2 Corinthians 10:1-6

Butler's Commentary

SECTION 1

Spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:1-6)

10 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of ChristI who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of acting in worldly fashion. 3For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, 4for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:1-3 Supernatural: In an age gone wild on pragmatism, relativism and situation ethics, the devil is not adverse to tempting preachers to use ministerial methods befitting these philosophies. With gimmickry, media manipulation, emotionalism, and PR rampant and working for so many institutions and individuals, the preacher is tempted to justify the same methods for his ministry. Why? Because the church has succumbed to measuring itself by worldly standards of success and has brought ungodly pressure on its preachers to produce numbers in attendance, financial income, buildings, staff, and programs. But the Lord never, in all the word of God, approves of insincere, underhanded, or cunning methods of ministering his truth to sinful men (see 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2).

Some, in the Corinthian congregation, had evidently accused Paul of inadequate, and improper methodology in his ministries to them. The first thing he deals with is their accusation that he is a phony. They were saying that when he was with them, face to face, he was humble (Gr. tapeinos, lowly-minded), but when he was away, writing letters to them, he was bold (Gr. tharro, courageous, confident). They were accusing him of being inconsistent in his methods of approach. They were (probably urged on by the Judaizers) charging him of being a pseudo apostle because of his methods.

Paul appeals to them on behalf of the meekness (Gr. prautetos, same word as is used in the Sermon on the MountBlessed are the meek. .) and the gentleness (Gr. epieikeias, reasonable, suitable, fair, patient) of Christ that they not force him to come to them face to face and be as bold as he is capable! Their evaluation of his methods wasworldly! The Greek word is really, kata sarka peripatountas, according to flesh walking. According to them, Paul was using the methods the heathen teachers and philosophers used. Thus, according to them, he was not commissioned by God not an apostle with a spiritual ministry. Paul's method of appeal was to use a little sarcasm. He says, apparently quoting what he had heard some were saying of him in Corinth, I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away! The Old Testament prophets used much sarcasm; God speaks in the O.T. in the first person with sarcasm; Jesus used sarcasm; all the writers of the N.T. used it. Practically every preacher, writer, communicator, politician or person with any cause to proclaim uses sarcasm. The word sarcasm comes from the Greek word sarkasmos which means to tear flesh like dogs, biting, cutting, stinging. Satire is akin to sarcasm and both are speech methods used in the scriptures to rebuke what is wrong and direct the erring to what is right. Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Job, and even Psalms are filled with sarcasms and satirisms. So sarcasm definitely has its place in methods of ministering God's word to sinful men. Sarcasm can be spiritual! It all depends on the motives for using it.

J.B. Phillips translates 2 Corinthians 10:2: I am begging you to make it unnecessary for me to be outspoken and stern in your presence. For I am afraid otherwise that I shall have to do some plain speaking to those of you who will persist in reckoning that our activities are on the purely human level. Paul was fully capable of using the sternest of methods, but he did not want to do so. Paul's preference for methods of edifying Christians was an approach of gentleness and kindness. The Corinthians were in his heart (2 Corinthians 7:3; 2 Corinthians 6:11). He wanted to spare them any necessity to feel the sting of the apostolic tongue because he was fearful they would shut him out of their hearts (2 Corinthians 1:15 to 2 Corinthians 2:4).

The sharp words of the remainder of II Corinthians were not addressed directly to the whole church, but to a small segment of false teachers and their followers who were destroying the spiritual stability of the church by disparaging Paul's apostolic authority. Paul is fully capable of showing boldness with such confidence (Gr. pepoithesei, to be persuasive, give assurance) as was necessary to persuade them of the propriety of his methods and the authority of his apostleship. He counted on (Gr. logizomai, to reckon, to make a record, to put on account) having to put on record his boldness face to facebut he did not desire to have to do so. Some of the Corinthians had been led to suspect (Gr. logizomenous, were reckoning, were recording) Paul of acting in a worldly fashion (Gr. kata sarka peripatountas, literally, walking around according to flesh). Ancient Greek teachers were peripatetics (walkers-around). That was their methodology of teaching. Thus the accusation against Paul is that he uses non-spiritual, non-apostolic, non-sanctioned methods. The apostle uses two different Greek words to promise boldness toward those who think he is a phony apostle. The first word is tharro (2 Corinthians 10:1) (courageous, confident) which we have already discussed. The second word is tolmesai (2 Corinthians 10:2) which means daring and denotes boldness in undertaking some forbidding task.

