Беседа 21

2 Corinthians 10:1–2. But I, Paul, who is modest among you personally, but courageous against you in absentia, convince you with the meekness and condescension of Christ. I ask that when I come, I will not resort to that strong boldness that I think I will use against some who think of us that we walk according to the flesh. Teacher's duty. – We need to imitate Pavel. – Heresy of Marcion and Manichaeus. 1. Having finished all that he had to say about alms, having shown that he loves the Corinthians more than they love him, and having remembered his patience and temptations, (the apostle) now opportunely proceeds to a diatribe in which he points out the false apostles, addresses (the Corinthians) with threats, and speaks in defense of himself. He does the same throughout the message, and, realizing this, he often corrects himself, as, for example, in the words: “Should we really get to know you again?” (“Are we going to tell you again?”) (2 Cor. 3:1); further: “We do not present ourselves to you again, but we give you a reason to boast about us” (“we do not again praise ourselves before you, but we give you wine for boasting”) (2 Cor. 5:12), then: “I have reached the point of foolishness in boasting; you forced me to do this” (“it is senseless to boast, you are forcing me”) (2 Cor. 12:11), and many others use clauses of the same kind. And the one who calls this epistle the praiseworthy word of Paul will not be mistaken: he talks at length about the gifts of grace (of God) and about his patience! Since among the Corinthians there were those who thought a lot about themselves, and, putting themselves above the apostle, said about him that he only boasts, but means nothing and does not teach anything sound (which was a special sign of their corruption), then look how he begins to reprove them. “I am Paul” (“I am Paul myself”). Do you notice how much weight there is, how much dignity there is? He wants to say the following: “I ask you, do not force and do not allow me to use my power against those who humiliate us and think that we live according to the flesh.” This is expressed here more strongly than what was said to threaten them in his first message: “What do you want? shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?” ; ("Will I come to you with a club, or with love and a spirit of meekness?") "Because I do not come to you, some of you have become proud" ("As if I did not come to you, no one became proud"); “I will come to you... and I will test not the words of those who are proud, but the power” (“I will come..., and I do not mean the word of those who are proud, but the power”) (1 Cor. 4:21, 18-19). And here he expresses both: his power, wisdom, and patience, when with such care he asks not to bring him to the point of having to come and show his formidable power over them, that is, to defeat them, torture them and subject them to extreme punishment. This is exactly what he makes clear with the words: “I ask that, after my coming, I do not resort to that firm boldness that I think to use against some who think about us that we walk in the flesh” (“I pray that the hope that is not inherent in me is daring, in which I think to sweep away, against someone who does not eat us, as if we were walking in the flesh”). But let us turn again to the first words: “I am Paul” (“I am Paul himself”). There is a lot of power and weight in these words. He uses similar expressions in other places, for example: “Behold, I, Paul, speak to you” (Gal. 5:2); or again: “like me, Paul the elder” (“like Paul the elder”) (Phil.1:9); or in another place: “for she also was a helper to many, and to myself” (“this intercessor was to many, and to myself”) (Rom. 16:2). So it is here: “I am Paul.” What is important is what he himself asks; but what is added is much more important: “the meekness and condescension of Christ” (“the meekness and quietness of Christ”). Wanting to shame them more, he mentions meekness and condescension, and thereby gives his petition even greater strength. He says something like this: “Be ashamed of the very meekness of Christ, by which I beg you.” He said this with the intention of showing that, although they force him a thousand times to be strict, he himself is more inclined to meekness, and does not punish them not because he lacks strength, but because he is meek, and because Christ did so. “Who is modest among you personally, but is bold against you in absentia” (“Who in his face is humble in you, but not like whom I am bold in you”). What does he mean by this? Or he speaks ironically in their own words, since they said about Paul that when he is personally present, he does not deserve any respect, is insignificant and worthy of contempt, but in his absence he is proud, behaves majestically, attacks us and threatens. He hints at this further, saying: “Because someone says: in the epistles he is strict and strong, but in personal presence he is weak, and