2 Cor 10:7-18 The True Measure of a Minister
2 Cor 10:7-18 – Paul addressing his critics
7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
13But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15We do not boast beyond limit in the labours of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
The Corinthians have been influenced by some self-proclaimed apostles and false teachers into attacking Paul and questioning his authority.
• The critics have been using the wrong standards to judge the character of Paul and his ministry, misled by their desires and the values of the Corinthian world.
• They created their own human standard to measure the man of God and his work.
Paul mentioned the accusations levelled at him in different parts of the letter but in this section, he addresses the critics directly and corrected them, from 2 Cor 10 to the end.
• Hence we see a change in tone and his stern words in these last few chapters.
What measure can we use to judge a minister of the Gospel and his works?
• How do you measure spirituality? How do we measure the works of God?
• This is important because if we use the wrong measure, like these Corinthians, we will find ourselves criticizing Paul and worst still, seeing ourselves as great.
In Dec 1998 the first robotic space weather satellite was launched to study the climate of Mars. It was a joint venture between NASA and Lockheed Martin, both leading aerospace companies.
After travelling for 10 months towards Mar, the Mars Climate Orbiter disappeared from space. It came too close to the planet and was likely destroyed in the atmosphere. It just disappeared and it cost them US$125 million.
What caused the disaster? The wrong measures were used. Investigations revealed that NASA software system uses metric units (newton-seconds) and Lockheed Martin uses imperial units (pound-seconds). The different measures gave conflicting results.
So what measure do we use? Paul set the tone right when he said in the previous section these important words:
• 10:3-6 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Clearly, we cannot judge spiritual works by outward appearances, on what we can see and count, on how we perform or speak. Not by our impressions.
• We cannot judge by the human standards we created, whether it’s yours or mine; nor by how the world thinks.
• There is only one yardstick and that is the standard God has set - revealed as the truth of God and of Christ. That’s our only reference point.
The Corinthians created their measure and found Paul to be lacking in many parameters – his authority was questioned, his integrity was in doubt, his speaking ability was below par, he was quite inconsistent – writing in one way but behaving differently in person, and he does not take financial support like the rest of us.
• Based on all these factors, Paul has failed to qualify as a credible apostle. Paul was not spiritual enough.
Paul draws them back to the one benchmark – the will of God revealed in the Scriptures.
• Every argument, opinion, thought and view has to be brought back to the truth of God and in obedience to Christ.
• That’s the only correct worldview we have – the biblical worldview.
• Do Christians get this right all the time, no. But that’s our goal and that’s the direction we take. We “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (10:5)
Paul exposes their wrong yardsticks and raises a few points that we can learn.
1. A TRUE MINISTER DOES NOT DRAW ATTENTION TO HIMSELF
We read the text and we can see the boasting going on.
• Paul says “7…If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.” (10:7)
• “You are not the only ones saved by Christ and belong to Him. So am I,” Paul says.
They boast about authority and Paul says in the next line:
• 8For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.” (10:8)
• Paul states it beautifully that the “authority” he has comes FROM THE LORD and for a purpose – to BUILD THEM UP.
That’s spiritual authority - given by the Lord to build up the Body of Christ.
• Not the authority to “lord it over” others nor one that is seized by the man himself.
• It has little to do with position or hierarchy; it has to do with the welfare of the Body.
• Paul was indirectly asking the critics, so what’s this authority that we are arguing about in Corinth? The authority that comes from our abilities or our achievements?
Jesus exemplified this true authority when he said: “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:28)
• Such authority does not demand respect; it commands respect.
Paul went on to point out in 10:9-11 that there was no contradiction between his writing and his speaking in person. His message has been consistent; he is what he writes.
He said in 10:12 that it is foolish to “measure ourselves BY ONE ANOTHER” and “compare ourselves WITH ONE ANOTHER.”
• Sadly this is what we do often. We measure ourselves BY THE STANDARD of another, and not by what God says.
• And we like to compare ourselves WITH ONE ANOTHER because we tend to pick the worst of our kind to compare with and that makes us look good.
It’s the parable that Jesus shared about a self-righteous Pharisee comparing himself to the tax collector when they were in the Temple.
• Pharisee: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” (Luke 18:11)
• He is a sinner but when compared with the worst of sinners, he feels good.
• He is not right with God (the Lord says he left the Temple not justified) but he feels very righteous.
• That’s the wrong yardstick. “You are without understanding”, Paul says.
So what measure do we use? I like to use the vision of Amos - the measure that is in God’s hand!
• Amos saw this vision of the Lord holding a plumb line when He was about to judge Israel.
• Amos 7:7-9 7This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
• The Lord measures how upright Israel has been by the plumb line in His hand.
• It’s the only true measure; all other measurements can only be false and wrong.
2. A TRUE MINISTER COMMITS TO THE WORK GOD ASSIGNS
Paul sets limits, even so to what he allows himself to “boast” about.
• 10:13 13But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
• The false teachers boast about their achievements in Corinth but they were taking credit for what they did not do.
• Paul was the one who brought the Gospel to Corinth, evangelised the people, established the church and laid the foundation for their faith, over the 18 months he was with them.