His answer is, While it is true, we all do live and walk around in the flesh, the battle we are fighting is in the realm of the spiritual. One can be in the flesh but not fleshly-minded (worldly in mentality and motives) (see Romans 8:9; Galatians 2:20; John 17:11-19). He replies to their accusations by affirming that he, like all Christians (and other apostles), is carrying on (walking around in) an other-worldly war. His war is not of this world. Therefore, his methods are not carnal (worldly). The Greek word for warfare is strateuometha. It is also the word used for soldier and army. Strateuo or strateia is the word from which we get the English word strategy. Paul claimed his strategy or warfare (or method) was not on the level of the world. His strategy was spiritual (gentle and meek, like that of Christ).

There is still a problem in the minds of some religious people about ministerial methods. While preachers are often tempted to practice worldly methods of ramroding or lording it over the flock under pressures to succeed or to stroke their own insecurity, some church members think preachers ought to be pastors (dictatorial, one-man executives), sort of arbitrary, autocratic superintendents of the congregation. They think a preacher who does not assert himself, make himself theologically and ministerially above the rest of the flock, and run things, is a phony. Paul refused to lord it over anyone's faith (see 2 Corinthians 1:24 ff). But that did not mean he was a phony spiritual leader. His ministry was as supernatural as that of any servant of Godand he would demonstrate it if necessary. He would rather they would accept the credentials he had already shown.

The office of apostle ceased with the death of the last apostle appointed by Christ. It was no longer needed when the church matured into one body from the two (Jew and Gentile) (see Ephesians 4:11-16). But there is a sense in which every ministry of the gospel (whether by preacher, elder, deacon, S.S. teacher, Christian neighbor or Christian parent) is supernatural. All ministries of the word of God are strategies (warfares) or methods of fighting in the spiritual realm. Fundamentally and ultimately, the daily struggles of every Christian are in the realm of the Spirit, against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 6:10-20). The church is not in a war to conquer geographical territory or to capture human bodies or to amass worldly loot. It is aiming primarily at capturing people's hearts (minds) and spirits. It is struggling for the victory of righteousness over wickedness, for the surrender to grace by faith. The kingdom of God is entered into voluntarily, through the peace Christ has made between God and man. It is not populated by coercion, by dictatorial methods. It is true, human beings are temporarily residing in earthen vessels (fleshly bodies). It is also true that the Lord wants his creatures to use those bodies only for his service and glory. But they cannot be coerced or manipulated into holy use. Therefore, the methods (strategies) of the Christian's warfare is spiritual (mental, rational, persuasive, evangelistic); Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6; 2 Chronicles 32:7; Acts 26:17-18; 1 Timothy 1:18; James 4:1-4; 1 Peter 2:11, etc.). The highly symbolized message of the book of Revelation discloses that the Christian's warfare (although the wicked world wars against the flesh) is really against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the physically-invisible world of view-points and ideas.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 Strong: Paul now appeals to the weapons he has used as a demonstration he is carrying on a warfare that is equally spiritual to that of any other true apostle of Christ! The Greek word hopla is translated, weapons, and is sometimes translated instruments (see Romans 6:13). The point is that the Corinthians must think of Paul as properly armed by God with implements capable of fighting a true, apostolic spiritual war and winning the victory! The same is true of every Christian in a non-apostolic sense. The Christian's weapons are:

1.

Not fleshly (Gr. sarkika), not oriented or aimed at worldly ends or goals which all perish with the world.

2.

But have divine power (Gr. dunata to theo), powerful because of God

3.

To destroy strongholds (Gr. kathairesin ochuromaton), overthrow fortresses, or that which is fortified.

4.

To destroy arguments (Gr. logismos kathairountes), overthrow rationales or rationalizations.

5.

To destroy every proud obstacle (Gr. pan hupsoma epairomenon), overthrow every mountainous thing hoisted up

6.

Against the knowledge of God (Gr. kata tes gnoseos tou theou)

7.

Able to bring every thought captive (Gr. aichmalotizontes pan noema), able to make every perception a prisoner of warimprisoned to the control of the revealed mind of Christ (the Bible).

8.

To obey Christ (Gr. eis tev hupakoen tou Christou), unto the obedient hearing of Christ.

