2 Corinthians 10:9-11 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.
These verses reveal one of the criticisms that Paul’s opponents had of him and something that the Corinthians might also begin to think. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians have strong rhetoric and have the power to shame them. The letters could create a sense of dread or fright, especially if Paul threatened to show up in Corinth and the church ended up being embarrassed for failing to change its ways. Many of Paul’s letters contain strong language, particularly this one and to the Galatians.
The “they” of v. 10 comes from a singular third person verb. The subject of this sentence is unclear. This verse takes on the sense of a saying that has deteriorated into a rumor. It could simply be taken as “it is said.” Another way to put this is, “there is a rumor going around.” This rumor is that Paul’s letters are strong but he is weak in person. There is actually little evidence of Paul being weak in person. If we look at the accounts in Acts, he spoken before kings, government and religious officials, and great crowds. He may have had a humble demeanor, which one would expect for someone filled with the Holy Spirit. History shows that this rumor was false and baseless. Verse 11 claims that what writes is consistent with how he acts in person. The Corinthians should be prepared for a strong encounter if the current situation continues. Paul has better hopes for them, however.
At first, it may be difficult to find any application in these verses. One clear message is that our personal integrity must be seen in all that we and in all the ways we communicate. We cannot hide behind the words we put in social media or post anonymously some place. Also, there are times when our communication may need to be strong, but this should never be for our own benefit but only to uphold the truth of the gospel. We are not in a game to see who can be first. We are on a mission to share the love of Christ in accurate and selfless ways.
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