2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
“The apostle having said what was necessary and proper to stir up the Corinthians to a liberal contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, returns to the vindication of himself against the false apostles…” (Gill's Exposition) "In view of the meekness and mildness of the Redeemer; or desiring to imitate his gentleness and kindness. Paul wished to imitate that. He did not wish to have occasion for severity. He desired at all times to imitate, and to exhibit the gentle feelings of the Saviour. He had no pleasure in severity; and he did not desire to exhibit it.” (Barnes' Notes)
Paul did just that while present with a faction within the Church at Corinth. And therefore, they mocked him for it. They were “probably Judaisers, which denied his authority and said bitter things about his character. They apparently had contrasted the force of his letters and the feebleness of his 'bodily presence' and speech. They insinuated that his 'bark was worse than his bite.' Their language put into plain English would be something like this, 'Ah! He is very bold at a distance, let him come and face us and we shall see a difference. Vapouring in his letters, he will be meek enough when he is here.’” (Alexander MacLaren)
2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
"That is, he entreated them that they would [repent and] so behave for the future, that he might have no occasion, when he came among them, to use that power and authority they called boldness, which he had received from Christ for edification, and not destruction; as for that asperity and roughness with which he wrote, and which was thought to be too severe, it was in order to reclaim them, and so prevent that sharpness he was empowered by Christ to use: for though he had said in his former epistle, 1 Corinthians 4:21 'shall I come unto you with a rod or in love? and in the spirit of meekness?' he chose to come in the latter…” (Gill's Exposition)
The latter way might mean excommunicating them from fellowship. This is the biblical way for turning someone over to satan for destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved and the day of the Lord Jesus. See 1 Corinthians 5:5. The purpose is to bring repentance.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
They said that Paul "warred according to flesh,” in his opposition to them. "He answers the taunt that he 'walked according to the flesh' in the context by saying, 'Yes, I live in the flesh, my outward life is like that of other men, but I do not go a-soldiering according to the flesh.”(A. MacLaren) All Christians, including Paul-- thus we, should prayerfully speak the Word in love.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
"The Christian, for instance, does not use swords, guns, or the strategy of modern warfare in spreading the Christian gospel from shore to shore. But those are not the only carnal weapons of which the apostle is speaking. The Christian does not use wealth, glory, power, fluency, or cleverness to accomplish his aims. Rather, he uses methods that are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Faith in the living God, prayer, and obedience to the word of God are the effective weapons of every true soldier of Jesus Christ. It is by these that strongholds are razed...
Paul saw himself as a soldier warring against the proud reasonings of man, arguments which oppose the truth. The true character of these arguments is described in the expression 'against the knowledge of God.' It could be applied today to the reasonings of scientists, evolutionists, philosophers, and religionists who have no room for [Yahweh] God [of Israel] in their scheme of things. The apostle was in no mood to sign a truce with these. Rather he felt committed to bring every thought [of those who confess the name of Jesus] into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All men's teachings and speculations must be judged in the light of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul would not condemn human reasoning as such, but would warn that we must not allow our intellects to be exercised in defiance of the Lord and in disobedience to Him.” (Believer's Bible Commentary)
1 Corinthians 10:7 Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are.
"A sound judgment often involves hard labour. Many jump to conclusions because the jump is so easy and so soon over. But a judgment lightly got may generally be lightly valued. Few things are more difficult than terming accurate judgments. The importance of correct judgment is, however, so all important that we should spare no pains to secure it.
… Surface judgments are popular. Many people are fatally prejudiced by appearance, whether good or bad; of the former they will hear no blame, of the latter no praise. We need remember this when we estimate human judgments generally.
….It leads to constant errors and evils...
… Gentleness is mistaken for weakness. This was the case with the apostle. That which was kindest and best in him was esteemed a fault.
… The physical and external are over estimated. The voice, manner, appearance, language of a preacher are unduly regarded. The 'outward appearance' often goes for much more than the inward grace and power.
...Christ was rejected and is today by those who judge according to the outward appearance. He is 'a root out of a dry ground’ to such; they have no spiritual insight. The Gospels which speak of him are full of inconsistencies to those who will not examine them. Yea, the Bible itself, which is one revelation of him, must be rejected by these weak surface judges. But what said he? 'Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment' (John 7:24)" (E. Hurndall)
8 For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— 9 lest I seem to terrify you by letters. 10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”
People come into the world pitted for destruction, but Paul first told them of Jesus and helped put them on the path to life. BUT” "It would seem that the Corinthians had actually sunk to taunting Paul about his personal appearance. His bodily presence, they jeered, was weak, and he was no speaker. It may well be that they were right. A description of Paul's personal appearance has come down to us from a very early book called 'The Acts of Paul and Thecla,' which dates back to about A.D. 200. It is so unflattering that it may well be true. It describes Paul as 'a man of little stature, thin-haired upon the head, crooked in the legs, of good state of body, with eyebrows meeting, and with nose somewhat hooked, full of grace, for sometimes he appeared like a man and sometimes he had the face of an angel.' A little, balding, bandy-legged man, with a hooked nose and shaggy eyebrows--it is not a very impressive picture, and it may well be that the Corinthians made great play with it.
