Second Corinthians 10:1-18
II Corinthians 10:1 and 2:
10:1But I myself Paul encourage you, by means of
the meekness and considerateness of Christ, who indeed (am)
humble face-to-face among you but being absent I am courageous into
you, .2and I supplicate (that while I am) being
present not to be courageous with the persuasion which I calculate
to dare on some-people, the (people) calculating us as
walking according to flesh,
Paul continues in this letter addressed to the holy-people
(sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God)
who are the church of God being in Corinth together with all the
holy-people being in the whole of Achaia at that time.
Emphatically I myself Paul (not someone else)…
- who
indeed is humble (lowly, in a state of lowliness, a position of
humbleness with respect to what God says) when I am face-to-face
(present) with you,
- and
while I am away-from you I am courageous (warmly-confident) into,
directed-to you
…I encourage you (exhort you, call you
beside me as a concerned father or mother would invite their children
close to them under their arms so as to help them to do that which is
right) by means of (through)…
- the
meekness (tender receptiveness or receptivity towards God and the things
of God)
- and
considerateness (the disposition of yielding appropriately with
fitting-suitableness considering the rights of others in a
righteous/just manner according to what God says)
- of, belonging-to, and proceeding-from Christ (the resurrected
Anointed-one),…
…and I supplicate you (express my lack of
something specific and my need of help from you, I communicate my
needful request to you) for the purpose that during the time of my being
present with you (the next time that I am beside/with you)…
- I
would NOT be in the position of having to be courageous (warmly
confident) with the persuasion (the conviction, confidence, certainty
and reliance)
- which I calculate to dare (I reckon, count, compute to venture, challenge,
confront-boldly) down-on some people – what people? –
- the people who are calculating myself and those with me as walking
(behaving, conducting ourselves) according to flesh (in accordance with
the flesh, which can be influenced by satan; therefore not according to
holy spirit!).
[Reference: Matthew 11:29; Acts 24:4; Romans 8:4, 12:16; I Corinthians
2:1-5, 4:21; II Corinthians 1:17ff; Philippians 4:5.]
Verses 3-6:
.3for (though we are) walking in flesh,
we do not serve-as-soldiers according to flesh – .4for
the arms of our soldiery (are) not fleshly but
(they are) able by God towards (the) pulling-down of
strongholds – (we are) pulling-down calculations .5and
every high-thing lifting-itself-up against the knowledge of God, and
(we are) taking-captive every mindful-device with-a-view-to
the obedience of Christ, .6and (we are) having in
preparation to avenge all disobedience whenever your obedience may
be fulfilled.
In truth, though we are physically and literally
walking in flesh (it is a fact that we have fleshy bodies), we do not
serve as soldiers in accordance with flesh (we have not put ourselves in
service soldiering during battle/war moving in conformity or proportion
with/to flesh, our flesh or some other fleshy person). The usage of
military terminology draws attention to the truth that holy-people are
in a battle/war against the opposing side.
Paul explains: in truth, the arms (weapons, implements) of our soldiery
(military service during a battle or war)…
- are
not fleshly (they are not belonging-to, proceeding-from, relating-to,
characterized-by flesh, they do not have the appetites of the flesh),
- but
on the contrary, the arms of our soldiery are able (capable, they have
able-power) by/with/from God
- for the purpose of the pulling-down of strongholds (the forceful
taking-down, the demolition of fortresses from a higher to a lower
position).
Paul did not say that there was no battle going on so who cared how they
were behaving themselves as they traveled among people, did he? No! He
was well aware that it was not a fleshly battle, but that it was a
spiritual battle. He and those with him had received holy spirit-life
from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore they were God's
sons spiritually. The spiritual force which is in opposition to God and
the things of God is led by satan/devil with the lower-ranking
devil-spirits (demons) under his command. The arms of soldiery which
Paul and those with him had were not fleshly but they were able
by God towards the pulling-down of strongholds. Paul and those with him
were not relying on their intelligence, their physical strength, or on
guns, etc, but they were relying on God's ability.
