Conversation on the words of the apostle: “Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly!” (2 Cor. 11:1)

At the beginning of the “Discourse on the words of the Apostle: “Oh, that you would be somewhat lenient with my folly” (2 Cor. 11:1),” St. John Chrysostom makes a distinction between carnal and spiritual love. Carnal love is guilt, a hateful passion of the soul, which produces enmity in the minds of those who love; there is no benefit from it, only the perversion of life and the disorder of homes. Spiritual love is praise, joy, decoration of the soul, which destroys existing enmity, establishes peace, and brings a great abundance of virtues. The saint calls to love the Apostle Paul by studying his epistles. According to St. John, the words “Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly!” (2 Cor. 11:1) are self-explanatory, since they were spoken to the Corinthians, among whom there were many false apostles who were corrupting society, accusing the Apostle Paul, undermining the glory that he had among his disciples, ironically ridiculing him and accusing him of boastfulness. The saint draws attention to the humility of St. Paul, who says that if he was saved, it was only so that no one would despair of his salvation. It is necessary to admit your shortcomings and forget about your merits. Using the example of the prophet Samuel, the conversation shows that the righteous know how to remain silent and break the silence when necessity forces them. *The title of the essay in Latin is In illud: Utinam sustineretis modicum. The difference between carnal love and spiritual love. – If we don’t see the ap. Paul with bodily eyes, then we should still love him no less; if he is not now with us, then we have his writings, which we must examine in order to penetrate into their meaning. - What do the words mean: “Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly!” – They explain themselves if you pay attention to the circumstances in which they were said. - The many different precautions that the apostle takes. Paul, before you give yourself credit. - Humility of St. Paul, who says that if he was saved, it was so that no one would despair of his salvation. – You need to admit your shortcomings and forget about your merits. – The righteous know how to remain silent when there is no need to speak, and break silence when necessity forces them. - Example of Samuel. - Conclusion. 1. I love all the saints in general, especially Blessed Paul, the chosen vessel, the trumpet of heaven, the guide of Christ. I said this and declared the love that I have for him in order to make you participants in this love. Those who love with carnal love are rightly ashamed to admit it, since they shame themselves and harm those who listen; and let those who love spiritual love never cease to confess it, because with this wonderful confession they benefit both themselves and their listeners. That love is guilt, and this one is praise; those. the hateful passion of the soul, and this is joy, joy and the best decoration of the soul; that one produces enmity in the minds of those who love, and this one destroys existing enmity and establishes great peace in those who love; from that there is no benefit, but still a great waste of money and some unreasonable expenses, a perversion of life, a complete disorder of houses, and from this there is a great wealth of righteous deeds, a great abundance of virtues. Moreover, those who love beautiful bodies and are carried away by beautiful faces, if they themselves are vile and ugly, do not receive profit from their addiction to eliminate their own ugliness, but still turn out to be more vile and disgusting; but with this love it’s completely the opposite. He who loves a holy, handsome, brilliant and beautiful soul, even if he himself is vile and ugly, even if he is the most vile of all people, from constant love for the saints will soon become the same as his beloved. Truly, this is also a matter of God’s love for mankind, that an ugly and mutilated body cannot be repaired, but a vile and ugly soul can be made brilliant and beautiful. There can be no benefit from the beauty of the body; and from the beauty of the soul can come as many benefits as are typical for someone whom God loves to acquire. David, singing about this beauty in the psalms, says: “Hear, daughter, and look, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house. And the King will desire your beauty” (Ps. 44:11-12), meaning here spiritual beauty, which is acquired by virtue and piety. 2. So, if there are so many benefits for those who have fellowship with the saints, then share with me in love and let us love the saint (Paul) with great strength. If this love enters your soul and ignites a brilliant flame, then, even if it finds in our thoughts something thorny or stony, dry and insensitive, it will destroy one, and soften the other, and make our soul some kind of wide and fat arable land, capable of receiving divine seeds. Nobody tell me that Paul is no longer there, that he is invisible to our eyes, and how can we love someone who is invisible? There are no obstacles to this love. You can love both the departed and the invisible, especially when every day we see so many such monuments of his virtue - churches built throughout the earth, the overthrow of wickedness, the change of a vicious life for a better one, the destruction of error, destroyed altars, closed churches, the silence of demons. All this, and the like, was accomplished by the power of Paul’s word, inspired by Divine grace, and kindled everywhere the brilliant flame of piety. Along with such righteous deeds, we also have holy messages from him, which accurately depict to us the features of this blessed soul. Therefore, as if talking with Paul himself, who is present and abiding with us, let us diligently obey what he wrote, examine the inner meaning of what he said, find out what the words he uttered today mean: “Oh, that you would be somewhat lenient towards my folly! But you also condescend to me. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God” (2 Cor. 11:1-2). What are you saying, Pavel? Commanding the disciples to deal wisely with outsiders, saying: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:6); Praying for everyone that they would be “filled with... spiritual wisdom” (Col. 1:9), you yourself say: “Oh, if only you would be somewhat lenient towards my folly”? Wouldn’t it be enough for you to loudly say some foolish word, and then you announce it to the disciples, and not only announce it to the disciples, but through a message you make it known to all subsequent people? Do you see how one should not just skim through what is said, but carefully examine each word? If you simply read this saying, it arouses bewilderment in the listeners, but if you examine it, then it shows the great wisdom of Paul, his great prudence, his ineffable care. 3. What does this saying mean? The Corinthians had many false apostles who corrupted them, accused Paul, undermined his glory, which he had among his disciples, ironically ridiculing him and accusing him of boastfulness. He directs speech against them in many places in the epistle, namely when he says: “We do not corrupt the word of God, as many do” (2 Cor. 2:17); also, when he says: “we preach sincerely,” and promises to always keep this rule inviolable: “according to the truth of Christ in me, I will say that this praise will not be taken away from me in the countries of Achaia” (2 Cor. 11:9-10); and giving the reason for this, he points to the same wicked ones in the words: “Why do I do this? Is it because I don't love you? God knows! But as I do, so will I do, so as not to give opportunity to those who seek reason, so that whatever they boast about may be found to be the same as we are” (2 Cor. 11:11-12); and above this, exhorting his disciples not to put him under the need to show them his strength, he says this: “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” (2 Cor. 10:2). The very ones about whom he says this, ironically slandering him, said this: his messages have a lot of pomp and nonsense in their words, and he himself is insignificant, of little value and worthless; therefore, if he came here, he would not seem worthy of any attention. Expressing this, he said: “However, let it not seem that I am intimidating you only with messages. For someone says: in his epistles he is strict and strong, but in his personal presence he is weak and his speech is insignificant” (2 Cor. 10:9-10). Then, accusing the Corinthians themselves, who were tempted, he says: “Have I sinned in that I humbled myself in order to exalt you” (2 Cor. 11:7)? And relieving himself of this very guilt, he again says: “As we are in words in letters in absentia, such are we in reality in person” (2 Cor. 10:11). So, they had many false apostles, whom he also calls “evil workers,” expressing himself this way: “Such false apostles... disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. And it is not surprising: because Satan himself disguises himself as an Angel of light, and therefore it is not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Since they, inventing countless slander against him, harmed the students, convincing them to have an indecent opinion about him, he is finally forced to begin to present his own praises - because it was unsafe to remain silent any longer. Therefore, intending to tell us his own exploits, the revelations that he saw, and the labors that he undertook, and, wanting to show everyone that he was doing this involuntarily, forced, and because he saw the need, he, however, called it madness, saying: “accept me, although as unreasonable.” I, he says, intend to do an unreasonable thing - to praise and glorify myself; but the reason for this is not me, but those who put me in such a need; Therefore, I urge you to hold on and hold them accountable. 4. And look at Paul's prudence. Saying: “Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly! But you also condescend to me. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God,” he does not immediately begin to present his praises, but, having previously expressed a few more words: “not almost anyone makes me unreasonable; but if not so, then accept me, even though I am foolish” (2 Cor. 11:16). And then he has not yet touched upon the exposition, but adds the following: “What I say, I will say not in the Lord, but as if in foolishness, with such courage to praise” (2 Cor. 11:17). And after these words he did not dare to approach the subject, but restrained his desire and said: “As many boast in the flesh, so will I boast. For you, understanding people, willingly tolerate foolish people” (2 Cor. 11:18-19). Then he again retreats and hesitates and, having said a few other words, continues again: “If anyone dares to boast about anything, then (I say foolishly) I dare too” (2 Cor. 11:21); and then, finally, after so many reservations, he bravely began to expound his praises. Just as a horse, intending to jump over a steep rapid, rushes to jump over, but, seeing the abyss, becomes weak and pulls away, and then, seeing that the rider urges him more strongly, takes it up again and again experiences the same thing, and, feeling the need and violence, stands for a long time and neighs on the edge of the abyss, so that, having encouraged