2 Corinthians 10:1 - "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." Paul gave us some rare insight into his physical person and manner of conduct in this chapter. In this verse, he said his outward appearance was “base” among them. The Greek word that was translated “base” is “TAPEINOS,” and it means “depressed, i.e. (figuratively) humiliated” (Strong’s Concordance). This is the only time in Scripture it was translated “base.” It was translated “cast down” in 2 Corinthians 7:6, “of low degree” in Luke 1:52 and James 1:9, “of low estate” in Romans 12:16, “humble” in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, and “lowly” in Matthew 11:29. From this, we can see that he was apparently a very meek person in the way he carried himself. In 2 Corinthians 10:10, he quoted some of his critics who said, “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” Some people have interpreted this to refer to some physical problem, such as Paul being very small in stature, but this cannot be said authoritatively. In context, Paul was probably just stating that his physical attributes and manner of conduct did not demand respect, nor were they intimidating. Paul was just an average guy, physically. His power and authority came from within. This should be good news to all us “average” or “below average” people. The power that the anointing of God brings is infinitely more important than our looks or style! People may love "flash" but God loves faithfulness!
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 15:10:18 +0000
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