Boasting in the Lord

2 Corinthians: Boasting in the Lord

2 Corinthians 10:7-18

2 Corinthians 10:7–18 ESV

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. 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.

1. Introduction – Last week we started to look at 2 Corinthians 10. We noted a stark change in tone because here in this closing section of the letter – Paul is dealing with his opponents head on.

a. Throughout the course of this letter – at various points, Paul has been defending his ministry – the content of his minister as a new covenant apostle…

i. And he also defends the conduct as an apostle – showing that afflictions and suffering are signs proving the authenticity of his ministry.

1. But here in chapters 10-13…Paul ramps up his defense and his attacks on his opponents.

ii. He holds up their practices as so called ministers of Christ…and compares their practices to his practices as a true of Jesus Christ called by the will of God.

b. If you’ll recall from last week – Paul wrote in vv.1-6 about how he was going to go about tearing down the ministry of the false teachers.

i. And in the verses we’ll study today…vv.7-18…Paul addresses 2 major points on contention.

1. 2 arguments that were brought against Paul and his ministry.

a. Paul addresses the issue of authority in ministry.

i. He looks at his opponent’s authority vs his own apostolic authority.

1. And Paul also addresses the issue of boasting… the difference between bragging about one’s own accomplishments and boasting in the Lord.

ii. This really is a wonderful section. Hear God’s Word – 2 Corinthians 10. I’ll read vv.7-12 right now and then read vv.13-18 a little bit later.

2. Authority Issues – So the first issue Paul addresses is authority.

a. Paul’s authority was called in to question by the false teachers in Corinth because Paul didn’t look or act authoritarian.

i. We heard this accusation last week – but here Paul expands upon it. The accusation goes something like this… Paul is weak and timid in person, but when he writes he writes aggressively and boldly. Like he is two different people in person and in writing.

1. Now – there is actually credible historical evidence that Paul really was physically weak and not really much to look at from a physical standpoint.

a. There’s credible historical evidence that he had an odd physical appearance. We’ll learn in a few weeks about his thorn in the flesh which really hampered him.

ii. Why does Paul address this crazy idea?

1. Well, the false teachers seemed to have made Paul’s physical appearance into an authority issue.

b. These men came from a tradition known as the Sophist tradition. This group valued physical stature as a sign of authority.

i. They valued solid rhetorical skills and eloquent speeches as signs of authority…and they used Paul’s stature and speaking ability against him.

1. It’s not that Paul lacked public speaking ability or despised the use of rhetoric in his sermons…he most likely lacked the flare and style of these false teachers.

a. But what Paul lacked in flare and style he made for with substance…because Paul preached nothing but Christ and Christ crucified to the Corinthians.

ii. While the false teachers of this Sophist tradition were known for their public speaking ability – it is also well documented that they didn’t really saying anything of substance.

1. From the outset, Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that if these false teachers claim to be in Christ…that is a claim Paul cam make himself also.

a. And the Corinthians must remember that it was Paul who brought the gospel to them in the first place.

iii. Paul tells them that this fact is plain to see…because it is right before their eyes.

c. But in this section on authority…Paul also reveals to the Corinthians…and to us today…how authority is to be used.

i. Paul states the use of authority in 2 ways…positively and negatively.

1. But first – look at the source of Paul’s authority. The Lord gave us authority…why?

a. Look at v.8 – Positively, for building you up.

i. And negatively…the Lord gave him authority…why? Not for tearing you down.

ii. Let’s look at the negative statement first. Paul doesn’t use his God-given authority to tear churches down.

1. The underlying assumption in this statement is that this is how the false teachers in Corinth operate.

a. In fact, later in this letter…in chapter 11 actually – Paul will state this outright.

i. The false teachers are there…not to edify and building up, but to lead the Corinthians astray and to deceive them.

2. In chapter 11:20 – Paul says the false teachers are there to enslave, to devour, to take advantage of…and ultimately to slap the Corinthians in the face.

a. That’s an improper use of authority.

d. Paul, on the other hand, use the authority that has been given to him by God…as a means to build up the church.

i. Building up is one of Paul’s favourite expressions. He uses it 12 times in his biblical letters…6 times alone to just the Corinthian church.

1. Building up 9is one of Paul’s favourite terms for a church’s growth toward spiritual maturity.

a. Unlike the false teachers – Paul isn’t interested in personal gain or accolades; he wants to see God glorified and God’s people reach a place of spiritual maturity.

ii. So in closing this section up – I’ll ask the question, “what can we learn about authority?”

1. Well, first of all, authority has nothing to do with appearance.

a. Paul was criticized for not looking authoritative or acting authoritative when in person…while the false teachers did their best to look the part of an authority figure.

e. It reminds me of the story in the OT when Samuel was looking for a king to replace Saul.

i. Remember Saul came from a family of some repute and stature…he was a head taller than everyone else. He looked kingly.

1. So when Samuel arrived at Jesse’s house – he saw Eliab…and the Bible describes Eliab as big and tall…like Saul.

a. Physically, Eliab looked kingly – he looked authoritative because he was big physical specimen.

i. But God told Samuel – man looks only at the outward appearance, but he looks at the heart.

1. That’s why David and not Eliab was chosen king – Eliab looked the part physically, but David fit the bill from a spiritual perspective.

ii. This is a lesson humanity is still learning – we are naturally drawn to charisma and looks and personality…

1. But what we really need to be drawn to is content. Authority isn’t based on looks.

f. Secondly – authority isn’t to be abused and used for one’s own personal gain.

i. This is pretty all-encompassing.

