2 Corinthians 10:1-6
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! — I 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. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.
The next to the last of Paul’s letters that we are going to be looking into in this series is 2nd Corinthians. We call this a letter, but it is actually a paste-up of at least three different letters written at different times. Probably fragments of three letters. The most commonly accepted divisions, according to most scholars today, are chapters 1-7 being one letter; 8-9 being another; and 10-13 being a third unit.
These three pieces were considered important enough by the early church that they were preserved – and – for whatever reason – they have been preserved as this one “letter.”
Paul founded the Corinthian community around the year 50 – one of the earliest of the communities. He probably spent a year or so there at that time. This is a community he is deeply invested in. If you recall, his first letter to the Corinthians was, in large part, an angry letter because he was hearing things from there that went against everything he had taught them and he was frustrated at their drifting astray.
This was the letter that lambasted them for the wealthy getting all the best stuff when they gathered for their agapes, while the poor got the leftovers. It was, of course, also the letter where we have the beautiful ranking of love as the greatest of the spiritual gifts.
Two parts of this letter are also angry – not so much because of specific individual things that are being done but because the Corinthians have wandered off to follow false teachers, disregarding what Paul taught them. The third part is a much kinder, gentler piece, in tone.
Now, when I say “first part,” or “third part’ those are only our modern conveniences again. Those words tell us where the various parts fit into the order of things in any modern Bible, but they are most likely not chronologically accurate. While there is not universal agreement, most modern bible scholars, Marcus Borg included, believe the third part, chapters 10-13, was actually the first written of the three parts.
Are you confused enough yet?
Since we are using Marc Borg as our source and guide for this series, we will go with his reasoning here, and start 2nd Corinthians by looking into the last 4 chapters – 10-13 – which may or may not be the first written.
In the time since Paul’s last visit here, other teachers have come to Corinth – ones who disagree with his message of inclusion – and undermined his teachings – the same old “you have to jump through all our hoops in order for us to allow you” in crowd. An appreciable number of the Corinthians have, apparently, allowed themselves to be swayed by this teaching and gone along with them.
As we might expect, this does not make Paul happy. He had to keep dealing with this same fight – over and over and over. He must have been so tired of the same argument – the same tribalism -- so tired of the same ugly stupidity. It’s not hard to understand how he could get so angry at times.
There’s been a good deal of studying going around just recently about people are suffering a sort of spiritual exhaustion from the political upheaval happening in our country right now. The name calling, the many “isms,” the out-right hatred of anyone identified as “other” in this country – the shear ugliness of it all -- today has left many of us worn out in both spirit and body.
Many of us know what it feels like to wake every morning and realize that we still have to fight the same fight -- again and again. Imagine what it must have felt like for Paul – with only a handful of helpers – trying to change something that had been ingrained religious dogma for a thousand years. Trying to expand beyond the tribalism that had been the core of the Jewish faith – and now, by extension, of the Christian faith as well -- for so long. No wonder Paul occasionally got crabby.
In these 4 chapters Paul describes these false teachers – sarcastically, I’m sure - as “super apostles,” (NRSV) and goes on to proclaim that “such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”
Paul then continues on through the rest of this section citing his own superior qualifications to be their teacher. He also repeatedly apologizes for bragging about himself – (it is an uncomfortably boastful passage.) He claims he is embarrassed to do so – but that it is necessary because it is so important that they turn back to his original teachings, which are the true teachings. Later he says that he is not really embarrassed because he has always been prepared to look like a fool before them if that is what it takes for them to listen to him and believe him. And he makes it clear that he doesn’t need defending – all that he is saying and doing is strictly for the Corinthian’s sake.
These three pieces were considered important enough by the early church that they were preserved – and – for whatever reason – they have been preserved as this one “letter.”
Paul founded the Corinthian community around the year 50 – one of the earliest of the communities. He probably spent a year or so there at that time. This is a community he is deeply invested in. If you recall, his first letter to the Corinthians was, in large part, an angry letter because he was hearing things from there that went against everything he had taught them and he was frustrated at their drifting astray.
This was the letter that lambasted them for the wealthy getting all the best stuff when they gathered for their agapes, while the poor got the leftovers. It was, of course, also the letter where we have the beautiful ranking of love as the greatest of the spiritual gifts.
Two parts of this letter are also angry – not so much because of specific individual things that are being done but because the Corinthians have wandered off to follow false teachers, disregarding what Paul taught them. The third part is a much kinder, gentler piece, in tone.
Now, when I say “first part,” or “third part’ those are only our modern conveniences again. Those words tell us where the various parts fit into the order of things in any modern Bible, but they are most likely not chronologically accurate. While there is not universal agreement, most modern bible scholars, Marcus Borg included, believe the third part, chapters 10-13, was actually the first written of the three parts.
Are you confused enough yet?
Since we are using Marc Borg as our source and guide for this series, we will go with his reasoning here, and start 2nd Corinthians by looking into the last 4 chapters – 10-13 – which may or may not be the first written.
In the time since Paul’s last visit here, other teachers have come to Corinth – ones who disagree with his message of inclusion – and undermined his teachings – the same old “you have to jump through all our hoops in order for us to allow you” in crowd. An appreciable number of the Corinthians have, apparently, allowed themselves to be swayed by this teaching and gone along with them.
As we might expect, this does not make Paul happy. He had to keep dealing with this same fight – over and over and over. He must have been so tired of the same argument – the same tribalism -- so tired of the same ugly stupidity. It’s not hard to understand how he could get so angry at times.
There’s been a good deal of studying going around just recently about people are suffering a sort of spiritual exhaustion from the political upheaval happening in our country right now. The name calling, the many “isms,” the out-right hatred of anyone identified as “other” in this country – the shear ugliness of it all -- today has left many of us worn out in both spirit and body.
Many of us know what it feels like to wake every morning and realize that we still have to fight the same fight -- again and again. Imagine what it must have felt like for Paul – with only a handful of helpers – trying to change something that had been ingrained religious dogma for a thousand years. Trying to expand beyond the tribalism that had been the core of the Jewish faith – and now, by extension, of the Christian faith as well -- for so long. No wonder Paul occasionally got crabby.
In these 4 chapters Paul describes these false teachers – sarcastically, I’m sure - as “super apostles,” (NRSV) and goes on to proclaim that “such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”
Paul then continues on through the rest of this section citing his own superior qualifications to be their teacher. He also repeatedly apologizes for bragging about himself – (it is an uncomfortably boastful passage.) He claims he is embarrassed to do so – but that it is necessary because it is so important that they turn back to his original teachings, which are the true teachings. Later he says that he is not really embarrassed because he has always been prepared to look like a fool before them if that is what it takes for them to listen to him and believe him. And he makes it clear that he doesn’t need defending – all that he is saying and doing is strictly for the Corinthian’s sake.
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up. For I fear that when I come, I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced. (12:9-21)
In other words, ‘you people are screwing up and I do not want to be embarrassed before God because of your actions. I am the one who is qualified to teach you. I am the one God called and sent here to teach you. These other wanna-be’s are all phonies, so straighten up.’ This is angry Paul at his most righteous.
Next week we will look briefly at chapters 8 and 9 which are more of the same, but then we’ll finish up the Corinthians by digging into chapters 1 through 7 – the “nice Paul” chapters.
Next week we will look briefly at chapters 8 and 9 which are more of the same, but then we’ll finish up the Corinthians by digging into chapters 1 through 7 – the “nice Paul” chapters.
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