2 Corinthians 12:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But someone may say, "Why does he shift the discourse to the apostles, leaving the struggle against the false apostles?" He does this to awaken their attention more strongly and to show that he is not only better than the false apostles, but not inferior to the great apostles.

For this reason, when speaking of the false apostles, he says, "I am more." But when comparing himself with the apostles, he counts it enough for himself not to be below them, though he labored more than they.

At the same time, he shows that the Corinthians wrong the apostles themselves when they place one equal to them below the false apostles.

"Except that I myself was not burdensome to you?" The Apostle again gives the Corinthians a severe rebuke. The words that follow are even stronger: "Forgive me this wrong."

Yet even with all their severity, these words express love and praise for the Corinthians, if they themselves count it an offense that the Apostle would not accept anything from them and did not dare receive his sustenance from them.

"If," he says, "you accuse me of this," he does not say, "you accuse me unjustly," but speaks far more gently, "I ask pardon. Forgive me this sin."

And note his prudence. Since this rebuke, often repeated, dishonored them, he softens it each time.

Thus, after saying above, "As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped in me" (2 Cor 11:10), he immediately says, "Because I do not love you? God knows! ... that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we" (vv. 11-12).

And in the first epistle he says, "What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Gospel, I may preach Christ without charge" (1 Cor 9:18). Here again he says, "Forgive me this wrong."

Everywhere he strives not to show that he refuses to receive because of their weakness. Therefore here also he says, "If you lay this to my charge, I ask forgiveness."

By speaking in this way, he both wounds them and heals the wound. Do not say, "If you wish to strike, why do you ask pardon? If you wish to heal, why do you strike?" Prudence consists precisely in both cutting and binding up the wound.

Then, lest they think, as I have said before, that the Apostle often returns to the same point in order to receive something from them, he removes this suspicion.

He does this just as in the first epistle, when he said, "I have not written these things that it should be so done to me. For it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void" (1 Cor 9:15).

He expresses the same thing here, only more pleasantly and gently. How so? "Behold," he says, "for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not burden you, for I seek not yours, but you. Children ought not to lay up for parents, but parents for children" (v. 14).

The meaning of his words is this: "I do not fail to come to you because I refuse to receive. On the contrary, I have already come a second time, and I am ready to come a third time. Again I will not be burdensome to you."

And the reason for this is honorable. He did not say, "I do not wish to burden you because you are stingy, because you would be weighed down by this, or because you are weak."

What does he say? "For I seek not yours, but you." And I seek what is greater: souls instead of money, salvation instead of gold.

Then, since there still remained room for the suspicion that he was grieved with them, he adds a reason. They could naturally say, "Can one not seek both us and what is ours?"

Therefore he justifies them with great gentleness, saying, "Children ought not to lay up for parents, but parents for children."

Instead of the names "teachers and disciples," he uses the words "parents and children." He shows that he counts as his duty even what he was not obliged to do, since Christ gave no such command. The Apostle says this out of condescension to the Corinthians.

For this reason he adds something more. He said not only that children ought not to acquire possessions for parents, but also that parents are obliged to do this.

Therefore, if parents are obliged to give, "I," he says, "will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls" (v. 15).

"The law of nature commanded parents to lay up for children," he says, "and I not only fulfill this, but even give myself."

The height of generosity is not only to receive nothing, but to give one’s own. And not simply to give, but to give with great zeal, even when one lacks. This is what the Apostle indicates by the expression "be spent."

"Even if it were necessary to wear out the very flesh, I would not spare it for the sake of your salvation."

The words that follow express both love and rebuke: "though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved."

"And this," he says, "I do for those whom I love, and who do not love me in the same measure."

Now see how many degrees there are here. He ought to have received, but did not receive. This is the first merit. He did not receive while in poverty. This is the second.

He did not receive when preaching to them. This is the third. He himself gives to them. This is the fourth. He does not simply give, but gives abundantly. This is the fifth.

He gives not only possessions, but himself. This is the sixth. He gives himself for those who do not love him greatly. This is the seventh. And he gives himself for those whom he loves exceedingly. This is the eighth.

John Chrysostom exclaims: “Oh, what an abyss of merits he expressed in few words. And see what he puts first: patience. For the mark of an Apostle is to bear all things with magnanimity. He spoke of patience briefly, in one word. By contrast, he used more than one word for signs, because they were not wrought by his own power. Yet consider how many blows, how many dangers, how many plots, how many conflicts and sorrows he expressed by one word: patience. And by the word ‘signs,’ did he not again show how many dead were raised by him, how many blind were healed, how many lepers cleansed, how many demons cast out? And lest someone should say, ‘Though you are great and have done much, yet not as much as the Apostles in other churches,’ Paul added: ‘For in what were you inferior to the other churches?’ That is, in comparison with the other churches, you also share no lesser grace.”

“Lest someone should say, ‘Though you are great and have done much, yet not as much as the Apostles in other Churches,’ Paul added: ‘For in what were you inferior to the other churches?’ That is, in comparison with the other Churches, you also share no lesser grace” (St. Chrysostom). There is one thing in which you were deprived: “that I myself was not burdensome to you,” and did not trouble you for support. All other Churches, both those founded by me and those founded by other Apostles, are not free from this. Toward you alone I act thus. But if you regard this as an injustice on my part toward you, “forgive me this wrong,” charisasthe. Grant it, show me mercy and condescension in this, or, do me the kindness of forgiving me. “If, he says, you accuse me of this, then I ask pardon. Forgive me this fault. Notice what prudence. Since reminding them of this could seem a reproach and as though it brought dishonor, whenever he repeats it, he softens it with explanatory words. Thus above he said: ‘The truth of Christ is in me, that this boasting of mine shall not be stopped in the regions of Achaia’ (2 Cor 11:10). And immediately he added: ‘Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. But that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion’ (2 Cor 11:11-12). And in the first epistle he says: ‘What then is my reward? That in preaching the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge’ (1 Cor 9:18). And here again he says: ‘Forgive me this wrong.’ For everywhere he strives not to show that he does not take because of their weakness. Therefore here also he says: if you count this against me, I ask forgiveness” (St. Chrysostom).