Paul points out that his rivals are ignorant. They brag about themselves through human comparisons and self-promoting. They pat themselves on the back. Paul does not care about measuring up against them. He boasts in God. His hope is that the Corinthians will grow spiritually and live out their God-given purpose. Paul’s boasting will continue to be within the ministry-calling that God has given him, and his boasting will be in the Lord. It is the Lord who finally will commend and approve those who obey Him.
In 2 Corinthians 10:12-182 Corinthians 10:12-18 commentary, commentary Paul continues a prelude to presenting a direct defense of his apostolic integrity, contrasting the competing Jewish “authorities” as focusing on themselves while he focuses on his ministry to the Corinthians, pointing them to Christ. Paul asserts that his opponents are self-referencing: For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. (v.12).
This might be tongue-in-cheek, perhaps even sarcasm with which Paul makes this statement. He has been accused by his opponents of not being bold in person, so now he embraces that and admits that he is not bold to compare himself to his opponents. He will say in 2 Corinthians 10:182 Corinthians 10:18 commentary that the only judgment that ultimately matters is that of the Lord.
Paul’s interest is not in comparing himself to his opponents. His aim is to compare his actions against his calling from the Lord. His goal is to be faithful to that calling, that the Lord might be pleased.
He basically accuses his opponents of writing their own references, saying they commend themselves. If they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves then where is room for God? Apparently, God’s judgement is of lesser concern. They set their own standards then measure themselves by those standards. Since they set their own standards, they can continually change them to fit their desires, so they will always be amazing!
Since their standard is themselves, apart from God, they are without understanding (v. 12b). The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7 commentary). The fear of the Lord includes caring what He thinks of us more than what others think of us or what we think of ourselves. That these folks measure themselves by themselves leaves out the Lord. Therefore, it leaves out knowledge. So, it follows that they are without understanding.
These opponents have accused Paul of self-commendation (2 Corinthians 3:12 Corinthians 3:1 commentary, 5:125:12 commentary) and now he has called out his opponents for their own measure of self-commendation. They have awarded themselves commendation based on standards they set for themselves.
Thus, they are without understanding, not only because they are self-referencing but because they are accusing Paul of what they are themselves doing. Paul now evaluates himself and how he measures: But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you (v 13).
Paul’s opponents reference themselves with themselves. They measure themselves by themselves. In contrast, Paul will not boast beyond his measure. He will not measure himself by himself. Rather he will measure himself within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure. We know what Paul has in mind when he describes the sphere which God apportioned to him by context, based on what he says next: to reach even as far as you.
Why did Paul visit Corinth in the first place? It was because God called him to be a minister to the Gentiles (Romans 15:16Romans 15:16 commentary). Jesus called him to “bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15Acts 9:15 commentary). This is the sphere God called Paul to, to be a witness for the name of Jesus before Gentiles, kings, and sons of Israel (Jews). So, Paul’s measurement is, essentially, “How have I performed relative to the assignment Jesus gave me?” How have I measured up within the sphere to which He called me?
This is actually a much higher standard than comparing himself to these false apostles. Paul earlier contrasted his goal of building up the Corinthians with the false apostles seeking to tear them down, among other disparities (2 Corinthians 10:82 Corinthians 10:8 commentary). But when he begins his direct defense in 2 Corinthians 11:222 Corinthians 11:22 commentary, commentary his emphasis will not be Paul versus the false apostles. It will be what Paul has endured in order to carry out the mission God gave him within the sphere of his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles.
God gives to each of us who are “in Christ” a sphere that He apportions to us as a measure. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:10Ephesians 2:10 commentary, commentary God has created specific works for us to walk in. Paul also wrote that “God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3Romans 12:3 commentary). We all have our own sphere.
We can make application of Paul’s teaching here by recognizing that we should not compare ourselves with ourselves, and we should not compare ourselves one to another. Rather, we should make comparison to see how we are living up to the calling God has given us within the sphere He assigned to us.
In Ephesians 4:7Ephesians 4:7 commentary, commentary Paul writes “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” So, each one who is “in Christ” has been given a measure of his favor, by giving us gifts and opportunities within which to use those gifts. Paul was commissioned as an apostle to the Gentiles and he was not to build on the foundation of others (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary).
So, Paul worked as a pioneer missionary to those who had not heard or received the Gospel. That was his sphere. He measured his stewardship within that sphere. Paul was following the mission God gave him to reach even as far as you. Paul’s travels led him to reach even as far as Corinth. That was his assignment from the Lord, which he faithfully discharged.
