- The right measure: (10:13-16): Paul says that his boasting is limited to what God has assigned to him. Paul used the word limit which is very common, because Corinthians were familiar with Isthmus games and loved the races, where a runner runs within his lane. So it is very much right when Paul said “I am running within my lane and not in some other’ lane. Paul asks his critics: “where were those critics when he underwent great deal of persecution to lay the foundations of the church?” Now the church is established. Paul was planning and hoping to get assistance from the Corinthian church in order to reach other areas with the Gospel. But his critics including Judaizers jumped into the fray, saying Paul was not right. They were trying to steal the work of Paul without doing any hard work. Paul’s passion was to take the Gospel to the areas where nobody else had gone there with the Gospel. He was not interested building on someone else’ foundation or authority.
Paul says when the Corinthian church excel in grace of giving, they would grow in maturity, in outreach, extending their sphere of influence and become a missionary church. This is true with every church.
“It is base, abominable, and deeply sinful, for a man to thrust himself into other men’s labours, and by sowing doubtful disputations among a Christian people, distract and divide them, than he may get a party to himself … This is an evil that has prevailed much in all ages of the Church; there is at present much of it in the Christian world, and Christianity is disgraced by it.” (Clarke).
- The right commendation: (10:17-18): Paul leaves the matter of commendation to the Lord. It is the Lord’s work, He gives the grace to serve Him. “Therefore since God’s mercy we have this ministry…”(4:1). He was willing to wait for God’s commendation. Further we must see that what kind of church we are building. Is it a so called church of crowd or a church where the members are under the unction of the Holy Spirit. Many churches in our country are only social gatherings, or monotonous attendance with indifferent behaviour. I have seen in my country where churches with huge crowds lacking every spiritual blessing and at the same very small churches with fewer members with spiritual richness. We must be aware of what kind of church we are building. “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. And that time each will receive his praise from God” (1 Cor 4:4-5). Let God do the commending. Live for His approval, and our life and ministry will be blessed. Many times we may seem to be a failure in our eyes and the eyes of others, but God may see our work as a great success for His glory. Paul was satisfied with the approval that he received from the Lord. This is the place where every Christian, and especially every person in ministry, must be. It is a dangerous thing to commend one’s self, or to approve one’s self.
“In the Christian Church, indeed, self-commendation should be viewed with suspicion as a mark of disqualification.” (Hughes)