Paul explains:
We are pulling down (taking down, demolishing)…
- calculations (reckonings,
countings,
computations of the mind, logistics)
- and
all/every high-thing (that-which is occupying a high position,
elevation) lifting itself upwards (the opposite of 'pulling-down') into
a high position
- against (in hostile and downward motion opposing) the knowledge of God
(God’s personal knowledge that He makes known to His people; this
knowledge is a truly active and relative knowing of God and the things
of God, and includes receiving knowledge from Him via the gift of holy
spirit regarding different specific situations during the everyday
living of our lives).
And we are taking captive (making a
prisoner-of-war, taking by the spear during the battle)…
- all/every mindful-device (every contrivance or product of the mind's
thinking, the plan issuing from the action of the mind)
- with-a-view-to the obedience of Christ (into, directed-to, for the
purpose of hearing, listening attentively-to the resurrected Christ via
our holy spirit-life which is the spirit of Christ within us, and then
the action carried-out in accordance with and resulting from believing
what is heard is the obedience of Christ).
And we are having in preparation (holding in
readiness)…
- to
avenge all/every disobedience (to carry-out vengeance, to revenge, to
execute right/justice for all disobedience, every hearing aside,
literally hearing what God gives to believe, but deciding to put what is
heard aside from oneself, refusing to carry it out, thus going against
what is heard, against God's Word)
- at
whatever time your obedience (your hearing of what God or Christ says,
listening attentively and then carrying-out what you hear) would be
fulfilled (filled-up, made full, accomplished).
It is only
when you are obedient to Christ that we can avenge others who are
disobedient when we visit you – otherwise you would also be in the
disobedient category.
Great emphasis is given to these verses by the repetition of the Greek
root-word pas that can be translated into the English as "all" or
"every."
[Reference: Acts 7:24; Romans 2:15, 6:13, 8:39, 10:14-17, 12:9, 13:1-5
and 12; I Corinthians 3:3, 9:7; II Corinthians 1:12, 2:9, 5:16, 6:7,
7:11, 9:8, 13:10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 2:25;
Colossians 1:27; I Timothy 1:18; II Timothy 2:3 and 4; Philemon 1:2.]
Verses 7-11:
.7You must observe the-things face-to-face –
if someone was persuaded2 relative-to himself to be of
Christ, this he must calculate again on himself that according as he
(is) of Christ thus also (are) we.
.8For if-ever I may boast something more-exceeding I will
boast concerning our authority which the Lord gave (to us)
into edification and not into your pulling-down. .9I will
not be caused-shame - in order that I may not consider as ever to
make you very-fearful by means of the letters .10because
(someone) says, "The letters indeed (are) weighty and
strong but the presence of the body (is) weak and the word
(is) having been despised2" – .11the
person-of-this-kind must calculate this: that the-kind-of-people we
are with word by means of letters being absent,
the-people-of-this-kind also (we are) standing-beside
(you) with work.
You must look at (mentally-envision, be mentally-aware and contemplate,
even though you may not physically see what I’m talking about with your
physical eyes, observe) the facts in front of you (right before you, in
your presence) –
- if
someone among you was persuaded and is still persuaded (convinced) in
connection with himself that he is of Christ (belonging to Christ, that
he has received the gift of holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ),
- then
this is what he ought again to reckon on himself (compute, count further
in his own presence)
- that
according as he, that person himself, is of Christ –
- in this manner also are we (myself and those with me are also of Christ).
All holy-people are limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ because we
have exactly the same holy spirit-life within us; Christ is the head and
we are the limbs, the rest of the body.
It may be interesting to note that the papyrus P46 has the following in
verse 7: “…if someone was persuaded and continues persuaded of
yourselves to be of Christ, this he must calculate again on himself that
according as the Christ himself thus also we.”
