2 Corinthians 10: Appearances & Boasting

• v.1-7 Paul’s Appeal: Check out Appearances
• v.8-12 Paul’s Boasting: 1. The Same Present as Absent
• v.13-18 Paul’s Boasting: 2. The Limits of his boasting

[Chapter Synopsis: In some ways this is a preliminary chapter opening up the way for Paul to more fully defend himself as we’ll see in this and the next chapter. His detractors will see he is the same face to face as he is in his letters, wielding God’s authority. He will not go beyond what God has given them to do and what they have achieved.]

v.1-7 Paul’s Appeal: Check out Appearances

[Passage Synopsis: Paul knows he has a reputation for being tough in letter but mild face to face, but when he comes again he will come with Christ’s authority if necessary to destroy every semblance of unbelief and unrighteousness, so check yourselves out.]

v.1 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!

v.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.

v.3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

v.4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

v.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.

v.6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

v.7 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.

[Note: Paul, who some say is both timid and bold, appeals to them; he doesn’t want to have to come and deal with the worldly rebels there. We don’t do things as the world does and our weapons have God’s power to bring down ungodly bastions of rebellion. We come with His power to break down every obstacle to knowing God. Once we’ve set you straight we can deal with any outsiders’ disobedience. Don’t look on the outside, check yourselves out on the inside.]

v.8-12 Paul’s Boasting: 1. The Same Present as Absent

[Passage Synopsis: To counter the criticisms, when he comes he will be the same face to face as he is in his letters.]

v.8 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.

v.9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.

v.10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”

v.11 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.

v.12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

[Note: I’m not ashamed of the authority God has given us, I’m not wanting to throw my weight around, because I know what some say about me behind my back, but they should realize the truth: I will be the same when you see me as I convey in my letters, but we will not be like others who commend themselves.]

v.13-18 Paul’s Boasting: 2. The Limits of his boasting

 [Passage Synopsis: If we defend ourselves and it appears as boasting, it will only be in respect of what God has given us to do and what we have achieved.]

v.13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.

v.14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

v.15,16 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.

v.17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

v.18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

[Note: So, we will confine our boasting to the extent of what God has given us to do, as you have seen in the way we brought the gospel to you. We won’t boast about others either, only what we have achieved with you. Let boasting only be as God enables [Jer 9:24] for the praise should come from God only.]

Chapter Brief Summary/Recap:

Ch. 10: Appearances & Boasting

• His detractors will see he is the same face to face as he is in his letters, wielding God’s authority.
• He will not go beyond what God has given them to do and what they have achieved in his defence against such people.

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: