2 Corinthians - Lesson 10C

• Alright guys, welcome back. Turn with me if you will to 2 Corinthians the 10th Chapter. When we were last together, we finished our teaching by focusing on verses 7-11 in Chapter 10, and in those verses, we read where Paul answered some accusations that had been leveled against him.

  • And of course, as we know, those accusations were leveled by one individual in the church, a person who had slipped into the church sometime after Paul had left. After he moved on to another area to set up another church.

  • In verses 7 & 10, we read where Paul made the following statement as a rebuttal back to those who were questioning him in the Church of Corinth. But more specifically, it was directed back toward this one individual who had begun stirring up all the trouble in the first place. And this is what we read in verses 7 -10:

2 Cor. 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
2 Cor. 10:8 For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
2 Cor. 10:9 for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
2 Cor. 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” 

• I am not going to rehash these verses again. We already did that last week. But I would like for us to recognize a couple things about verses 9 & 10. Something I feel is worth noting one more time. Let me read it again. Paul says:

2 Cor. 10:9 for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
2 Cor. 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

• First of all, let me say, when Paul writes a letter in an effort to correct behavior, he never sidesteps the truth. He never dances around the issues or is ambiguous about the message he is trying to send. On the contrary. He almost always opens up with a greeting, and in that greeting he establishes who he is and then jumps into the deep end.

  • Meaning, he hits the issues head on. This is what he means when he says, “For they say, His letters are weighty and strong,”

  • Guys, I would like to point out at least two things about Paul’s approach. First, the truth will always stand when nothing else will. And this is not my opinion, it’s a Biblical truth found in John 8:32 where it says:

John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

• The Greek says, “And the truth will set you free”. The usage of the word, or meaning, is to set free, liberate, release from bondage. Figuratively, to remove the restrictions of sin (darkness), because the words were delivered by God into true spiritual liberty (growth).

  • And this is encouraging, especially if you stop to think about it for just a minute. I mean after all; this statement would seem to give us the answers to all our problems. Right?  Just get to the truth and then let everyone know it. And then, walla, everyone will be fixed. Isn’t that how it works?

  • Well, evidently not, because I have seen the truth spoken many times to many people and nothing changed. I want to be clear about something. When John speaks about the truth, he is not speaking about the world’s truth or the world’s wisdom. That’s a form of truth but not absolute truth.

• Honestly, it’s really more of an opinion or perspective based on experience. Absolute truth can only be derived by the creator. And this applies to the creator of anything; a painter, a writer, a sculpturer, a builder, whomever. The truth of any object can only be ascertained by the one who created it, because logically, he or she is the only one who knows why they created whatever it was they created.

  • It’s real simple. The creator is the only one who knows their purposes and plans, therefore, the truth that John spoke is speaking directly to the Word of God, not some truth as man sees it. Which means the truth of God is the instrument that frees God’s created people. And it accomplishes its purpose by causing us to self-reflect, without any fear of bias.

  • Which eliminates the thoughts in our heads that say, well, that person said this or that because it benefited them, or, they said what they said because they think they know me. Follow me here. The truth you read or hear will never meet its intended purposes unless you can hear it without any reservation, which is brought about by presupposition and or thoughts in our minds.

    • Those thoughts or presuppositions that speak to us silently, saying things like, this person has some bias for why it is they are saying what they are saying. And by the way, this is one good reason for seeing a counselor who doesn’t know you, because you can let your guard down with no worry of condemnation.

• Now having said all of this, let me say, when we speak truth to someone there is not an automatic law or rule in play that says that person will hear you and receive it, and apply it, which creates a little confusion in my mind and brings on more talk. Because John says:

John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

• So why can’t we just tell someone the truth straight from God’s Word and that person will automatically begin the process of change? Because for that to happen, God must first open that person’s heart and mind, giving them the ability to hear, see, and receive.

  • Even Jesus Himself dealt with this spiritual realty in Matthew 15, where, after feeding 4000 people with just 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish, and after healing many, many people, after all those miracles, the Pharisees still didn’t believe Jesus was who He appeared to be.

  • So, they decided to put Him to the test to see if He was for real, and we read about this moment in Matthew 16, where he said the following:

Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 

• So, after feeding thousands with just 7 loaves and a few fish and miraculously healing countless people, that wasn’t enough. There were still those who simply would not believe. Which tells us something. It tells us that, yes, the truth sets us free, but only when we receive it and then do something with it.

  • And that will not happen unless God opens up a person’s pores, giving them eyes to see and ears to hear. Anything short of that, no matter how truthful, will be met with disdain and angst. And so, with all that said, now what? What’s a brother or sister to do?

  • Seems a bit discouraging when you stop long enough to think about it. Well, first of all, remember we are not responsible for the outcome, God is. And second of all, when you speak to someone in an effort to correct their behavior, you must do so with the correct intent and with a pure heart.

