The Great Commentary (Mossman/Cobb English)

Achaia was ready a year ago . — I boast to the Macedonians that you, O Corinthians, and the rest of Achaia, have been long ready for this almsgiving; and this zeal of yours, being proclaimed by me, has stimulated others. See, then, by your action that my boasting of you be not in vain, lest we both be put to confusion

As a matter of bounty . As a blessing (Latin version). That your beneficence may seem spontaneous and generous, not extorted from greedy persons (Anselm, Theophylact, Chrysostom). Why bounty is called a blessing is explained in the note to ver. 6. The Greek, cvAoyta, denotes both blessing and a good and fruitful contribution or almsgiving (Erasmus). In r Cor. xvi. 1, the Apostle called these contributions or collections cvAoyfai. Both meanings have place here. S. Paul is urging the Corinthians to spontaneous and cheerful (denoted by blessing), as well as to fruitful and liberal, contribution. He is engaged in describing the spirit that should animate the giver, viz., one ready and cheerful, unforced, unconstrained, unstained by covetousness or meanness

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. This is an answer to an objection : You will say to me, If I give much, I shall become poor, I shall be unable for the future to help my servants and others who are in more need (Theophylact). To this the Apostle answers: Do not be afraid of that; believe and hope in God, who is able to make all grace (or beneficence — Syriac) abound toward you, so that you shall always have a sufficiency of goods, out of which you may abound in every good work. God can and does enrich those that give alms, so that they have always means to spend, and so can abound in works of charity. God is able denotes not only the power but also the act of I CHEERFUL GIVING 127 God. The phrase is a meiosis. Similarly, a king might say to his commander-in-chief: “Go, end the war, spare no expense: I am able to bear it, and to enrich you as well.” In the Greek there is a beautiful use of the word all, which is three times repeated in the last clause of this verse, “ always having all sufficiency in all things.” Not in some particular necessity, but in all; not at one time, but always; not some sufficiency but all sufficiency will God give you, to enable you to succour others. Again, S. Paul does not here speak of abundance, says Theophylact, but sufficiency, enough for one’s self and one’s own. Perhaps he means to imply that he who is content with his lot, and has enough for himself and his family, desires no more. God alone is properly said to be self-sufficient, being One who has no need of any one, and rests wholly in Himself. An almsgiver partakes of the same character. An avaricious man, on the other hand, is never satisfied — “ the more that waters are drunk the more are they thirsted for ; ” and so it is with riches. Hence the avaricious man is always in need. But self-sufficiency, as Clement (Padag. lib. ii. c. 12) says, is a virtue which makes us contented ; or it is a habit of mind that is content with such things as are needful, and which by itself acquires those things which belong to the life of bliss. Hippias (Suidas, sub Verbo Hippias) made self-sufficency or a contented mind the end of all good. Moreover, Epicurus used to say that “ sufficiency is the richest possession ” (Clement, Strom, lib. vi.). In the same sense Cicero said ( Paradox 1) that “to live happily, contentment was virtue enough.” Socrates, too (apud Plat. Dial 3 de Legibus ), thus prays : “Let me have as much gold as a temperate man can bear.” For further notes on this subject, c£ 1 Tim. vi. 6, and Phil iv. 11

As it is written , He hath dispersed abroad (Ps. cxii. 9). In all necessities, in all places, and at all times, a merciful man, such as S. Laurence, of whom the Church sings, distributes his goods and his alms ; in the same way he who sows scatters his seed. The Apostle wishes to prove that God makes all grace to abound towards almsgivers, and gives them full sufficiency for that grace (beneficence). He proves this from the fact that the giver of alms 128 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE of his sufficiency distributes his alms, disperses them as seed on every side, not among his boon-companions or free-lovers, but among the poor. (Ecumenius says that the word “dispersed” denotes the largeness of the alms given. It also implies that these alms are not wasted or thrown away. Bis righteousness remaineth for ever. Remains in God’s memory and in its eternal reward, as in its harvest. So, too, when the husbandman scatters his seed he does not lose it, but entrusts it to the ground, that he may receive a hundred-fold in return. Almsgiving, therefore, is everlasting, and blesses the giver with everlasting glory. Hence the Psalmist also says: “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance ; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his horn” (his dignity, strength, and, as Theodoret says, his power) “shall be exalted with honour;” in other words, it shall daily increase until it be exalted in the highest in celestial glory. His righteousness or his beneficence does not perish, but remains before God to be rewarded here and hereafter. S. Chrysostom (Horn 9 de Poenit.) says: “ Heaven is to be gained by merchandise and trafficking. Give bread and you will receive paradise ; give a little and gain much ; give what is mortal and you will receive what is immortal.” Observe that in Scripture almsgiving, which is an act of mercy, is called righteousness, both because it forms a large part of righteousness in general, which embraces all virtues, as also because it is a mark of righteousness and holiness. The Saints are merciful, “but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. xii. io). A third reason is that it disposes to righteousness, and merits it, firstly, de congruo >, and secondly, de condigno , as increasing righteousness. Hence, it is to the merciful alone that Christ gives the crown of righteousness (S. Matt. xxv. 35). Hence, too, those that are hardened in evil must be exhorted as a last remedy to give alms, as Daniel did Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. iv. 24)

