CHAPTER 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.
by
the meekness and gentleness of Christ—He
mentions these graces 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 Is 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);
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 Je 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 Rev
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, Horae Paulinae].
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”
(Je 6:30).
Excerpt from:
A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
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