The instruments or weapons in the Christian strategy for conquest are all, without exception, mental (spiritual). They are not made of matter. They have to do with thought and with knowledge; specifically, the thoughts and knowledge of God! One has only to compare this text with that of Ephesians 6:14-20; to see that the Christian is to arm his mind with the mentality of God for his spiritual struggle (e.g. truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, word of God, prayerall are implements of the mind and spirit). That is why there are so many exhortations for the believer to set his mind on the things of God (Romans 8:5-11; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Philippians 4:8-9; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Peter 1:13, etc.). When Christ engaged the devil in that great battle of the temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12) he fought with his mind and spirit focused on the word of God. He used no worldly strategies (no human philosophy, no psychology, no emotional appeals, no material things, exaltation of self, nothing mystical or subjective); he needed only knowledge of and faith in the objective, propositional revelation of God.

The revealed word of God (the Bible), because it is an inerrant and infallible record of the ultimate Truth (the person of God), has the power (dynamic) to defeat, cast aside, conquer, depose, pull down every argument (or rationalization) that stands in the way of any one who honestly wants to know God and live with him forever. There is no argument, from any source, no matter how erudite or sophisticated, no matter who or how many propound it, that can stand up to God's word honestly studied. His word is able to take captive every thought of the human mind and direct it (idea, concept, precept) to the Source of all reality. Every human thought is to be taken captive to the mind of Christ, imprisoned to the constraint of Christ's grace and love (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

The word of God, captured the minds of kings, philosophers, rabbis, fishermen, army officers, doctors, scientists, carpenters, financiers, merchants, murderers, homosexuals, adulterers, thieves, drunkards, slaves, freedmen, rich, poor, learned, ignorantall kinds of people from all races, cultures, languages, geographical locations, for millenniums. It continues to this day to overthrow the proud and arrogant rationalizations of human beings. It continues to this day to confirm that all humanly discovered information, honestly recorded, has its origins and its meanings in a Divine Being.
There is no philosophy (argument) so well fortified or exalted against God that it cannot be overthrown and captured and brought under obedience to the control and redemptive purpose of God. There is no human mind so well fortified or exalted against God that it (or, he) cannot be overthrown, captured and brought into obedience to the will of God and his redemptive salvation. The word of God is living and powerful, able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13; Isaiah 55:10-11; Jeremiah 17:9-10; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 8:31-32).

This is one of the greatest texts in all the Bible! It promises the Christian that he has at his disposal divinely powerful weapons with which he may conquer for Christ every obstacle to the knowledge of God! There really is, therefore, no excuse for an evangelistic entrenchment of the church. The church, as Paul saw it, was to be militant, aggressive, on the offensive, capturing even the strongest and highest opposition to the knowledge of God. Yes! The church should be attacking false doctrines, false ideologies, immoral ethical philosophies, and deceitful hermeneutics. Remember, however, the Christian's warfare is not against human beings but against thoughts and ideas that stand in opposition to people's opportunity to know God. Christians hate falsehood, but love people. Falsehood has its origin in the devil, who is the father of lies and liars (John 8:43-47).

One of the most frustrating problems a preacher faces is that of getting the members of his congregation to believe these weapons are for their use. Every Christian should arm himself with these weapons. Every Christian should be drilling and practicing and sharpening his expertise in the use of the divine weapons. The moment any person becomes a Christian, he has enlisted in the army of the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 9:7; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; Revelation 19:19; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:11; Ephesians 6:13; 2 Timothy 4:7). His life has been committed to militant assault upon falsehood. Christians are not to take a defensive position, but an offensive campaign against evil imaginations and anti-Biblical philosophies. He must speak up, speak out, debate, teach, argue (as did the early Christians) from the Scriptures, until the King calls him to his reward. As he does, using the divinely powerful weapons promised here, he will overthrow every opposition to the knowledge of God.

The fact is, however, even preachers are being seduced into waging the Christian warfare with weapons of the flesh. These are the weapons the world uses to try to solve the problems it recognizes in society. They are coercion, manipulation, legislation, pressure groups, compromises and demonstrations that ultimately result in raised voices, clenched fists and outbreaks of violenceboycotts, pickets and strikesall attempts to pressure people into doing what others want. The universal testimony of history is, these do not work. The world still has the same problems it has had since Eden. With fleshly weapons, the world will never get rid of its problemsit only rearranges them so that they seem to take another form for a little while. Vance Packard, in his frightening book, The Hidden Persuaders, p. 3), reveals that public-relations experts are advising churchmen how they can become more effective manipulators of their congregations.