We might do well to remember that not seldom a great spirit has been lodged in a very humble body. William Wilberforce was responsible for the freeing of the slaves in the British Empire. He was so small and so frail that it seemed that even a strong wind might knock him down. But once Boswell heard him speak in public and afterwards said, 'I saw what seemed to me a shrimp mount upon the table, but, as I listened, he grew and grew until the shrimp became a whale.' The Corinthians had sunk nearly to the ultimate depths of discourtesy and of unwisdom when they taunted Paul upon his personal appearance.
… It seems that they accused Paul of making boastful claims to authority in a sphere in which his writ did not run. No doubt they said that he might try to play the master in other Churches, but not in Corinth. His blunt answer is that Corinth is well within his sphere for he was the first man to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul was a Rabbi and it may be that he was thinking of a claim that the Rabbis often used to make. They claimed and received a very special respect. They claimed that respect for a teacher should exceed respect for a parent, for, they said, a parent brings a child into the--life of this world, but a teacher brings a scholar into the life of the world to come. Surely no man had a greater claim to exercise authority in the Church of Corinth than the man who, under God, had been its founder.” (William Barclay)
"After 2 Corinthians 10:10 a full stop is to be put (see on 2 Corinthians 10:9), so that now, without any connecting particle, but with the more striking force, there follows what is suggested for the consideration of the person judging in such wisdom.” (Meyer’s NT Commentary) —>
11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.
2 Corinthians 10:12 — Morning Repost
I thought that I was quite through as I posted my findings, logged off... and set out on my walk this morning. But as the late great theologian, C. S. Lewis, once discovered, I was "surprised by joy”, as my time in God’s Word, proved increasingly productive. These texts made my mind wander to recent learning through my pastor. He has recently taught us about the early church and the realms of influence and authority of the original apostles, as well as others in Scriptures. For example, the influence that Solomon had on the establishment of a Jewish center in Ethiopia through contact with the Queen of Sheba… and how Philip in New Testament times had built upon that foundation, revealing Christ to a eunuch from that area who was likely a member of that household of faith. See 1 Kings 10 and Acts 8:26-40. The result was the establishment of the Church in that area.
2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Wolves had come in in sheep’s clothing to steal away the flock and take them back to a form of the old ritualistic law. They came with letters of recommendation- often commending themselves. "Doddridge, Grotius, Bloomfield, and some others suppose the sense to be, that they made themselves the standard of excellence;... that they were satisfied with their own attainments; and that they overlooked the superior excellence and attainments of others. This is a graphic description of pride and self-complacency; and, alas! it is what is often exhibited. How many there are, and it is to be feared even among professing Christians, who have no other standard of excellence than themselves. Their views are the standard of orthodoxy; their modes of worship are the standard of the proper manner of devotion; their habits and customs are in their own estimation perfect; and their own characters are the models of excellence, and they see little or no excellence in those who differ from them. They look on themselves as the true measure of orthodoxy, humility, zeal, and piety; and they condemn all others, however excellent they may be, who differ from them.” (Barnes)
13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.
"God is represented as measuring out, or dividing to, the first preachers of the gospel, their several offices, and their several scenes of action, that they might labour each in the parts assigned to them. To the apostles he allotted the charge of converting the world, and endowed them with gifts suited to the greatness of that work. To them, therefore, it belonged to form their converts into churches, and to appoint rules for their government. They had authority to dictate the religious faith and practice of mankind. In short, they had the supreme direction, under Christ, of all religious matters whatever. Yet none of them interfered in the labours of the others, except by common consent. The province assigned by God to the evangelists, and other inferior ministers, was to assist the apostles; to build upon the foundation laid by them; to labour in the gospel under their direction, and in all things to consider themselves as subordinate to the apostles.’” (Benson)
This relates to the authority of the original apostles and not to apostolic succession as some teach. The true successors to the apostles are those who adhere to the doctrine of the apostles... and the prophets.
17 But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”[Jeremiah 9:24]
"If they had anything valuable they should regard the Lord as the author of it. In this admonition it is probable that Paul had in his eye the passage in Jeremiah 9:23-24; though he has not expressly quoted it. 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.' The sentiment is a favorite one with Paul, as it should be with all Christians; … If we glory it should be in the Lord. We should ascribe our talents, wealth, health, strength, and salvation to him. We should rejoice: (1) That we have such a Lord, so glorious, so full of mercy, so powerful, so worthy of confidence and love. (2) We should rejoice in our endowments and possessions as his gift. We should rejoice that we may come and lay everything at his feet, and whatever may be our rank, or talents, or learning, we should rejoice that we may come with the humblest child of poverty, and sorrow, and want, and say, 'Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake;' Psalm 115:1;...” (Barnes' Notes)
18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.