For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
The boast of Paul’s conscience was simplicity and sincerity, qualities which belong to God’s teaching. In his first letter Paul had criticized teaching based on earthly wisdom, and he alludes to that again here. He accused preachers of that kind both because they preached according to the wisdom of the world and because they were doing it in order to make money. For that reason, Paul was unwilling to receive any payment from the Corinthians. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Cato is rightly praised more than Caesar, for, as Sallust says of him: “The less he sought for glory the more it followed him.” However, the only kind of glory they were greedy for was merely the reputation of a good name among men; whereas virtue rests not on others’ judgments but on the witness of one’s own conscience and therefore is better than a good name. Hence the apostle says: “For our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience.” … Therefore, virtue should not pursue the glory, honor and dominion which they sought, even though their good men sought to reach these ends by good means, but these things should follow virtue. There is no true virtue save that which pursues the end which is man’s true good. It follows, therefore, that Cato should not have sought the honors he sought, but his city should have given them to him because of his virtue and without his asking for them.
"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of a good conscience, that in holiness and sincerity we know God "by this inconsiderable instance exhibiting the work of love, that "not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world."
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience. "For" introduces the reason why the Corinthians should give thanks and pray for Paul. It is because he was their Apostle, who, with great grace and efficacy, preached to them the Gospel and converted them; and in proof of this he calls upon his own conscience and theirs.
Observe here the force and quiet that come from a good conscience. "No theatre," says Cicero, "for virtue is so great as that of conscience." Juvenal, too (Sat. xiii.), says. "The summit of happiness is to have a mind conscious of its own integrity." S. Augustine again (contra Secund. Manich. c. i.) says: "Think of Augustine what you like, my conscience shall not be my accuser in the presence of God." See notes to 1 Timothy 1:5.
Not with fleshly wisdom. I have not preached with human philosophy or eloquence, but with grace, zeal, efficacy, and the Holy Spirit.
Earthly wisdom means knowledge of material things. Those who have this kind of wisdom have no room for the wisdom of the Spirit, which they regard as foolishness. .
And sincerity of God, which, according to the style of the Scriptures, seems the same as in great sincerity.
In the grace of God. and more abundantly towards you: the sense seems to be, that God had wrought more wonders and miracles by him for their conversion, than in other places. (Witham)
The apostle here indirectly attacks the false teachers, by saying that his doctrine was always the same, in one continued path of sincerity, and that he made no use of the wisdom of this world, like those false doctors, whose whole design was to insinuate themselves into the affections of the Corinthians by speaking what they knew would be agreeable to them. (Estius)
He declares that the subject of his glory was, the testimony his own conscience afforded him of having uniformly acted in their regard with sincerity and truth.
The previous consolation was from God, but now it is the fruit of their own behavior. People who live uprightly will see the power of God at work in their lives and be comforted.
Here again he opens to us yet another ground of comfort, and that not small, yea rather, exceeding great, and well fitted to upraise a mind sinking under perils. For seeing he had said, God comforted us , and God delivered us, and had ascribed all to His mercies and their prayers, lest he should thus make the hearer supine, presuming on God's mercy only and the prayers of others, he shows that they themselves had contributed not a little of their own. And indeed he showed as much even before, when he said, For as the sufferings of Christ abound [in us,] so our consolation also abounds. 2 Corinthians 1:5 But here he is speaking of a certain other good work, properly their own. What then is this? That, says he, in a conscience pure and without guile we behave ourselves every where in the world: and this avails not a little to our encouragement and comfort; yea, rather, not to comfort merely, but even unto somewhat else far greater than comfort, even to our glorying. And this he said, tea...
