Election and Deception

He brings these things to bear against those whom he was writing to: 'when your obedience is fulfilled, look to the outward appearance.' There is a difference in understanding this word: if it were expressed commandingly, it would mean this: if, O Corinthians, your obedience is fulfilled through agreement with the divine teaching, observe the outward appearance; for in this way you will know those who present themselves as sheep but are inwardly ravening wolves, and the truly genuine teachers, to whom it was said, 'You are the light of the world' (Matt 5:14). In this way, having observed, the impostors whom you also cast out will be known to you, as will the true apostles of Christ, in whom you also desired to believe willingly. This agrees with 'by their fruits you will know them' (Matt 7:16).

But if it were expressed definitively, 'look to the outward appearance,' it suggests such a thought: judge the disposition of the teachers and the disciples by the power, always gazing intently at the outward aspect of those speaking, being deceived by those attending only to the outward appearance alone. If anyone, then, being a wolf, pretends to be a sheep, merely bringing a fleece, receive this one as a false apostle, but the one being a prophet, receive him as an apostle and prophet. For certainly some, pretending to be disciples of Christ, but being truly acquainted with the one transforming into an angel of light, caused deception among some of you, as if there were no resurrection of the dead nor the rational soul intervening after the separation from the body. Therefore, having doubt as to how 'look to the outward appearance' is expressed, the former understanding holds as the teaching.

Regarding 2 Cor 10:17-18: Having sufficiently refuted those teaching the opposite as if they were merely making a noise as Christ's, he necessarily brought forward that one must boast in the Lord, he who unblemishedly and sincerely relies on glory; for not he who proves himself to be approved is of such a kind in every way, but he whom the Lord has established through testimony. For certainly the one concerning the...

A Pharisaic word which says: 'I am not like the rest of men.' He was seen to be not approved but unapproved, having been justified by him who was ransoming his own sins. But the saints become approved and irreproachable having been established by God. Indeed, he who writes the present things testified about him, saying to Ananias: 'This is for me a vessel of election.' But even to all the apostles, the election having come from the Savior testifies, that they themselves had not drawn themselves, but had received this from God.

Having shown how it is the folly of the foolish to praise themselves, and that the Corinthians are rather led astray by such people, he says to them: 'I wish you would endure me speaking about myself what they also say about themselves; for having many true things to write, I requested not to, knowing that it seems foolish to talk about oneself. But since you endure those speaking thus, I will say also, not so that I may hunt praise, but that I may become a cause of benefit to you; for according to God I am zealous for you, not wishing that your minds should be destroyed by one of those saying evil things. And consequently I have the aforementioned zeal, since I was entrusted with the truth by the one true man, Christ, that your church is a pure virgin. It is necessary, lest you be destroyed also by false teachers through the integrity which you have, just as the serpent, using cunning, destroyed the mother of our race; and he famously named this simplicity "Eve". And someone will know that Eve was deceived by the cunning of the serpent, having understood how she misrepresented the divine commandment of God saying: "from every tree in the paradise and the following." For what was commanded in its entirety, she led away sophistically toward the opposing thing.'

Or do you think that, having served the gospel to you for free, I sinned against myself by humbling myself? I accused myself, so that you might think to be exalted, upon the command to speak the truth about myself as...