The Paper Tiger and the Present Lion Text: 2 Corinthians 10:7-11
Introduction: The War for Reality
We live in an age that is obsessed with appearances. Our culture is one of surfaces, of branding, of image management. Men spend more time curating their online profile than they do cultivating their character. And this is not a new problem, though the technology has certainly amplified it. The Corinthian church was neck-deep in this kind of thinking. They were a boom town, full of merchants and hustlers, impressed by slick rhetoric and powerful personalities. They were judging things by the flesh, by what the eye could see, and in doing so, they were on the verge of rejecting a true apostle of Jesus Christ in favor of some smooth-talking charlatans.
Paul has been defending his apostolic ministry throughout this letter, not because he was thin-skinned, but because the gospel itself was at stake. If the Corinthians rejected Paul, they were rejecting the Christ who sent him. His opponents in Corinth were attacking him on two fronts. They said his letters were impressive, weighty, and strong. But when he showed up in person, they claimed he was a dud. His physical presence was weak, they said, and his speaking was contemptible. He was a paper tiger, all roar on the page and no teeth in the pulpit.
This is a classic tactic of the enemy. If you cannot refute the truth of the message, attack the packaging. Discredit the messenger. And the Corinthians, steeped in a culture that valued style over substance, were falling for it. They were looking at things "as they are outwardly." They were judging by the flesh. And Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, is about to correct their vision, and in so doing, teach us a fundamental lesson about the nature of true spiritual authority. It is not found in outward pomp, but in faithfulness to Christ. It is not measured by worldly metrics of success, but by its God-given purpose: to build up, not to tear down.
This passage is a direct confrontation with a worldly mindset that had infiltrated the church. Paul is drawing a line in the sand. He is telling the Corinthians that they must choose. Will they continue to be swayed by superficial judgments, or will they recognize the genuine authority that Christ has given to His servants? This is not just an ancient squabble; it is a perennial battle for the church. We are always tempted to evaluate ministry by the world's standards, by the charisma of the man, the size of the building, or the slickness of the production. Paul calls us back to reality. The reality of Christ, the reality of God-given authority, and the reality that what a true minister is in his letters, he will be in person when the time for action comes.
The Text
You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame, for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak and his words contemptible.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
(2 Corinthians 10:7-11 LSB)
Seeing Straight (v. 7)
Paul begins by diagnosing the core problem with the Corinthians' thinking.
"You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we." (2 Corinthians 10:7)
The charge is direct: "You are looking at things as they are outwardly." The Greek here means to look at the face of things, the surface. This is the essence of carnal judgment. They were evaluating Paul and his opponents based on worldly criteria. The false apostles likely had impressive resumes, letters of recommendation from important people, and a commanding, perhaps physically imposing, presence. They talked a good game. Paul, by contrast, was not much to look at. Ancient tradition suggests he was short, bald, and bow-legged. He refused to take money from them, which in their culture made him look like a low-status craftsman, not a professional orator. He spoke plainly, without the rhetorical flourishes they admired. So they looked at the surface and made their judgment.
This is a perpetual temptation for the church. We are called to judge, but we are commanded to judge righteous judgment (John 7:24), not according to appearance. To judge by outward appearance is to adopt the world's value system. It is to say that God is impressed with the things that impress fallen men. But God's economy is an upside-down economy. He chooses the foolish things to shame the wise, and the weak things to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27). God loves to showcase His power in the midst of human weakness, so that no flesh may glory in His presence.
Paul then throws down a challenge. "If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's..." He is talking about the ringleaders of the opposition, the "super-apostles" as he sarcastically calls them later. These men were boasting of their connection to Christ. Perhaps they claimed to have known Jesus in the flesh, or to have been sent from the Jerusalem church. Whatever their claim, Paul says, fine. Let's grant their premise for a moment. "Let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we."
Paul is forcing them to apply their own standard consistently. You claim to belong to Christ? Good. So do we. And our claim is backed by the fruit of our labor among you. We planted your church. We gave you the gospel. We suffered for you. You are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts (2 Cor. 3:2). Paul is not asking for special treatment; he is demanding equal treatment on the very grounds his opponents have established. He is telling the Corinthians to stop being so easily duped by superficial claims and to look at the undeniable evidence of his ministry right in front of them.
Authority for Edification (v. 8)
Paul then moves to the nature of the authority he possesses. It is a divine gift with a divine purpose.
"For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame," (2 Corinthians 10:8)
Paul hated boasting. He knew it was foolish. But his opponents had forced his hand. For the sake of the gospel and the health of the Corinthian church, he was willing to "boast somewhat further" about his authority. But notice the source and purpose of this authority. It is not self-generated. It is not derived from his education or his natural talents. It is authority "which the Lord gave." Apostolic authority is a delegated authority. It flows from Christ the King to His appointed ambassadors.
And what is the purpose of this authority? It is "for building you up and not for tearing you down." This is the ultimate test of all legitimate church authority. Does it edify? Does it strengthen the flock? Does it build the church into a holy temple for the Lord? Or does it serve the ego of the leader? Does it create a personality cult? Does it tear people down with legalism, manipulation, and fear?
