But in all things presenting ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Servants of God teach without flattery, so that they might please him whose servants they are, unlike the false apostles, who sought only to please their hearers. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Most admirably, therefore, the apostle says, "In everything approving ourselves as the servants of God; as poor, and yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things. Our mouth is opened to you.".
"I charge thee "he says, writing to Timothy, "before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality."
Approving ourselves. "Commending ourselves" (Erasmus), "declaring ourselves," as others render it; but "showing ourselves" (Syriac) is the best. The Latin version, however, takes it in the Optative, "let us show ourselves." Paul is here again defending himself and praising himself because of his rivals, the false apostles; and he exhorts all Christians, and especially all preachers of the Gospel, of whom there were many at Corinth, to live up to the Evangelical and Apostolical life. At the same time he tacitly describes his own life, his sufferings, fortitude, and virtues, that others may imitate him, and may in their own lives offer a contrast to the pride, self-indulgence, cowardice, and other vices of the false apostles. As we shall see in chap. xi, he is forced in this Epistle to praise himself in self-defence.
S. Paul here puts forward a living picture of a true and genuine Apostle and preacher of the Gospel, by which any one may examine teachers whose faith and uprightness are s...
For this is the grace of the Holy Spirit, possessing the entire soul and filling the dwelling place with gladness and power, making sweet for the soul the sufferings of the Lord and taking away the perception of the present pain because of the hope of the things to come. So, govern yourselves thus as you are about to ascend to the highest power and glory through your cooperation with the Spirit; endure every suffering and trial with joy with a view toward appearing to be worthy of the dwelling of the Spirit within you and worthy of the inheritance of Christ. Never be puffed up or enfeebled by indifference to the point of falling yourselves or being the cause of another’s sin. .
This is the grace of the Holy Spirit, possessing the entire soul and filling the dwelling place with gladness and power, making sweet for the soul the sufferings of the Lord, and taking away the perception of the present pain because of the hope of the things to come. .
It is one thing to be free from accusation, but it is a far greater thing to appear as servants of God. To be acquitted of all accusation is not nearly as grand as to be covered with praise.
This is far greater. For it is not the same thing to be free from accusation; and to exhibit such a character as in everything to appear ministers of God. For neither is it the same thing to be quit of accusation, and to be covered with praises. And he said not appearing, but commending, that is 'proving.' Then he mentions also whence they became such. Whence then was it? In much patience, he says, laying the foundation of those good things. Wherefore he said not barely patience, but much, and he shows also how great it was. For to bear some one or two things is no great matter. But he adds even snow storms of trials in the words, In afflictions, in necessities. This is a heightening of affliction, when the evils are unavoidable, and there lies upon one as it were a necessity hardly extricable of misfortune. In distresses. Either he means those of hunger and of other necessaries, or else simply those of their trials.
