Even though he established the church there, Paul had his detractors at Corinth. Second Corinthians contains many references to them. There are many things we do not know about these men, but those references make certain things clear.
They focused on outward things. Paul says they boasted in the flesh (11:18). They loved to brag about their pedigrees (11:22). Apparently, they also took pride in their speaking ability (11:6). They compared their accomplishments among themselves and even took credit for the work done by others (10:12-18).
Probably because of their Greek culture, they placed a great emphasis on earthly, or fleshly wisdom (1:12). In 1 Corinthians, Paul also had to address this tendency among some at Corinth. He acknowledged that he was not a persuasive speaker, which led some to want a leader trained in Greek rhetoric. But such skills were based in human wisdom (1 Cor 2:4).
These opponents pointed out that Paul not only fell short in his ability to speak, but looked the part physically, as well. A summary of their evaluation of Paul is found in 2 Cor 10:10: “…his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”
Paul points out that such thinking looks to the flesh for spiritual power. But the power to please God can only come from the transformation accomplished by the Holy Spirit. We cannot accurately judge people by outward appearance or earthly skills. We must rely on heavenly power, residing inside the believer, to be transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18).
An OT example of judging people by fleshly standards is found in 1 Sam 16:6-13. The prophet Samuel went to the home of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. When Samuel saw the eldest son, Eliab, he said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” Eliab was physically impressive. Samuel evaluated him by human and fleshly standards.
But the Lord told Samuel that Eliab was not the anointed king. He told the prophet that he should “not look at his (Eliab’s) appearance or at his physical stature.” God does not judge by such standards, but “looks at the heart.” God would choose David, the youngest and least impressive-looking brother in the family, because David was a man after God’s own heart. I wondered what Samuel thought when he saw that skinny teenager walk in and God said, “He is the one!”
I believe Paul’s critics at Corinth were believers. I know Samuel was. We can learn a lesson from these men. We can be like the world in what we value. Often, the strongest or prettiest people are not the most pleasing to the Lord. Even in our churches, the most impressive speakers are not necessarily closest to the Lord. That is how the world judges things.
Those with humble hearts are the ones who are most pleasing to the Lord. There is no doubt that in Christ’s eternal kingdom, many who were not esteemed by others, even within the church, will be great. We have plenty of surprises ahead. We should ask the Lord for the wisdom to see those truths today.
