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When he entered the prison, then he also prevailed over the judge. I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing; truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Boasting. But having finished the discourse about his own praises, he did not stop there but defends himself again, and asks for forgiveness for what he has said. For you, he says, compelled me. For if I were boasting, and if those men were not doing this with your error, I would not have been so prompted to bring myself to these words. But since they were corrupting the whole Church, looking to your advantage, I was forced to become a fool. Forgive me this wrong. Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome. For I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. He makes a eulogy of them, if indeed they consider it their own injustice that the Apostle did not deign to receive anything from them, nor endure to be fed from there. But in this I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? Again, think you that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. For I fear, 95.772 lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not. Can anyone then say, that I indeed asked for nothing, nor received anything; but being crafty, I prepared those sent by me to ask something from you for their own person. And through them I myself received, putting myself outside the appearance of having received. But not even this could anyone say, and you are witnesses. By the same spirit, he says either by the same choice, or by the same ministry of grace, that the Spirit has granted us a similar way of life. Lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you. What he was going to place first, that concerning pride, this he places later. For they were becoming senseless against him; so that therefore he might not seem to be primarily seeking his own interest, he speaks of the common good first. For all these things were born of envy: the slanders, the accusations, the divisions. And I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. He did not say all, but many; and not even these does he make known, giving them an easy return to repentance. CHAPTER 13. Behold, this is the third time I am coming to you. He shows himself to be abundant and more vehement in his exhortations, but slow and hesitant in punishments. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. I have told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other. Instead of witnesses he puts his presences, and his exhortations. Once, he says, I spoke, and a second time, when I was present, I also speak now through letters. And if you hear, what I desired has happened; but if you do not hear, it is necessary then to establish what has been said, and to bring on the punishment. That, if I come again, I will not spare. Lest the delay work indifference, see how he also corrects this, saying: If I come, I will not spare. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. This is to those who mock him, and scoff, and say, His bodily presence is weak, and 95.773 his speech contemptible. Touching upon

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Ὅτε εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον εἰσῆλθε, τότε καὶ τοῦ δικαστοῦ περιεγένετο. Γέγονα ἄφρων καυχώμενος, ὑμεῖς με ἠναγκάσατε. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ὤφειλον ὑφ' ὑμῶν συνίστασθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑστέρησα τῶν ὑπὲρ λίαν ἀποστόλων, εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι· τὰ μέντοι σημεῖα τοῦ Ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ, σημείοις τε, καὶ τέρασι, καὶ δυνάμεσι. Τί γάρ ἐστιν ὃ ἡττήθητε ὑπὲρ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐκκλησίας, εἰ μὴ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ οὐ κατενάρκησα ὑμῶν; Καυχώμενος. Ἀπαρτίσας δὲ τὸν περὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἐγκωμίων λόγον, οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτου ἀλλὰ ἀπολογεῖται πάλιν, καὶ συγγνώμην ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰρημένων αἰτεῖ. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠναγκάσατε. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ καυχώμενος, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μὴ μετὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας τοῦτο ἐποίουν ἐκεῖνοι πλάνης, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως προήχθην εἰς τούτους ἐμαυτὸν ἀγαγεῖν λόγους. