2 Corinthians 10:1-6 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 10:1-6. Let’s go!
2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (NIV)
1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you–I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!
2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
On verses 1-6: In 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 Paul addresses a criticism that some people were making of him: that he is so bold and forceful when he writes letters from a distance, but when he is face to face with the people he is “timid” (v1). Perhaps it’s because these critics were comparing Paul to other religious leaders who called themselves “super apostles”, who carried themselves in front of the Corinthian church in a more impressive way, and who spoke negatively about Paul.
If I were to paraphrase verses 1-6, Paul responds to this criticism by saying, “There’s a reason why I come to you with the humility and gentleness of Christ. It’s because I never want to be more bold or stern than I need to be with you. Unlike worldly leaders I don’t need to prove my authority with bravado and eloquence, or to tear other people’s reputations down in order to build myself up. Rather, I fight my battles with weapons that the world does not use: spiritual weapons that have divine power to tear down Satan’s work in people’s lives, to distinguish truth from error, and to point people to Jesus and His supremacy. And if any of you continues to sin, don’t worry. My team and I will be ready to exert church discipline where necessary.”
What can we learn from all this? As powerful as Paul has become, Paul keeps that power under control. Rather than abusing that power or wielding it boastfully to exalt himself, Paul uses his God-given power and authority with self-control. There is a word for this: it’s called “meekness”.
Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is not about letting people walk all over you because you’re too timid, stupid or weak to do otherwise. Much the opposite, meekness is about knowing when to exert force and when not to. It’s about exerting only as much force as is necessary for any given situation.
Jesus was the greatest example of meekness: no one was more powerful than Jesus, yet he kept that power under control. He had every right and ability to fashion a whip and whip the people at any given moment, but he reserved that power for very specific situations. Like a powerful, well trained stallion who yields only to his master’s nudges, Jesus only exerted his power when the time was right. It takes incredible strength, not weakness, to be meek.
It’s no wonder Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) It’s not those who wield their power carelessly and abusively that will win in the end; but those who, like Jesus, learn to use that power carefully, wisely and at the right time for the right purposes. That is why Paul says, “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you” (v1).
Like Jesus and like Paul, may you learn godly meekness too. May you have the wisdom to know when to be forceful and when to be gentle with those you lead. Since great power comes with great responsibility, may you use the gifts and the authority God has given you to lead people with much love and much effectiveness.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are so powerful, and yet You are also so gentle and meek toward us. Like Your Son Jesus and like Paul, may my steps be tempered with meekness, that I wouldn’t lose my temper or use more force than is necessary in any given situation. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
