2 Corinthians 6:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Paul himself describes the afflictions he endured in Asia and elsewhere (2 Cor 1:8; 2 Cor 2:4; Eph 3:13).

The divine Luke described the necessities and distresses that Paul endured in Damascus from the Jews and in Jerusalem from the Hellenists (Acts 9:24-25; Acts 16:23).

He described his stripes and imprisonment in Philippi, a city of Macedonia, from the magistrates and the people there.

He described the tumults by showing him constantly passing from place to place.

He described his labors by stating that, when he was in Corinth, he sustained himself by his handiwork, working with Aquila (Acts 18:3).

He described his vigils by saying that he prolonged his teaching until midnight, and that for three years he did not cease teaching the Ephesians night and day (Acts 20:7, 31).

By fastings here Paul does not mean the appointed fasts that take place with prayer (Acts 27:9; Acts 14:23), but those that occur in hunger and thirst, that is, from lack of food and drink.

Having thus listed his active virtues (2 Cor 11:27), which he accomplished while struggling against persecutors, he then passes to the contemplative virtues.

That is, he turns to those virtues that his soul brought forth as fruit while being moved by itself.

But when all these sorrows overtake a man together, consider what kind of soul is needed for this."

"To external and involuntary sorrows he adds those that depended properly on himself.

He points to the labors with which he burdened himself as he went from place to place and worked with his own hands.

He points also to the nights when he taught or labored for his own support, while at the same time not forgetting fasting, though his other struggles alone were worth more than a thousand fasts."

"He justifies his apostolate no less by the fact that they were deemed worthy of spiritual gifts.

We remained blameless in the Spirit, that is, in spiritual gifts. In love unfeigned.

This was higher than all the goods he had acquired. This is what made him such a man and preserved the Spirit in him, by whose action everything in him was brought to fulfillment."

On the contrary, the Apostle presents himself as having borne, and still bearing, heavy and hard-to-bear burdens. Thus his disciples would not refuse to bear something lesser, which was possible for them.

"In all things commending ourselves as servants of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in disorders, in labors," and in many other struggles and virtues. For brevity, I interrupt the enumeration.

From this multitude of burdens, truly more or less heavy for corrupted nature, yet not impossible to bear with the help of grace, I now take one. It is among the more unavoidable and more bearable.

I desire to see it on my shoulders and on yours. This is labor. I beseech you with the Apostle: commend yourselves as servants of God in labors.

Or is teaching about labors not worth the labor, and unworthy of the pulpit? Will some not say that whoever must labor will go to labor without instruction, either by compulsion or by the pull of passion?

And if someone can get along without labor, must he really be tormented with labor in vain?

If anyone admits that he has these thoughts in his head, or, looking carefully, finds them in the disposition of his life, let him also accept our admission.

These very thoughts show us that teaching about labors requires labor and deserves attention.

Is compulsory labor much better than the labor of an ox bearing the yoke and pulling the plow? Is it not doubly heavy, first by the labor's own weight, and second by the burdensome feeling of compulsion?

Would it not be good if we could raise even man's lowest labor above the labor of an irrational creature?

Without weakening necessary labor, we could lessen its weight by replacing the oppressive feeling of compulsion with the bearable burden of moral necessity, consciously understood by reason.

Is labor done from passion, for example from love of gain, noble? Is it not joined to torment, since every ruling passion is an inner tormentor?

Would it not be better if we ennobled labor by expelling, or at least overcoming, a base inclination to profit through a higher motive for action?

Some may not agree to call labor from ambition ignoble. Without entering into dispute about this, I would ask only the eminent and powerful.

Are they entirely satisfied with those who labor in their service, if this is done only in order to rise and attain honor?

Would they not prefer that this be done from purer motives, from deep respect, devotion, zeal, and love?

What shall be said about contempt for labor, aversion to it, and an idle life? If life is activity, then by the contrary conclusion, inactivity and idleness are not life.

At least, they are not the life of a rational and moral being.

Long sleep in the morning, slow awakening, then breakfast, a walk, idle talk with visitors or hosts, perhaps reading no better than idle talk, then dinner, rest, a show, a game, supper, and again long sleep.

