this way when he said: 'Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together' (Ps 33:4). The Apostle everywhere requires the same.
We too must do the same. We must proclaim God's benefits before all, so that we may stir everyone to glorify God.
If by telling everyone about benefits received from men we dispose them more strongly toward us, much more, by telling everyone about God's benefits, shall we draw His greater favor upon ourselves.
If, after receiving benefits from men, we urge others to thank our benefactors, then all the more should we lead those who give thanks for us to God. If Paul does this, though he himself has great boldness before God, much more should we do this.
Therefore let us ask the saints to thank God for us, and let us ourselves do the same for one another. True, this is especially the duty of priests, as a matter of special importance.
When we approach God, we first offer thanksgiving for the whole world and for the common benefits. If God's benefits concern all in general, then among all you too have received salvation.
Therefore, whether you alone received a benefit, you must give thanks for all; or whether all together received it, you may rightly give thanks for yourself.
Thus, although the Lord lit the sun not for you alone, but for all, you still benefit from it as much as all who see it. Therefore you owe God the same thanksgiving that all together must render Him.
For this reason you should rightly give thanks for common benefits, and likewise for the virtues of other people. Through the virtues of others we receive many good things.
If even ten righteous men had been found in the cities of Sodom, they would not have suffered what they suffered. Therefore let us thank God for the boldness that others have before Him.
This is an ancient law, planted in the Church from above. Thus Paul thanks God for the Romans, for the Corinthians, and for the whole world.
Do not now say to me, 'This is not my concern.' Even if it were not yours, you would still have to give thanks, because he is your fellow member.
Moreover, you make it your own through the common doxology. Thus you become a participant in the rewards and will yourself receive grace.
This is why the laws of the Church command prayers to be made not only for the faithful, but also for the catechumens. The ecclesiastical law moves the faithful to pray also for those not yet initiated into the mysteries of the faith.
When the deacon says, 'Let us pray earnestly for the catechumens,' he does nothing other than stir the whole people of the faithful to prayers for them. Yet the catechumens are still strangers to the faithful.
They do not yet belong to the Body of Christ. They do not yet have communion in the mysteries. They are still separated from the spiritual flock.
If we must pray for them, much more must we pray for our own members. For this reason he says, 'Let us pray earnestly,' so that you do not reject them as strangers or forget them as foreigners.
They have not yet received the prayer commanded and given by Christ. They have not yet acquired boldness, but need the help of those initiated into the mysteries.
They still stand outside the royal courts, far from the sacred enclosure. For this reason they are sent out when those fearful prayers are offered.
Therefore the deacon invites you to pray for them, so that they may become your members and no longer be strangers and alienated. The word 'let us pray' is not addressed only to priests, but also belongs to the people.
When the deacon says, 'Let us stand well; let us pray,' by these words he invites everyone to prayer.
Then, beginning the petition, he says: 'That the all-merciful and compassionate God may hear their supplications.' You might say, 'Why should we pray? They are strangers to us. They are not yet joined to us. How can I entreat God? How can I incline Him to show them His mercy and forgive them?'
So that you will not be troubled by such questions, see how he resolves your perplexity, saying: 'The all-merciful and compassionate God.' Do you hear: 'the all-merciful God'? Do not doubt any longer, because the all-merciful One has mercy on all, both sinners and friends.
Therefore do not say, 'How shall I approach God for them?' He Himself will hear their supplications.
What is better to pray for in the prayer for the catechumens than that they may not remain catechumens forever? He then shows the very form of the prayer. What is it?
'That He may open the ears of their hearts,' which are still closed and hardened. Here he is not speaking of bodily ears, but of spiritual ones.
'That they may hear what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man' (1 Cor 2:9). They have not yet heard the ineffable mysteries, because they stand far away and apart from the faithful.
Even if they hear something, they do not understand what they hear. Mere hearing is not enough here. Great understanding is also required, and they do not yet have inward hearing.
For this reason the prophetic gift is sought for them. The prophet likewise says of himself: 'The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the taught, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens My ear to hear' (Is 50:4).
Just as the prophets heard differently from other men, so the faithful hear differently from catechumens. From this the catechumen also learns not to expect teaching and the opening of hearing from men.
'Do not be called teachers,' He says (Mt 23:8), but look from above, from heaven: 'And they shall all be taught by God' (Is 54:13).
Therefore the deacon next says: 'That He may catechize them with the word of truth.' That is, that He may pour truth into their hearts, because they do not yet know the words of truth as they ought to know them.
'That He may sow His fear in them.' Yet this is still not enough, because one seed fell by the road, and another on the rock. We do not ask for that.
We ask that, as a plow opens furrows in rich soil, so it may happen here. We ask that the renewed may receive the sown word into the depth of the heart and faithfully preserve everything heard.
Therefore the deacon adds: 'And that He may establish His faith in their hearts.' That is, that it may not remain on the surface, but send its root into the depth.
'That He may reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness.' Here he indicates a twofold veil. One covers their spiritual eyes, and the other closes the Gospel from them.
For this reason he first asked, 'That He may open the ears of their hearts.' Now he asks, 'That He may reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness.' That is, that He may make them wise and capable of receiving it, teach them, and sow the seeds of the Gospel.