2 Corinthians 10
ZerrCBCDavid Lipscomb Commentary On 2nd Corinthians 102 Corinthians 10:1[In this section Paul defends his apostolic authority against his detractors and slanderers who sought by all means, whether fair or foul, to undermine his authority and destroy his influence, and thus the more certainly capture the churches he had been instrumental in founding, and impose upon them the Judaistic and legal principles and practices they advocated. There was a small minority in the churches under their influence; some were living, apparently, in gross sin. (2 Corinthians 12:20-21). The one resource with which he had to encounter the situation— his own standing ground alike against the church and those corrupting it— was his apostolic authority; and to the vindication of this he first addresses himself.]Now I Paul myself—Up to this point in this epistle, Paul has used the plural we, now he not only uses the singular, but I Paul myself, and in these concluding chapters there is a severity, which is in striking contrast with the gentleness manifested in the preceding chapters, in which he was addressing the church which had cleared itself of guilt; but there was a faction who joined with the Judaizers, who denied his being an apostle. He now deals with them. This explains his change in tone. His authority and apostleship have been challenged; and with boldness he puts his personality into the forefront of the discussion.entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,—This is one of the few references in Paul’ s epistles to the earthly life and character of Jesus.
There can be no doubt that it is to the life of Jesus he refers. Jesus was at times most stern and outspoken in his demonstrations.
The language which follows is very strong, but he reminds them that the motive which inspires it is the highest; he speaks in the name and spirit of Christ who claimed to be meek and lowly. (Matthew 11:29-30).I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:—His enemies charged that he was a coward in close quarters, a brave man at a distance; he was one who could write bold letters, but lacked authority and courage when he came in person— such was their description of Paul. We have already seen that he was accused of fickleness and indecision (2 Corinthians 1:17); his conduct was easily misrepresented by those who had no love for him, and did not understand his inspiring motives. His caution and tenderness were mistaken for cowardice. Courage was the motto of his life (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:6-7), and his courageous life is the best answer to this charge of cowardice (Acts 19:30; Acts 21:13; Acts 24:24-25).2 Corinthians 10:2yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some,—He beseeches them that he may not be compelled by their course to show courage and boldness toward some who charged him with walking after fleshly desires and purposes. He expected to be severe toward the leaders in evil; but he besought the members not to force him to be severe toward them. [He had determined in his own mind that if persuasion failed to bring his opponents to a right state of mind, he would resort to that power with which God had armed him to put down all opposition. These “ some” are the cause of the whole trouble.]who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.—:It seems that they charged that he had an undue regard for the opinion of others and acted with inconsistency in his efforts to please them.
A man of whom all this could truthfully be said would be without spiritual authority, and it was to discredit him in the church that the vague and damaging charge was made. He certainly showed no want of courage in meeting it.
That he walked in the flesh, he could not deny. He was a human being, wearing the weak nature, and all its maladies were incident to him. He spent his life in this nature, with all its capacity for unworthy conduct, but in his Christian warfare he was not ruled by it— he had conquered it and it had no power over him. [He said to them: “ I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Corinthians 2:3-4).]2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh—Though he lived and walked in the flesh, he was not led by the fleshly feelings and lusts. He was not under human leadership; it was no human war in which he was engaged.2 Corinthians 10:4(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,—This shows that he was not actuated by fleshly motives, nor seeking fleshly good, nor did he use weapons of carnal strife.but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds);—Many think the miraculous powers by which he was enabled to cast out demons, and demonstrate superiority to the wicked one, are meant; others think it means the sound scriptural reasoning, teaching, and motives used in turning men from Satan to God. It probably means both.
The spiritual weapons are the only ones the child of God can use, and they, through the power of God that goes with and is in them, are mighty to the overturning of the strongholds of sin. The Christian can lawfully use no other.
And God’ s power to overturn the strongholds of sin cannot go with one using fleshly or carnal weapons. For a Christian to use these is to drive God out of the battle he wages. These things are true if there is truth in the Bible. We weaken our strength in appealing to the civil power. There is not one word in the New Testament giving man direction as ruler or participator in the management of human government. That means he has no place in this work.2 Corinthians 10:5casting down imaginations,—This brings out the truth that the life-work of the Christian is to cast down all the imaginations and everything that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Christ and casting these out of his heart; bring every thought of his heart to the obedience of Christ.
