THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
They are adorned with double garments. What exactly are these garments? Without doubt, they are the very garments referenced in Proverbs: "She made double garments for her husband" (Proverbs 31:22, LXX). One garment symbolizes the spiritual, while the other represents the moral. Not every apostle, prophet, shepherd, or miracle worker possesses the same gifts, as it is written that not all have gifts of healing or speak in tongues (cf. 1 Cor. 12:29-30). The diversity of gifts corresponds to varied merits.
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The Lord sends Paul after delivering His message, providing him with three hundred pieces of gold and five garments of diverse colors (cf. Gen. 45:22, LXX). The one who proclaims the cross of Christ possesses three hundred gold pieces, for he asserts, "For I have resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). He aptly merits the gold since he preached not with persuasive rhetoric but through the demonstration of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4). The five garments may signify the understanding of manifold Wisdom or perhaps indicate that he was not swayed by bodily temptations. Where others face peril, he achieves victory. By exercising self-control and virtuous living, he conquered all earthly desires, ensuring that no physical weakness diminished his calling and fervor; even while in the body, he was unaware of its presence. Ultimately, he was taken up into heaven, unsure if he was in the body or out of it, and he encountered inexpressible words that cannot be shared with man (2 Cor. 12:2-4). While he walked the earth, he bore no earthly scent, as he teaches, "For we are the sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved" (2 Cor. 2:15).