THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Having finished all that needed to be said about almsgiving, the Apostle now turns fittingly to a speech of reproof. He had shown that he loved the Corinthians more than they loved him, and had recalled his patience and temptations.
In this reproof he points to the false apostles, addresses threats to the Corinthians, and speaks in his own defense. He does the same throughout the whole epistle.
Knowing this, he often corrects himself. For example: "Do we begin again to commend ourselves to you?" (2 Cor 3:1). Again: "We do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you occasion to boast on our behalf" (2 Cor 5:12).
Then he says: "I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me" (2 Cor 12:11). He uses many other qualifications of this kind.
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One would not be wrong to call this epistle Paul's encomium. He speaks at such length both about the gifts of God's grace and about his own patience.
Among the Corinthians there were some who thought highly of themselves. They set themselves above the Apostle and said that he merely boasted, was nothing, and taught nothing sound. This was a special sign of their corruption.
See, then, how he begins to reprove them: "Now I, Paul." Do you notice how much weight and dignity there is here?
He means this: "I beg you, do not force me or allow me to use my authority against those who belittle us and think that we live according to the flesh."
This is expressed more strongly than the threat in his first epistle: "What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?"
Again: "Because I am not coming to you, some have become arrogant." And: "I will come to you and will know not the word of those who are arrogant, but the power" (1 Cor 4:21, 18, 19).
Here too he expresses both things: his authority, and his philosophy and patience. With such care he begs them not to force him to come and show his dread authority over them.
That is, he would strike them, chastise them, and subject them to the severest punishment. He indicates this in the words: "I beg that, when present, I may not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some.
"They think of us as though we walked according to the flesh." But let us return again to the first words: "Now I, Paul." There is great power and weight in these words.
He uses similar expressions elsewhere: "Indeed I, Paul, say to you" (Gal 5:2). Again: "being such a one as Paul the aged" (Phlm 9). Elsewhere: "for she has been a helper of many, and of myself also" (Rom 16:2).
So here too: "Now I, Paul." It is already important that he himself entreats. But what he adds is far more important: "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ."
Wishing to put them more deeply to shame, he mentions meekness and gentleness, giving still greater force to his entreaty. It is as though he says, "Be ashamed before the very meekness of Christ by which I entreat you."
He said this also to show that, though they compelled him to severity countless times, he himself was more inclined to meekness.
He did not refrain from punishing them because he lacked power, but because he was meek, and because Christ acted in this way.
"I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent." What does he mean by this?
Either he speaks ironically in their own words. They said of Paul that, when personally present, he deserved no respect, was insignificant and contemptible, but in absence he grew proud, acted grandly, attacked us, and threatened.
He alludes to this further on, saying: "For someone says, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible'" (2 Cor 10:10).
Thus he either speaks ironically, showing great grief: "I am a humble and insignificant man when face to face, as they say, but lofty in absence."
Or, if he speaks about himself with dignity, he does so not from arrogance, but from confidence in them.
"I beg that, when present, I may not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some who think of us as though we walked according to the flesh."
Do you notice what indignation these words express, and what clear reproof? "I beg you," he says, "do not force me to prove that I am strong and have authority even when personally present among you.
"Since some among you said that, when absent, to use their own words, I am bold and grand, I beg you not to force me to use my power."
This is precisely the meaning of "confidence." He did not say, "which I have prepared," but, "which I intend to use."
"I have not yet resolved upon this. You yourselves are giving me occasion. Yet even so, I do not desire it."
He acted this way not only to defend himself, but also the Gospel. If even when it was necessary to defend the evangelical preaching he was not severe, but yielded, waited, and begged not to be forced, then he would much less act severely in self-defense.
"Do me this favor," he says. "Do not compel me to show you that, even face to face, I can act boldly toward those who deserve it, that is, subject them to chastisement and punishment."
Do you see how he was free from ambition and did nothing from vainglory? Even when severity was necessary, he called it boldness.
"I beg," he says, "that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some."
The chief duty of a teacher is not to punish at once, but to correct. He must always wait and be slow in punishments.
Who are these "some" whom he threatens? "Those," he says, "who think of us as though we walked according to the flesh." They slandered Paul as though he were hypocritical, crafty, and proud.