No heart is actually clean in the sight of God until the very thoughts and feelings and impulses of the heart are brought into subjection to the will of Christ. It takes a life-work to accomplish this, but too often the Christian life is so neglected that the heart never becomes purified for a habitation of God through the Spirit.and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God,—The teaching of the word of God is to bring to nought the mere reasonings of the mind, and everything that sets itself up against the revelation of God. [In reference to this Paul had already triumphantly asked: “ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20).
But what was seen then is often repeated today. The vain reasonings of the modernists, puffed up with the conceit of their own wisdom, are exalted against the infallible teaching of the Son of God and his inspired apostles. And Paul’ s admonition is no less appropriate now than when it first came with burning energy from his earnest soul. “ Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.” (1 Corinthians 3:18).]and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;—The end sought is to bring every thought of the heart and mind into obedience to Christ, which is a difficult thing to do. Evil thoughts will arise in our minds, excited by fleshly lusts, yet by constant prayer, watchfulness, and persevering effort the very thoughts that spring from the heart can be brought into subjection to the will of Christ. The heart can be so trained that the thoughts that arise in it will be of God, of our duties and obligations to him, and of the high and exalted privileges and blessings that are bestowed on us as his children.2 Corinthians 10:6and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience,—When he speaks of his “ readiness to avenge all disobedience,” he certainly did not have in mind those to whom he writes, and whose repentance and obedience filled him with so much joy (2 Corinthians 7:6-13); but only to the rebellious remnant who had persisted in their disobedience.when your obedience shall be made full.—He would wait till all who were willing had repented and were willing to obey.
He does not indicate what form of vengeance he would administer, but possibly such severe discipline as that indicated by delivering to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 5:20, with a view, if it were possible, to their ultimate restoration (2 Corinthians 13:3-10).2 Corinthians 10:7 Ye look at the things that are before your face.—I think the marginal reading—“ Do ye look at the things that are before your face?”— more fully brings out the thought. It certainly was addressed to the members of the church, and with reference to the claims which had been set up by the false teachers, warning them not to be carried away with appearances.
Looking at the work of the false teachers it was strictly manifest that Paul had showed more of the signs of an apostle in the miracles of power and the good he had accomplished than any of them.If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’ s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’ s, so also are we.—[At this point Paul only claims bare equality; as the argument advances, he advances his claims as in 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, by pointing to his success at Corinth, or to his vision of the risen Christ, as in 1 Corinthians 15:9; the proof, which he adduces later (2 Corinthians 11:21-30), lies in what he had suffered for the gospel’ s sake.]2 Corinthians 10:8 For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down),—The authority Paul had was given him to build them up, not to cast them down. In this he intimates that he would be sorry to so use it as to punish them.I shall not be put to shame:—Were he to glory somewhat abundantly concerning this power, he would not be put to shame thereby. The power he had would bear out the glorying. [He was quite sure, without any shadow of misgiving, that if he should be forced to proceed to the extreme step of delivering his detractors to Satan, the result which he contemplated would follow.]2 Corinthians 10:9that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.—That he might not seem to make a boast in his letters to terrify them when he had no power to carry out the boast when present. [There is evident allusion to the representations made by the false teachers, that Paul wrote in the authoritative tone which he assumed merely to frighten his readers, having neither power nor the purpose to carry his threats into execution.]2 Corinthians 10:10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong;—[Allusive references to what had been said of Paul at Corinth by the false teachers have already appeared in this epistle (2 Corinthians 1:17; 2 Corinthians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 5:12-13). Here for the first time the very words are quoted. The scorn conveyed in them had deeply wounded him; and we have here the nearest approach which the New Testament presents of the passionate complaints poured forth by David. (Psalms 69:1-21; Psalms 109:1-5). We note the common element of a burning indignation under the sense of wrong; but also the absence from his feelings of the maledictory element which is so prominent in David.
