15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,
15 not boasting of things beyond measure,
The false apostles exaggerated their accomplishments “beyond measure.” Paul’s team did not measure themselves beyond their divinely assigned role (2 Co 10:14).
that is, in other men’s labors,
The fakers claimed for themselves what was due to Paul’s team. It was his team that won and established the church in Corinth. This was a legitimate accomplishment, not like the false teachers who had no genuine achievements of their own. These parasites took credit for what should have been the team’s ministry.
but having hope,
The “hope” here is that God would increase the team’s ministry to “the regions beyond” Corinth—that God would do this through the Corinthian church’s faith.
that as your faith is increased,
A goal of building a church is to increase the faith of its members so that they grow into maturity. If they were to have an adequate missionary enterprise strategy, it must be exercised by a more mature faith.
we shall be greatly enlarged [expand] by you in our sphere,
Paul’s team hoped to enlarge their ministry in the church at Corinth. The team’s effectiveness in Corinth was a crucial step to taking the gospel beyond the city of Corinth (2 Co 10:16). They wanted to expand their outreach greatly but within the limits that God had set for them. Paul wanted to use the church at Corinth as his base of operations for further outreach.
PRINCIPLE:
Faith is the launching pad for extensively expanding the gospel.
APPLICATION:
Those who seek success above all else will attempt to diminish anyone who gets in their way. Leaders can play their game of tit for tat. We have an entire system of criteria for living. First, we do not answer a fool according to his folly (Pr 26:5).
The church in the 21st century is gullible. There are many fakers out there, especially on television. False teachers will promise many unsubstantiated things, and most susceptible people will believe them. The reason for this vulnerability is that the church has moved away from biblical truth. People do not have an adequate measuring tool, a canon, to tell the difference between reality and error. It is an issue of biblical ignorance.
When you say, “First, we do not answer a fool according to his folly,” are you saying we should not, or we are failing because we do not, or something else?
Andrea, thanks for your question. Note how The Bible Knowledge Commentary explains this:
26:4–5. These two sayings belong together; they complement each other. Their point is that one should not be drawn down to a fool’s level (v. 4) but at times he must use the fool’s language to refute the fool so he does not become conceited (v. 5; cf. vv. 12, 16). Wisdom is needed to determine when to apply verse 4 and when to apply verse 5. The Jewish Talmud suggests that verse 4 pertains to foolish comments that can be ignored and that verse 5 refers to erroneous ideas that must be corrected. You in verse 4 is emphatic and may be translated “you, even you.”
Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 962). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.