    • And many times, that may not happen unless you spend a lot of time in prayer before approaching that person. Remember, the result we want is the result God wants. Which is what? “To bring honor and Glory to His name”, which means, if the intent of our talk has anything to do with us; our bias, our wants or desires, anything at all, then we should keep it to ourselves.

  • That is our litmus test. When we are not sure when to speak, if our intent glorifies God, then we are on track. If not, let it be, at least until we get our minds right. Which, as I said, means we have the correct intent with a pure heart. Without those two components, we will find very little success in our discussion.

    • Another way to say it is, truth without love cancels itself out, and will many times fall on deaf ears.

• Follow me here. Just because you’re right, doesn’t mean the person listening will receive what you are saying, which is why I said the best approach in revealing the truth is to be in the right state of mind.

  • Let me explain what I mean a little bit further. Have you ever been reprimanded or scolded or punished by someone who wasn’t your parent; someone whom you wouldn’t necessarily say loved you?

  • Maybe that person was a teacher or police officer or judge, or maybe it was an employer, or for heaven’s sake maybe it was the IRS. Someone who was just doing their job and enforcing the rules. If you can think back to that moment for just a minute, did you feel their direction was coming from a place of love?

    • Probably not. Even if you were in the wrong you still probably felt judged, misunderstood, or simply mistreated, and therefore you struggled accepting or receiving their discipline. My point is this. The goal of revealing truth to an individual is not for us to be right or win the argument. It’s so that the situation will improve, both for the individual and for all parties involved.

    • And for that reason, when we point out truth to fellow brothers or sisters, it should always be grounded in God’s Word, packaged with genuine concern and love for that individual. Anything short of that will miss the mark, and we should probably keep it to ourselves.

• Let me say one more thing. Sometimes, even when we do love the person, but we don’t feel love toward them in the moment, we actually feel opposite that. We feel anger, frustration, and stress with the situation. The only solution for reversing those feelings can only come by way of prayer and meditation and focus on what God desires for everyone involved.

  • Paul loved the people of the Church of Corinth. I mean, after all, he founded the church. He helped establish the leadership. But here he is, fighting to regain their confidence (which by the way had to be extremely frustrating. And I think we know he is frustrated by what he writes in verse 10, when he says,

2 Cor. 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong,

• The words weighty and strong are word for word the exact same translation in the Greek. Weighty means heavy and burdensome, and strong means strong & mighty. The usage of these two words combined gives us the sense of this document being grievous and pressing down on a person with oppressive force.

  • Such a grievous burden makes a person unable to function (enjoy free movement). Let me say, the only type of words that can bring with them these types of internal feelings are words of absolute truth. Not your truth, not my truth, but God’s truth.

  • Your words might make me mad or angry, but your words will never carry this type of weight or heaviness on my soul unless they are words of absolute truth. And by the way, that is exactly what God’s word does to an individual. It disrupts their spirit, especially when you study for yourself.

    • As a matter of fact, one of the ways you can know if you are studying correctly is when you feel oppressed by what you’re studying. God’s word has a way of shining a light on your life. It has a way of finding your secret hiding places. Bringing your impurities to the surface. Because as you study, you are faced with the reality of who you truly are, which then gives you an opportunity to improve by dealing with those issues.

• I want you to notice I didn’t say when you study it brings to light someone else’s sin or shortcomings. God’s word, when absorbed correctly in context, and rightly divided, will force you to look directly into a mirror, which will then force you to deal with yourself.

  • And that was Paul’s goal when he wrote to a church. To get them to reflect. And this is evident by what he said in verse 7, when he said:

2 Cor. 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.

• Paul is saying, if you are confident in yourself that you are in Christ, then examine yourself and you may want to reconsider, because we know for sure we are in Christ. And, paraphrasing here, he’ saying the way you are acting is polar opposite of what God expects.

  • And this is evident by the fact that this problematic individual in the church is trying to use Paul’s appearance as some type of proof that he is really not an Apostle. I mean seriously, does that sounds like something a Godly man would say? No. It sounds exactly like something a worldly man would say.

    • I mean after all, God would never choose a person who looks like Paul and speaks like Paul as His ambassador, would He? And so in response to that, Paul is saying (paraphrasing here), if this person is using my looks as some sort of proof of my calling, that’s fine, but (for a lack of better words), I would tell that person to take a hard look at themselves, because if this person thinks they are in Christ, they may want to double check that.

• Moving on, next Paul writes something that says a whole lot but may seem insignificant on the surface. Listen to what he wrote in verse 11:

2 Cor. 10:11 Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

• Paraphrasing here, who we are in this letter is who we are indeed in everyday life. Once again, here is the definition of a true testimony. Your testimony to the world is not what you say, but who you are. Are we the same in church as we are in the world, or do we play to the crowd?

  • This is so important for us to receive this morning, because the church of our day and age has forgotten this. You see, the gig is up on Christianity. The world isn’t buying what we are selling anymore. Believe me when I tell you, when we say we are Christian the world automatically begins watching, and they combine two truths, at least two truths as they see it.

