Unit 3 rem mid

of God. He administers the mysteries of God, for example, toward Luke so that he may be able to write the Gospel, and toward Timothy so that he may begin to be able to manage those in Ephesus who have received more—and to steward the mysteries of God. I even dare to say that in Corinth he became a servant of Christ, but in Ephesus a steward of God’s mysteries.

Having learned from the Savior’s words—“Who then is the faithful and prudent steward whom the Lord will set over his household to give the food allowance in season to his fellow servants?”—Paul says, “Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” For it is not enough to have come to know, nor should the one who knows speak at random; rather, understanding that one must give the food allowance in season to his fellow servants, he must see which of the fellow servants ought to receive a larger measure of God’s mysteries, or a smaller, and when. For if he administers the stewardship well and blamelessly, what promise does he have? “Over all his goods,” he says, “the master of the house will set him.” And if Paul fears and says these things about himself and about Cephas and Apollos, how much more must the stewards among us fear that they may be found faithful stewards.

Then about himself he says, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by a human day.” Those in Corinth examined as far as they could—not truly examining. For examining would be saying that Paul is better than Cephas and Apollos, and another’s examining would be saying that Peter far surpasses Paul; for in the Gospel Paul is not called an apostle. So Paul says that with him it is a very small thing to be examined by you. He was conscious in himself of the finest things, and that he did not fall under the Corinthians as people able to examine him; for “the spiritual person examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one”—as elsewhere he says, “I have become a fool; you compelled me.” Something of that kind he means here too.

There is a human day, and there is a divine day, about which countless things are written, including “Behold, the day of the Lord comes.” So my examination, he says, cannot take place in a human day; for a human day cannot contain my examination. If I am going to be examined, I will be examined in the day of the Lord.

Then, more paradoxically conscious of himself, he says, “But I do not even examine myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself.” Here the Apostle’s conscience appears greatly purified—so much so that he dared to write not only to those then living, but so that generations until the end may also read what is said. True, then, is Paul when he says, “Become imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.” How Paul imitated Christ, hear: “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me”; and Paul says, “I am not aware of anything against myself.” And he did not say, “I am not aware of any worthless deed against myself.” For if he had said that, we could say he is cleansed in works but not yet in words; or again, cleansed in these, while his heart still sinned. Now he seems to know in himself an excess of purity—not earlier when he persecuted, or when he came to the faith, but now when he was saying these things.

Then, lest he seem to have spoken above a human being, he adds and says, “But I am not thereby justified. For I,” he says, “am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby justified.” For it is possible that I know nothing against myself, and yet some sin of mine escapes me. For many such things happen in human nature that one sins not according to reason, not with grasping or assent, not with seeing that we have sinned. So that one who in all things is aware of nothing against himself says, “But I am not thereby justified; it is the Lord who examines me.”

As one who has passed beyond the examination of angels and of the other powers, he says this: “Until the Lord comes.” Since judgment lies ahead—and that of the Lord alone is true, who knows how to weigh thoughts and set words in a balance and search out all deeds and render to each of us what is due—therefore even if we condemn someone, let us not pass final sentence. For we do not know by what measure he sinned, nor with what disposition he sinned, nor whether he has good counterweights to his sin. If we become careful, we will not judge anything before the time, but will refer everything to the judgment of God through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Here it is said, “Do not judge anything before the time,” and what follows; but in another place in the letter: “Do you not judge those who are inside? But those outside God judges.”