But as we were approved by God that the gospel should be committed to us: even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who proveth our hearts.

“Through prayer to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces, and have even been granted more than I requested; for I hope as a prisoner in Christ Jesus to salute you, if indeed it be the will of God that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love, lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to accomplish what you please; but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if ye spare me. For it is not my desire to act towards you as a man-pleaser, but as pleasing God, even as also ye please Him. For neither shall I ever have such [another] opportunity of attaining to God; nor will ye, if ye shall now be silent, ever be entitled to the honour of a better work. For if ye are silent concerning me, I shall become God's; but if you show your love to my flesh, I shall again have to run my race. Pray, then, do not seek to confer any greater favour upon me than that I be sacrificed to God while the altar is still prepared; that, being gathered together in love, ye may sing praise to the Father, through Christ Jesus, that God has deemed me, the bishop of Syria, worthy to be sent for from the east unto the west. It is good to set from the world unto God, that I may rise again to Him.”

“"For our exhortation is not of error nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God which proveth our hearts." Do you see that, as I said, from their perseverance he makes a proof that the Preaching is divine? For, if it were not so, if it were a deceit, we should not have endured so many dangers, which allowed us not even to take breath. You were in tribulation, we were in tribulation. What then was it? Unless somewhat of things future had excited us, unless we had been persuaded that there is a good hope, we should not have been filled with the more alacrity by suffering. For who would have chosen for the sake of what we have here to endure so many sufferings, and to live a life of anxiety, and full of dangers? For whom would they persuade? For are not these things of themselves enough to trouble the disciples, when they see their teachers in dangers? But this was not your case. "For our exhortation," that is, our teaching, "is not of error." The matter, he says, is not guile nor deceit, that we should give it up. It is not for things abominable, as the tricks of jugglers and sorcerers. "And of uncleanness," says he, "nor in guile," nor for any insurrection. "But even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God." Do you see, that it is not vainglory? "But God," he says, "which proveth our hearts." We do nothing for the sake of pleasing men, he says. For on whose account should we do these things? Then having praised them, he says, Not as wishing to please men, nor seeking the honors that are from men, he adds, "But as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel." Unless He had seen that we were free from every worldly consideration, He would not have chosen us. As therefore He approved us, such we remain, as having been "approved of God." Whence did he approve us, and entrust us with the Gospel? We appeared to God approved, so we remain. It is a proof of our virtue, that we are entrusted with the Gospel; if there had been anything bad in us, God would not have approved us. But the expression that He approved us, does not here imply search. But what we do upon proving, that he does without proving. That is, as he found us proof, and trusted us, so we speak; as it is reasonable that those should, who are approved and entrusted to be worthy of the Gospel, so we speak, "not as pleasing men," that is, not on your account do we do all these things.”

“Therefore, our good Master has taught us by his apostle not to live right and to do right in order to be praised by men, that is, not to make the praise of men our motive for doing right, yet for the sake of men we are to seek what is worthy of praise. Even when good men are praised, the benefit falls more on those who praise than on those who are praised. For, as far as the latter are concerned, it is enough for them that they are good. But the former, whose advantage it is to imitate the good, are to praise the good because they give evidence that those whom they praise sincerely are pleasing to them. Thus the apostle says in a certain passage: "If I pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." In another passage he says: "Please all men in all things as I also in all things please all men," but he gives the reason: "not seeking that which is profitable to myself but to many that they may be saved."”

