But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
This is really an invitation. Just while he had been speaking about himself and his associates, Paul is now exhorting the Corinthians to lead a better life. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. All hidden and disgraceful wickedness. What is vile loves darkness, and those who seek for what is impure have ever in their mouth, "If not chastely, yet cautiously." S. Paul means: I do nothing, not even in secret, with which fault can he found: I am no hypocrite, like many false apostles. S. Ambrose (Offic. lib. ii. c3), alluding to the ring of Gyges, which enabled him to see all and be seen by none, and so led him to deflower the queen and slay the king, and get possession of the throne of Lydia, says beautifully. "Give this ring to a wise Prayer of Manasseh , that by its power he way be hid from the eyes of all if he does wrong: he will none the less flee from the stain of sin, though he be seen by none. The wise man"s hiding-place is not to be found in fear of punishment, but in hope of keeping innocency. Law is not laid down for the righteous, but for the unrighteous; for the righteous man is a law to himself in the uprightness ...
Knowing Christ as the “true light,” “inaccessible” to falsehood, we learn this, namely, that it is necessary for our lives also to be illuminated by the rays of the true light. But virtues are the rays of “the Sun of Justice,” streaming forth for our illumination, through which we “lay aside the works of darkness,” so that we “walk becomingly as in the day,” and “we renounce those things which shame conceals.” By doing all things in the light, we become the light itself, so that it “shines” before others, which is the peculiar quality of light. And if we recognize Christ as “sanctification,” in whom every action is steadfast and pure, let us prove by our life that we ourselves stand apart, being ourselves true sharers of his name, coinciding in deed and not in word with the power of his sanctification. .
Some were “walking in craftiness.” They had a reputation for taking nothing, but in fact they took it and kept it secret. They had the seeming character of saints and apostles but were full of innumerable secret wickednesses. Paul takes nothing and calls the Corinthians as his witnesses. Likewise he does nothing wicked and asks them to testify to the truth of what he is saying.
