II Corinthians 10: Paul in Real Life

What do you think Paul was like in person?  If we were to judge only from his letters, we might envision him as a loud, abrasive, perhaps even pushy preacher.  And maybe he was.  But in this chapter of II Corinthians, Paul gives us a peek behind the veil of his letters to see what may be a different reality.

• "I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!"
• "Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards."
• "I do not want to seem as though I am frightening you with my letters.  For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.'"

We must be cautious about assuming too much about Paul (or any author) just on the basis of his writings alone.  While he certainly comes across on paper as strong and bold, the physical reality may have been quite different!