As Unto the Lord

13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. – 2 Corinthians 10:13-18 ESV

While Paul was willing to become all things to all people so that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22), he was not willing to submit himself to the authority of men or to labor for their approval. Fourteen years after his conversion, Paul traveled to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus to meet with the original apostles. He had been doing ministry among the Gentiles for well over a decade and had never traveled to Jerusalem to get their approval for his ministry. In fact, Paul boldly proclaimed his independence from the leadership in Jerusalem.

…the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. – Galatians 2:6-7 NLT

Paul would later tell Timothy, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT). He also told him, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT).

For Paul, God’s approval of his work was paramount. He considered himself a servant of God, and so his only concern was to do what his Master had commanded him to do. And yet, because he was human, Paul was sensitive to the constant criticism he faced. His ministry was always under siege, and the most vicious attacks were personal in nature.

It seems that in Corinth, Paul was accused of having overstepped his bounds; he was operating outside his designated area of influence. Corinth was a long way from Jerusalem, and as a Jew, Paul had no business ministering to the primarily Gentile community there. His critics were saying he was out of bounds in Corinth; it was their territory, and he needed to mind his own business and leave them alone.

But Paul argued that he was under the same commission Jesus had given to the original 12 disciples

“Be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 ESV

Paul considered Corinth well within his God-assigned jurisdiction, and he reminded them that he had brought the gospel there and helped plant the first church.

We were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:14b NLT).

When ministry becomes a competition or a quest for fame and glory, everyone loses. Those who minister to gain recognition or the approval of men will always view other ministers as adversaries, not allies. Paul was not out to build his reputation, but to build up the body of Christ. He was not motivated by man’s approval, but by God’s. Paul wanted to one day hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21 ESV).

The whole idea of ministerial boundaries and serving God for personal glory or gain was foreign to Paul. He simply went where God told him to go, and was able to say, “I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else” (Romans 15:19b-20 NLT).

Paul’s passion was for evangelism. He longed to take the gospel to those places where the name of Christ was unknown and the message of the good news had not yet been heard. But Paul also had a desire to see those who had come to faith in Christ grow up in their salvation (1 Corinthians 3:2; 1 Peter 2:2). So while he was anxious to continue his missionary efforts and take the gospel to places such as Rome and Spain (Acts 19:21; Romans 15:28), he was not willing to watch newly converted Christians languish in spiritual infancy or as the predatory practices false teachers. So he continued to reach out to the Corinthians, longing to see them grow. It was his desire that they increase in spiritual health and maturity. Once that goal was achieved, he reasoned, “Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.” (2 Corinthians 10:16 NLT). He wanted to move on, but was not willing to do so if it meant sacrificing the stability of the work in Corinth.

When all was said and done, Paul was only interested in one thing: God’s approval. He believed that he performed his duties before an audience of one: God. Yes, there would always be others watching. There would always be some who complimented his work and others who attacked it. But at the end of the day, he was endeavoring to please God, not men. He wanted to be able to lie his head on the pillow and find rest in the fact that he had done what God had called him to do. Which is what led him to write:

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 ESV

When we faithfully do God’s will, we will find ourselves with admirers and detractors. We may receive compliments and equal amounts of criticism, and have our methods and motives questioned. Others will attempt to take credit for what we have done. But as long as we are doing what we do for the Lord, it will not matter.

Like Paul, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we perform our duties for an audience of one. His opinion is the only one that matters; the applause and approval of men carry no weight when compared to the commendation of God. So, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 ESV), and “do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT).

Father, Men-pleasing is a non-contact sport among most Christians. We are competitive in nature, even when it comes to our spiritual lives. We compare and contrast, measuring our spiritual maturity based on what others think of us or how well our walk stacks up to theirs. We don’t like criticism and the thought of others questioning our godliness makes our blood boil. But Paul reminds me that Your opinion is the only one that matters. I perform for an audience of one: You. It is what You think of me that should motivate my actions and measure my effectiveness. But I am so prone to worrying about what others think about me. The approval of men is like a drug that clouds my thinking and causes me to lose sight my real purpose. I am Your servant and I answer to You alone. I exist to serve and please You. Thank You for using Paul to deliver that much-needed reminder. Now, help me to live it out in everyday life. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God Uses the Undeserving to Do the Unimaginable

7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. – 2 Corinthians 10:7-12 ESV

Paul had his critics. They seemed to dog his steps and show up wherever he went, and Corinth was no exception. For whatever reason, Paul was always having to defend his apostleship. It seems that his critics constantly tried to discredit Paul by questioning his claim to be an apostle of Jesus. Paul was fully aware that his commissioning by the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus was far from conventional. He was not one of the original disciples, and, unlike John, James, Peter, and the others, Jesus had not hand-picked Paul at the beginning of His earthly ministry. Nor had Paul spent three years serving as a disciple of the Messiah or been present on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples.

Paul realized that his calling had been radically different, but no less real. He had met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, who declared to him, “Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15b NLT).

But while his apostolic authority was the primary point of objection for his critics, Paul also faced attacks on a variety of other fronts. In a desperate attempt to undermine Paul’s influence among the Corinthians, his opponents even accused Paul of being weak. They painted him as a powerless imposter who hid behind his pen, writing scathing, authoritative-sounding letters full of demands and commands. But in person, he proved to be a disappointment, challenged by physical weakness and less-than-impressive rhetorical skills. According to their view, Paul was a mouse masquerading as a lion; the only thing less impressive than his oratory skills was his physical stature.

Rather than trying to refute their accusations, Paul agreed with them. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul admitted, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan” (1 Corinthians 2:1 NLT). He went on to explain, “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5 NLT). Paul would go on to confess, “I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (1 Corinthians 15:9 NLT). Paul referred to himself as “the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8) and the worst of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:16).

So, Paul wholeheartedly agreed with his critics’ assessment of his weakness. Just a few chapters later in this same letter, Paul eagerly and proudly exclaims, “I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT). Rather than considering his weakness as a negative, he viewed it as a positive characteristic that forced him to rely upon God’s power instead of his own. His weaknesses did not negate his authority; they confirmed it. He refused to allow his critics to undermine his authority simply because they were unimpressed with his presence. He was God’s representative, ordained by the resurrected Jesus and commissioned to build up the body of Christ.

As is almost always the case in a dispute over authority, there was someone in Corinth who also claimed to be speaking for Christ. That is what led Paul to say, “If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we.” (2 Corinthians 10:7 NLT). This individual had painted Paul as a weakling whose bold, in-your-face letters were a cover-up for his far-from-impressive persona. He suggested that Paul spent so much time away because he knew his letters were more effective than his physical presence. But Paul refuted this accusation, declaring,  “Let such a person consider this: What we say by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present.” (2 Corinthians 10:11 NLT).

Paul was not going to get into a war of words or attempt to defend his ministry based on outward appearances or physical attributes. In fact, he told the Corinthians, “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). For Paul, the message was all that really mattered. He saw himself as nothing more than an unworthy vessel through which God poured out the blessing of the gospel upon the undeserving and those in need of mercy. Paul had already told the Corinthians that the gospel message was not about him.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT

Fragile clay jars. Cheap household pottery. It wasn’t the receptacle that was meant to impress, but the contents contained within it. Paul never intended to overwhelm people with his power, presence, or eloquence. He simply wanted to be faithful to his calling and allow the power of God to flow through him.

For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 NLT

Father, we tend to make more of the container than we do the content. We can easily become impressed with the speaker and lose sight of the message he is supposed to be sharing. We put a high value on rhetorical skills and outward appearance. But, as You said to Samuel, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). It seems clear that Paul was a far-from-impressive speciman of a man. He wasn’t good looking, naturally charismatic, or a verbal wordsmith. Yet, You used him to spread the good news concerning Jesus to the ends of the earth. Your strength was made evident in his weakness. Your power was displayed through his glaring insufficiencies. That is how You work. You use the unimpressive to accomplish the impossible. You use the weak to perform wonders. You choose the undeserving to do the unimaginable. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT). And to that, I say, “Amen!”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Weapon of Words in the War of Wills

1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. – 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 ESV

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but Paul’s experience was just the opposite. His long-distance relationship with the Corinthians had created some significant leadership issues for him. While he had been away, various individuals had shown up who questioned his apostolic authority, accused him of being heavy-handed, painted him as a coward, and labeled him weak. A good portion of this letter contains Paul’s defense of his actions and authority. He felt compelled to defend himself because, ultimately, an attack on him was an attack on the very gospel he preached. He viewed the battle as a spiritual one. For Paul, this wasn’t just a case of one man’s opinion over another’s; it was about the integrity of the gospel.

Paul uses military terms to describe what was happening, and he indicates that the conflict was taking place behind the scenes in the spiritual realm. Those who were raising doubts about Paul’s integrity and undermining his ministry were actually being used by Satan himself to damage the cause of Christ. He makes it clear that the attacks against him demanded more than a “fleshly” response. He was human (of the flesh), but his actions were anything but fleshly (according to human means). He says, “We do not wage war according to human standards” (2 Corinthians 10:3b NLT). He wasn’t going to resort to human means to fight a spiritual battle. Manipulation, deceit, slander, lying, self-promotion, power-grabbing, and hypocrisy had no place in a battle that was spiritual in nature.

Yet, Paul’s enemies were waging war according to the flesh. They were using any means possible to tear down Paul and destroy his influence among the Corinthians. They spread rumors about him and raised questions about his integrity. They insinuated his lack of trustworthiness and flatly denied his apostleship. They accused him of timidity when he was among them, but of being arrogantly bold when he was writing his letters from a safe distance.

But Paul used a different fighting technique. He says, “The weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT). He knew the source of his enemies' attacks, and it was none other than Satan. Paul was facing more than a war of words and wits. He describes the verbal attacks of his enemies as “arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5a NLT).

When these people attacked Paul and his ministry, they were really speaking against God Himself. These pawns of the enemy were causing people to doubt the reality of God and the veracity of His offer of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. The NET Bible translates verse five as, “we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” Paul wasn’t going to let the false opinions and deceptive teachings of his enemies slide by. He was going to attack them and make them his captive, forcing them to surrender to the sovereignty and Lordship of Christ.

Paul was ready to come and clean house, but his primary concern was the Corinthians' obedience to God's will. Once that was taken care of, he would do business with the rebels among them, punishing their disobedience once and for all. Paul was anything but politically correct or tolerant. He did not operate on the notion that everyone is free to have their own opinion, at least not when it came to the gospel's message. And since the gospel included man’s salvation, sanctification, and ultimate glorification, Paul was anything but tolerant of those who claimed to teach a different version of the gospel. He would not tolerate anyone who questioned his commission by Christ because there was too much at stake.

The phrase, “taking every thought captive,” has often been construed to mean that believers are to manage their thought lives. They are to think right thoughts and to control the inner workings of their minds. And while this is true, it would seem that Paul’s point has nothing to do with our thoughts, but with those of the enemies of God. We are to do battle with these false teachings and vain philosophies, taking them captive, like prisoners at the end of a victorious battle. We are to force those thoughts to submit to the Lordship of Christ, like captives kneeling before a conquering king. They have proven insufficient and inadequate to overthrow the King of kings and Lord of lords.

To stand for the truth, you must know it. If we are to do battle with the false teachings and the subtle lies of the enemy, it is essential that we know what the truth is. We can’t spot the counterfeit if we don’t know what the real thing looks like. Our familiarity with the truth enables us to recognize falsehood and stand against it. Our commitment to that truth motivates us to resist the lies, no matter what form they take.

Exposing the enemy's lies is one of our primary functions as believers. Paul was at war, but he knew he was on the winning side. He was willing to go out swinging, never letting up or giving up, until the Lord called him home. Which is why he could write the following declaration of confidence to his young protegé, Timothy.

