1 Corinthians 16:5

57. In the use of this passage, however, we must be very specially on our guard, lest perchance, when we see any servant of God making provision that such necessaries shall not be wanting either to himself or to those with whose care he has been entrusted, we should decide that he is acting contrary to the Lord’s precept, and is anxious for the morrow. For the Lord Himself also, although angels ministered to Him, yet for the sake of example, that no one might afterwards be scandalized when he observed any of His servants procuring such necessaries, condescended to have money bags, out of which whatever might be required for necessary uses might be provided; of which bags, as it is written, Judas, who betrayed Him, was the keeper and the thief. …

[5.] Ver. 5 . “But I will come to you,” saith he, “when I shall have passed through Macedonia.” This he had said also above; then however with anger: at least he added, (c. iv. 19 .) “And I will know not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power:” but here, more mildly; that they might even long for his coming. Then, that they might not say, “Why is it that you honor the Macedonians above us?” he said not, “When I depart,” but, “When I shall have passed through Macedonia; for I do pass through Macedonia.”

Why then does he add a second Epistle? Whereas in the first he had said, “I will come to you, and will know not the word of them which are puffed up, but the power;” ( 1 Cor. iv. 19 .) and again towards the end had promised the same in milder terms, thus, “I will come unto you when I shall have passed through Macedonia; for I do pass through Macedonia; and it may be that I shall abide, or even winter with you;” ( 1 Cor. xvi. 5, 6 .) yet now after along interval, he came not; but was still lingering and delaying even though the time appointed had passed away; the Spirit detaining him in other matters of far greater necessity than these. For this reason he had need to write a second Epistle, which he had not needed had he but a little out-tarried his time.

And yet he promised the contrary in his former Epistle, saying thus: “Now I will come unto you when I shall have passed through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.” ( 1 Cor. xvi. 5 .) How is it then that he here says the contrary? He doth not say the contrary: away with the thought. For it is contrary indeed to what he wrote, but not contrary to what he wished.

It is impossible for us briefly to run through everything. For who could count up almost all the patriarchs and numberless saints, some of whom for the preservation of life, others out of desire for a blessing, others out of pity, others to conceal some secret, others out of zeal for God, others in searching for the truth, became, so to speak, patrons of lying? And as all cannot be enumerated, so all ought not to be altogether passed over. For piety forced the blessed Joseph to raise a false charge against his brethren even with an oath by the life of the king, saying: “Ye are spies: to see the nakedness of the land are ye come;” and below: “send,” says he, “one of you, and bring your brothers hither: but ye shall be kept here until your words are made manifest whether ye speak the truth or no: but if not, by the life of Pharaoh, ye are spies.” For if he had not out of pity alarmed them …