RESPONDING TO CRITICISM. 2nd Corinthians 10 For the rest of the epistle of 2nd Corinthians, Paul defends himself against the accusations false teachers were making against him to the believers at Corinth. The “meekness and gentleness of Christ” is not weakness but proof of the grace of authority given to him. Paul’s objective was that the Corinthian believers would obey Christ so he would not have to discipline them “according to the flesh.” Those who opposed him, judged him by his outward appearance and implied he didn’t have the courage to discipline anyone.
Paul’s boldness was not based on outward appearances because he depended on spiritual weapons in his spiritual warfare. The power of spiritual weapons is able to destroy the “strongholds” of evil and the arguments of false teachers against God. One of those weapons was a physical weakness which can mean spiritual strength in Christ. Another was Christ-focused ministry that is based on divine authority, which is supernatural and is delegated to Paul, who had apostolic authority. Truth is a weapon because it can overcome deception and clever words. Suffering may also be a spiritual weapon because it can be a means of bringing awareness of the value and purpose of life.
It is not the easiest thing to respond to criticism, especially when we think, and may know, it is unfair and based on jealousy or a frame of personal preference different from mine. Paul experienced this from some of the Corinthian believers who seemed to have formed a clique behind the leadership of a false teacher. The way he responded to this was a masterpiece of diplomacy. For the first nine chapters of 2nd Corinthians, he had been commending the saints for acting on his corrective ministry and defining areas of ministry in which both he and they were involved.
The world is hostile to our Lord Jesus Christ and those who follow Him. The world system has a different god than Christians. The god of this world is Satan who blinds the minds of those who do not and will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The result is that there is a spiritual battle going on in the lives of believers. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. We live in the world but are not of the world. Consequently, we are hated because we are not willing to conform to the mold of the world’s ways. Instead, we are to “be transfigured by the renewing of our minds.”
Whenever challenges are made either fairly or unjustly, it is an act of wisdom to not answer too quickly in the heat of the moment. It is important to rightly discern the reason for the criticism before addressing it. The challenge of the false teachers and those who follow them needs to be responded to only when we are sure what the real reason is. Paul did not make this a test of personality by promoting himself. False teachers do that. He was defending his ministry and his call from God when he replied to their criticism
Paul did not boast about himself and his work. He had boasted to others about the Corinthians believers and hoped that his boasting had not been in vain. He was forced to defend himself and his work because of the worldly view of his work by those who wanted to take his work over and turn it into a legalistic sect of the Jews. He had been attacked personally about his appearance and also about his credentials as an apostle. So, he begins the vindication of his calling by appealing to them in the "meekness and gentleness of Christ." He never hesitated to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to his work among them but did not speak about himself until now. There was a good reason to do this and yet even now he addressed the matter in a Christ-like way. He found it necessary to make this defense of himself because his apostolic authority was being challenged. False teachers said that Paul's authority was of no value in order to advance themselves.
There are such times when we have to defend the work to which we have been called by God. What others may say about it or criticisms laid against it can be ignored as long as there is no following by the believers of the false teachers. But when a divisive spirit arises and the threat of division is on the horizon, then we must rise to the challenge and speak out against that which is false.
If we seek the praise of men or boast about the work we do, we have likely already jeopardized the work to which we were called. We must always GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY for anything that has been done of positive and eternal value. That is an essential trait of the true servant's heart. Any true servant of God knows that without Him we can do nothing. The outward appearance of a thing or a work does not give the reality of the matter. There is a sense in which we "walk according to the flesh" because of our humanity. Common sense is not a bad thing to have in this regard, but when we "walk in the Spirit" we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We do not want to have to be bold and aggressive generally because that is most often a fleshly approach to anything. However, there may be times when we have to vigorously defend our work from false teachers.
When that time comes, we will have to boldly defend the truth that has been entrusted to us, as well as those "sheep and lambs" for whom we are responsible. By recognizing we are in spiritual warfare, our walk in the flesh, our life, should never compromise the truths we defend by acting in anger, jealousy, or aggressive behavior. There is an authority recognized when confrontation is done with dignity, integrity, and under the leading of the Spirit. We need the filling of the Spirit when rebuke is necessary. Deceit, subtlety, and mere human speculation in order to win an argument are actions the flesh takes. We need to use spiritual weapons in warfare against the falsehood of human reasoning.
Some more of the spiritual weapons at our disposal is prayer for guidance; faith in the Lord to give us appropriate words to speak, and the Word of God to give authority to all that will be said and done. The Holy Spirit gives the power to accomplish the purpose of the confrontation. Our hope in Christ motivates us as those who will give an account of our representation of Him. Love for God and His people will keep any necessary confrontation we may have to face, on a high, respectful level of interaction. There should be a dignified explanation of biblical truth that applies when we focus on the truth instead of on people. Those people the Spirit of God can use have taken their thoughts into "captivity" to yield to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was prepared to use apostolic authority against the man whom a group of the Corinthian assembly was following.
