But what I do, that I will do: that I may cut off the occasion from them that desire occasion: that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
ο δε ποιω και ποιησω ινα εκκοψω την αφορμην των θελοντων αφορμην ινα εν ω καυχωνται ευρεθωσιν καθως και ημεις
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Since the false apostles cared only to find some pretext, it had to be taken away. They boasted only in this freedom from self-interest. Therefore, so that they might have no advantage in anything, the Apostle had to correct this also, since in all other things they were inferior.
Here he states quite clearly the reason why he did not take anything. Since the devil knew that people of this age especially love teachers who take nothing, he taught the false apostles to interpret even this in their own way. They did not act more justly in this matter, although they were rich. While teaching others not to take, they themselves took. Therefore he did not say, "that in what they do more justly," but, "that wherein they boast." This is an evident sign of boasting. Understanding this, the Apostle made it his rule to take nothing from them, even when he was in need. He did this to repel their attack and to give no place for accusation against himself. Such support could not truly be blamed, because it accords with the law of Christ.
But because the Corinthians, through weakness, were still scandalized, he guarded himself against this. Finally, the false apostles, being inferior to the true Apostles in everything else, had no advantage in this either. One may say that they would have been inferior even if they had not taken anything. They were rich, while Paul took nothing though he suffered need. They did not act justly but hypocritically, whereas the Apostle acted justly.
But I have done this and will do it to the end, so as to cut off the occasion from those who, under such pretexts, wish to subject us to reproach and blacken us. Thus, in the very thing in which they boast, namely, that we receive nothing while they do receive, they may be found like us. We are in need, and yet we took nothing.
"Why? Because I do not love you? God knows." By this testimony he turns away every evil suspicion. Why, then, does he not take? "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the occasion from those who desire an occasion, so that in what they boast they may be found even as we are."
I do this for the sake of my opponents, cutting off their occasions to speak evil of us. The Apostle shows that they boast in words, but secretly collect money. For he says this shortly afterward: "For you endure it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you" (2 Cor 11:20).
"They may be found even as we." One simple comparison of the Apostle with the false apostles should have convinced the Corinthians of the superiority of the one and the emptiness of the others. While the false apostles devoured and plundered the Corinthians, the Apostle did not take, and did not wish henceforth to take, anything necessary for himself from them. He did this so that, as he says, the false apostles would not be found to be like us. According to the course of the speech, one might have expected the Apostle to say, "that we may not be found like them, the false apostles." But the Apostle forestalls the Corinthians' mistaken opinion about him.
He says that if they had seen him actually as the false apostles portrayed him, then they would have begun to regard the false apostles as being like him, Paul. Then they would have ascribed to them certain imaginary advantages which, according to the false teachers, Paul did not possess. Such things included an immediate calling to the Apostleship, disinterestedness, and the like.
St. Paul is authorized to speak with severity by his apostolic rank (2 Cor 10:12-12:18). The Apostle defends and proves the certainty of this high rank by pointing to his preaching without payment (2 Cor 11:1-21). "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." "I think that I am not in the least inferior to the chief Apostles." "Did I sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted. Because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?" "In everything I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from being burdensome to you. This boast shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia." I do this not from lack of love for you, that is, not from proud independence of you.
I do it to remove every right from covetous false apostles, who deceive you, to boast that they are like me. "For such false apostles are deceitful workers, disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light." And "you, being wise men," he says ironically, "gladly endure fools. You endure it if someone enslaves you, devours you, takes from you, exalts himself, or strikes you in the face. To my shame I say that we were too weak for that." He says this to their mutual shame: to his own, ironically, and to theirs, as a rebuke. The Apostle speaks as though saying: nothing can be done; I must confess that I was incapable of the deeds just listed. In general, among you I did not possess those showy qualities with which the false apostles tried to shine. Clearly they dazzled you by them. Yet how can you not be ashamed that you cannot distinguish true dignity from false? How could you forget all that revealed in me a true Apostle of Christ?
By presenting his preaching without payment as something lofty, the Apostle seems to call God as witness to it, and places in it the truth of Christ (cf. Rom 9:1). The Apostle's glory in this respect was already secure in Achaia. Its spread could no more be restrained than a living stream can be blocked. But in Corinth he still had to convince everyone of the fullness of his disinterestedness. It was being undermined by the affected and hypocritical disinterestedness of the false teachers. Thus the Apostle took nothing from the Corinthians, not because he lacked love and closeness toward them. He did it so as to give no occasion to the false teachers, who sought an opportunity to overthrow his high apostolic dignity.