Is this the life of a rational and moral being?

Therefore compulsory labor, labor from passion, aversion to labor, and idleness all require correction or improvement by sound teaching about labor.

Nowhere can such teaching be drawn better than from the source of Christian wisdom.

Is there labor in heaven? We cannot affirm this, although we know from the Revelation of John that the Powers there "have no rest day or night" (Rev 4:8), as they offer unceasing doxology to the Almighty.

Yet it is not there as it is here on earth. Here labor, rest, and pleasure are separated, bounded, and divided.

There the activity of the created Powers, which needs no rest, their rest in God, and blessedness are one.

Yet for the good "spirits" sent to earth "to minister for those who shall inherit salvation" (Heb 1:14), I think there is labor. It is not light labor.

They descend for us from the pure and radiant heavenly realm into the gloomy and suffocating earthly realm, as into a cellar or mine shaft.

They keep watch over our unworthiness. They extend to us subtle spiritual promptings, often drowned out by our coarse sensuality.

They endure our deficiencies and unfaithfulness. Sometimes necessity makes them withdraw from our impurities, but not too far.

They watch again for favorable moments to draw near to us for our benefit. At times, finally, they grieve inconsolably over our impenitence.

Think of this without levity, son of dust. If the dwellers in heaven do not think it low or unpleasant to descend from their blessedness to wretched earth for labor that saves you, will you dare reject any beneficial labor as low and unpleasant?

Beware only of base motives. They alone make labor truly base.

If we ask whether there was labor in paradise, the book of Genesis answers us: "The Lord God took the man whom He had formed and placed him in the paradise of delight, to till it and keep it" (Gen 2:15).

Paradise had no need of intensive cultivation like our fields and gardens. There had not yet been the curse that grows thorns and thistles.

Why, then, was it appointed even to the man of paradise to till? To resolve this, Saint Chrysostom cites the saying of the wise man: "Idleness has taught much evil" (Sir 33:28).

Therefore, he concludes, God "willed" that man "should have some small and measured care in keeping and tilling."

"If he had been entirely freed from every labor, then, enjoying great repose, he would easily have inclined toward sloth."

"But by doing work, though work not accompanied by pain and exhaustion, he could better preserve chastity."

From this reasoning of the golden-mouthed teacher, we must learn a lesson. Even if one of us lived almost in paradisal abundance and prosperity, and nothing compelled him to labor, he still must not neglect labor or flee from it.

He must use it as a guardian of inner and outer well-being, lest idleness come and teach much evil.

But our condition is no longer paradisal. In this condition labor has a new meaning and is necessary in a new way.

To the man expelled from paradise for pride and disobedience, God the Judge said: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread" (Gen 3:19).

That is, as Saint Chrysostom explains: "Since you did not make use of such freedom, I will curse the earth."

"It will no longer bring forth its produce for you without plowing and sowing, as before, but with much labor, hardship, and exhaustion."

"I will impose upon you constant sorrows and disturbances. I will make you do everything with the shedding of sweat."

"These constraints will be for you a continual lesson, teaching you to humble yourself and to know your nature."

If labor is thus God's punishment for the whole race of men, it is also God's instruction in humility and in the knowledge of our weakness. This should lead to the appeasement of God the Judge.

Then can one flee from labor as from God's punishment without danger of greater punishment? Is it not unreasonable to flee from labor as from God's instruction?

Should we not fear that a new judgment of God may say this?

Since you knew that, because of inattentive tilling and parasitic idleness in paradise, man was brought down from painless labor to painful yet beneficial labor on earth, and yet you do not wish to use this corrective remedy.

Therefore it remains to bring you down to a still lower degree, to labor in the nether regions, tormenting and fruitless.

Yet Christianity, by which everything is eased, improved, sweetened, and perfected, prescribes labor to us not so much as God's punishment, but as service to God.

"In all things," says the Apostle, "commending ourselves as servants of God," and among other things, "in labors."

How so? If labor is necessary for you, do not look upon it as blind necessity. Look upon it as the ordering of God's wisdom in human life.

Therefore bear it not with a feeling of compulsion, but with a feeling of obedience to God's will.

