1 Corinthians — Chapter 11

6 . — So fight I, not as one that beateth the air. The com- parison is still maintained. I fight as an athlete, but I do not spend my toil for nought, but I wound my enemy, i.e., I subdue my body and my flesh ; and when I have subdued this foe, the remaining two, the world and the devil, are easily overcome. For the world and the devil cannot kill us, wound us, strike us, tempt us, approach us, except through the body and its organs, the eyes and ears and tongue and other members.

But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. I keep under means, says S. Ambrose, “ I repress it by fastings ; ” “I wound it with stripes,” says S. Basil (de Virginitate) ; “ I starve it,” says Origen. S. Augustine (de Utilit. Jejun.) says 2 “ The devil often takes it upon him to protect the flesh against the soul, and to say, * Why do you thus fasti— you are laying up punishment in store for yourself, you are your own torturer and murderer? Answer him, ' I keep it under, lest this beast of burden throw me headlong? ” For our flesh is the devil’s instrument \ it is, says S. Bernard, “ the snare of the devil ” ( Serm . 8 in Ps. xci.). Erasmus, following Theophylact and Paulinus (Ep. 58 ad. Aug.), renders the Greek verb, “ I make it black and blue,” or “ I make the eyes of a black and bloody colour.” This last is, as Hesychius and Suidas say, the literal rendering of the word. But all others in general take the word to mean subdue, coerce, bruise. Castigate in the Latin, or “keep under,” as the text, suits 216 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, C. IX. both renderings, but the second is better, as being at once plainer and more near to the Greek — taking to be synonymous with v7ro7rwfft). This keeping under or castigation of the body is effected by fastings, hair-shirts, humiliations, scourgings, and other mortifica- tions of the flesh. Hence some think that Paul was in the habit of scourging his body. This is certainly the literal meaning of the Greek, which is rendered by Beza, Melancthon, Castalion, and Henry Stephen " bruise.” But a bruise is not caused except by a blow, whether from a stick, or a scourge, or some other instrument More- over, fasting (which some, as, e.g. f Ambrose, Gregory, and Chrysostom, think was Paul’s discipline) is not so much a strife and contest as a preparation for them ; for of it he has already said, “ Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things .” Cf. also Jacob Gretser (de Discipl lib. i. c. 4). Moreover, as Anselm remarks, as well as Gregory, in a passage to be quoted directly, the Apostle, while he keeps under and scourges his body, at the same time scourges and wounds the devil, his antagonist, who is in alliance with our carnal concupiscence, and lies in hiding within the foul jungle of the flesh, and through it tempts and attacks us. Lest I myself should be a castaway . Lest I be a reprobate from God and excluded from heaven. Maldonatus (Note Alanusc.) learnedly says that, as the comparison is still with the arena, a castaway here is one who is conquered in the fight; and that S. Paul’s meaning is, “ Lest while I teach others to conquer I myself be conquered.” The Apostle is speaking not of eternal reproba- tion, which is in the mind of God, but of that temporal reprobation which is the execution of the eternal. He is referring to Jer. vi. 30 : “ Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.” 1. Hence it is clear that the Apostle is not speaking (as in 2 Cor. xiii. 7), as some think, of the reprobation of men, as if his meaning were, “ What I preach that I practise : I do not fare sump- tuously, but I keep under my body, lest I be a castaway and reprobate SUBJECTION OF THE BODY 217 of men, and regarded as one not doing what he teaches.” For Jeremiah clearly speaks of God’s rejection, not men’s; and reproba- tion and reprobate always refer to this when they are spoken of absolutely, and not restricted* to men, as they are restricted in 2 Cor. xiii. 7. Hence appears the uncertainty to us of grace and pre- destination. Paul feared being condemned, and will you believe that your faith cannot but save you ? 2. It also follows that Paul had no revelation of his salvation. Cf. S. Gregory (lib. vi. Ep. 22, ad Gregoriam). 