2 Corinthians 10

2Co 10:1-18.

HE

VINDICATES

HIS

APOSTOLIC

AUTHORITY AGAINST

THOSE

WHO

DEPRECIATED

HIM FOR

HIS

PERSONAL

APPEARANCE.

HE

WILL

MAKE

HIS

POWER

FELT

WHEN

HE

COMES.

HE

BOASTS

NOT, AS

THEY,

BEYOND

HIS

MEASURE.

1. I Paul myself--no longer "we," "us," "our"

(2Co 9:11):

I who am represented by depreciators as "base," I, the same

Paul, of my own accord "beseech you"; or rather "entreat,"

"exhort" you for your sake. As "I beseech you" (a distinct

Greek verb,

2Co 10:2)

for my sake.

of Christ especially

(Ps 18:35;

Mt 11:29),

as on account of his imitation of them in particular he was despised

[GROTIUS]. He entreats them by these, in order to

show that though he must have recourse to more severe measures, he is

naturally inclined to gentle ones after Christ's example [MENOCHIUS]. "Meekness" is more in the mind internally;

"gentleness" in the external behavior, and in relation to others; for

instance, the condescending yieldingness of a superior to an

inferior, the former not insisting on his strict rights [TRENCH]. BENGEL explains it, "By

the meekness and gentleness derived by me from Christ," not from

my own nature: he objects to understanding it of Christ's

meekness and gentleness, since nowhere else is "gentleness" attributed

to Him. But though the exact Greek word is not applied to Him,

the idea expressed by it is (compare

Isa 40:11;

Mt 12:19, 20).

in presence--in personal appearance when present with you.

base--Greek, "lowly"; timid, humbly diffident: opposed to

"bold." "Am" stands here by ironical concession for "am reputed to be"

(compare

2Co 10:10).

2. I beseech you--Intimating that, as he can beseech in letters,

so he can be severe in their presence.

that I may not be--that I may not have to be bold, &c.

with that confidence--that authoritative sternness.

I think--I am minded to be.

as if we walked according to the flesh--His Corinthian detractors

judged of him by themselves, as if he were influenced by fleshly

motives, the desire of favor or fear of giving offense, so as not to

exercise his authority when present.

3. For--Reason why they should regard him "beseeching" them

(2Co 10:2)

not to oblige him to have recourse to "bold" and stern exercise of

authority. "We walk IN the flesh," and so in weakness: but not

"ACCORDING TO the flesh"

(2Co 10:2).

Moreover, though we WALK in it, we do not

WAR according to it. A double contrast or

antithesis. "They who accuse us of walking after the flesh, shall find

[to their cost] that we do not war after the flesh; therefore

compel us not to use our weapons" [ALFORD].

4. A confutation of those who try to propagate their creed by force

and persecution (compare

Lu 9:54-56).

weapons--for punishing offending members

(2Co 10:6;

1Co 4:21; 5:5, 13);

boldness of speech, ecclesiastical discipline

(2Co 10:8;

2Co 13:10),

the power of the word, and of the sacraments, the various extraordinary

gifts of the Spirit.

carnal--Translate, "fleshly," to preserve the allusion to

2Co 10:2, 3.

mighty through God--Greek, "mighty to God," that is,

mighty before God: not humanly, but divinely powerful. The power is not

ours, but God's. Compare "fair to God," that is, divinely fair

(Ac 7:20,

Margin). Also above

(2Co 2:15),

"unto God a sweet savor." "The efficacy of the Christian

religion proves its truth" [BENGEL].

pulling down--As the Greek is the same as in

2Co 10:5,

translate, "casting down." Compare

Jer 1:10:

the inspired servants of God inherit the commission of the Old

Testament prophets.

strongholds--

(Pr 21:22);

namely, in which sinners entrench themselves against reproof; all that

opposes itself to Christ; the learning, and eloquence, and

philosophical subtleties on which the Corinthians prided themselves. So

Joshua's trumpet blast was "mighty" under God to overthrow the walls of

Jericho.

5. imaginations--rather, "reasonings." Whereas "thought" expresses

men's own purpose and determination of living after their own

pleasure [TITTMANN].

high thing--So it ought to be translated

(Ro 8:39).