his speech is insignificant” (“for the epistles of speech are heavy..., but the coming of the body is weak, and the word is despised”) (2 Cor. 10:10). So, either he says ironically, showing great grief: “I am a humble person and meaningless in person, as they say, but tall when I’m away,” or, if he speaks about himself with importance, it is not out of arrogance, but out of trust in them. “I ask that when I come, I will not resort to that strong boldness that I think I will use against some who think about us that we walk according to the flesh” (“I pray that the hope that is not inherent in me is daring, in which I think to sweep away, against someone who does not eat us, as if we were walking in the flesh”). Do you notice what indignation is expressed in these words, and what clear denunciation? “I ask you,” he says, “don’t force me to prove that I, even while personally with you, am strong and have power. Since some among you said that I, not being with you, to use their own words, am daring and majestic, I ask you not to force me to use my strength.” This is precisely the meaning of the words: “firm courage.” And he did not say: “which I have prepared,” but “which I am thinking of using.” “I haven’t decided on this yet, and you yourself are giving me a reason; but despite this, I don’t want to.” And this is what he did, not only defending himself, but also the Gospel. If even then, when it is necessary to defend the sermon (the Gospel), he is not strict, but gives in, waits, and asks not to be brought to such a necessity, then all the more he would never act strictly when defending himself. 2. “So, do me a favor,” he says, “don’t force me to show you that even in a personal meeting I can boldly act with whom I should, that is, subject to torture and punishment.” Do you see how he was not ambitious, did not do anything out of vanity, and how, even if necessary (to act strictly), he calls severity courage? “I ask,” he says, “that upon my coming I should not resort to that firm courage that I think I will use against some.” (“I pray that it is not inherent in me to dare with hope, in which I think of sweeping away some.”) The main duty of a teacher is not to immediately punish, but to correct, and to always wait and be slow in punishments. Who are these “some” (“some”) whom he threatens? “Those who think about us,” he says, “that we walk in the flesh” (“They do not believe that we walk in the flesh”) They slandered (Paul) as if he were hypocritical, wicked and proud. “For we, although we walk in the flesh, do not fight according to the flesh” (“For we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh”) (2 Cor. 10:3). punishment. “It is true that we are clothed with flesh,” he says, “I do not deny this; but we do not live according to the flesh.” However, he did not say this either, but hides it for the time being, because it relates to the praise of his life, but talks about preaching, showing that it is not a human matter and has no need for earthly help. Therefore, he did not say: “we do not live according to the flesh,” but (he says): “we do not fight according to the flesh,” i.e., “we wage war and entered into battle, but we fight not with carnal weapons, not with the help of human strength.” “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (“Our weapons are not carnal”) (2 Cor. 10:4). What kind of carnal weapon? Wealth, fame, power, eloquence, importance, intrigues, flattery, hypocrisy, and the like. "But our weapons are not like that." What are they? "Strong in God". He did not say: “we are not carnal,” but: “our weapons,” because, as I noticed, he is still talking about preaching, and attributes all its power to God. And he does not say: “(our weapons) are spiritual,” although this should have been said in contrast to the carnal, but “strong,” thereby making it clear that (they are spiritual), and at the same time showing that the weapons of his opponents are weak and powerless. Look how alien to pride he is. He did not say: “we are strong,” but: “our weapons are strong in God,” “it was not we who made them so, but God himself.” Since they were tormented, driven out, endured countless and severe disasters, and all this revealed their weakness, then, wanting to show the power of God, he says: “but strong in God.” “His power is especially revealed in this, that He overcomes them. Thus, if we carry these weapons, then (God) himself fights and acts with them.” Further (the apostle) expands in praise of this weapon, saying: “for the destruction of strongholds” (“for the destruction of strongholds”). And so that anyone, hearing about strongholds, does not imagine something sensual, he adds: “with them we overthrow plans” (“thoughts subverting”). By allegory he gives power to speech, and by his explanation he shows that their warfare is spiritual. These strongholds strike souls, not bodies. And since they are much stronger than material strongholds, better