Bo​az Baptist Chronicles

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you.... For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters." I Corinthians 10:1, 8-9

Yesterday, I had to make the decision, again, to rid the group of a pretty good brother. I, actually, like the guy. But, he was bound and determined to prove his point, dragging me repeatedly into squabble after squabble with him, many times, over very small things. You are right. I could have let them go. The problem? It's my group. I set the pace. Another problem? This brother wouldn't take my answer.

Why am I writing about this? I'm not the only one who ever had to go through this type of thing. The Apostle Paul did, too. If you read II Corinthians Ten and Eleven, you will see that Paul had to defend his Apostleship over and over again.

Like Paul, I am a nobody. I am "base among you." (II Corinthians 10:1) But, like Paul who was ...not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles..." (II Corinthians 11:5), I'm the head of this church group.

Like Paul—like a good leader, I don't seek your "destruction," I seek your "edification."  II Corinthians 10:8

Paul said in so many words, if you don't like it, if you don't like what I'm saying or the manner in which I am leading, "...ye might well bear with him." (II Corinthians 11:4) [If you don't like what we are saying or doing, here, you might as well go with those folks, over there.]

Am I making myself like Paul? No. I am simply saying that, like any leader, Paul went through opposition. Paul PROVED that his ministry to Christ was the best (II Corinthians 11:23) by the things that he suffered.  II Corinthians 11:22-28

Did you notice verse twenty-eight?  Paul put caring for the local churches right up there with receiving thirty-nine strips, five times. (vs. 24) Again, he compared those two things—taking a beating and taking care of the local churches—as equally suffering for Christ.

Pastor Bob