Homilies on Second Corinthians 18

But thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care for you in the heart of Titus. (Chapter 1)

For since he had discoursed concerning almsgiving, he next discourses also concerning those who were to receive the money from them and to convey it away.

For this contributed toward the collection, and toward making greater the ready willingness of those who contributed.

For he who is confident concerning the one who ministers, and does not suspect those who receive, gives with the greater bounty.

And that this might come to pass then also, hear how he commends those who had come for this purpose, of whom Titus was the first.

Wherefore he also says, But thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care in the heart of Titus.

What means, The same? The very care which he had also on behalf of the Thessalonians; or, the same care as I myself have.

showing that this is God's work, and he gives thanks to Him who gave it, so that by this means also he might urge them on.

For if God stirred him up and sent him to you, then God Himself is asking through him.

Do not, therefore, suppose that what has happened is a merely human thing.

And whence is it plain that God urged him on? Because, while he indeed received the exhortation, yet being more earnest, he went forth of his own accord.

See how he shows that this man too was fulfilling his own part, having no need of others to prompt him.

And having spoken of the grace of God, he does not leave the whole to be God's, again in order that by this means also he might draw them on to a greater love, saying that he had also been stirred up from himself.

For being more earnest, he went forth of his own accord, he snatched at the matter, he leaped upon the treasure, he counted your ministry to be his own gain; and out of his exceeding love for you he did not even need the exhortation from me, but he was indeed exhorted by me, yet it was not thence that he was stirred, but from himself and from the grace of God.

And we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Gospel is spread through all the Churches.

And who is this brother? Some say it is Luke;

and they say so on account of the history which he wrote;

for indeed he calls the unwritten preaching also a Gospel.

And for what reason does he not set down their names, but Titus he makes known even by name, and calls him from his fellow-labour in the Gospel (if indeed he was so useful that, on account of his absence, Paul was not even able to do anything great and noble;

for because I found not Titus my brother, I

had no rest in my spirit)—

and from his love toward them (For his affections, he says, are more abundant toward you), and from his earnestness concerning the matter (For of his own accord, he says, he went forth);

but these he neither commends in like manner, nor sets down by name. What then is one to say? Perhaps they did not know them;

wherefore he does not linger over the praises, since they had not yet had experience of them, but says just so much as sufficed only for their commendation and for the avoiding of the wicked suspicion.

Nevertheless, let us see from what source he commends this very man also.

From what source, then, does he commend him? First, praising him from his preaching—not that he only preached, but that he did so as he ought, and with the fitting earnestness.

For he did not say that he preaches and evangelizes, but that, Whose praise is in the Gospel.

And that he might not seem to be flattering him, he brings forward not one and two and three men, but whole Churches bearing witness to him, saying:

Then he makes him venerable also from the judgement of those who had ordained him;

for this reason, having said, Whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches, he added:

What means, And not only so? Not only from this, he says, is he venerable, that he is well esteemed in preaching and is praised by all, but also that he was ordained by the Churches together with us.

Whence it seems to me that he is hinting at Barnabas.

And he indicates his great dignity;

for he shows also for what purpose he had been ordained.

For he is our fellow-traveller, he says, with this grace which is being ministered by us.

Do you see how many are his commendations? In preaching the Gospel he shone forth, and he had all the Churches bearing witness to him for this;

he was ordained by us, and for the same purposes as Paul, and everywhere he became a partaker with him, both in the trials and in the dangers;

for the name of the journeying abroad hints at this.

And what means, With this grace which is being ministered by us? So as to proclaim the word, he says, and to preach the Gospel;

or so as also to render service in respect of the money;

but rather, it seems to me that he is speaking of both.

Unto the glory of the Lord Himself, and to your ready willingness.

We deemed it fitting, he says, that he should be ordained together with us, and be appointed to this work, so as to become a steward and minister of the sacred moneys (for neither was this a small thing;

For look out, he says, from among yourselves seven men of good report);

and he was ordained by the Churches, and the vote of the whole people came to pass.

What means, Unto the glory of the Lord Himself and to your ready willingness? That God may both be glorified, and that you may become more ready, seeing that those who receive these moneys are approved, and no one is able to conceive any false suspicion against them.

On this account we sought out such men, and did not entrust the whole to one man only, that he might also avoid this suspicion, but we sent Titus also, and with him another.

Then, interpreting this very phrase, Unto the glory of the Lord and to your ready willingness, he added:

Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is being ministered by us.

What ever is that which is said? It is worthy of the virtue of Paul, and displays both his great watchful care and his considerate condescension.

For in order that no one might suspect us, he says, nor have even the slightest ground of blame against us, as though we were pilfering from the moneys entrusted to us, on this account we sent such men, and not one only, but even two and three.

