2 Corinthians 10:1-18

2 Corinthians 10
Paul Defends His Authority 1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. 7 Look at the obvious facts.[b] Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. 8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. 9 I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. 12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! 13 We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. 14 We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ. 15 Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. 16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. 17 As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”[c] 18 When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.
Devotion:
At the beginning of this passage, Paul speaks of how people think of him as a timid person. He goes on to say though that he uses God’s mighty weapons to destroy any obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. I personally can relate to Paul in this passage as I am a shy and introverted person. When I first came to the Jar, I was intrigued and fascinated by all that we did to reach out to others. I became involved in the Saturday Serve events as I liked being able to show God’s love to others by serving them in a small way. I also liked that I didn’t have to say or do too much. I could hand them an item with a “free card” that would let them know God loved them and so did we as a church.
During that time, God was also growing me in my faith. I began to feel more comfortable in sharing my faith and what God had done in my life. With time I was able to do this without the safety net of the free items. With God’s weapons or tools, I was able to share with others so that they might come to form a relationship with Him. While I continue to struggle at times, God has surrounded me with my church family to continue to encourage me in this mighty task which we have been given.
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you so much for loving us and giving us the tools to help others come to know your love. Please help us to be strong and courageous as we share you with others. Amen.