2 Corinthians 10:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The meaning of these words is this: "I could boast. But lest they again say that in letters I exalt myself, while in person I am nothing, I shall say nothing great about myself."

It is true that later he did speak, but not about the power by which he was fearsome. He spoke about revelations, and still more about temptations.

"Therefore, lest it seem that I frighten you, let such a one know that, as we are in word by letters when absent, so we are also in deed when present."

Since they said that in his letters he wrote many great things about himself, but in person was of no account, he says the words just quoted, yet again with great modesty.

He did not say: "As we write to you about great deeds, so when present with you we do great deeds." He expressed himself much more modestly.

And I do not know what has been accomplished by me among you. For others boast of something greater, which they do not possess, and of something lesser, which they also do not possess. I say this so that I may not seem to terrify you by my letters, causing you to fear and turn to us because of the miracles we performed and the sufferings you endured.

Those led by slanders against Paul usually said this of him: that at a distance he was grandiloquent, but face to face he was of no account and utterly unlearned.

“Terrifying you by letters.” Some see here an indication of several letters preceding the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. But it is better to find here only a generalization of what had been noticed even from one letter.

The defensive section, 2 Cor 10-13:10, contains three principal thoughts, forming three divisions of unequal length.

Against the slanderers who demean the Apostle, he shows that, when necessary, he is just as severe in person as in his letters (2 Cor 10:1-11).

In 2 Cor 10:1-11, after threatening that the slanderers may have to experience the Apostle's real severity upon themselves, he nevertheless instructs the Corinthians in the spirit of Christ's meekness and gentleness.

He teaches them that "the weapons of his warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God for the destruction of strongholds" of arrogance, unbelief, and disobedience. He teaches that one must not judge him by his outward appearance, unimpressive and weak.

Turning to the Corinthians, who had been deceived by unjust judgments about the Apostle Paul, he first establishes a general point of view. Every Christian, as a servant of Christ, must act according to Christian conscience and not according to human calculations.

This is how Paul acted, both in writing and face to face. To this he adds that if each believing Corinthian regards himself as Christ's, then much more must Paul be considered such.

He has from Christ a special calling to preach and authority for the good ordering of the Church. This authority is equally present in him when he writes and when he speaks orally.

I could boast of my authority, he says, but I will not do this, lest it seem that I truly frighten you only by letters.

The implied meaning is: it is better that, when the need arises, I should show this authority by the deed itself.

The Apostle uses a turn of speech in which, while seemingly not speaking, or not wishing to speak, he says everything necessary.

"The meaning of these words is this: I could boast, but so that they may not again say that I am grandiloquent in letters and am nothing in person, I shall say nothing great about myself.

"Although he later did speak, he did not speak about the power by which he was fearsome, but about revelations, and still more about temptations" (St. Chrysostom).