Because they believed not the truth, God shall send them a spirit of error: because He permits them to be given over, who did not believe Him: just as if a physician were to abandon a disobedient sick man, he himself is said to have prolonged the man's illness, whereas it is wholly the man's doing, who scorned to hear him. Yet if he should again obey, he will come to health. Lest the illumination of the Gospel of the glory of Christ should shine unto them. Because they are blind, they cannot behold the sun shining clearly. Who is the image of God. Either the express image of the substance, or because He is without sin. For we preach not ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ. For he who seeks his own advantages preaches not Christ but himself: like those who serve their own belly. And ourselves your servants through Jesus.
Because we serve your advantages, after the example of Him who took the form of a servant: not for the sake of avarice, nor of glory. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Against all the enemies of the Old Testament. Who has shined in our hearts. First through Christ, that through us He might enlighten others. Unto the illumination of the knowledge of the brightness of God. That is, the manifestation. In the face of Christ Jesus. In the person of Christ. But note this also, that here he has indicated the Trinity. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness is understood to be the Holy Spirit; and in the illumination of the knowledge of the brightness of God, acknowledge the Father; in the face of Jesus Christ, he has designated the Son.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the sublimity may be of the power of God, and not of us. The treasure of spiritual grace, by which we work signs, we carry in a frail body, in which also frequently, while we heal others, we ourselves are weak, so that what we do may be understood to be not of our own power or our own merits, but of the sublimity of God. In all things we suffer tribulation. The tribulation of persecutions or of labours. But we are not distressed. By slaughters or reproaches. We are perplexed, but not left destitute: we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken. Through the consolation of hope we are not left destitute. We are cast down, but we perish not. We come even to despair of life, but we die not: and even if we die, we perish not.
Always bearing about in our body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. The dying of tribulations, as elsewhere: I die daily, by reason of your glory: for if we die together, we shall also live together. But those who do not die together shall not live together. For we who live are always delivered unto death. We who are in the body. For Jesus' sake: that the life also of Jesus. If we suffer for His body that which He suffered for us, our mortal flesh shall receive also the life of Jesus, that is, incorruptibility, so that it may become immortal. Made manifest in our mortal flesh. Because it has not yet appeared what we shall be, or that His power may become known through us. Therefore. Is it then?
Death works in us, but life in you? He rebukes them because they had believed the false apostles, who said that Paul was subjected to persecutions for this reason, that he was of lesser faith, whereas they themselves could not be afflicted through their faith. He shows therefore, on the contrary, that he suffers these things not through unbelief but through faith: but that they have no cause of hatred, through flattery and sloth, as he says to the Galatians: That they may not suffer the persecution of the cross of Christ, therefore they compel you to be circumcised. But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written. Which David and the rest of the patriarchs or prophets had:
because by the same faith by which we live, they lived one and the same faith, believing that the incarnation, passion, and resurrection of Christ would be, which we believe to have been accomplished, down to John the Baptist himself. I believed, for which cause I have spoken: and we also believe, for which cause we also speak. By this testimony he proves that he believes. For if that man spoke because he believed (for no one of sound mind affirms to others what he himself does not believe), therefore we also who speak, he says, believe; who are also afflicted for this cause, because they believed it would come to pass, and we believe it has been accomplished. Knowing that He who raised up Jesus. Most firmly holding: this is the perfect faith, from which we are not torn away even by death. Shall also raise us up with Jesus and set us with you.
