“I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (2
Corinthians 10:1)
Bible
Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
In this tenth chapter, we come to the third and final main section of Paul’s
second letter to the church in Corinth. It is in many ways a difficult section,
taken up with Paul’s defence of his ministry against accusations of the false
teachers who have invaded and influenced the church in his absence.
Paul is about to the visit the church for a third time (2 Corinthians 12:14;
13:1), and what he is striving to avoid is having to act in a heavy-handed,
authoritarian way when he comes to them. It is his greatest longing to be able
to be among his spiritual children as a father, living and walking among them
in the “meekness and gentleness of Christ,” even as he writes to them now
(10:1). He and his fellow apostles have indeed been given authority by Christ,
but it is an authority intended for the “building up” of believers, not for
“destroying them (v. 8).
So it is that his posture while among them is typically that of humility (v.1).
Indeed, this seems to have been seized upon by his opponents as a weakness.
“His letters are weighty and strong,” they say, “but his bodily presence is
weak and his speech of no account” (v. 10). Paul is here forewarning his
readers that he can be, and won’t hesitate to be, as bold while with them as he
is when he is away from them (v. 2). But that is not what he wants to be. For
as he has already shown at length, the power of Christ working in and through
him is manifested in weakness rather than strength (4:7-12). He would far
rather come in gentleness and love than boldly have to confront those who are
wayward and disobedient.
This lies behind this extended section of self-defence in the face of those
Paul will call “super-apostles… false apostles… deceitful workmen” (11:5, 13) –
the invaders who place themselves so far above him in the eyes of the
Corinthians.
Nothing makes gospel ministry more burdensome than having to combat a spirit of
disaffection among those we so dearly love in the Lord – and who should love
us. It is this the writer to the Hebrews has in mind when he writes,
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your
souls, as those who will have to give account. Let them do this with joy, and
not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).
Watching for the souls of people whose minds have become prejudiced against you
is indeed a burden. It is enough to make one groan, and it is certainly not
advantageous to them that this is the case.
Yet, the reality is that this is the common cost of ministry. And it is this
that makes this section, “scrappy” though it may seem, so necessary for the
church today. Let’s make it our prayer that the Lord will teach us through it.
Closing Thoughts:
- Have you experienced the challenge of having to serve those who are disaffected toward you?
- What is your natural reaction in this situation?