Do you see how he frees them from all suspicion? Not from the Gospel, nor from their being ordained only, but also from their being approved, and from their being ordained for this very purpose, that they might not be suspected.

And he did not say, Lest you should blame us, but, Lest any other man should.

And yet it was for their sakes that he did this, and he hinted at it when he said, Unto the glory of the Lord Himself and to your ready willingness;

yet nevertheless he does not wish to wound them, but puts it otherwise, saying, Avoiding to do this;

and not even with this is he content, but by the addition he again soothes them, saying, In this abundance which is being ministered by us.

and setting down the burdensome matter together with praise.

For lest they be grieved, and say, 'Do you then have reason to look upon us with suspicion, and are we so wretched as ever to be suspected in these matters?'—he corrects the impression and says: the sums of money sent by you are large, and this abundance, that is, the great quantity of the money, is enough to give occasion for suspicion to the wicked, unless we had displayed our care for safety.

'For we take thought for things honourable, not only before the Lord, but also before men.'

What could equal Paul? For he did not say, 'Let whoever wishes to suspect anything of this kind perish and lament.'

'So long as my conscience does not condemn me, the suspicions of those who suspect are of no account to me.'

but the weaker they were, the more he condescended to them.

For with one who is sick one ought not to be indignant, but to help him.

And yet, from what fault are we so far removed as he was from such a suspicion? For not even if one were a demon would he have suspected that blessed man in this ministry.

But nevertheless, though so far removed from any wicked suspicion, he does and contrives everything so as to leave not even a shadow to those who might in any way whatsoever wish to suspect something evil;

and he flees not only accusation, but even blemishes and the chance censure and mere suspicion.

'And we have sent with them our brother.'

Behold, again he adds yet another, and this one too with praise and with his own vote and that of many other witnesses.

'Whom,' he says, 'we have proved in many things often to be diligent, but now much more diligent.'

Having praised him from his own achievements, he further exalts him from his love toward those Corinthians;

and what he said concerning Titus, that 'being more diligent he went forth of his own accord,' this he says also concerning this man, saying, 'but now much more diligent';

laying up beforehand for them the seeds of love toward the Corinthians.

And thereupon, since he had displayed their virtue, he also exhorts them on their behalf, saying:

'Whether on behalf of Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you.'

What does 'whether on behalf of Titus' mean? 'If anything must be said,' he says, 'on behalf of Titus, this I have to say—that he is my partner and fellow worker toward you.'

For he means either this, or, 'If you do anything on behalf of Titus, you will not be doing it for a mere ordinary man.'

And while seeming to praise this man, he exalts them, showing that they were so disposed toward him that a man's merely appearing to be his partner was enough to be a ground of honour among them.

But nevertheless he was not content with this, but added yet another thing, saying:

Not simply a fellow worker, but in the things toward you, in your progress, in your growth, in friendship, in the zeal that concerns you;

which above all was able to endear him to them.

'Whether concerning the others,' he says, 'you wish to hear something, these too have the greatest claims of commendation toward you.'

'For they themselves too,' he says, 'are our brethren and apostles of the churches';

that is, sent by the churches.

Then the greatest of all: 'the glory of Christ.'

For whatever is done unto these is referred back to Him.

'Whether therefore you wish to receive them as brethren, or as apostles of the churches, or as acting unto the glory of Christ, you have many occasions for goodwill toward them.'

'For concerning Titus I have to say that he is both my partner and a lover of you; but concerning these men, that they are brethren, that they are apostles of the churches, that they are the glory of Christ.'

Do you see that from this too it is plain that they were among those unknown to them? For otherwise he would have adorned them from these very things from which he adorned Titus—I mean, from their love toward them.

But since they were not yet acquainted, 'Receive them as brethren,' he says, 'as apostles of the churches, as acting unto the glory of Christ';

'Therefore show forth unto them, before the face of the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.'

'Now show,' he says, 'both how you love us, and how we do not boast of you idly nor at random;'

'and you will show this, if you display love toward them.'

Then he makes his word yet more awe-inspiring, saying:

'Before the face of the churches.'

'Unto the glory,' he says, 'of the churches, unto their honour.'

For if you honour these men, you honour the churches that sent them.

For the honour passes not to them alone, but also to those who sent them forth, who ordained them, and, before those, unto the glory of God.

For when we honour those who minister to Him, the praise passes unto Himself.

Unto the common good of the churches.

for great indeed is the power of the assembly, that is, of the churches.

Consider how great was the power of the assembly.

The prayer of the Church loosed Peter from his chains; it opened the mouth of Paul;

their vote, in no ordinary way, also adorns those who come to the spiritual offices.

