2 Corinthians 11:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By these words, then, he calmed them. By the historical reminder of Eve, he brought them into unspeakable fear and took from them every occasion for excuse. For although the serpent was wicked and Eve lacking understanding, nevertheless nothing saved the woman from accusation.

"Therefore watch," says the Apostle, "lest you too suffer the same. Then nothing will defend you. And the serpent deceived precisely by promising much."

From this it is clear that the false teachers also deceived the Corinthians by boasting and puffing themselves up. The same conclusion can be drawn not only from this, but also from what follows.

Nor did he say, "lest you be deceived," but, "lest your minds be corrupted," using the image of corruption. For the word "corruption" is used in relation to virgins.

"Lest they be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." That is, lest you be deceived because of your simplicity. Some interpret it thus: lest you fall away from the simple faith into the harshness of outsiders, the unbelievers, for this is the greatest corruption.

He died for her transgressions and rose for her justification (cf. Rom 4:25). Who can offer such gifts to his bride? Men offer some earthly ornaments: gold, silver, precious stones, horses, slaves, lands, and estates. Will anyone offer his own blood as a gift? If a man gave his blood to his bride, he would lose his life while taking a wife. But the Lord calmly accepted death and gave His blood for her whom, rising again, He received anew. He had already united her to Himself in the womb of the Virgin. For the Word is the Bridegroom, and the bride is human flesh. In both respects He was the Son of God and at the same time the Son of Man. The womb of the Virgin Mary, where He became the Head of the Church, was His bridal chamber. From there He came forth like a bridegroom from his chamber, as Scripture foretold: "He comes forth like a bridegroom from his bridal chamber, and rejoices like a giant to run His course" (cf. Ps 18:6). He came forth from the chamber like a bridegroom and, being invited, came to the wedding.

So too the Apostle, the friend of the Bridegroom, is jealous not for himself, but for the Bridegroom. Hear his voice, full of jealousy: "I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy" (2 Cor 11:2), he said. It is not mine, nor is it for myself, but it is divine jealousy. Why? In what manner? For whom are you jealous, and for whose sake? "Because I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Cor 11:2). What then do you fear? Why are you jealous? "I fear," he says, "lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor 11:3).

The whole Church is called a virgin. You see that the members of the Church are different, endowed with different gifts and rejoicing in different gifts. Some are husbands, others wives. Some are widowers and seek no more wives. Others are widows and seek no more husbands. Some preserve purity from youth. Others dedicate their virginity to God. Their gifts are different, but all are one Virgin. Where, then, is this virginity? It is not in the flesh. Holy purity of body belongs to few women and, if one may speak of virginity in relation to men, to few men in the Church. These are the more glorious members. But the other members preserve virginity not in the flesh, but wholly in the mind. What is virginity of the mind? Chaste faith, unbroken hope, undefiled love. He who is jealous for the Bridegroom is anxious for this virginity, fearing lest the serpent deceive the mind of the believer. As the integrity of the body is violated by the corruption of some member, so the seduction of the tongue violates the virginity of the heart. Therefore let the pure virgin who does not wish to preserve bodily virginity without cause avoid deception in the mind. What do I mean, brethren? Among the heretics also there are virgins, and many virgins are numbered among the heretics. Let us see whether they love the Bridegroom so that this virginity is preserved. For whom was it preserved? For Christ, says the Apostle. Let us see: for Christ, or for Donatus?

This is a clear sign that, together with the Gospel history and teaching, the Gentiles newly converted to Christ were instructed also in the truths of the Old Testament religion. That is, they were acquainted with the history, teaching, and prophecies contained in the sacred books of the Jews.

In other places, when he quotes whole verses literally from Greek poets (Acts 17:28; 1 Cor 15:33; Titus 1:12), we see how the Apostle Paul uses examples from the tales, mythology, and history of the Greeks.

