Second Corinthians 10:17 tells you that if anyone is going to boast, the boasting should be about the Lord, not about yourself or your accomplishments. Paul is saying that a person’s pride and confidence find their proper object in what God has done, rather than in one’s own record or reputation. The verse is written by the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth, a congregation he had founded and that had been questioning his authority and comparing him to other teachers.
But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 10:17 (WEB)
What 2 Corinthians 10:17 Means
Paul begins by acknowledging that people boast, which is a fact of human nature. The word translated “boasts” describes proud, self-focused talk about one’s achievements, status, or importance. Paul does not forbid all expressions of confidence. Instead he redirects them: whoever wants to glory in something should glory in the Lord. The verse quotes a line from the prophet Jeremiah, which shows that this principle is rooted in Scripture and not invented by Paul.
The verse does not promise that you will never feel proud or that you will always feel confident. It describes where healthy confidence should rest. It also does not say that every accomplishment is worthless. It says that the ultimate source of your pride should be God’s character and work, because He is the one who makes any good thing possible in the first place.
The Context of 2 Corinthians 10:17
Second Corinthians is one of Paul’s most personal letters, written to a church that had a complicated relationship with him. Some members had been impressed by traveling teachers who promoted themselves with impressive credentials and speeches, and they had begun to measure Paul against those standards. In chapters 10 through 13 Paul responds by defending his ministry, but he does so in an unusual way, refusing to market himself and insisting that his only legitimate claim is the work God has done through him.
In the verses just before, Paul explains that he will not claim credit for work other people have already started in regions he did not personally visit. In the verses that follow, he states that approval does not come from commending yourself but from being commended by the Lord. Read in this setting, verse 17 is not a general lesson about humility. It is Paul’s answer to a church tempted to judge ministry by self-promotion, and it sends their attention back to God as the only trustworthy judge.
Key Phrases in 2 Corinthians 10:17
Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 The LORD says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches. 24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for I delight in these things,” says the LORD.
(WEB)
This passage is the source Paul quotes in verse 17. It warns against boasting in wisdom, strength, or riches and calls people to boast in knowing and understanding the Lord. Reading it alongside Second Corinthians helps you see that Paul’s teaching has deep roots in the prophets.
1 Corinthians 1:31
That, according as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
(WEB)
Paul makes a similar point in his first letter to the same church, reminding them that God chose what is weak to shame the strong so that the one who boasts would boast in the Lord. The two letters together show how consistently Paul returned to this theme when speaking to Corinth.
A Short Prayer From 2 Corinthians 10:17
Lord, you know how easily my heart turns toward my own accomplishments and reputation. Forgive me for the times I have wanted to be seen more than I have wanted to honor you. Teach me to rejoice in who you are and in the grace you have given me. When I am tempted to measure myself against others, remind me that your approval is the one that matters most. Let my confidence rest in you, and let any good thing in my life point back to your faithfulness. Amen.