This is a crucial diagnostic question for every church. The authority of elders, the discipline of the church, the preaching of the Word, all of it must be aimed at edification. Of course, sometimes building up requires tearing down. You have to tear down a rotten structure to build a sound one. Church discipline can feel like tearing down to the one being disciplined, but its ultimate goal is restorative, to build that person back up in true repentance and faith. But the overall trajectory, the fundamental purpose, must always be positive and constructive. Paul's authority was a trowel, not a wrecking ball. His opponents, with their divisive tactics and self-aggrandizement, were the ones doing the demolishing. Paul is confident that when he exercises this authority, he "will not be put to shame," because it is from the Lord and for the Lord's purposes.
The Threat of Ink (v. 9-10)
Paul now addresses the specific accusation that he is all bark and no bite.
"for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak and his words contemptible.'" (2 Corinthians 10:9-10)
Paul is being strategic here. He says he doesn't want to seem like he is trying to "terrify" them with his letters. This is a bit of apostolic irony. He is, in fact, about to warn them very sternly. But he frames it this way to expose the ridiculousness of his opponents' caricature of him. They are painting him as a coward who is bold only when he is at a safe distance, hiding behind his pen.
The accusation is quoted in verse 10. This is what "they say." This is the gossip, the slander being spread in the Corinthian church. "His letters are weighty and strong." They had to admit this. Paul's letters, which we now have as Holy Scripture, are undeniably powerful. They are theologically profound, logically rigorous, and spiritually penetrating. Even his enemies had to concede the power of his writing. But this was part of their accusation. They used it to create a damning contrast: "but his personal presence is weak and his words contemptible."
The word for "weak" refers to his physical bearing. As mentioned, he was likely unimpressive physically. The word for "contemptible" means his speech was "of no account." This doesn't mean he was a bad speaker in the sense of being incoherent. We know from the book of Acts that he could preach powerfully. It means he didn't use the slick, entertaining, rhetorical tricks that the Corinthians, with their Greek love of sophistry, admired. He refused to "peddle the word of God for profit" (2 Cor. 2:17). He came in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and his speech and his message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Cor. 2:3-4). His critics saw this as a liability. Paul knew it was the secret of his strength. God's power is made perfect in weakness.
A Promise of Presence (v. 11)
Paul concludes this section with a sober warning. He promises that the man they meet in person will be the same man they know from the letters.
"Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present." (2 Corinthians 10:11)
This is the punchline. Paul tells the person spreading this slander to "consider this," to reckon with this fact. There is no disconnect between Paul the writer and Paul the apostle in person. The authority, the seriousness, the willingness to confront sin, the demand for repentance that you read in my letters, that is exactly what you will get when I arrive. The weightiness is not just in the ink. It is in the man, because it is in the office given to him by Christ.
This is a promise of integrity. Paul is not two different people. He is not a keyboard warrior who is meek as a mouse in person. His boldness is not a function of distance. His boldness is a function of his commission. He is saying, "You think my letters are terrifying? You think they are strong? Then you had better prepare yourselves, because the man who wrote those letters is coming, and he will act with the very same authority with which he writes."
This was not a threat born of personal pique. It was an apostolic warning. He was preparing to come to them for a third time, and he was determined that it would not be another "painful visit." He was giving them an opportunity to repent, to deal with the sin and rebellion in their midst, so that when he arrived, he would not have to use the rod of discipline. He would much rather come to them in love and a spirit of gentleness (1 Cor. 4:21). But he was prepared to do what was necessary to build them up, even if it meant a painful confrontation. He is telling them, in no uncertain terms, that the paper tiger has real teeth.
Conclusion: Authority for Life
The principles here are intensely practical for us today. First, we must mortify the sin of judging by appearances. We must train ourselves to value substance over style, faithfulness over flashiness. We must honor the pastor who preaches the Word faithfully, even if he is not a charismatic showman, over the hireling who tickles ears, no matter how large his following.
Second, we must understand the nature of true spiritual authority. It is a gift from Christ, for the purpose of building up the saints. We should submit to it joyfully when it is exercised biblically, and we should be wary of any leader whose ministry seems to be about building his own kingdom rather than Christ's. A minister's authority is for edification, which means it is for you. It is a tool for your good, your protection, and your growth in grace.
Finally, this passage is a call for integrity in Christian leadership. The man in the pulpit on Sunday should be the same man in the office on Tuesday and at home on Friday. There should be no gap between our public words and our private lives, between what we write and how we live. Our "yes" should be "yes" and our "no" should be "no." Paul's opponents thought they had found a weakness in his unimpressive exterior. But what they failed to see was the unshakeable consistency between his word and his deed, a consistency rooted in his unwavering commitment to the Lord who sent him. That is the mark of a true servant of Christ, both then and now. The authority is from Christ, the purpose is for the church, and the man is all of one piece.