"Out of one and the same love he did opposite things, that is, he received out of love and did not receive out of love. This opposition depended on the different disposition of those who gave," says St. John Chrysostom. "Otherwise the Gospel of salvation could not have prospered so well among you Corinthians. Among you this is the condition of its success, and so I act accordingly. Among others the condition is different, and I act differently with them" (Theophan). "He could have said that otherwise you would have been scandalized and would have listened unwillingly. But he said this earlier (1 Cor 9:12). Now he derives its necessity from the precautions that must be taken in view of the false apostles. He means them by those who seek an occasion: a cause, opportunity, or pretext. The false apostles used every occasion to present both St. Paul himself and his preaching in an unfavorable light. In the words, 'that wherein they boast, they may be found even as we,' the thought is that the false apostles already boast of their disinterestedness. Foreseeing this, the Apostle says, I took nothing and thereby cut off their occasion for boasting. Yet it is hard to suppose that the false apostles could act disinterestedly. Therefore the word 'boast' means that they only assume the appearance of being disinterested, though they are not so in deed" (see 2 Cor 11:20). "It is also worth remembering that there were philosophical sects in Corinth. Many philosophers assumed the mask of detachment from visible goods and thus influenced their followers. At the same time they took money for their lessons."
The Apostle acted in this way because he could not go against the promptings of the Spirit. Why the Holy Spirit so willed, if this was not plainly revealed, even the Apostle himself had to conjecture, as the prophets conjectured when the Spirit revealed in images the events of the coming of the Son of God to earth. He also conjectures, indicating the reason in matters touching the Gospel. "That I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion." He could have said that otherwise you would have been scandalized and would have listened unwillingly to my word, which would have hindered the success of the Gospel. But he had said this before: "We did not use this right, lest we should put any obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ" (1 Cor 9:12).
Now he derives the necessity of this from the precautions that must be taken in view of the false apostles.
By "those who desire occasion" he means the false apostles. Here occasion is αφορμη, a pretext, opportunity, or occasion. The false apostles used every opportunity to present both Saint Paul himself and his preaching in an unfavorable light, and thereby to hinder the success of the Gospel. Therefore, he says, I do this so that my opponents, if I received anything from you, would not turn this into an occasion to harm the Gospel of Christ. "I do this because of many opponents, cutting off from them occasions to speak evil of us" (Theodoret). "Since the false apostles cared only to find some pretext, it was necessary to take even this away from them" (Chrysostom).
But how Saint Paul's opponents could have used it as a weapon against him if he had received anything from the Corinthians, Paul does not state precisely. He only hints at it in the words, "that in what they boast of, they may be found just as we are." The thought is given that the false apostles were already boasting of their disinterestedness. The Apostle says: foreseeing this, I took nothing from you and thereby cut off from them the opportunity to boast. Now they can no longer boast, since they have nothing special over me. But if I had taken something, they could boldly say: we take nothing, but he takes. Listen to us, not to him. He acts from motives of gain.
Yet it is difficult to suppose that the false apostles could act without self-interest. Therefore the word "boast" does not mean that they possess disinterestedness, but that they merely assume the appearance of disinterested men, without being so in deed. The Apostle speaks as though saying: I feared that, having assumed the mask of disinterested men, they might scandalize you. Now let them cover themselves with the mask as they wish. With all their contrivance they will only reach the point at which I already stand. The implication is that in other respects they are far beneath me. Therefore I may think that by this manner of acting I cut off every success for them among you.
Blessed Theodoret does not merely suppose, but directly affirms, that they only wore the mask of disinterestedness. The Apostle showed that they magnify themselves in words, but secretly collect money. For he says this shortly afterward: "You endure it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you" (2 Cor 11:20). To this one must add that, since the Apostle began to act so disinterestedly before knowing how the enemies of the truth would oppose him, the words "that in what they boast" can be understood in this sense. If they should begin to boast of their disinterestedness, or should begin to act without taking payment, they would show no advantage over me, but would be found only like me.
It is not superfluous to recall that there were philosophical sects in Corinth. Many philosophers assumed the appearance of men detached from visible goods and thereby influenced their followers. Was it not this circumstance that disposed the Apostle to show in himself the face of one truly detached from everything? He taught heavenly philosophy for this one reason alone: that people might follow it and thereby acquire for themselves the true good, not temporal but eternal.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS