INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS 10 In this chapter the apostle has chiefly to do with the false teachers, and it is taken up in refuting their calumnies of him, and in exposing their boasting of themselves; and as he goes along, he takes notice of the efficacy of the Gospel, and of the success and ex... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW I PAUL MYSELF BESEECH YOU,.... The apostle having said what was necessary and proper to stir up the Corinthians to a liberal contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, returns to the vindication of himself against the false apostles; and earnestly entreats the members of this church, BY THE... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I BESEECH YOU, THAT I MAY NOT BE BOLD WHEN I AM PRESENT,.... That is, he entreated them that they would so behave for the future, that he might have no occasion, when he came among them, to use that power and authority they called boldness, which he had received from Christ for edification, and... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH,.... The apostle removes the calumny of walking after the flesh, by owning that they were in the flesh, in the body, in a state of imperfection, attended with many weaknesses and infirmities, and surrounded with a variety of afflictions and sorrows; in this sense they... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE,.... By "warfare" is here meant, not that which is common to all believers, who are enlisted as volunteers under the captain of their salvation, and fight his battles, and are more than conquerors through him; but what is peculiar to the ministers of the Gospel; and de... [ Continue Reading ]
CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS,.... Or "reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved, silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAVING IN A READINESS TO REVENGE ALL DISOBEDIENCE,.... Not with the temporal sword, as the civil magistrate, but with the spiritual one; meaning either censures and excommunication, which a faithful minister of the Gospel, with the suffrage of the church, has at hand, and a power to make use of,... [ Continue Reading ]
DO YE LOOK ON THINGS AFTER THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE,.... Or "look upon things", ironically said; or "ye do look on things", a reproof for making judgment of persons and things, by the outward appearance of them; so many judged of Paul by the meanness of his person, the weakness of his body, the lownes... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH I SHOULD BOAST SOMEWHAT MORE OF OUR AUTHORITY,.... Than as yet he had done, or used to do; or rather the sense is, should he boast of a greater authority than the false apostles, or even than the true ministers of the Gospel in common had, he should not exceed the bounds of truth and mode... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I MAY NOT SEEM AS IF I WOULD TERRIFY YOU BY LETTERS. Here seems to be something wanting, which is to be supplied, The sense is, though I might lawfully boast of the superior authority which we apostles have above other persons, in using sharpness with men insolent and hardened in sin; yet I wil... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HIS LETTERS, SAY THEY, ARE WEIGHTY AND POWERFUL,.... These words contain the reason why he did not choose to say any more of his authority as an apostle to punish offenders, that he might give no occasion for such a calumny, some among them, or the false apostles, had cast upon him; that his epi... [ Continue Reading ]
LET SUCH AN ONE THINK THIS,.... The apostle seems to have in view some one particular person, though he does not choose to name him, who had more especially reproached him after this manner; and who was either one of the members of this church, or rather one of the false apostles: and so in the fore... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE DARE NOT MAKE OURSELVES OF THE NUMBER,.... Some understand this as spoken ironically, as if the apostle jeeringly should say, he would not pretend to join, or put himself upon a level, who was a poor, little, mean, despicable person, with such great men as the false apostles were, men of such... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE WILL NOT BOAST OF THINGS WITHOUT OUR MEASURE,.... Or things unmeasurable; meaning not doctrines, the knowledge of which they had not attained to, and which were not to be measured by reason or revelation, such as the Gnostics boasted of; but the sense is, that they would not glory in, and boa... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE STRETCH NOT OURSELVES BEYOND OUR MEASURE,.... They did not go beyond the bounds set them by the purpose and providence of God, by going to Corinth; nor did they boast of things without their measure, when they spoke of their labours, and of the success of their ministrations among them; nor d... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT BOASTING OF THINGS WITHOUT OUR MEASURE,.... The apostle here asserts what he had done before, 2 Corinthians 10:13 with a view to explain it, as he does, saying, THAT IS OF OTHER MEN'S LABOURS; when they boasted of the Corinthians as their converts and children, whom they had begotten through th... [ Continue Reading ]
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IN THE REGIONS BEYOND YOU,.... Here the apostle clearly expresses what he hoped for, and explains what he meant by being enlarged according to rule; namely, that he should be at liberty to preach the Gospel elsewhere; and hoped he should be directed by the providence of God, to... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT GLORIETH, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD. Not in himself, nor in his outward circumstances of life, or inward endowments of mind; not in his natural or acquired parts; not in his wisdom, knowledge, learning, and eloquence; nor in his own righteousness, labours, and services, much less in othe... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR NOT HE THAT COMMENDETH HIMSELF IS APPROVED,.... Such may be said to commend themselves, who ascribe that to themselves, which do not belong to them; as that they are the ministers of Christ, and sent forth by him, when they are not; who boast that they have large ministerial gifts, when they hav... [ Continue Reading ]