Беседа 22

2 Corinthians 10:7. Are you looking at personality? Whoever is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, judge for himself that just as he is Christ’s, so we are Christ’s. There is nothing more disgusting than when someone praises himself. - How some blamed Paul, and how he justified himself. 1. What is especially worthy of surprise in Paul, despite everything else, is that, being placed in a great need to praise himself, he achieves a twofold goal: that is, he praises himself, and at the same time, with such praise of himself, he does not become burdensome for others. This can be seen especially in Galatians. And there, having touched on the same subject, he takes care - which is especially difficult and requires great prudence - about both, that is, he observes modesty and says something great about himself. But look with what greatness he does it here too: “Are you looking at the individual?” ("What do you see before your face?"). Notice the prudence here too. Having exposed those who deceived them (the Corinthians), he does not stop his word on them, but moves from those who deceived them to those who were deceived. This is what he always does - he denounces not only the perpetrators of error, but also those who are misled. If he had not held these latter accountable, they would not have been so easily corrected by what was said to others; they would even become proud, as if they had not been accused. That's why he denounces them. And not only is this worthy of surprise (in Paul), but also the fact that he uses reproofs that are appropriate for both. Listen to what he says (to those who have fallen into deception): “Are you looking at the person?” ("What do you see before your face?"). Not a small, but very big accusation! Why? Because the human race is very easily deceived. The meaning of his words is this: “You judge by appearance, by carnal, by bodily (relationships).” What does “by appearance” mean? If someone is rich, if someone is arrogant, if someone is surrounded by a crowd of flatterers, if someone praises himself and seeks empty glory, if someone hypocritically pretends to be virtuous without having any virtue in himself - this is what the words mean: “Do you look at the individual?” ("What do you see before your face?"). “Whoever is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, judge for himself that just as he is Christ’s, so are we Christ’s” (“If anyone hopes for himself to be Christ’s, let him also think for himself that he is Christ’s, so are we.”). (The Apostle) does not want to suddenly show himself to be strict, but little by little he strengthens and elevates (his speech). And look how sharp and suggestive the expression is here. By the expression: “on his own” (“from himself”) he wants to say the following: “Let him not expect to learn from us, that is, from our reprimand to him, but let him judge on his own, that just as he is Christ’s, so are we—not because he was as Christ’s as he was, but “that just as he is Christ’s, so am I Christ’s.” In this we are the same, and it cannot be said that he belongs to Christ and I belong to someone else.” But, having shown this equality, he puts on display the advantage, saying: “For if I had boasted more of our power, which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for your destruction, I would not have remained in shame” (“even if I boast more about the power... which the Lord has given... to create, and not to destroy..., I will not be ashamed”) (2 Cor. 10:8). Look how he softens his speech, intending to say something great about himself. Indeed, nothing is more disgusting to many of the listeners than self-praise. Therefore, eliminating the trouble, (the apostle) says: “If only I would boast more” (“even if I boasted more than that”). He did not say: “If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him judge that he is still far from us, because I have received from the Lord such great power that I can punish and put to death whomever I want.” What did he say? “If only I had become more” (“Even more than that”). Although it is impossible to express how great he had (the power), but in his words he reduces it. He also did not say: “I will boast,” but: “if I began to boast” (“if I boast”), “if I want (to boast).” And in this way he maintains modesty and shows his advantage. “For if only I could boast more,” he says, “of the power that the Lord has given me” (“For I will boast about the power that the Lord has given...”). Again he attributes everything to God, and makes the gift common, saying: “for creation, and not for destruction” (“for creation, and not for destruction”). Do you see how he again calms the envy that he could have aroused by praising himself, and attracts the listener to himself, pointing out the benefit for which he received power? But how does he say: “we overthrow plans” (“destructive thoughts”)? This is especially one of the types of creation - to destroy obstacles, expose the rotten, and affirm the one truth. "Towards creation" ("Into creation"). “So for this reason we have received power to create. If someone persists, resists and does not show any hope of correction, then we will use another force: we will depose and overthrow him.” That’s why he adds: “I would not remain in shame” (“I will not be ashamed”), i.e., “I would not turn out to be either a liar or vain.” “However, let it not seem that I am intimidating you only with messages. Since someone says: in his