Paul traveled afar to reach Corinth, over a thousand miles from his native Tarsus. But it was within the sphere of his calling to do so. Coming to the Corinthians was within the sphere of his calling because his assigned mission was to bring the gospel to the Gentiles in places that had not heard the gospel: For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ (v.14).
Paul is not exaggerating, or overextending the description of his assigned sphere, as his coming to Corinth to plant the church there is consistent with the commission he received from Christ. So, he is pointing out that we were the first to come, which should make it plain that he was coming as a fulfillment of his commission from Christ to take the message of the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul’s mission was to go where the gospel had not gone before (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary). Coming to Corinth as the first to come was within that mission.
Paul considers the call or sphere he was assigned to be an expression of God’s favor. In 1 Corinthians 3:101 Corinthians 3:10 commentary, commentary he says God granted him the “grace” or favor/privilege to be called to be “like a wise master builder” who “laid a foundation” which is the gospel of Jesus. Paul’s mission was to lay the foundation of the gospel of Christ, then leave it to others to build upon that foundation. Now he is trying to ensure that those who come after to build upon the foundation are not “false apostles.”
When Paul was the first to come to Corinth he was coming to lay the foundation of the gospel of Christ. In doing this, Paul became their spiritual father, as he asserted in his first letter “for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:151 Corinthians 4:15 commentary).
Even though God called Paul to suffer greatly for His name, Paul considered it a great privilege to be called into His light to minister in His name (Ephesians 3:8Ephesians 3:8 commentary, commentaryPhilippians 3:14Philippians 3:14 commentary). In his first letter, Paul reminded the Corinthians that they also have a high calling to shame the weak things of the world through the mighty things of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-271 Corinthians 1:26-27 commentary). He pointed out that an incredible reward beyond what any human can imagine awaits all who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:91 Corinthians 2:9 commentary).
Paul explains that his boasting is not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors (v. 15a). He is echoing what he wrote to the Romans, “And I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation” (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary).
What had taken place in Corinth is that others had come to build on Paul’s foundation. Now some who have built or claim to be building on that foundation are at the same time reviling those who had laid the foundation.
And the false apostles that Paul is contesting are not even building on the foundation that is Christ. They are preaching “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:42 Corinthians 11:4 commentary). They are not building on the foundation Paul laid, they are trying to tear down and build something entirely new.
Paul founded the church at Corinth when he was the first to share the gospel there. The church had prospered, but it was built on the foundation Paul laid. Therefore, for Paul to assert his apostolic authority is not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another (v.16).
We know from Paul’s first letter that some others built well on the foundation Paul laid. One was Apollos. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:61 Corinthians 3:6 commentary). There was apparently a fissure that took place, where some of the Corinthian believers said, “I follow Paul” and others said “I follow Apollos.” Paul, predictably, points them to neither; he points them to Christ. “Don’t follow men, follow Jesus” is his message.
So, the other men’s labors in building up the church would include the good work of Apollos. Paul is not boasting beyond our measure because he laid the foundation for the church, which was within his calling. And as the father of the church, he has a role to play in its growth.
But Paul’s goal is not to “get the Corinthian church back under his thumb” so that he can exploit it for gain. He does not do that. He steadfastly refused to take money from them to cover his own expenses (1 Corinthians 9:11-121 Corinthians 9:11-12 commentary). Paul’s hope is that as your faith grows Paul’s ministry will be enlarged even more by them.
This could take a number of forms. Perhaps Paul has in mind the Corinthians sending out ministry teams to take the gospel where it has not gone before. This would be within the sphere of his calling. If they did this, they would be expanding his call to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you.
The prerequisite is stated: as your faith grows. Paul does not want them to stretch beyond their capacity. He desires their faith to be properly rooted and sufficiently mature. But then he hopes they will partner with him to spread the gospel to regions beyond.
Paul’s hope is that the faith of the Corinthian believers, in spite of the false teachers they have encountered, will continue to grow and enlarge. Paul’s commission and his desire was to take the gospel to other lands beyond Corinth, even to Rome (Acts 19:21Acts 19:21 commentary) and Spain (Romans 15:22-24Romans 15:22-24 commentary).
Paul apparently dislikes defending his apostolic authority and mission, as evidenced by the preamble to that defense extending from 2 Corinthians 10:12 Corinthians 10:1 commentary to 11:21. But he wanted to make it clear that his measure was to lay foundations by spreading the gospel where it had not gone, and he was not going to boast about another man’s sphere.
In making this emphasis it would seem Paul is heading off a counterattack that “Paul is trying to return and take over our church.” We see an echo of this when Paul later says:
“I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.” (2 Corinthians 12:142 Corinthians 12:14 commentary)
Paul’s desire is not to transfer gain from the Corinthians to himself. Paul’s desire is to see them grow and mature in Christ. Paul makes clear here he is not trying to displace faithful local leaders. His ministry design is to turn over the ministry of “building” to others and go on to another new horizon and lay a new “foundation.”
What Paul does want, in fact what he will insist on, is that the church expel false apostles who will mislead and abuse them. He, as the father of the church, laid the foundation of the gospel of Christ, and led the Corinthian church to walk in the obedience of Christ. It is within his “sphere” of ministry authority to combat false apostles who teach a different gospel about a different Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:42 Corinthians 11:4 commentary).
Paul now provides a quote from Jeremiah, But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord (v. 17).
The full quote from Jeremiah follows:
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord.’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24Jeremiah 9:23-24 commentary)
Paul is going to (eventually) defend his apostolic authority. He is going to boast (2 Corinthians 10:72 Corinthians 10:7 commentary, 1313 commentary, 1616 commentary, 11:1611:16 commentary, 1818 commentary). He is going to engage in what he calls the “foolishness” of speaking about his accomplishments (2 Corinthians 11:12 Corinthians 11:1 commentary, 1717 commentary, 2121 commentary). He states here that his aim is for all such talk to end up being a boasting in the Lord.
We will see him land at a place where he is, in fact, boasting in the Lord. After his direct defense of the stewardship of his apostleship, he ends up boasting in his weakness (2 Corinthians 11:302 Corinthians 11:30 commentary). This is because when he is weak in the flesh, he is strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:102 Corinthians 12:10 commentary).
That points to Paul’s declaration to the Philippians about what he really desired to gain in life. His life’s aim was this:
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11Philippians 3:10-11 commentary)
Paul did not seek earthly gain in any form. He sought rewards in heaven that would be lasting. He sought the “prize of the upward call” (Philippians 3:14Philippians 3:14 commentary). He sought the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8 commentary). He sought for his works to be refined into gold, silver and precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:121 Corinthians 3:12 commentary). There is nothing in Corinth he seeks to acquire other than the growth and maturity of his children in the faith.
Earthly praise can be intoxicating. No one is immune to the temptation to seek earthly praise. But Paul was grounded in the conviction that Christ died for him “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:152 Corinthians 5:15 commentary). For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain (Philippians 1:21Philippians 1:21 commentary).
Chapter 10 ends with Paul expressing this perspective thus: For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends (v.18).
We might paraphrase this as, “If someone cheers or praises, or pat himself on the back, that means nothing. What really matters is what God thinks.” It is whom the Lord commends who actually gains commendation. All praise of men will fade. But the praise of God will last forever.
To have this perspective is, arguably, a part of what it means to have the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7 commentary, 9:109:10 commentary). Much human behavior is shaped by trying to avoid rejection (fear of a person or group of people) or by seeking to gain affirmation from a person or group of people. For believers, there is no need to fear rejection from God. Those who believe are born into God’s forever family (John 3:3John 3:3 commentary, 14-1514-15 commentary).
But God only approves that which is good for us and for others. That is the behavior He will reward. To fear the Lord is to seek His approval over that of any person. At the end of the day, any boasting that Paul might do will ultimately be in seeking God’s approval.
Paul will assert this later when he says:
“All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved.” (2 Corinthians 12:192 Corinthians 12:19 commentary)
In the next chapter, Paul continues this preamble, building up to the direct defense that begins in 2 Corinthians 11:222 Corinthians 11:22 commentary. But all will eventually weave into a teaching lesson intended to build up the Corinthians, elevating their walk with Christ. And Paul will seek no credit from them. He will seek only their welfare and God’s good pleasure at their faithfulness.
This demonstrates that Paul puts his claim into action in this letter: For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. When he actually begins his direct apostolic defense and lists the horrific abuses he has endured for the sake of the gospel, we will see that he has worked unceasingly and has continually risked his life because he believes that this is, in fact, the key to fulfillment in life (2 Corinthians 11:24-282 Corinthians 11:24-28 commentary). As Paul states at the end of his life:
“in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8 commentary)
Whether in this life or the next, Paul was always looking to please Christ and make Him the center.
