And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it:
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Being reviled, we bless. Infidels and Jews mock us, and call down imprecations on us, saying, "Let these new preachers of a crucified God be slain, let then perish and hang on the accursed cross." We, however, pray for their peace, that God would give them His light, His grace, and salvation. S. Basil (in Reg. Brevior226) points out that to do evil and to do good are connoted by reviling and blessing. He says: "We are bidden to be patient towards all, and to return kindly deeds to those who persecute us unjustly. We are to love fervently, not only those that curse us, but whosoever shows us unkindness in any way whatever, that so we may obey the precept, "Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.""
And labor; now against the false apostles who endure neither toil nor peril, while they themselves receive the fruits. But not so are we, says he: but together with our perils from without, we also strain ourselves to the utmost with perpetual labor. And what is still more, no one can say that we fret at these things, for the contrary is our requital to them that so deal with us: this, I say, is the main point, not our suffering evil, for that is common to all, but our suffering without despondency or vexation. But we so far from desponding are full of exultation. And a sure proof of this is our requiting with the contrary those who do us wrong.
Now as to the fact that so they did, hear what follows.
Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world. This is the meaning of fools for Christ's sake. For whoso suffers wrong and avenges not himself nor is vexed, is reckoned a fool by the heathen; and dishonored and ...
Paul is saying that the main point is not that he and his fellow apostles are suffering, for that is common to all. What is unique about them is that they are suffering without despair or anger. On the contrary, they are full of rejoicing, and they prove it by returning good for the evil they receive.
