Titus acknowledged it; for from his rejoicing, he reveals both the abundance of his refreshment and the abundance of his thanksgiving for them. For this reason he also prefers this comfort to the former comfort. And he says these things to draw them more to the love of Titus; for he was about to send him to them again with the letter. But what was the refreshment of Titus for which he also rejoiced? Or was it their correction for which Paul also was comforted? Their obedience in all things and their hospitality and reception with reverence and faith; for honor and reverence for its preacher is a proof of piety. 2 Cor 7:14-15 I have boasted, I was not put to shame. Or the two words must be taken as one clause of a sentence, and the one that follows must be given as the cause of the former, punctuating with a comma after "I have boasted"; or, what seems better to me, each word should be read as presenting its own meaning, punctuating with a full stop. And the complete meaning of each word would be as follows: I have boasted, he says, for example: I boasted well and fittingly. I have boasted; I found my boasting fulfilled. Then: I was not put to shame; I was not deceived in my hope, I was not ashamed of what I had expected. And in saying these things, by the form of the words and their utterance, he showed the joy and the comfort which he had. Thus he was able to present his intention clearly through his words. Then: and our boasting which was to Titus, or the boasting about Titus made to you; for the preceding seems to suggest this, the phrase "but as we spoke all things in truth"; for as all things, he says, so also concerning Titus. Or rather, as it also seems to us: our boasting about you to Titus, that is, made in the presence of Titus; for the preceding words require this meaning: "his spirit has been refreshed." 595 I have boasted, I was not put to shame. And the phrase "but as all things in truth" will not be a contradiction; for just as, he says, what I said to you I said in truth, so also what I said to Titus about you has turned out to be true. And he saw so completely that not one of the things I said to him about you was proven false, that "his affections are more abundantly" towards you than others, instead of more than others, and so on. In everything I am confident in you, whether it is necessary to boast in the presence of Titus, or in the presence of anyone else whatsoever; or in every matter, whether one must rebuke and turn away the one who has fornicated, or receive and recall him when he repents, or whatever else must be done, in everything I am confident in you. 2 Cor 8:1-5 That according to their ability, I testify. In the pericope of this saying he testified to six achievements for the Macedonians: first, that it was according to their ability. It is a great thing for one to give alms as much as he is able, but he says something even greater, that it was also beyond their ability, that is, depriving themselves. And third, that they were of their own accord, that is, they did not need another's exhortation for this, but they themselves of their own accord chose the good. Fourth, that it was with much entreaty, which is of a fervent and overflowing purpose for almsgiving; for they did not entreat as if conferring a favor on others, but as if they themselves were gaining greatly, they besought, and they did not cease beseeching; for he says, beseeching us. Fifth, that it was also beyond Paul's hopes. See to what a height he has raised the matter; and they were disposed, he says, more magnanimously than I myself; for I myself did not hope, he says, that they would be so lavish in their almsgiving. But he was not satisfied even with these things, but at the completion of the period he set down the greatest of all. For what was it, he says, that they did according to their ability and beyond their ability and of their own accord and entreating and beseeching and beyond hope? What? O the greatness of virtue and almsgiving and worthiness of the praises of Paul. What was it that they did? They gave themselves, he says, first to the Lord and to us by the will of God. They did not give a part, and keep a part for themselves, but their whole selves to the Lord, as if they did not even leave for themselves the means of living, but having given all things they offered all their own providence and care to the Lord. Therefore Paul, considering the greatness of the

