2 Corinthians 10

In 2 Cor 10, Paul changes tone and topic. It will take more than one chapter to fully develop, but he clearly is expecting a difficult encounter with some of the believers in Corinth (we'll see in the next chapter that it is over a need to confront false teachers).

He's appealing to them not to make it contentious but plainly wants them to know that the issues at hand are most serious and he will not be backing down.

He expects to be opposed.
He expects to be disrespected.
He is prepared for a debate.
But the issue at hand -- opposing those who proclaim a different gospel and a different Jesus, as we'll read in Chapter 11 -- is so vitally important that he is willing to face this confrontation willingly.

Observations

Here are some of my observations from this chapter:

He hopes and pleads not to have to press the debate as far as he is prepared to do (which I assume to be the expulsion of the unrepentant false teachers from the church).

This is the kind of encounter in life where, if it goes badly it can get very ugly indeed. But also where, if those involved respond appropriately, it can be a growth experience that all involved can look back on with satisfaction.

By raising this in a letter to be sent on ahead of him before his visit, Paul is setting the stage for the conversation -- hopefully allowing his adversaries to take a step back, assess their position, and hopefully come into the situation with humility instead of aggression.

This is (so far, at least) an in-house confrontation.

He's addressing this to a group of people who will be reading, or hearing, this letter to the church. They consider themselves to be in the church. The church accepts them. And Paul himself does not, at this point, characterize them as enemies from outside the church.

Sometimes, confrontation is necessary within the church. It can be painful and unpleasant. But when it takes place with right attitudes on both sides it can lead to incredible personal and corporate growth.

It is a confrontation appropriately characterized as a battle of ideas and arguments ("arguments" in the sense of reasons offered in support of ideas, rather than in the sense of combative discussion).

Paul's approach was not to fight his opposition physically -- but to win people (including, if possible, even his opponents) over to thinking about things in a way that corresponds to the wisdom of God.

Paul seems a little uncomfortable with the direction he's being forced to take due to the controversy. He's going to have to defend his role as an Apostle, and to avoid being seen as boastful he wants first to show the limits on what he will boast about.

In order to defend his role and his teachings against his attackers (who have evidently accused him of living in a worldly manner, not being a true apostle and being full of bluster in his writings but timid and inconsequential in person) he will do some "boasting" in these next few chapters. But he wants to make it very clear that he is boasting only about what God has done -- the authority and ministry and results that He gave to Paul.

My Prayer Today

Father,

Help me value what you value and to keep my priorities rightly ordered. Help me place a high value on unity, and harmony, and humility. But let me be like Paul in defending the central truths of the gospel where they are being challenged.

When I need to be corrected, help me always respond in humility. When I need to be involved in correcting others, help me be loving, humble, and patient -- but also firm.

Keep me from pride in anything that is of me -- but let me not be ashamed in boasting of your greatness.

Help me, through my study of your Word, to be equipped to teardown the ideas that are the "strongholds" of our adversary in our culture. Help me be persuasive -- not through any eloquence of my own, but through rightly handling your truth.

Let me, today and everyday, live as a good ambassador for you -- calling those around me to reconciliation to you.

To your glory...

Amen.

 SCOTT PURCELL | Elder

Scott committed his life to Christ as a child under the teaching of his parents and church. He graduated from Ozark Christian College in 1989 with bachelors degree in Biblical Literature and served 8 years as Minister of two churches in Missouri and then 3 years as a Church Planter in San Marcos. Since then, he has worked as a technical trainer at Dell and Rackspace. In 2008 Scott and Nan joined HCBC-NW and then Hutto Bible in 2011. Scott serves in Small Group leadership, as secretary to the Elder board, and as the elder over IT and Discipleship. Scott and Nan have been married since 1985 and have three children (Mindy Schultea (married), Kate, and Matthew) and two grandchildren.