  • One is the fact that you called yourself a Christ follower and the second is, will your life prove out what it is you say you believe in your daily life, or is it just a name tag or bracelet you wear? You know, like one people wore for years. Those WWJD bracelets - What Would Jesus Do?

    • You see, when your words don’t line up, the world tosses you into the same bucket as the rest of the Christians, those who say one thing and do another, and they classify us as hypocrites. Remember once again, the world is watching. You may not realize it, but they are. And Christians are losing ground in the day and age that we live in.

• Pressing on. Paul’s next statement is so insightful and so powerful; an applicable to all of us sitting here today, so listen to what he says in verse 12:

2 Cor. 10:12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 

• Now, as we study, it’s easy to lose track as to why Paul is writing this letter, so I want you to keep your focus. Remember, Paul is defending himself, so when he writes, he’s writing with his defense in mind.

  • He says something very insightful to the Church in Corinth. Something we should all be cognitive of. He says when they measure themselves, they do so by measuring themselves to themselves. And then for clarification, he says not only do they measure themselves by themselves, but they also compare themselves with themselves, which is basically the same thing but further clarified.

  • This statement, my friends, is one we should all remember as we live out the rest of our lives. When looking at ourselves for the purpose of self-evaluation, we shouldn’t measure ourselves by others around us. We can do that, but it has no life-improving effect.

    • And why doesn’t it have any life-improving or changing effect? Because I can always find someone that I feel I’m doing better than at the moment. Someone whom I could say, well, I’m not so bad. Look at him or her.

    • As I said, you can do that, but it carries no life-changing value. As a matter of fact, it’s a complete waste of time. Instead, our standard barrier should be who? Jesus, right? If we want to compare ourselves to someone, then compare ourselves to Jesus. Do that and the exercise will be over really quick.

• Pressing on, and we will close with verses 13-18:

2 Cor. 10:13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 
2 Cor. 10:14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; 
2 Cor. 10:15 not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, 
2 Cor. 10:16 so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
2 Cor. 10:17 But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. 
2 Cor. 10:18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

• Paul uses the word boast here a lot. As a matter of fact, he uses the word 29 times in 2 Corinthians and only 26 times throughout the rest of his letters combined. So evidently, boasting has been brought up as an issue by this rouge individual in the church who is working very hard to disqualify Paul and the other disciples by trying to point out how it is that he thinks Paul and the others are boastful.

  • That they have exceeded their limits of ministry, saying they have no right to minister in Corinth, which makes zero sense, obviously. But that’s what this man is saying, so Paul addresses his critic by saying, no, what he is saying is not true and here’s why. And then, no, that’s not true either and here’s why.

  • Which is so ridiculous that Paul has to defend himself. But, while he is defending himself, he says something, something that is so important for you and me to grasp and understand, and it shows up in verses 17&18:

2 Cor. 10:17 But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. 
2 Cor. 10:18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

• One of the biggest issues facing mankind is the lack of humility, and in its place the presence of pride. Many times, when good things happen to us, or we accomplish something great, we just can’t refrain from giving ourselves a pat on the back. Which is exacerbated when others reinforce that feeling by giving us a pat on the back as well.

  • I want us to understand something here this morning before we close. The testimony of scripture is crystal clear. As believers, Christian men and women, when something good happens to us or for us, we are to give all credit back to God. We receive zero credit.

    • It is so tempting to brag on ourselves, either consciously or subconsciously. To give ourselves way more credit than we truly deserve. Throughout my career as a businessman, I often think about what James Taylor says. “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.” A lot more rain than fire by the way.

• Having said that, we have been blessed, and I have had some pretty miraculous things happen in my favor. But when I look back at them and really think about how all of it came together, I am faced with the reality that it was all God. That I am really not as smart as I thought I was, and for sure I am not that lucky.

  • So many times, if one little thing had happened differently, everything would have gone the other way. Sometimes the timing was impeccable. Meaning, if I had not been standing where I was standing at that exact moment, or if I hadn’t met someone or went to a place that I didn’t want to go, the thing that happened in my favor would have never happened. Which just reinforces what Paul is saying in verse 17, which says,

2 Cor. 10:17 But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. 

• In other words, guys, God is in control of our lives. He causes the sun to rise and to fall. He makes the seasons change. He controls our entire environmental ecosystem, and He certainly controls what happens in the lives of His children. And why? Because He is working His plan.

  • And believe it or not, this applies in hardship as well. God is always doing something; good, bad, or indifferent, and our lives are not our own. The Bible says you and I have been bought with a price, which means, once you are saved, you are His. You are a slave. A Dulios, in the Greek. You’re a servant of the King!

  • Which means when something good happens, when success comes your way, when you just happen to meet someone at the right time who helps further your career, or whatever positive thing happens in your life, don’t pat yourself on the back. Remember, when good things happen, this is your opportunity to give credit to the one you say you serve.

    • And as always, never forget the world is watching, so recognize it for what it is. It’s God’s provisions and blessings in your life, and therefore, pause and think, and point people away from you and back to the cross. And Give God all the Glory!