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. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— lest I seem to terrify you by letters. “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” (2 Corinthians 10:7-10)

How They Judged Paul

Superiority is often judged by worldly measures of what men see in a person rather than who they are. King Saul was a choice and handsome man who stood taller than anyone else. It is said there was not a more handsome man among the Israelites. At the beginning of his reign, he saw himself humbly, but he became proud of his reign as king and refused to obey the word of the Lord. The world saw King Saul as a great man, but the Lord saw his heart and rejected him as king. Pride led to the downfall of King Saul.

The church at Corinth was filled with chaos, disharmony, unloving spirits, and rebellious hearts filled with carnality. Paul used strong language to urge the saints in Corinth to repent of their proud hearts. Much of what the apostles addressed in his first letter was dealt with, but Paul faced the wrath of some in Corinth who denied his authority as an apostle. They attacked him personally, showing that he had a contemptible appearance as a man. There were those in the church who were wealthy, handsome, and powerful because of their looks. Men of great physical stature and appearance often are looked upon with greater favor. If a man is small of stature, not as handsome or skilled with words, he is disliked more than others. A man of smooth speech bearing a rugged, handsome look will win hearts just from outward appearance.

Paul has heard the lack of flattery received at the hands of his detractors. They ridicule his appearance as a sickly man. In appearance, Paul does not exude confidence to the audience. He was looked upon as a man of lesser quality, unlike those who bear strong traits of physical excellence. Unlike Apollos, who is a man of eloquent speech and mighty in the Scriptures, Paul was inarticulate, halting, and poor in speech. They did admit his letters were weighty and powerful. No one could doubt the substance of his letters carried great weight.

It is easy to judge others by physical appearance. Many successful people are judged by the persona they give to the world of their style, beauty, and charm. A woman can be accepted only because of her beauty, hiding an immoral heart of debauchery. Men pride themselves in their physical looks, seeking to look as charming and debonair as the popular “GQ” man, or the muscled body of an Atlas. All of this hides an ungodly and proud heart. Glamor on the red carpet seldom suggests a pure heart.

Some in Corinth judged Paul because of what they saw in him, rather than what they heard in him. Preaching for the apostle Paul was the love of the gospel, the power of grace, and the forgiveness of a merciful Father. Paul was unconcerned about how he looked before men, but how he served the one who died for him. The physical things of life never measured his life. The tragedy of Corinth is found in brethren who judged Paul unjustly and destroyed the power of the gospel to effect change in the lives of others; all because of the outward appearance of an apostle of Christ. When God’s people have more concern about how a man looks than what he teaches, apostasy is not far away. Sin crouches at the door. Paul knew the power of God was in the gospel, not in his appearance.