Likewise He shall raise us up, if we die for Him. For all things are for your sakes. We suffer all things for this reason, because we perfectly care for your salvation. But they, on account of their negligence, suffer nothing of the kind. That the abounding grace, through the thanksgiving of many, may abound to the glory of God. That through the multitude of believers, on account of the abundant grace, thanksgiving also may abound to the glory of God. For which cause. Therefore we faint not. We do not fail. In tribulations and reproaches. They did not fail in tribulations. But we, if we are not praised, fail. But though our outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Although the body is corrupted by tribulations and sufferings;
yet the soul, by the hope of things to come, is daily strengthened to endure all things. For that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation. However great the present pain, and however long it endures, in comparison with the immense and eternal glory it is both easy and brief, as he says elsewhere: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us. Beyond measure in sublimity. Because there can be no comparison. Works in us an eternal weight of glory. Because he had called that light, therefore here he set down 'weight,' keeping the metaphor of the balance. While we consider not the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal:
but the things which are not seen are eternal. Considering neither the good things that are seen, nor the evil: because neither of them is eternal. CHAPTER V. For we know that. As though someone should say: If in this life I suffer these things, when shall I receive those things, I who am dying? Therefore he begins to show the glory of the resurrection. If our earthly house. That is, the body, which was made of earth, and in which we dwell in this world. Of this habitation be dissolved. If before the coming of the Lord it be dissolved, whether by sufferings or by the condition of nature. That we have a building. That very incorruption. And from God. Because immortal. A house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Because this bodily thing is said to be made as though by a bodily hand:
this same thing therefore, spiritual, shall be made through the Spirit. For in this also we groan, longing for our habitation which is from heaven. We groan, for which we labour, because no one labours without groaning: just as childbirth is put for pain. Desiring to be clothed upon. We are therefore already clothed with something, that we may be clothed upon. If so be that being clothed we be not found naked. If so be that, stripped of the body, we be not found naked of good works. For we also who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened, in that we would not be unclothed but clothed upon. For even those who shall be found alive at the coming of the Lord, they groan and labour, that they be not stripped by the fire together with sinners: but that with the just they may deserve to be clothed upon with immortality. That it may be swallowed up.
That which is swallowed up does not appear, although it exists: just as iron, if it be cast into fire, and, the material remaining, becomes wholly fire: because the iron itself has taken on the splendour and heat of the fire. That which is mortal. As though touching the body. By life. Eternal life. Now He who works us for this very thing is God. He says that God does this, lest it should seem incredible to anyone. Who has given us the pledge of the Spirit. Who has already given us the Spirit as a pledge, that we may know that He does not suffer the temple of His Spirit to perish, and that you may believe what we speak to be His. There follows: Being therefore always confident, and knowing that while we are in the body. Therefore we dare to hope. We are absent from the Lord. We are pilgrims, because we are not yet in the paternal inheritance;
therefore, as pilgrims, we ought not greatly to care for the things of this world, but, content with necessities, let us have all our desire and zeal for how we may be able to reach the fatherland. For we walk by faith and not by sight. By faith we still hope, we do not yet possess by sight. But we are confident, and have a good will. We choose this altogether boldly, as elsewhere: Having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is far better. Rather to be pilgrims from the body. Well to be pilgrims: because we are again to return to Him. And to be present with the Lord. He is everywhere present: but we are then in a certain manner more present to Him, when we shall have been separated by the frailty of the flesh.
And therefore we make it our aim, whether absent or present, to please Him. We now strive to be in present act such as we shall be in the kingdom, incorruptible in substance, and without doubt also perfect. For we must all be made manifest before the tribunal of Christ. By the greatness of the power of the Judge, the greatness of the tribunal and of the judgment is to be estimated: for the greater the power of the judge, the greater the terror of the judgment must necessarily be. That every one may render. Receive back. The proper things of the body, according as he has done. What is 'according to those things which he has done through the body,' except according to those things which he has done in the time when he was in the body? Because he treats of the resurrection, he wishes to show that in all things the soul wrought through the body, so long as it lived in the body.
For the soul sins without the body, but the body cannot without the soul. Whether it be good or evil. Depart from me, you cursed; come, you blessed of my Father. It is to be noted that the punishment of evil is called evil. Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God. Knowing how great is the dread of the judgment of God, we persuade men that they may beware of falling into it. But to God we are made manifest, in case we should do otherwise than we teach. And I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. Although you have been ill-informed about us, yet I think that your conscience does not admit of suspecting us otherwise than it knows, nor can it lend more faith to others than to itself. We commend not ourselves again to you.
Because above he had said that he did not need letters of commendation. But we give you occasion to glory on our behalf. Against the false apostles, who at first wished to sow hatred of him among them by detraction, that faith might more easily be given to themselves. That you may have to answer them. What you may reply. Who glory in appearance and not in heart. Who, while they glory to the face about their own righteousness and our infirmity, are refuted by the testimony of their own heart, or else in the carnal works of the Law. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for you. Some say: whether we are wise above man, that is, in an ecstasy, it is to God; because what we speak is more than human: or whether we speak from our own understanding, it is for you.
