mentioning being caught up twice, but he applies the one to the being caught up to the heavens, and the other again to the being caught up from there into paradise, and even if he applied it to the same being caught up, this would not have been a redundancy; for announcing a paradoxical and supernatural matter, he insists with persistence that he is ignorant of the manner. Such a one being caught up, not to the third air above our heads, as some have imagined, but to the third heaven. 2 Kor 12,6-7 He says well: I shall not be a fool; for it is not the act of a fool to proclaim the grace granted to him by God 602 for the salvation and benefit of souls and when necessity is pressing, but rather of one very prudent and humane to overlook even the suspicion of conceit for the sake of the salvation of men. The phrase "and by the abundance of the revelations" must be understood in connection with "For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord". A messenger of Satan is a man who serves the opposing demon, and a thorn are the temptations and afflictions such men brought upon him. And this is a mark of humility, to confess that he did not bear the plots easily, and that having besought many times he did not succeed; for "thrice" indicates "many times." 2 Kor 12,11 "I have become a fool in saying these things," he says. But he does not say this as an assertion—for he himself knows he said nothing foolish—but he says this as a question and a point of perplexity to them, as in: "Having recounted these things, have I seemed a fool to you?" "And the cause of this," he says, "returns to you; for you yourselves compelled me by welcoming false apostles." Unless it be that I myself was not a burden to you. unless it be that I myself did not give in, doing all things for your sake, nor did I neglect you. Were you made inferior in this? Do you consider this an injustice? But forgive me this injustice. 2 Kor 13,3 And the very act of seeking proof was a sin; for to test, and especially after so many things, was the act of ungrateful, senseless, and uncertain men. 2 Kor 13,4a For on account of our sins and weaknesses the strong and sinless one was crucified. or from weakness, as the unbelievers said: "He saved others, himself he cannot save?" or from weakness, as would be consistent for you to think; for if you still seek proof, then the cross too will be thought to have been endured from weakness. 603 By the power of God, that is, as God, as powerful, as having suffered what he suffered even voluntarily. Or thus: even if he was crucified, he says, as one who took on a passible and weak nature, yet he lives, having risen from the dead, as one bearing in himself the omnipotent and divine nature. 2 Kor 13,4b The phrase "For we also are weak in him," means either that what we suffer, we suffer for his sake, or that we seem weak to you from not chastising and punishing you. but this too we do in Christ; for he himself taught us to be patient and long-suffering, but just as he taught us to be patient and long-suffering, so also towards those who are unfeeling and unrepentant to display the power to punish and chastise; for so he himself also does. But we shall live with him, that is, we shall be shown to you to be living, not simply, but with Christ himself; and not even this, simply living, but having life from his power, through which he himself, having trampled death and plundered Hades, both rose and lives. And this life and power is clearly for punishing those who do the works of the evil one, just as it is for saving those who perform repentance. For this reason he says, do not despise us when you see us persecuted and suffering countless things; so also Christ was despised when he was crucified, but having risen he did all that he willed. And what we suffer, we suffer for his sake, so that even if we suffer, he lives and is able, and we with him, as in: by his will we both live and are able to do what we wish to you, and especially to you, because we have many justifications against you in your disobedience. 2 Kor 13,5 Do you not test yourselves, whether you are in the faith? Do you not examine yourselves? For to still seek proof of Christ speaking in me and not yet be precisely convinced that Christ speaks in the teacher, what else is it than to also test yourselves whether you are faithful, and

