2 Corinthians 12:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This is the meaning of what he says: "I did not seek gain from you. Yet perhaps someone will say that, although I took nothing myself, I cunningly instructed those whom I sent in my name to ask something from you. Then I received it from them, and by receiving through others, I turned away from myself the suspicion that I took anything myself. But no one can say even this. You yourselves are witnesses."

For this reason he conducts the discourse by questions, saying, "I urged Titus and sent one of the brethren with him. Did Titus make gain of you? Did he not come to you in the same way as I?"

That is, he too took nothing. Do you see with what care he strove not only to keep himself clean from love of gain, but also to place those he sent in such a position that they would not give even the slightest pretext to those who wished to blame him?

This is far greater than what the patriarch Abraham did. When the king offered him a portion of the spoils after his victory, Abraham refused to take more than what his household had eaten.

But Paul, just as he himself did not make use of anything, did not allow his fellow workers to make use even of necessary food. In this way he completely stopped the mouths of the shameless.

Therefore he does not say on his own authority that they took nothing. What is much greater, he presents the Corinthians themselves as witnesses in this matter, so that the testimony might not proceed from his own person, but rest upon their judgment.

This is how we usually act when the matter is evident and subject to no doubt. "Tell me," the Apostle says, "did anyone of those whom we sent enrich himself from you?"

He does not say, "Did anyone take anything from you?" Rather, he calls such conduct extortion, reproaching them, putting them to shame, and showing that to take from someone against his will is extortion.

And he did not say, "Titus," but "anyone." That is, "You cannot even say that, although one did not take, another did. On the contrary, none of those sent took anything."

"I urged Titus." This too is said with reproach. He did not say, "I sent Titus," but "I urged him," showing that, if Titus had taken anything from them, he would have taken it by right. Yet even so he remained clean.

Therefore he again asks them, "Did Titus make gain of you? Did we not act in the same spirit?" What does "in the same spirit" mean?

It means that he attributes everything to grace and shows that everything worthy of praise was accomplished not by our labors, but by the gift of the Spirit and by grace.

Indeed, it was the greatest grace when those who lacked everything and went hungry took nothing for the edification of those being instructed.

"Did we not walk in the same steps?" That is, "They did not depart in the least from the caution I adopted, but kept the same rule."

Among them was the fact that, in the Apostle’s own words, though he loved the Corinthians exceedingly, he was less, or insufficiently, loved by them. Therefore his honor could easily have suffered from their accusations (2 Cor 12:15). Not without grief does the Apostle say that parents ought to lay up possessions for children, and not children for parents. He says nothing about the fact that children too must honor, give rest to, and feed their parents. Where then does the Apostle set forth the general rule concerning Apostles and pastors of the Church receiving payment for their ministry? Certainly in the first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14.

“The height of generosity,” says Chrysostom, “is not only to take nothing, but also to give what is one’s own. And not simply to give, but with great zeal, even when in want. This is shown by the words, ‘I will be spent.’ Even if it were necessary to exhaust the very flesh, I would not spare it for your salvation.” By the words, “loving you more, I am loved less,” he expresses both love and reproach. “Nothing so stirs love as saying to the beloved, ‘I love you deeply, but you love me less.’ And nothing so rouses one to avoid a decrease of love as such a reminder. He knew that this reproach would not be felt as a wound, but would be a wind kindling the flame. Therefore he spoke thus” (Theophan). Concerning the disinterestedness of Paul’s co-workers, St. John Chrysostom especially dwells on the fact that “the Apostle does not say on his own authority that they took nothing. Rather, what is far more important, he presents the Corinthians themselves as witnesses, so that the testimony may rest on their own judgment. We usually act this way when the matter concerns something evident and subject to no doubt.”

What does what he says mean? Earlier he said that he had taken nothing, and was even ready to give and spend his own. He discoursed much about this both in this epistle and in the first.

Now he says something else. He seems to introduce the words of an objection made against him and answers it beforehand.

This is the meaning of what he says: I did not seek gain from you. Yet perhaps someone will say that, although I took nothing myself, I cunningly instructed those whom I sent in my name to ask something from you. Then I received it from them, and by receiving through others, I turned away from myself the suspicion that I took anything myself.

But no one can say even this. You yourselves are witnesses. He therefore conducts the discourse by questions, saying, "I urged Titus, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus extort anything from you?"

Did he not come to you in the same way as I? That is, did he not likewise take nothing?

Do you see with what care he strove not only to keep himself clean from love of gain, but also restrained those whom he sent from it, so as not to give even the slightest pretext to those seeking a pretext?

This is far greater than what the patriarch Abraham did when he returned from victory (Gen 14). When the king offered him a portion of the spoils, Abraham refused to take more than what his household had eaten.

But Paul, just as he himself did not make use of anything, did not allow his fellow workers to make use even of necessary food. In this way he completely stopped the mouths of the shameless.

Therefore he does not say on his own authority that they took nothing. What is much greater, he presents the Corinthians themselves as witnesses in this matter, so that the testimony might not proceed from his own person, but rest upon their judgment.

This is how we usually act when the matter is evident and subject to no doubt. "Tell me," says the Apostle, "who among those whom we sent made any gain from you?"

He does not say, "Who took anything from you?" Rather, he calls such conduct extortion, reproaching them, putting them to shame, and showing that to take from someone against his will is extortion.

And he did not say, "Titus only," but "anyone." That is, you cannot even say that, although one did not take, another did. On the contrary, none of those sent to you took anything.

"I urged Titus." This was not said simply. He does not say, "I sent Titus," but, "I urged him," showing that, if Titus had taken anything from them, he would have taken it by right. Yet even so he remained clean.

Therefore he again asks them, "Did Titus extort anything from you? Did we not walk by the same spirit?" What does "by the same spirit" mean?

It means that he attributes everything to grace and shows that everything worthy of praise was produced not by our labors, but by the spiritual gift and by grace.

Indeed, it was the greatest grace when those who lacked everything and endured hunger took nothing for the edification of those being instructed.

"Did we not walk in the same steps?" That is, they did not depart in the least from the caution I adopted, but kept the same rule."