False teachers appear outwardly as holy, but inwardly they leave untouched the passions to which each one is enslaved. We are not so at all. We keep our heart pure from every sin and every uncleanness, knowing that truth will not remain in an unclean soul.
Saint Chrysostom says: “The false apostles were renowned as free from love of possessions, yet they took gifts, only secretly. They were regarded as holy, but in reality they had many vices. But we, he says, have rejected all this, namely what he calls the hidden things of shame.”
Oecumenius continues: “We have also renounced doing secretly what brings shame openly. He is alluding to the false apostles, who appeared in the form of piety while secretly being evil. But we, he says, allow nothing shameful even in secret.
“Thus we do not lose heart in tribulations, as you also see. Yet not outwardly only, but inwardly too, we admit no thought that could shame us in this respect. We admit no faintheartedness, wavering, murmuring, ingratitude, or any other hidden thought that could shame our claim: we do not lose heart.”
Thus, by the words, “we have renounced the hidden things of shame,” the Apostle says: we have a pure and blameless heart, alien to everything shameful. On the contrary, it is filled with truly holy moral and religious feelings.
“Not walking in craftiness,” me en panourgia. We do not act so that one thing is in our words and deeds, while another is in our mind. We do not ensnare anyone with speeches. We do not entice anyone by apparently good plans behind which an ambush is hidden.
We act openly. What our words and deeds show is what they are in reality. There is nothing crafty in our manner of acting.
Saint Chrysostom says: “We do not preach in such a way that we promise much in words and show something else in deeds, as the false apostles do. Rather, we are in deed what we show ourselves to be in words.
“We have nothing ambiguous. We truly are what we seem to be. We have nothing hidden or crafty, either in our life or in the preaching itself. We do not act as some do, concealing their works in order to deceive and entice.”
The Apostle denies in himself all cunning methods for attracting disciples. At the same time, he denies all measures of prudence that their own wisdom might invent.
We do not contrive, but act as the Spirit of God inspires. We always act openly and in simplicity of heart. We expect fruit not from our own skill in acting, but from God’s blessing and all-effecting power.
“Nor adulterating the word of God,” me dolountes. This resembles what he said above: not making merchandise of the word, not corrupting it (2 Cor 2:17).
We transmit the word as it is. When it is strict, we do not allow ourselves to soften it arbitrarily out of man-pleasing. If something in it is too hard for human wisdom, we do not conceal it or shorten it, hoping to reconcile it with that wisdom.
Whether it is simple or exceedingly lofty, we never mix our own considerations into it. We do not raise one thing because it seems insufficiently lofty, or bring another down because it seems unattainably high.
We do not allow ourselves even these apparently innocent methods, because we fear making the word of God crafty. As for adding any falsehood to the word of truth, and doing so knowingly, that does not even enter our mind.
Nor do we surround the word of our gospel with flattering hopes. We do not say: only believe, and happiness will flow to you like a river. We plainly reveal that tribulations, attacks, and every kind of deprivation await believers.
In general, we mix nothing into the word of the gospel. We offer it as it is, in its natural nakedness and purity.
Theophylact writes: “Not only, he says, is our life simple, pure, and without guile, but our word is also without flattery. For we mix nothing into it from external wisdom.
“We do not surround it with flattering speeches. We do not adapt it to times and persons. We do not teach one way today and another tomorrow.”
“But by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every human conscience before God.” This is similar to what was said above about letters of recommendation (2 Cor 3:1).
He says: we do not appear among people in various places with letters of recommendation, but with the truth alone. It alone presents us everywhere and recommends us.
How does it do this? By its mere manifestation. We manifest it in all purity, as it is. It itself assures those who hear that we are not liars, and that the word of our gospel is immutable truth.
How does this take place? Through conscience. In the soul of each person there is an advocate for the truth of the gospel: the spirit, with the fear of God and conscience inherent in it.
These spiritual elements are of one kind with the word of the gospel. They immediately recognize it, as soon as they have not been stifled by the spirit of this age.
The word of the gospel says that we are inexcusably sinful before God, and conscience recognizes this. The word of the gospel assures us that an impartial judgment and condemnation await every sinner, and the fear of God confirms this truth.
If the word of the gospel stopped there, it would only cast everyone into despair, attracting no one to itself. But it goes further and offers a hopeful outcome to those constrained by conscience and fear of judgment.
It says: the Son of God came to earth, was incarnate, suffered on the Cross, and tore up upon it the handwriting of the sins of the whole world. Believe in Him, and you will receive forgiveness of sins.
You will also receive the grace of the Holy Spirit for a new, sinless life. If you preserve this life pure to the end, then after your departure from here you will be received by heaven into eternal, indescribable blessedness.
What unquenched spirit could resist the power of this gospel? This is why the word of the gospel found acceptance in every place.
Everywhere there were persons in whom the fear of God and conscience, the natural elements of our spirit, were alive. They at once received the gospel as something kindred.
It was what had always been awaited, but had not been found. Now it appeared as such a joyful guest from heaven.
Those who received the word of the gospel were sanctified by the mysteries, reborn to new life, and received the gift of grace. From that moment they already had testimony within themselves, not for themselves only, but for all around them.
This acted upon the stifled spirit of those others, awakened it, and guided it to faith. Once renewed, they in turn stirred others by their mere presence and drew them to faith.
Thus, in a short time, all those suited for faith were added to it. They formed a small or large community of servants faithful to the Lord.
Saint Paul experienced this in every locality. In the words cited, he is speaking precisely of this. Everywhere they commended themselves to people’s consciences only by the manifestation of pure truth, pure as before God, and it converted them to faith.
Their task was only to direct those who were being added to the faith.
Photius, in Oecumenius, says: “The false apostles commended themselves not by the manifestation of truth, but by a counterfeit mask of truth. They did so not before God, but only to please those whom they deceived.”
Of course, those deceived by them were deceived because a flattering spirit had already taken possession of them.
THEOSIS