LET US DIE TOGETHER AND LIVE TOGETHER The apostle Paul goes on to reveal to his people the concept of the true fatherly love. He is ready to die and to live together with them. This kind of love is not set upon mere human emotions, but upon the longing to encounter together as one family in the bosom of God. What brings pleasure to the heart of the apostle Paul is their repentance, salvation, and enjoyment of the eternal glory. The apostle was comforted by what his disciple Titus told him of the repentance of the Corinthians, and God’s comforts to them. “Titus’ spirit, has been refreshed by them all” (13), and the apostle Paul rejoiced with, and in him. The minister’s comfort is in the true repentance of his congregation 1- A progress in holiness 1 2- Let us die and live together with you 2 - 3 3- Comforting news amid the tribulations 4 - 7 4- The sorrow of repentance, and the sorrow of the world 8 -11 5- His love for them is the goal of his writing 12 6- A mutual comforts and rejoicings 13 – 16 1- A PROGRESS IN HOLINESS: Revealing how his heart exulted because of their repentance, the apostle Paul confirms to them that the ultimate goal of his faith and preaching, is to enjoy, together with all the people, the holy life inside and outside, and to walk along the way of holiness in the fear of God. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (1) Here, he refers to the divine promises, mentioned in the previous verses: That He will be their God, and they shall be His 216 people (16); that He will become a Father to them, and they shall be His sons (18); and that He will receive them, once they separate themselves from all uncleanness (17). Longing for the realization of those divine promises, we are committed to seek perfection and holiness, as He is both; We are committed to care for the purity of the body and the soul; as the Holy God is glorified in both. The apostle Paul demands from us, not only to cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the body, but from “all filthiness” of the body, to be found in the holiness of the spirit, in the fear of God by the name of Jesus Christ; For he who separates himself from iniquities, but not in Christ, will not be pure and righteous in Him. Here we find a teaching to seek the unutterable gifts of God in Christ Jesus, and in a greater fear to cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of the body and the soul1. (St. Basil the Great) In the compassion of His divine love, God presented to us purifying commandments; that, if we wish, we can, by keeping His commandments be purified, not only from sins, but from desires as well. As the sin is something, and the desire is something else; the desires are like anger, boasting, love of pleasures, hatred, filthiness, etc.; Whereas sins are the practical execution of these desires; namely, that man, by his body, puts into action the works provoked by his desires. Man could have desires; yet he probably does not bring them into effect. The law (in the Old Covenant) had the goal of teaching us to refrain from doing what we do not wish for ourselves; namely from the practical execution of evil. But now (in the New Covenant), we are sought to drive away the desire itself which motivates us toward evil; to drive away hatred, ego, love of dignity, etc2. 1 Concerning Baptism 1: 2. . 2 الفیلوكالیا، 1993 ، ص 177 217 I wish we can get rid of the filthiness of sin, so as to reveal the early beauty of virtue. I wish we get purified to reveal the image of God in us. That is what God desires from us: to be blameless1. (St. Dorotheos) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the foundation of the holy life; As the Holy God works in those who fear Him, who hope for His mercy. The believer is committed to flee from everything that would defile his body, whether through the eye, the ear, the hand, or the belly; through greed, adultery, or slothfulness; And also from everything that would defile the soul; through the enjoyment of the commendation of others, anger, etc. That is on the negative aspect; And on the positive aspect, to have the enjoyment of the fear of God as children who are keen onhonoring the feelings of their holy Father. By that, the believer would enjoy having the mind of Christ, and walk along the way of holiness, to enjoy its perfection. In case someone wishes to gain the love of God, he should have the fear of God; For fear produces weeping, which in turn produces strength. And once all that are consummate in the soul, it starts to have fruition in everything. And once God sees those good fruition in the soul, He would smell them as sweet fragrance of incense, would rejoice in it together with His angels, would satisfy it with joy, and would keep it in all its ways, until it reaches the place of its comfort without any harm. And when the devil sees the Great Mighty Guard covering the soul with His protection, he would not dare to approach it. Therefore, acquire this strength to make the demons tremble before you, that your affairs would be easy, and that you would enjoy the good taste of the divine work; as the love of God is sweeter than honey. Many monks and nuns in monasteries have not tasted this divine sweetness, nor acquired that divine strength; although they think that they have acquired them, despite their lack of strife. He 1 تأملات في مدیح للقدیس غریغوریوس النزینزي. 