A teacher is said to be beside himself when he speaks other and spiritual things: as blessed John: In the beginning was the Word, and so forth. He spoke soberly when he humbled himself, saying: The Word was made flesh; which the angels also signified in the ladder which Jacob saw, ascending and descending, that is, the teachers, as blessed Paul himself ascended when he said: We speak wisdom among the perfect, and: I could not speak to you as unto spiritual ones. He descended when he said: For I judged not myself to know anything among you, save Christ Jesus, and Him crucified. For the charity of Christ presses us.
It is necessary that we repay some part in return to His charity, so that we may suffer for His body, who deigned to die for our death. Judging this. Reconsidering, or supposing. That if one died for all, then all were dead. And Christ died for all. He alone was found who, as an immaculate victim, might die for all, for those who were dead in sins. That they also who live. We owe our life to Him who restored it in us by His death. May now no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them. If anyone does his own will and not God's, he lives to himself; whence the Lord: If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and so forth. And rose again.
He always joins the resurrection to the death, on account of calumny. Wherefore henceforth we know no man according to the flesh. Because they were setting the examples of the ancients before the Corinthians, we know no one as circumcised carnally, and observing the sabbath carnally, we follow the example of no man of old. And if we have known Christ according to the flesh. Even if Christ Himself was circumcised carnally, and celebrated all things with the Jews. But after His resurrection there is the New Testament. But now we know Him so no more. We no longer know Christ as one who is to suffer further, we who understand Him after the resurrection to be spiritually wholly God. If then there be any new creature in Christ, the old things are passed away.
If anyone is new, a new creature in Christ, let him understand that all the old things have been set apart in their own time, and that he must now live in a new manner. Behold, they are made. According to Isaiah. All things new. Because even the precepts are renewed, while they are fulfilled through the grace of Christ. And all things are of God. Both the new and the old have been effected by one God according to the diversity of times. Who has reconciled us. Because through sins we had been turned away from Him. To Himself through Christ. Through the blood and the example of Christ: because He both redeemed and taught. And has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. That we too may reconcile others. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.
Christ was not only man, but also God, that is, God-man; according to presence He is everywhere, but not according to effect; whereas in Christ the whole fulness of the Godhead dwells. Not imputing to them their trespasses. That is, pardoning through faith alone, which is freely given. And has placed in us the word of reconciliation. The preaching, so that on Christ's behalf we may reconcile men to God. We are ambassadors therefore for Christ. In whose stead we are legates of God. As though God did exhort by us. We do not speak of ourselves, but God speaks through us. We beseech you. That is, as though Christ Himself besought you. What, to be reconciled to God? because we were enemies: for no one is reconciled except from enmities.
But it is not nature that made us enemies, but sins: whence we are enemies of Him, and thence servants of sin. But how are we reconciled, unless that which separates between us and Him be dissolved, that is, sin? And therefore the Lord Christ is the mediator, who was made a sacrifice, offering Himself for sin. Be reconciled to God for Christ. That is, in Christ's stead we ask that you be converted and believe. Him who knew no sin. God the Father, namely the Son. He made to be sin for us. That is, He made Him a sacrifice for sin, sin for us. The victim offered for sin was called 'sin' in the Law, though it sinned in nothing, as it is written: And he shall lay his hands upon the head of his sin-offering.
By whose blood that blood which was poured out for us was prefigured. So also Christ, offered for our sins, received the name of sin. That we might be made the righteousness of God. Not our own. In Him. Not in ourselves. CHAPTER VI. And helping we exhort you. By the word of God. That you receive not the grace of God in vain. He receives the grace of God in vain who does not labour with the grace of God, nor add his own zeal, so that he may be able, with God as helper, to fulfil God's precepts: who is not new in the New Testament, and does not pursue the new life, to whom the grace of God profits nothing. For to the Galatians the same man says: I do not cast away the grace of God. For He says. God, through the prophet Isaiah. In an accepted time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.
