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Daily Devotions

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 
Day 
Day 141

"Things according to the outward appearance."

Text: 2 Corinthians 10:7

THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE

Looking at things from the outward appearance is a problem that is age-old. This was a problem even with Samuel the Seer. God had to say this to him, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

The same problem persisted in the days of Paul. The Corinthians had been influenced by false teachers who taught them to look at things from an outward appearance.

“Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?
If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s,
let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s,
even so we are Christ’s.”
2 Corinthians 10:7

1. “Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?”

a) What were some of the things that were considered “outward appearance?”
b) This erroneous way of thinking is a very human problem.
i) Physical appearance (literally, “the face of the individual”)
ii) Good-looking people seem to be more easily acceptable
iii) The stature of a person

2. “If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s”

a) The individual has persuaded himself that he is Christ’s.
b) The individual firmly believes he belongs to Christ.
c) Paul does not dispute this sense of boldness.
d) What he is perturbed about is that the individual doubts other believers.
e) The danger is that he ends up feeling that he is exclusively Christ’s.

3. “Let him again consider this in himself”

a) Paul urged the Corinthians to re-think.
b) The danger of doubting other people’s faith is a wrong way of thinking!

4. “That just as he is in Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s”

a) A ridiculous situation had arisen.
b) These people had started doubting whether Paul and his fellow-workers were in Christ at all!
c) Paul strongly urged re-thinking!
d) If these believers in Corinth could come to the conclusion that they were Christ’s.
e) It should be logical that they understood that Paul and his fellow-workers were Christ’s too.
f) They had no good reason to doubt the faith of Paul.
g) These believers were in danger of having a very warped way of thinking!