For this reason, indeed, he who is about to ordain calls for their prayers also at that time, and they too cast their vote, and cry aloud those things which the initiated know;

for it is by no means lawful to uncover all things in the presence of the uninitiated.

There is, however, a case where the priest does not even differ from the one under his rule;

as, for instance, when we must partake of the awful mysteries;

for we are all alike counted worthy of the same things;

not as under the Old Covenant, where the priest ate some things and the one under him others, and it was not lawful for the people to partake of what the priest partook.

But to all one body is set forth, and one cup.

And in the prayers too one may see the people contributing much.

For on behalf of those vexed by evil spirits and of those in penance, prayers are made in common both by the priest and by them, and all say one prayer, a prayer full of mercy.

Again, when we have excluded from the sacred precincts those who are not able to partake of the sacred table, another prayer must be made, and we all alike lie prostrate upon the ground, and we all alike rise up.

Again, when we must receive and impart the peace, we all alike embrace one another.

Again, in the very midst of the most awful mysteries, the priest prays for the people, and the people also pray for the priest;

for the words 'And with your spirit' are nothing else than this.

The things of the thanksgiving are again common;

for neither does he give thanks alone, but also all the people.

For having first received their voice, then, when they have consented that this is done worthily and justly, he then begins the thanksgiving.

And why do you marvel if in some place the people utter words together with the priest, when indeed together with the very Cherubim and the powers above they send up in common those sacred hymns? Now all these things I have said in order that each one even of those under rule may be watchful, that we may learn that we are all one body, having among ourselves so much difference as member has to member; and that we may not cast everything upon the priests, but that we ourselves too, as of a common body, may thus have care for the whole Church.

For this both provides greater security, and secures for us a greater increase;

Hear then, in the case of the apostles, how in another place they took those under their rule as sharers in the decision.

For indeed, when they ordained the seven, they first communicated it to the people;

and when Peter ordained Matthias, he did so with all who were then present, both men and women.

For the matters here are not the arrogance of rulers, nor the servility of the ruled, but a spiritual rule, which surpasses chiefly in this—that it takes on the greater share of the labours and of the anxiety on your behalf, not in seeking greater honours.

For indeed, the Church ought to be inhabited as one house, and all ought to be disposed as one body.

As therefore there is one baptism, and one table, and one fountain, and one creation, and one Father,

why then are we divided, when so many things draw us together? Why are we torn asunder? For we are compelled once more to lament the very things over which I have often mourned;

so utterly are we broken off from one another, when we ought rather to imitate the close-knit union of a single body.

For in this way even the greater man will be able to gain something from the lesser.

For if Moses learned from his father-in-law something profitable which he himself had not perceived, much more would this come to pass within the Church.

And why in the world did the unbeliever perceive what the spiritual man did not perceive? That all who were then present might learn that Moses was a man, and that though he split the sea and clove the rock, he still had need of God's aid;

and that those wonders were not of human nature, but of the power of God.

So now, if a certain man does not speak what is profitable, let another rise up and speak.

And even if he be of lower rank, yet if he says something profitable, ratify his judgment;

and even if he be among the very meanest, do not despise him.

For none of these stands so far removed from his neighbors as the father-in-law of Moses stood from him;

yet Moses did not think it beneath him to listen, but even accepted his advice, and was persuaded, and recorded it in writing, and was not ashamed to hand these things down to history, thereby casting down the pride of the many.

Wherefore he left these things written, as it were upon a pillar, for the life of men;

for he knew that the account would be useful to many.

Let us not then overlook those who counsel what is fitting, even if one be among the subordinates, even if among the lowly; nor let us demand that whatever we ourselves propose must by all means prevail;

but rather let whatever appears profitable be ratified by all.

For many of those who are dim-sighted have perceived many things better than the keen-sighted, because of their diligence and their intense application.

Do not say: Why do you call me to give counsel, if you will not hear what I say? Such reproaches belong not to a counselor, but to a tyrant.

For the counselor has authority only to speak what is his own to say;

but if something else more advantageous appears, while he insists on doing his own way, he is no longer a counselor, but a tyrant, as I have said.

Let us not then act thus, but having freed our soul from all pride and folly, let us look not merely to how our own opinions may stand firm, but to how the profitable judgment may prevail, even if it be not brought forward by us.

For we shall gain no small profit, even if we do not ourselves hit upon what is needful, by accepting what has been shown by others; and we shall receive from God a great reward, and thus above all shall we enjoy glory as well.

For as that man who spoke what was profitable is wise,

so we, in accepting it, shall ourselves reap the praise of understanding and of a fair disposition.

Thus too households and cities, and thus the Church, when well ordered, will receive a greater increase;

thus too we, having ordered our present life in the best manner, shall attain the good things to come;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so forth.