himself, bravely dare to do this, so blessed Paul, intending to throw himself into some rapids, in the presentation of his own praises, once, and twice, and three times, and repeatedly retreats and says: “Oh, if only you were somewhat lenient towards my folly”; also: “not almost anyone makes me unreasonable; and if not so, then accept me, although as unreasonable"; also: “What I say, I will say not in the Lord, but as if in foolishness with such courage for praise”; again: “Just as many boast in the flesh, I also will boast: you people of understanding willingly tolerate foolish people”; and again: “If anyone dares to boast about anything, then (I will say out of foolishness) I dare too.” And repeatedly calling himself unreasonable and senseless, he then barely dares to begin glorifying himself. “Are they Jews? and I. Israelis? and I. Abraham's seed? and I. Servants of Christ? (in madness I say) I am greater" (2 Cor. 11:22-23). And here he did not stop at himself, but again makes a reservation, continuing like this: “In madness I say: I am more.” And here he did not, but, after setting out all his praises, he said: “I reached the point of foolishness in boasting; you forced me to do this” (2 Cor. 12:11). He seems to be saying this: I would not have paid any attention to those if your condition had been firm, if you had not shied away or wavered, because, even if they constantly spoke ill of us, there would be no harm to me from their reproach; but since I see that the flock is being corrupted and the disciples are retreating, I considered the difficult and unpleasant matter unimportant, and am forced to be crazy, expounding praises to myself for you and your salvation. 5. This is the custom of the saints: if they do something bad, they solemnly show it, groan every day and make it open to everyone; if it is something noble and great, then they hide it and consign it to oblivion. So this saint (Paul) often remembered and solemnly showed his sins, when no one was raping, either saying: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15), then saying: “I thank Him who gave me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He recognized me as faithful, appointing me to serve, me, who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and an offender, but received mercy because so I acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:12–13); and again: “After all, he appeared to me, as to some monster. For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:8-9); and again: “To me, the least of all saints, has this grace been given” (Eph. 3:8). Do you see how he calls himself the least of the apostles, but also of all believers in general, saying: “To me, the least of all saints, was this grace given”? So he calls himself unworthy even of the salvation that he received, because, having said: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first,” listen to what reason he gives for this: “This is a true saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. But for this reason I received mercy, so that Jesus Christ in me first might show all long-suffering, as an example to those who will believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:15-16). The meaning of these words is as follows: I was not chosen for a worthy change in life - do not think so - but so that none of those who lived in evil or were at enmity against Christ would despair, seeing the last of all saved - the one in comparison with whom no one was so hostile to Christ. Christ said of him: “Go, for he is my chosen vessel, to proclaim my name before the nations and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15); and he, not at all puffed up by such praise, after such encouragement, continues to humiliate himself, calling himself the first of sinners and explaining that he was pardoned so that none of those devoted to extreme evil would despair of their salvation, looking at him and the love of mankind shown to him. 6. So, sins, without any necessity, he solemnly shows every day in all his messages, branding them and making them obvious not only to the people of that time, but also to everyone who had to be, after; and to express his praises even when he sees the need, hesitates and evades. This is evident both from the fact that he repeatedly calls this matter madness, and from the entire time during which he kept silent about his wondrous and Divine revelation, because not then, and not two, and not three, and not ten years before that, but much earlier he was a spectator of it. For this purpose, he also designates the time itself, expressing himself like this: “I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago (whether in the body - I don’t know, or out of the body - I don’t know: God knows) was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2), so that you know that he would not have said it out loud even then if he had not seen an urgent need. If he wanted to show off his merits, he would have spoken about this revelation immediately when he saw it, either in the first, second, or third year; Meanwhile, for fourteen years he was firm and silent, and did not speak out to anyone, but only to the Corinthians, and when? Then, when he saw that false apostles were born, showing by this that he would not have said it out loud even then if he had not seen such corruption that had occurred in the disciples. This is not what we do, but quite the opposite: we do not remember our sins even for one day, and when we hear others reminding us of them, we become irritated, annoyed, consider it arrogance and shower them with countless reproaches; If we do some small good, we often talk about it, and we express gratitude to those who remind us of it and consider them friends, although Christ decreed on the contrary - to forget good deeds and remember sins. He explained this to us both by the admonition that He gave to the disciples in the words: “When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are worthless servants” (Luke 17:10), and by the parable of the Pharisee, to whom He preferred the tax collector. Just as the memory of sins justified him, so the memory of righteous deeds destroyed him. And God gave the same admonition to the Jews, saying: “I myself blot out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins: remember me” (Is. 43:25-26). 7. Such was the custom of the apostles, such of the prophets and of all the righteous in general. So, David constantly remembered his sin, but never about righteous deeds, except when he was forced to. When the barbaric war engulfed Judea, and everything was full of dangers, then he, being still a youth and inexperienced in war, left the sheep, came to the camp and, finding everyone in horror, fear and trembling, did not experience this human feeling and did not give in to fear, seeing his household become cowardly; but, rising by faith above everything visible and turning his gaze to the King of heaven, and filled with great zeal, he approached the soldiers and brothers, promising to free them from the enveloping danger. When the brothers began to laugh at his words - because they did not see the anointing God inside him and his noble soul, reaching to heaven and filled with great wisdom - then, leaving them, he went to others. When he was brought to the king and found him dead from fear, he first restored his spirit and said: “Let no one lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:32). Since he did not believe and said: “You cannot go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are still a youth, but he has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33), then, out of necessity, David is finally forced to express himself in praise. And that he did not want this, he proved by his previous behavior, without saying anything about his righteous deeds either to his brothers, or to the soldiers, or even to the king himself, until he saw him distrusting, arguing and preventing him from going against the enemy. And what could he do? Should praise be silenced? But then the king would not allow him to go out and free him from the enveloping danger. Therefore, he, who was silent when he should have seen the circumstances that forced him to speak, is no longer silent, but says to him: “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep, and when it happened that a lion or a bear came and carried away a sheep from the flock, then I chased after him and attacked him and took him out of his mouth; and if he rushed at me, then I took him by the hair and struck him and killed him; Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and the same thing will happen to this uncircumcised Philistine as to them, because in this way the army of the living God is defied. [Shall I go and smite him in order to remove the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?]” (1 Samuel 17:34–36). Do you see how he explained why he spoke about his rightful deeds? Then, only then, the king, who was confident, finally ordered him to come out. And he went out and fought and won. But if he had not expressed his praise, the king would not have trusted him with this single combat; if I didn’t trust him, I wouldn’t allow him to go out to fight; not allowing this, he would have hindered this just cause; and if there had been an obstacle to this matter, then God would not have been glorified, and the city would not have been freed from the surrounding dangers. So, so that so many inappropriate things would not happen and there would be no obstacles to such a great economy, David was forced to talk about his exploits. Just as saints know how to remain silent when there is no real need, so they know how to speak when they see an urgent need. 8. And not only on him, but also on Samuel one can see the same thing. Having ruled the Jewish people for so many years in the way God wanted, he never expressed anything great about himself out loud, although he could, if he wanted, say a lot, such as: about his upbringing from the very first age, about his stay in the church, about his gift of prophecy from childhood, about subsequent wars, about the victories that he won, not defending himself with weapons, but fighting with God’s blessing - in former times he did not say anything like that. When he intended to give up control and entrust power to another, then, finally, he was forced to express his praise and, moreover, weakly. Having called all the people, in the presence of Saul, he said this: “And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you spoke to me, and I have appointed a king over you, and, behold, a king walks before you; and I have grown old and gray; and my sons are with you; I have walked before you from my youth until this day; here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed, from whom I took an ox, from whom I took a donkey, from whom I offended and oppressed, from whom I took a gift and closed my eyes in the matter, and I will restore it to you” (1 Samuel 12:1-3). What, you say, was the need to say this? Many and great. Since he intended to introduce Saul into their management, then, wishing to teach him through justification of himself how to govern and care for his subjects, he presents his subordinates themselves as witnesses of his wisdom. And he does this not during his power, lest someone say that out of fear and fear of him they testified to something that did not happen, but when he left the government of the people and the affairs of the government passed to another, and there was no danger for the accuser, then he enters into court with them. Meanwhile, if it had been anyone else, he would have become vindictive against the Jews and would not have wanted to have a just and moderate leader as his successor, not only out of vindictiveness, but also so that he himself would be praised more. 9. Truly, bosses sometimes have this terrible disease - the desire for the successors to their power to be bad and vicious. If they themselves were noble, then they think to become more brilliant if the successors to their power are not the same; and if they are vicious and depraved, they think that the evil of the next boss will be a defense of their own depravity. This blessed one was not like that, but he wished, prayed and sought that the Jews would receive a better government for many: he was so gentle, so pure from envy, so free from vanity! He was looking for only one thing - saving people. Therefore, while defending himself, he also taught their boss. Since, on the one hand, to call the king and tell him: be fair and moderate and incorruptible, do not rape anyone and do not do injustice, and do not be greedy - it would be difficult and unpleasant for the one who had to hear this, and on the other hand, silence would be a betrayal in relation to the people, he did both under the guise of protecting himself: he taught him what a king should be like, and avoided trouble in the instruction. Apparently, he cares only about himself, but teaches how and in what manner he should care for his subjects. Consider how carefully he proves his non-involvement in bribes. He did not say, “Have I taken away any of you from any of you, fields, or gold, but that which is the cheapest, I will take away,” he says. Then he announces to us his other great virtue. Since many of the bosses, if they steal, are fair, moderate and affectionate, not of their own accord, but out of compulsion from conscience, having lost their boldness as a result of theft; and those who are incorruptible can be difficult and unpleasant, again not of their own accord, but out of some vanity and as a result of their incorruptibility; and for both to be combined in one person, it is not easy to see, this saint, wanting to show that he was higher than both, overcame both bribery and anger, after he said: “from whom did I take the ox,” he did not remain silent, but added: “whom did I offend?” The meaning of his words is as follows: no one can say that, although I did not take, but because I did not take, I was difficult and unpleasant, and rude and wild. That's why he said: “Whom did he oppress?” What are they? They answered: “You did not offend us or oppress us, and you did not take anything from anyone” (1 Samuel 12:4). And so that you know that he said this also as an instruction to the king himself, he added: “The Lord is a witness against you, and his anointed witness” (1 Sam. 12:5), showing and instilling in us that this testimony was not made to please him, for which purpose he called Himself as a witness, the Knower of secret thoughts; this serves as proof of a clear conscience, because no one, unless completely enraged and frantic, will ever call God as a witness to his conscience unless he is very confident in himself. When in this way they testified to his words, he points to another virtue of his: recalling everything ancient that happened in Egypt, the intercession of God and subsequent wars, he recalls the battle that happened with him and the unexpected victory; and having said how often they were handed over to their enemies for their sins, how he called upon God and delivered them from their enemies, and combining the new with the ancient, he continues thus: “Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies who were around you, and you lived safely” (1 Samuel 12:11). 10. Do you see how the saints usually did not talk about their good deeds, unless sometimes under duress? Therefore, Paul, looking at them and carefully moderating himself, because it is difficult and unbearable to say anything about oneself, said: “endure willingly (for a short time) the foolish”; not much, but little, because even out of necessity he was not preparing to pour out his praises abundantly, but briefly runs through them, and this, moreover, for the sake of the listeners and their salvation. Just as it is extremely insane to talk about one’s own exploits without the need, so when there is an urgent need and a compelling need to remain silent about one’s deeds, it would be a betrayal. However, Paul, seeing the need, hesitated and called this matter madness, so that you would recognize his prudence, wisdom and great firmness. Having said: “What I say, I will not say in the Lord,” he added: “but as if in foolishness, with such courage to praise” (2 Cor. 11:17). Don’t think, he says, that I will tell you all about it. That is why I especially glorify him, and am amazed at him, and call him the wisest, because he considered it a crazy thing to praise and glorify himself. If, seeing the necessity, he called this matter madness, then what kind of forgiveness can they receive, what protection can those who unnecessarily talk a lot about themselves, or force others to talk, have? So, knowing this, let us not only glorify what has been said, but also imitate and compete, and, forgetting about our righteous deeds, we will always remember our sins, so that we can moderate ourselves, and, stretching forward, receive the reward of the highest calling, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: