Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday after Pentecost

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor 4:13–5:1)

It was very relevant for him to site this testimony: blessed David in the previous psalm had said, “He rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling for me to be pleasing in the sight of the in the land of the living” (though this land was not seen), he began the next psalm with the words, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” The same Spirit, he is saying, spoke also through them and speaks through us.

The Lord accepted death for the sake of all so that we might all share resurrection with him. Consequently, we believe that he will also through him render us superior to death and present both you and us together before the fearsome tribunal. Everything is for your sake, after all - that is, the believers: he refers not only to the Corinthians but to all who have accepted the message. So that grace may increase on account of thanksgiving by the greater number and abound to God’s glory: concerned for the salvation of all in common. he arranged things in keeping with Christ the Lord; so he was obliged to repay him unceasingly in thanksgiving hymns.

Far from being distraught or depressed, we bear everything nobly: the soul gains the greatest advantage from recourse to courage. He then compares the troubles of the present life to the good things awaiting in the future: The slight momentary tribulation is preparing an everlasting weight f glory for us beyond all measure. On the one hand, he brings out through momentary the brevity and temporary character, while on the other he contrasts everlasting with momentary, and weighty (that is, valuable) and beyond all measure with slight and light, and not repose but glory, which is far greater, with tribulation. Since the latter are visible but the former not apparent, he was right to proceed, We consider not what is seen but what is no what is seen is temporary, what is not seen is eternal. The tribulations that are temporary but also the repose of the present life; so we should not be attached to the passing things, but look forward to the enjoyment of the eternal goods.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Second Letter to the Corinthians 4