weapons are required. He calls the pride of the Hellenes, and the strength of their sophisms and syllogisms, strongholds. And, however, all these weapons used against them, (God) cast down. “By them we cast down thoughts and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (“Thoughts are cast down, and every high thing that is raised against the mind of God”) (2 Cor. 10:4-5). He uses allegories to give greater power to speech. Even if they were strongholds, or towers, or anything else, he says, everything yields to this weapon. “And we take every thing captive mind into the obedience of Christ" ("And captivating every mind into the obedience of Christ") The word "captivity" has an unfavorable meaning, because captivity is the taking away of freedom. Why did (the apostle) use this word? He used it in a different meaning. It is in this latter sense that the apostle used it. Just as when he says: “I caused costs to other churches” (“from other churches yah”) (2 Cor. 11:8), he does not understand what he took secretly, but what he clearly took away, he took everything, so here he says: “we are taking captive,” since the struggle is not equal, but very easy. He did not say: “we overthrow (depose) one or two,” but “every exaltation” (“every exaltation”); in the same way, he did not only say: “we conquer and gain the upper hand,” but “we capture,” just as before he did not say: “we put forward weapons against strongholds,” but “we destroy (strongholds), because we have a great abundance of weapons; We fight not with words, but with deeds against words, not with carnal wisdom, but with a spirit of meekness and strength.” “Therefore, what need do I have,” he continues, “to be proud, boastful in words and threaten with messages, as they slandered, saying that “he is strict and strong in his messages” (“messages are heavy”), when our strength does not lie in this at all?” 3. Since in the expression: “and we take captive every thought into the obedience of Christ” (“captivating every mind into the obedience of Christ”) the word “captivity” is heavy, he immediately explained the allegory with the words: “in obedience to Christ,” that is, from slavery to freedom, from death to life, from destruction to salvation. “We came,” he says, “not only to overthrow our opponents, but to lead them to the truth. “And we are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (“And we are ready to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled”) (2 Cor. 10:6). Here (the apostle) frightens not only those (those who slandered him), but also them (the Corinthians). “We,” he says, “are waiting for you so that when, according to our instructions and threats, you correct yourself, cleanse yourself and stop communicating with them (the slanderers), then, separating them alone, punish only those who suffer incurably, as soon as we completely learn that you have fallen behind them, because although you are now obeying, you are not completely. Will you say: “If you did it now, would you bring more benefit?” Not at all; If I did this now, I would punish you too. “You should have,” (you say), “should have punished them and spared us?” But if I had spared you, you might have thought that I did this to you only out of condescension. Now I don’t want that, but first I want to correct you, and then begin to punish those.” What can be imagined more condescending than this mercy? Since he sees that those close to him have entered into communication with his opponents, he wants to strike, but he spares and holds back his anger until they separate from their opponents, so that they can only be punished, or better yet, not punished. This is why he threatens his loved ones, this is why he says that he wants to return some of them to himself, so that even those, corrected by fear, will change, and thus his anger would not be poured out on anyone. In everything he acted like a skilled doctor, like everyone’s common father, patron and protector: he cared so much about everyone! He removed obstacles everywhere, pacified evil people, and was everywhere himself. And he did not achieve his goal by fighting, but, as if heading for an easy and ready victory, he erected victorious monuments, overthrew, destroyed, scattered the strongholds of the devil and the machinations of demons, and transferred all the captives to the army of Christ. Even for a short time he did not give himself rest, quickly moved from one to another, and from these again to another, and, like an experienced leader, daily, or, better yet, hourly, erected victorious monuments. Wearing only a tunic, he entered the military ranks and took the cities of his opponents along with their inhabitants. Bow, spear, arrows and everything was Pavlov's language. He only spoke, and his speeches struck his opponents more powerful than any fire; he drove out demons, and brought people possessed by them to himself. When he drove out the evil spirit (in Ephesus), fifty