Set to dark mode
2 Corinthians 10:12-18 meaning
In 2 Corinthians 10:12-182 Corinthians 10:12-18 commentary, commentary Paul continues a prelude to presenting a direct defense of his apostolic integrity, contrasting the competing Jewish “authorities” as focusing on themselves while he focuses on his ministry to the Corinthians, pointing them to Christ. Paul asserts that his opponents are self-referencing: For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. (v.12).
This might be tongue-in-cheek, perhaps even sarcasm with which Paul makes this statement. He has been accused by his opponents of not being bold in person, so now he embraces that and admits that he is not bold to compare himself to his opponents. He will say in 2 Corinthians 10:182 Corinthians 10:18 commentary that the only judgment that ultimately matters is that of the Lord.
Paul’s interest is not in comparing himself to his opponents. His aim is to compare his actions against his calling from the Lord. His goal is to be faithful to that calling, that the Lord might be pleased.
He basically accuses his opponents of writing their own references, saying they commend themselves. If they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves then where is room for God? Apparently, God’s judgement is of lesser concern. They set their own standards then measure themselves by those standards. Since they set their own standards, they can continually change them to fit their desires, so they will always be amazing!
Since their standard is themselves, apart from God, they are without understanding (v. 12b). The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7 commentary). The fear of the Lord includes caring what He thinks of us more than what others think of us or what we think of ourselves. That these folks measure themselves by themselves leaves out the Lord. Therefore, it leaves out knowledge. So, it follows that they are without understanding.
These opponents have accused Paul of self-commendation (2 Corinthians 3:12 Corinthians 3:1 commentary, 5:125:12 commentary) and now he has called out his opponents for their own measure of self-commendation. They have awarded themselves commendation based on standards they set for themselves.
Thus, they are without understanding, not only because they are self-referencing but because they are accusing Paul of what they are themselves doing. Paul now evaluates himself and how he measures: But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you (v 13).
Paul’s opponents reference themselves with themselves. They measure themselves by themselves. In contrast, Paul will not boast beyond his measure. He will not measure himself by himself. Rather he will measure himself within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure. We know what Paul has in mind when he describes the sphere which God apportioned to him by context, based on what he says next: to reach even as far as you.
Why did Paul visit Corinth in the first place? It was because God called him to be a minister to the Gentiles (Romans 15:16Romans 15:16 commentary). Jesus called him to “bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15Acts 9:15 commentary). This is the sphere God called Paul to, to be a witness for the name of Jesus before Gentiles, kings, and sons of Israel (Jews). So, Paul’s measurement is, essentially, “How have I performed relative to the assignment Jesus gave me?” How have I measured up within the sphere to which He called me?
This is actually a much higher standard than comparing himself to these false apostles. Paul earlier contrasted his goal of building up the Corinthians with the false apostles seeking to tear them down, among other disparities (2 Corinthians 10:82 Corinthians 10:8 commentary). But when he begins his direct defense in 2 Corinthians 11:222 Corinthians 11:22 commentary, commentary his emphasis will not be Paul versus the false apostles. It will be what Paul has endured in order to carry out the mission God gave him within the sphere of his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles.
God gives to each of us who are “in Christ” a sphere that He apportions to us as a measure. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:10Ephesians 2:10 commentary, commentary God has created specific works for us to walk in. Paul also wrote that “God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3Romans 12:3 commentary). We all have our own sphere.
We can make application of Paul’s teaching here by recognizing that we should not compare ourselves with ourselves, and we should not compare ourselves one to another. Rather, we should make comparison to see how we are living up to the calling God has given us within the sphere He assigned to us.
In Ephesians 4:7Ephesians 4:7 commentary, commentary Paul writes “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” So, each one who is “in Christ” has been given a measure of his favor, by giving us gifts and opportunities within which to use those gifts. Paul was commissioned as an apostle to the Gentiles and he was not to build on the foundation of others (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary).
So, Paul worked as a pioneer missionary to those who had not heard or received the Gospel. That was his sphere. He measured his stewardship within that sphere. Paul was following the mission God gave him to reach even as far as you. Paul’s travels led him to reach even as far as Corinth. That was his assignment from the Lord, which he faithfully discharged.
Paul traveled afar to reach Corinth, over a thousand miles from his native Tarsus. But it was within the sphere of his calling to do so. Coming to the Corinthians was within the sphere of his calling because his assigned mission was to bring the gospel to the Gentiles in places that had not heard the gospel: For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ (v.14).
Paul is not exaggerating, or overextending the description of his assigned sphere, as his coming to Corinth to plant the church there is consistent with the commission he received from Christ. So, he is pointing out that we were the first to come, which should make it plain that he was coming as a fulfillment of his commission from Christ to take the message of the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul’s mission was to go where the gospel had not gone before (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary). Coming to Corinth as the first to come was within that mission.
Paul considers the call or sphere he was assigned to be an expression of God’s favor. In 1 Corinthians 3:101 Corinthians 3:10 commentary, commentary he says God granted him the “grace” or favor/privilege to be called to be “like a wise master builder” who “laid a foundation” which is the gospel of Jesus. Paul’s mission was to lay the foundation of the gospel of Christ, then leave it to others to build upon that foundation. Now he is trying to ensure that those who come after to build upon the foundation are not “false apostles.”
When Paul was the first to come to Corinth he was coming to lay the foundation of the gospel of Christ. In doing this, Paul became their spiritual father, as he asserted in his first letter “for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:151 Corinthians 4:15 commentary).
Even though God called Paul to suffer greatly for His name, Paul considered it a great privilege to be called into His light to minister in His name (Ephesians 3:8Ephesians 3:8 commentary, commentary Philippians 3:14Philippians 3:14 commentary). In his first letter, Paul reminded the Corinthians that they also have a high calling to shame the weak things of the world through the mighty things of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-271 Corinthians 1:26-27 commentary). He pointed out that an incredible reward beyond what any human can imagine awaits all who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:91 Corinthians 2:9 commentary).
Paul explains that his boasting is not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors (v. 15a). He is echoing what he wrote to the Romans, “And I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation” (Romans 15:20Romans 15:20 commentary).
What had taken place in Corinth is that others had come to build on Paul’s foundation. Now some who have built or claim to be building on that foundation are at the same time reviling those who had laid the foundation.
And the false apostles that Paul is contesting are not even building on the foundation that is Christ. They are preaching “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:42 Corinthians 11:4 commentary). They are not building on the foundation Paul laid, they are trying to tear down and build something entirely new.
Paul founded the church at Corinth when he was the first to share the gospel there. The church had prospered, but it was built on the foundation Paul laid. Therefore, for Paul to assert his apostolic authority is not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another (v.16).
We know from Paul’s first letter that some others built well on the foundation Paul laid. One was Apollos. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:61 Corinthians 3:6 commentary). There was apparently a fissure that took place, where some of the Corinthian believers said, “I follow Paul” and others said “I follow Apollos.” Paul, predictably, points them to neither; he points them to Christ. “Don’t follow men, follow Jesus” is his message.
So, the other men’s labors in building up the church would include the good work of Apollos. Paul is not boasting beyond our measure because he laid the foundation for the church, which was within his calling. And as the father of the church, he has a role to play in its growth.
But Paul’s goal is not to “get the Corinthian church back under his thumb” so that he can exploit it for gain. He does not do that. He steadfastly refused to take money from them to cover his own expenses (1 Corinthians 9:11-121 Corinthians 9:11-12 commentary). Paul’s hope is that as your faith grows Paul’s ministry will be enlarged even more by them.
This could take a number of forms. Perhaps Paul has in mind the Corinthians sending out ministry teams to take the gospel where it has not gone before. This would be within the sphere of his calling. If they did this, they would be expanding his call to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you.
The prerequisite is stated: as your faith grows. Paul does not want them to stretch beyond their capacity. He desires their faith to be properly rooted and sufficiently mature. But then he hopes they will partner with him to spread the gospel to regions beyond.
Paul’s hope is that the faith of the Corinthian believers, in spite of the false teachers they have encountered, will continue to grow and enlarge. Paul’s commission and his desire was to take the gospel to other lands beyond Corinth, even to Rome (Acts 19:21Acts 19:21 commentary) and Spain (Romans 15:22-24Romans 15:22-24 commentary).
Paul apparently dislikes defending his apostolic authority and mission, as evidenced by the preamble to that defense extending from 2 Corinthians 10:12 Corinthians 10:1 commentary to 11:21. But he wanted to make it clear that his measure was to lay foundations by spreading the gospel where it had not gone, and he was not going to boast about another man’s sphere.
In making this emphasis it would seem Paul is heading off a counterattack that “Paul is trying to return and take over our church.” We see an echo of this when Paul later says:
“I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.”
(2 Corinthians 12:142 Corinthians 12:14 commentary)
Paul’s desire is not to transfer gain from the Corinthians to himself. Paul’s desire is to see them grow and mature in Christ. Paul makes clear here he is not trying to displace faithful local leaders. His ministry design is to turn over the ministry of “building” to others and go on to another new horizon and lay a new “foundation.”
What Paul does want, in fact what he will insist on, is that the church expel false apostles who will mislead and abuse them. He, as the father of the church, laid the foundation of the gospel of Christ, and led the Corinthian church to walk in the obedience of Christ. It is within his “sphere” of ministry authority to combat false apostles who teach a different gospel about a different Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:42 Corinthians 11:4 commentary).
Paul now provides a quote from Jeremiah, But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord (v. 17).
The full quote from Jeremiah follows:
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord.’”
(Jeremiah 9:23-24Jeremiah 9:23-24 commentary)
Paul is going to (eventually) defend his apostolic authority. He is going to boast (2 Corinthians 10:72 Corinthians 10:7 commentary, 1313 commentary, 1616 commentary, 11:1611:16 commentary, 1818 commentary). He is going to engage in what he calls the “foolishness” of speaking about his accomplishments (2 Corinthians 11:12 Corinthians 11:1 commentary, 1717 commentary, 2121 commentary). He states here that his aim is for all such talk to end up being a boasting in the Lord.
We will see him land at a place where he is, in fact, boasting in the Lord. After his direct defense of the stewardship of his apostleship, he ends up boasting in his weakness (2 Corinthians 11:302 Corinthians 11:30 commentary). This is because when he is weak in the flesh, he is strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:102 Corinthians 12:10 commentary).
That points to Paul’s declaration to the Philippians about what he really desired to gain in life. His life’s aim was this:
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
(Philippians 3:10-11Philippians 3:10-11 commentary)
Paul did not seek earthly gain in any form. He sought rewards in heaven that would be lasting. He sought the “prize of the upward call” (Philippians 3:14Philippians 3:14 commentary). He sought the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8 commentary). He sought for his works to be refined into gold, silver and precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:121 Corinthians 3:12 commentary). There is nothing in Corinth he seeks to acquire other than the growth and maturity of his children in the faith.
Earthly praise can be intoxicating. No one is immune to the temptation to seek earthly praise. But Paul was grounded in the conviction that Christ died for him “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:152 Corinthians 5:15 commentary). For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain (Philippians 1:21Philippians 1:21 commentary).
Chapter 10 ends with Paul expressing this perspective thus: For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends (v.18).
We might paraphrase this as, “If someone cheers or praises, or pat himself on the back, that means nothing. What really matters is what God thinks.” It is whom the Lord commends who actually gains commendation. All praise of men will fade. But the praise of God will last forever.
To have this perspective is, arguably, a part of what it means to have the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7 commentary, 9:109:10 commentary). Much human behavior is shaped by trying to avoid rejection (fear of a person or group of people) or by seeking to gain affirmation from a person or group of people. For believers, there is no need to fear rejection from God. Those who believe are born into God’s forever family (John 3:3John 3:3 commentary, 14-1514-15 commentary).
But God only approves that which is good for us and for others. That is the behavior He will reward. To fear the Lord is to seek His approval over that of any person. At the end of the day, any boasting that Paul might do will ultimately be in seeking God’s approval.
Paul will assert this later when he says:
“All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved.”
(2 Corinthians 12:192 Corinthians 12:19 commentary)
In the next chapter, Paul continues this preamble, building up to the direct defense that begins in 2 Corinthians 11:222 Corinthians 11:22 commentary. But all will eventually weave into a teaching lesson intended to build up the Corinthians, elevating their walk with Christ. And Paul will seek no credit from them. He will seek only their welfare and God’s good pleasure at their faithfulness.
This demonstrates that Paul puts his claim into action in this letter: For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. When he actually begins his direct apostolic defense and lists the horrific abuses he has endured for the sake of the gospel, we will see that he has worked unceasingly and has continually risked his life because he believes that this is, in fact, the key to fulfillment in life (2 Corinthians 11:24-282 Corinthians 11:24-28 commentary). As Paul states at the end of his life:
“in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8 commentary)
Whether in this life or the next, Paul was always looking to please Christ and make Him the center.