THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
In these words the Apostle expresses a strong accusation against his critics. They boasted beyond measure, boasted in what belonged to others, and, though all the labor belonged to the Apostles, they boasted in their labors.
"But we," the Apostle says, "have proved this by deeds. Therefore we shall not imitate them. Rather, we shall speak of what the deeds themselves testify.
"And why do I say, 'we have reached even to you'? I have hope that, as your faith increases," he does not assert it directly, but speaks according to his custom,
"I hope that, when you grow in faith, our portion will be extended still further, and we shall preach the Gospel to those beyond.
"We shall go further," he says, "in order to preach and labor, not to boast vainly in what others have labored over."
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He fittingly called his labor a rule, or portion, and a measure. He spoke as one who had entered into possession of the world and received a beautiful inheritance, showing that all this is the work of God.
"Therefore," he says, "having such deeds and expecting still greater ones, we do not glory vainly like those who have nothing. We attribute nothing to ourselves, but everything to God."
Therefore he adds: "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (v. 17). "Even this," he says, "is given to us by God.
"For not he who commends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends" (v. 18). He did not say, "we are approved," but, "he whom the Lord commends."
Do you see with what humility he speaks? If afterward he begins to speak about himself in a loftier manner, do not be amazed.
In this too the prudence of Paul is visible. If he had always spoken of himself with humility, he would not have frightened them in this way, nor freed his disciples from error.
Sometimes the man who is modest at the wrong time causes harm. On the contrary, the man who says something wondrous about himself at the right time brings benefit.
So Paul acted. For there was no small danger if the disciples believed some evil report about him.
This was not because Paul sought human glory. If he had sought it, he would not have remained silent so long about the great and wondrous events that had happened to him fourteen years before.
Nor would he have delayed so long and spoken of them so unwillingly, when there was even need. It is clear that even then he would not have spoken, had he not seen extreme necessity.
Therefore he did not seek human glory when he spoke this way, but cared for the disciples.
Since they slandered him as self-praising, as grand only in words and unable to prove anything by deeds, he finally finds it necessary to speak of the revelations granted to him.
Although he could have convinced them by his deeds themselves when he said this, he confines himself to verbal threats alone.
He was especially alien to vainglory, as his whole life shows, both before and after. For this reason he turned so suddenly to faith in Christ and amazed the Jews by his conversion.
He despised all the honors he had enjoyed among them, though he was their leader and representative.
He thought of none of these things as soon as he found the truth. Instead he exchanged all glory for insults and dishonor from them.
He had in view the salvation of many men, and he preferred this to everything. Could one pursue human glory who counted Gehenna, the Kingdom, and countless worlds as nothing compared with the love of Christ?
Without doubt, he could not. On the contrary, he is exceedingly humble whenever possible. He himself sets forth his former life, calling himself a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent man (1 Tim 1:13).
His disciple Luke relates many things about him, evidently having learned them from Paul himself. Paul told of his former life no less than of his later life.