messages he is strict and strong, but in personal presence he is weak, and his speech is insignificant - let him know that, as we are in words in letters in absentia, such are we in person in person" ("But let me not appear, as if I were afraid of you..., for the messages of speech are heavy and strong, but the coming of the body is weak, and the word is despised: this yes such a one thinks, as if they are the word of the epistles, they are the same in reality” (2 Cor. 10:9-11). The meaning of these words is: “I could boast; but so that they don’t start saying again that I’m proud of myself in my messages, but don’t mean anything when we meet in person, I won’t say anything great about myself.” True, he later spoke, but not about the power by which he was terrible, but about revelations, and even more about temptations. “So, so that it does not seem that I am intimidating you, “let such a one know that, as we are in words in letters in absentia, such are we in deed in person” (“let such a one think about this, as we are in the word of the messages separately, so in reality in deed”). Since they said about him that in his messages he writes a lot of great things about himself, but during a personal meeting he is not worth any attention, then he says these (the above words), but, however, again with great modesty. He didn’t say: “Just as we write to you about great things, so when we are with you personally, we do great things,” but he expressed himself much more modestly. When he addressed his speech to those (who considered him a carnal man), then he used strong expressions: “I ask that, after my coming, I do not resort to that strong boldness that I think to use against some” (“I pray that it is not inherent in me to be bold with the hope with which I think of sweeping away against someone”) (2 Cor. 10:2). And when addressing these, he acts more condescendingly, which is why he says: “As you and I personally are, so are we in absentia, that is, we are humble, modest, and do not boast of anything.” And this is clear from the following words: “For we dare not compare or compare ourselves with those who put themselves forward” (“for we dare not add or apply to others who praise themselves”) (2 Cor. 10:12). 2. Here (the apostle) shows that they are vain and talk a lot about themselves, and reproaches them for praising themselves. “And we,” he says, “do nothing like that, and if we have done anything great, we attribute everything to God, and equate ourselves with each other.” Therefore, he adds: “they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves unreasonably” (“but measuring in themselves, and applying to themselves, they do not understand”). The meaning of these words is: “We do not compare ourselves with them, but with each other.” So he says about himself below: “I lack nothing against the highest Apostles” (“the chief apostles have lost nothing”) (2 Cor. 12:11); as well as in the first epistle: “I have labored more than all of them” (“I have labored more than all of them”) (1 Cor. 15:10); and again: “the signs of the Apostle were shown to you through all patience” (“the signs of the apostle were wrought in you through all patience”) (2 Cor. 12:12). “So, we compare ourselves with ourselves, and not with them, who have nothing. And such arrogance is characteristic only of madness.” So, he says this either about himself or about them, i.e., that “we do not dare compare ourselves with those who bicker with each other, are vain, and yet do not understand (what they are doing), that is, they do not see how ridiculous they are when they are so vain and exalted before each other. “But we will not boast beyond measure” (“We will not boast beyond measure”) (2 Cor. 10:13), like them.” Probably in their praise they said: “We converted the universe, we reached the ends of the earth,” and divulged many other similar things about themselves. “But we,” says (the apostle), “not so, “but according to the measure of the inheritance that God has assigned to us in such a measure as to reach you” (“but according to the measure of the rule, which God has divided for us in a measure, to reach even you”). And thus, his humility is revealed on two sides, on the one hand, in the fact that he does not say anything more about himself than what he has done, on the other, in the fact that he attributes this (what he has done) to God: “According to the measure of the lot (the “rules”),” he says, “which God has assigned to us in such a measure as to reach you” (“the measure God has divided for us, to reach even you”). “Just as (God) divides vineyards for farmers, so He has assigned each of us our own destiny. And therefore we do not boast about anything more, but about what we have been given to achieve.” “For we do not strain ourselves as if we have not reached you, because we have reached you also with the gospel of Christ” (“Not as if we did not reach you, but rather stretch out to ourselves that we have reached even you with the gospel of Christ”) (2 Cor. 10:14). “We not only visited you, but also evangelized, preached, convinced, and corrected.” Probably, those who criticized Paul simply came to the apostolic disciples, and as a result of this one arrival, they attributed all the success of the matter to themselves. “But we,” says (the apostle), “did not do this: no one can tell us that we could not come to you, and that we only spread our praise to you in words, because we preached the word (of faith) to you too.” “We do not boast immeasurably, not in the labors of others, but we hope, with the growth of your faith, to abundantly increase our inheritance in you, so that we can continue to preach the Gospel to you, and not to boast about being ready in someone else’s inheritance.” (“We do not boast immeasurably, not in the labors of others, but we have confidence in our growing faith..., in you we may magnify ourselves according to our rule abundantly, in the hedgehog and in those who follow you preach the gospel, not by someone else's rule in those who are ready to boast" (2 Cor. 10:15-16). In these words (the apostle) expresses a strong accusation (to his critics) that they both boasted beyond measure and boasted in others, and that, although all the work belonged to the apostles, they boasted of their labors. “But we,” says (the apostle), “proved this by deeds. So let us not imitate them; but let us, on the contrary, say what the deeds themselves testify to. And what do I say: “we have also reached you” (“we have reached you”)? I have hope that as your faith grows,” he does not directly state, but, following his custom, he says, “I hope that when you grow in faith, our destiny will continue to spread, and we will preach the Gospel to those far off. We will go further,” he says, “to preach and work, and not to be vain about what others have worked on.” He appropriately called his work a rule (destiny) and a measure, as having entered into possession of the universe and received a wonderful inheritance, showing that all this is the work of God. “So,” he says, “having such deeds and expecting even greater ones, we do not become vain, like those who have nothing, and do not attribute anything to ourselves, but (attribute) everything to God.” That’s why he adds: “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord” (“Let him boast in the Lord”) (2 Cor. 10:17). “And that (to boast),” he says, “is given to us from God: “For he is not worthy who praises himself, but whom the Lord praises” (“Do not praise yourself; he is skillful, but the Lord praises him”) (2 Cor. 10:18). He did not say: “we (are worthy of praise),” but “whom the Lord praises.” Do you see how humbly he speaks? And if he then begins to speak more highly about himself, don’t be surprised. And this shows Pavlovo’s prudence. If he had always begun to speak about himself with humility, he would not have frightened them and would not have freed his disciples from error. It happens that someone who is modest at the wrong time causes harm; on the contrary, the one who says something amazing about himself at the right time brings benefit. That's what he did too. Indeed, the danger was considerable if the disciples believed any bad rumor about Paul. And this is not because Paul sought human glory; if he had been looking for her, he would not have remained silent for such a long time about the great and wondrous events that happened to him over fourteen years; just as he would not have been so slow and reluctant to talk about it when there was even a need. It is obvious that even then he would not have said this if he had not seen an extreme need. So, he was not looking for human glory when he said this, but was concerned about his disciples. Since they slandered him, that he is self-praising, boasts only in words, and cannot prove anything by deeds, he finds it necessary to finally speak about the revelations that have been to him. Although he could have convinced them by his very deeds when he said this, he limited himself to verbal threats alone, since he was especially alien to vanity, as his whole life, both previous and subsequent, shows. That is why he so suddenly turned to faith in Christ, and with his conversion astonished the Jews, and despised all the honors that he enjoyed among them, although he was their head and representative. But he did not think about any of this, as soon as he found the truth, he exchanged (all glory) for insults and dishonor from them. He had in mind the salvation of many (people), and preferred this to everything. And could someone who considered Gehenna, the kingdom, and countless worlds as nothing in comparison with love for Christ, pursue human glory? No doubt he couldn't. On the contrary, he is very humble whenever possible; and he himself flaunts his former life, calling himself a blasphemer, a persecutor and an offender (1 Tim. 1:13). His disciple Luke tells a lot about him, obviously having learned from him himself, who talked about his previous life no less than about his subsequent one. 3. I say this not only so that they may hear, but also so that they may be edified. If Paul remembered his sins committed before baptism, although they were completely blotted out, then what forgiveness can we receive, who do not remember the sins committed after baptism? What are you saying, man? Have you insulted God and are forgetting him? This is a new insult, a new enmity! What sins do you ask yourself for forgiveness for? Is it the ones you don’t know yourself? Truly so. You, of course, don’t care or think about how to give an account of your sins when you don’t even try to remember them, but you joke about things you shouldn’t joke about. But the time will come when jokes will no longer come to our minds. After all, we must certainly die (in view of the extreme insensitivity of many, we have to talk about the known), we must certainly be resurrected, we must certainly appear before the court, we must also undergo