2 Corinthians 10:18

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. IS APPROVED - stands the test of the final trial [ Dokimos (G1384)]: a metaphor from testing metals (Romans 16:10; 1 Corinthians 11:19). On the other hand, those finally rejected by the Lord are termed 'reprobate silver" (Jeremiah 6:30). WHOM THE LORD COMMENDETH - to whom the Lord has given, as His "letter of commendation," the believers whom he was instrumental in converting; as was Paul's case ...

_For not he that commendeth himself is approved _“For it is easy to impose upon men by a false impression, and this is matter of every day occurrence. Let us, therefore, leaving off all other things, aim exclusively at this — that we may be approved by God, and may be satisfied to have his approbation alone, as it justly ought to be regarded by us as of more value than all the applauses of the whole world. There was one that said, that to have Plato’s favorable judgment was to him worth a thousand. (791) The question here is not as to the judgment of mankind, in respect of the superiority of one to another, but as to the sentence of God himself, who has it in his power to overturn all the decisions that men have pronounced....

12-18 If we would compare ourselves with others who excel us, this would be a good method to keep us humble. The apostle fixes a good rule for his conduct; namely, not to boast of things without his measure, which was the measure God had distributed to him. There is not a more fruitful source of error, than to judge of persons and opinions by our own prejudices. How common is it for persons to judge of their own religious character, by the opinions and maxims of the world around them! But how different is the rule of God's word! And of all flattery, self-flattery is the worst. Therefore, instead of praising ourselves, we should strive to approve ourselves to God. In a word, let us glory in the Lord our salvation, and in all other things only as evidences of his love, or means of promoting his glory. Instead of praising ourselves, or seeking the praise of men, let us desire that honour wh...

Verse 2 Corinthians 10:18. _NOT HE THAT COMMENDETH HIMSELF_] Not the person who makes a parade of his own _attainments_; who preaches _himself_, and not _Christ Jesus the Lord_; and, far from being your _servant_ for Christ's sake, affects to be your _ruler_; not such a one shall be _approved of God_, by an especial blessing on his labours; _but he_ _whom the Lord commendeth_, by giving him the _extraordinary gifts_ of the Holy Spirit, and _converting_ the _heathen_ by his ministry. These were qualifications to which the false apostle at Corinth could not pretend. He had _language_ and _eloquence_, and _show_ and _parade_; but he had neither the _gifts_ of an apostle nor an apostle's _success_. 1. DR. WHITBY observes that the apostle, in the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th

FOR NOT HE THAT COMMENDETH HIMSELF ... - Not he who boasts of his talents and endowments. He is not to be judged by the estimate which he shall place on himself, but by the estimate which God shall form and express. IS APPROVED - By God. It is no evidence that we shall be saved that we are prone to commend ourselves; see Romans 16:10. BUT WHOM THE LORD COMMENDETH - see the note on Romans 2:29. The idea here is, that people are to be approved or rejected by God. He is to pass judgment on them, and that judgment is to be in accordance with his estimate of their character, and not according to their own. If he approves them they will be saved; if he does not, vain will be all their empty boasting;

EXPOSITION With this chapter begins the last great section of the Epistle (verse 1-2 Corinthians 13:10), which contains an impassioned vindication of the apostle's position as compared with that of his opponents. It is so much more vehement and severe than the former part of the Epistle, and the whole style and tone of the Epistle at this point change so completely, that many have supposed that this is in reality another letter, and some have even identified it with the letter alluded to in 2 Corinthians 7:8. There is no trace of external evidence in favour of this view. It is much more probable that St. Paul would here have ended his letter but for fresh information given him by Titus, or the arrival of some new messenger from Corinth, from whom he learnt the bitter

FOR NOT HE THAT COMMENDETH HIMSELF IS APPROVED,.... Such may be said to commend themselves, who ascribe that to themselves, which do not belong to them; as that they are the ministers of Christ, and sent forth by him, when they are not; who boast that they have large ministerial gifts, when they have none; and of their great service and usefulness, when it is all the produce of other men's labours; and what they have and do, they wholly impute to their own power and industry, and not to the grace and power of God: now such persons are neither approved by God, nor good men; for their own self-commendation stands for nothing, and is so far from being acceptable to God or men, that it must be nauseous and disagreeable; see Proverbs 27:2. BUT WHOM THE LORD COMMENDETH: they are approved by God and men, and they are such whom he highly honours, as he did Paul, by counting them

III. THE APOSTLE'S SELF-DEFENSE AND VINDICATION. CHAPTER S 10-13 1. The Vindication of His Authority CHAPTER 10 The apostle now turns to vindicate the authority, which he had received from the Lord. This had been brought into question by the enemy. In doing this Satan aimed at three things: He attempted to discredit him as a true minister of God; he tried to damage the great truths the apostle preached, and he endeavored also to bring about a separation between the apostle and the Corinthians. Assuredly the great man of God was troubled and did not want to speak much of himself and his authority. But he was forced to do so in this epistle and also in the epistle to the Galatians, for the truth of God and the honor of the Lord were at stake. The defense of his apostolic authority stands in the foreground in Galatians; here he puts it at the close of his letter, for it was necessary to d...

PAUL'S CLAIM IS ABSOLUTE, YET LIMITED IN ITS SCOPE; FOR IT ARISES FROM AND IS GOVERNED BY HIS DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. This paragraph is full of allusion to the assertions, claims, and criticisms of his opponents. They claim superiority to Paul on the ground of some special relation to Christ, possibly that they had been actually His disciples (_cf._ 1 Corinthians 1:12 *). They asserted that Paul used his authority to humiliate the church (2 Corinthians 10:8), that he browbeat them in his letters, whereas his personal appearance was feeble (2 Corinthians 10:9 f.), that he claimed what we should call a jurisdiction practically unlimited. On each point Paul replies vigorously, indignantly. L

PAUL BEGINS TO ANSWER HIS CRITICS (2 Corinthians 10:1-6)...