EmmDev 2017-01-19 [Treasure in Clay Pots (2Cor)] Whose standards do we live by?

Welcome to our eDevotions (EmmDevs) for 2017!
We're continuing our series in 2Corinthians but I need to give just as a reminder of the background:

• Although we call this letter 2Corinthians it's actually Paul's third letter to them. His first letter (1Corinthians) caused a lot of reaction in terms of remorse and anger because Paul had to confront some very bad behaviour in his letter. He then wrote a "letter of tears" to address these actions. While he refers to this letter, we don't actually have the letter itself and so this is his third letter.
• This letter was prompted by some false teachers and self-centred leaders who were trying to get control of the congregation and they were doing this by sowing division and discrediting Paul.
• Paul is very concerned about their tactics, their claims to superiority and the model of success they were promoting. These issues now come to the forefront in the rest of this letter.

The chapters that follow are intense and challenging. We will see Paul employing some drastic measures, but he is fighting for the soul of the congregation.

Whose standards do we live by?

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.      (2Corinthians10:1-3)

The false teachers had a cunning accusation: They claimed that Paul was "timid" when face to face and "bold" when he wrote letters. Basically they were implying that was a cowardly manipulative bully. This was an attempt to negate the influence of Paul's letters.

Paul's concern, as it was in his first letter, is that the Corinthians were being sucked into worldly ways. The false teachers were trying to discredit Paul, by saying that Paul was false and manipulative and inconsistent. But Paul makes it clear: "If you don't respond to my 'bold' letter, I will come and be 'bold' in person. It's also important to note that he "begs" them to resolve the situation. He does not relish the conflict.

Paul counters their argument with an implication of his own: They're fighting a power battle with worldly ways - using character assassination, lies and half-truths. But, he says, we don't wage war as the world does.

We're two thirds through the first month of the new year.
- The honeymoon of the new year has passed.
- The pressure is mounting and we face various battles.
The temptation is to match insult to insult.
To fight fire with fire.
To fight attitude with attitude and aggro with aggro.
To fight power with power.

Paul is going to show us a better way to face our battles and we'll look at this tomorrow.
Let us resolve today to not fall into the trap of character assassination and accusation. Let us resolve to be consistent in all we do. Let us "beg" people to resolve conflict in less destructive ways.

This seems like a strange first devotion, but it is actually very apt. What is certain about any year is that trouble will come. This is an important reminder to handle it differently from the world.

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