2 Corinthians 10:7

10:7-11 In outward appearance, Paul was mean and despised in the eyes of some, but this was a false rule to judge by. We must not think that none outward appearance, as if the want of such things proved a man not to be a real Christian, or an able, faithful minister of the lowly Saviour.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance,.... Or "look upon things", ironically said; or "ye do look on things", a reproof for making judgment of persons and things, by the outward appearance of them; so many judged of Paul by the meanness of his person, the weakness of his body, the lowness of his voice, his outward circumstances of life, his poverty, afflictions, and persecutions; and despised him; whilst they looked upon the riches, eloquence, haughty airs, noisiness, and personable mien, of the false apostles, and admired them: if a man trusts to himself that he is Christ's: is fully assured that he has an interest in his love and favour, is redeemed by his blood, is a partaker of his grace, and a believer in him; or rather, that he is a minister of the Gospel, and an apostle of Christ, one that is qualified and sent forth by him to preach the word: let him, of himself, think this again, that as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's; that is, he may, and ought of himself, without another's observing it to him, of his own accord, willingly reason and conclude, by the selfsame marks and evidences he would be thought to be a minister of Christ, that we are also.

2 Corinthians 10:7 . Do ye look on the outward appearance of things — Judging of me by my outward person, and the infirmities of my body, ( 2 Corinthians 10:1-2 ,) and not from the power of Christ resting on me, and working by me? 2 Corinthians 12:9 . If any man trust — Πεποιθεν εαυτω , be confident, in himself; that he is Christ’s minister — And claims authority on that account; let him think this again — Let him consider seriously; that as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s — Nor can any one produce more convincing proofs of Christ’s calling him to the ministry, and approving his discharge of it, than myself. By speaking thus, the apostle did not intend to acknowledge the false teacher referred to to be a true and faithful minister of Christ. That teacher had taken on himself the work of the ministry, and was by profession a servant of Christ. This Paul acknowledged, without entering into the consideration of his integrity or faithfulness. “At the same time, as he pretended to great powers of reasoning, the apostle desired him to reason this from himself: That if he was a minister of Christ merely by professing to be one, the apostle, who, besides laying claim to that character, had exercised miraculous powers among the Corinthians, was thereby shown to be more truly a minister of Christ than he was, who did not possess that proof.” — Macknight. See 2 Corinthians 11:23 .

{4} Do ye look on things after the {e} outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of {f} himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. (4) He emphasises the same matter with very weighty words and sentences. (e) Do you judge things according to the outward appearance? (f) Not being told about it by me.

Are ye so weak as to judge of persons and things merely from their faces, pretences, or outward appearances? And to magnify these false apostles and teachers, merely because they set forth and magnify themselves, or because they take up a great breadth in the world, and live in a little state and splendour? If any of them do judge that he is the servant or the minister of Christ, why should he not think the same of me? What hath he to say to prove his relation to Christ more than I have? What hath he to glory in upon that account more than I have?

2 Corinthians 10:7 . Τὰ κατὰ πρόσωπον βλώπετε , do you look on the things according to the face [ outward appearance ]) The error of the Corinthians is noticed and refuted generally, 2 Corinthians 10:7-9 : then, having been specially detailed, it is specially refuted, 2 Corinthians 10:10-11 . Therefore [ 2 Corinthians 10:7 ] let him think this [ 2 Corinthians 10:11 ], is repeated.— κατὰ πρόσωπον , after the face [ outward appearance ]) 2 Corinthians 10:1 . In antithesis to, by letters , 2 Corinthians 10:9 . He says, I can act with severity face to face [as well as by letters: πρόσωπον being opposed to ἐπιστολῶν ].— εἴ τις ) if any one of you.— πέποιθεν ) πεποίθησις and πέποιθα , have been hitherto variously used by Paul in this epistle, 2 Corinthians 10:2 , etc.— ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ , of himself ) before he is in a more severe manner convinced of it by us. The Christian by his own feelings can measure his brother.— καθὼς , even as ) The condescension of Paul, inasmuch as he merely demands an equal place with those, whom he had begotten by the Gospel; for he himself must previously have belonged to Christ, or been a Christian, by whom another was brought to belong to Christ. This was a cause [motive] for modesty [a modest feeling towards Paul] in the case of the Corinthians.— καὶ ἡμεῖς , we also ) A fact which such a man [one that trusts he belongs to Christ] will be able to realize by experience.