If, according to the order of society, labor is laid upon you by another man, bear it not only for man's sake, but also for God's sake.

"Not working only while being watched, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul" (Eph 6:6).

If you are burdened with heavy and long labors, offer to God in your labors the sacrifice of patience without murmuring.

If nothing compels you to labor, then it is easier still for you to present yourself as God's servant in labor undertaken for the good of your neighbor.

For service to the good of one's neighbor is actual service to Christ, according to His own word: "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Mt 25:40).

Shall I speak yet one decisive apostolic word about labor? Shall I speak it especially to the free, noble, and abundant, or shall I refrain, lest they send me with it to slaves and workers?

But the apostolic word speaks to all. With it I dare not retreat before anyone.

What, then, does it say? "This we commanded you: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat" (2 Thess 3:10).

Let us consider, we who stretch an unwearied hand toward a plentiful table. According to this commandment or rule, would we be worthy to share bread and water with this tentmaker?

He himself fulfilled the rule he gave to others, even more strictly than others. He did so not only by apostolic labor, but also by simple work.

As he says: "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me" (Acts 20:34).

"We labor, working with our own hands" (1 Cor 4:12).

"Nor did we eat anyone's bread without payment, but with labor and toil we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you" (2 Thess 3:8).

But whoever is not worthy to eat with Paul will certainly not be worthy to eat with Christ at His table in His Kingdom.

Therefore let us not be lazy, inactive, and idle. Let us love labor. Let us do what is useful, if not according to our own need, then out of love for mankind toward others.

After good work, according to the apostolic commandment, may we taste earthly food with the sweetness of conscience.

Finally, may we enjoy the immortal table, according to the testament of Christ the Lord, who said: "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father appointed unto Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom" (Lk 22:29-30). Amen.

“He says, ‘giving no offense in anything, that our ministry may be blameless.’

“He draws persuasion not only from the time, as he did above, but also from the example of those who struggled as they ought.

“And see how modestly he does this. He did not say, ‘Look at us, for we are such and such.’

“Rather, as though defending himself against an accusation, he enumerates his struggles and virtues.

“He lays down two distinguishing marks of a blameless life. The first is ‘giving no offense in anything.’

“He did not say ‘accusation,’ but something much slighter, ‘offense.’ That is, giving no one even an occasion for slander and reproaches against us.

“‘That our ministry may be blameless,’ lest anyone begin to reproach this ministry.

“Again he did not say, ‘lest anyone begin to reproach or accuse it.’ He said that it should not give even a chance occasion for anyone to reproach it in anything.

“The second mark is, ‘but in all things commending ourselves as servants of God’ (v. 4), which is much higher than the preceding.

“For it is not the same thing to be free from accusation and to order oneself so that it is evident in everything that we are servants of God.

“Likewise, it is one thing to avoid reproach, and another to be praised.

“He did not say ‘showing ourselves’ (φαινομενοι, appearing outwardly), but ‘commending ourselves’ (συνιςωντες).

“That is, in deed and from the heart, presenting ourselves as such, or being such.

“Then he speaks also of how they became such. How then?

“‘In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses.’ He placed patience as the foundation of the good things.

“For this reason he did not simply say, ‘in patience,’ but ‘in much patience,’ to show its measure and extent.

“For to endure one misfortune or two is not yet a great thing. Therefore he enumerates a multitude of afflictions and temptations, saying, ‘in afflictions, in necessities.’”

“In afflictions” means not occasions which weigh down only outwardly, but those which strike and wound the heart and are truly painful sorrows.

“In necessities,” αναγκαις, means in needs and extremities, by which what is sorrowful is felt still more sorrowfully.

“Extremity intensifies sorrow, presenting the evil that oppresses a man as inescapable” (Theophylact).

“For sorrow is usually increased when one cannot turn away from misfortunes, and when some inescapable necessity seems to demand suffering” (Chrysostom).

“In distresses.” Distress is the last degree of extremity. Evil has seized and presses down, like a beast that has caught its prey.

He means “distress from hunger and necessary wants, or simply the distress of temptations in general” (Chrysostom).

It is “a sorrowful condition from which no easy way out presented itself” (Oecumenius).