PAUL AND THE RHETORIC OF REVERSAL: KERYGMATIC ...

This pride in “perfect knowledge” is contrasted with an orientation of love:
All of these evils arose from this: not from perfect knowledge but from refusing
to greatly love or have mercy on their neighbour. 60
Chrysostom’s application in this homily begins with the insistence that his hearers should
consider human pride [τὸν τῦφον τὸν ἀνθρώπινον] 61 to be nothing. Commenting on the
conclusion of this matter in chapter 10, he repeats that the “sources of these evils” are
great boasting [ἀλαζονεία μάλιστα] and carelessness. 62
In relation to the problem of headcoverings in chapter 11, Chrysostom observes that Paul
must pull down the “puffed up pride of the opponents” [τὸ φύσημα τῶν
ἐναντιουμένων]. 63 The divisions at the Lord’s Supper in the same chapter are said to
express “ὕβριν εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον, ὕβριν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν”. 64
Chrysostom describes the problems of spiritual gifts in chapters 12–14 as relating to envy
and pride:
Having restrained the envy of those with lesser gifts, and removed their
discouragement, which it seems they had due to greater gifts being granted to
others, he also humbles the pride of these people [ταπεινοῖ καὶ τούτων τὸν
τῦφον] who had received the greater gifts. 65
59 Homily 20; PG 61.162.
60 Homily 20; PG 61.161.
61 Homily 20; PG 61.168.
62 Homily 23; PG 61.194.
63 Homily 26; PG 61.213.
64 Homily 27; PG 61.228.
65 Homily 31; PG 61.258 (on chapter 12); On chapter 14 see homily 35; PG 61.310, where
Paul is said to have rebuked their love of tongues so as “to pull down their pride [τῦφον
αὐτῶν κατασπάσαι]”.
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