Verse 7. - Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? Like many clauses in this section, the words are capable of different interpretations. They might mean, (1) as in the Authorized Version, "Do you judge by mere externals?" or, (2) "You judge by things which merely lie on the surface!" or, (3) "Consider the personal aspect of the question." The Authorized Version is probably right (comp. John 7:24 ). If any man. Perhaps alluding to some party ringleader. That he is Christ's. If a man holds this in an exclusive and partisan sense ( 1 Corinthians 1:12 ). Some manuscripts (D, E, F, G) read, "a slave of Christ." Of himself. The true reading is probably ἐφ , not ἀφ , but in either ease the meaning is, "by his own fair judgment." Even so are we Christ's. In a true and real sense, not by external knowledge and connection (which he has already disclaimed), but by inward union. This he proceeds to prove by the fact that he was the founder of their Church (vers. 13-18); that he had always acted with absolute disinterestedness ( 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 ); that he had lived a life of toil and suffering ( 2 Corinthians 11:21-33 ), and that he had received special revelations from God ( 2 Corinthians 12:1-6 ). 2 Corinthians 10:7

7. Do ye regard mere outward appearance (mere external recommendations, personal appearance, voice, manner, oratory of teachers present face to face, such as they admired in the false teachers to the disparagement of Paul, 2Co 10:10; see on [2319]2Co 5:12)? Even in outward bearing when I shall be present with you (in contrast to "by letters," 2Co 10:9) I will show that I am more really armed with the authority of Christ, than those who arrogate to themselves the title of being peculiarly "Christ's" (1Co 1:12). A Jewish emissary seems to have led this party. let him of himself think this again—He may "of himself," without needing to be taught it in a more severe manner, by "thinking again," arrive at "this" conclusion, "that even as," &c. Paul modestly demands for himself only an equal place with those whom he had begotten in the Gospel [Bengel].

7–18. Caution to those who judge by outward appearance 7. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? ] The words here translated outward appearance are translated when I am present in 2 Corinthians 10:2 . They may be rendered in three ways, (1) as in the text, (2) ye look on things after the outward appearance , or (3) as some interpreters prefer to render, look at what lies plainly before your eyes , i.e. the genuineness of St Paul’s Apostolic mission. The Vulgate and Rhemish versions render thus. So also Wiclif, See ye the thingis that ben aftir the face . Either (1) or (2) is preferable to (3), which not only does not suit the context (cf. also 1 Corinthians 2:5 ; 1 Corinthians 3:21 , and John 7:24 , where however the Greek is not the same as here, and 2 Corinthians 8:15 ), but is contrary to the spirit of St Paul’s writings, which invariably glorify what does not lie on the surface, at the expense of what does so. The meaning of the last of the three renderings is that if the Corinthians regard their teachers from an exclusively fleshly point of view, St Paul has no need to shrink from the comparison. Cf. ch. 2 Corinthians 11:18-33 . as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s ] St Paul proceeds to give four proofs of this.

He shews (1) that he was unquestionably the founder of the Corinthian Church ( 2 Corinthians 10:13-18 , cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15 ; 1 Corinthians 9:2 , and ch. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 ); (2) that if he refused to be maintained by them, it was for no other reason than his desire for their benefit (ch. 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 , cf. 1 Corinthians 9:12 ; 1 Corinthians 9:15 ; 1 Corinthians 9:18 ); (3) that his life was a sufficient proof of his sincerity (ch. 2 Corinthians 11:21-33 ); and (4) that the supernatural revelations vouchsafed to him were vouchers for his inspiration (ch. 2 Corinthians 12:1-6 ).

(7) Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? —The Greek sentence may be taken either as interrogative, imperative, or indicative. The latter “ye look on things . . .” gives the most satisfactory meaning, as pressing home the charge on which he proceeds to dwell. He has, of course, the party of resistance in his thoughts, but he writes to the whole community, as influenced—some more and some less—by the tendency to attach undue weight to the outward accidents of those who claimed their allegiance rather than to that which was of the essence of all true Apostolic ministry. If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s . . .—There cannot be the shadow of a doubt that the words refer to those whose watchword was “I am of Christ” (see Note on 1Corinthians 1:12), who laid claim to some special connection with Him, either as having been His personal disciples, or, at least, as having seen and known Him. In answer to that claim, with a half-ironical emphasis on “let him think,” or “let him reckon” (comp. 2Corinthians 10:2; 2Corinthians 10:5), he asserts that he is as truly His—i.e., connected with Him, chosen by Him—as they were.