218 who strives for its sake, will certainly acquire it through the divine mercies; for God does not look at the outer appearances. He who wishes to have the light and the strength of God, is committed to despise the honors and the uncleanness of this world, to hate all the things in this world and the pleasure of the flesh, to purify his heart of all the bad thoughts, and to present to God fasting and tears, day and night, in unceasing pure prayers; Then God would grant him that strength in abundance. Strive, therefore to gain this strength, to do all your works with easiness, to have great daring before God, who will certainly grant you what you ask for1. (St. Abba Anthony) Love is the seed of non-desire; which, in turn is the flower of the working life, that does its role in keeping the commandments. The fear of God is the guard on practicing the commandments; and is a fruit of the sound faith. The dogma (the mere theoretical mental faith) is the inner goodness of the soul; which may be found, even in those who do not believe in God (in a practical way)2. (St. (Mar) Oghris) St. John says: “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4: 18); And the blessed David exhorts the Lord’s saints to fear Him. Here, two kinds of fear are revealed: The first kind is primitive, and the second is perfect. The first kind concerns the beginners; while the second concerns the perfect saints, who have reached the stature of the perfect love. He who obeys the will of God out of fear of punishment, his fear would be of the first primitive kind; Whereas he who obeys the will of God, out of his love for God, to please Him; has reached with this love to the perfect kind of fear; through which he would 1 Letter, 9. . 2 الفیلوكالیا، 1993 ، ص 142 219 fear lest he would lose that gladness he is enjoying of his presence with God; That would be the perfect fear, born of love, that casts away the primitive kind of fear1. (St. Dorotheos) 2- LET US DIE AND LIVE TOGETHER WITH YOU: “Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one” (2) He asks them to love him as he loves them; and to receive him as an apostle; having confirmed to them that he is sent by God; and that he is faithful in his apostolic work. He does not mean to ask them to receive him and his co-workers as persons, but to receive the gospel they preach; As the Corinthians had no reason to reject the ministers. Being particulate to offend no one, he said to the priests in the church of Ephesus: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel” (Ephesians 20: 33). And here he says: “We have wronged no one”, namely, we have not practiced anything against justice; “corrupted no one”, with false or harmful teaching; and, “exploited no one”, namely, never coveted anything belonging to anyone, nor sought a temporal thing. That is the feature of the true minister; Let us listen to what the prophet Samuel says to his people: “Here I am, witness against me before the Lord, and before His anointed; Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eye? I will restore it to you” (1 Samuel 12: 3). It is as though, Paul says to them: Look what the false teachers have done to you; they oppressed you, corrupted your mind, and deceived you! . 1 الفیلوكالیا، 1993 ، ص 187 220 “Make room for us in your hearts”; namely, receive us, love us. Who has cast us away from your hearts1? (St. John Chrysostom) “I do not say this to condemn, for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (3) He did not write to criticize or to condemn them, but to open their eyes to discern between the true and faithful apostles and ministers, on the one hand, and the false teachers on the other hand; As the later ones could not say that the people are in their hearts, to die together and to live together. The apostle Paul does not only covet anything belonging to anyone, but finds his pleasure to have all enter into his heart, to find in it the exalted love; to encounter his Christ who partakes of the suffering of men, to let them have fellowship in the gladness of His heavens. In the apostle’s heart there is a practical demonstration of the fellowship of Christ with His believers, and that of the believers with their Christ. He is the ambassador of Christ, walking by His Spirit. He shows great compassion, even when treated with despite … He chooses to live and to die together with them … In case of danger he is ready to endure anything … Life or death do not mean much to him … For their sake he would prefer one over the other2. (St. John Chrysostom) He who is to be ordained for priesthood is committed to be like the prophet Moses … Who, when horrible death was poured over some rebels, hastened to place himself in between death and life to let no one of his people perish. He who has the spirit and mind of priesthood, being a good shepherd, he, with a pious spirit, would readily approach death for the sake of the flock of the Lord. By that he would be like 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 14. PG 61: 537. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 14. PG 61: 538. 221 Moses, in breaking the sting of death, confronting its power, and nullifying it to a great extent. Love would be the support that justifies him, when he would rather die for the sake of his opponents1. (St. Ambrose) O you, intercessor of the divine sacraments, Talk love… He, who teaches and does not love, should keep quiet; as his labor to present much talk would be in vain. A successful teacher who wishes to gain his listeners, should love abundantly, and talk a little to his disciples. A priest approaching the sanctuary should be clothed with abundant love; as with this attire he can approach God2. (St. Jacob El-Serougy) 3- COMFORTING NEWS AMID THE TRIBULATIONS: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (4) On his side, his love for them is without limits, Together with them he is ready to live and to die. On their side, their love for him has provided him with great confidence and boldness to write with complete frankness. He cherishes their love for him, and boasts it. Their love filled his heart with comfort amid his tribulations and sufferings; he became exceedingly joyful. He is like a father who forgets all his labor once he feels his children’s love for him, and sees them open up their hearts to him. The expression “I am exceedingly joyful”, in Greek (Huperperisseumai) is a verb rarely used, and was never used in the whole New Testament except this once. The apostle Paul was so convinced that the Corinthians responded well to his rebuke in his first epistle; to be encouraged to do it again. Their response provided him with complete comfort . 1 الحب الرعوي، ص 458 .460- 2الحب الرعوي، ص 458 222 despite all the tribulations and afflictions that were dwelling upon him, for the sake of their salvation. That response of the people by repentance gave the apostle several blessings, amongst which are the following: A confidence that his people are the people chosen by God. A boasting and cherishing of the work of God in them A comfort that filled every void in him. A great joy that afflictions could destroy. The people’s repentance is a support for the priest, which he cherishes, have comfort, and joy for the grace of God working in them through him. It is the sign of their love for God and His faithful ministers. Honoring their priest is greatly shown through their repentance, that makes his heart exult and have comfort by the salvation of his brethren in the Lord. St. John Chrysostom often demanded from his congregation to express their love for him, not through cheers and applause, but by daily repentance and obedience of the divine commandment. I do not need applause or cheers. I need only one thing, to which I wish you would listen attentively and with reason: Do what I say! That would be your commendation for me, and your thanksgiving1! We are not in a theater here, and you do not see before you actors or entertainers to applaud; This is a spiritual school, in which we show our obedience by our works2. (St. John Chrysostom) “For indeed , when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were in trouble on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears” (5) The apostle Paul who was always very cheerful, was going through some kind of depression, because of the persecutions of the 1 In Matt. Hom 17: 6. 2 Statues, hom 2: 10. 223 Jews and the Gentiles, of the false teachers, on the outer side, and of his fear for the people inside. He left Ephesus and went to Troas for some time, then came to Macedonia where he wrote this epistle. He was anticipating the return of Titus, to tell him about the effect of his first epistle; and got depressed because of his delay. The apostle Paul had to fight two wars: an outer war against enemies, and inner ones within his own congregation. He feared the probable diversion of believers to harmful things1. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) “We were in trouble on every side” wars on the outside against the unbelievers, and fears on the inside for the weak among the believers, lest they would probably be lost. That was not confined to the Corinthians alone, but extended to other places as well2. (St. John Chrysostom) “Nevertheless, God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (6) The apostle Paul refers the inner comforts of his heart, first to God who comforts the downcast, then because the arrival of Titus, who provided him with a joyful report of the effect of his first epistle on the church in Corinth. His encounter with Titus rejoiced his heart, as Paul greatly cherished friendship, especially among those working o the account of the kingdom of heaven on earth. He greatly cherished Titus like his own son, and a fellow in faith (Titus 1: 1). Yet the news he brought to him were a comfort much greater than the personal friendship. What brought gladness to the apostle’s heart is their repentance and their sorrow which brings forth joy in the Lord. As according to the wise Solomon: “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue” (Proverbs 28: 32). But before referring his comfort to his friendship with Titus, or to the good news from Corinth, he referred it to God, who 1 PG 82: 418. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 14. PG 61: 540. 224 comforts the downcast, as the Source of every comfort and every goodness. Some believe that the arrival of Titus has brought forth comfort to Paul, For a suffering person finds comfort when someone faithful approaches him. And St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa believes that by using the term “comfort” her, the apostle refers to God’s power to heal1. “And not only his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more” (7) The secret of his comfort are: 1- The coming of Titus, as a son, a fiend, and a faithful coworker with him. 2- That he came with divine comforts, because of the positive situation of the Corinthians, 3- That Titus revealed to him their longing to see his person, and to correct their behavioral, dogmatic, and clerical faults. 4- That he revealed to him their mourning because of what they have done before. 5- That he revealed to him their zeal to support the apostle in his preaching and ministry. 4- THE SORROW OF REPENTANCE AND THE SORROW OF THE WORLD: “For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while” (8) The apostle Paul, after writing his first epistle, hesitated to write again with the same firmness. It is as though he wished to say to them: You committed me write to you in that way, despite my strong intention to be more compassionate and loving. And 1 Against Eunomius, 2: 14. 225 although he regretted after writing it, yet he regretted no more, but even rejoiced to see the abundant and increasing fruition it produced. That is what he means by saying: “I do not regret it, though I did regret it”. But now, the time is not for sorrow, but for mutual joy. I have regretted because I wrote to you with such firmness, and you became sorry for what you have done. Now, let us be comforted and joyful together: You became sorry, only for a while, and now, you and I will forever have joy by the salvation of the Lord and His work in you. “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, so that you were not harmed in any way by us” (9) Your sorrow for repentance led to a great change in your mind and behavior. While the sorrow of the world destroys the soul, corrupts peace, and weakens the body, Your sorrow, on the other hand, is the sorrow of repentance, that renewed your soul. brought joy to all. and caused harm to no one through us. Here the apostle Paul teaches us that this kind of sorrow, whose goal is God and not the world, is the most valuable. He says that they were right to feel sorry, as it led to their repentance to God. Recall those, in the Old Covenant, who, because they were sorrowful amid their intense labor, they gained grace; whereas those who found joy in pleasures, deserved punishment; The Hebrews who groaned because of their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2: 23), and ate the bread of grief and fear, gained the grace of the righteous and enjoyed the spiritual goodness1. (St. Ambrose) “For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (10) The apostle discerns between two kinds of sorrow: (1) Sorrow according to the will of God; caused by breaking the divine commandment. This holy sorrow is for the sake 1 Paradise 15: 77. 226 of the enjoyment of the joy of salvation. A repentant man would not have rest until he finds a place for himself in the divine bosom through the salvation work of Christ; so that his heart would be lifted up to heaven. (2) Sorrow of the world, set upon the loss of some of the material or the mental things of the world; whether temporal possessions or rights or earthly honor. This kind of sorrow destroys the soul, and brings forth emaciation of the body, together with ailments, and leads to death and temporal and eternal perdition. Here the apostle presents a magnificent evangelic concept of the sorrow according to the will of God, that it leads to repentance, namely to a return to the bosom of God, and not to despair; produces a continuous reform and renewal, and is accompanied by the peace of God and an inner joy. Man would never regret or grieve on practicing this holy sorrow. He says that there are more than one kind of sorrow: one is the sorrow of the world, and the other is the sorrow according to the will of God. The former produces death, while the latter produces repentance for salvation. Once the soul mourns on its wicked life, being aware of its evil results; such painful feeling is referred to the blessed kind of sorrow1. Nothing brings the heart back to wisdom like sorrow; and nothing is sweeter than the pious sorrow2. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) He who grieves according to the will of God, would be grieving in repentance on his sins, and on his evil deeds, to produce justice3. Listening to the prayer of someone, I heard him say: ‘O God, have mercy on me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You’; He mourns his sins. I see the field, and anticipate the 1 The Beatitude, sermon 3. (ACW). 2 I Ephes., hom. 24. 3 Easter Season 254: 2. 227 fruition … Digging in a good place is not without benefit, it will have its produce. It is indeed the time for fruitful sorrow, It is the time to grieve on the condition of our death, on the multitude of temptations, on the secret and fast attacks of the wicked, on the conflict between the desires, and on the struggle between wishes, that perpetually rebel against the good thinking. We therefore, should grieve and feel depressed on such conditions1. (St. Augustine) Amid the rejoice of the resurrection of the suffering crucified Christ, St. Augustine talks to us about that good sorrow, which he sees as a fruitful field, which will produce a heavenly gladness. Any way, I marvel how God, who from the beginning, brought forth on humanity the suffering produced by sin; how He would, by a decree, retract, and bring to voidance that decision. Now listen: Sin produces pain, and through that pain sin is brought to voidance. Listen carefully: God threatens the woman, and brings on her punishment for her disobedience, and says to her: “I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children” (Genesis 3: 16); by which he reveals that pain is the crop of sin. Then, He generously turns this punishment itself to salvation. … Sin brings forth pain, and pain destroys sin…. The way a tree brings forth a worm that would itself destroy the tree that brought it forth. The same way, that pain brought forth by sin, would kill the sin, through repentance. Pain is good for those who faithfully repent. Sorrow that follows sin is convenient for those who sin. Let us, therefore, grieve on the sin, and not on the punishment. Make peace with the judge before standing for trial before him, through the intercession of friends or any other way. The same way concerning God. You cannot convince the divine Judge at the time of judgment, but you should do that beforehand2. 1 Easter Season 254: 4. 2 Hom. On Repentance and Compunction 7: 6: 19. 228 Repentance is a fire that consumes every human weakness; It takes away slothfulness, laziness, the weight of the body, and provides the soul with wings by which to fly to heaven; And on such a high summit, it would recognize the vanity of this present life. He who does not ascend to the vantage post, would not be able to see a sound picture of the earth and its contents; as there are many things that hinder the range of vision, deafen the ears, and confuse the tongue; That is why it is befitting of man to take himself away from this chaos, and enter into a seclusion, to find the deep peace, the tranquility, together with the enlightenment. When the ears concentrate on the love of God, and hears nothing but His words, as a sweet spiritual symphony, the soul would become a captive of God, and would even despise food and sleep. The noise of the world and the material interests would indeed slide on the soul, but would not enter into it; And by so rising up, it would care no more for the violence of the earthly storms. And as the inhabitants of the mountains hear no more the noise of the city below, and see no more of what go on in it; but count them like some vague murmur; it is the same for those who forsake the world by their own free will, and set forth flying up to the heights of philosophy (wisdom), They would no more realize the things of the world, for their senses are concentrated toward heaven. Let us seek, not just the seclusion of the wilderness, but that of the inner desire; Let us hide up on the highest summit of the soul, where nothing earthly exist. The repentance is as strong as a blast of air that scatters the dust, and wipes away the lusts like smoke. (St. John Chrysostom) “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what concern, what 229 readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (11) The apostle reveals the fruits of that holy sorrow; which are: (1) An earnestness, namely, the practical care for the souls of others, to make them enjoy the holy life in the Lord. Diligence to enjoy the blessings of the obedience to the divine commandment, and to get rid of every corruption that came because of sin. Virtue is divided into two things: forsaking evil, and doing good. Withdrawing from