The meekness and gentleness of Christ had not been without their effect in tempering even the most vehement emotions.]but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.—His enemies said that his letters were brave and strong, but when present in body he was cowardly and subservient. [These words give remarkable significance to a passage in an epistle written shortly after this, which says: “ Ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time: and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 4:13-14). There is manifestly a contrast present to his thoughts between the mean insults of his opposers at Corinth and the affection which the Galatians had once manifested, and which made their subsequent alienation all the more painful to him.]2 Corinthians 10:11 Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.—He warned those who so charged that, as he wrote, he would when present act with vigor and promptness.2 Corinthians 10:12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves:—This charge of self-commendation Paul’ s opponents had leveled at him (2 Corinthians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 5:12), whereas it was they themselves who were guilty of the practice.
He boldly asserts that he has not the courage to range himself among such boasters.but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves,—Men who commend themselves, having nothing but themselves with which to measure themselves, can only end by boasting immeasurably; and Paul frankly confesses, that he has not the courage to join such a company.are without understanding—They who so measure themselves are foolish. Wisdom tests all things by the will of God. The only wise way is to lose confidence in self, and earnestly seek the standard God has given. The heart that loses sight of its own ways, and comes to trust to divine guidance and light is wise. The great trouble with most religious people is that they desire to honor God, but desire to do it in their own way. They have confidence in their own ability to invent ways that will please God.
They please themselves, satisfy their own conscience, and take this as satisfactory evidence that they please God. This is a fatal mistake.
Christ, to correct this error, said: “ He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48). We are not to be judged in the last day by our conscience, by our standards of right, by what we have been taught, nor by the agreement of public sentiment, but by the word spoken by the Lord to guide man. The great difficulty with man is to bring himself to the point that he sincerely desires to do the will of God.2 Corinthians 10:13 But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure,—God gave Paul a rule by which he walked, and worked, and by that rule he measured himself, and he did not boast of anything without this measure. [In opposition to the false teachers, who not only boasted of gifts which they did not possess, but appropriated to themselves the fruits of other men’ s labors by intruding into churches which they had not founded, Paul says he did neither the one nor the other. His glorying was neither immoderate, nor was it founded on what others had done. He invaded no man’ s sphere of labor. It was his settled purpose to preach the gospel where Christ had not been named, and not to build on another man’ s foundation. (Romans 15:20).]to reach even unto you.—[Acting on this principle he had the right to regard Corinth as legitimately within his field.
His assigned limit of labor reached at least that far. He founded the church at Corinth; others built thereon. (1 Corinthians 3:10).
The church was his work in the Lord.]2 Corinthians 10:14 For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you:—He did not go beyond his measure when he came to them. The work he performed by the measure God gave him brought him unto them.for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ:—Walking by the rule God gave him he came unto them in preaching the gospel of Christ. [The idea involved in overextension is as in verse 12 of a commensurateness between the person and the place which he holds, such as exists between a man and a fitting garment. If anyone wishing to be great undertakes a province which he cannot fill, he overmeasures himself. This was not the case with Paul, for God gave him his province, and he filled the Corinthian district of it, having taken possession before anyone else had set foot on it.]2 Corinthians 10:15not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men’ s labors;—He did not boast of things not accomplished by himself working by this rule, or accomplished by other men.but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance,—After he had trained them and gone to other points of labor, he would receive help from them, as he had from the Philippians, who sent to him once and again (Philippians 4:14-17).2 Corinthians 10:16so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you,—He hoped that when their faith was strengthened they would enable him in accordance with this rule to preach the gospel in regions beyond them. That is, that they would assist him while he was preaching in the regions beyond them.and not to glory in another’ s province in regard of things ready to our hand.—Paul did not like to build upon another man’ s foundation. It was his ambition to preach where the gospel was not known.
So he did not boast of work done by others as these false apostles had done, taking his work, perverting it, and boasting of it as though done by themselves. Paul could not do this.
