2 Corinthians 10

The first thing we are likely to notice when we turn the page from chapter 9 and start reading chapter 10 is that Paul is no longer talking about giving glory to God by experiencing the blessings of giving. It would be an understatement to say that the switch was abrupt; there is no transition whatsoever.

One thing is clear enough in the first six verses: Somebody has been saying that Paul is much bolder when he writes a letter than he is in person, which could be a serious charge if it is coupled with the accusation that he can’t back up what he writes about when he is challenged. There is an alternative possibility as well; he might not be a natural public speaker, a little shy perhaps.

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. 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. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 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. (10:7-11)

These verses give us a bit more insight into the charges levelled against Paul; his writings are forceful, weighty and seem to contain a little boasting about his authority as an apostle. Come to think of it, he pulled rank a few times in both 1 Corinthians, and earlier is 2 Corinthians, and of course there are at least 2 letters we haven’t seen… Yet in person, he’s “unimpressive”. We have no real way to judge whether or not these apparent allegations are true, but we should be able to see how they might be true. In our time we have social media. Anyone who has had any experience with social media is aware of the fact that people tend to be much more abrasive when typing on a computer at home than they are face-to-face, which is why there are so many more fights on social media than in person.

Back in the days when people wrote letters, the same was true. In fact, don’t some people write a letter or a note, or send a text or email to express something that they would be too uncomfortable saying in person, even an expression of love? Why yes, they do. So, we can see how this charge might have been true, even though we cannot be certain of it.

Having pointed this out, we also know that it is a lot easier to make accusations behind someone’s back than it is to their face.

In 10:12-18, Paul has a charge of his own: His boasting falls within the limits of what he has accomplished in the Lord in his ministry to and for the Corinthians. His boasting speaks to God’s being glorified in their midst, but those who oppose him seem to have the audacity to commend themselves purely by their own standards, not by God’s. They congratulate themselves, they approve of their own actions, while Paul is commended by the Lord and his actions are the Lord’s actions.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (10:18)

As we read through these verses trying to figure out what happened, I’m struck so far with one thing in particular: Over the past two thousand years of human development, nothing much has changed. Humans seem to have a need to criticize others who actually try to do something positive, we want to tear down, to belittle. What’s the point of that?

Maybe Paul will reveal more in chapter 11.