A distinct Greek word from that in

Eph 3:18,

"height," and

Re 21:16,

which belongs to God and heaven from whence we receive nothing hurtful.

But "high thing" is not so much "height" as something made high,

and belongs to those regions of air where the powers of darkness

::exalt themselves" against Christ and us

(Eph 2:2; 6:12;

2Th 2:4).

exalteth itself--

2Th 2:4

supports English Version rather than the translation of ELLICOTT, &c., "is lifted up." Such were the high

towers of Judaic self-righteousness, philosophic speculations, and

rhetorical sophistries, the "knowledge" so much prized by many (opposed

to "the knowledge of God"), which endangered a section of the

Corinthian Church.

against the knowledge of God--True knowledge makes men humble.

Where there is exaltation of self, there knowledge of God is wanting

[BENGEL]. Arrange the words following thus: "Bringing every thought

(that is, intent of the mind or will) into captivity to the

obedience of Christ," that is, to obey Christ. The three steps of the

apostle's spiritual warfare are: (1) It demolishes what is opposed to

Christ; (2) It leads captive; (3) It brings into obedience to Christ

(Ro 1:5; 16:26).

The "reasonings" (English Version, "imaginations") are utterly

"cast down." The "mental intents" (English Version, "thoughts")

are taken willing captives, and tender the voluntary obedience of faith

to Christ the Conqueror.

6. Translate, "Having ourselves (that is, being) in readiness to

exact punishment for all disobedience," &c. We have this in store for

the disobedient: it will be brought into action in due time.

when your obedience, &c.--He charitably assumes that most of the

Corinthian Church will act obediently; therefore he says

"YOUR

obedience." But perhaps some will act otherwise; in order, therefore, to

give all an opportunity of joining the obedient, he will not prematurely

exact punishment, but wait until the full number of those gathered out

to Christ has been "completed," and the remainder have been proved

incorrigible. He had acted already so at Corinth

(Ac 18:6-11;

compare

Ex 32:34;

Mt 13:28-30).

7. Do ye regard mere outward appearance (mere external

recommendations, personal appearance, voice, manner, oratory of

teachers present face to face, such as they admired in the false

teachers to the disparagement of Paul,

2Co 10:10;

see on

2Co 5:12)?

Even in outward bearing when I shall be present with you

(in contrast to "by letters,"

2Co 10:9)

I will show that I am more really armed with the authority of Christ,

than those who arrogate to themselves the title of being peculiarly

"Christ's"

(1Co 1:12).

A Jewish emissary seems to have led this party.

let him of himself think this again--He may "of himself," without

needing to be taught it in a more severe manner, by "thinking again,"

arrive at "this" conclusion, "that even as," &c. Paul modestly demands

for himself only an equal place with those whom he had begotten in the

Gospel [BENGEL].

8. "For even if I were to boast somewhat more exceedingly

(than I do,

2Co 10:3-6)

of our (apostolic) authority

(2Co 10:6;

2Co 13:10)

. . . I should not be put to shame (by the fact; as I should

be if my authority proved to be without foundation: my threats of

punishment not being carried into effect)."

for edification . . . not for . . . destruction--Greek, "for

building up . . . not for . . .

CASTING DOWN" (the same Greek as in

2Co 10:5):

the image of a building as in

2Co 10:4, 5.

Though we "cast down reasonings," this is not in order to destroy, but

really to build up ("edify"), by removing those things which are

hindrances to edification, and testing what is unsound, and putting

together all that is true in the building [CHRYSOSTOM].

9. I say this lest I should seem to be terrifying you, as children,

with empty threats [BENGEL].

ESTIUS explains, "I might boast more of my

authority, but I forbear to do so, that I may not seem as if," &c.

But this ellipsis is harsh: and

2Co 10:10, 11

confirm BENGEL'S view.

10. letters--implying that there had been already more letters of

Paul received by the Corinthians than the one we have, namely, First

Corinthians; and that they contained strong reproofs.

say they--Greek, "says one," "such a one"

(2Co 10:11)

seems to point to some definite individual. Compare

Ga 5:10;

a similar slanderer was in the Galatian Church.

weak--

(2Co 12:7;

1Co 2:3).

There was nothing of majesty or authority in his manner; he bore

himself tremblingly among them, whereas the false teachers spoke with

authoritative bearing and language.