3. And that he was not so strong in grace but that he might fall from it. From this passage, it is evident that the Christian’s fight con- sists especially in bringing the body into subjection. For this foe is an inward foe, and one most hard to withstand, and therefore the snares of the flesh are to be dreaded more than all others. We ought also to get ourselves ready for this fight by the athlete’s training, that is, by temperance, and in this temperance we should begin the fight, and in it daily increase, grow strong, and come to perfection. The Christian, therefore, must begin with conquering gluttony. When that is done, it will be easier for him to conquer other vices, as Cassianus and others say. Hence it appears that the Christian fighter must keep under his body, lest its lusts make him a castaway ; and that, therefore, bodily mortification, by watch- ings, fastings, and other afflictions, is the right way to salvation, and is the most suitable instrument for perfecting virtue, and for the complete subdual of vices, if it be done with discretion, and in proportion to one’s strength and health. Cf. S. Thomas (ii. ii. qu. 188, art 7). But let us hear what the ancient doctors of the Church have to say on this head. Ambrose (Ep. ad Eccl Vercell.) says : “ I hear that there are men who say that there is no merit in fasting , ; and who scoff at those who mortify their fleshy that they may subdue it to the mind. This S. Paul would never have done or said if he had thought it folly ” (let our Protestant friends observe this); “ for he says, as though boasting, s I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest 218 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, C. IX. that by any means , when I have preached to others , I myself shouLl be a castaway Therefore , who do not mortify their body , Z0&? to preach to others , themselves regarded as reprobates . school has sent forth these Epicureans to preach pleasure and advise luxury ? The Lord Jesus , wishing to strengthen us against the temptations of the devil \ fasted before He strove with him , that we might know that we cannot in any other way overcome the blandish- ments of the evil one . Let these men say why Christ fasted if it were not to give us an example to do likewise S. Gregory ( Morals , lib. xxx. c 26) says : “ JVebuzaradan, the chief of the cooks, destroyed the walls of Jerusalem as he destroys the virtues of the soul when the belly is not kept in check. Hence it is that Paul took away his power from the chief of the cooks , /.<?., the belly , in its assault on the walls of Jerusalemy when he said, 1 1 keep under my body and bring it into subjection Hence it is that he had said just before } 1 So fight I y not as one that beateth the air.* When we restrain the fleshy it is not the air but the unclean spirits that we wound with the blows of our abstinence ; and in subduing what is within we deal blows to the foes without. Hence is it that, when the King of Babylon orders the furnace to be heatedy he has a heap of tow and pitch thrown into ity but nevertheless the fire has no power over the children of abstinence ; for though our old enemy put before our eyes a countless number of delicacies to increase the fire of our lusty yet the grace of the Spirit from on high whispers to us , bidding us stand our ground \ untouched by the burning lusts of the flesh. n S. Basil (Horn, de Legend. Gen til. Libris) says': “ The body must be mortified and kept in check like a wild beasty and the passions that take their rise from it to the souFs hurt must be kept in order by the scourge reason , lest by giving free rein to pleasure the mind become like a driver of restive and unbroken horsesy and be run away with and lost. Amongst other sayings there is one of Pythagoras which deserves to be remembered. When he saw a certain man looking after himself with great care, and fattening himself by sumptuous living and exercise y he said: * Unhappy man / you are ever engaged in building for yourself a worse and worse prison / ’ It is said too of Plato, that MORTIFICATION OF THE BODY 219 owing to his vivid realisation of the harm that arises from the body * he fixed his Academy at Athens in an unhealthy spot, that he might reduce the excessive prosperity of the body , as a gardener prunes a vine whose boughs stretch too far . I too have often heard physicians say that extremely good health is fallacious . Since , therefore , care for the body seems to be harmful to body and soul alike, to hug this burden and to be a slave to it is evident proof of madness. But if we study to despise it, we shall not easily lose ourselves in admiration of anything human? S. Basil again (in Beg. Fusius Z)isp. Beg. 17) says : “As a muscular build and good complexion put a stamp of superiority on the athlete, so is the Christian distinguished from others by bodily emacia- tion and pallid complexion , which are ever the companions of abstinence. He is thereby proved to be a wrestler indeed, following the commands of Christ, and in weakness of body he lays his adversary low on the ground, and shows how powerful he is in the contests of godliness according to the words, 1 When lam weak, then am I strong?” S. Chrysostom says here i “ ‘ I mortify my body * means that I undergo much labour to live temperately. Although desire is intract- able, the belly clamorous, yet I rein them in, and do not surrender myself to my passions, but repress them, and with wearisome effort bring under nature herself I say this that no one may lose heart in his struggle for virtue, for it is an arduous