When he said God had given him this rule, he did not mean that God required him to work without being chargeable to those to whom he preached, but that he had enabled him to work by it successfully.2 Corinthians 10:17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.—Paul would not glory in what others had done. He would only glory in what the Lord had enabled him to do. What he did under the direction of the Lord, the Lord did through him— he enabled him to do it. (Jeremiah 9:24). Paul reproved in this those who came, entered into his work, decried him, boasted in, and perverted what he had done.2 Corinthians 10:18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.—The Lord commends those through whom he works. He commended the apostles by his presence and power in spiritual gifts bestowed. [Paul did not commend himself; his claims were not founded on the suggestions of self-conceit; neither did he rely on the commendation of others, his eyes were fixed on God. If he could secure his favor, it was to him a small matter to be judged by man’ s judgment (1 Corinthians 4:3).]
Verse 1 2 Corinthians 10There is a break in thought with the beginning of this chapter, but it is nothing which can reasonably reflect on the unity of the epistle. Any man writing on a number of subjects in a single letter, and having something rather sensitive to communicate, would quite naturally reserve it until the concluding part of the letter. All of the scholarly guesses about a “severe” letter having been penned at a time between the two canonical letters, such letter having first been lost, then a part of it discovered, and then inserted by some unknown “editor” at this particular place in 2Corinthians is too preposterous a surmise to have any weight at all. Why would any “editor” have placed such a recovered lost letter in a place like this? All such speculations perish in the total absence of any manuscript authority, and of any tradition whatever that any such thing ever happened. Even Filson admitted that it is only upon internal evidence that the “severe letter” hypothesis can be advocated.[1]The so-called internal evidence evaporates under scholarly analysis; and, as Philip E. Hughes declared: Paul’s sternest remarks refer not to the Corinthians in general, but to the false teachers (designated “some” in 2 Corinthians 10:2). Besides, it is not difficult to show that passages in this concluding section are plainly very much of a piece with themes and matters introduced in earlier chapters.[2]The proposition that there is nothing severe in the first nine chapters is likewise false, and can be advocated only by misreading the hyperbole in 7:13ff (see notes above). Also, the notion of some “ring leader” is contrary to the picture of several factions as given in the first epistle. It is amazing that critical scholarship should be so insistent about something so valueless as their “severe letter” fantasy. Even if it existed, and even if 2 Corinthians 10-13 is part of it, it is admitted by all that Paul wrote it, that it is inspired, canonical and absolutely trustworthy. So what is to be gained by all this imaginative, intellectual tap-dancing about the “severe letter”? It is more than extraordinarily worthless. [1] Floyd V. Filson, The Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950), pp. 270-271. [2] Philip E. Hughes, Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), p. 343. 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 Corinthians 10:1) Paul was about to deal with “some” who were still incorrigible sinners at Corinth (2 Corinthians 10:2); but his attitude toward his beloved converts has not changed. He “entreats,” as always, being filled with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. In your presence … lowly … From the days of Chrysostom, this has been thought to echo some of the slanders of Paul’s enemies who had been saying that “when present he was mild and timid, but when absent full of boldness."[3]ENDNOTE: [3] Ibid., p. 346. Verse 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 after the flesh.The thought in this is that Paul was purposely mild and timid when present with the whole congregation, and that he was beseeching the majority of them, even here, that they would not be offended by that confident courage he was prepared to demonstrate against the “some,” not only in what he was about to write, but also when he would soon appear among them personally. There is no admission on Paul’s part here that there was anything “weak” about his personal appearance. The whole theory of these later chapters “blasting the whole congregation” is nullified by the distinction between the “you” which included the whole congregation and the “some” which referred to the false teachers. Verse 3 For though we walk in the flesh; we do not war according to the flesh.Flesh … is used in two senses here, a distinguishing Pauline trademark. Although still in the body (the flesh), his warfare is not according to the nature of unregenerated and sinful people, whose works are governed by material and secular considerations (according to the flesh). Verse 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds).What were Paul’s weapons? “We learn from 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Ephesians 6:11-16, that they were the energies of spiritual powers given by the Eternal Spirit."