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Paul Defends His Ministry

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ²I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. ³Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; ⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments ⁵and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. ⁶We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. ⁸Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” ¹¹Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.

¹² We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense. ¹³We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. ¹⁴For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ. ¹⁵We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶so that we may proclaim the good news in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s sphere of action. ¹⁷“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

13. But we will not boast beyond our measure He now contrasts his own moderation with the folly of the false Apostles, ⁷⁸⁰⁷⁸⁰ “Il oppose maintenant sa modestie a la sotte outrecuidance des faux apostres;” — “He now contrasts his modesty with the foolish presumption of the false Apostles.” and, at the same time, he shows what is the true measure of glorying — when we keep within the limits that have been marked out for us by the Lord. “Has the Lord given me such a thing? I shall be satisfied with this measure. I shall not either desire or claim to myself any thing more.” This he calls the measure of his rule. ⁷⁸¹⁷⁸¹ “Within the measured and determinate limits of the stadium, the athletae were bound to contend for the prize, which they forfeited without hope of recovery, if they deviated even a little from the appointed course. In allusion to this inviolable arrangement, the Apostle tells the Corinthians: We will not boast of things without our measure, etc. It may help very much to understand this and the following verses, if, with Hammond, we consider the terms used in them as agonistical. In this view of them, the ‘measure of the rule’ (τὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος) alludes to the path marked out, and bounded by a white line, for racers in the Isthmian games, celebrated among the Corinthians; and so the Apostle represents his work in preaching the gospel as his spiritual race, and the province to which he was appointed as the compass or stage of ground, which God had distributed or measured out (ἐμέρισεν αὐτῳ) for him to run in. Accordingly, ‘to boast without his measure,’ (2 Corinthians 10:13, εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα) and to ‘stretch himself beyond his measure,’ (ὑπερεκτείνεσθαι) refer to one that ran beyond or out of his line. ‘We are come as far as to you’ (2 Corinthians 10:14, ἄχρι ὑμῶν ἐφθάσαμεν) alludes to him that came foremost to the goal; and ‘in another man’s line’ (2 Corinthians 10:16, ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι) signifies — ’in the province that was marked out for somebody else,’ in allusion to the line by which the race was bounded, each of the racers having the path which he ought to run chalked out to him, and if one stepped over into the other’s path he extended himself over his line.” — Paxton’s Illustrations (“Manners and Customs,” volume 2.) — Ed. For every one’s rule, according to which he ought to regulate himself is this — God’s gift and calling. At the same time, it is not lawful for us to glow in God’s gift and calling on our own account, but merely in so far as it is expedient for the glory of him, who is so liberal to us with this view — that we may acknowledge ourselves indebted to him for everything. ⁷⁸²⁷⁸² “Afin que nons luy facions hommage de tout ce que nons avons, confessans le tenir de luy;” — “That we may make acknowledgment to him as to every thing that we have, confessing that we hold it from him.”

A measure to reach. By this clause he intimates, that he stands in no need of commendations expressed in words among the Corinthians, who were a portion of his glow, as he says elsewhere, (Philippians 4:1,) ye are my crown. He carries out, however, the form of expression, which he had previously entered upon. “I have,” says he, “a most ample field for glorying, so as not to go beyond my own limits, and you are one department of that field.” He modestly reproves, however, their ingratitude, ⁷⁸³⁷⁸³ “Or en parlant ainsi, il taxe (modestement toutesfois) leur ingratitude;” — “But by speaking thus he reproves, (modestly, however,) their ingratitude.” in overlooking, in a manner, his apostleship, which ought to have been especially in estimation among them, on the ground of God’s commendation of it. In each clause, too, we must understand as implied, a contrast between him and the false Apostles, who had no such approbation to show.

⁷⁸⁰ “Il oppose maintenant sa modestie a la sotte outrecuidance des faux apostres;” — “He now contrasts his modesty with the foolish presumption of the false Apostles.”

⁷⁸¹ “Within the measured and determinate limits of the stadium, the athletae were bound to contend for the prize, which they forfeited without hope of recovery, if they deviated even a little from the appointed course. In allusion to this inviolable arrangement, the Apostle tells the Corinthians: We will not boast of things without our measure, etc. It may help very much to understand this and the following verses, if, with Hammond, we consider the terms used in them as agonistical. In this view of them, the ‘measure of the rule’ (τὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος) alludes to the path marked out, and bounded by a white line, for racers in the Isthmian games, celebrated among the Corinthians; and so the Apostle represents his work in preaching the gospel as his spiritual race, and the province to which he was appointed as the compass or stage of ground, which God had distributed or measured out (ἐμέρισεν αὐτῳ) for him to run in. Accordingly, ‘to boast without his measure,’ (2 Corinthians 10:13, εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα) and to ‘stretch himself beyond his measure,’ (ὑπερεκτείνεσθαι) refer to one that ran beyond or out of his line. ‘We are come as far as to you’ (2 Corinthians 10:14, ἄχρι ὑμῶν ἐφθάσαμεν) alludes to him that came foremost to the goal; and ‘in another man’s line’ (2 Corinthians 10:16, ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι) signifies — ’in the province that was marked out for somebody else,’ in allusion to the line by which the race was bounded, each of the racers having the path which he ought to run chalked out to him, and if one stepped over into the other’s path he extended himself over his line.” — Paxton’s Illustrations (“Manners and Customs,” volume 2.) — Ed.

⁷⁸² “Afin que nons luy facions hommage de tout ce que nons avons, confessans le tenir de luy;” — “That we may make acknowledgment to him as to every thing that we have, confessing that we hold it from him.”

⁷⁸³ “Or en parlant ainsi, il taxe (modestement toutesfois) leur ingratitude;” — “But by speaking thus he reproves, (modestly, however,) their ingratitude.”