The Church has no business focusing its energies, talents and funds on legislation and enforcement. Those are fleshly weapons. They are inadequate at best, and ultimately doomed to failure. Incarceration is only a temporary expediency. Bringing every thought into captivity to the mind of Christ so that people see one another no longer from a human point of view is the only divine and eternal solution. Ray C. Stedman writes:

The problem of history is not the world. It is the church. It is we who do not use the weapons at our disposal. Instead, we give way and go along with worldly approaches, using pressure-group tactics and petitions to seek to overcome with legislation the wrongs of our day. May God help us to understand the nature of spiritual warfare. The weapons of our warfare are not those worldly tactics. But, our weapons are mighty. They will destroy strongholds and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.. The cause is not hopeless. We are not helpless; there is much we can do. Let a Christian act along the lines of the revelation of Scripture in this regard and things will begin to change. Any one of us can change things, in our lives individually, in our homes, in our communities, where we work, in our nation itself. Let us begin to learn the truth about life from the Scriptures.. We will find tremendous changes beginning to occur quickly as God uses these weapons to destroy the strongholds of darkness and evil around us.

Do not forget! The mighty weapons of the Spirit overthrew fortified and exalted opposition to God in the Roman empire such as our modern world has never experienced! The book of Revelation predicted itand it came to pass! And the history of the church has testified ever since, that when she uses the weapons God provides she conquers and captures.

Applebury's Comments

Defense of Paul's Apostolic Authority
Scripture

2 Corinthians 10:1-6. Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you: 2 yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); 5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; 6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

Comments

Now I Paul myself.This chapter begins the third and last section of the epistle. It is Paul's defense of his apostolic authority which had been given him to build up and not to tear down. In it he answers the false charges of the super-apostles who in his absence had come to Corinth and were seeking to undermine his influence and destroy the work which he had done.

There is a distinct change in the tone in this part of the letter. Since his apostolic authority was under attack and since this was the very foundation of the relation of the church to the Lord, it became necessary for him to deal sharply with the enemy and to remind all that unless false teachers were abandoned he would necessarily deal harshly with them on his forthcoming visit. Some have imagined that Paul could not have changed his mood so abruptly. As a result they have also imagined that this rebuke must have been from some other epistle. But the change of his mood is perfectly understandable in the light of the change of subject matter. There is no good reason for assuming that Second Corinthians is a synthetic epistle made up of sections from several other epistles of Paul. In the light of the sound reasons for Paul's change of mood as well as complete lack of manuscript support for the theory that attacks the unity of the epistle, we may be assured that we now have the epistle as Paul wrote it to the Corinthians.
In a most emphatic manner Paul lets his readers know that this defense is coming from him. He has frequently used the plural in his writings. In doing so, he is usually considering himself in connection with the rest of the apostolic group. But since this is an answer to the attack that had been made on him and his apostolic authority he emphatically declared that the appeal he was making to them was his own personal appeal. And since he wrote as an apostle, this was written under the control of the Holy Spirit as were all of his writings.

by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.Although Paul's tone grew harsh as he dealt with the false teachers who had wrought such havoc in Corinth and had so unfairly attacked his apostleship, he began this section in the same gracious manner in which he had sought to win the approval of the Corinthians on all the issues about which he had written.

We note the exalted view of the church which is presented in the opening words of First Corinthians, but which had to be followed by severe condemnation of the sinful practices that had been permitted to go on. The temple of God was being destroyed by them. In this section, Paul does not suddenly lash out at the enemy, but by gracious reasoning and encouraging appeal he urged his readers to look at the real facts of the case. Finally, he warned them of the result of failure to heed his appeal. He was coming to them a third time, and just as he had promised in his first letter (1 Corinthians 4:18-21) so he made it clear again that he would not spare the wrong doer when he arrived.

Paul proceeded in all his dealings with man in the courteous and gracious manner that had characterized the ministry of our Lord. Isaiah prophesied of Him in these words He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; neither shall anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send for judgment unto victory (Matthew 12:19-20). He was gentle in dealing with the erring, urging them to sin no more. He reasoned with His critics who condemned Him for receiving sinners. But when compelled to do so by hardhearted hypocrisy on the part of those who would not listen to reason, He did not hesitate to pronounce severe judgment upon the willfully disobedient.