fight. Wherefore he says, * / keep under my body and bring it into subjection He did not say, * I destroy and punish it,' for the flesh is not an enemy, but 1 1 keep it under and bring it into subjection because it is the property of my Lord , not of an enemy ; of a trainer, not a foe ; ‘ lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway Jf Paul feared this, being such a teacher as he was ; if he had any dread, after having preached to the whole world, what are we to say ? ” S. Jerome, writing against Jovinian, a heretic, an opponent of fasting, of chastity, and asceticism, ably defends these duties, and about the end of lib. iL he says : “ The fact that many agree with your opinions is a mark of luxuriousness ; and you think it adds to your reputation for wisdom to have more pigs running after you to be fed with the food or the flames of hell. Basilides, a teacher of luxury 220 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, C. IX. and filthy practices , has after these many years now been transformed into Jovinian , as into Euphorbus , that the Latin race might know his heresy . It was the banner of the Cross and the severity of preaching" (let the Protestants mark this) “ which destroyed the idol-temples *. /«- purity , gluttony , and drunkenness are endeavouring to overthrow the fortitude taught by the Cross . prophets always promise pleasant things , fo/ satisfaction. Truth is bitter , and those who preach it are filled with bitterness .” Cassianus (de Instit. Renunt. lib. v. c. xvii. et seq.) says : “ Do you want to listen to the true athlete of Christ striving according to the lawful rules of the contest t He says , * / therefore so run not as uncer- tainly ; so fight Ij not as one that beateth the air , but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection , lest when I have preached to others I myself should be a castaway l Seest thou how he has placed in himself that is in his fleshy the hottest part of the battle , and has thus put it on a firm base , and how he has made the fight consist in simple bodily mortification and in the subjection of his flesh ? ” And then a little afterwards he repeats these words of the Apostle, and adds : “ This properly has to do with the sufferings of continence , and bodily fasting , and mortification of the flesh. He describes himself as a strenuous combatant of the flesh, and points out that the blows of abstinence that he directs against it are not in vain, but that he has gained a triumph by mortifying his body . That body, having been punished by the blows of continence and wounded by the bruises of fastings , has given to the victorious spirit the crown of immortality and the palm that never fadeth. ... So fights he by fastings and affliction of the flesh, not as one that beateth the air, Le., that deals in vain the blows of continence ; but he wounds the spirits who dwell in the air, by mortifying his body. For he that says, € not as one that beateth the air, 9 declares that he strikes some one that is in the air ” Further, not only for the sake of lust, but to subdue pride and break down all vices, and to cultivate every virtue, the body must be mortified, as S. Jerome says (Ep. 14 ad Celantiam ) : “ They who are taught by experience and knowledge to hold fast the virtue of absti- nence mortify their flesh to break the souls pride, in order that so MORTIFICATION OF THE BODY 221 they may descend from the pinnacle of their haughty arrogance to fulfil the will of Gody which is most perfectly fulfilled in humility. Therefore do they withdraw their mind from hankering after variety of foodsy that they may devote all their strength to the pursuit of virtue. By degrees the flesh feels less and less the burden of fastingSy as the soul more hungers after righteousness. For that chosen vessel \ Pauly in mortifying his body and bringing it into subjection was not seeking after chastity aloney as some ignorant persons suppose : for fasting helps not only this virtue but every virtue .” Lastly, the holy hermits of old, in their zeal after perfection, morti- fied their bodies to a degree that seems incredible. And that this was pleasing to God is seen from the holiness, the happiness, and the length of their lives. We may read for this Jerome, in his life of S. Hilarion, S. Paul, S. Malchus; Athanasius in his life of S. Antony ; Theodoret in his life of S. Simeon Stylites, who for eighty years stood under the open sky night and day, hardly taking food or sleep. Sagacious men have observed in their lives of the Saints that scarcely any Saints have been illustrious for their miracles and for their actions but such as were eminent for their fastings and asceticism, or who afflicted their bodies, or were afflicted by God with diseases, or by enemies and tyrants with tortures and troubles ; that other Saints, who led an ordinary life, were of great benefit to the Church, but seldom if ever performed any miracles.