For me the time accepted for being heard, and the day of salvation, is in this life, as the Saviour says: Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you. Behold, now is the acceptable time. As elsewhere: Therefore while we have time, let us do good. Now this life is called 'day,' because it is fit for working, and is closed by the night of judgment, in which no one shall be able to work. This life is also called 'summer,' in comparison with which the ants are said to expect the winter that is to come. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Here alone, by God's gift, can we find salvation. Giving no offence to any, that our ministry be not blamed. Let no one be offended by our example, lest the fault be thought to be not so much ours as the ministry's. But in all things.
Not in some things. Let us show ourselves. Hence it is shown that we, being restored through the grace of God, are able, with God's help, to present ourselves as ministers to God in the virtues here described. As the ministers of God. The ministers of God ought to imitate God in all things, and to be recognized by their life and conduct as true worshippers of God, just as He suffers Himself to be blasphemed by all, and in the present life does not deny His benefits even to the ungrateful. In much patience. Not in a little. Now he describes the members of patience. In tribulations. Every injury is a tribulation. In necessities. Let us bear everything that is necessary as it is necessary. In distresses. Distress is every want. In stripes, in imprisonments, in seditions. By the rulers of the places.
In labours, in watchings. In the labours of journeys, or of works, which ought to be more of the mind than of the body. For watchings of honesty mortify the flesh. In fastings. It is to be noted that fastings are numbered among the virtues. In chastity. That is true chastity which is preserved both in heart and in body. In knowledge. Knowledge is a species of virtue, if by it one is instructed and not puffed up. In long-suffering. True long-suffering is a lasting endurance. In sweetness. And sweetness is this, if we generate bitterness for no one by our words, and fulfil that of the same Apostle: Let all bitterness, and clamour, and blasphemy be taken away from you, with all malice; and let it be said of you: His throat is of sweetness, and He is altogether desirable.
In the Holy Spirit. That is, we can present ourselves by His gift, if we prepare ourselves worthy of His house, and do not violate His temple, which He commanded in baptism. In charity unfeigned. Charity is indeed unfeigned, if we do to others all that we wish to be done to us, as blessed John says: Let us not love in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth. In this too charity is unfeigned, if with a kindly disposition we correct the offences and faults in our brethren. In the word of truth. The word of truth is the word of Christ, which is brought forth from the Scriptures, if only it be fittingly brought forth: and it is to be feared lest perchance we make a lie out of the truth, or that word: Do not lie one to another. In the power of God through the arms of righteousness.
In the power of Christ through the arms of righteousness we fight against the devil: or in the power of God, who through the arms of the Law overcame the devil. On the right hand and on the left. Let us neither be lifted up by prosperity, nor broken by adversity. Through glory and dishonour. The glory of virtues, the dishonour of prisons. Through evil report and good report. Let us bear all these equally through patience, and let neither those who praise exalt us, nor those who detract cast us down: because it is necessary that both sometimes lie. But we, looking to our conscience, ought not to lend more faith to others concerning ourselves than to ourselves. As deceivers, and yet true. He has explained 'evil report and good report,' because by some they were called deceivers, by others not only true, but even called gods.
It is no wonder, then, if the apostles were called deceivers, since the Jews spoke thus even of the Lord himself. 'As unknown' — that is, to unbelievers. 'And yet known' — to those who believe. 'As dying, and behold we live' — that is, coming even to the point of despair of life: as when Paul, having been stoned, was thought to be dead, yet he rose up and taught in Lystra. And at the same time it is to be noted that adversities and temporal things are held, as it were, like something one recounts from a dream: 'I seemed to myself as though I were there'; for eternal rewards have no 'as though.' 'As chastised, but not put to death' — 'The Lord chastising has chastised me, but has not handed me over to death.' 'As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing' — sorrowful and grave in the face, yet in heart rejoicing even in tribulation, in hope.