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower. This again is an answer to an objection which might be urged from the Psalm quoted. It might be said: You prove clearly enough, Paul, that god's husbandmen 129 alms remain in their heavenly reward, but I do not yet see how you prove from that that we ought not to impoverish ourselves. You have, therefore, given no answer to my first objection that if, I give alms liberally I shall make myself poor, and be unable for the future to give help to others. S. Paul’s answer to this is, that the contrary is implied in the verse of the Psalm he has just quoted. As a master who supplies his husbandman with seed to sow his field, provides him also with bread to eat, and multiplies his seed, that is the grain sown, at harvest times, so that for one bushel he receives three, which he can sow again, and receives still more at the next harvest, and so on from year to year — so much more shall God, who gives to almsgivers goods to disperse to the poor, give them bread and all other necessaries of life ; nay, more, He shall multiply their seed or goods to sow again and disperse to the poor. For God is our Master ; we are His husbandmen : His field is the poor, and aims are the seed. God, then, wishes us as His husbandmen, to scatter His seed (alms) over His field (the poor). Much more, if we do that, will He give us nourishment and a harvest of goods to sow again. Let rich men remember that their riches are given them as seed to disperse to the poor, not to store up in their coffers or to be spent on costly clothing or luxurious living. “It is,” says Cicero, “a work of liberality to sow seeds of kindness, so as to be able to reap a harvest from them.” Gregory of Tours (Hist. Gallic, lib. v. c. 38) highly praises the Christian Emperor Tiberius for his almsgiving, and says that he uttered the following words, worthy of an emperor : “ There will he no deficiency in our treasury so long as the poor receive alms , and captives are redeemed. For if we do these things , great will be our treasure , according to the words of the Lord * Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven .’ Let us then lay up in store in heaven by the hands of the poor from what God has given us f that the Lord may vouchsafe to increase our goods on earth.” No wonder that God increased his wealth. He saw one day a cross engraved on the pavement, and when, out of veneration for it, he ordered the stone to be taken up, he found under it a vast treasure, containing more than 100,000 pieces of gold. Then, VOL. 11. 1 130 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE when, according to his wont, he distributed of it largely to the poor, God gave him another treasure already amassed for him by Narsetes, Duke of Italy. This was found in a cistern, in which, when they opened it, they found so much gold and silver that it took several days to carry it away. Cf. Baronius (Annals, a.d. 582). Both minister . The Latin version with the Syriac gives the future, shall minister, instead of the optative. Theophylact, Erasmus, and Vatablus read the optative. The future is better, because, as I said, Paul is endeavouring to banish from their minds all fear of poverty. But this is not to be done by wishing, but by making assertions and promising bread, seed, and fruits. Multiply your seed sown. Your temporal goods. S. Basil (Horn, 13 de Eleemos!) says : 44 As seed cast into the ground brings forth fruit an hundredfold so do alms given to the poor . If you have then but one loaf, and it be asked for at the door, take it and lift up your hands to heaven and say, * Of my little I give to my brother, and do Thou, O Lord, supply my want.' Then doubt not that the bread given out of your poverty will abundantly minister you seed for sowing ” And again, commenting on S. Luke xiL 18, he says: 44 As wells that are continuously drawn from send forth a sweeter and more copious supply of water, while if neglected and undisturbed they soon grow foul, so are riches when stored up useless, but when transferred to the poor they bring forth fruit I Clement of Alexandria (Pcedag. lib. iil c. 7) uses this same simile of a well, and adds another. He says : 44 As milk commonly flows into those breasts that are sucked, so does wealth flow to those who spend it." S. Cyprian says the same (Tract, de Opcre et Eleemos.), and adds that the best inheritance that parents can leave their children is alms given, and the more children there are the more liberal should the almsgiving be. He proves this by the example of the widow of Sarepta (1 Kings xvii.) and from Tob. iv. 7. Cf. Prov. xxviil 27, and Ps. xxxviL 26. Very many remarkable examples are given by Leontius, in his 44 Life of John the Almoner,” who, like the Emperor Titus, bewailed that he had lost a day because he had given no alms. 44 Even if the world,” he said, 44 were to come into Alexandria, it would not narrow my THE FRUITFULNESS OF ALMSGIVING 1 31 liberality and wealth.” This he learnt from a vision he saw of a certain virgin named Mercy, who, standing before God, seemed to obtain from Him all that she asked for. Hence this holy man John, when he had nothing to spend, would frequently, in his love of almsgiving, change miraculously tin or honey into gold. The more he gave the more was brought to him to spend ; and so he seemed to strive with God and God with him which should be the most bountiful. When he at length died, he had half a piece of money left, and he ordered this to be given to his brethren and masters, the poor, that all he had might be restored to Christ. Sophronius, in his Pratum Spiritual a work mentioned with approval by the Second Council of Nice {Gen. Act. iv. c. 185), narrates that a wife gave to her husband, who wished to increase his wealth, the advice to sell what he had and give it to the poor, and he would find that he would receive it again with interest He did so, and distributed his whole estate to the poor, and for fifty he received three hundred. Sophronius has a still more beautiful example (c. 195) in the philosopher Evagrius, who, having heard in church that almsgiving was rewarded a hundredfold in heaven, gave £60 to the Bishop, Synesius, to be distributed among the poor, and received from him a written promise that for each he should receive a hundred in heaven. When he was dying, he ordered his sons to place this writing in his hand when he was buried. This having been done, Evagrius, on the third day after death, appeared to the Bishop in a dream, and said ; “ Go to my tomb and take back your handwriting, for I have received a hundredfold what I gave, according to Christ’s promise and yours.” In the morning the Bishop went with his clergy to the tomb, and took from the hand of Evagrius a letter, of which this was the tenor : “ Evagrius the philosopher to his Bishop. I am unwilling for you, my father, to be ignorant that I have received according to your promise the money that I gave you in my lifetime, and received for it a hundredfold ; therefore you are not bound to me by any debt” Similar examples are found in the life of S. Liduina and 132 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE other Saints. Hence Chrysostom says that “alms have the name of seed, because they are not so much expended as returned.” S. Deusdedit well understood this, for, as the Roman Martyrology records (Aug. ioth), although he was a poor man yet he gave to the poor every Saturday all that he had earned during the week, looking only to obtain the heavenly reward. “ If you have any care for your children, leave them a written deed in which you have God as your debtor,” says S. Chrysostom, referring to money left for the poor by will. A famous example of this occurs in Sophronius (c. 201), in the case of a nobleman of Constantinople, who, when dying, left all his goods to the poor and his son to the care of Christ. Nor was he disappointed of his hope ; for Christ gave his son a wife, who was at once noble, rich, and pious. S. Chrysostom wrote at the head of his Thirty-third Homily to the people, “ that almsgiving is the most profitable of all occupations.” Cf. Prov. xix. 17. And increase the fruits of your righteousness God will increase the outgoings of your righteousness and charity, i.e. } He will give an increase of grace here and of glory hereafter (Theophylact). “ By fruits ,” says Anselm, “he means God’s eternal reward.” The Apostle seems here to speak of three fruits of almsgiving: (1.) when he says, “Shall minister seed to the sower;” (2.) when he says, “And multiply* your seed sown (3.) when he says, “And increase the fruits of your righteousness.” In this sense S. Anselm, as related by Edinerus in his Life, when he entered Canterbury on a visit to Archbishop Lanfranc and was honourably and lovingly received by the citizens, said, when he was explaining to them the glory and merit of charity, that “ those who do works of charity have something greater than those who are the recipients of charity. For the one receives a temporal benefit only , but the other spiritual ; and they look besides for eternal thanks from God 1 ” Christ said the same thing in His paradox on the rich of this world : “ It is more blessed to give than to receive ” (Acts xx. 35). Anselm again understands this passage to refer simply to the fruits of temporal goods. God will make your fruits and riches to increase, FRUITFULNESS OF ALMSGIVING 133 that you may have ever more and more to give in alms, and He will increase the fruits of your righteousness. In other words, He will give much more abundant increase to those fruits of yours which your righteousness gains for you ; for it is only just that, since God gives to man all that he has, man should from it give to him who is in need. If we do this, our fruits will be increased by God. Hence almsgiving is rightly called seed because he who sows once will reap twice, once in earth and once in heaven. This is Anselm’s comment, and he seems to be right; for the Apostle is explaining the words, “shall multiply your seed,” and is impressing on the Corinthians that alms do not impoverish but enrich the giver, that so he may remove from their minds and from the minds of all Christians all fear of poverty, which so frequently deters men from almsgiving, and which is given as an objection so often to the admonitions of those who urge the duty. Nevertheless, it is simpler to understand fruits of your righteousness of the wealth which God gives to the beneficent as a harvest for what they have sown. The increase of these fruits is nothing else but the harvest that follows on the seed. Since, therefore, it is evident that when the Apostle said, “shall multiply your seed sown,” he meant by seed the money spent on the poor, it is also evident that here he means the same thing. As is the seed, so is the harvest. The one is correlative with the other, as are merit and reward. This, then, seems to be the drift of the Apostle’s words. Lastly, we should observe that he alludes to the fields and estates of the rich. Beneficence, he says, is like a field, or a very fertile farm, which brings forth to the almsgiver plentiful and never-failing fruits from the seed of his alms (1.) It gives bread or food. (2.) It multiplies his seed, or money to be dispersed again among the poor. (3.) It also increases his fruits, and enriches his family. These three things a temporal lord gives to his husbandman if he is faithful and diligent ; much more will God do the same. Ver. ii . — To all bountifulness . Or simplicity, or liberality. This simplicity or liberality of yours brings it to pass that I and all my 134 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE companions, nay, all Christians amongst whom I speak of it, give thanks to God for having instilled into you such feelings of piety and mercy

