“For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures was established in 1875 by the Metre Convention. Its purpose is to ensure global uniformity of measurements regarding physical dimensions in trade, commerce, production processes, etc. This is a critical protective function in a host of processes in human daily life. Imagine agreeing to buy a certain product, we will say gasoline since most all of us use the product, at a certain price per gallon with no uniform standard for what constitutes a gallon. It is easy to see that, in the absence of a universal standard of measurement, one could easily be defrauded in the transaction. In order to ensure that the consumer receives the agreed upon measure of gasoline at the agreed upon price, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures has set the universal standard of measure known as gallons.
Consider another such example from the culinary world. Let’s imagine you take a prepackaged pizza home from the grocery store to bake in your oven. The instructions tell you to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you dutifully follow the instructions in dialing your oven to the prescribed temperature. Yet, for some unexplained reason, halfway through the 18-22 minute bake time per the instructions, your smoke detector alerts you that your pizza is on fire in the oven! After some investigation as to how things could have gone so far afoul, you learn that the manufacturer of your stove did not build the thermostat controlling your oven’s temperature according to the international standard. Due to this lack of uniform standards, your 400-degree setting actually pushed the oven to a temperature of 550 degrees, converting your pizza into charcoal.
More consequential matters could be pondered, but this gives us a picture of the importance of proper standards of measurement. The spiritual application of this principle is of far greater importance as failure to properly measure our soul’s condition can lead to eternal destruction.
In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul defended his apostleship against some detractors who were trying to undermine his gospel while establishing their own imminence. As Paul addressed the folly of their criticism, he made the statement in the title above to highlight a fatal flaw in the logic of the opponents. When they were making their case for being Paul’s superiors, they were measuring themselves by a faulty standard, the standard of themselves. It is evident from 2 Corinthians 11:5 and 12:11 that these opponents elevated themselves in their own estimates (cf. Romans 12:3). They were framing themselves as “most eminent apostles,” but to what were they comparing their “apostleship” as they made the claim?
They mocked Paul’s seeming lack of physical prowess and eloquent speech (10:1-2 , 10). They seemed to try and hold his many trials against him as well, compelling him to explain that true power in the Lord is in meekness (11:16-12:10; cf. Matthew 5:1-12). Paul’s ultimate measure for his apostolic authority was the signs the Lord did through him in their presence (12:11-12). So, while the opponents sought to undermine Paul’s authority as an apostle by boasting of their own merits, Paul pointed the Corinthians back to the true standard of greatness, being in Christ and Christ being in and with you (5:17; 13:1-4).
He then turned the responsibility to the Corinthians to measure themselves by the proper standard. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, he told them to examine themselves to see whether they were in the faith, the system of belief ushered in by Christ (cf. Jude 3). This is the only way any of us can properly assess our current condition, so that we may go about the business of “…being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). By what standard do you measure yourself?