2 Corinthians 10

The Apostle has presented the case in this letter for true Christian ministry, a God-given and God-ordained plan for our humble service in teaching and living, so the faith of the church in Christ might work itself out in God-honoring love. He celebrates the fact that apparently a sizeable majority of the church in Corinth has received his written word of encouragement to them. They have repented and have returned to their better and true assessment of Paul as a genuine servant of the Lord, an example to the church in the broader life of ministry that Christ has for His people. Nonetheless, the word “some” shows up in this chapter. Some suspect Paul of walking according to the flesh. In other words, a minority have come to the conclusion that Paul is not spiritual enough.

They apparently see their own pushy exercise of supposed authority accompanied by words and actions of coercion as being a sign of true spirituality. They claim that Paul is easily opposed in person, even if his letters sound strong. He begs the church in Corinth not to mistake his demeanor of Christian meekness and gentleness as a sign of lack of conviction or of some deficiency in gospel courage. For his part, Paul has an awareness of who he is in Christ, knowing that he is ready to sternly confront this continuing minority in Corinth who see it as their job to judge the Lord’s apostle. If we have true meekness and gentleness in the ministry it comes to us and from Jesus Christ. If we have boldness to speak plainly and directly, this too comes from our strong King.

Paul understands that the power at work in the ministry is divine power. For those who are interested in seeing some spectacle and calling that flashy display “spiritual,” they may judge the apostle to be a disappointment. But to wow people with your strong looks or the power of your voice is no proof of divinely-approved spirituality. This is not what Paul does. He does not wage war according to the flesh like the rhetorical equivalent of some wrestling hero. He uses the power of God’s Word to destroy strongholds. He dismantles arguments and takes down every lofty opinion that stands in the way of the propagation of the knowledge of God throughout the earth. He takes prisoners, but not with the weapons of this world. He uses the simple teaching of Christ to take every thought captive to the Lord our God.

This is very different than worldly and fleshly religious bullying. With the kind of teachers that impress the minority in Corinth, the force of personality, appearance, name-dropping and a little physical pushing around is enough to make the unwilling go along with bad theology. With God’s real ministers, it is the Spirit of God who makes us willing, and the plain statement of the love of the cross is eventually embraced with eagerness. That’s real power. Coercion is not at all impressive when compared with a true work of grace. How sad it is that too often in the history of the church we have turned to physical force and commercial strategy to try to accomplish what can only be done by the Spirit of God.

The kind of punishment that Paul will bring to the church in Corinth is not some strange or impressive fleshly discipline, but the theological and biblical dismantling of false teachers who would speak against the truth of Christ, and would seek to build a different kingdom as they try to tear down the true temple of the Lord’s Spirit in the process. Such proud teachers will be stopped, not with physical force, but with the strength of truth and according to the Lord’s own judgment as He sees fit. He is able to make even the wrath of His enemies to praise Him.

What is the measure of the Lord’s apostle? What is his true boast? Does he live to compare himself with those who are approved by men? Can he speak as well as they can? Does he make everyone laugh? Is he strong in his ability to move an audience with his natural gifts of personality, and his use of language in ways that demonstrate unusual facility? Is that what the church of Jesus is built upon?

We serve a God who died for us in weakness, and thus accomplished something beyond human strength. Could it be that one death could so completely defeat death for us, that we now have been granted life through that one great death? If this is the message that we proclaim, what room is there for proud boasting in our supposed abilities?

But God did use the apostle Paul. He used him to preach the gospel throughout an amazingly extensive region. He used him to bring a most excellent word to the ears of Jews and Gentiles in the city of Corinth, a word that changed hearts by the power of God. He used him to be spent for the Man who spent Himself entirely for the glory of His Father. In all of this, Paul’s boast was not in himself, but in the One who appointed Him as a messenger, though he had been a persecutor of the church. Paul was the chief of sinners, but God had appointed him to be spent in proclaiming Christ to Corinth and beyond. If Paul had a boast, his boast was in the Lord, the One who died that we might live, and who allowed his apostle to die daily, that the dying might hear a word of life. In that sacrificial ministry, no false and fleshly teachers would be Paul’s judge. God Himself, who appointed him, and gave him every gift and grace for the glory of the Name of Jesus, the King and Head of the church, would prove Paul faithful in the strength that comes from Christ for the glory of the Name above every name.