2 Corinthians
10:1
“Meekness” is a
gentle and humble attitude that expresses itself in patient endurance
of unfair treatment. Someone who is meek is not bitter or angry nor
do they seek vengeance when wronged.
Gentleness is
similar in meaning and when applied to a person in a position of
authority, refers to leniency. Gentle people refuse to retaliate even
when it is in their power to do so.
"Base", in
the verse above, means humiliated, depressed, cast down, humble, or
of low degree. Paul is saying that his person is not overwhelming to
anyone. We will find in this chapter that Paul is answering some of
the accusations made by people who were trying to change the church
at Corinth and its teachings. Jesus was meek and gentle, until
someone started making God's house a house of merchandise.
Paul is saying, that
he can say what is really in his heart in this letter. His boldness
comes from righteous indignation for the false teaching that was
trying to creep into the church at Corinth. He might seem base to
them, but when it came to matters of God, he was bold. Paul was a
small man, possibly plain in appearance, and was not an overwhelming
speaker. He was, however, very talented in writing his thoughts down.
It seems that some
had mistaken his gentleness and meekness toward them for weakness and
had accused him of cowardice, by being bold only when writing to them
from a safe distance.
2 Corinthians
10:2
It seemed as if the
person who was bringing in the false teaching was, also, attacking
the character of Paul. They had accused Paul as walking after the
flesh. Paul would stand up boldly and denounce this false accusation.
Paul was capable of
bold confrontation but sought to spare the rebellious minority not to
force him to display his boldness by confronting them.
2 Corinthians
10:3
I have said, over
and over, that the Christian is in the world, but not of the world.
Paul is saying, here, I may be housed in flesh, but I am not a flesh
man. The battles that Paul had been fighting were spiritual battles.
His weapons were spiritual, as well. He describes his armor in
Ephesians chapter 6, beginning with the 11th verse.
Some at Corinth had
wrongly accused him of walking in the flesh in a moral sense. Paul
affirmed that he did walk in the flesh in a physical sense; though
possessing the power and authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ, he
was a real human being.
2 Corinthians
10:4
The war that Paul
was fighting is still going on today. It is the battle between the
flesh and the spirit.
Ephesians 6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]."
We will find in all
of Paul's battles, he did not use a sword to fight a physical battle.
God fought Paul's battles for him. The formidable spiritual
strongholds manned by the forces of hell can be demolished only by
spiritual weapons wielded by godly believers, such as the “sword of
the Spirit” (Eph 6:17), since only the truth of God’s Word can
defeat satanic falsehoods.
2 Corinthians
10:5
You can sit around
and imagine all sorts of terrible things. Paul says cast them down.
Do not allow yourself to start imagining all sorts of terrible
things. Thoughts, ideas, speculations, reasoning’s, philosophies,
and false religions are the ideological forts in which men barricade
themselves against God and the gospel. The mind is where evil
imaginations begin.
We find in the next
Scripture that it our responsibility to guard over our own mind.
I Peter 1:13
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;"
The devil tempts man
in his mind. The mind is an enemy of God. A true Christian takes on
the mind of Christ. That means our mind obeys Christ to the utmost.
2 Corinthians
10:6
Paul is saying that
these disobedient will conform to Christ in truth. He says that he
had rather his preaching and explaining would win them, but he will
do more if he has to.
Paul would not stand
idly by while enemies of the faith assaulted a church under his care.
He was ready to purge them out (as he did at Ephesus – 1 Tim.
1:19-20) as soon as the Corinthian church was complete in its
obedience. When that happened, the lines would be clearly drawn
between the repentant, obedient majority and the disobedient
minority.
2 Corinthians
10:7
It appears that
these trouble-makers had even gone so far as to say that Paul was not
of Christ. Paul is warning the Corinthians to not look at outward
appearance. Paul is the one who led them to Christ. How could he lead
them to Christ if he were not of Christ himself? He says if you are
of Christ, then certainly I am of Christ.
In light of what the
Corinthians knew about Paul, how could some of them possibly believe
that He was a false apostle and the false teachers were true
apostles? Unlike Paul, the false apostles had founded no churches and
had suffered no persecution for the cause of Christ. Paul could call
on his companions and even Ananias as witnesses to the reality of his
Damascus Road experience; there were no witnesses to verify the false
apostles’ alleged encounters with the risen, glorified Christ.
