We must speak boldly

2 Corinthians 10:1 NIV
[1] By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you---I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!

The difference between Paul's boldness between his letters and his face to face communication was so significant that it elicited comment from the Corinthian believers. Paul did not fully accept this difference but nevertheless it was the way his communication was received.

This speaks to me for I see in me a similar discrepancy. In my case it may well be justified from my earlier days as a parish minister. As I reflect on those days I can see that there is some justification as, like most parish ministers, I was concerned about not losing members. This is one of the main traps of parish ministry in its present form where your remuneration is to a large degree tied to the membership.

From my current perspective I can see how finance can cause you to soften the words you use. This may not be intentional as I was not aware of it in my case. However it is an inevitable result of stipendiary ministry. If you speak your mind as Jesus did, your position is at risk. I have seen too many cases of this in my 30+ years of ministry. Therein lies a major problem.

Now that I no longer have this restraint I can see things on a totally new light. People ask me if I would have spoken this way while the support of my family was dependent on this income, I have to answer "I do not know." I hope I would have, but who can judge what might happen with greater insight. It is just that now I can see what I couldn’t see before.

Paul's reply was twofold. Firstly he said that he would deal with the issue when he next saw them. He would do this by seeing how they were living. Secondly, he reminded them that boldness might not be the correct word to use. They seemed to want some form of physical, even violent, response from him, whereas he reminded them that our weapons are totally different from those of the world.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV
[4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

They had the wrong worldview. They were judging by appearances.

2 Corinthians 10:7-11 NIV
[7] You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. [8] So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. [9] I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. [10] For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” [11] Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

He affirms that they will find his boldness in their presence will match his boldness in his letters, even if they hadn’t seen this before.

That is the stage I have reached in my life. In the past I may have been more gentle in person than in writing, but now that time is short (I am 71 after all), there is no more time for mincing words, regardless of who might be offended by them, as long as those words reflect the Lord Jesus found in Scripture, rather than Christianity as it has come to be expressed.

Having experienced the power of the gospel and the boldness with which it is expressed in unreached people groups in India especially, I cannot retreat into the comfortable church going that passes for Christianity in much of the Western world, and the Eastern world that has imbibed Western Christianity.

I trust that in the Lord’s power I will be able to remain strong in this as it will not be appreciated in some quarters. But that is not the point. Jesus spoke forcefully in the face of established religion. I pray I can do similarly.