Lesson Iv.a.3 By Divine Commendation Series

December 17, 2014

Tom Lowe

The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

IV. Authority of Paul’s Ministry. (10:1–13:10).

A. The Defense of the Apostle. (10:1–18).

Lesson IV.A.3:By Divine Commendation. (10:12-18).

2nd Corinthians 10:12-18 (NKJV)

12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;

15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment.

17 But "he who glories, let him glory in the Lord."

18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Introduction

In verses 12 to 18, Paul cautions the believers at Corinth not to compare his ministry with that of the Judaizers and false teachers who came along after him. We are often not what others think we are, not even what we ourselves think we are: for example, in his personal examination of the seven churches named in Revelation 2–3, the Lord Jesus measured them far differently than they measured themselves. The church that thought it was poor, He considered to be rich; and the church that boasted of its wealth, He declared to be poor. (Revelations 2:8-11; 3:14-22).

Commentary

12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Here Paul went on the offensive. Although his critics had dared to commend themselves, Paul would not dare compare himself with them or anyone else. Any ability he possessed was a gift from God; therefore God deserved the full credit for it. Yet Paul’s opponents in Corinth didn’t shrink from measuring and comparing themselves with one another. In so doing, they were robbing God of the Glory that was due to Him (10:17). Instead of waiting for God to commend them, they were lavishly praising themselves. Because the Corinthians tended to focus on appearances (see 5:12, 16; 10:7), they had been successfully duped by the false teachers slick presentation—“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face” (11:4, 19-20). The Judaizers were great at measuring their ministry, because a religion of external activities is much easier to measure than one of internal transformation. The legalist can measure what he does and what he does not do, but the Lord is the only One who can see spiritual growth in the believer’s heart. Sometimes those who are growing the most feel like they’re less than the least. Meanwhile, Paul, who appropriately refrained from any boasting, was accused by the Corinthians of being “unimpressive” (10:10). Although the Corinthians claimed to be wise, they didn’t recognize that the pretentious boasts of Paul’s opponents did not show good sense (10:17-18). Because of the power these false teachers were consolidating in the congregation, Paul was finally forced to spell it out. He speaks in irony and mock humility in the presence of such astounding claims as these men make. These teachers were foolish, loud-mouth braggarts!

In a sense, the Judaizers belonged to a “mutual admiration society” that set up its own standards and measured everybody by them. Of course, those inside the group were successful; those outside were failures. Paul was one of the outsiders, so he was considered a failure. Unfortunately, they did not measure themselves by Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 4:12-16). If they had, it would’ve made a difference. These critics are mainly the intruders who have come to Corinth claiming to be apostles (11:13) and to have the right to direct the Corinthian church; evidently, they did not hesitate to speak highly of themselves. This shows that they are without spiritual understanding.

Those who compare themselves with others may feel pride because they think they’re better. We can find in the best of people flaws which feed our self-esteem. But when measured against God’s standards, it becomes obvious that no one has any basis for pride. Don’t worry about other people’s accomplishments. Instead, continually ask: How does my life measure up to what God wants? How does my life compare to that of Jesus Christ?