Articles
“A Criterion for Influence”
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 6:11-13
Who are your biggest influences? When we were younger, our parents were our biggest influence (for better or worse). We developed our worldview around what we learned from them. As we got older, our circle of influence broadened considerably to include teachers, peers and all sorts of other people we admire.
When I moved away from home, my greatest influences were my favorite college professors, married artists Scott and Gianna. I spent a lot of time hanging around them absorbing what I could. They had my ear because I had opened my heart to them and, for the most part, they were a good influence on me. But not everyone we open our heart to is an influence for good.
This, in part, is what Paul was concerned about in his second epistle to the Corinthians. Paul’s opponents challenged his apostleship by questioning his motives in organizing a collection for Christians in Judea (8:20-21; cf. 2:17; 12:14-18), questioning his personal courage (10:10-11; 11:21) and even arguing that his suffering was evidence he was not commissioned by Jesus (6:4-10; 11:23-30; 12:7-10; 13:3-4). Paul masterfully refutes these arguments while urging the Corinthians not to entertain the slanderous attacks of his enemies. His suffering and apparent weakness were, in fact, evidence for the legitimacy of his apostleship and a means by which God revealed the power of the gospel.
To reject Paul’s apostleship, therefore, meant rejecting the gospel itself. He warns them against being influenced by those who made such accusations: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (11:3-4) He calls such people “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ,” going on to compare them to Satan himself, whom they serve. (11:13-15)
In the middle of the letter he makes a heartfelt appeal for the Corinthians to “widen [their] hearts” to him as he had left his heart “wide open” to them. (6:11-13) From Paul’s writing, we discover three criteria by which we can discern between good and bad influences. For whom should we “make room in [our] hearts”? (7:2) Who should we allow to influence us?
Those who genuinely love us — Throughout the letter, Paul reminded the Corinthians how much he loved them. Describing his last epistle to them, he says, “I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” (2:4) Even though the goal of the letter was to produce “joy”, Paul’s heart was in “anguish” as he wrote it. He was so sad to receive bad news from Chloe’s people (1 Cor. 1:11) about all the division and sin within the church. Therefore, his letter was drenched “with many tears” but his motive all along was pure and unselfish love, even if it was a tough love. Paul’s “abundant love” for them is evident in his tenderheartedness toward them. There was no vindictive mean-spiritedness. All his stern words of rebuke were expressions of concern. Because love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with truth (1 Cor. 13:6), their sins caused him great anguish. Those who really care for us are the ones we want influencing us.
Those who sacrifice for us — Paul demonstrated his love by sacrificing for the Corinthians. Even though he had the right to be paid when he preached in Corinth, he waved that right and preached for free—in contrast to his opponents who demanded payment (11:7-9; cf 1 Cor. 9:14-15). He was afflicted for their comfort (1:6), delayed his travel plans to spare them (1:23) and gave himself over to death in ministry all to grant them life (4:7-12). Paul sums up his sacrificial attitude toward them like this: “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (12:15) We should beware of any who seek to influence us when their ministry costs them nothing. How much more cautious ought we to be with those who seek to benefit from their ministry! Social media “influencers” hock products not because they really believe in them but because the manufacturers of those products pay them to do so. Likewise, there are those who think “that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:5).
Those who tell us the truth — Another determining factor of Paul’s love and sincerity toward them was his honesty in preaching. Again, in contrast to his opponents, Paul says: “But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.” (4:2) The false apostles were willing to bend the truth to gain a wider audience but Paul refused to water down the message because he knew the gospel’s power depends on its purity. Some people will tell you what you want to hear. Beware those who never have a cross word with you. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” (Prov. 27:6)
In these ways and more, Paul epitomizes the kind of person we want influencing us. Don’t give an ear to those who don’t love you, who don’t sacrifice for you and who are unwilling to tell you hard truths. Look for people like Paul. Even more, be like Paul in these ways so that you can influence others for good! (1 Cor. 11:1)
