to give thanks, but through many. So grateful is he, and so well does he know the great benefit done to him, or rather, as he says, the gift, that he considers not even himself sufficient for thanksgiving, nor the many with him, unless they also give thanks in many ways. Then he says, on your behalf: Why should we assist you in prayer? Why should we give thanks? Because my being rescued and still being rescued, he says, is not my help and comfort alone, but no less is it yours also. Therefore, assist in prayer and give thanks as doing these things on your own behalf; for my comfort and salvation is yours. And this I say not now, he says, as an exhortation, but I also always boast in this, that you are so disposed towards me as to consider my salvation and comfort your own; for our boast, he says, is this, that you are so disposed towards me and that I think thus of you. Who persuaded you to be so disposed and to boast, O Paul? The testimony of my conscience, he says, from what I have done for you, from my consciousness of having conferred the greatest benefits, from my having struggled among you more abundantly than the others. These things persuade me to think this about you, that you also consider my comfort and salvation your own. And for this reason I also make it my boast, your affection and fervent love for me; for from this is born also the considering of my comfort and salvation as their own; for this is our boast according to the testimony of my conscience. And when my conscience bears witness, the truth is beyond doubt. 2 Cor 1:13-14 I hope, he says, that you will also understand to the end. What? That we are your boast; and not only we, but you also are my boast. For as you have now known this in part, so I hope that you will also know it fully on that day, that each one finds the reward for what he has done; for from what you will find by being persuaded by me and by the preaching, then you will know fully and not in part that we are your boast, and I too will make your salvation and your access a boast. 586 2 Cor 1:15 And in this confidence. And in this, he says, expectation, in this hope that guarantees both that you are my boast on that day and that I am yours. But if I wished to come in this confidence, clearly the wish was strong and great; for it was not human but for the common good and the salvation of souls, so that I was unwillingly hindered in my purpose; for I would not have willingly neglected such a gain. And this he has set forth, constructing a firm and most true defense; so he took care to give no one a cause for offense. When I therefore planned this, did I use lightness? Some are perplexed, saying whether the things Paul plans and promises concerning the doctrines of the faith, he plans and promises according to the flesh or according to the spirit. For if according to the spirit, his yes will not be yes, and his no, no; but if according to the flesh, how are they divine? how spiritual? What then do we say? That concerning the doctrines of the faith he neither promises anything himself nor plans anything; for the promises are the Lord's and the plans are of the great counsel, but Paul is only a herald and a minister, as he himself says, of the mysteries of Christ. Rightly, therefore, he of himself neither plans nor promises concerning them. But if concerning the doctrines of the faith it is not permitted for him, we say, either to plan or to promise, on the other hand he must not plan according to the flesh; for he too rejects this in saying: Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh? If, therefore, he plans or promises in neither of these ways, in what ways then does he plan at all or will he make his promises? We say, therefore, that there are divine and human things, or if you will, spiritual and carnal, and of the spiritual things there is much difference. But for now, to the matter at hand. Some are the virtues, others the very word of the preaching, and others not this itself but nevertheless fitting for those who have also received the word of the preaching, which things it is also permitted for Paul to plan

εὐχαριστῆσαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ πλειόνων. οὕτως ἐστὶν εὐγνώμων, καὶ οὕτως οἶδε μέγα εὐεργέτημα τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένον, μᾶλλον δέ, ὡς ἐκεῖνός φησιν, χάρισμα, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἑαυτὸν ἐξαρκεῖν εἰς εὐχαριστίαν νομίζει, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς πολλοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ, εἰ μὴ καὶ διὰ πολλῶν εὐχαριστήσωσι τρόπων. εἶτα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν φησιν· τί δήποτε συνυπουργήσομέν σοι τῇ δεήσει; τί δήποτε εὐχαριστήσομεν; ὅτι τὸ ῥυσθῆναί με καὶ ἔτι ῥύεσθαί με, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ βοήθεια μόνον καὶ παράκλησις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ὑμετέρα. συνυπουργήσατε οὖν τῇ δεήσει καὶ εὐχαριστήσατε ὡς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ταῦτα ποιοῦντες· ἡ γὰρ ἐμὴ παράκλησις καὶ σωτηρία ὑμετέρα ἐστίν. καὶ τοῦτο οὐχὶ νῦν, φησί, λέγω παραινῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχῶμαι ἀεὶ ἐν τούτῳ, ὅτι οὕτω διακεῖσθε ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἐμὲ ὡς τὴν ἐμὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ παράκλησιν ὑμετέραν ἡγεῖσθαι· ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν, φησίν, αὕτη ἐστίν, τὸ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ οὕτως ὑπολαμβάνειν ἐμὲ περὶ ὑμῶν. τίς σε ἔπεισεν οὕτως ἔχειν καὶ καυχᾶσθαι, ὦ Παῦλε; τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεώς μου, φησίν, ἐξ ὧν ἔπραξα εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἐξ ὧν σύνοιδα εὐεργετήσας τὰ μέγιστα, ἐξ ὧν περισσοτέρως τῶν ἄλλων ἐν ὑμῖν ἠγωνισάμην. ταῦτά με πείθει περὶ ὑμῶν νοεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς τὴν ἐμὴν παράκλησιν καὶ σωτηρίαν ἰδίαν ἡγεῖσθε. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ καύχησιν αὐτὸ ποιοῦμαι, τὴν ὑμετέραν περὶ ἐμὲ στοργὴν καὶ διάπυρον ἀγάπησιν· ἐκ ταύτης γὰρ τίκτεται καὶ τὸ τὴν ἐμὴν παράκλησιν καὶ σωτηρίαν οἰκείαν ἑαυτῶν ἡγεῖσθαι· ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν αὕτη ἐστὶν κατὰ τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεώς μου. ὅτε δὲ ἡ συνείδησίς μου μαρτυρεῖ, ἀναμφίβολος ἡ ἀλήθεια. 2 Kor 1,13-14 Ἐλπίζω, φησίν, ὅτι καὶ ἕως τέλους ἐπιγνώσεσθε. τί; ὅτι καύχημα ὑμῶν ἐσμεν· οὐχὶ μόνον δὲ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐμοῦ καύχημά ἐστε. ὡς γὰρ ἐκ μέρους νῦν αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐπέγνωτε, οὕτως ἐλπίζω ὅτι καὶ τελείως ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτὸ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅτι ἕκαστος ὧν ἔπραξε τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν εὑρίσκει· ἐξ ὧν γὰρ εὑρήσετε πεισθέντες ἐμοὶ καὶ τῷ κηρύγματι, τότε τελείως ἐπιγνώσεσθε καὶ οὐκ ἐκ μέρους ὅτι καύχημα ὑμῶν ἐσμεν, καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν καύχημα ποιήσομαι. 586 2 Kor 1,15 Καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πεποιθήσει. καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ, φησί, τῇ προσδοκίᾳ, ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῇ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐμὸν εἶναι καύχημα ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγγυωμένῃ καὶ ἐμὲ εἶναι ὑμῶν. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πεποιθήσει ἐλθεῖν ἐβουλόμην, δηλονότι σφοδρὰ καὶ πολλὴ ἦν ἡ βούλησις· οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνη ἦν ἀλλὰ διὰ κοινὸν κέρδος καὶ ψυχικὴν σωτηρίαν, ὥστε ἄκων ἐνεκόπην τῆς βουλήσεως· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἑκὼν τοιούτου κέρδους ἠμέλησα. τοῦτο δὲ βεβαίαν καὶ ἀληθεστάτην τὴν ἀπολογίαν κατασκευάζων τέθεικεν· οὕτως ἐφρόντιζε μηδενὶ, σκανδάλου παρασχεῖν πρόφασιν. Τοῦτο οὖν βουλευόμενος μήτι ἄρα τῇ ἐλαφρίᾳ ἔχρησα; ἀποροῦσί τινες λέγοντες, πότερον ἃ βουλεύεται Παῦλος καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται περὶ τῶν τῆς πίστεως δογμάτων, κατὰ σάρκα βουλεύεται καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται ἢ κατὰ πνεῦμα. εἰ γὰρ κατὰ πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἔσται αὐτοῦ τὸ ναὶ ναί, καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ· εἰ δὲ κατὰ σάρκα, πῶς θεῖα; πῶς πνευματικά; τί οὖν φαμεν; ὅτι περὶ τῶν τῆς πίστεως δογμάτων οὔτε τι ἐπαγγέλλεται αὐτὸς οὔτε τι βουλεύεται· δεσποτικαὶ γὰρ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι καὶ τοῦ τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς τὰ βουλεύματα, κῆρυξ δὲ μόνον ἐστὶν ὁ Παῦλος καὶ διάκονος, ὡς καὶ αὐτός φησιν, μυστηρίων Χριστοῦ. εἰκότως οὖν αὐτὸς ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ περὶ αὐτῶν οὔτε βουλεύεται οὔτε ἐπαγγέλλεται. ἀλλ' εἰ περὶ τῶν τῆς πίστεως δογμάτων οὐκ ἔξεστιν αὐτῷ, φαμέν, οὔτε βουλεύσασθαι οὔτε ἐπαγγείλασθαι, κατὰ σάρκα δὲ οὐ δεῖ πάλιν αὐτὸν βουλεύεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνος ἀποπέμπεται τοῦτο ἐν τῷ λέγειν· ἢ ἃ βουλεύομαι κατὰ σάρκα βουλεύομαι; εἰ οὖν ἐν μηδετέροις βουλεύεται ἢ ἐπαγγέλλεται, ἐν τίσιν ἄρα ὅλως βουλεύεται ἢ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ποιήσεται; φαμὲν οὖν ὅτι ἔστι θεῖα καὶ ἀνθρώπινα, ἢ εἰ βούλει, πνευματικὰ καὶ σαρκικά, καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν δὲ ἔστι διαφορὰ πολλή. ἀλλὰ τέως πρὸς τὸ κείμενον. τὰ μέν εἰσιν αἱ ἀρεταί, τὰ δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ κηρύγματος λόγος, τὰ δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸς μὲν οὗτος ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκείνοις ἁρμόζων οἳ καὶ τὸν τοῦ κηρύγματος λόγον παρεδέξαντο, ἃ καὶ Παύλῳ ἔξεστιν καὶ βουλεύεσθαι