“But you’re the minister!” That’s what one of my church members said, pointing out an issue that was very important to her. She just didn’t understand why I needed to take the problem to the session, but instead expected me to put my foot down and solve the problem right then and there.

The Corinthians seem to have had a similar frustration with Paul: “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account” (v. 10). Instead of simply sending them letters urging them to practice discipline against one of their members, perhaps they expected him, as organizing pastor, to come back to Corinth and take care of the problem himself (see 2:5-9; 7:8-9).

But in today’s passage, Paul points out both the strengths and the limitations of pastoral leadership. For it certainly is the case that teaching elders must boldly proclaim everything that the Bible teaches – that’s why Paul wrote so many straightforward letters, and why his preaching was so powerful.

And sometimes, this means standing up against firmly entrenched cultural errors, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many other pastors from different denominations did during the Civil Rights Movement. As Paul says, every pastor is called to destroy strongholds and arguments that are inconsistent with Biblical truth, urging all Christians to bring every one of our thoughts into obedience to Christ (vv. 4-5).

But Dr. King’s insistence on nonviolence points to the reason for the Corinthians’ frustration with Paul and my church member’s frustration with me: pastors are called to lead only through humble service. Paul pointed out this stark contrast between bold speech and humble action in verse 1. It is only in such a way that the truth of God’s Word can truly build up those who hear it (v. 8).

For when you get right down to it, the only way anyone will ever come to trust in Christ is to trust in the good news about Him. And the only way they’ll believe that good news is to trust the pastors and teachers who proclaim it. And since when did anyone ever trust a bully?

No, if we want our pastors to be able to do their job of preaching and teaching and encouraging us to follow Christ, we shouldn’t expect them to play the tough guy as well. No, Christian discipline can only take place if genuine disciples humble themselves before one another, loving each other enough to speak and listen to hard truths in a context of real and faithful love. May God grant us those kinds of leaders and those kinds of relationships.

II Corinthians 10:1-18 (ESV)

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ– I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!–
2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.
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.”
11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.
12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.
15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged,
16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence.
17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.