Homilies on Second Corinthians — Homily 14

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 4

Open your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man. I say it not to condemn you; for l have said before, [as I have also declared above], that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

Again he raises the discourse about love, mitigating the harshness of his rebuke. For since he had convicted and reproached them as being beloved indeed, yet not loving in an equal degree, but breaking away from his love and mixing up with other pestilent fellows; again he softens the vehemence of his rebuke, saying, Make room for us, that is, love us; and prays to receive a favor involving no burden, and advantaging them that confer above them that receive it. And he said not, ' love,' but with a stronger appeal to their pity, make room for. 'Who expelled us?' says he: 'Who cast us out of your hearts? How come we to be straitened in you?' for since he said above, You are straitened in your affections; here declaring it more clearly, he said, make room for us: in this way also again winning them to himself. For nothing does so produce love as for the beloved to know that he that loves him exceedingly desires his love.

We wronged no man. See how again he does not mention the benefits [done by him], but frames his speech in another way, so as to be both less offensive and more cutting. And at the same time he also alludes to the false apostles, saying, We wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we defrauded no man.

What is we corrupted? That is, we beguiled no man; as he says elsewhere also. Lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, so your minds should be corrupted. [[2 Corinthians 11.3]]

We defrauded no man; we plundered, plotted against no man. And he for the present forbears to say, 'we benefited you in such and such ways;' but framing his language so as more to shame them, We wronged no man, he says; as much as saying, 'Even had we in no wise benefited you, not even so ought ye to turn away from us; for you have nothing to lay to our charge, either small or great.' Then, for he felt the heaviness of his rebuke, he tempers it again. And he was neither silent altogether, for so he would not have aroused them; nor yet did he let the harshness of his language go unmodified, for so he would have wounded them too much. And what says he?

[[2 Corinthians 7.3]]. I say it not to condemn you.

How is this evident? For I have said before, he adds, that you are in our hearts to die and live with you. This is the greatest affection, when even though treated with contempt, he chooses both to die and live with them. 'For neither are you merely in our hearts,' he says, 'but in such sort as I said. For it is possible both to love and to shun dangers, but we do not thus.' And behold here also wisdom unspeakable. For he spoke not of what had been done for them, that he might not seem to be again reproaching them, but he promises for the future. 'For should it chance,' says he, 'that danger should invade, for your sakes