“Above he commended them because they received the word of God in tribulations; here he commends them because they did not withdraw from him on account of tribulations. And concerning this he does three things: first he recalls their tribulations; second he shows what remedy he applied for them, in chapter III, at the words "for which cause"; third, why, at the words "because now we live." But because he had said above, concerning them, that the apostle's entrance toward their conversion was reported by all, therefore he first treats of his own entrance; second, of their conversion, at "therefore we also give thanks." Concerning the first he does three things: first he recalls his own constancy, which he had before he came to them; second, the sincerity of the teaching by which he converted them, at "for our exhortation"; third, the sincerity of his conduct with those converted, at "for you." Again, the first is divided into two: first he sets forth the tribulations which he suffered before he came to them; second, how he did not lose confidence on this account, at "we had confidence." He says therefore: I say that he announces our entrance, which you also know, that it was not vain, etc., that is, light, but difficult, because it was through many tribulations. Or "not vain," that is, empty, but full. Gen. 1:2: the earth was void and empty, etc. Or "not vain," that is, unstable, but firm. Phil. 2:17: I have not run in vain, nor labored in vain. But we suffered bodily sufferings before. Prov. 19:11: the teaching of a man is known through patience. Ps. 91:15: they shall be well enduring, that they may proclaim. Likewise spiritual [sufferings], because on this account he was afflicted with insults in Philippi, where on account of the healing of the pythoness he suffered tribulations. And this city is of Macedonia. Nor yet on account of these things was the confidence of preaching extinguished. Is. 12:2: behold, God is my savior, I will act with confidence, and I will not fear. And this confidence was to preach to you the Gospel of God in much solicitude concerning your conversion. Rom. 12:8: he who is over others, with solicitude. II Cor. 11:28: besides those things that are from without, my daily pressure, the solicitude of all the churches. Then, when he says "exhortation," he shows the sincerity of his preaching. And concerning this he does two things: first he proves the sincerity of his teaching; second he explains certain things he had said, at "not as to men." Concerning the first he does two things: first he excludes the corruption of the teaching; second he sets down the sincerity, at "but as approved." Now teaching is corrupted either on account of the matter which is taught, or on account of the intention of the one teaching. On account of the first, teaching is corrupted in two ways, namely either through error, as one teaching that salvation is through Christ together with the legal observances. II Tim. 3:13: evil men and seducers shall grow worse, erring, and sending others into error. Therefore he says: "for our exhortation is not," as that of some, "of error." Or on account of uncleanness, as those who say that one ought to give oneself over to pleasures, which teaching is from a certain Nicolaus, who permitted promiscuous marriages, sharing his wife with another; therefore he says, "nor of uncleanness." Apoc. 2:20: you permit the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to fornicate, and to eat of things sacrificed to idols, etc. Job 6:30: you shall not find iniquity in my tongue. Likewise, the exhortation is not in guile as that of some, who, although they speak the truth, nevertheless have a corrupt intention, because they seek not the profit of their hearers nor the honor of God, but their own honor. Against which he says, "nor in guile." Jer. 9:8: their tongue is a wounding arrow, it has spoken guile, etc. His preaching, therefore, is not corrupt, but sincere. Now a thing is sincere which preserves its own nature. But preaching is then sincere, when someone teaches with that same tenor and end with which Christ taught. And therefore he says, "but as approved," that is, we speak in that manner and with that intention with which God chose and approved us to preach the Gospel. Gal. 2:7: the Gospel of the uncircumcision was entrusted to me, as that of the circumcision to Peter. Acts 9:15: this man is a vessel of election to me, to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the sons of Israel. Then, when he says "not as to men," etc., he shows that his preaching is not in guile. First excluding that on account of which it might seem to be deceitful; second he makes it clear through a sign, at "nor at any time"; third through a cause, at "nor on occasion." On account of the first he says: my preaching is not as pleasing men, namely, finally. Ps. 52:6: the bones of those who please men have been scattered. Gal. 1:10: if I pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ. Sometimes, however, they ought to wish to please men for the glory of God, that preaching may bear more fruit, as is said I Cor. 10:33: I please all men in all things, etc. But God, etc. Prov. 16:2: all the ways of man are open to his eyes. Now the sign of this is that we did not flatter, speaking to them pleasing things. Is. 30:10: speak to us pleasing things, see for us errors, etc. Prov. 24:28: do not flatter anyone with your lips, etc. And he shows the same thing through a cause. For on account of two things does someone seek to please men, namely either for the sake of benefits, or for the sake of glory. But this he excludes here, and first, the first, saying, "nor were we," etc. Because we avoid not only flattery, but also every occasion of avarice. I Tim. 6:5: supposing gain to be godliness. Jer. 6:15: for from the least even to the greatest, all are devoted to avarice. Second, the second, at "nor seeking glory from you nor from others," concerning the teaching, since we might have gloried and received — rather, to be a burden, because they owed him glory and support; whence he says, "since we could." And he calls it a burden, because those preaching to them perversely sought these things from them beyond measure. Is. 3:14: for you have devoured my vineyard, etc. Then, when he says "but we became," etc., he makes clear these two things: first, that he does not seek human glory; second, that neither [does he seek] occasion for avarice, at "for you remember." Concerning the first he does two things: for first he shows his humility; second, under a likeness, he shows his solicitude, at "as if a nurse." He sets down, therefore, the first, saying that "we became little ones," etc., that is, humble. Ecclus. 32:1: have they made you a ruler? Do not be lifted up, but be among them as one of them. This he shows in a likeness, saying "as if a nurse," who, namely, condescends to an infant, speaking to it with stammering, that the child may learn to speak, and in gestures also condescends to it. I Cor. 9:22: I have become all things to all. I Cor. 3:1: as to little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not food. Even souls. John 10:11: the good shepherd gives his soul for his sheep, etc. Because most dear, etc. II Cor. 12:15: but I will most gladly spend, and be spent myself, for your souls, etc. Then, when he says "for you remember," he shows, second, what he had said above, namely, likewise, "nor by occasion of avarice," because we took nothing from you, but from labor, because "of labor," etc. And some indeed labor, but with comfort; but we did not, but with toil. Therefore he says "of our labor," not for the exercise of the body, but with fatigue. Whence he says "and of fatigue." Some also labor by day, but we, "night and day." For by this he wished to restrain the false [preachers], who received too much, and on account of the idle among them. I Cor. 4:12: we labor, working with our own hands, etc. Then, when he says "for you are," he sets forth the purity of his conduct, and first, how holy, with regard to life; second, how solicitous, with regard to teaching, at "how each one." He says therefore: you know how holily, that is, purely. Lev. 11:44 and 19:2: be holy, because I am holy. Justly, with regard to one's neighbor. Titus 2:12: let us live soberly, and justly, and piously in this age. Without complaint, to you who have believed, that is, from the time you believed, doing nothing whereby anyone could scandalize each one of you individually. Note that individual preaching sometimes avails much. As a father. I Cor. 4:15: in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you. Beseeching. Philem. 8: having much confidence in Christ Jesus to command you what pertains to the matter, on account of charity I rather beg. And consoling, through gentle words. Against which it is said, Ezek. 34:4: with austerity you commanded them, with power. Is. 61:2: that I might console all who mourn, and grant consolation to those who mourn in Sion. And what did you preach? That worthily, that is, that your conduct might be such as befits the ministers of Christ. Col. 1:10: that you walk worthily of God, pleasing him in all things. Of God, who, etc. Wis. 6:21: therefore the desire of wisdom leads to the everlasting kingdom.”