'As poor, yet enriching many.' In the very thing wherein we are needy for ourselves, we make others abound, while alms are given through us: or, being needy of earthly goods, we make others rich, as it were in exchange for the everlasting reward. 'As having nothing, and possessing all things.' As Solomon says: 'To him who is faithful, the whole world is a treasure of riches, save that all things are the Lord's': no one has more than he who lacks nothing. He lacks nothing who seeks nothing beyond what is necessary. 'Our mouth is open to you.' We are so stirred by your progress that we cannot keep silent: for a disciple's progress opens the mouth, and enlarges and magnifies the heart, 'O Corinthians, our heart.' As it is written:
'Because God gave to Solomon largeness of heart' — and may he grant it to you also. 'It is enlarged' — in understanding and in teaching. 'You are not straitened in us' — with us there is no narrowness of speech. 'But you are straitened in your own bowels' — the cause of the narrowness proceeds from yourselves. 'But having the same recompense' — you have the same recompense, if you have had the same helper, God, and the same course; or surely, if, as far as we teach, you grasp it by God's inspiration. 'I speak as to sons: be you also enlarged.' As sons, following my example, by imploring God's grace, be enlarged in understanding, that you may receive greater things by his gift. Or he teaches priests to enlarge others by their example, that is, to advance in the breadth of charity. 'Do not bear the yoke together with unbelievers.'
Do not join yourselves to them, or make yourselves equal to them; for those who are yoked together draw as equals. 'For what fellowship has justice with iniquity?' He shows that no one can be at once just and unjust, setting forth contrary examples. 'Or what communion has light with darkness?' None: just as light has none with darkness. 'And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has the faithful with the unbeliever?' They cannot agree with one another. By 'Belial' he means the devil, or the Antichrist. 'And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?' By 'idols' he means those very men who worship idols. 'For you are the temple of the living God, as God says.' But they are the temple of dead idols, which demons possess.
Although God is everywhere, yet he dwells in those who perceive his benefit and believe that whatever they are is his gift. 'For I will dwell in them.' By this testimony he proves this very thing, that we are God's temple, teaching that we ought, with his own help, to provide him a clean lodging in our heart. 'And I will walk among them.' I will take hold of, or pass through, all their perceptions. 'And I will be their God.' God is by nature the God of all, but by will the God of few: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 'And they shall be my people.' Those who serve willingly, not unwillingly: that is, by faith and obedience, not merely by nature. 'Wherefore go out from the midst of them, and be separated, says the Lord.' In deed and manner of life, or in intimacy, not in place.
'And the unclean.' Everyone who sins is unclean: for every unrighteous man is unclean before God. 'Do not touch.' Do not touch by joining, or by fellowship, or by consent, or by imitation of unrighteous deeds. 'And I will receive you.' If they cast you out. 'And I will be to you a father, and you shall be to me sons and daughters.' By saying: If your unbelieving parents disown you, you shall have me as an everlasting Father. 'Says the Lord almighty.' He added 'almighty,' lest you say, How can men become sons of God? CHAPTER VII. 'Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves.' Having such and so great promises, with what zeal must the house be cleansed that is to receive such a Guest! and how ought the sons of God to imitate their Father in all things?
'From all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification.' The defilement of the flesh is what is committed through the flesh; but of the spirit, what is sinned by thought alone. Then, therefore, do we perfect sanctification, if we keep both clean. 'In the fear of God.' Not in the praise or fear of men. 'Receive us: we have injured no one.' Receive what we say, or receive our example to be imitated in all these things: or, consider us. 'We have corrupted no one: we have defrauded no one' — by evil teaching. 'I do not say this to your condemnation: for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.' Not by excusing myself do I condemn you, as though you were such:
for I cannot think so of you, whom I love so much, as I said above; or, your love makes me have such great confidence. 'I have much confidence toward you.' You have given me much boldness in speaking, because in all things you obeyed; or because I am well aware that I am much loved by you. 'I have much glorying on your behalf.' Among all the churches I glory in your amendment. 'I am filled with consolation.' After the sorrow which I had for you; or, the word of consolation abounds to me, your progress calling it forth. 'I overflow with joy in all our tribulation: for even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest.' So great is my joy that I forget all my afflictions.
He shows how great an affliction the greatness of his joy overcame. 'But we suffered every tribulation.' There is no kind of tribulation we have not experienced. 'Fightings without.' Fights against unbelievers: and fear from false brethren; or, we greatly feared lest believers should suffer scandal. 'Fears within.' Lest you should be provoked to bitterness. 'But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us.' The downcast. 'By the coming of Titus.' Not only by his coming, but also by the solace. Not only because he came as one longed for, but also because he announced those things on account of which we were awaiting his coming. 'Wherewith he was comforted in you, reporting to us your longing.' He was comforted after the grief which he had with you on your behalf.