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2 Corinthians 10

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Paul Defends His Apostolic Authority 1–6

1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: ​
2
But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ​
3
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ​
4
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ​
5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ​
6
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. ​

Judging by Outward Appearance 7–11

7
Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. ​
8
For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: ​
9
That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. ​
11
Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. ​

Apostolic Boundaries and True Boasting 12–18

12
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ​
13
But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. ​
14
For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: ​
15
Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, ​
16
To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. ​
17
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. ​
18
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Corinthians 10

Verse 1

the meekness and gentleness of Christ — The two words are Praotes and epieikeia; the second is found elsewhere only in Acts 24:4 (‘clemency’). ‘Base’ is tapeinos, ‘lowly’, the word Christ uses of himself: ‘I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matt 11:29). ‘In presence’ and ‘being absent’ set how he appears to them against how he writes.

Verse 2

walked according to the flesh — Paul asks not to have to be bold when present against ‘some’. ‘Think’ is logizomai, to reckon, and the verb returns in vv.7 and 11. ‘Walked’ (peripateo) prepares for v.3, where walking ‘in the flesh’ is set against warring ‘after the flesh’.

Verse 3

we do not war after the flesh — ‘In the flesh’ is life in a body; ‘after the flesh’ is by its standards. Paul says the same of himself in Gal 2:20, ‘the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God’. ‘War’ is strateuo, a soldier’s service, and vv.4–6 go on with weapons, strong holds and captives.

Verse 4

mighty through God — ‘Weapons’ (hopla) is the word for the armour of 2 Cor 6:7, ‘the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left’. ‘Strong holds’ (ochuroma), a fortress, is found only here in the New Testament. ‘Pulling down’ (kathairesis) returns in v.8 as ‘destruction’.

Verse 5

bringing into captivity every thought — ‘Casting down’ (kathaireo) is the verb of v.4’s ‘pulling down’. ‘Imaginations’ are logismoi, reasonings, from the verb of vv.2, 7, 11. Thoughts (noema) are taken captive (aichmalotizo) ‘to the obedience of Christ’, the obedience asked of the Corinthians in v.6.

Verse 6

a readiness to revenge — ‘Readiness’ (hetoimos) is the word of v.16, ‘made ready’. Paul will deal with ‘all disobedience’ (parakoe) ‘when your obedience is fulfilled’ (pleroo): the order is the church’s obedience first, then the dealing with those who remain disobedient.

Verse 7

the outward appearance — Prosopon, the face, the word translated ‘presence’ in v.1, so ‘in presence’ and ‘outward appearance’ are one Greek word. ‘Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart’ (1 Sam 16:7). ‘I of Christ’ was one Corinthian cry (1 Cor 1:12); Paul’s answer is that he is Christ’s as well.

Verse 8

for edification, and not for your destruction — Oikodome, building up, set against kathairesis, pulling down, the word of the strong holds in v.4. Paul repeats it in 2 Cor 13:10, ‘to edification, and not to destruction’. It echoes the commission of Jer 1:10, ‘to pull down… to build, and to plant’.

Verse 10

weighty and powerful — The words are the critics’ own (‘say they’): the letters are ‘weighty’ (barys, heavy) and ‘powerful’ (ischuros), the person ‘weak’ and the speech ‘contemptible’ (exoutheneo, counted as nothing). Paul had written ‘I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling’ (1 Cor 2:3) and ‘though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge’ (2 Cor 11:6).

Verse 11

in word by letters… in deed — The answer pairs ‘word’ (logos) with ‘deed’ (ergon): what he writes when absent he will do when present. It matches 1 Cor 4:19–20, ‘not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power’; ‘the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.’

Verse 12

commend themselves — ‘Commend’ is sunistemi, the verb of v.18, found also in 2 Cor 3:1; 4:2; 5:12; 6:4; 7:11; 12:11. ‘Compare’ (sunkrino) and ‘measuring’ (metreo) describe a standard drawn from inside the same group. ‘Are not wise’ is suniemi: they do not understand.

Verse 13

the measure of the rule — Metron, measure, and kanon, a rule or line; the KJV prints ‘rule’ in vv.13 and 15 and ‘line’ in v.16, and the word is also in Gal 6:16, ‘walk according to this rule’. God ‘hath distributed’ (merizo, divided out) the measure, and it reaches ‘even unto you’ (ephikneomai), a word repeated in v.14.

Verse 14

we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure — To stretch beyond is hyperekteino, found only here in the New Testament. Paul had ‘come as far as to’ Corinth (phthano, to arrive) with the gospel: he stayed ‘a year and six months’ (Acts 18:11) and could write ‘in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel’ (1 Cor 4:15).

Verse 15

other men’s labours — Kopos, toil. His principle is the one he gives in Rom 15:20, to preach ‘not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation’. The hope is that as their faith ‘is increased’ (auxano) his field ‘shall be enlarged’ (megaluno, made great) among them.

Verse 16

the regions beyond you — Huperekeina, the parts beyond, found only here in the New Testament. Rom 15:24 names a goal past Corinth: ‘Whensoever I take my journey into Spain’. ‘Line’ is kanon, the ‘rule’ of v.13, and ‘made ready’ (hetoimos) is the ‘readiness’ of v.6.

Verse 17

let him glory in the Lord — Kauchaomai is the one verb rendered ‘boast’ in vv.8, 13, 15 and 16 and ‘glory’ here. The line is from Jer 9:24, ‘let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me’, and Paul gives it in the same words in 1 Cor 1:31.

Verse 18

whom the Lord commendeth — ‘Commendeth’ is the verb of v.12 (sunistemi), and ‘approved’ is dokimos, tested and found genuine, as in 2 Tim 2:15, ‘approved unto God’. The praise is the Lord’s to give: ‘whose praise is not of men, but of God’ (Rom 2:29).