Paul's Boldness
Notes
Transcript
2 Cor 10:7-12
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.
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.
I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.
For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”
Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.
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.
Intro:
Intro:
AG:
TS: Paul boldly defends himself against his accusers and points out their false standards.
RS: We can easily fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to each other or to human imposed standards. We must heed Paul’s teaching here and look only to Christ as our standard.
The RIdicule
The RIdicule
He possesses no power or authority
He possesses no power or authority
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.
Paul’s authority as an apostle was being questioned
Paul insists here that evidence of his authenticiy were all around them
He had planted the church in Corinth!
the false apostles had planted NO CHURCHES
they had suffered no persecution
He had watched over them and taught them in person, in letters, and through those he sent them
False apostles came and had put extra burdens upon them (circumcision, following judaic law)
He reminds them that in Christ, we all have authority
This is the priesthood of believers
There is no special ruling class of Christians
We speak the truth in love to each other
We watch over each other.
He writes like a lion but in person is weak as a lamb
He writes like a lion but in person is weak as a lamb
I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.
For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”
They accuse him of being different in letter and in person
They took his meekness in person to imply he had no real authority when they compared him to the fasle teachers.
They said his sermons weren’t worth much
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nine: Ministerial Misunderstandings (2 Corinthians 10)
Some friends and I once listened to a man preach whose entire sermon was made up of impressive “big words,” an occasional quotation from the Bible (usually taken out of context), and many references to world events and “the signs of the times.” As we left the meeting, one of my friends said, “First Kings 19:11 describes that performance perfectly: ‘The Lord was not in the wind.’ ” Yet people around us were saying that it was “the most wonderful sermon” they had ever heard. I seriously doubt that ten minutes later, they were able to recall one concrete thing that the preacher had said.
Paul didn’t showboat and prance around
This is basically saying he was afraid to be bold to their faces.
They accuse him of cowardice.
They misunderstood love and seeking restoration for weakness and fear
In writing, you can’t hear tone.
He had to state it in clear detail
Much of communication comes from facial expression, tone of voice and body posture.
In person, Paul was careful to show love (though his message I’m sure, was the same)
In letters, he was careful to be clear and concise to allow no room for misunderstanding.
The Response
The Response
He possess the power and authority of Christ
He possess the power and authority of Christ
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.
Paul has the authority of a beleiver
He, like us, are all priests of God
Paul also had the authority of being an apostle
This office had special qualifications:
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
Paul was called by Jesus and trained by him (see Galations)
They will discover he is a lion in person and on paper
They will discover he is a lion in person and on paper
I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.
Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.
Paul makes it clear that he is not of two minds and opinions and the lion will be visible in person
Since they had failed to follow the letters, when he saw them he would be just as blunt with those who had not repented.
The Rule
The Rule
Paul had only 1 standard to which he compared himself
Doesn’t compare to other men
Doesn’t compare to other men
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.
The Corinthians were making the mistake of comparing themselves to each other
That is the wrong standard of measurement!
We are all fallen and feeble humans spiritually speaking
we each have our weakness and blind spots in our walk
None of us is without sin
When we look at others, we will fall into a couple of traps
Find someone so much “better” than us we feel inadequate and give up.
Find someone so much “worse” than us that we get arrogant and have a false sense of righteousness.
Does Conform to Jesus Christ
Does Conform to Jesus Christ
The implication here is that we must stop comparing ourselves to other humans and begin looking at Christ
Paul only cared what the Lord thought about him.
For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
We are to conform to His image!
any other standard is false
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Jesus is the only standard by which we should judge ourselves.
We are called to be transformed by Christ
We must obey Him
We must live like Him
Then we will know and do the perfect and accpetable will of God
Conclusion:
Conclusion: