When False Teachers Strut

As we come to chapter 10 of this epistle, we need to be reminded again of who the players are. We have the majority of the Corinthian church, and they are on Paul’s side—even though a number of them had just recently been brought back to Paul’s side by means of his “severe letter.” In the opposite corner were the false teachers, who had instigated the rebellion in the first place. And then we likely have to budget for regular members of the church who were more entangled by the false teachers than others had been, and who were still not reconciled to Paul. The first nine chapters of this letter were directed to those on Paul’s side, and here at chapter 10, Paul moves to the necessity of church discipline. Something has to be done about those who are continuing to disrupt the unity of the congregation. It was now time to discipline those who refused to repent of their stubborn opposition.