2 Corinthians 1:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"And if He gave us the first blessings when we were still His enemies, then much more will He grant us the second now that we have become dear to Him."

For this reason the Apostle did not simply say "the Spirit," but added "the pledge," in order by this to assure us of receiving everything promised by God.

Indeed, if God did not wish to grant us everything He promised, He would not have been pleased to give the pledge, lest He lose it idly and in vain.

And see what sound-mindedness Paul has. "What further," he says, "must be said in confirmation that the truth of the promises does not depend on us? Even the fact that you stand firm and unshaken in faith does not depend on us, but on God.

"God," he says, "is the One who establishes you," βεβαιών, that is, we do not establish you, for we ourselves need One who establishes. Therefore no one should think that the truth of the preaching is endangered through us.

"The One who establishes us in faith has Himself taken everything upon Himself, and He Himself cares for all things."

What, then, does "having anointed and sealed" mean? It means that He has given the Spirit, through whom He accomplished both things, anointing and sealing. He made us at once prophets, priests, and kings, because in ancient times those who received these dignities were anointed.

But we now have not merely one of these dignities, but all three, and in a higher measure. We hope to receive the kingdom. We are made priests when we offer our bodies as a sacrifice to God.

The Apostle instructs this when he says: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God" (Rom 12:1). Finally, we also become prophets, because what "eye has not seen, nor ear heard" has been revealed to us (1 Cor 2:9).

We can also be kings in another way, namely if we curb improper thoughts.

After these words, after the renunciation of the devil, after union with Christ, when you have henceforth become His own and have nothing in common with that other one, the priest commands that you immediately receive the seal. He traces the cross upon your forehead.

Since it is natural that the beast, on hearing these words, becomes still more savage, for he knows no shame, and wishes to rush at the very face, the priest restrains all his madness by depicting the cross on your face through anointing.

For he no longer dares to look directly upon that face. Seeing the rays that issue from there, he withdraws, blinded. The cross is depicted through anointing, and the anointing consists at once of oil and chrism.

Chrism is imparted to the soul as the bride of Christ, and oil as to a fighter against evil.

Again, that it is not a man but God Himself who anoints you by the hands of the priest, listen to Paul's words: "He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God."

The reference is to anointing with oil as part of the mystery of baptism, and anointing with chrism, a fragrant composition of several substances, oil, aloe, myrrh, rose oil, and so forth. This is part of the mystery of Chrismation, the giving of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized.

If He has given the pledge, then He will certainly give everything. By pledge he means the gifts of the Spirit now bestowed. For we understand in part and prophesy in part. We shall receive what is perfect when Christ appears in His glory. Therefore do not think that we promise in order not to appear liars. It is not we who establish you. God both promises and establishes me and you, for He Himself will fulfill everything. Therefore understand that God, who does this and that, will Himself fulfill His promises.

God Himself, he says, anointed and sealed us, and gave the pledge of the Holy Spirit to our hearts. But how did God anoint us? What does "sealed" mean? And what is this betrothal of the Spirit in our hearts? Before the Incarnation of Christ, God anointed men with perceptible oil. Through this anointing He appointed them as kings, priests, and prophets. So also after the Incarnation of His Son, He anoints us faithful with the spiritual anointing of His divine grace. He makes us kings, priests, and prophets. He makes us kings, able to rule over our bodily passions and over every demonic power. The following words confirm this: "Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Lk 10:19). So do these words: "For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you" (Lk 17:21). He made us kings also by opening to us the path into His Kingdom: "They will come from east and west, from north and south, and sit down in the Kingdom of God" (Lk 13:29). He made us priests by giving us grace and power to offer Him our bodies as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God" (Rom 12:1). He appointed us prophets by granting us the gift of speaking of future things, "which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man" (1 Cor 2:9). Since we use a seal to confirm what we have promised to give, or have already given, the Apostle therefore said "sealed." By this word he explains that God's gifts are firm and unchangeable. He confirms the same elsewhere, saying, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom 11:29). The betrothal of the Spirit here signifies the hope of receiving the heavenly Kingdom. The unbeliever is deprived of such hope. By contrast, heavenly and divine faith brings down the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the believer. This grace plants in his soul the hope of receiving eternal blessedness. The Apostle called this hope a betrothal because a perceptible pledge given to us by men assures us that promised things will be delivered. So also the spiritual hope planted in our souls assures us that we shall receive the eternal blessings promised to us by God. It is worthy of note that in these words the Apostle also reveals to us the three hypostases of the unoriginate Godhead. He indicates the Father by the word "God," the Son by "in Christ," and the all-holy Spirit by the word "Spirit." Having thus finished the preface of his epistle, he next begins to justify himself for not fulfilling his promise.

A seal is placed on objects to show that they belong to a particular person. A seal is also attached to documents given to persons as proof of their identity or of the rights granted to them. So also God, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, placed a seal upon Christians. It proves that they belong to Christ, establishes them in Christ, confirms their identity, and assures them that they truly receive what was promised. The word betrothal, or pledge, points to Christians entering into a covenant with God, such as occurs in marriage. There a ring is given as a sign of fidelity and mutual love. So, as proof of mutual fidelity, the Holy Spirit is given. This fidelity is God's faithfulness concerning His promises, and man's faithfulness concerning their fulfillment. The Spirit is also given as the pledge of mutual love. In the Apostle's quoted words, the Orthodox Church finds the basis for the outward celebration of the mystery of Chrismation. The Apostle brings all this forward to show that the truth of his preaching, and therefore of everything he says, depends not on him, but on God.

