Is Paul contradicting himself?
| And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 7 You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. 8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling 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. (2Corinthians10:6-11) |
So why does Paul suddenly sound like an angry dictator making threats to "punish every act of disobedience"? And why is he suddenly going on about authority and belonging?
It certainly makes Paul seem to be double-minded and contradictory.
There are three perspectives that help us here:
- The stakes are very high. The unity and health of the Corinthian congregation is of paramount importance. The sheer destructive power of false teaching on the one hand and disunity on the other could be very very damaging to the life of the congregation.
- Paul has been accused of weak leadership. The implication is that he will back down when faced with a strong opponent, a difficult situation or an uncomfortable conflict.
- In Christ we are one body - we belong to each other and are accountable to each other. We don't have unlimited personal freedom. Belonging to each other means we are responsible for each other.
So Paul talks about right and wrong, about disobedience and punishment. He is not a tyrant, but he needs to protect the church because the stakes of unity and truth are high. Church discipline is primarily a loving act of protection rather than a cruel act of punishment. Good church discipline is not about causing pain but about getting the perpetrator to change their ways. (Unfortunately the church has a very poor record in its history as far as discipline goes - unfortunately the principle is good but the "execution" (pun intended) is not.)
Paul demonstrates that he has the courage and determination to endure a season of discipline - that he will not be intimidated. The church is too important to him. There is coherence between his letters and his actions and he will do what it takes to protect the church.
Finally, Paul is also clear that all belong to the body and all must be protected. He refuses to be reduced to an outsider, writing ineffectual letters - he sees himself as part of the community and part of its problems and solutions. This requires both courage and restraint. Paul is not haphazardly or emotionally swinging between love and punishment - he is keeping them in balance.