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT

Father, I want to fight the good fight. But I know that means I have to know who my enemy is and what I am fighting for. We live in a confusing world that propogates lies and attempts to promote false versions of the truth. There are so many false gospels out there that offer alternative promises of hope but leave out the reality of sin and the need for a Savior. That was exactly what Paul was dealing with, and nothing has changed. Even among professing believers, there is an ongoing battle over what the truth is and how we are to live in a world where relativity and tolerance rule the day. We are in a spiritual war in which primary weapon of the enemy is words. In the garden, Satan got to Eve by saying, “Did God actually say?” (Genesis 3:1 ESV). By questioning the accuracy and reliability of Your words, he caused Eve to doubt Your authority, and, ultimately, Your goodness. Satan’s tactics have not changed, but his efforts have intensified. He is desperate to win the battle for the minds of men and will stop at nothing to obscure the truth of the gospel. Give me the strength and determination to stand for the truth to the bitter end. Don’t let me get distracted by the cares of this world. Don’t allow me to give up or grow weary. I want to stand for the truth until You call me home or Your Son returns. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

On the Offensive.

2 Corinthians 10

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

Paul was under attack. There were those in Corinth who were questioning the legitimacy of his apostleship and causing others in the church to reject his authority. For Paul, this meant war. Not because he was prideful and in need of their praise and respect. He wasn't upset because people were talking about him or even because they disliked him. It was all about his God-given authority and the integrity of the Gospel. Paul had been commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself as he lay by the side of the road to Damascus, having lost his sight due to the glory of the risen Lord. Jesus had told Paul that day, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized.  Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:14-16 NLT).

Ever since that day, Paul had been on a mission to fulfill his commission. The church in Corinth existed because Paul had obeyed God's call on his life. He had told them about the life-changing, sin-cancelling, grace-giving salvation available through Jesus Christ. Paul had told them all that he had seen and heard. He had been a faithful, unfailing spokesman for God, and now his authority was being questioned. These new believers in Christ were being led to doubt Paul's word and to reject his teachings as authoritative. Paul could have cared less about what they thought about him as a person, but when they stopped accepting his words as coming from God, he was forced to go on the offensive. He viewed this as a battle for the spiritual lives of the believers in Corinth. "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT). Paul was going to do everything in his power to tear down the false teachings and human presuppositions that were wreaking havoc on the church in Corinth. They may have been well-meaning, but their efforts had been destructive. By questioning Paul's authority, they had led others to reject the very word of God. Paul knew that his authority had been given to him by God. He had been sent to Corinth by God. Everything he had taught them had been in keeping with the message given to him by Christ Himself. Paul had never strayed outside the boundaries of his God-given authority.

Paul had had to address some fairly difficult issues in his letters to the Corinthians. He had tackled some tough topics that probably offended many in the church there. He had dealt with moral and ethical issues. He had exposed areas of sin that they would have preferred had remained hidden. In his "severe letter" written some time between 1st and 2nd Corinthians, he had evidently addressed some topics that were difficult for the Corinthians to accept. But he had done it all as part of his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ. His ministry had never been a popularity contest. He wasn't out to win friends and influence enemies. He was a messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he had been faithful to his calling. He had a right and responsibility to speak honestly and boldly, proclaiming not only the Good News of Jesus Christ, but the bad news regarding sin and its impact on the lives of men. Paul didn't just preach salvation. He proclaimed sanctification. He made it painfully clear that a new life in Christ required a new way of living. Eternal life was to have temporal ramifications. An encounter with the Savior was to result in a change in behavior. Paul preached a message of sanctification or being set apart. He called the people of Corinth to live lives of distinctiveness, modeling what it means to be transformed by the power of God. And that was a message that was no less popular then as it is today. But Paul was willing to do battle over it. If the Gospel doesn't transform lives here and now, it has no power. If it can't make us new creations in this life, it doesn't have the power to provide us with eternal life. That was a message Paul was willing to fight and die for. So should we.

Father, we sometimes shy away from saying those things we fear might come across as negative or unacceptable. We play it way too safe, mincing our words and lowering our expectations out of a fear of man. Give us the boldness and faithfulness of Paul. May we recognize that we too have been commissioned by God to deliver His message to a lost and dying world. Not only are we to call the lost to salvation, but the saved to sanctification. We are to call Your people to a life of distinctiveness. We have a God-given authority and responsibility to call one another to daily life change through the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us to live up to our calling, boldly and unapologetically.  Amen.