Coward or Champion?

You know how crossword puzzles like to repeat certain words or phrases? The clues vary from game to game, but the same answer will pop up in successive puzzles.

Doing crosswords is how I learned that Bert Lahr was the actor who played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. I saw his name enough times that I can’t forget him now!

Well, it turns out Bert wasn’t the first to fill that role. Centuries earlier, many in the church at Corinth viewed the apostle Paul as the Cowardly Lion. Paul was aware of this, and he addressed it in the following verse:

“Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!” – 2 Corinthians 10:1

(I’m quoting from the NASB in this post.)

Paul was behaving like the movie character. From a distance, he could talk (and sing) with bravado, but in the presence of his opponents, he seemed like a wimp.

At least that’s how the Corinthians judged him.

But were they right? Did Paul lack confidence? Did he need a wizard to give him the Triple Cross ? (That’s the medal the lion got which had the word “courage” on it.) Well, let’s dig into the verse!

Paul presents a clear contrast. On one side, he sets “meekness,” “gentleness,” and “meek.” On the other, he mentions being “bold.” It looks like both describe him, depending on the circumstances. The Corinthians contended that in their presence, Paul treated them with deference. But when he wrote them, he’d use bombastic, daring language.

It turns out the Greek verb translated “bold” occurs six times in the New Testament. And what surprised me is that Paul is the only writer who uses it (except for the writer of Hebrews 13:6). And to be more specific, all his references are in 2 Corinthians! Here are the other four verses besides 10:1.

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” – 2 Corinthians 5:6

“But we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 5:8

“I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.” – 2 Corinthians 7:16

“I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.” – 2 Corinthians 10:2

Boldness, courage, confidence–call it what you will! But it was important to Paul in his dealings with the Corinthian church. Unlike the Cowardly Lion, Paul wasn’t searching for boldness; he claims he has it! It’s how he serves the Lord.

But remember, the apostle contrasts boldness with meekness. Well, to be precise, Paul writes about two nouns (meekness and gentleness) and an adjective (meek). These are synonymous; they portray a posture which the Corinthians interpreted as timidity bordering on cowardice. They got Paul all wrong! He doesn’t have a Courage medal; he has Spirit-inspired boldness poured into his heart! He’s confident in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It changed his life and it can save others, too!

Why did the Corinthians misunderstand Paul? It’s for the same reason we’re liable to misconstrue his meaning in 2 Corinthians 10:1. The meekness Paul refers to has less to do with emotion or attitude than it does with status. In the ancient world, social status was everything. The more elevated one’s status, the more honor one received. And the opposite was also true. The lower one’s status the less honor one held, even to the point of shame.

The Corinthians assumed that if Christ chose Paul, it was because he was smart and spiritual. But he didn’t promote himself. Instead, Paul sought to train others in the ways of the Lord so they could take on the personality of Jesus. As a result, the Corinthians misinterpreted Paul’s lowliness and weakness. It’s as if he had little social and spiritual clout in their eyes.

Big mistake!

But we’re liable to commit a related error. It’s easy for us to view Paul’s meekness as emotional or attitudinal. While it involves these elements, it exceeds them. Lowliness describes how he ministered. The apostle behaved as a servant, not a master. He put himself down on the social status hierarchy so that he could lift up others and exalt Jesus Christ.

The Corinthians had trouble learning that lesson. I hope we don’t! People will see Jesus in His followers if we can accept God’s call to walk in humility. As we do, our ministry and our message will touch people’s lives with power because nothing in us hinders. Our aim is to please the Lord and bless people with the good news.

That’s not cowardice.

It’s courage–the courage of Christ’s champions!