evil is not enough to reach the virtue; but it is just the start of the way leading to it. Then there would be a need for greater activity1. In case you uprooted the thorns and thistles and left the field idle and unused, It will become filled again with useless weeds. There is therefore a vehement need to occupy the field, and to plant the good seeds and useful plants. Let us then drive away the wrath, and do compassion. Let us uproot every bitterness, and hold fast to love. Let us put away the hatred and the envy, and plant tolerance instead2. (St. John Chrysostom) (2) Clearing oneself and indignation; meaning rejecting the response to any sin that crawled into the congregation. Repentance would bring forth a holy uprising against corruption. Regret your iniquity as long as it is still in the heart, before it turns into deed.. And even if the iniquity gets out of the brain, and turns into action, do not despair, Clear your conscience, for as long as the dead body is inside the house. it is not standing aright, but is carried on the shoulders. (St. Augustine) (3) A fear for the fatherly divine feelings: The repentant wishes to be committed to keep a holy relationships of love with God, and not to wound them by any apparent or hidden sin. And it 1 In Thess, Hom., 5. 2 In Eph., Hom. 16. 230 may also mean here the fear for bringing grief to the heart of the apostle who seeks their salvation. It is befitting of you to stay on this cross all your life long; for there is no way to take it away in this life. The prophet Davis says: “ O God, Nail Your fear in my flesh”. The body has carnal desires; the nails are the commandments, and the fear of God is what raises you on the cross, and what makes an accepted sacrifice to Him. Live perpetually here. If you wish not to plunge in the mire of the earth, do not descend from the cross. (St. Augustine) (4) A longing to encounter God, and to enjoy fellowship with Him, and longing to see the apostle Paul despite his firmness in his first epistle. Come along to Christ, He is your goal, and there is no other way but to Him. Let your Savior be a goal you long to reach; you who are not called to earth, but to heaven; You are not called for an earthly happiness, but for a heavenly one … for an eternal life together with the angels. Let your Redeemer be your ultimate Goal , He is your hope, and your strength. Run after Him to find rest, Christ came for you to follow Him Run now, to rejoice after that in your ultimate home. (St. Augustine) (5) A zeal for the sanctity of the church, and the preaching work done by the apostle. (6) An indignation on the devil, or on the sin and not on the sinner. By their behavior, the Corinthians showed that they are innocent (hegnous), not only that they bear no spirit of rebellion, disobedience, and opposition, or that they are not persisting upon their faults and disgraceful behavior; but in that they are blameless concerning their endeavor to take away the corruption and faults. That does not imply that they are completely faultless, but that they 231 are serious to reform, to seek the salvation of their souls, and to please God. A repentant fears to fall again into sin, but he who is aware of how he got distorted by sin, longs to reform himself, and has zeal to reach perfection in good works. He, who incites good sorrow in us, is doing us good1. (St. Basil the Great) He tells them that the growth in zeal and the prompt reform are the work of those who have fear; And lest he may seem as though glorifying himself, he hastens to make the situation lighter by saying: Yes, what longing have I toward you! Yes, what zeal! For the sake of God. Yes, what indignation in defending the statutes of God2! (St. John Chrysostom) 5- His LOVE FOR THEM IS THE GOAL OF HIS WRITING: ”Therefore, although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the one who was wronged, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are” (12) The apostle Paul made it very clear that forgiveness should be given to those who have sinned, not only for their sake, but for that of the church; For when one sins he would cause trouble to many. He also showed his goal of sending his first epistle concerning the man who sinned with His father’s wife, that he wrote not to have that man punished, nor to have the wronged father appeased, but what preoccupied his mind was the sanctity of the church as a whole. He is not a judge to condemn this or that, 1 The Long Rules, 52. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 16. PG 61: 552. 232 but the apostle who cares for the salvation of everyone, and for the sanctity of the church as a whole1. 