85

of the needs of those who receive, but this was done for the sake of those who give. And He does this, so that those who do good may not be lifted up to arrogance, and may become more eager about doing good, inasmuch as they are benefiting themselves more, and that those who receive may not run heedlessly to receiving, lest they have judgment; For it is more blessed, He says, to give than to receive. What then does he mean by saying, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly? I did not rejoice in a worldly way, he says, nor in a way pertaining to this life, but in the Lord; not that I had rest, but that you made progress; for this is my rest. For this reason he also says, Greatly; since the joy was not physical, nor was he rejoicing over his own rest, but over their progress. And see how, having gently rebuked them for the time past, he quickly overshadowed it, teaching them to be continually and always in well-doing. That now at length, he says. The phrase, Now at length, indicates a long time. You have flourished again; as of trees that have sprouted, then withered, and then sprouted again. And this shows that, having been flourishing before, they withered; then having withered, they sprouted again; so that, You have flourished again, is both a rebuke and a praise; for it is no small thing, having withered, to flourish again. 62.288 And he shows that they had suffered all this from indolence. In your care for me, wherein you did indeed care. Here he indicates, that they had a custom even before this to be generous in such things. For this reason he added, In your care for me, wherein you did indeed care. And lest you think that in other things too they had become more zealous, and had withered, but in this only, see how he secures this point by saying: Now at length you have flourished again in your care for me; as if he said: It is to this only that I say, Now at length; for in other things it was not so. But someone might ask here, how is it that, while saying, It is more blessed to give than to receive; and, That my hands have ministered to my needs and to those who were with me; and again writing to the Corinthians he said, For it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void; he now allows his glorying to be made void. How? By receiving. For if this was his glorying, to receive nothing, how does he now endure it? What then is to be said? There he reasonably did not receive because of the false apostles, That in what they glory, he says, they may be found even as we. And he did not say, they are, but, they glory, showing by this that they did receive, but secretly. For this reason he said, In what they glory. But he himself also received, even if not there; for this reason he also said: My glorying shall not be stopped. And he did not simply say, Shall not be stopped, but what? In the regions of Achaia; and the phrase, I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to do you service; indicates that he did receive. But Paul reasonably received, having so great a work, if indeed he did receive; but those who do no work, how could they receive? But I pray, he says. But this is not work; for it is possible to do this even with work. But I fast. But neither is this work. But see this blessed man 62.289 preaching in many places, and working. But you lacked opportunity, he says. What is, You lacked opportunity? Not from your indolence, he says, but from necessity; you did not have it in your hands, nor were you in abundance; for this is, But you lacked opportunity. He took this from common usage. For so the majority say, when the things of this life do not flow to them with abundance, but are in straits. Not that I speak in respect of want. I said, he says, Now at length, and I rebuked you, not seeking my own, nor finding fault for this reason, as being in want; for neither did I seek it for this reason. How is it clear that you are not boasting, O Paul? To the Corinthians then he says: For we write none other things unto you, than what you read or also acknowledge. And concerning these things he would not have spoken, so as to be convicted. He would not have said these things, if indeed he were boasting; for he spoke to those who knew, and the shame of being convicted was greater. For I have learned, in whatever state I am,