[4]Casting down of strongholds … “This phrase is essentially military”;[5] and the imagery is that of a bitter and relentless warfare. The strongholds were those entrenched and fortified positions of institutionalized sin which dominated the Corinthian culture, and indeed the whole social fabric of the ancient Roman Empire. Satan had organized evil on a worldwide scale; and the teachings of Jesus Christ were leveled against every form of wickedness, no matter how securely it was embedded in the gross culture of that era. Mighty before God … Paul’s meaning here is that he had the proper ammunition to blow up and destroy the entrenched positions of the devil. History demonstrated that Paul’s evaluation of the weapons at his disposal was correct. [4] E. H. Plumptre, Ellicott’s Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), Vol. III, p. 397. [5] Ibid. Verse 5 Casting down imaginations, and every evil thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.Imaginations … appear here in company with other evils; and despite the fact of man’s imagination being a glorious distinction between himself and the lower creations, the misuse of it is superlatively sinful. It was true then, and it is true now. It is the “imagination” of scholars which seeks to challenge the unity of this epistle; and there is hardly any attack ever launched against Christianity that has not been grounded in the evil imagination of its enemies. High things … and every thought … The imagery is still that of evil men, under the power of Satan, who have exalted themselves against the gospel truth, and who are entrenched, as in a castle with “battlements and high towers which Paul must attack,"[6] in order to vanquish them. The word “thought” shows that the conflict is not physical, but it is in the realm of ideas and imaginations against the truth. People have always had trouble with their imagination, the deluge itself having been the God-imposed penalty for man’s imagination, which was “only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). ENDNOTE: [6] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 939. Verse 6 And being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.Your obedience shall be made full … This does not mean, as Filson asserted, that “the church’s obedience is here yet to come”;[7] but that it was to be made when Paul had disposed of “some” who were enemies of the truth. There is in this passage an implied admission that their obedience, even at that time, was approaching fullness. The thing that would complete it was Paul’s determination, or “readiness,” to destroy the influence of the “some” who were still holding out against the truth. ENDNOTE: [7] Floyd V. Filson, op. cit., p. 385. Verse 7 Ye look at the things which are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we.Ye look at what is before your eyes … should be understood as imperative, as in RSV, “Look at what is before your eyes,” giving the meaning of “Take a look at what is obvious."[8]If any man … “This probably refers to an outstanding example of the false apostles who had gone to Corinth to try to supplant Paul."[9] Whoever he was, he was pretending to be Christ’s; but his pretensions were refuted by the certainty of Paul’s being actually “of Christ.” [8] Frank G. Carver, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 1968), Vol. 8, p. 593. [9] Floyd V. Filson, op. cit., p. 385. Verse 8 For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame.The parenthesis here is very significant, showing that the strong exercise of his authority, both in this part of the letter and in the impending visit, was not in any manner directed against the great faithful majority. It was solely for the purpose of checkmating the evil, false apostles who intended to put Paul to shame. Notice the distinction between Paul’s “casting down” envisioned of the false apostles, and his “not for casting you down” when addressing the whole congregation. Those who read these chapters as a tirade against the whole church have simply failed to read it. Verse 9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.This too is addressed directly to the great faithful majority, the thought being that “Paul could with justification elaborate upon the nature and extent of his apostolic authority, but refrained."[10] He did not wish to terrify the young converts whom he dearly loved, and the vast majority of whom were faithful and obedient. He had no such restraint as regarded the false apostles; and he seems to be saying here that “it is not you but them whom I wish to terrify.” ENDNOTE: [10] R. V. G. Tasker, The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1958), p. 138. Verse 10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.They say … proves that Paul had in mind a number of false teachers, not merely “the ring leader” postulated by the critics. And as for their slander, it is precarious indeed to put any confidence in it. No man who knows the biography can suppose for an instant that his bodily presence was “weak” in any sense, or that he lacked power as a public speaker. Their lies to the contrary should be rejected. Verse 11 Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.By this sharp retort, Paul denied the slander; but despite this, one may still read all kinds of comments about the weakness of Paul’s personal presence. The achievements of his matchless life, as well as Paul’s blunt rejoinder here, prove his amazing power and strength. “Paul here is rebutting with calmness and dignity the false charge that he was in any way different from what he was when present."[11]ENDNOTE: [11] F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19,2Cor., p. 240. Verse 12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.The dramatically repeated plurals in this verse compel the understanding of several false apostles, rather than some special “ringleader.” As Farrar pointed out, this verse ties in with what Paul had already written “in 2 Corinthians 3:1,2 Corinthians 4:12."[12]“The value of a comparison depends on the standard”;[13] and, as for the standard itself, in this case, and for them that used it, Paul had a single estimate. They were “without understanding”! [12] Ibid. [13] John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book Rouse, 1964), p. 452. Verse 13 But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.The measure of the province … One can only marvel at a translation like this. According to the Greek, as cited in the English Revised Version (1885) margin, the word is measuring-rod, which certainly makes a lot more sense than the word our translators substituted for it. Paul’s plain meaning is that in the “glorying” or “boasting” he is about to do, he shall stay within the limits which God authorized in order to authenticate the message he is addressing to the Corinthians, “to reach even unto you.” The noble words of McGarvey on this place are: Though the whole world was Paul’s bishopric (Galatians 2:7-9), yet he contents himself with saying that it included Corinth. In the eyes of his opponents, Corinth was the sum and center of all things, but in the larger life of Paul, it was a mere dot in a limitless field of operations[14]ENDNOTE: [14] J. W. McGarvey, Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 224. Verse 14 For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ.Paul here stated that his authority was fully ample to reach Corinth without, in any sense, “stretching” it! The perspective of the false teachers was local; Paul’s was universal. Paul had come to Corinth in the first place, not as a final destination, but as a stop en route on a preaching tour of vast dimensions. Filson very properly applied this passage to the false teachers as follows: The self-important intruders, when they came to Corinth, were going where they had not been sent by God. But not so with Paul. He went to Corinth under the guidance and direction of God. Corinth was included (“you also”) in his assigned field of work.[15]ENDNOTE: [15] Floyd V. Filson, op. cit., p. 389. Verse 15 But not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance.In this verse, again, “province” is substituted for measuring-rod, because it is clear that he is speaking of a “field of labor” allotted to himself. In other men’s labors … God had sent the apostle to Corinth; the field was therefore his; and the false apostles, not Paul, were the intruders and usurpers. Having hope … as your faith groweth … we shall be magnified … In all of this, Paul’s love and appreciation for the Corinthians (in the great majority) shines conspicuously. He had the highest hopes of them. They had faith which Paul believed would grow; and his personal hopes of their magnifying him as their true and lawful leader were strong. Note that Paul used the present tense. His confidence in them was of the present, not something which belonged to the past. Verse 16 So as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in another’s province in regard of things ready to our hand.Macknight’s paraphrase of this makes the correct application to the false teachers as follows: So as to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, where no person hath yet preached, and not in another man’s bounds, to take praise to myself on account of things already prepared, that is, of churches already planted, as the false teacher hath done.[16]This was Paul’s affirmation that even after correcting the disorders that still existed among them, he had no intention whatever of settling down there to exploit them, as the false apostles were doing. His mission was still pointed to all the world. ENDNOTE: [16] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 429. Verse 17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.The false teachers were glorying in many things, but in nothing that God had done through them. They were preening themselves like peacocks, boasting of their credentials, which were doubtless as phony as they were, bragging of their “liberty” to attend idol feasts, and flaunting the sophisticated rhetoric in vogue among the Greeks. There was nothing of the Lord in any of that; and Paul here nailed them down as wicked impostors. Whatever they had done, God had not authorized any of it. Verse 18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.Paul’s work among the Corinthians had been marked by the authority and blessing of God, they themselves having accepted the gospel through his preaching; and, in the light of those facts, the honor that some of them were willing to give the false prophets was as scandalous as it was unjust and wicked. “The only true ground of approval is to do the work of Christ."[17] Reluctant as Paul was to mention his own personal qualifications, he would nevertheless do so, in order to show by whatever standards chosen, that the false teachers were infinitely below him whom God had commissioned as the apostle to the Gentiles. Even in the boasting which he was reluctant to do, Paul selected his sufferings, hardships, and tribulations, as there could be no charge of human vanity in the recounting of them. He poured out his heart in the succeeding chapter. ENDNOTE: [17] John Wesley, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972), in loco.
