PAUL AND THE RHETORIC OF REVERSAL: KERYGMATIC ...

For God does all things for this reason: that he might repress pride and high-
mindedness [τὸν τῦφον καὶ τὸ φρόνημα]; that he might pull down boasting [τὸ
καυχᾶσθαι]…. He does all things in order that we might consider nothing to be
of ourselves; in order that all things might be ascribed to God. And have you
given yourselves over to this or that person [τῷ δεῖνι καὶ τῷ δεῖνι]? And what
pardon will you receive for this? For God has shown that we are not able to be
saved by ourselves alone, and he has done this from the beginning. 85
We have, then, a cluster of Corinthian-Antiochene problems identified in the expositions
and applications of Chrysostom’s homilies, consisting of boastful pride, an obsession with
present wealth, and the accompanying displacement of God.
The Solution to Corinthian Problems
For Chrysostom, the solution to these problems begins by recalling that “God overcomes
by contraries”:
Paul wants to indicate how God overcomes by contraries [διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων],
and how the gospel is not human. 86
So then, poverty with God becomes the cause of wealth; and humility, the cause
of exaltation; and the despising of glory, the cause of glory. So also, becoming a
fool makes one wiser than all. For all goes by contraries with us [τῶν ἐναντίων
τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν]. 87
This is what Christianity is like: in slavery it grants freedom. 88
85 Homily 5; PG 61.41. Chrysostom goes on to apply this to his hearers: “Do not say that
anything is of yourself, but in everything boast in God. Never account anything to a
human”. Homily 5; PG 61.42.
86 Homily 4; PG 61.33.
87 Homily 10; PG 61.82.
88 Homily 18; PG 61.157.
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