2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (HCSB)
Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way. For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.
Despite (or, more accurately, because of) Paul’s unparalleled success in bringing the light of the gospel to large areas of the gentile world, and founding Church after Church, he had many naysayers. But rather than adopting Paul’s methodology, which was based on self-sacrifice, a willingness to suffer pain an ignominy, and genuine love, they resorted to add-hominem attacks.
Some of these detractors were Judaizers who taught the Paul’s gospel was sadly incomplete in that it left out the essential elements of circumcision and full adherence to all the requirements of the Old Testament law. They painted Paul as misguided at best and as purposefully leading people astray at worst.
Others were self-styled apostles who were trying to build their own brand, but found themselves continually overshadowed by Paul. They portrayed Paul as someone who was an impressive letter writer, but who was unimpressive in person—someone whose actual person didn’t measure up to the hype.
But Paul himself wasn’t dissuaded by these characterizations, because he knew that they were false, often leveled against him by people who had never actually met him! He wasn’t about to be goaded into trying to fight these accusations using the weapons of the world.
Paul knew that what he had done, the lives that had been transformed through his ministry, the bodies that had been healed, the demons that had been sent scurrying. And he knew that all these things had been done, not in his own strength or through human power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. And those who disparaged him had better be able to do more, to demonstrate more divine power in their own lives, or repent.
Father, it is easy for us to get doubtful of our standing with you or defensive of our reputation when we are attacked, whether those attacks come from those outside the Church or inside (although attacks from within sting a lot worse!). But Paul took these things in stride, and simply responded, if he bothered to respond at all, with a list of some of the things that You had enabled him to do. And that was usually enough, because even an excerpt from that list was always impressive! Lord, help me to keep my eyes and my heart focused on You so that I never get drawn aside by the attacks of mere men. Help me to stay faithful to You and to Your agenda, all the way to the end. Amen.