Approval
Ratings
2
Corinthians 10
There were people who
did not approve of the way
Paul handled the Church
in Corinth
Paul did not get
caught up in arguments and the argument things of others
Paul focused on the
“Knowledge of God”
Paul considered
Corinth his field to work in
But always considered
the Church to be Christ
As Paul’s approval
rating in Corinth suffered He kept the focus on Christ
The Meekness and
Gentleness of Christ
The Knowledge of God
Confidence of being
in Christ
And the Approval of
Christ
The highest thinking
is the Mind of Christ
Anything that tries
to reach above that in our imagination or thoughts
Must be brought into
captivity
Approval Ratings
2 Corinthians 10
I don’t know who polls the approval ratings on the President
but one thing for
sure the ratings go up and down.
Paul’s approval rating in Corinth
is divided in 2 Corinthians 10.
It is clear to see some approved
of him and others did not.
Paul had to deal with his ratings.
There are those who were trying to convince
others that Paul is not the leader they need.
I love the way Paul addressed
the problem in Chapter
10.
Paul recognized there are two sides…
His supporters and
his non supporters.
Paul started by acknowledging he has two sides.
Paul establishes in his appeal that it is by
Christ’s meekness and gentleness he addresses them.
Paul says…
“I, Paul, who am
"timid" when face to
face with you, but
"bold" when away!”
There were those who thought Paul was too timid to follow
through with the strong words he uses in his letters.
Most of us look at Chapter 10 as a chapter
on spiritual warfare and miss the dynamics
of what was taking place in Corinth.
The problem in the Church was
the thinking of some of the people.
They were arguing because they thought
their thoughts were higher and better than Paul’s.
Paul did not get into a war on words like the world.
It is not a battle on who sounds the
best or can trip the other person up.
Paul says…
“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.
And we will be ready
to punish every act of disobedience,
once your obedience is
complete.”
Paul kept the focus on the “Knowledge of God”.
The Knowledge of God is the only thing that matters.
Paul is only concerned with what God thinks…
“Let God be true and
every man a liar.”
Paul keeps the people focused on Who
is the Head of the Church, that is Christ.
Paul does not focus on disobedience to him
but to Christ, the Knowledge or Word of
Christ that is the highest standard.
Paul says…
“We” “will be ready to punish ever act of disobedience”
Paul says they will deal with the disobedience
after they make sure they are obedient.
Don’t try to punish disobedience to God
until you and those with you have first made
sure you line up with God’s Word and have
the meekness and gentleness of Christ.
Paul agrees his letters were heavy and some did
not think Paul would follow through.
Paul says everyone
should…
“If anyone is
confident that he belongs to Christ,
he should consider again that we belong to
Christ just as much as he.”
Paul’s confidence comes from
making sure he belongs to Christ.
The battle in the Church is the Lord’s.
God will show who is
approved.
Paul does not compare himself with
others, because Christ is the standard.
Paul does not try to take credit
for work he has not done…
“We, however, will not
boast beyond proper limits,
but will confine our boasting to the field
God has assigned to
us,
a field that reaches
even to you.”
Paul brought the Gospel to Corinth.
He sowed the seed there in that field.
Paul hoped they would take the Gospel
out from Corinth and that field Paul
was not interested in sowing in.
Paul’s goal was to sow in fields
that no one else had reached.
In that respect he could boast in the Lord.
“For we do not want to
boast about work
already done in another man's territory.
But, "Let him who
boasts boast in the Lord."
For it is not the one who commends himself who
is approved,
but the one whom the Lord commends.”
Paul made sure he had the Knowledge of God.
Nothing in our minds should ever be considered
higher than the Knowledge of God.
When we know God’s Word and stand on His Word,
God will show who is
approved.
God will commend the person who stands on His Word.
What is your approval rating?
Scripture Reading
2 Corinthians 10 NIV
10:1 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.
7 You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should
consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. 8 For even if I
boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up
rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to
seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, "His
letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his
speaking amounts to nothing." 11 Such people should realize that what we
are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are
present.
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