Paul and Timothy continue dealing with the false “super-apostles,” who have swayed some in the Corinthian congregation with their false teaching.
Comparing and Contrasting Real Pastors with False Ones
Read 2 Corinthians 10:12
- What do Paul and Timothy say they are not doing when it comes to these false teachers?
“classify or compare”: Greek, enkrinai a sunkrinai. Notice that the same root word is used, but with different prefixes. This is called paronomasia and it’s used here for emphasis. Remember, last we learned that the “super-apostles” were accusing Paul of being mighty in the written word but weak in the spoken word (2 Cor 10:10). Here we get an example of his letters being “weighty and strong.”
- Why? What standard of measure were these false “apostles” using for themselves?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:13-14
Paul and Timothy now connect vs 12 with 13-14 by the word “measure.” This provides a clear contrast between the “super-apostles” and Paul and Timothy. To bring out their use of “measure,” here is pastor’s translation:
We, however, do not boast beyond measure, but only according to the measure of the rule [kanon], which God has apportioned [merizo] to us, a measure to reach even as far as y’all. For we are not reaching to y’all, overextending ourselves, because it was to y’all that we came in the Gospel of Christ.
Paul used the idea of “measure” in Romans 12:3, admonishing the Roman Christians: “…not to think more highly of [oneself] than is needed to think, but to think soundly, because God has apportioned [merizo] to each a measure of faith.”
Tied into God apportioning someone his measure of faith is the idea of submission, being properly ordered and serving in one’s sphere (2 Cor 9:13, 10:1). If one thinks too “highly” of himself, he inserts himself where God as not apportioned him to serve. That is what the “super-apostles” had done.
- What measure does Paul and Timothy use to measure what they are doing?
- According to “the rule” [o kanon, note the definite article in the Greek], what had God authorized (“apportioned”) Paul and Timothy to do that He had not authorized the “super-apostles” to do?
- That Paul and Timothy brought up “the rule,” what does that imply about the Corinthian congregation operating according to “the rule”?
Excursus: The Concept of Canon
In 2 Corinthians, we see Paul and Timothy operating within the idea the kanon, the rule. God had apportioned, authorized, them to do what they were doing according to “the rule.” What we don’t know is what that “rule” was, which had authorized them to go to Corinth “in the Gospel of Christ.”
Notice that Paul and Timothy mention “the rule,” without having to defend or explain it. This shows that the Corinthian congregation accepted the validity of “the rule.” What Paul and Timothy did say, however, was that the “super-apostles” were not measuring themselves according to “the rule.” Instead, those “super-apostles” were using themselves, not “the rule,” as their measure and standard. Because of that, they were “without understanding.”
“The rule” is a form of church authority and government, which those within the church recognized and followed. We also see this mentioned in Galatians 6:16: “And as many as walk according to the rule [o kanon], peace be on them and mercy…” And the Byzantine Greek [Majority] text says in Philippians 3:16: “However, into that which we have attained, let us walk according to the rule, to think it.”
It is from “the rule,” which existed since apostolic times, that church “canon law” developed. Scripture does not command it (even the Byzantine Greek text of Philippians 3:16 uses an infinitive, not an imperative verb). But we do see the Apostles, pastors, and congregations following it. What we don’t know is the content of “the rule.”
From our Lutheran tradition, we must reject the “canon law” of Rome because many of those laws take away from the Gospel of Christ. However, if we are to be true to our “Scripture alone” principle, we are to uphold the idea of “the rule” (or canon law), which we are to follow for the sake of the Gospel.
Today, the Church of Rome has a labyrinth of canon law, many of which take away from Christ and obscure the Gospel. For example, Canon Law, Article 2, Canon 915, states, “Those who have been… obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.” The Lutheran Church agrees with this. Where we disagree is that someone who is divorced is, by default, “persevering in manifest grave sin.” Divorce is not some unforgivable sin. If someone did divorce in unrepentant sin, after repenting, he would again be welcomed to the Lord’s Table.
We cannot go where the Church of Rome has gone regarding canon law. Where we err in the LC-MS is that we reject the idea of “the rule,” or canon law, for everything synod passes is only “advisory” to pastors and congregations. This contradicts the New Testament and its use of “the rule.”
What, then, is the middle road? The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians: “I say this for your own benefit, not to put a leash on you, but to promote good order and devoted [service] to the Lord without distraction.” Within our tradition, canon law is to exist to “promote good order and devoted [service] to the Lord without distraction.” Not only does this not exist, be we are often like the “super-apostles,” wanting ourselves to be the measure (a self-made “rule”) against which we measure ourselves.
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Read 2 Corinthians 10:15-16
To keep the ideas of “measure” and “the rule” intact, here’s is pastor’s translation:
We do not boast in the measure, in the labors of others, but having [passive] hope [and] increasing [passive] in your faith, y’all be overflowing, enlarged[passive] according to the rule, to bring the Gospel beyond [into other regions], not to boast in the rule of others.
- What is Paul and Timothy implying about the “super-apostles” involving themselves in what they are supposed to be doing?
- How are Paul and Timothy involved in the Corinthians “having hope” and “increasing in [their] faith”?
- When everyone is doing everything “according to the rule,” what is the result for the Corinthians?
- What would Paul and Timothy eventually like to do, according to “the rule,” when all is well at Corinth?
Proper Christian Boasting
The “super-apostles” (2 Cor 11:5, 12:11) of Jewish origin (2 Cor 11:22) were boasting in themselves and “the rule” of their own making (2 Cor 10:12). Now Paul and Timothy will quote from the Septuagint, the Greek-language Old Testament, to show just how far off these false teachers are from “the rule” that boasts in Christ.
Read 2 Corinthians 10:17
|
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (MT) |
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (LXX) | 2 Corinthians 10:17 |
| Thus says the Lord:
“Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom, and not the strong man glory in his strength, not the rich man glory in his riches, but let the one who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord… |
Thus says the Lord:
“Don’t let the wise man boast in his wisdom, and not let the strong man boast in his strength, and not let the rich man boast in his riches, but let the one who boasts boast in this, to understand and know that I, I am the Lord… |
But let the one who boasts be boasting in the Lord |
- The “super-apostles” knew the Old Testament. Thus, what were Paul and Timothy doing when they called out their unbiblical (Old Testament) boasting?
- 2 Corinthians 10:17 changes “boasting” to a passive participle. By doing that, what point is the verse making?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:18
“commends”: Greek, sunistami. The idea behind this word is “to put together.” Here, God puts someone together; the person doesn’t do this himself. This putting together, then, this formation, is God’s recommendation.
“approved”: dokimos, tested, approved, and found genuine.
- Since the “super-apostles” commended themselves (although they came with letters of recommendation from someone, 2 Cor 3:1), what did this mean?
- The implication is that “the Lord” had “approved” and “commended” what Paul and Timothy were doing? How did the Lord do that?
Within our Lutheran tradition, we see God commending (which includes formation) and approving (which include testing and being found genuine) a man to be a pastor in this way:
Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the sacraments, without a rightly ordered called [rite vocatus, “called according to rite,” called and ordained].
- What are the implications for those who do something in the Church on their own authority?
