2Cor 10:2 | KingComments | STEP | The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it. He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them. It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps. . That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” ( ). Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense. At the end of Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them. . Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him. . That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh. The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought ( ). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy. . What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people. The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors. To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do. The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible. Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity. Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry. You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus. . Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously. Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away? Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again. Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

‏ 2 Corinthians 10:2

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2Cor 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2Cor 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2Cor 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2Cor 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Eph 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2Cor 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2Cor 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?