Questions by E.M. Zerr On 2nd Corinthians 101. By whom were the Corinthians besought ? 2. On what plea does he beseech them ? 3. What does he say of his own appearance ? 4. How does this contrast with his absence? 5. Were these distinctions real or only reported ? 6. What does he wish not to be among them? 7. Does he feel thus toward all others ? 8. What prompts his boldness to others ? 9. Contrast our walking with our warring. 10. Does the Christian warfare need any weapons? 11. What is meant by carnal weapons? 12. Through what source are our weapons mighty? 13. Pulling down what? 14. What must be done with imaginations? 15. Is this all that must be taken down? . 16. Must all imaginations and high things be fought ? 17. Does “ knowledge of God” mean only what God knows? 18. Of what do our captives consist ? 19. To what must they be subjected? 20. State what Paul holds in readiness. 21. When will he accomplish this purpose? 22. Why depend on the Corinthians? 23. What about the things of outward appearance? 24. State mutual relation of Paul and Corinthians. 25. What created this relationship? 26. Of what might Paul boast toward them? 27. For what purpose was this given him? 28. Of what would he not be ashamed? 29. Contrast edification and destruction. 30. What did he wish to seem not to do? 31. State what had been said of his letters. 32. Describe his reported personal appearance. 33. Does he acknowledge all this distinction? 34. Explain why he could be equally powerful in both. 35. State the sort of measuring some were doing. 36. What does Paul think of these persons? 37. Tell what he resolved in himself as to them. 38. Why would such measuring be objectionable ? 39. Of what did Paul here say he would not boast? 40. By whose rule would he measure? 41. How far did this measure reach? 42. What other word than measure does he use? 43. What is meant by “ you” in 14th verse? 44. For what purpose had he come unto them? 45. Who had preceded him at Corinth? 46. State his attitude toward other men’ s labors. 47. What did he expect from their enlarged faith? 48. In what work could they do this for him ? 49. Of what would he thus not boast ? 50. State his remark about glorying. 51. On what commendation rests true approval?
2 Corinthians 10:1
2 Corinthians 10:1. Up to the present passage Paul has used the pronoun of the first person in both the plural and singular forms. That was because most of his statements could apply to himself and the brethren associated with him, even though some of them may have applied to him in a special sense. (See the comments at chapter 6:11.) But the words I Paul in this verse show he is speaking about himself only, and will be through the rest of the book. That is because certain Judaizing persons in the Corinthian church were opposing the apostle, making various accusations and complaints against him. He meets those charges in some very strong language. Paul refers to the meekness of Christ, and desires to be influenced by it in his approach to the brethren. Presence am meek . . . absent am bold; this was one of the complaints.
2 Corinthians 10:2
2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul admits that he is base or mild in presence or “outward appearance,” in his attitude toward most of the brethren. However, he expects to be more bold or severe in his dealing with the Judaizing critics. But he beseeches (you is not in the original) or desires to avoid showing such an attitude toward the other members of the congregation. One of the accusations the critics were making was that Paul’s conduct and teaching were prompted by his fleshly interests.
2 Corinthians 10:3
2 Corinthians 10:3. Paul will show that he is bound to walk in the flesh in that he is living in the fleshly body while on the earth, but that his activities are not after or according to the flesh.
2 Corinthians 10:4
2 Corinthians 10:4. Weapons . . . not carnal. This statement has been perverted to mean that Christians should not engage in warfare in defence of their country. It has nothing to do with that subject, but means that carnal or temporal weapons are not to be used in support of the Gospel. However, the apostle uses some of the terms of such warfare to illustrate that of the spiritual conflict against the enemy of righteousness. In carnal warfare it is necessary to pull down strongholds or barricades of the foe, and it means that Christians must attack sin in its strongest forms.