85

λαμβανόντων χρείας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν διδόντων ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γεγένηται. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, ἵνα μήτε εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αἴρωνται οἱ εὖ ποιοῦντες, καὶ προθυμότεροι γίνωνται περὶ τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν, ἅτε ἑαυτοὺς μᾶλλον ὠφελοῦντες, οἵ τε λαμβάνοντες μὴ ἐπιτρέχωσιν ἀδεῶς τῷ λαμβάνειν, ἵνα μὴ κρῖμα ἔχωσι· Μακάριον γάρ ἐστι, φησὶ, διδόναι μᾶλλον, ἢ λαμβάνειν. Τί οὖν δηλοῖ λέγων, Ἐχάρην δὲ ἐν Κυρίῳ μεγάλως; Οὐ κοσμικῶς ἐχάρην, φησὶν, οὐδὲ βιωτικῶς, ἀλλ' ἐν Κυρίῳ· οὐχ ὅτι ἀνάπαυσιν ἔσχον ἐγὼ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὑμεῖς προεκόψατε· ἡ γὰρ ἐμὴ ἀνάπαυσις, αὕτη ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καί φησι, Μεγάλως· ἐπειδὴ οὐ σωματικὴ ἦν ἡ χαρὰ, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀναπαύσεως ἔχαιρεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων προκοπῆς. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἠρέμα ἐπιτιμήσας ὑπὲρ τοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου, ταχέως αὐτὸ συνεσκίασε, παιδεύων συνεχῶς καὶ διαπαντὸς ἐν εὐποιίᾳ εἶναι. Ὅτι ἤδη ποτὲ, φησί. Τὸ, Ἤδη ποτὲ, χρόνον δηλοῦντός ἐστι μακρόν. Ἀνεθάλετε· ὡς ἐπὶ δένδρων βλαστησάντων, εἶτα ξηρανθέντων, καὶ πάλιν βλαστησάντων. Τοῦτο δὲ δεικνύντος ἐστὶν, ὅτι πρότερον ὄντες ἀνθηροὶ ἐμαράνθησαν· εἶτα μαρανθέντες, πάλιν ἐβλάστησαν· ὥστε καὶ ἐπιτίμησίς ἐστι καὶ ἔπαινος τὸ, Ἀνεθάλετε· οὐ γάρ ἐστι μικρὸν, τὸ μαρανθέντα ἀναθῆλαι. 62.288 Καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας αὐτοὺς πεπονθότας δείκνυσιν. Εἰς τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ δηλοῖ, ὅτι ἔθος εἶχον καὶ πρὸ τούτου ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις φιλοτιμεῖσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγεν, Εἰς τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς προθυμοτέρους αὐτοὺς γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ μεμαράνθαι, ἀλλ' ἐν τούτῳ μόνῳ, ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸ ἀσφαλίζεται λέγων· Ἤδη ποτὲ ἀνεθάλετε εἰς τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν· ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν· Εἰς τοῦτό φημι μόνον τὸ, Ἤδη ποτέ· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐχ οὕτω. Ζητήσειε δ' ἄν τις ἐνταῦθα, πῶς λέγων, Μακάριόν ἐστι μᾶλλον διδόναι, ἢ λαμβάνειν· καὶ, Ὅτι αἱ χεῖρές μου ὑπηρέτησαν ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ' ἐμοῦ· καὶ πάλιν πρὸς Κορινθίους γράφων ἔλεγε, Καλὸν γάρ μοι ἀποθανεῖν μᾶλλον, ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ· νῦν περιορᾷ κενούμενον ἑαυτοῦ τὸ καύχημα. Πῶς; Λαβών. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ καύχημα τοῦτο ἦν, τὸ μηδὲν λαβεῖν, πῶς νῦν ἀνέχεται; τί οὖν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν; Ἐκεῖ εἰκότως οὐκ ἐλάμβανε διὰ τοὺς ψευδαποστόλους, Ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται, φησὶν, εὑρεθῶσι καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰσὶν, ἀλλὰ, Καυχῶνται, δηλῶν ἐκ τούτου ὅτι ἐλάμβανον μὲν, λανθανόντως δέ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν, Ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται. Ἐλάμβανε δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐκεῖ· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Οὐ φραγήσεται τὸ καύχημά μου. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Οὐ φραγήσεται, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαΐας· καὶ τὸ, ἌλλαςἘκκλησίας ἐσύλησα, λαβὼν ὀψώνια πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν· δηλοῦντός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐλάμβανεν. Ἀλλὰ Παῦλος μὲν εἰκότως ἐλάμβανεν, ἔργον ἔχων τηλικοῦτον, εἴ που καὶ ἐλάμβανεν· οἱ δὲ μηδὲν ἐργαζόμενοι, πῶς ἂν δύναιντο λαμβάνειν; Ἀλλ' εὔχομαι, φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἔργον· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔστι καὶ μετὰ ἔργου ποιεῖν. Ἀλλὰ νηστεύω. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔργον. Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸν μακάριον τοῦτον 62.289 πολλαχοῦ κηρύττοντα, καὶ ἐργαζόμενον. Ἠκαιρεῖσθε δὲ, φησί. Τί ἐστιν, Ἠκαιρεῖσθε; Οὐ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ὑμῶν, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης· οὐκ εἴχετε ἐν χερσὶν, οὐδὲ ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ ἦτε· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἠκαιρεῖσθε δέ. Ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς αὐτὸ συνηθείας ἔλαβεν. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ πλείους λέγουσιν, ὅταν αὐτοῖς μὴ μετὰ ἀφθονίας ἐπιῤῥέῃ τὰ βιωτικὰ, ἀλλ' ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ ᾖ. Οὐχ ὅτι καθ' ὑστέρησιν λέγω. Εἶπον, φησὶν, Ἤδη ποτὲ, καὶ ἐπετίμησα, οὐχὶ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ ζητήσας, οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο μεμφόμενος, ὡς ἐν ἐνδείᾳ ὤν· οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐζήτουν. Πόθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ κομπάζεις, ὦ Παῦλε; Κορινθίοις μὲν οὖν φησιν· Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα γράφομεν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἃ ἀναγινώσκετε, ἢ καὶ ἐπιγινώσκετε. Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων δὲ οὐκ ἂν, ὥστε ἁλῶναι, ἔλεγεν. Οὐκ ἂν, εἴ γε ἐκόμπαζε, ταῦτα εἶπε· παρὰ γὰρ εἰδόσιν ἔλεγε, καὶ πλείων ἦν ἡ αἰσχύνη ἁλῶναι. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμι,