Tuesday 23rd May
Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (NIVUK)
If there is any part of scripture that requires a little ‘reading between the lines’ it is Paul’s correspondence with the Corinthians here. Paul is warning the Corinthians, well begging them actually, to change their ways before he arrives so that he doesn’t have to arrive with a giant apostolic stick (v2, 6). He needs them to be discerning, remember the truth of the gospel, and address the people that have won them over to their way of thinking. He is writing to the Corinthians, but he is really challenging the views of ‘some people’ (v2).
Reading between the lines, what is their view? They have accused Paul of being unimpressive (v1), unspiritual (‘worldly’ (v2)) and ineffective (v3-4). Paul does not stack up to what the culture considers respectable. At the heart of their complaint is that he is just not polished, gifted or spiritual enough to warrant any place in their esteem.
Paul has an immensely challenging task – he has to change (again) the Corinthians understanding of what true gospel ministry looks like. The irony they can’t grasp is that the very things they are boasting about are the very things that Paul considers worthless. All the polish, all the human ability and giftedness, all the ‘can do’ victorious and triumphant attitude undermines the grace of the gospel. The gospel itself is expressed most fully in weakness, and humility, and death.
Calvin comments wisely when summarising this passage: “Nothing is more opposed to the spiritual wisdom of God than the wisdom of the flesh, and nothing is more opposed to his grace than man’s natural ability, and it is the same with everything the world thinks is exalted. This the abasement of man is the only foundation of the Kingdom of Christ”. Paul is accused of being not grand enough, wise enough, or spiritual enough to be divinely blessed. He wants the Corinthians to say ‘Amen’ and recognise that as the path to life. How much of our ministry is natural ability and how much is God’s grace?