10:15-16 “15We do not boast beyond limit in the labours of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence.”
• Paul was careful to set limits and not to take credit for the labours of others.
• And if the opportunity presents itself, he hopes to do more when their faith has grown and the church is strengthened.
• He wants to work with them to bring the Gospel beyond Corinth and to the regions beyond.
• Yet stressing again that he does not want to compete with another man’s work or boast of work that has already been done by others.
It does not make sense to measure success by the size of the ministry because we see Paul limiting himself to the area of influence God has assigned him.
• Paul is not interested in comparing or competing with others. He just wants to complement their works and reach as many places as possible with the Gospel.
• Paul knows God has “assigned a field” to him that he was to work in and not anywhere else beyond God’s will.
• Not in someone else’s area of influence if that is the area God has assigned them.
We serve where God assigns us. This “assignment” can be the area of influence in our family, our workplace, our school, our groups, or any area of influence.
• God will measure the work by what He assigns to us.
Churches do not compete with one another. We complement one another in using the gifts, strengths and opportunities God has given to reach the lost world for Christ.
• God designs His work this way - both within the local church with every member playing his part - and also as the universal Church without, with every church playing its part where God has placed them.
• It is odd when we see churches and leaders comparing and competing with one another.
3. A TRUE MINISTER LIVES FOR THE AUDIENCE OF ONE, HIS LORD
17“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” is a quotation from Jer 9:24 and this is the 2nd time he repeated this line. He said it first in 1 Cor 1:31.
• Let me read you the context of Jeremiah 9:23-24
23Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
For Christians, the only legitimate boasting is our boasting “in the Lord” because our salvation, sanctification, and service to God are by the grace of God.
• To Paul, all self-commendation is foolish. It reveals a lack of understanding of God’s grace and His work in our lives.
• 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
I was preparing the sermon for the retreat and decided to share from Lamentations, the laments of Jeremiah. I took a look again at his ministry.
Jeremiah was called to be God’s prophet to Judah and he served her last 5 kings, over a span of more than 40 years. His message was a difficult one, urging the people to repent and warning them of God’s impending judgment for their idolatry. He even prophesied that God’s “rod of wrath” would come from the Babylonians.
It was hard and no one listened to him. The people rejected him, ostracised and persecuted him but despite all the hardships, Jeremiah persevered and remained faithful to God.
Imagine this, he was put through the very ordeal that he prophesied about - the Babylonians came and destroyed his homeland. Jeremiah saw it all – the devastation to Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple of God, and his people being taken away as captives.
Traditions tell us he was forcibly taken by a band of Jewish rebels who stoned him to death in Egypt. Why? For the “crime” of telling them truths they did not want to hear.
Try using human standards to measure Jeremiah’s work for God! What measure are we going to use? Was his work a failure or a success? Would God commend him?
I have no pet answers but you know where I am getting at.
• All man-made instruments of measure are invalid. It is impossible to measure the works of God by human or world standards. Only God has the correct and final verdict.
• The final test will come at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 1 Cor 3:13 “Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.”
There is always the temptation to follow the Corinthians and invent our ways of measuring spiritual success by the externals - the size of the building, the offerings collected, the number of followers or the people who turn up – things that can be seen, counted and reported.
• Although statistics are helpful, they still do not tell everything and can be deceiving.
• We want to stay faithful and focused on doing the work of God well. And to give Him all the credit and glory.
LET ME CONCLUDE:
Paul might be falsely accused and criticised but that did not distract him from the work of God. He remains faithful and committed to Christ and His church.
• He was not too worried about what people say or how they think of him, because God is his final judge. We are not seeking the approval of men.
• He remains faithful to the task at hand and is determined to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith, which he did. (cf. 2 Tim 4:7)
LESSONS FROM PAUL: A true Christian…
1. Do Not Draw Attention to Ourselves
2. Commits to the Work God Assigns Us
3. Lives for the Audience of One, his Lord
A young violin student was playing to a full concert hall. In the seats were his fellow students and music teachers, as well as some great musicians whose approvals were eagerly sought after by every aspiring violinist.
The young student played well and gave his best performance. When he ended his piece, he received applause from the audience and warm smiles of approval.
But his eyes were focused only on one old man in the audience – the man who had raised him up from the time he was orphaned and who had provided for all his needs.
It was only when the boy saw him beaming with joy and clapping in full approval that he bowed down with gratitude, fully satisfied.
He had given his best performance to that man because his approval was the only approval that mattered to him.
The only approval that should matter to us is the Lord’s approval: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt 25:23a)
Prayer:
Thank you for bringing us together as a church and for your Word. Indeed, there is no need for competition and comparison. You have given us gifts and ample opportunity to serve and we will use them to fulfil your will and purposes. Give us joy in serving you and the commitment to do the work well for your glory.
We acknowledge that the fruit of our labours and the harvest will be of your making and not ours. Thank you for the privilege of being co-labourers with you in your work. We praise you in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
You can see this video sermon with slides at https://youtu.be/MGxBwu9TMS4
Earlier sermons are available at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
