Paul’s Authority (2 Corinthians 10)
Paul defends his apostleship in this chapter; not to boast of himself, but so the Corinthians will hear what God would have them to know.
Paul’s Authority (2 Corinthians 10)
- Source of His Authority
- Not of himself; Paul showed meekness toward them (10:1, 10; 1 Cor. 2:1-5), even willing to be in work for his own needs (11:6ff) and suffer (11:16ff).
- Rather it was of God (v8) by which he fought a spiritual warfare (10:2-6) and would be as bold as necessary (10:11; 13:2-3, 10).
- Purpose of His Authority
- Paul’s ultimate purpose is to build up, even if that meant at times he had to express chastisement (Heb. 12:10; cf. Jer. 1:10; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1-2).
- By contrast, it was the false teachers working to destroy (11:2-4; 13-15; 2 Pet. 2:1-2, 19); Paul sought only to destroy that which exalted itself against Christ (10:4-6).
- Claim of His Authority
- Paul was not ashamed of his authority, he was meek, but also as bold as necessary (10:9-11)…he was not bluffing. They recognized the weight of his letters and tried to discredit him, but his authority could not be rejected.
- He cared not about pleasing men, but God (v12). As such, he acted on his authority from God, which included preaching the gospel to them and beyond which he had done (v13-16; Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Cor. 9:12; 15:1ff).
- His boasting was only in doing God’s work and pleasing Him (10:17-18; 1 Cor. 15:10, 4:1; Gal. 1:10); man’s opinion (even our own) ultimately does not matter.
