_And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling._ Here, again, is another point. Not only are those who believe illiterate, not only is the teacher illiterate, not only is the mode of teaching replete with illiterateness, not only is the teaching itself qualified to terrify—for it was the Cross and death—but together with these there were other obstacles: dangers and plottings, and daily anguish, and harassing pursuit. For he often calls persecution weakness, as he does in another place: _Ye have not spurned the weakness in my flesh_; and again: _If it behoves me to glory, I will glory in my weakness_. What weaknesses are these? _The governor of king Areta was keeping the city of Damascus, wishing to take me._ And again: _Therefore I rejoice in my infirmities_. Then, going on to distinguish what infirmities, he added: _In contumely, in want, in persecutions_. So here he speaks in the same way; for, saying, _And I was in weakness_, he added, _and I was with you in fear and in much trembling_. What is this? Did Paul himself fear dangers? He did indeed, and greatly too; for, if he was Paul, he was also a man. This is no accusation against Paul, but a weakness of nature, and an encomium of his choice, that whereas he _did_ fear stripes and death, this fear did not lead him to do any unworthy action; so that those who say he did _not_ fear stripes not only do not exalt him, but take much away from his praises. If, indeed, he did _not_ fear, where is the fortitude and where is the merit of braving dangers? For my own part, this is what I admire in him, that, fearful as he was, and not only fearful, but trembling at dangers, he came out victorious through everything, and in no case surrendered, cleansing the world, and sowing the Gospel all over the earth and sea. _And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom_—that is, it has not outward wisdom. If, therefore, his preaching had no subtlety about it, and those who were called were uncultured as well as the preacher, and there was, besides, persecution, and fear, and trembling, tell me, how did they gain the mastery without divine power? So, in saying, _That which I say and preach does not consist in the persuasive words of wisdom_, he added, _but in the manifestation of the Spirit and of power_. Do you see how the folly of God is wiser than man, and how the weakness is stronger? Illiterate as they were who preached these things, in chains and imprisoned, they overcame those who bound them. How? Was it not through showing the faith which is of the Spirit? This, indeed, was an irrefutable argument. For, tell me, what man, seeing the dead arise and devils put forth, would not have received their teaching? Since, however, there are powers of deception, such as those of magicians, he removed this ambiguity. He did not speak of power only, but first of the Spirit and then of power, thus showing that what had taken place was spiritual.