6- A MUTUAL COMFORTS AND REJOICING: “Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all” (13) In this epistle, the apostle Paul often revealed the fellowship of love and of rejoicing, as well as of sorrow. If they are comforted by repentance, he is comforted in their comfort; And if sorrow according to the will of God led them to rejoice, he exceedingly rejoiced for the joy of Titus. The secret of Titus’ joy is that his spirit has been refreshed by the sanctity and the salvation of the church. “For if in anything I have boasted in him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even though our boasting to Titus are found true” (14) The apostle was not ashamed of cherishing the Corinthians, and of boasting of them before his disciple Titus. That boasting was not based upon human compliments, nor as a sort of flattery, but upon evangelic truth, namely based upon his care for the salvation of their souls and their spiritual growth. “And his affections for you is all the greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him” (15) “His affections for you is all the greater” is an expression that reveals his great joy, whose secret is his own obedience to the apostle Paul in the Lord, and his increasing love for them, as a reaction to their love for the apostle Paul. That, beside their reception of him in great reverence, as having authority from the Lord. 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 16.PG 61: 555. 233 The apostle Paul says that Titus’ mind and emotion cared very much for them, having noticed their progress; as the mind of the saint cares for everything good. “Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything” (16) It is clear that the apostle Paul is convinced of the truth of their repentance. Titus’ rejoicing on them reflected on the apostle himself, who rejoiced in his turn, and his soul was at peace, trusting that no vain teachings of the world could shake their faith. It is not the multitude of sins that bring forth despair, but it is the corrupt intention that would do that. Falling in itself is not as serious as staying in the state of falling. The wound in itself is not deadly, as much as the slothfulness of the wounded to treat the wound. I do not say this, so that you would be slothful, but rather not to despair. It is as well a magnificent encouragement for the strife on the way of repentance and virtue without despair. Starting to reform your ways, Even though you may disobey your law once, twice, thrice, and even twenty times; Do not despair, but stand upright again, Resume your activity, You will certainly become conquerors1! (St. John Chrysostom) 1In 1 Cor. Hom. 88. 234 AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 7 CARRY ME BY LOVE TO YOURSELF, THAT BY LOVE, I WOULD CARRY MY BRETHREN Your divine promises glitter before my eyes. I wonder when will they be all realized? When shall I encounter You, to carry me forth to Your secret place? There, I would realize the splendor of Your holiness. Say a word; and every defilement would flee from my soul, as well as from my body. Say a word, And I, together with my brethren would enjoy the holy life. Say a word, and we all would live in You, O Holy One. Nail Your fear in my flesh, that I would covet sanctity. It would bring me over to Your love, to reach Your bosoms,. Your fear is the way to love. Your fear is the way of holiness. Grant me to minister to my brethren I covet nothing but to carry them over to Your throne, by Your Holy Spirit. I would carry them by love, to live and to die together with them. I will put on the attire of love, the hidden attire of priesthood By them I would be able to enter into the Holy of holiness. And without them I cannot encounter You. Grant them to love me. Let them honor me by their repentance to You, and their attachment to You. When I see them perpetually growing in Your bosom, My soul is filled with trust and a confirmation of their salvation. I would boast Your work in their life. The comforts of the Spirit would pour on me. I would rejoice in the truth; 235 And even death would not be able to destroy my joy in them. Grant me to sanctify the sorrow of their repentance, When they grieve for their sins, I grieve together with them. I am a partner with them in weakness. When they rejoice in the gladness of their salvation; I would partake of their gladness, and be comforted. Your Holy Spirit works in them, as well as in me. Let the fruitful sorrow of repentance be in me and in them. Let me stretch my hand and pluck from the tree of repentance, fruits so sweet Diligently pluck to enjoy Your righteousness. That my heart would flare against corruption, Let me acquire Your fear that bears me into Your divine love. Let my longing increase to have fellowship with You. And my longing to see You. Let me bear Your zeal toward Your sanctuaries. Finally, let me acquire the weapons of righteousness, to destroy the devil my serious enemy. These are the fruits of my joyful sorrow That is the work of Your Spirit in me and in all Your people. Who grants us a heavenly comfort, and, in turn, He would find comfort in us. Let me, together with all your people, pluck the fruit of repentance. Let us walk together in the procession of Your conquest.
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