“For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Corinthians 10:18 Mean?
Paul delivers the definitive verdict on self-promotion: the person who commends himself isn't approved. The person whom the LORD commends IS approved. Self-recommendation is worthless. Divine recommendation is everything. The approval that matters doesn't come from your own mouth.
The word "approved" (dokimos — tested and found genuine, passing the examination, the stamp of quality) means the Lord's commendation functions as quality certification. The person the Lord commends has been examined and found genuine. The person who commends themselves has only been examined by themselves — and self-examination, without the Lord's verdict, proves nothing.
"Not he that commendeth himself" means self-promotion is disqualifying rather than qualifying. The more you recommend yourself, the less credible the recommendation. The loudest self-marketer is the least approved. Because the approval doesn't come from the market. It comes from the Lord.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you seeking the Lord's commendation — or relying on self-promotion?
- 2.Does the test (who commended you: yourself or the Lord?) change how you evaluate leaders?
- 3.Where are you impressed by self-promotion when you should be asking for the Lord's stamp?
- 4.Can you distinguish between self-awareness (knowing your gifts) and self-commendation (promoting yourself)?
Devotional
Self-promotion doesn't produce approval. The Lord's commendation does. The person who recommends themselves isn't approved. The person the Lord recommends is.
Paul cuts through the Corinthian culture of self-commendation (the false apostles who promoted themselves aggressively — 11:12-15) with the simplest possible test: who commended you? If you commended yourself — not approved. If the Lord commended you — approved. The source of the commendation determines the value of the approval.
"Not he that commendeth himself" — the self-promoter fails the test automatically. Not because self-awareness is wrong. Because self-certification is meaningless. A product that stamps "approved" on itself without external testing isn't approved. It's marketing. And marketing isn't the same as quality.
"Whom the Lord commendeth" — the divine commendation is the only one that counts. The Lord's testing (dokimazō — to examine, to prove, to approve through testing) produces the Lord's stamp. The person who's been tested by God and found genuine carries the only approval that matters. Everything else — human endorsement, self-promotion, platform-building — is noise without the Lord's stamp.
The test is external to you: YOU can't approve YOURSELF. The approval comes from outside — from the Lord who examines you and either commends or doesn't. You can control your performance. You can't control your approval. The approval belongs to the one who tests.
The Corinthians were impressed by the false apostles' self-commendation (impressive résumés, powerful speech, self-promoting letters — 10:12). Paul says: stop being impressed. The self-commender isn't approved. Ask for the Lord's stamp. If it's not there, the commendation is empty.
The only recommendation that matters is the one you can't write for yourself.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For not he that commendeth himself ... - Not he who boasts of his talents and endowments. He is not to be judged by the…
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I. The apostle refuses to justify himself, or to act by such rules as the false apostles did,…
For not he that commendeth himself is approved St Paul's self-commendation is only wrung from him by circumstances. The…
Cross References
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