For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints. *H Suucovia tt}? XtiTovpyias, literally, “ the ministry of this liturgy.” In this collection of alms there is, as it were, a liturgy, a mystic sacrifice of the Mass, in which the Corinthians, as offering the victim of alms, are the priests ; the poor make the altar ; the sacrifice is the alms. Paul may be the deacon, the minister exhorting, collecting, and distributing the alms, through whom the poor who receive and the rich who give, seeing and rejoicing at the grace of Christ, are stirred up to give thanks unto the Lord. S. Cyprian says ( Tract . de Opere et Eleemos.): “Since thanksgiving is directed to God in the prayers of the poor for our alms and good deeds , the total is increased by the reward given by God, who works in us? S. Chrysostom {Horn. 20) says : “ When you see a poor man , think that you see the body of Christ, the altar of Christ, and do reverence, and offer the sacrifice of alms, that from it there may ascend, like incense, to God glory and thanksgiving? Thus almsgiving is an Eucharist or thanksgiving, and an Eucharistic sacrifice, not properly, but metaphorically speaking. So, too, in Rom. xv. 16, the preaching of the Gospel and the conversion of the Gentiles are called a sacrifice. Nazianzen says beautifully ( Orat . de Cura Paup.) : “ Out of all things none so honours God as mercy ; for nothing is so peculiar to God as this is, before whose Face go mercy and truth. . . . Nothing is so Divine in a man as to do good. Learn, then, to open your heart to the needy . If you have nothing else to give, give your tears readily. Pity is a great solace to the afflicted ?