This outpouring of the Spirit is otherwise called sealing and betrothal, or more precisely the pledge of betrothal. A seal is placed on objects to show that they belong to a particular person. A seal is also attached to documents given to persons as proof of their identity or of the rights granted to them. So also God, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, placed a seal upon Christians. It proves that they belong to Christ, establishes them in Christ, confirms their identity, and assures them that they will truly receive what was promised. The word betrothal, or pledge, points to Christians entering into a covenant with God, such as occurs in marriage. There a ring is given as a sign of fidelity and mutual love. So, as proof of mutual fidelity, the Holy Spirit is given. This fidelity is God's faithfulness concerning His promises, and man's faithfulness concerning their fulfillment. The Spirit is also given as the pledge of mutual love. In the Apostle's quoted words, the Orthodox Church finds the basis for the outward celebration of the mystery of Chrismation. The Apostle brings all this forward to show that the truth of his preaching and of everything he says depends not on him, but on God.

We must clarify how these words of the Apostle are connected with his intention to explain the reason for his altered travel plan. They are connected by contrast. He uses them as a known logical turn of speech from the contrary. He explains that the plans of his journeys may have nothing in common with the essence of his teaching. These are two entirely different things. In the one, there is often something merely human. In the other, there is always only what is divine. He can arrange his preaching journeys himself, and therefore can alter them in a human way. But he always preaches one and the same teaching. The Lord God Himself establishes both him and his disciples in this teaching. That is, immutable truth itself establishes them. But someone will say: did the Apostle not promise to come by the inspiration of the Spirit of God? No, not by the inspiration of the Spirit. This promise was the work of his love for the Corinthians, says Chrysostom.

Clearly, if there had been any instability in the first source of their teaching, there would also have been some disagreement in their preaching. But there was none in anything. Therefore the Christian teaching proclaimed by the Apostles, from the ever-faithful God the Father, concerning His never-changing Only-begotten Son, is an unchanging teaching. For this reason it deserves unquestioning acceptance, even though the Apostles were not always constant in the outward paths and plans of their activity. Finally, the highest testimony and visible proof of the indisputable truth of the faith received from the Apostles is every manifestation of God's grace revealed at conversion to Christianity. This was revealed through deliverance from sins in Baptism, and especially through the manifestation of various gifts of grace by the power of the mystery of Chrismation. In it a seal was, as it were, given. This seal confirmed the Christian union with God and filled the hearts of believers with gracious feelings. These feelings themselves speak of the truth better than any proofs or testimonies. Such proofs receive their force only from feelings that flow from the grace-filled anointing. According to Bishop Theophan's explanation, "The Apostle proves the unchanging faithfulness of his word by the very deed, by the very effect of preaching. We said: believe in the crucified Son of God and receive remission of sins. Through Baptism receive new life. Through the laying on of our hands be counted worthy of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and this came to pass. The gift of the Spirit is God's seal in us. A seal on wax gives it form. The seal in our spirit is its formation through the action of the received Spirit of grace. Sealing by the Spirit is the giving of the Spirit into the hearts, or His indwelling in the inner man. This indwelling is a betrothal, that is, a pledge and earnest. It assures us that all the promises not yet fulfilled will certainly be fulfilled." Thus the Apostle gives full assurance not only of the truth of what was proclaimed, but also of the immutability of all the divine promises. Christians hope in these promises in the life to come.

"Us with you" means both the Apostles and the faithful. For he speaks of what is worked equally in the one and in the other. In this respect the Apostles have no advantage over the faithful, since this belongs to the common order of faith and the work of salvation.

The following words, "who also sealed us," explain the anointing. "And gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts" indicates the ground of assurance.

"Sealed" means that He placed in us the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is God's seal upon us. A seal gives form to wax. The seal in our spirit is its formation through the action of the received Spirit of grace.

By this are signified both regeneration and endowment with grace. By the word "sealed," the Apostle means that all this is not a name or a sign, but power and life.

"He gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts." Sealing by the Spirit is the giving of the Spirit into our hearts, or His indwelling in our inner man. This indwelling is the pledge, the earnest, the deposit.

It assures us that all the promises not yet fulfilled will surely be fulfilled. Assurance is established because so great a deposit has been given.

If the deposit were small, there would still be room for doubt, as commonly happens in worldly affairs. But when the deposit is as great as the gift of the Spirit, who can doubt that everything future will be fulfilled exactly?

Saint Chrysostom says: "From what has happened, that is, from what has been fulfilled, the Apostle confirms the truth of the future.

"If God Himself establishes us in Christ, that is, does not allow us to waver in faith in Christ, and Himself has anointed us and given the Spirit in our hearts, how will He not grant us the blessings promised in the life to come?

"How will He not give us those blessings after He has already given the beginning and foundation, the root and source of them, namely true knowledge of Him and participation in the Holy Spirit?

"Indeed, if even the present blessings that we enjoy have already been given for the sake of those we still await, then He who gave the present blessings will surely give the expected ones.

"And if He gave us these blessings when we were still His enemies, then much more will He grant us the future blessings now that we have become dear to Him.

"Therefore the Apostle did not simply say, 'the Spirit,' but added, 'the pledge,' that is, the guarantee, in order by this to assure us more firmly and give us hope of receiving everything promised by God.

"Indeed, if God did not wish to grant us everything He promised, He would not have been pleased to give the pledge, lest He lose it idly and in vain."

Thus, he says, our word among you was not "yes" and "no." On the contrary, everything proclaimed to you by us is unchangeably true.

You have tangible assurance of this in what has been accomplished with you and in you, and in what you have received. Therefore do not dare to cast a shadow of doubt upon it because I changed my plan.

On the contrary, from the faithfulness of the work of salvation accomplished in you, you should have concluded that if I changed my plan, I did so not through any levity or changeability, but for important reasons. I shall now tell you them.