7 You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we. 8 For if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so. 9 I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters, 10 because some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account.” 11 Let such a person consider this: What we say by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

How good are you at judging people based on what you see? One time at Katoomba men's convention, a young gentleman came up to read a Bible passage. He was short and had glasses, spoke with funny lisp, and had a mild and meek voice. But I'll never forget what happened when he started reading the passage. He had this magnificent way of reading the Bible that made the words come alive. Over 2000 men in the auditorium suddenly went dead silent and when the reading was over, it was like everyone wanted to applaud him or something.

In today's passage, Paul has a gentle rebuke towards those in the Corinthian church who, based on Paul's appearance, have decided to ignore Paul's authority in the church. They have seen Paul speak – and what they've seen is enough for them to draw the right conclusion. But Paul reminds them: his authority is from the risen Lord Jesus himself. Jesus was the one who appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and sent him as his apostle to the Gentiles. And the Lord gave him this authority to build the church up, both through his preaching and his letters, so the Corinthians ought to listen to him.

These letters are equally important to us today. I'm convicted from the passage today that no matter who is bringing this word to me, I would do best to pay close attention, and not let any judgements based on appearances cloud the significance of what is being said. Whether it's a child repeating a memory verse, or some famous preacher – all Scripture is God-breathed, and so rightfully deserves our careful attention.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.