Wednesday,
August 5 –
It’s
mid-week and we are continuing our reading thru the New Testament. Today our reading is from 2nd
Corinthians 10:1 – 17. You’ll notice the
change in tone from the beginning. Read
it twice if you have the time, and then please come back and we’ll look at it
together.
There’s
a noticeable change in tone as chapter 10 begins. Let’s remember the Corinthian story. We learned in the first letter that the
church, although established by Paul, was wracked with divisions – personality
cults that took on an ominous and troublesome warning for Paul. It wasn’t important that some preferred Paul
over others; instead, it was troubling that the divisions were leading to both
moral laxity and quarrels over daily decision-making (think marketplace
shopping). As well, groups were also
divided over doctrine and error had crept into the church. When Paul wrote this letter we are currently
reading, he did so to plead with them to understand what was at stake. The New Covenant Gospel was not one of many
ways of interpreting the Gospel; it was the only way to interpret the
Gospel. The divisions were not merely
annoyances, they were dangerous to the message of the Gospel. This is why Paul finishes this letter,
beginning in chapter 10, with a defense of call, life and teaching.
Paul
was used to criticism. He had
experienced it on many levels. It came
as snide comments, as well as attacks on his character, reputation, and
integrity. Not one of my Seminary
classes gave lectures on handling attacks on character, or integrity. It might have been helpful because they come
like arrows out of nowhere. They accused
Paul of being “nice” when present with them (vs 1), but there were “some” (vs
2), who accused him of being an arrogant bully in his letters. Paul wants them to know he isn’t two-faced but trying to appeal to them as fellow believers, even if they don’t understand
what is at stake. In verse 1, he said he
preferred to be “meek and gentle”. Being
meek and gentle should not be confused with being weak and a push-over. Paul did not like or want conflict, but he
didn’t shrink from it when it occurred.
Paul knows that at the heart of the conflict
something else that is at work. The false teachers who accuse him of being
two-faced and a bully are not acting by their own self-determination. Paul pulls back a curtain to see what is
feeding their falsework – “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not
waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not
of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy
arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take
every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every
disobedience, when your obedience is complete” (10:3-6). Sometimes the answer to the problems in a relationship
is not visible. The flesh is visible,
and yet it is the things behind the flesh – the “strongholds”, “arguments” that
have their source in Satan’s fight against the Gospel. He says, these things “are raised against
the knowledge of God”. The source is
not interested in the truth, nor in honoring or obeying God. It is interested in creating turmoil,
division, and destruction. What do we do in those kinds of situations? We “take captive every thought to obey
Christ”. It sounds good, but what
does that look like? It looks like “obedience”
to all things of God.
In a
lengthy polemic (10:7-18), Paul gives the Corinthians some things to think
about before he arrives. He answers the
false teachers and their criticisms with truthful, Christ-centered responses. He had already begun this by telling them
that his preferred method of dealing with them was in gentleness, or meekness,
and in truthfulness, based on what God had revealed. Now, he reminds them that his critics can
cast doubt on his call, but he has confidence in knowing what Christ called him
to do –
“Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is
Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord
gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed”
(10:7-8).
Paul is not boastfully confident. He’s
already made that clear in his previous comment about the “flesh, arguments,
opinions” that don’t reflect the truth.
What Paul boasts about is God’s sovereign work in establishing them in
the faith. He will soon reflect on his
own brokenness before God. His
confidence is not in himself, but in the work, Christ is doing in them. Put your confidence in God, not self!
Next
Paul reminds them in a response, that isn’t a response, that consistency is
framed by the old adage of “what you see is what you get” –
“ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.
For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily
presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” Let such a person
understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present” (10:9-11).
He had been accused by some of being duplicitous – writing one way and
speaking behind their backs another way.
Paul makes it clear – it isn’t true.
The kind of person who we can trust is the one who is truthful, honest,
and consistent in the way they talk both in private and in public.
The
tendency to compare is built into our sinful nature. We want to stand out, look good, and be
noticed in all the good ways. Yet,
comparison is a trap, and Paul knew that his call wasn’t defined in comparing
himself with others, and what they were called to do. The false accusations that these false
teachers made were all based on comparisons – which frankly are often easy to
live up to.
“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who
are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and
compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (10:12).
It’s an easy trap to fall into. This
person is better than me at this or at that – I
wished I could... why can’t I...like they can? Yet, comparing is a pride-trap. Whether it inflates our ego, or leads us to
self-pity, it does not lead us to Christ-likeness. Paul did not fall into that trap they had
fallen into.
Paul’s
goal was to fulfill the job God gave him to do – freedom that released him from
comparisons or trying to measure up or even people-pleasing. His commitment was
to the area of “influence” or responsibility God had assigned him to do -
“But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the
area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. For we are
not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the
first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. We do not
boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith
increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that
we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already
done in another’s area of influence” (10:13-16).
There
is real freedom in knowing what God has given you to do. When we do the things in life that we are
called to, without comparing, or pitying what we don’t have; but instead,
because we have been given grace by God to work in his vineyard we are released
from the burden of measuring up, or looking for praise. The principle behind this is clear –
“’Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one
who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (10:17-18).
Nothing is more freeing than to know you only have one master.
This
isn’t an easy section to read. What I
love about Paul is his passion. He is not a crazy zealot, but he has a great
conviction of who he is in Christ, what God wants him to do in life, and what
he loves about the people of God who come to Christ. Gary Millar speaks to this chapter in his
commentary:
“There is, in this chapter, a rich and delicate balance between being gentle
because of the gospel and demolishing unchristian strongholds through the
gospel; between putting our confidence in Christ alone and committing ourselves
wholeheartedly to being consistent; between focusing on the local church and
trying to reach the world; between not comparing ourselves to others and living
to please God. One question remains—how did Paul pull this off? Or better, how
can we pull this off? In particular, how on earth can we hope to maintain this
balance, this godly poise, when we’re under pressure? How can ordinary people
like us hope to deal with patronising, hostile, dismissive opposition like
this?
The answer is simple—Paul found it
back in the Old Testament, and he quotes it in 10:17:
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the
wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let
not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast
love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’
declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Let him who boasts, boast in the
Lord! The key to living for Jesus is to treasure him above all things. May God
help us to do that, and may it transform the way we think, and speak, and plan,
and stand, and hurt, and respond.”[1]
Peace
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