When there is a willing commitment to the will of God and when we love God with all our minds, we trust God to bring as many as possible to become obedient to God. Those who are false, are disobedient and will seek to claim authority that they do not have. Their shallow judgments are based only on what they see, not on what they know personally.
Paul was Christ’s representative because not only had he seen the Lord and been commissioned by Him, but it was he who had led the Corinthians to Christ and guided them when they became Christians. His ministry and exhortations were to correct abuses, not tear down the fellowship of the assembly. His authority was used for edification, not for boasting. His ministry was constructive, not destructive. His authority spoke for itself in his letters as much as when he would be there personally.
False teachers can usually be identified because they are not interested in reaching out with the Gospel in any new areas. They want to take over the work others have done. They try to tear down what has already been done. A true teacher will seek to build up the work to the very best of his ability. When he comes to a place where God has been working through other servants, he will support and seek to reinforce that work. Apollos was that kind of teacher.
When God calls a person to a specific work, it is his responsibility to faithfully preach the Gospel so those people will know how to be saved. Then it is his responsibility and right to teach the Word of God and teach the people "to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" with the purpose of establishing those believers in the faith. False teachers do not do this. They focus on themselves and on their interpretations and opinions as to how the things of God should be done.
In Paul's first letter, he had to boldly condemn the division that had surfaced in Corinth dividing the saints into cliques who were choosing men to follow. He also had to deal with the problem of immorality that was being accepted by the Corinthians. He had to be firm and dogmatically plain as to what must be done about that situation. The disorderly conduct of some of the believers at the Lord's Supper had to be corrected in no uncertain terms. When he was with them some said he was weak in his body and his words were meek and quiet. In his letter of correction, he wrote words that were strong and there was no question as to what the assembly had to do.
A major distinction between Paul and those who were false was that they compared themselves by themselves as if there was no higher measure than themselves. Paul measured himself within the limits of the service he had been designated by God Himself. He had been given and “lane” to walk and work in. His “sphere” of service and activity had been defined and his “territory” to work in had been assigned to him by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Corinthians themselves were a result of that commission.
Those who are false among us will look for discontented people who think they have been overlooked or are jealous of another person's gift, and stir the flame of division. That kind of undermining of the work of God will not be stopped with casual suggestions. Comparing those who teach by eloquence or oratorical skills is a common problem. The preaching ability of one compared to that of others is not a requirement for leadership among God's people.
Paul had the responsibility and privilege of bringing the “Gospel of Christ” to Corinth and he intended to continue to take the Gospel to “regions beyond” where it had not yet reached. He looked to the very edge of the Roman Empire and wanted to take the Gospel to Spain. Like all true servants of the Lord, those who labor for the Lord do not glory in their own accomplishments but readily acknowledge what the Lord has done in them, for them, and through them.
The comparison between him and the false teachers was easily seen. False teachers seek to take over another man’s work and claim it for themselves. The Christlike pattern of one who labors for the Lord is that they do what they do “to the Lord.” The fruit of their labor is evident that the laborer was approved by God and is commended by God.
We do not have to pass our judgment on another man because his work is different from ours and is in a different sphere of service. We do have to take care of our own work, not to boast about it, but to protect it from false teachers. Glory from men is not what commends a work or worker. People praise one another by their own standards so they can feel self-satisfied and complacent. Such are not trustworthy people, nor are they wise. It is the Lord who commends the worker and his work. That will be obvious when trustworthy workers fulfill the commission the Lord gave them.
Servants who know what they have been called to do are those of singular purpose. They are not easily side-tracked from the goal before them. Their preaching will be sound, both in the Gospel and in their teaching ministry that follows. Such people will carefully adhere to scriptural principles that are easily discerned by those who "try the teaching" (test) with the Bible and God-given wisdom. We compare men and their message by God's standards and men's and make sure that any recognition given is not to exalt the man but the Lord Jesus Christ.
A spiritual ministry can be measured when I ask myself, "Am I where God wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do?" We do not need to boast about our work or have anyone else do it. But it is well for me to ask, "Is God being glorified in this work I am doing? Does this ministry have divine approval? Can God commend what is being done here?" When authority granted by our Lord does work, and when there is real evidence this ministry is spiritual - not fleshly, and God is using it for His glory alone, then we can be confident that we are doing right when we defend it against those who would try to undermine it or tear it down.