2 Corinthians 10:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We shall go farther," he says, "to preach and labor, not to vaunt ourselves over what others have labored upon." He fittingly called his labor a rule, a portion, and a measure, as one who had entered into possession of the world and received a noble inheritance. By this he shows that all this is the work of God. "Therefore," he says, "having such works and expecting still greater ones, we do not vaunt ourselves like those who have nothing. We attribute nothing to ourselves, but everything to God." For this reason he adds, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (v. 17). "Even this, boasting itself," he says, "is given to us by God. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends" (v. 18). He did not say, "we are approved," but, "the one whom the Lord commends." Do you see with what humility he speaks? If afterward he begins to speak more loftily about himself, do not be surprised. In this too the prudence of Paul is evident. If he had always spoken of himself with humility, he would not have alarmed them so strongly, nor freed his disciples from error. Sometimes a man who is modest at the wrong time causes harm. Conversely, one who speaks something remarkable about himself at the right time brings benefit. Paul acted in this way. Indeed, the danger was no small one if the disciples believed some evil report about Paul. This was not because Paul sought human glory. If he had sought it, he would not have kept silence so long about the great and wondrous events that had happened to him fourteen years before. Nor would he have delayed so much and spoken of them so unwillingly, even when need required it. Clearly, even then he would not have said this unless he had seen extreme necessity. Thus, when he said this, he was not seeking human glory, but caring for the disciples. Since they slandered him as boastful, saying that he magnified himself only in words and could prove nothing by deeds, he found it necessary at last to speak of the revelations granted to him. He could have persuaded them by deeds themselves when he spoke in this way. Yet he limited himself to verbal threats alone, because he was especially alien to vainglory, as his whole life shows, both before and after. For this reason he was so suddenly converted to faith in Christ. By his conversion he amazed the Jews, and he despised all the honors he had enjoyed among them, though he had been their leader and representative. But he thought nothing of these things once he had found the truth. He exchanged all his glory for insults and dishonor from them. He had in view the salvation of many people, and he preferred this to everything. Could one who counted Gehenna, the kingdom, and countless worlds as nothing compared with love for Christ have pursued human glory? Certainly he could not. On the contrary, he is exceedingly humble whenever possible. He himself brings forward 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 spoke of his earlier life no less than of his later life.

"If, because of what I have done, a shadow of praise falls also on me, this is pleasing to the Lord and is His work. By granting me to do works, He sets me forth before others. Since through this He moves them to praise me, it is as though He Himself praises me. This is eternal, unfading praise."

Since through this He moves them to praise me, it is the same as though He Himself praised me. God praises by granting one to do praiseworthy works. This is eternal, unfading praise.

Only one who lives and acts in such an order is a skilled worker. It is not the one who praises himself, either because of what has been done or because of what is only intended.

St. Chrysostom says concerning this: "Do you see with what humility he speaks? But if as the discourse continues he begins to say something rather high about himself, do not marvel. For in this too Paul's prudence is visible.

"If he had always spoken of himself with humility, he would not have frightened them, the false apostles, in this way. Nor would he have freed his disciples from error. For one who is modest at the wrong time causes harm.

"Conversely, one who says something remarkable about himself at the right time brings benefit. Paul acted so. For the danger would have been no small thing if the disciples had believed some evil report about Paul.

"It was not because Paul sought human glory. If he had sought this, he would not have kept silent for so long about the great and wondrous events that happened to him fourteen years before.

"If even in extreme necessity he delays and speaks of this unwillingly, then it is clear that he would never have said it, had he not been compelled."