ἁρπαγῆς ἄμφω τιθείς, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν τίθησιν ἐπὶ τῆς πρὸς οὐρανοὺς ἁρπαγῆς, τὸ δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἁρπαγῆς τῆς εἰς τὸν παράδεισον, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἁρπαγῆς ἐτίθει, οὐκ ἂν ἦν τοῦτο περιττολογία· παράδοξον γὰρ καὶ ὑπερφυὲς ἀναγγέλλων πρᾶγμα τὸν τρόπον ἀγνοεῖν διατείνεται μετ' ἐπιμονῆς. Ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον, οὐχὶ ἕως τοῦ τρίτου τοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ἡμῶν ἀέρος, ὥς τινες ἐφαντάσθησαν, ἀλλ' ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ. 2 Kor 12,6-7 Καλῶς φησιν· οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄφρονος τὸ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ ὠφελείᾳ ψυχῶν καὶ ἀνάγκης ἐπικειμένης τὴν παρὰ θεοῦ 602 παρασχεθεῖσαν αὐτῷ χάριν ἀνακηρύττειν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λίαν ἔμφρονος καὶ φιλανθρώπου τὸ παριδεῖν καὶ ὑποψίαν οἰήσεως ἕνεκεν σωτηρίας ἀνθρώπων. Τὸ καὶ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῶν ἀποκαλύψεων πρὸς τὸ ἐλεύσομαι γὰρ εἰς ὀπτασίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις κυρίου ἐξακουστέον. Ἄγγελος μὲν σατᾶν ὁ ὑπηρετούμενος τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ δαίμονι ἄνθρωπος, σκόλοψ δὲ οὓς οἱ τοιοῦτοι πειρασμοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ θλίψεις ἐπέφερον. Καὶ τοῦτο ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ ὁμολογῆσαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἔφερε ῥᾳδίως τὰς ἐπιβουλάς, καὶ ὅτι πολλάκις παρακαλέσας οὐκ ἤνυσεν· τὸ γὰρ τρὶς πολλάκις δηλοῖ. 2 Kor 12,11 Γέγονα ἄφρων ταῦτα εἰπών, φησίν. οὐ κατ' ἀπόφασιν δὲ τοῦτο λέγει οἶδεν γὰρ αὐτὸς μηδὲν ἄφρονος εἰπών ἀλλὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὡς κατ' ἐρώτησιν καὶ ἐπαπόρησιν πρὸς αὐτούς, οἷον· ἆρα ταῦτα διεξελθὼν ἄφρων ὑμῖν ἔδοξα; καὶ τούτου, φησίν, ἡ αἰτία εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀνατρέχει· αὐτοὶ γάρ με ἠναγκάσατε ψευδαποστόλους οἰκειούμενοι. Εἰ μὴ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ οὐ κατενάρκησα ὑμῶν. εἰ μὴ ὅτι αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐνέδωκα πάντα πράττων χάριν ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ κατωλιγώρησα ὑμῶν. μὴ τοῦτο ἡττηθῆτε; μὴ τοῦτο ἀδικίαν νομίσητε; χαρίσασθε δέ μοι τὴν ἀδικίαν ταύτην. 2 Kor 13,3 Καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖν ἁμάρτημα ἦν· τὸ γὰρ ἐκπειράζειν, καὶ μάλιστα μετὰ τοσαῦτα, ἀχαρίστων ἦν καὶ ἀγνωμόνων καὶ ἀβεβαίων. 2 Kor 13,4α ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὰς ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀσθενείας ὁ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ἀναμάρτητος ἐσταύρωται. ἢ ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ὡς οἱ ἄπιστοι ἔλεγον· ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι; ἢ ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ὡς ὑμῖν ἀκόλουθον νομίσαι· εἰ γὰρ δοκιμὴν ἔτι ζητεῖτε, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἄρα ἐξ ἀσθενείας νομιεῖται ὑπομεῖναι. 603 Ἐκ δυνάμεως θεοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὡς θεός, ὡς δυνατός, ὡς ἑκουσίως καὶ ἃ ἔπαθε παθών. ἢ οὕτως· εἰ καὶ ἐσταυρώθη, φησίν, ὡς τὴν παθητὴν φύσιν καὶ ἀσθενῆ ἀναλαβών, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάς, ὡς τὴν παντοδύναμον καὶ θείαν φύσιν φέρων ἐν ἑαυτῷ. 2 Kor 13,4β Τὸ καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀσθενοῦμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἢ ὅτι ἃ πάσχομεν δι' αὐτὸν πάσχομεν, ἢ ὅτι δοκοῦμεν ὑμῖν ἀσθενεῖν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ κολάζειν καὶ τιμωρεῖν ὑμᾶς. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐν Χριστῷ ποιοῦμεν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ἀνέχεσθαι καὶ μακροθυμεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀνέχεσθαι καὶ μακροθυμεῖν οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναλγήτως ἐχόντων καὶ μὴ μεταμελομένων τὴν τιμωρητικὴν καὶ κολαστικὴν δύναμιν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ. Ἀλλὰ ζησόμεθα σὺν αὐτῷ, τοῦτ' ἔστι δειχθησόμεθα ὑμῖν ζῶντες, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀλλὰ σὺν αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ· καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἁπλῶς ζῶντες, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἔχοντες, δι' ἧς καὶ αὐτὸς θάνατον πατήσας καὶ ᾅδην σκυλεύσας καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ζῇ. αὕτη δὲ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ δύναμις δηλονότι τιμωρητική ἐστι τῶν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πονηροῦ πραττόντων, ὥσπερ σωστικὴ τῶν μετάνοιαν ἐπιτελούντων. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ λέγει ὅτι μὴ καταφρονεῖτε ἡμῶν ὡς ὁρῶντες ἡμᾶς διωκομένους καὶ μυρία πάσχοντας· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κατεφρονήθη σταυρούμενος, ἀλλ' ἀναστὰς πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ἐποίησεν. καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἃ πάσχομεν δι' αὐτὸν πάσχομεν ὥστε καὶ εἰ πάσχομεν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ζῇ καὶ δύναται, καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ, οἷον· αὐτοῦ θέλοντος καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ δυνατοί ἐσμεν ποιῆσαι ὃ βουλόμεθα εἰς ὑμᾶς, καὶ μάλιστα εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὅτι πολλὰ ἔχομεν ἀπειθούντων ὑμῶν δικαιώματα καθ' ὑμῶν. 2 Kor 13,5 Ἆρα μὴ ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε εἰ ἐστὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει; ἆρα μὴ ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε; τὸ γὰρ ἔτι δοκιμὴν ζητεῖν τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ καὶ οὔπω ἀκριβῶς πεπεῖσθαι ὡς ἐν τῷ διδασκάλῳ λαλεῖ ὁ Χριστός, τί ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς πειράζειν εἴ ἐστε πιστοί, καὶ