The Corinthians were familiar with our Lord's methods of dealing with men. Paul had preached nothing among them save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He had upheld the Word of the Cross which is a symbol both of the love of God expressed toward those who repent and of awful judgment upon those who persisted in willful disobedience.

I who in your presence am lowly among you.Paul, parenthetically, reminded his readers that he was fully aware of the attitude of the false teachers toward him. It was they who were saying that Paul was lowly when he was with them but when he was absent he made a show of courage. Genuine humility is to be commended on the part of anyone at any time. Paul did not lack this virtue. The thought that is implied by the remark of his critics was that he was a person of low status and not to be compared with those whom he later designated as super-apostles. They considered themselves elevated above such as Paul because of their professional status as orators and teachers of wisdom. Paul prepared his readers to anticipate his answer to such unfair insinuations.

that I may not when present show courage.Now Paul's plea becomes more intense as he begs his readers to listen to his gracious appeal that he might not have to show boldness which he fully intended to do on his arrival against those who were claiming that he was conducting himself according to flesh. He did not conduct himself on the same basis as worldly-minded human beings. The description of his weapons of warfare shows how mistaken his enemies were.

we do not war according to the flesh.Paul never claimed to be other than a human being, but he did not conduct himself in the manner of the false teachers who were disturbing the brethren at Corinth. He did not carry on a campaign nor wage a war in the manner of men. While he does not specify at this point the nature of that warfare, it is easy to see what he meant by the description of the action of those who had arrayed themselves against him. They had resorted to unfair tactics. They had not hesitated to stoop to falsehood, boastful claims of importance, and hypocritical pretense of relation to Christ while in reality they were servants of Satan.

the weapons of our warfare.In carrying on his campaign for Christ, Paul did not use such weapons. By contrast, they were powerful in the sight of God. His mighty weapon, as the Corinthians well knew, was the truth of the revealed wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). They had seen it demolish the claims of Greeks who placed their confidence in their own wisdom and of Jews who demanded signs. But both of these had rejected the Word of the Cross that exalted Christ who was made unto us wisdom from God.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about the warfare against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. He urged them to take up the whole armor of God that they might be able to withstand the attack of the devil. He named the elements of that armor: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. See Ephesians 6:10-18.

casting down strongholds.The Corinthians were familiar with the engines of war in use in their day. They enabled conquering armies to demolish fortresses that stood in the pathway of their progress toward victory. Paul likened the gospel to such instruments of victory.

casting down imaginations.The gospel which Paul preached was able to demolish the clever systems of thought that had been devised by the Greeks.

We need to turn the light of that same gospel upon the systems of thought devised by men in our day, for some have disregarded God's wisdom which came down from above. Too frequently we strive to test the message of God's Word by the theories of men. A careful reading of the first chapter of Romans in the light of the tragic things that are happening all over the world today will show the folly of such procedure. And a careful reading of the third chapter of Romans will indicate the remedy which we so desperately need. Paul wrote to the Philippians reminding them that he had at one time been led astray from the truth, but had long since considered everything loss that he had once held dear that he might gain Christ and know Him and the power of His resurrection. See Philippians 3:10-11.

every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.With full confidence in the truth of the knowledge of God with which he was armed, Paul expected to capture the thought of men as a victorious army would take prisoners in battle and lead those thoughts to obedience to Christ.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience.Paul knew that there were those who would not submit to the truth of God and he was prepared to deal with such disobedience. This was a direct reference to the false teachers who had been disturbing the church at Corinth as well as those in the congregation who had sided with them. All disobedience would be punished as he had warned in 1 Corinthians 4:18-21 and as he was about to repeat the warning in 2 Corinthians 13:2. Paul was not bluffing; he intended to punish those who were attempting to destroy the church of God at Corinth.

when your obedience shall be made full.Once again he is indicating what he had plainly stated before that he had delayed coming to Corinth in order to give them ample time to comply with all that he had instructed them to do. He is now anticipating the necessity of dealing with the super-apostles. Those who had insinuated that his absence implied lack of courage to deal with the situation were reminded that he would delay sufficiently long for them to correct their ways, but that he would punish the disobedient upon his arrival.