For the sake of
argument, Paul did not at this point deny the false apostles’
claims as he did later in 11:13-25. He merely pointed out that he
too, can and does claim to belong to Christ. To decide between the
conflicting personal claims, the Corinthians needed only to consider
the objective evidence, as he commanded them to do earlier in this
verse.
2 Corinthians
10:8
Paul is saying, if
anyone has a right to boast it would be me. The Lord Jesus Christ had
appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, and gave him authority to
minister to the Gentiles. Paul is not meaning this to brag on
himself, but to shame them for their bragging. The Lord had raised
Paul up, not Paul.
The Lord gave Paul
his authority to edify and strengthen the church; that he had done so
at Corinth proves the genuineness of his claim to apostolic calling.
Far from edifying the Corinthian church, the false apostles had
brought confusion, divisiveness and turmoil to it. That showed that
their authority did not come from the Lord, who seeks only to build
His church, not tear it down.
2 Corinthians
10:9
We know that Paul
wrote at least 2 letters. Paul's letters were very strong, but that
is what they needed to keep them straightened out.
False apostles had
accused Paul of being an abusive leader and of trying to intimidate
the Corinthians in his letters. Paul’s god however, was not to
terrify the Corinthians but to bring them to repentance, because he
loved them.
2 Corinthians
10:10
Some of this was
certainly true. Paul did write powerful letters to them. He, also,
was a small man in stature. "Paul" means small. He was not
a flashy minister. Even his speaking was not as powerful as his
letters.
The false teachers
had claimed that in contrast to his bold, forceful letters, that in
person he lacked the presence, charisma and personality of a truly
great leader. They no doubt supported their view by portraying Paul’s
departure after his “painful” visit.
God called each of
us to our own calling. One can write, another preach, another teach,
another heal, and so on. We should use the ability that God has given
us to the very fullest amount we can.
2 Corinthians
10:11
Paul is saying, do
not think that I will let up when I come to you in person. What I
have been giving you is truth, and will remain the truth. Paul says,
it is the same message, whether I write it to you, or give it in a
speech before you.
Paul denied the
false charges against him and affirmed his integrity. What he was in
his letters he was to be when present with them.
2 Corinthians
10:12
When you have to
brag on yourself, there is not much there to brag about. Paul refuses
to be of that sort.
It is a mark of
Paul’s humility that he refused to compare himself with others, or
engage in self promotion,. His only personal concern was what the
Lord thought of him, though he needed to defend his apostleship so
the Corinthians would not, in turning from him, turn from the truth
to lies.
Paul pointed out the
folly of the false apostles’ boasting. They had invented false
standards that they could meet, and then proclaimed themselves
superior for meeting them.
2 Corinthians
10:13
It is not bragging
to tell of the call of God in your life. That is just stating a fact.
In contrast to the
proud, arrogant, boastful false apostles, Paul refused to say
anything about himself or his ministry that was not true and god
given.
Paul was content to
stay within the bounds of the ministry God had given him, that of
being the apostle to the Gentiles. The apostle again demonstrated his
humility by refusing to boast of his own accomplishments, preferring
to speak only of what Christ had done through him.
2 Corinthians
10:14
This is Paul saying;
let my preaching speak for its self. Paul reminds them that the
church at Corinth was under his jurisdiction, since he started the
church there. He knew others would come, but he was the very first to
minister to them, and he felt it his responsibility to keep them in
sound doctrine.
2 Corinthians
10:15
Paul had not gone
into a church that someone else started and tried to impose his way.
This was a church he had started himself, and another had come and
tried to change it. Paul has every right to defend the church he
started, and his self.
When the crisis in
Corinth had been resolved and the Corinthians’ faith strengthened,
Paul would, with their help, expand his ministry into new areas.
2 Corinthians
10:16
Paul went into areas
where they had not heard the gospel, and started new works. He was
not building on someone else's work, but on his own.
This is speaking of
areas in Rome and Spain. (See Romans 15:24 and 28)
2 Corinthians
10:17
The thought of self
glory was repugnant to Paul; he boasted only in the Lord.
The following
Scripture says it much better than I could.
Galatians 6:14
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world."
To God be the glory
for all things.
2 Corinthians
10:18
Self commendation is
both meaningless and foolish; the only true, meaningful commendation
comes from God.
Let us look at a
very good explanation of this from the Scriptures.
Luke 18:10-14
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee,
and the other a publican." "The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with him, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are],
Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." "I
fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess."
"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner." "I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that
exalteth he shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted."
To exalt you means
that no one else will do it. God is the Judge of all. Pray that He
will exalt you.
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