Τίτος ὡμολόγει· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ χαίρειν ἐκεῖνον τήν τε ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἀναπαύσεως καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς εὐχαριστίας αὐτοῦ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς δηλοῖ. διὸ καὶ προκρίνει τὴν παράκλησιν ταύτην τῆς προτέρας παρακλήσεως. καὶ ταῦτα λέγει μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην Τίτου ἐφελκόμενος· ἔμελλε γὰρ πάλιν σὺν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ πέμπειν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτούς. τί δὲ ἦν ἡ ἀνάπαυσις Τίτου ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἔχαιρεν; ἢ αὐτὴ ἡ διόρθωσις αὐτῶν ἐφ' ᾗ καὶ Παῦλος παρεκέκλητο; ἡ εἰς πάντα ὑπακοὴ αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ μετ' εὐλαβείας καὶ πίστεως ξενία καὶ ὑποδοχὴ αὐτῶν· καὶ γὰρ τεκμήριον εὐσεβείας ἡ εἰς τὸν κήρυκα αὐτῆς τιμὴ καὶ εὐλάβεια. 2 Kor 7,14-15 Κεκαύχημαι, οὐ κατῃσχύνθην. ἢ ὡς ἓν κόμμα λόγου τὰς δύο λέξεις ἐκληπτέον, καὶ τὴν ἐπαγομένην τῆς προτέρας ὡς αἰτίαν ἀποδοτέον ὑποστίζοντας ἐν τῷ κεκαύχημαι· ἢ ὅπερ ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ μᾶλλον, ἑκατέραν λέξιν ὡς ἴδιον νόημα παριστῶσαν, κατὰ τελείαν στιγμὴν στίζοντας ἀναγνωστέον. καὶ εἴη ἂν ἑκατέρας λέξεως ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἀπηρτισμένος τοιοῦτος· κεκαύχημαι, φησίν, οἷον· καλῶς καὶ πρεπόντως ἐκαυχησάμην. κεκαύχημαι· εὗρον τὴν καύχησίν μου τετελειωμένην. εἶτα· οὐ κατῃσχύνθην· οὐκ ἐψεύσθην τῆς ἐλπίδος, οὐκ ᾐσχύνθην ἐφ' οἷς προσεδόκησα τοιαῦτα. ταῦτα δὲ εἰπὼν καὶ διὰ τοῦ τύπου τῶν λέξεων καὶ τῆς προφορᾶς αὐτῶν τὴν χαρὰν ἐδήλου, καὶ τὴν παράκλησιν ἣν εἶχεν. οὕτως ἦν δυνατὸς ἐναργὲς διὰ τῶν λόγων παραστῆσαι τὸ βούλημα. εἶτα· καὶ ἡ καύχησις ἡμῶν ἡ ἐπὶ Τίτου, ἢ ἡ περὶ Τίτου καύχησις πρὸς ὑμᾶς γεγενημένη· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ προηγούμενον δοκεῖ ὑποφαίνειν, τὸ ἀλλ' ὡς πάντα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἐλαλήσαμεν· καὶ γὰρ ὡς πάντα, φησίν, οὕτως καὶ περὶ Τίτου. ἢ μᾶλλον, ὡς καὶ ἡμῖν συνδοκεῖ· ἡ καύχησις ἡμῶν ἡ περὶ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ Τίτου, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐνώπιον Τίτου γεγενημένη· τοῦτον γὰρ τὸν νοῦν ἀπαιτεῖ τὰ προειρημένα· ἀναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. 595 κεκαύχημαι, οὐ κατῃσχύνθην. τὸ δὲ ἀλλ' ὡς πάντα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἐναντιωθήσεται· ὥσπερ γάρ, φησίν, ὑμῖν ἃ εἶπον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ εἶπον, οὕτως καὶ ἃ εἶπον Τίτῳ περὶ ὑμῶν, εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἀπέβη. καὶ τοσοῦτον οὐθ' ἓν ὧν εἶπον αὐτῷ περὶ ὑμῶν διαψευσθὲν εἶδεν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ περισσοτέρως τῶν ἄλλων, ἀντὶ τοῦ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων, περὶ ὑμᾶς ἐστι καὶ ἑξῆς. Ἐν παντὶ θαρρῶ ἐν ὑμῖν, κἂν ἐνώπιον Τίτου δέῃ καυχήσασθαι, κἂν ἐνώπιον ἄλλου οὑτινοσοῦν· ἢ ἐν παντὶ πράγματι, κἂν ἐπιτιμῆσαι καὶ ἀποστραφῆναι δέοι τὸν πεπορνευκότα, κἂν προσλαβεῖν καὶ ἀνακαλέσασθαι μετανοοῦντα, κἂν ἄλλο τι χρὴ γενέσθαι, ἐν παντὶ θαρρῶ ἐν ὑμῖν. 2 Kor 8,1-5 Ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν, μαρτυρῶ. ἐν τῇ περικοπῇ τοῦδε τοῦ ῥητοῦ ἕξ τινα κατορθώματα ἐμαρτύρησε τοῖς Μακεδόσιν· πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν. μέγα δὲ καὶ τὸ καθ' ὅσον ἰσχύει τις ποιῆσαι ἐλεημοσύνην, ὁ δὲ καὶ μεῖζόν φησιν, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστεροῦντες. καὶ τρίτον, ὅτι αὐθαίρετοι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν οὐκ ἐδεήθησαν εἰς τοῦτο παραινέσεως ἀλλοτρίας, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ᾑρετίσαντο. τέταρτον, ὅτι μετὰ πολλῆς παρακλήσεως, ὅπερ ἐστὶ θερμῆς καὶ ὑπερβλυζούσης τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην προαιρέσεως· οὐ γὰρ ὡς αὐτοὶ ἑτέροις χάριν κατατιθέμενοι, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτοὶ μεγάλα κερδαίνοντες παρεκάλουν, ἐδέοντο καὶ οὐκ ἀνίεσαν δεόμενοι· δεόμενοι γάρ, φησίν, ἡμῶν. πέμπτον, ὅτι καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδας Παύλου. ὅρα ποῦ ἀνεβίβασε τὸ πρᾶγμα· καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ, φησί, μεγαλοψυχότερον διετέθησαν· οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἤλπιζον, φησί, τοσοῦτον αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην δαψιλεύσασθαι. ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἠρκέσθη, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ συμπληρώσει τῆς περιόδου τὸ μεῖζον πάντων ἔθηκεν. τί γάρ, φησίν, ἦν ὃ κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν καὶ αὐθαίρετοι καὶ παρακαλοῦντες καὶ δεόμενοι καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδας ἐποίουν; τί; ὦ μέγεθος ἀρετῆς καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ ἀξίας τῶν τοῦ Παύλου ἐγκωμίων. τί ἦν ὃ ἐποίουν; ἔδωκαν ἑαυτούς, φησί, πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ. οὐκ ἔδωκαν μέρος τι, καὶ μέρος παρ' ἑαυτοῖς κατέσχον, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ὅλους τῷ κυρίῳ, ὡσανεὶ οὐδὲ τὰς τοῦ ζῆν ἀφορμὰς ἑαυτοῖς κατέλιπον, ἀλλὰ πάντα δόντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν πρόνοιαν πᾶσαν καὶ φροντίδα παρέσχον τῷ κυρίῳ. διὸ καὶ τὸ μέγεθος ἐννοῶν ὁ Παῦλος τοῦ