2 Corinthians
Chapter 10
Paul’s Controversial Defense
It is I, Paul, who, through the humility and kindness of Christ, appeal to you; the Paul who is timid among you and bold when far away from you!
Don’t compel me to act boldly when I arrive, as I am resolved and will dare to oppose those who believe I act out of human motives.
Human is our condition, but not our fight.
Our weapons for this fight are not human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds—those arguments
and haughty thoughts that oppose the knowledge of God. We force every thought to obey Christ.
So, I am ready to punish any disobedience when you are supposed to show perfect obedience.
See things as they truly are. If someone believes they belong to Christ, let them remember that, just as they are Christ’s, I am too.
Although I may appear overly confident in the authority given to me by the Lord to build you up rather than tear you down, I will not be ashamed to say this.
Don’t think I can only scare you with letters.
Some say, ‘His letters are severe and strong, but as he is, he has no presence and is a poor speaker.’
To such people, I say, ‘Be careful: what my letters say from afar is what I will do when I come.’
The Power of the Apostle
How could I dare to compare myself with some people who boast about their own merits? Fools! They gauge themselves by their own standards and compare themselves only to themselves.
As for me, I will not boast beyond measure because I will not exceed the limits that the God of true measure has set for me: He provided the measuring stick when he made me to stand in your place.
It is not the same when someone ventures beyond his own field, into areas where he has not yet been able to set foot. But I am the one who first came to you with the gospel of Christ.
I am not claiming credit where others have already worked. Instead, we hope that as your faith grows, our ministry among you will also expand without exceeding our bounds.
So, we will share the gospel in places beyond your region without intruding on others’ territory, nor boasting or making ourselves seem important where the work has already been accomplished.
Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
It is not the one who praises himself that is approved, but the one whom the Lord recommends.
Commentaries
Paul’s Controversial Defense.
These final chapters reveal Paul’s rich and passionate humanity, showing he can be both ironic and sincere with those who question the legitimacy of his mission or, in other words, the Gospel he proclaimed. He defends himself by highlighting ‘the kindness and gentleness of Christ’ (1) as his inspiration, his model (cf. Phil 2:6-8), and his weapon in battle. The Apostle clearly references the Word of God he proclaims, doing so in humility and poverty, in contrast to the sophistry, arrogance, and false reasoning used by false apostles to divert the Corinthians from the Gospel they have accepted.
The Power of the Apostle.
His opponents, who had arrived in Corinth, accused Paul of not being an apostle in the full sense and therefore lacking genuine apostolic authority. They, in turn, considered themselves apostles and boasted of ‘being of Christ,’ perhaps suggesting with this nearly technical phrase that they had known Jesus personally or had connections with the apostles of the Church of Jerusalem. In other words, they saw the apostolate as an exclusive club to which Paul could not belong. Paul responds defensively, despite his humility and discomfort with boasting or talking about himself, because circumstances require it. He does so by reminding them that he founded the church in Corinth and that this living community stands as a testimony to the presence and power of God in his apostolic ministry.