That we from now on be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive;
Read Chapter 4
Clement Of Alexandria
AD 215
Prosecuting a bootless task, which the apostle has called "cunning craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
Was Paul referring to himself as one who was tossed to and fro and drifting? According to one view, he was saying this in humility, aware that we see in part and know in part. He is aware of how far he is from perfect knowledge and bursts into an expression of his own awareness. If so, anyone who might think himself to be humble should look to Paul as an example. … But another will respond to this that, by comparison with the majority, the apostle had already reached “mature manhood,” even though he still might be here regarded as an infant in relation to those eternal blessings that are stored up for the saints…. The exposition must proceed very carefully after this to meet the possible claim that the apostle really is speaking in humility when he prays that we “may no longer be children, drifting and carried away in different directions by every blast of doctrine.” … Maybe it is out of good conscience and not some false humility that Paul is confessing his own limitations. For he was...
That we may be no longer.— The word, no longer, shows that they had of old been in this case, and he reckons himself moreover as a subject for correction, and corrects himself. For this cause, he would say, are there so many workmen, that the building may not be shaken, may not be carried about, that the stones may be firmly fixed. For this is the character of children, to be tossed to and fro, to be carried about and shaken. That we may be no longer, says he, children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error. And carried about, says he, with every wind. He comes to this figure of speech, to point out in how great peril doubting souls are. With every wind, says he, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error. The word sleight means the art of gamesters. Such are the crafty, whenever they lay hold on the simpler sort. For they also change and shift about everything. He here glance...