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁλόκληρον Ἐκκλησίαν διέφθειρον, εἰς τὸ συμφέρον ὑμῖν ὁρῶν, ἠναγκάσθην ἄφρων γενέσθαι. Χαρίσασθέ μοι τὴν ἀδικίαν ταύτην. Ἰδοὺ τρίτον τοῦτο ἑτοίμως ἔχω ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐ καταναρκήσω. Οὐ γὰρ ζητῶ τὰ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ ὑμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ ὀφείλει τὰ τέκνα τοῖς γονεῦσι θησαυρίζειν, ἀλλ' οἱ γονεῖς τοῖς τέκνοις. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἥδιστα δαπανήσω, καὶ ἐκδαπανηθήσομαι ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, εἰ καὶ περισσοτέρως ὑμᾶς ἀγαπῶν, ἧττον ἀγαπῶμαι. Ἐγκώμιον ἐκείνων τίθησιν, εἴ γε ἀδικίαν οἰκείαν εἶναι νομίζουσι, τὸ μὴ καταδέξασθαι τὸν Ἀπόστολον λαβεῖν τι παρ' αὐτῶν, μηδὲ ἀνασχεθῆναι τραφῆναι ἐκεῖθεν. Εἰς τοῦτο δὲ ἐγὼ οὐ κατεβάρησα ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ ὑπάρχων πανοῦργος δόλῳ ὑμᾶς ἔλαβον. Μή τινα ὧν ἀπέσταλκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπλεονέκτησα ὑμᾶς; Παρεκάλεσα Τίτον, καὶ συναπέσταλκα τὸν ἀδελφόν. Μή τι ἐπλεονέκτησεν ὑμᾶς Τίτος; Οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι περιεπατήσαμεν; οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἴχνεσι; Πάλιν δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα; Κατέναντι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν. Τὰ δὲ πάντα ἀγαπητοὶ, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς. Φοβοῦμαι γὰρ 95.772 μήπως ἐλθὼν, οὐχ οἵους θέλω εὕρω ὑμᾶς, κἀγὼ εὑρεθῶ ὑμῖν οἷον οὐ θέλετε. Ἄρα ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, ὡς Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ᾔτησά τι, οὐδὲ ἔλαβον· πανοῦργος δὲ ὢν, παρεσκεύασα τοὺς ὑπ' ἐμοῦ ἀποσταλέντας εἰς οἰκεῖον πρόσωπον αἰτῆσαί τι παρ' ὑμῶν. Καὶ δι' ἐκείνων αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἐδεξάμην, τοῦ δοκεῖν εἰληφέναι ἔξω ἐμαυτὸν τιθείς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔχοι τις ἂν εἰπεῖν, καὶ μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς. Τῷ δὲ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἢ τῇ αὐτῇ προαιρέσει λέγει, ἢ τῇ αὐτῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς χάριτος, ὅτι ὁμοίαν ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα πολιτείαν ἐχαρίσατο. Μήπως ἔρεις, ζῆλος, θυμοὶ, ἐριθεῖαι, καταλαλιαὶ, ψιθυρισμοὶ, φυσιώσεις, ἀκαταστασίαι· μὴ πάλιν παρελθόντα με ταπεινώσῃ ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ὃ πρῶτον ἔμελλεν θεῖναι, τὸ κατὰ τὴν φυσίωσιν, τοῦτο ὕστερον τίθησι. Κατ' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἀπενοοῦντο· ἵνα οὖν μὴ δόξῃ προηγουμένως τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητεῖν, τὸ κοινὸν λέγει πρῶτον. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα ἀπὸ βασκανίας ἐτίκτοντο, αἱ διαβολαὶ, αἱ κατηγορίαι, αἱ διαστάσεις. Καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων, καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, καὶ πορνεία, καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ᾗ ἔπραξαν. Οὐκ εἶπε πάντας, ἀλλὰ πολλούς· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτους ποιεῖ φανεροὺς, διδοὺς ῥᾳδίαν αὐτοῖς τὴν πρὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπάνοδον. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. Ἰδοὺ τοῦτο τρίτον ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ∆είκνυσι πολὺν μὲν ἐν ταῖς παραγγελίαις ἑαυτὸν ὄντα καὶ σφοδρότερον, ὀκνηρὸν δὲ καὶ μελλητὴν ἐν ταῖς τιμωρίαις. Ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν, σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα. Προείρηκα, καὶ προλέγω ὡς παρὼν τὸ δεύτερον, καὶ ἀπὼν νῦν γράφω τοῖς προημαρτηκόσι, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσιν. Ἀντὶ μαρτύρων τὰς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ τίθησι, καὶ τὰς παραγγελίας. Ἅπαξ, φησὶν, εἶπον, καὶ δεύτερον, ὅτε παρεγενόμην, λέγω καὶ νῦν διὰ γραμμάτων. Κἂν μὲν ἀκούσητε, ὅπερ ἐπεθύμουν γέγονεν· ἂν δὲ παρακούσητε, ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν στῆσαι τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ ἐπαγαγεῖν τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ὅτι ἐὰν ἔλθω εἰς τὸ πάλιν, οὐ φείσομαι. Ἵνα μὴ ἡ μέλλησις ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐργάσηται, ὅρα πῶς καὶ τοῦτο διορθοῦται λέγων· Ἐὰν ἔλθω, οὐ φείσομαι. Ἐπεὶ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε, τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ, ὃς εἰς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀσθενεῖ, ἀλλὰ δυνατεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς κωμῳδοῦντας αὐτὸν, καὶ χλευάζοντας, καὶ λέγοντας, Ἡ παρουσία ἀσθενὴς, καὶ 95.773 ὁ λόγος ἐξουθενούμενος. Καθαπτόμενος