7 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. 8 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. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 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.
13 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. 14 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. 15 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, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17 “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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul continues the defense of his ministry. The false teachers seem to have placed much attention on outward appearance but Paul urges them to look deeper at the way things really are. Paul’s defense suggests the false teachers saw themself as belonging to Christ in some special way. Paul affirmed his God-instated authority as an apostle, but it was given to him in order to build others up and not tear them down. He was not ashamed of his use of his authority. With regard to his letters, his intention was never to bring fear but rather to edify the church, even through correction where necessary. They may have been right in saying his public appearance was unimpressive. He wasn’t an eloquent speaker (2 Cor 11:6) but he was ready to say in person whatever he communicated in his letters. The false teachers were able to puff themselves up by comparing themselves with other men. But they failed to compare themselves to the standard of Jesus Christ, and in so doing showed themselves to be fools.
Paul didn’t boast beyond the limits of the authority God had given him, to reach them as a missionary. By implication, the false teachers were exaggerating their accomplishments. It was Paul and his team who had first reached the Corinthians with the gospel. Paul didn’t boast in the work done by others. Instead, he hoped that they would mature in the faith and then he could expand his ministry to preach the gospel further and wider to lands yet unreached. Paul concluded this section with a quote from Jeremiah 9:23-24 as a caution against our tendency to place glory on human achievement and wisdom rather than the Lord. Ultimately it doesn’t matter how you commend yourself, what matters is the commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you perhaps fallen into the trap of comparing yourself to others and been lulled into a feeling of self-righteousness? If you compared yourself instead to Jesus and His expectations (John 14:15) then how do you fare? Are you living for Jesus’ commendation or the commendation of others?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Bowl Judgements: Revelation 15-16