seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 10:1 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
7 You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
So now I'm going to the commentary.“Having now finished his directions and advices relative to the collection for the poor, he resumes his argument relative to the false apostle, who had gained considerable influence by representing St. Paul as despicable in his person, his ministry, and his influence.” (Clarke)
Who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you: Here, Paul reveals a matter of great contention between him and the Corinthian Christians. They said that Paul seemed reserved in person but very bold in his letters.
The Corinthians criticized Paul as if he were a dog that barked loudly, but only at a distance. They accused him of backing down in any face-to-face confrontation.
In the following section, Paul will defend his apostolic authority. It is important to see how vital Paul’s sense of apostolic authority was to him. Today, the idea of apostolic authority is cheapened by many of those who claim to be “apostles.”
Arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God: Carnal and worldly ways of thinking and doing are arguments against the mind and methods of God. They want to debate God, saying they have a better way. They exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They think of themselves as smarter, more sophisticated, more effective, more powerful than God’s ways. Carnal, worldly minds think they know more than God does!
And being ready to punish all disobedience: Paul was ready to confront the Corinthian Christians and to pull down the strongholds among them if they would not do it themselves.
Lest I seem to terrify you by letters. “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” Paul’s despisers among the Corinthian Christians felt they had “evidence” against him. The “evidence” was that Paul seemed to be tough in his letters but weak and unimpressive in person. So they used this as “evidence” to despise him as weak and two-faced.
For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends: It doesn’t matter how you testify about your own accomplishments. It is what God says about us that matters and will endure.
Don't worry.... I won't be long winded this morning. When you sit in your favorite pew.... do you say to yourself.... We have a pretty nice little church here.... or isn't our church magnificent!?! But is it really?
Did the guy behind the pulpit really accept Jesus as his personal Savior, or did he finish Seminary to make his mommy and daddy happy?
Does your preacher go on and on and on and on without even opening the Bible and reading the verse?
Is your preacher more impressed with how the church looks than how many souls are fed?
Does the preacher talk big but go home and kick the dog?
Paul has one thing correct, for sure. The world is watching the Christian Church.
We should base our teaching and actions on the Life of Jesus Christ, not some guy who fell down and claimed to have see the light.
Jesus was not a murderer. He did write in the dirt some.... but He would not pick up a stone to cause damage.
Jesus will defend us... not Himself.
