Sep15 Written by:Nathan Williams
Monday, September 15, 2008
Apparently, there were some preachers at Corinth who spoke out against Paul. I figure they wanted power. They wanted followers, and they thought the best way to obtain a following would be by tearing down Paul and esteeming themselves.
Paul, an apostle by authority given him through Jesus Christ, took the battle to a higher level than these carnally-minded preachers were thinking. In 1 Cor. 10:3-5, Paul wrote, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
These self-centered and self-serving men WERE warring according to the flesh. They argued that Paul was "meek when face to face...but bold toward you when absent" (10:1). They said, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible" (10:10). As with so many politicians today, they tried to tear down Paul's character so as to inflate their own.
Paul did not war according to the flesh. But he had no trouble going to battle for the Lord on a spiritual level! Paul was mightily equipped to tear down strongholds of Satan. If someone was raising himself up against the knowledge of God, Paul could (and would) destroy him.
In our way of speaking Paul might have said, "Guys, I don't want to have to do it, but when I come I'm going to have to use the whip on some of you if you don't shape up. What do you want? Do you want to keep up this game of comparing yourselves with each other and making yourselves look all high-and-mighty, or will you get a little humility and accept me as an apostle of Jesus Christ? You decide."
There are so many today who have exactly the same issues with Paul as these men. They say Paul was prideful, self-inflated, and therefore we can throw out much of his writings. Paul is not around to defend himself any longer. I reckon you and I must step up to the plate and war with these people using the same weapons Paul used: weapons that are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses! Will we prove ourselves equal to the task? With the help and guidance of God, we will!
Keep the faith,
Nathan
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