1. If you are in a position of power – whether at work, at home or in the church…

a. You can’t use your position to further yourself and hold other down.

ii. Paul states that authority was given to him in order to build up and edify others.

1. What a brilliant perspective on authority and leadership. Building each other up is one of the main goals every leader should have. Making the people around your better.

a. It’s a goal every church leader and every church should have.

iii. If God has given you authority over something…over a group of people…no matter how big or small your authority may be…

1. At home, at work, at church…use it to build others up…not to build yourself up.

3. Boasting vs. Bragging – And in the last few verses of chapter 10, Paul writes about the subject of boasting.

a. He compares the self-congratulatory bragging of the false teachers with his boasting in the work of the Lord.

i. What we’ll see in this section is Paul’s legitimate reason for boasting.

1. We’ll see Paul’s strategy for missionary ministry.

a. And we’ll see Paul accuse these false teachers of over stepping their area of influence.

i. Hear God’s Word again – 10:13-18.

b. First of all – if we want to better understand this section, we need to understand the accusation Paul is making against the false teachers.

i. Paul is accusing them of overreaching into his ministerial territory.

1. Remember, Paul was called by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus commissioned him to do this on the Road to Damascus.

a. It was a call that was later confirmed by the apostles in Jerusalem, Peter, James and John.

i. And it was agreed that Paul would minister to the Gentiles while the other would minister to the Jews.

ii. Well, Paul’s opponents who moved in to Corinth were most likely Jews, and the Corinthians were most definitely Gentiles…so they were now coming in reaching in to Paul’s area of influence.

1. They were negatively affecting and infringing on his ministry.

a. They were seeking really to undo the foundation that Paul laid in Corinth.

i. They were getting into areas of ministry in which were not assigned to them by God.

iii. This is why Paul writes a few different times about areas of influence in this passage. Because the false teachers were overreaching into Paul’s area of ministry.

1. And when they did, they torn down what Paul worked to build up.

a. It is something we must still be very careful of today. We must not overstep boundaries.

i. We must not seek to have influence in areas that have not been assigned to us by God.

c. But besides accusing the false teachers of overstepping, Paul also mentions his method of ministry and his ministry ambitions.

i. He is hoping to use Corinth as a launching off point – a home base of sorts – as he continues his ministry further west.

1. Paul wrote in other letters that he was hoping to make it all the way to Spain – we do know that he did make it all the way to Rome.

a. But not only did Paul want to use Corinth as a launch pad for ministry further west – he longs to see the Corinthians themselves engage in ministry in their own region.

ii. Look at v.15 – Our hope is that as your faith increases – our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged.

1. In other words – Paul hopes that his work would lead to a spiritual maturity among the Corinthians – wherein they would then continue Paul’s ministry to the city and area surrounding their church.

a. It’s that a beautiful picture and beautiful reminder of what we are to be doing as Christians and as a local church?

i. As Christian – as we are going into the world…going about the business of everyday life, we are to take the gospel with us and make disciples.

iii. As a local church we are to spread the good news of Jesus in our area of influence in our corner of the world.

1. It’s a reminder that as a church, we exist for the benefit of those who are not yet members of the church.

a. It’s a reminder of the work we need to be doing in our neighbourhoods, in our workplaces, with random people on the street, and in our community as a whole.

d. But Paul also reminds us of where the credit and fame belong when it comes to gospel work.

i. He writes about the false teachers – and if he was writing in today’s modern English, he would most likely call them clueless.

1. Instead of being concerned with spiritual matters – these men were concerned with carnal and material things.

a. They play the comparison game. They compare themselves to others and hold themselves up as the gold standard of ministry.

ii. What the false teachers were doing is what we would today call bragging. Touting their own accomplishments and themselves at the epitome of ministry.

1. We all know people like this – who use the words “I” and “me” a lot.

a. In my conversations with my fellow pastors I’ve noticed his pattern.

i. There are those who tout all the great things they are doing.

1. The programs they are running, the sermons they are preaching…

a. Activities they are putting on.

2. And there are those pastors who talk about what God is doing.

a. How God is being glorified in their church. How God is using people to further the reach of the gospel.

iii. This is what Paul is talking about – as ministers and leaders and Christians…we shouldn’t be bragging about ourselves…our credentials, education and accomplishments.

1. Paul writes that doing that shows a spiritual dullness.

a. It’s language taken right out of the OT – Isaiah 6:9-10 – a passage that speaks of spiritual perceptiveness over against spiritual dullness.

e. Humans are never the gold standard of ministry. Looks, education, credentials aren’t appropriate spiritual ways to think about who is qualified for ministry.

i. Paul writes that instead of bragging about one’s own accomplishments…Spiritually enlightened and spiritually perceptive people will boast in the Lord.

1. In 2 Cor. 10:17 Paul quotes a portion of a verse from the prophet Jeremiah.

a. In Jeremiah 9:23-24, God says this through this prophet…

Jeremiah 9:23–24 ESV

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

ii. Not who all-encompassing this is…

1. Not bragging in wisdom, might or riches…but boasting in the only thing that really matters…

a. Boasting in having a relationship with God.

4. Conclusion – So where do you fall in this spectrum?

a. Are you an “I’ and ‘me’ bragger? Always talking about your accomplishments and the great things you are doing?

i. Or are you a God boaster?

1. Boasting about the tings God is doing in your life, in your family, in your ministry opportunities?

a. This passage reminds us that there is only one appropriate source of boasting – let those who boast, boast only about the Lord.”