哥林多後書講道集 第 8 章

'Therefore, having this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of shame.'

Since he had uttered great things, and had set himself before Moses, and before all the faithful, being aware of the excess and the greatness of what had been said, observe how he again moderates himself.

For it was necessary both to exalt himself because of the false apostles and the hearers, and again to soothe the swelling—not to pull it down, since that would have been the part of one making sport.

Wherefore he manages it in another way, by showing that it was not from his own achievements,

that it had come about, but from the lovingkindness of God the whole was;

wherefore also he says, 'Therefore, having this ministry.'

'For we brought in nothing more,' he says, 'but only became ministers, and served the things given by God.'

Wherefore he did not say 'supplying' nor 'furnishing,' but 'ministry'; and not even with this was he content, but he added, 'even as we obtained mercy.'

'For this very thing,' he says, 'the ministering to these people, came of mercy and lovingkindness.'

And yet it belongs to mercy to deliver from evils, not also to give so many good things;

but the mercy of God has this also.

And this too must be reckoned to His lovingkindness.

For the phrase 'even as we obtained mercy,' consider it to be spoken both concerning the ministry and concerning the 'we faint not.'

And observe how earnestly he strives to pull down the things that concern himself.

For, he says, that one who has been deemed worthy of such things, and things so great, and these from mercy alone and lovingkindness, should display such labors, and face dangers and endure trials, is nothing great.

For this reason we not only do not fall down, but even rejoice, and speak with boldness.

Having said, then, 'we faint not,' he added:

'but have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully.'

And what is 'the hidden things of shame'? 'We do not proclaim,' he says, 'and promise great things, and then show other things in our deeds, as those men do;'

wherefore he also said, 'Look at the things that are before your face';

'but we are such as we are seen to be, not having any duplicity, nor saying and doing such things as we must hide and cover over, being ashamed and blushing.'

And explaining this, he added, 'not walking in craftiness.'

For that which those men supposed to be a boast, this he declares to be shameful and ridiculous.

And what is 'in craftiness'? Those men had a reputation for not receiving, but they did receive and concealed it;

they had the reputation of being holy and approved apostles, but were teeming with countless evils.

'But we,' he says, 'have renounced these things' (for these he calls the hidden things of shame), 'being such as we appear to be, and having nothing concealed'; and not in this manner of life only, but also in the very preaching itself.

For this is what he means: 'Not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth.'

Not by outward show and display, but by the very demonstration of the deeds themselves.

'Commending ourselves to every man's conscience.'

For not to the believers only, but also to the unbelievers we are made fully manifest, lying open to all for the scrutiny of our affairs, however they may wish.

And from this we commend ourselves, not from playing a part and carrying about a bright mask.

We say, then, that we take nothing, and we call you as witnesses;

we say that we are conscious of no evil in ourselves, and again we draw the testimony of this from you—not, like those men, who by casting a shadow over their own affairs deceive many.

But we set our very life before all in the midst, and lay bare our preaching, so that all may thoroughly learn it.

Then, since the unbelievers were ignorant of its power, he added that this is no reproach against us, but against their own insensibility.

'But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.'

That which he also said before—'to some a savor of death unto death, but to others a savor of life unto life'—this he means here also.

But what is meant by 'the god of this age'? Those who are sick with the doctrines of Marcion say that these things are spoken concerning the Creator, who is only just and not good;

for they say that there is a certain god who is just, and not good.

But the Manichaeans say that the devil is here spoken of, wishing on this basis to introduce another creator of the creation besides Him who truly is—exceedingly foolishly.

For Scripture often knows how to call something 'god,' not from the dignity of the one so called, but from the weakness of those who are made subject to it;

as when it calls mammon 'lord,' and the belly 'god.'

But it is not for this reason that either the belly is a god, or mammon a lord; rather, they are so of those who bow themselves down beneath them.

But we affirm this: that it is not concerning the devil

that this is said, but concerning the God of all things;

and it is to be read thus: that 'God has blinded the minds of the unbelieving of this age.'

For the age to come has no unbelievers, but the present age alone.

But even if someone should read it otherwise—for instance, as 'the God of this age'—not even this affords any handle;

for this does not prove Him to be the God of this age only.

For He is also called the God of heaven, yet He is not the God of heaven only;

and we say 'the God of the present day,' yet in saying this we are not confining His rule to that day alone;

and He is called the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;

and yet He is not the God of them only.

And one might find many other such testimonies in the Scriptures.

How, then, did He blind them? Not by working toward this end—far be it!—but by permitting and allowing it;

for it is customary for Scripture to speak in this way;

as when it says, 'God gave them over to a reprobate mind.'

For since they themselves first disbelieved, and rendered themselves unworthy to behold the mysteries, He too thereupon let them be.

But what ought He to have done? To drag them by force, and to unveil the truth to those unwilling to see? Rather, they would only have despised it, and would not even have seen;

wherefore he added, 'That the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should not dawn upon them';

not so as to disbelieve God, but so that unbelief might not see what the inner things are;

which He also enjoined upon us, commanding us not to cast our pearls before swine.

For if He had unveiled it even to the unbelieving, their disease would only have been the more aggravated.

For if one should compel a person suffering from ophthalmia to look toward the rays of the sun, he only intensifies his infirmity.

For this reason the sons of physicians also shut such patients up in darkness, so as not to aggravate the malady.

So then, here too we must understand that these men became unbelievers through their own fault;

and having become unbelievers, they no longer saw the ineffable things of the gospel, God thereafter shutting off the rays from them.

Which He also said to the disciples: 'For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear.'

But that what I say may become clearer also by an example: suppose someone to be a Greek, accounting our things to be fables;

how, then, would this man be more benefited—by entering and beholding the mysteries, or by remaining outside? For this reason he says:

'That the light should not dawn upon them,' while he still abides in the story of Moses.

For what happened toward the Jews in his case, this happens with all the unbelievers in regard to the gospel.

And what is that which is shadowed over, and which is not made light to them? Hear him as he says:

'That the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.'

That is: that the cross is the salvation of the world and His glory; that this very One who was crucified is about to come with great splendor; and all the other things, both present and to come, both seen and unseen—the ineffable splendor of the things that are awaited.

Therefore he also said 'dawn,' that you should not seek the whole here;

for that which is given is, as it were, only a certain dawning of the Spirit.

This indeed he also showed above, when he spoke of a 'savor,' and again of a 'pledge,' indicating that the greater part remains yonder.

But nevertheless all these things are hidden from them;

and they are hidden because they disbelieved first.

Then, showing that those who have not seen this glory are ignorant not only of the glory of Christ but also of that of the Father, he added, 'Who is the image of God.'

For do not stand at Christ alone.

For just as through Him you see the Father;

so, being ignorant of His glory, you will not know that of the Father either.

'For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.'

And what is this sequence? What has this in common with the things spoken of? Either he is hinting at those men, as exalting themselves and persuading the disciples to name themselves after them—which is what he said in the former epistle: 'I am of Paul, and I of Apollos';

and what sort of thing is this? Since they were warring against them exceedingly and plotting against them on every side, 'Do you then,' he says, 'fight and war against us? Or against Him who is preached through us? For we preach not ourselves;'

'I am a slave, I am a minister,'

'and a minister of those who receive the preaching, transacting all things for Another, and doing whatsoever it may be for the sake of His glory.'

So that in warring against me, you cast down the things that are His.

For so far am I from claiming any of the things of the gospel for myself, that I will not even decline to be your slave for Christ's sake, since it seemed good to Him thus to honor you, since He so loved you and did all things for your sakes.

Wherefore he also says, 'And ourselves your servants for Christ's sake.'

Do you see a soul pure from vainglory? For not only, he says, do we appropriate none of the Master's things, but we even subject ourselves to you for His sake.

'Because it is God who said, Out of darkness let light shine, who has shone in your hearts.'

Do you see how again, to those who seek to behold that surpassing glory—I mean that of Moses—he shows it flashing forth with an added brightness? Just as into the face of Moses, so, he says, into your hearts it has shone.

And first he calls to mind the things that came to pass at the beginning of the creation, sensible light and sensible darkness, showing that this present work of creation is the greater one.

And where did he say, 'Light shall shine out of darkness'? In the beginning and in the first opening of the creation.

For 'there was darkness,' he says, 'upon the face of the deep.'

And God said, 'Let there be light.'

But then indeed He said, 'Let it be,' and it came to pass.

But now He did not merely speak; rather, He Himself has become light for us.

For he did not say that even now He spoke, but that He Himself shone forth.

For this reason we do not behold sensible objects when this light shines, but God Himself through Christ.

Do you see the undeviating identity of the Trinity? For concerning the Spirit he says:

'But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.'

And concerning the Son: 'that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.'

And concerning the Father: 'He who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, has shone in your hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.'