thousand people who were engaged in secret knowledge gathered, burned magic books and turned to the truth. And just as in a battle, when the walls of a fortress fall or a tyrant is deposed, everyone with him throws down their weapons and goes over to the leader of the opposing side, so it was then. As soon as the evil spirit was expelled, everyone he kept under siege, throwing away their books, or, better to say, destroying them, ran to Pavlov’s feet. And he, fighting with the whole universe, as if with one army, did not stop anywhere, but, as if carried on wings, did everything: he healed the lame, then raised the dead, then punished him with blindness - I mean the sorcerer (Acts 13). Even when he was imprisoned, he did not remain inactive, but even there he attracted the prison guard to himself, continuing to capture people in this wonderful captivity. 4. So, let us also imitate him as much as possible. But what do I say – “if possible”? Anyone who wishes can approach him, observe his art and adopt his courage. After all, to this day he still does the same: “we overthrow thoughts and every exaltation that rises up against the knowledge of God” (“degrading thoughts, and every exaltation raised against the mind of God”). And although many of the heretics set out to torment him, even when dismembered limb by limb, he displays great strength. Both Marcion and Manichaeus used it, but cut it into pieces; however, even by these very parts they are exposed. So, one hand of this valiant man, being with them, drives them with the greatest strength, and one foot, being with the others, pursues them and overthrows them, so that you know the wealth of his strength, as well as the fact that, even cut into pieces, he is strong to destroy all those who oppose him. “But this,” you say, “shows insincerity, if those who bicker among themselves all use the same thing (Paul).” Yes, insincerity, but not for Pavlov, but for those who use him. (Paul) himself has no confusion and uncertainty; it is simple and clear; on the contrary, they reinterpreted his words according to their own concepts. But why did he speak in such a way as to give rise to those who love controversy? It was not he who gave it, but their own madness, because they did not use his words as they should. So, this whole world is wondrous and great, and clearly reveals within itself the wisdom of God, and “the heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament speaks of the works of His hands; day to day conveys speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (“the heavens tell the glory of God,... and day speaks words of days, and night speaks to night”) (Ps. 18:2-3), and, however, many stumbled over this too, and had errors contrary to one another (delusions). Others marveled at him beyond measure, to the point that they considered him to be God; and others recognized so little beauty in it that they did not consider it a work worthy of God’s creation, and attributed most of it to some kind of evil matter. Meanwhile, God protected both of them (from error), creating the world, on the one hand, beautiful and great, so that they could not consider it inconsistent with His wisdom, and on the other hand, having shortcomings and not self-sufficient, so that they would not consider it to be God. And, however, people, blinded by their thoughts, fell into contrary opinions; By denouncing and reproaching each other, they defend both God’s wisdom and those thoughts of theirs that led them into error. But what am I saying about the sun and the sky? How many miracles the Jews saw before their eyes, and soon they worshiped the calf! Or - they saw that Christ was casting out demons, and, however, they called Him demon-possessed (John 8:48). But this does not serve as a condemnation of the One who cast out (demons), but as an accusation of those blinded by their minds. Therefore, do not condemn Paul for the opinions of those who used his words for evil, but try to fully recognize his treasure and reveal his wealth; and then, protected by his weapons, you will courageously resist everyone, you will be able to stop the mouths of both the Greeks and the Jews. “Why,” you ask, “when they don’t believe him?” An indication of what he had done for them and for the correction of the entire universe. Indeed, it was not human power that could accomplish such great things, but the power of the Crucified One, which animated (Paul), made him such that he became stronger than rhetoricians, philosophers, tyrants, kings, and all rulers. And he could not only put on weapons and overthrow opponents, but also make others victors. So, in order to become useful both to ourselves and to others, let us constantly have him in our hands and enjoy his writings, as if in a beautiful meadow or garden. In this way we will be able to get rid of vice, and love virtue, and receive the promised benefits, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: