THE TRUE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY (2 CORINTHIANS 10:1–13:14)
Many years ago I was going through a time of intense criticism, and no one knew it better than my wife, Cynthia. In the middle of storms like that, we’re always tempted to steer toward one of two extremes: to retaliate with the same kind of vitriolic tone leveled at us, or to lie down like an old rug and just let the critics walk all over us.
Cynthia had a wonderful way of helping me steer a straight course between those extremes. While keeping me in the calm eye of the storm, she found a piece written by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1910. She had its text made into a decoupage, a plaque I could hang in my study, and there it hung for years to remind me of a vital truth every pastor needs to learn early on in ministry:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.[151]
I pity the pessimists and cynics who live their lives in the twilight zone between victory and defeat, whose thoughts linger on suspicions, whose eyes constantly look for flaws in those involved in ministry, and whose mouths spew criticism and sarcasm. What a dreadful world such people must live in! I wish there was a combination of words I or somebody else could say to snap them out of their morose moods and put an end to their habit of hurtful words.
My heart goes out even more to the objects of these unfair and inappropriate attacks. Ministry challenges us enough without all the negativity. When someone lobs a caustic, unjust, and mean-spirited grenade of criticism into the midst of an already difficult ministry situation, it can devastate not only the minister but also the ministry. I’ve witnessed and experienced the carnage firsthand.
In the final section of 2 Corinthians, a letter written by Paul primarily to address issues of Christian ministry, the apostle addresses the question of authentic authority in ministry. Therefore, I have titled this climactic section “The True Apostolic Ministry” (10:1–13:14). First, Paul defends the genuineness of his apostolic calling against some troublemakers in the Corinthian church who had criticized, ridiculed, and undermined his God-given authority (10:1-18). Fearing that his children in the faith might be led astray by malicious false teachers (11:1-6), Paul directly strikes back at the authority and teaching of his opponents (11:7-15). In a rare moment, Paul chooses to fight fire with fire, taking up the challenge of his adversaries and “boasting” of his superior qualifications as an apostle of Christ in contrast with their empty boasting (11:16–12:21). With a warning that he will soon pay a personal visit to the church as he had intended for months, 2 Corinthians serves as a final call for those in the church to reaffirm their allegiance to the authentic apostolic ministry and thereby to retain a pure apostolic faith (13:1-14).
KEY TERMS IN 2 CORINTHIANS 10:1–13:14
astheneia (ἀσθενεία) [769] “weakness,” “frailty”
This word can refer to a variety of physical, emotional, or intellectual disabilities or ailments. These could include sickness or disease (Luke 8:2), incapacity due to our finiteness (Rom. 8:26), or moral weakness leading to temptation and sin (Rom. 6:19). Paul uses the term to refer to personal weaknesses in his ministry that are overcome not by his own strength, but by the grace of Christ working in him (2 Cor. 12:9). In this sense, Paul can “boast” about his weaknesses rather than hide them in shame (12:10).
metaschēmatizō (μετασχηματίζω) [3345] “to change in outward appearance,” “to disguise”
The word “disguise,” used three times in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, means “to change in appearance, transform.” Though similar in meaning to the Greek word metamorphoō [3339], the term metaschēmatizō emphasizes the outward appearance or form of something rather than the inward essence or reality. Paul’s use of the term for false teachers who deceptively transformed themselves into something they were not indicated that the essence of the person remained the same, but the outward appearance changed. This always has been Satan’s strategy —to convincingly appear to be something he is not.