2 Corinthians 10:5
2 Corinthians 10:5. Imaginations is defined by Thayer, “a reasoning,” and he explains it to mean, “such as is hostile to the Christian faith.” There is no element that can do more injury to the cause of Christ than the false reasoning of the self-wise teacher. Bringing into captivity is a phrase based on carnal warfare. One objective of a military leader is to capture the soldiers in the opposite army. In some instances such captives have been made to do service for their captors, in which cases it would be better to capture them alive than to slay them in battle. Likewise in spiritual warfare, it is well to subdue the false reasoning of men, and if possible to turn their mental activities into service for Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:6
2 Corinthians 10:6. This revenge is the same as that in chapter 7:11, being the Lord’s way of taking vengeance on the workers of unrighteousness. However, it cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of the Christian soldiers in the spiritual warfare. That is why Paul states the condition; when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:7
2 Corinthians 10:7. Paul is still considering his critics who were boasting of their own importance, which had only some outward appearance for their support. But even if such an evidence were to be relied on for the claim of being a servant of the Lord, Paul could lay as much claim to it as his critics.
2 Corinthians 10:8
2 Corinthians 10:8. Paul could actually boast of his authority as an apostle, and he was not ashamed of such qualification were he called upon to resort to it in severe terms. Yet he would prefer to use it for their edification (upbuilding) rather than for their destruction or severe chastisement.
2 Corinthians 10:9
2 Corinthians 10:9. Regardless of what unpleasant effect the critic might pretend to receive from the letters of Paul, his motive in writing them was not merely to terrify them.
2 Corinthians 10:10
2 Corinthians 10:10. The gist of this verse is an attempt of the critic to belittle the work of Paul, by slighting remarks about his personal appearance and his manner of speech. This objector did not like the bold language in the first epistle because it sharply rebuked those at fault. Still feeling the sting of that letter, he pretends to have no fear of the personal appearance of the apostle, since a man so insignificant and contemptible (as he thought) as the apostle Paul, could not say or do anything that would humiliate him.
2 Corinthians 10:11
2 Corinthians 10:11. Paul assures this man that whether present or absent, his teaching against error would be the same, regardless of any supposed physical defects. This would be true because the apostle always wrote and spoke as the Holy Spirit guided him, so that his work was not originated with himself.
2 Corinthians 10:12
2 Corinthians 10:12. Paul’s critics were inclined to praise themselves, and he was determined not to be like them. The rest of this verse means that the self-appointed judges of Paul formed their own standard of conduct among themselves. Measuring themselves by themselves. Each man was satisfied with his own standing if he was as good as his fellows to whom he compared himself.
2 Corinthians 10:13
2 Corinthians 10:13. The reader is again instructed not to be confused by the plural form of the pronoun. The definite phrase “I, Paul” in verse 1, and the subject matter of the closing verses of the chapter, make it certain the apostle is writing about himself only. Webster says the following of the word in question: “We is used for the singular I. . . by editors and other writers to keep an impersonal character or to avoid the egotistical sound of a repeated I. Without our measure. Paul had been accused of overstepping his bounds when he came to Corinth. He asserts that the rule or commission given to him included that city; that it reached even unto you. That was true, for Paul had been especially appointed to preach to the Gentiles.
2 Corinthians 10:14
2 Corinthians 10:14. As though we reached not. Had the commission given to Paul not included the city of Corinth, his going that far would have made him chargeable with stretching himself beyond his proper measure. We are come is equivalent to saying that his “assigned territory” reached as far as Corinth.
2 Corinthians 10:15
2 Corinthians 10:15. Paul believed in the phrase “honor to whom honor is due,” and hence would not boast or take credit for work that was accomplished by another. But Corinth was within his allotted territory, therefore his hope was based on developments there. He believed that if the Corinthians made the proper showing of their professed faith, it would enlarge his “field of labor” so that he could do some mere work beyond that locality around the city of Corinth.
2 Corinthians 10:16
2 Corinthians 10:16. Line is used in the sense of rule and measure in the previous verses. Paul would not go into another man’s field of labor where the foundation work had been done already, then take advantage of it to have something for which to take credit.
2 Corinthians 10:17
2 Corinthians 10:17. To glory in the Lord would mean to give Him credit for all good work that might be accomplished. But even such apparently humble glorying would not be justified unless the work had been done in harmony with the Lord’s will.
2 Corinthians 10:18
2 Corinthians 10:18. This verse explains why the preceding one is so worded. Self-approval will not count for anything in the great work professed to be done for Christ. (See verse 12.) The Lord will not commend any man on the basis of his comparison with some other man, but only on whether the work is in harmony with His will.