Paul was a problem for some in Corinth: he rightly exercised authority over the church in the Name of Christ, but some did not like that. They thought they could run their religious club the way they wanted. They were encouraged in that by some who claimed to be apostles (but without Christ's authority), and encouraged to disregard what Paul had taught them. Those so-called apostles were false teachers (2 Corinthians 11:13). Much of this letter is about exposing them and winning the believers back to a true loyalty to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2-5).

At worst, the false teachers were saying that Paul was inferior to the imposters, or even not a true believer. This was a serious and blasphemous charge because Paul was personally commissioned by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11). He did not want to use that authority to belittle the Corinthian believers, because the purpose of apostolic commissioning was to build up churches in faith and love (Ephesians 2:20). Therefore, Paul could neither be falsely humble nor allow the church to despise what the Lord Jesus had done in appointing him to the world of gospel ministry (Romans 15:16).

At the same time, Paul did not want to be misinterpreted as bullying or overbearing (Titus 1:7). Nor was it right for people to think that his letters were stern but he did not really mean what he wrote. They needed to know that the instructions from Paul were from Jesus; that is why it was essential that they understood them seriously and then acted. It was the dilemma of a parent (1 Corinthians 4:14). All their instructions should be for the good of the child; love must nor blur the need for action but the importance of the command must not be presented in a harsh spirit.

Those apostolic tensions should exist in every parent and pastor-teacher. Although none of us has the same specific commissioning as Paul, to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8), we have the responsibility to teach gospel and discipleship truth faithfully – urging people to repent and start to live in Christ's righteousness (Titus 2:11-14). Ultimately people are not accountable to us but to the Lord: our task is to be His ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). But it brings tensions within us, and possibly temptations too. It is difficult to get the balance right - both in our own hearts and also in the perceptions of others. We certainly cannot get anywhere near right without depending on Christ's wisdom, love and truth working in our hearts.