Oct 25, 2017
Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re almost all pacifists. I’m not talking about your opinion as to whether a country should go to war or whether a Christian should take up arms. No, I am talking about our unwillingness to speak out against false teaching in the church and to stand up for the truth of the gospel. We’ve become increasingly more politically correct, unwilling and afraid to say what needs to be said. We’re inherently non-confrontational, even when it comes to defending the truth of God’s Word. Here in chapter ten of 2 Corinthians, Paul is going to go on the offensive and deal with what he sees as a real threat to his ministry and the overall health of the church. He wasn’t some kind of fading wall-flower, too scared to speak up or risk rejection. The gospel was everything and he was unwilling to tolerate anyone who threatened its integrity and clouded its message. In the very next chapter he will accuse the believers in Corinth: “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” But not Paul.