11. think this--"consider this."

such will we be--or "are," in general, not merely shall we be at

our next visit.

12. "We do not presume (irony) to judge ourselves among, or in

comparison with, some of them that commend themselves." The charge

falsely brought against him of commending himself

(2Co 3:1; 5:12),

really holds good of the false teachers. The phrase, "judge ourselves

of the number," is drawn from the testing of athletes and senators, the

"approved" being set down on the roll [WAHL].

measuring themselves by themselves--"among themselves": to

correspond to the previous verb, "judge ourselves among them."

Instead of measuring themselves by the public standard, they measure

themselves by one made by themselves: they do not compare themselves

with others who excel them, but with those like themselves: hence their

high self-esteem. The one-eyed is easily king among the blind.

are not wise--with all their boasted "wisdom"

(1Co 1:19-26),

they are anything but "wise."

13. not boast . . . without . . .

measure--Greek, "to unmeasured bounds." There is no limit to

a man's high opinion of himself, so long as he measures himself by

himself

(2Co 10:13)

and his fellows, and does not compare himself with his superiors. It

marks the personal character of this Epistle that the word

"boast" occurs twenty-nine times in it, and only twenty-six times in

all the other Epistles put together. Undeterred by the charge of

vanity, he felt he must vindicate his apostolic authority by facts

[CONYBEARE and HOWSON]. It

would be to "boast of things without our measure," were we to boast of

conversions made by "other men's labors"

(2Co 10:15).

distributed--apportioned [ALFORD].

a measure--as a measure [ALFORD].

to reach--"that we should reach as far as even to you": not that he

meant to go no further

(2Co 10:16;

Ro 15:20-24).

Paul's "measure" is the apportionment of his sphere of Gospel

labors ruled for him by God. A "rule" among the so-called

"apostolic canons" subsequently was, that no bishop should appoint

ministers beyond his own limits. At Corinth no minister ought to have

been received without Paul's sanction, as Corinth was

apportioned to him by God as his apostolic sphere. The

Epistle here incidentally, and therefore undesignedly, confirms the

independent history, the Acts, which represents Corinth as the extreme

limit as yet of his preaching, at which he had stopped, after he

had from Philippi passed southward successively through Amphipolis,

Apollonia, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens [PALEY,

Horæ Paulinæ].

14. "We are not stretching ourselves beyond our measure, as

(we should be) if we did not reach unto you:

(but we do), for as far as even to you have we come in preaching the

Gospel."

15. "Not boasting to unmeasured bounds (that is, not exceeding our own

bounds by boasting) of

(literally, 'in') other men's labors."

when--"As your faith goes on increasing." The cause of his not yet

reaching with the Gospel the regions beyond Corinth, was the weakness as

yet of their faith. He desired not to leave the Corinthians before the

proper time, and yet not to put off preaching to others too long.

enlarged by you--Greek, "in your case." Our success in your case

will give us an important step towards further progress beyond you

(2Co 10:16).

according to our rule--according to our divinely assigned

apportionment of the area or sphere of our work; for "we stretch not

ourselves beyond our measure"

(2Co 10:14).

abundantly--Greek, "unto exceeding abundance": so as to exceed

the limits we have yet reached

(2Co 10:16).

16. To--that is, so as to preach . . . beyond you (and) not to

boast, &c.

in another man's line of things made ready to our hand--Do not connect

"line of things," &c.; but "boast of things," &c. To make this

clearer, arrange the words thus, "Not to boast as to things (already

made by the preaching of others) ready to our hand in another man's line

(that is, within the line, or sphere of labor, apportioned by God to

another)."

17. glorieth--Translate, to accord with

2Co 10:16,

"boasteth." In contrast to his opponents' practice of boasting in

another's line or sphere, Paul declares the only true boasting is in

the Lord

(1Co 1:31; 15:10).

18.

(Pr 27:2).

whom the Lord commendeth--to whom the Lord has given as His "Epistle

of commendation," the believers whom he has been the instrument of

converting: as was Paul's case

(2Co 3:1-3).

is approved--can stand the test of the final trial. A metaphor from

testing metals

(Ro 16:10;

1Co 11:19).

So on the other hand those finally rejected by the Lord are termed

"reprobate silver"

(Jer 6:30).