He does this when addressing those to whom such examples are familiar. He presents them as confirmation of his thought, wishing to show that among them too certain lofty and bright truths of the knowledge of God and moral teaching had been preserved.

I do this not from lack of love for you, that is, not from proud independence from you, but to deprive the covetous false apostles who deceive you of any right to boast of being like me.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light."

And "you, being wise," he says ironically, "gladly bear with fools. You bear it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you in the face. I speak to our shame, that we were too weak for that."

I speak to mutual shame: mine, ironically, and yours, by reproof. The Apostle seems to speak thus: there is nothing to be done; I must admit that I was not capable of the actions just listed.

In general, I did not stand out among you by those showy qualities through which the false apostles tried to shine. It is evident that they dazzled you. But how are you not ashamed of failing to distinguish true dignity from false?

How could you forget everything that revealed in me a true Apostle of Christ?

Chrysostom exclaims: "Do you see his prudence? To express a wish, 'Would that you bore,' is to leave the matter to their will. To speak affirmatively, 'bear with me,' belongs to one firmly hoping in their love. It already shows that he loves them and is loved by them in return."

But where there is love, there is also jealousy. "For souls that burn strongly for those they love are jealous. Jealousy arises from nothing other than strong friendship.

"Moreover, lest they think he seeks their friendship for authority, honor, money, or anything similar, he adds, 'with a jealousy of God.' For jealousy is also ascribed to God, not so that you should imagine any passion in God, for God is passionless.

"Rather, it is to teach you that God does all things for the very ones over whom He is jealous. Such is my jealousy also. It is strong and at the same time pure."

"The Apostle says, 'I am not concerned that I should not be lowered in your opinion, but that I should not see you corrupted by false teachers. I was the helper and mediator of your bridal union.

"Through me you received the gifts from the bridegroom. Therefore I am zealous for you, fearing and trembling lest wickedness overcome your simplicity'" (Theodoret).

"The enemy who deceived Eve does not sleep. Then he used the serpent as his instrument. Now he acts through false teachers, through the charms of the world and the pleasures of desires" (Theophan).

"For although the serpent was very crafty and Eve simple, this did not save her from accusation. Therefore watch, the Apostle says, lest you too suffer the same. Then nothing will defend you" (Chrysostom).

He presents all this in such an attractive form, and as so easily attainable, that he seems to place it into one's hands. Yet all this is an apparition and a deception. Eve did not discern its illusory character and was carried away.

You too may fail to discern it and be carried away like her. This is what I fear: "lest your minds be corrupted," lest you be harmed in sound-mindedness. Then you would spoil both a right view of salvation and an understanding of the true way of following its path.

"From the simplicity," or because of the simplicity that the soul acquires in Christ Jesus. Seeing all things in Christ as true, it forgets deception and delusion. Being filled with goodness in Him, it forgets wickedness and guile.

Through this it shares in some way in that ignorance of evil which characterized the state of innocence. The enemy, he says, may take advantage of this disposition of yours and carry you away through his instruments.

Or "from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus" should be understood in this way: lest your minds be corrupted by turning away from simplicity, that is, from the guileless and pure faith in which you must abide in Christ the Lord (Oecumenius).

"See what prudence," says St. Chrysostom. "They had already been corrupted, yet he says, 'I fear lest somehow you be corrupted.' Why so? So that he would not throw them into hardness.

"He speaks in such a way that he neither condemns nor keeps silent. To speak plainly about so great an evil, and to hide it entirely, are equally unsafe. Therefore he keeps the middle course, saying, 'lest somehow.'

"For one who neither condemns too much nor trusts too much, but holds the middle between the two, customarily speaks so. Thus he both calmed them and, by reminding them of Eve, brought them into unspeakable fear.

"He also took away every occasion for excuse. For although the serpent was wicked, panourgos, and Eve simple, nevertheless this did not save her from accusation. Therefore watch, the Apostle says, lest you too suffer the same. Then nothing will defend you."