Notes on 2 Corinthians 10

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.

Paul contrasts his usual behavior of meekness and humility in his physical presence to the boldness, or self-confidence, he is expressing in the letter. His normal attitude is that of Christ, in meekness and gentleness. Meekness does not mean weakness, but controlled strength; just as a stallion is controlled by its rider, but is no less strong, so we should be controlled by the Holy Spirit, while still walking in his power. Christ did not hesitate to react in righteous indignation when confronted by evil, as when he cleansed the temple, and Paul does not hesitate to react in a stern way when confronted by carnality and rebellion in the church. Gentleness is an attitude of softness towards those who are hurting and bruised, but not of tolerance toward evil.

People schooled in the ways of the world, like many in the church at Corinth, are accustomed to dealing with others in certain ways: manipulation, intimidation, deceit, and corruption. Their ways are not the ways of Christ, and their weapons are not those we exercise as Christians. As Paul points out clearly in Ephesians 6, we are not fighting against human beings, who are just tools, but the spiritual forces controlled by Satan and his henchmen. Strongholds are organizations, people, or ideas, set up by demonic forces to attack the church, godly attitudes and service, and individual Christians. Secular humanism, in our day, is a satanic stronghold, a cancer with multiple tendrils that reaches throughout our society. The ACLU is a stronghold of the enemy, with the ultimate goal of removing all traces of Christianity from our daily lives. Anything or anyone the Devil sets up to oppose God's plan can be a stronghold. Though it is proper for us as Christians to defend ourselves and our rights through the legal and political processes, we should never view these as our main weapons. Our sword is the Word of God, and our siege weapon is prayer. If we rely on the world's methods to defeat the world, we are doomed before we start. Scripture and prayer are not our only weapons either; we defeat Satan ultimately by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11). Christ has given us his authority over Satan; resist the Devil, we are told, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Imaginations and high things refer to human ideas and intellectual barriers set up in an effort to thwart God's will, and offered as a counterfeit of the true knowledge that comes only from God. If we follow the world's logic, our minds are captive to the world; when we submit to Christ, our thoughts are captive to, or controlled by, the Holy Spirit. We then have, as Paul wrote in the first letter, the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). Once the church itself is submitted to God's will, then the disobedience of those who rebel against Christ can be dealt with.

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.

Men, the Lord told Samuel when he looked at Jesse's sons, judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord sees what is within (1 Samuel 16:7). As is often the case with those who are meek in the Lord, those in the world, and many in the church, judge them as weak, as happened with Paul. In his own eyes, at least, Paul was not a good public speaker, and on that basis alone he would be compared unfavorably to the great trained orators of the day. Just as his enemies misjudged Jesus, so Paul's misjudged hi, and for the same reasons. They applied the wrong standards; their own, which were those of the world. Paul would not fight them with a war of words, with lies and scheming, but with the power of the Spirit. The same God who is merciful is also just, and his wrath is a consuming fire, more than capable of destroying anything Satan puts in his way.

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.

The standard the world uses to measure success or stature is that of comparison to others. The goal is to be smarter, richer, or more powerful than those around us. In athletics, winning is everything, and even if we do not participate, we measure our success and self esteem by that of "our" team. We admire those who, allegedly through their own efforts, achieve success in business or politics or the arts. We measure our own success in life against our icons, our idols, and almost inevitably fall short. Failing that, we look about for those less accomplished than ourselves, and congratulate ourselves that at least we are better than they. This is just the kind of spiritual pride Paul wrote against in his previous letter, and here was another aspect of the same problem. Others try to build themselves up by taking credit for the accomplishments of others; evidently some in Corinth were giving themselves credit for bringing unbelievers to Christ, when they had nothing to do with it. Many of the church had conveniently forgotten that they owed their salvation to the Lord's work through the preaching of Paul. He was asking for the credit he was due, not for his own sake, but Christ's, so that he could move on to the preach the Gospel elsewhere, and not have his work destroyed in places he had already been.

Even for sincere Christians, it is difficult not to crave the approval of others for a job well done. God does not share his glory, but we often bow our heads in false humility as we accept the praise of others for what we do in his service. By the same token, those of us who admire the movers and shakers of the church lavish praise on them, instead of directing it to God where it belongs. We tell the preacher how great his sermon was, or compliment the singer on a beautiful song. There is nothing inherently wrong with building others up, and encouraging them in what they're doing in God's service, but we should always emphasize that the blessing we received came first of all from the Lord. Saying something like, "That was such a blessing," or "The Lord really used you to minister to me" is more appropriate than "You did a fantastic job." Our approval should come from the Lord, first and foremost, regardless of what other people do or do not say. Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

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