torture. However, the latter is not necessary if we want. In the first, i.e. that is, in our death, in resurrection and in judgment, it is not we who have power, but our Lord; and to be punished or not depends on us, because this belongs to the realm of the possible. If we want, we will make it impossible, as Paul, Peter and all the saints did, since it is impossible for them to undergo torture. So, if we want, it will be equally impossible for us to suffer anything. Even though we are burdened with countless sins, we can still improve while we live here. So, let's try to correct ourselves. And whoever has reached old age, let him imagine that he will soon move from here, and that he has already enjoyed enough of the pleasures of life (although what pleasure is it to spend a life in sin? But I say this, taking into account his way of thinking), let him then think that in a short time he can wash away all his filth. Let the young man again imagine the uncertainty of the hour of death, and that, when often many of the elders are still here, the young men are snatched away by death before them. So that we do not abuse the time of our death, it is left unknown to us. Therefore, one wise man in our admonition says: “Do not hesitate to turn to the Lord and do not delay from day to day” (“Do not hesitate to turn to the Lord, and do not delay day by day”) (Sir.5:8): “because you do not know what that day will bring forth” (“Do not consider what the day will bring forth”) (Prov.27:1). Delay produces apprehension and fear, but immediately turning (to God) produces sure and reliable salvation. So, hold fast to virtue; in this case, even if you moved from here in your youth, you will move safely; even if you reach old age, you will move enriched, and throughout your life you will have a special holiday, both as one who abstained from vice and as one who loved virtue. Do not say: “There will be another time when you must turn”; Such words greatly anger God. Why? Because He promised you endless centuries, but you don’t want to work for the continuation of this short and fleeting life, and you turn out to be so careless and cowardly that you seek even this shortest life. Don't you have the same feasts every day? Aren't they the same tables? Aren't they the same harlots? Aren't they the same spectacles? Isn't it the same money? How long will you love this as something eternal? How long will you have an insatiable lust for sin? Think that no matter how many times you have committed sin, the same number of times you have condemned yourself, because this is precisely the property of sin: as soon as it is committed, the judge pronounces the sentence. Did you get drunk, indulge in satiety, steal someone else's property? Stop, finally, turn to the opposite path, give thanks to God for not snatching you away from among the living while you were committing sins, and do not wish that you were given more time to do evil. Many lost their lives at the same time as they indulged in greed, and went away to obvious torment. Be afraid lest you too be subjected to the same thing without any hope of justification. But for many, you might say, God gave them time to repent even in their deepest old age. So what? Will he give it to you too? “Maybe he will,” you say. What are these words: “maybe, once, often”? Just think that this is about your soul; imagine the opposite, think about it and say: “What if it doesn’t?” But you say again: “What if it does?” Let us suppose that (God) would have given; but immediate treatment is both safer and more beneficial than later treatment. In fact, if you have already started it, then in any case it is useful for you, whether you receive a deferment or not. If you always put it off, then perhaps you won’t get a reprieve for it. When you go to war, you don’t say: “There’s no need to make a spiritual will - maybe I’ll come back”; when planning to get married, you don’t say: “I’ll take a poor wife - many, despite this, have become rich beyond their dreams”; when intending to build a house, you do not say: “I will build on a rotten foundation - many houses stood like that.” And when it comes to the soul, you settle on something rotten: on “maybe,” “often,” “sometime,” and you entrust yourself to the unknown. “Not to the unknown,” you say, “but to God’s love for mankind, because God loves mankind.” I know this too; but even with His love for mankind, He removed (from among the living) those about whom I spoke. What if you, even after living for a long time, remain the same? After all, whoever is careless now will be the same in old age. No, you say. But someone who thinks like this, having lived until he is eighty years old, will put it off until he is ninety, and having lived until he is ninety, he will put it off until he is a hundred years old, and after a hundred years he will be even more careless. And thus your whole life will be wasted in vain, and what was said about the Jews will be fulfilled on you: “And he destroyed their days in vanity” (“their days perished in vanity”) (Ps. 77:33). And it’s also good, if only in vanity, and not in evil. If we go there with a heavy burden of sins (and this means in evil), then we will deliver food to the fire and a rich meal to the worm. Therefore, I ask and pray you to finally become courageous and abandon sin in order to receive the promised benefits, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with 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: