2 Corinthians 10:9–10 (ESV) — 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with
my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong,
but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”
NOTE: Doesn't this
sound like us? When we don't like what we are hearing, we attack the speaker,
not the message. "Oh, his letter is heavy and strong, but he really is not
a good speaker. He really is weak personally. What does he know? I can give a
better message than him." All of this leads to verse 12, "… when they compare themselves … they are not
wise." The important thing is not the person who said something but
the message that is said. Like the Bereans, we need to go to the scripture to
see if it is true. Our actions should be noble, not deceitful. Some Corinthians
were being deceitful by using techniques of deflection, mockery, and others.
These are tools of the flesh and not of the spirit, as Paul discussed in the
previous verses (1-6). We need to be very careful to the message not the
messenger.
PRAYER: Father, may
we prayerfully consider the words we hear checking the scriptures regularly to
see if what is said is true. It is not the messenger we are to critique, but
the message.
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