Paul's Love and Duty

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Paul's Problem

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We see here that Paul was torn between Love and duty. Perhaps we can see something about Paul's character that we hadn't noticed before. He appears to be humble when he was face to face with these Corinthians and bold when he was writing to them. "Please, I beg of you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, when I come to you, don't make it necessary for me to show boldness."

There were several things at Corinth that would cause Paul to become the "taskmaster". Accusations against him and false teachings. There was some that suspected Paul of acting in a "worldly fashion". Paul, to take his message to the lost, needed to associate with worldly people. But that did not mean that he was becoming "worldly", nor did it mean that he was using worldly weapons as some had accused. Paul's weapons were "divine weapons" that could destroy the strongholds of Satan.

As to the false teachers, there were Judizers, disciples of the Sadducees, those who would add to that which is necessary for salvation and those who would take away form that which was necessary for salvation. Paul said that he was going to destroy every argument that supported false teaching, punish every disobedience and make their every thought captive to obey Christ. That was Paul's goal at Corinth. He would have liked to accomplish that in love but he would do it any way that he had to. Paul reminds them of his authority to punish offenders and the power of his teaching.

Paul's Authority

Again it appears that Paul felt that he had to re-establish his authority. We see in these verses something that we talked about in the last section. Something about the "boldness" of Paul. Some, at Corinth, were saying, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech of no account." Not only were they saying that, but thy also were making cracks about his appearance.

"Look", Paul says, "At what is before your eyes." Paul knew that he was not much to look at. He has been described a being short, mean, ugly and despicable. "Suppose that's true," Paul says, "Should you not allow that we are also Christ's?" Matthew Henry expounds upon this at great length. He says, "It would help to heal the differences among us if we would remember that even those who would differ with us, belong to Christ also."

Then Paul says, "Maybe I boast a little to much about my authority, but remember this, God gave me that authority, it is to be used for building you up." There is no excuse for a weak ministry. God supports and authorizes His ministry. Therefore, being authorized by God, Paul says that he will not be put to shame by those who attacked his ministry or his appearance. "I do not wish to be frightening you with letters, understand that what I say by letter, I say when present."

Paul continues to explain his attitude toward himself. "Now I do not want to be compared to those who commend themselves, because when we measure ourselves by someone else, it is a false measurement." Paul was saying that there is always someone that is worse than we are and those are the ones that we compare ourselves with. Paul did not want to do that nor did he want others doing it for him. He was pleased to have the "gifts" that God had given him, but he never prided himself in them as others did.

Paul Refuses to Boast

Have you ever heard anyone boast of the number of persons that they had saved? There is a bumper sticker that proudly announces, "I am a soul winner." This kind of boasting is what Paul is condemning here. "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." We do not win souls, we witness and plant a seed. If there is a conversion, it will be because God honored that witness and brought that person into a saving relationship with Christ. It is God who gives the increase. Paul never boasted of things that were beyond his ability. He knew that he could only plant a seed, this was his calling.

Others, like Apollos, had labored at Corinth also and God had used their efforts and brought people into the church also and Paul says, "I do not boast in other men's labors." His desire was to continue to witness at the church and establish a work in the areas around them. He reminds them that it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but rather the man whom the Lord commends.

There is an old song called "Bragging". It says, "If your fields are greener, you don't have to shout it, folks will hear about it, fields were greener fore you were born."

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