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. For the gift of your charity and almsgiving, from which flow so many good things and so many praises of God, that it may be well called unspeakable. CHAPTER X Against the false apostles , who disgraced the weakness of his person and bodily presence , he setteth out the spiritual might aud authority , with which he is armed against all adversary powers , 7 assuring them that at his coming he will be found as mighty in word, as he is now in writing being absent , 12 and withal taxing them for reaching out themselves beyond their compass , and vaunting themselves into other men's labours Vf OW I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, *** who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you : 2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh : 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 5 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. 8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed : 9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. 10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful ; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present 12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves : but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you : for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ : 1 5 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours ; 136 THE FALSE APOSTLES 137 but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, 16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand. 17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTER i. In this and the two next chapters Paul defends his apostleship against the false apostles, who held him up to contempt as vile and despicable, and accused him of over-harshness, audacity, and insolence. Paul here points out that his arms are not carnal but spiritual, and therefore all the more powerful, because it is theirs to cast down all the strongholds, counsels, and wisdom of the world, as well as to inflict punishment on all disobedience. ii. He contrasts (ver. 12) the boast of the false apostles of the provinces traversed and converted by them with the actual joumeyings and conversions wrought by himself. Observe that these false apostles envied the glory of Paul, and wished to destroy it by their own eloquence, boasting, and calumnies. It appears, from xi. 22, that they were Jews, and were greedy of gain and glory, braggarts, and self-assertive. From xi. 4 it also appears that they preached Christ in appearance, but were endeavouring to gradually subvert the Gospel by Judaism and its errors (xi. 3; xil 13). Of this class were Cerinthus, Ebion, and other Judaisers, who bitterly persecuted S. Paul as an apostate from their law. 1 Cor. xv. was an exposition of the resurrection against the teaching of Cerinthus