“But as we were allowed of God,.... Or, "approved of God"; not that there were any previous fitness and worthiness in them to be ministers of the word; but such was the good will and pleasure of God, that he from all eternity chose and appointed them to this work; and in his own time by his grace called them to it, and by his gifts qualified them for it, who otherwise were unworthy of it, and insufficient for it: to be put in trust with the Gospel; which is of great worth and value, a rich treasure, and of the last importance; which to be trusted with is a very great honour; and the discharge of such a trust requires great faithfulness, and which the apostles had: even so we speak; the Gospel as delivered to them, both as to matter and manner; neither taking from it nor adding to it, nor mixing it with anything of their own, nor disguising it with any artifice: not as pleasing men; to gain favour and affection, esteem, applause, and honour from them; to escape reproach and persecution, and obtain worldly advantages by dropping, concealing, or blending of truths to make them more agreeable to the taste of natural men: but God, which trieth our hearts; studying to approve themselves to God, whose Gospel was committed to them, from whom they received gifts to preach it, and to whom they were accountable for all; and who being the searcher of the hearts, and the trier of the reins of the children of men, knows the intentions and designs of men, and the springs of all actions; and sees through all artifices, and from whom nothing can be hidden, and who will, in his own time, bring to light the hidden things of darkness; under a sense of which faithful ministers act, as of sincerity, and as in the sight of an omniscient God.”

“But as we were allowed of God - Καθως δεδοκιμασμεθα· As we were accounted worthy to be put in trust - as God put confidence in us, and sent us on his most especial message to mankind, even so we speak, keeping the dignity of our high calling continually in view; and, acting as in the sight of God, we speak not to please or flatter men, though our doctrine is the most consolatory that can be conceived, but to please that God who searcheth the heart, and before whom all our motives are constantly without a veil.”

“As we were approved of and chosen by God to announce his gospel, we have tried to correspond with his designs; and we speak in a spirit of disinterestedness, not to please men, but God. Being chosen by God, it is to him we must render an account. Have we spoken to you in words of flattery? Have we disguised the gospel truth, or concealed its austerity? Have we made piety a cloak for avarice? &c. (Calmet)”

“as--according as; even as. allowed--Greek, "We have been approved on trial," "deemed fit." This word corresponds to "God which trieth our hearts" below. This approval as to sincerity depends solely on the grace and mercy of God (Act 9:15; Co1 7:25; Co2 3:5; Ti1 1:11-12). not as pleasing--not as persons who seek to please men; characteristic of false teachers (Gal 1:10).”