For just as, having said 'of the gospel of the glory of Christ,' he added, 'who is the image of God,' showing that they had been deprived also of that One's glory;

so also, having said 'of the knowledge of God,' he added, 'in the face of Christ,' showing that through Him we know the Father, just as also through the Spirit we are brought to Him.

'But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from us.'

For since he had said many and great things concerning the ineffable glory,

and how, enjoying so great a glory, do we remain in a mortal body? he says that this very thing is precisely what is most wonderful and the greatest proof of the power of God: that an earthen vessel was able to bear so great a splendor and to guard so great a treasure.

Which indeed he too marveled at, saying, 'That the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from us';

again hinting at those who boast in themselves.

For both the greatness of the gifts given and the weakness of those who received them display the strength; not that He bestowed great things only, but that He bestowed them upon those who were small.

For by 'earthen' he was hinting at the fragility of our mortal nature, and making plain the weakness of our flesh.

For it is disposed no better than a piece of pottery;

so easily is it injured, being readily dissolved by death, by diseases, by the inconstancies of the air, and by ten thousand other things.

And these things he said also to repress their swelling pride, and to show all men that nothing of what pertains to us is merely human.

For then above all does the power of God shine forth, when it works great things through mean instruments.

Wherefore also elsewhere he said, 'For my power is made perfect in weakness.'

And in the Old Testament, by means of gnats and flies He routed whole armies of barbarians (wherefore also He called the caterpillar His great power), and in the beginning, merely by confounding tongues, He brought down that great tower in Babylon.

And in wars, at one time He drove out countless armies by means of three hundred men, and at another

by means of trumpets He razed cities;

and after these things, by means of a small and mean child, David, He put to rout the whole battle-array of the barbarians.

So indeed here too, having sent forth twelve men only, He prevailed over the whole world—twelve men, and these driven about and warred against.

Let us then be astounded at the power of God, let us marvel, let us worship;

let us ask the Jews, let us ask the Greeks: who persuaded the whole inhabited world to forsake the customs of their fathers and to pass over to another manner of life? The fisherman, or the tentmaker? The tax-collector, or the unlettered and common man? And how could these things have any reason, unless it were a divine power that set all things right through them? And what did those men say when they persuaded? 'Be baptized in the name of Him who was crucified.'

Of what kind of one? Of Him whom they had not seen nor beheld.

But nevertheless, saying and preaching these things, they persuaded men that those who gave oracles and had been handed down to them from their forefathers are not gods, but that He who was nailed to the cross, this Christ, drew all men to Himself.

And yet that He was crucified and buried was somehow plain to all;

but that He rose again, no one save a few beheld.

Yet nevertheless they persuaded even of this those who had not seen;

and not only that He rose again, but also that He ascended into the heavens and comes to judge the living and the dead.

Whence then came the persuasiveness of these words, tell me? From nowhere else, but from the power of God.

For in the first place, the very novelty of it stood in everyone's way;

and when one introduces such novelties, the matter becomes more difficult, when he levers up the foundations of ancient custom, when he tears up laws from their very base.

Besides these things, neither did the heralds seem worthy of credence, but were of a nation hated by all, and were cowardly and unlearned.

Whence then did they prevail over the inhabited world? Whence did they cast out you and your forefathers—who thought themselves lovers of wisdom—together with your very gods? Is it not manifest that it was from having God with them? For these are not achievements of human power, but of some divine and ineffable power.

'No,' he says, 'but of sorcery.'

Then the dominion of the demons ought to have increased, and the worship of the idols to have been intensified.

How then has it been overthrown and made to vanish, and our affairs stand opposed to theirs? So that from this too it is plain that the things that came to pass were the decree of God—not from the preaching only, but also from the manner of life itself.

For when was so great a virginity planted everywhere over the earth? When was there such contempt of money, and of life, and of all other things? For the wicked and the sorcerers could accomplish no such thing, but all the contrary;

but these men introduced to us a manner of life fit for angels;

and they not only introduced it, but also brought it to accomplishment—among us, among the barbarians, in the very uttermost ends of the earth.

Whence it is plain that the power of Christ, which is everywhere, accomplished all things—the power that shines everywhere and, swifter than any lightning, illumines the minds of men.

Having then reckoned up all these things, and having received what has already come to pass as a clear proof of the promise of things to come, worship together with us the invincible might of Him who was crucified, that you may both flee the intolerable torments and attain the eternal kingdom;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and love toward mankind, and so forth.