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strongholds where Satan and evil are entrenched. Nothing less than the sword of the
Spirit which is the Word of God, is needed here to overthrow all that exalts itself against
the knowledge of God, and to bring it into captivity and obedience to Christ.
If entreaty is ineffective, the Apostle is ready to use his apostolic authority bestowed
by the risen Christ when every disobedience would be dealt with and punished. Verse 7
is rendered as a question in the A.V. and a fact in the R.V. Either is permissible from the
Greek and the verb can be either imperative or indicative, so three translations are
possible: `look on', `you look on' or `do you look on?'. "The things that are before your
face" means things after the outward appearance. The Apostle apparently is
reprimanding those who were judging merely by external appearance without going any
deeper. His opponents claimed to have the authority of Christ; so did he likewise, for it
was by special revelation that he had received the gospel of grace (Gal. 1: 11, 12).
Even if he was to boast of his apostolic commission he could do so without shame or
exaggeration:
"For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the
Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to
shame" (10: 8 R.V.).
Yet he did not wish to terrify them by his letters. Even his enemies had to admit that
his letters were weighty and strong, even if his bodily presence was weak and his speech
of no account (10: 9 and 10). And this characteristic of his epistles has been admitted ever
since by all those who have seriously considered them. Where his detractors at Corinth
made a mistake was in assuming that the Apostle could not act with the same vigour and
directness when he was personally with them. He warns such:
"Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent,
such are we also in deed when we are present" (10: 11 R.V.).
These people commended themselves, measuring themselves with themselves,
making their own standards, and exalting themselves in their own estimation and conceit.
"Self-praise is no recommendation", but some of the Corinthians were doing it
unashamedly and were therefore without true understanding (10: 12 R.V.). If Paul is going
to boast about his apostolic achievements, he will keep it within well-defined limits, that
is, the sphere appointed to him by Christ as the minister of the gospel of the
uncircumcision. This principle had been recognized by Peter, James and John at
Jerusalem (Gal. 2: 9) and the Apostle never built on another's foundation or intruded into
someone else's sphere of witness (Rom. 15: 20).
In other words he was a pioneer missionary to the Gentiles and therefore Corinth came
within his bounds, for he was the first to preach the gospel there, and it was
predominantly a Gentile church. In view of this the false apostles were ministering at
Corinth merely with the position they had arrogated to themselves.