Homilies on Second Corinthians — Homily 24

St. John Chrysostom

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

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into Apostles of Christ.

What do you say? They that preach Christ, they that take not money, they that bring not in a different gospel, false apostles? 'Yes,' he says, and for this very reason most of all, because they make pretense of all these things for the purpose of deceiving. Deceitful workers, for they do work indeed, but pull up what has been planted. For being well aware that otherwise they would not be well received, they take the mask of truth and so enact the drama of error. 'And yet,' says one, 'they take no money.' That they may take greater things; that they may destroy the soul. Yea rather, even that was a falsehood; and they took money but did it secretly: and he shows this in what follows. And indeed he already hinted this where he said, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we: [[2 Corinthians 11.12]] in what follows, however, he hinted it more plainly, saying, If a man devour you, if a man take you captive, if a man exalt himself, you bear with him. [[2 Corinthians 11.20]] But at present he accuses them on another account, saying, fashioning themselves. They had only a fashion; the skin of the sheep was but outside clothing.

And no marvel; for if even Satan fashions himself into an angel of light, is it a great thing if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness?

So that if one ought to marvel, this is what he ought to marvel at, and not at their transformation. For when their teacher dares do anything, no marvel that the disciples also follow. But what is an angel of light? That has free liberty to speak, that stands near to God. For there are also angels of darkness; those which be the devil's, those dark and cruel ones. And the devil has deceived many so, fashioning himself into, not becoming, an angel of light. So do also do these bear about them the form of an Apostle, not the power itself, for this they cannot. But nothing is so like the devil as to do things for display. But what is a ministry of righteousness? That which we are who preach to you a Gospel having righteousness. For he either means this, or else that they invest themselves with the character of righteous men. How then shall we know them? By their works, as Christ said. Wherefore he is compelled to place his own good deeds and their wickedness side by side, that the spurious may become evident by the comparison. And when about again to enter upon his own praises, he first accuses them, in order to show that such an argument was forced upon him, lest any should accuse him for speaking about himself, and says,

Again I say. For he had even already used much preparatory corrective: 'But nevertheless I am not contented with what I have said, but I say yet again,'

Let no man think me foolish. For this was what they did — boasted without a reason. — But observe, I pray you, how often, when about to enter upon his own praises, he checks himself. 'For in