Paul continues: in truth, if it should ever happen that I (Paul) would
boast (speak justifiably loudly about) something which is more-exceeding
(more abundant, comparatively more than above the number or measure
already attained, in excess of the truth that we and all holy-people
have the spirit of Christ in us) - I will boast about our authority (our
authoritative-power, permitted-right) which the Lord gave to us (our
Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the one who authorized myself and
those with me)…
- into
edification (with a view to, directed to, for the action or process of
building you upwards and establishing you),
- and not into your pulling-down (not with a view to, directed to, for the
forceful taking down, the demolition of you holy-people from a higher to
a lower position)
… in the walk/behavior category!
I will not be caused shame (to have the feeling or emotion of disgrace
and guilt, bringing reproach having recognized and being sorry for my
performance of an improper, ignominious or dishonorable deed from God's
point of view, I will not be made to feel shame before others) – why
not? –
- for
the purpose and result that I would not suppose as it would happen at
any time that I cause you to be very afraid (totally frightened) by
means of the letters (through the epistles) that I write to you,
- because someone is propounding that the letters which I write are indeed
weighty (heavy, in the figurative sense of being important with great
gravity) and strong (as physical strength)
- but that when I come to you my physical body is without-strength (my
physique is feeble) and the word (the spoken-account which I speak) was
and still is despised (it's despicable, set-out and thought-of as
nothing, negligible and to be treated with contempt).
Continuing to address some of the accusations made against him as he
ministered among the people, Paul writes: such a person who says these
things must calculate (reckon, count, compute) this:
- that
the sort of people we (myself and those with me) are with the word (by
the spoken-account) by means of the letters/epistles which I write
during the time that we are being away-from you,
- we are also people of this sort during the time that we are standing-beside
(being near) you with the work (by that-which is wrought, the action or
deed) which we carry-out in accordance with our ministry.
There was no difference between what Paul and those with him were saying
and doing while present with the Corinthian and
Achaian holy-people or absent from them. They were not like some
people who say and do one thing when present with someone but actually
say and do different or opposite things when the other person's back is
turned! Paul and those with him were not two-faced by changing their
behavior depending on whether they were with them or not. They were
saying and doing what God and the Lord Jesus Christ were telling them to
say and do whether they were there in person or not; and Paul wrote his
letters by revelation from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Reference: I Corinthians 1:12, 6:15, 19 and 20, 7:22 and 23, 12:12-14;
II Corinthians 13:10; Ephesians 4:8 and 11; II Peter 3:15 and 16.]
Verse 12:
.12For we do not dare to in-judge or to
judge-together ourselves with some-people, the (people)
commending themselves, but they, measuring themselves
among themselves and judging-together themselves with themselves, do
not understand.
Paul continues: in truth, we (myself and those
with me) do NOT dare (not venture, confront-boldly, challenge)…
- to
judge ourselves among some people (to decide that we admit ourselves
into an inner-circle or class of certain Christians within the whole
group of Christians),
- or to judge ourselves in conjunction with some people (to decide by joining
or combining ourselves with certain others so that the judgment, the
decision made is based on comparing ourselves with them) – what kind of
other people?
- emphatically and specifically of the people who are commending themselves
(those who are causing themselves to stand in conjunction together, in
the sense of favorably introducing or commending themselves to everybody
else).
But contrary to us not doing that – emphatically they…
- measuring themselves among themselves (their standard of measurement is
based on themselves instead of on what God says)
- and
judging together themselves with themselves (making their decisions by
joining or combining themselves in conjunction with themselves, which
means that their judgment, the decision they make is based on comparing
themselves with themselves, not based upon what God says)
…do not understand (they do not have insight, they do not put the
information together in their minds to the end of gaining insight into
the truth of what God says and does).
With all their measuring and judging, getting together in their special
committees, their groups, having their own private parties, even with
all of that – they do not understand. They are not able to bring their
minds into proper arrangement; they do not discern; they do not
comprehend! They do not understand the true greatness of everything that
God has accomplished and made available by means of His son, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
[Reference: I Corinthians 2:13.]
Verses 13-18:
.13But we will not boast into the
things-without-measure but according to the measure of the
measuring-rod which God distributed to us, of measure also to
reach-on continuously-until you, .14for not as (though
we are) not reaching-on into you - we super-stretch-out
ourselves, for we came-ahead even continuously-until you in the
good-message of Christ, .15not boasting in others' labors
into the things-without-measure but (we are) having hope,
your belief being increased, to be made-great among you according to
our measuring-rod into excess, .16to good-message into
those-beyond you, not to boast in another's measuring-rod into the
prepared-places .17but "the (person) boasting must
boast in (the) Lord" – .18for (it is) not
the (person) commending himself that-person is approved
but whom the Lord commends.
The word "measure" means the standard, that by-which
anything is measured, the limits of the content, the measurement that is
set by the content.
But emphatically we (myself and those with me)…
- will
not boast (will not speak loudly as though it were a justifiable claim)
directed-to the immeasurable things (whatever or wherever is not
measured, that have no standard of measurement set for them),
- but on the contrary, we will boast according to the measure (in accordance,
conformity and proportion to/with the standard) – of what? –
- of
the measuring-rod which God distributed to us (the cannon, the guiding
rule, the straight line of demarcation that the only true God divided,
parted into different parts, imparted, apportioned to us)
- also included in this measure is to reach all the way (to come up as far as)
onto you Corinthian and Achaian holy-people.
In truth, it is not as though we are not coming as far as you, but we
super-extend ourselves (we stretch over/to a greater-degree, as if we
are stretching ourselves outwards for an extreme distance or measure
beyond the limits we have already attained), for we went ahead (have
overtaken) emphatically all the way up to you within the sphere of
action of the good-message of Christ (the gospel, evangel pertaining-to
Christ).
We are not boasting to you or to anyone else within the sphere of action
of labors of others (exerted wearisome efforts, toils that other people
have done) directed to the things without measure (as verse 13 above) –
- but we are hoping (expecting to come to pass at a future time)…
- that
while your belief is being increased (during them time that your faith,
trust relative to God and the good-message of Christ is being caused to
augment, grow, expand; you are believing more and more of the
good-message that we teach you and what is being revealed to you via the
gift of holy spirit)
- to
be made-great among you (that we will be enlarged, magnified, you will
express the greatness of what we say and do) in accordance with our
measuring-rod (the cannon, guiding-rule or straight-line of demarcation
which God distributed to us) with a view to excess (abundance, over and
above the number or measure already attained among you),
- to
good-message (gospelize, preach the gospel,
evangelize) into the people in places beyond you, beyond your location,
- not
to boast within the sphere of action of another person's measuring-rod
(which God distributed to that person) directed to the places and/or
things which are already prepared (they have been made ready and it does
not have to be re-done by us)
- but “the person who is boasting (speaking justifiably loudly, whether it be
myself or those with me or any of you holy-people) must boast within the
cause and sphere of action of the Lord.”
Paul is referencing a scripture written in the Book of Jeremiah - the
King James Version misrepresents this verse by using the word "glory"
instead of the word "boast," therefore the following quotation is taken
from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the old covenant writings:
Jeremiah 9:23 and 24:
Thus saith the Lord
[God], Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the
strong man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in
his wealth;
But let him that boasts boast in this, the
understanding and knowing that I am the Lord that exercise mercy,
and judgment, and righteousness, upon the earth; for in these things
is my pleasure, saith the Lord.
Paul references this passage emphasizing that all the holy-people are to
boast in God including all that He has done for them by means of His
son, the Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord of all the holy-people since the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The person who is boasting must boast within
the Lord.
He further teaches: in truth, it is NOT the person who is favorably
introducing himself who is approved (who has passed the test, the
examination, and is thus approved in the walk/behavior category relative
to God and the Lord Jesus Christ) – but on the contrary, it is the
person whom the Lord favorably introduces who is approved.
[Reference: Acts 5:13, 18:1-11, 19:21-20:2; Romans 5:10, 11, 12:3,
15:19-21; I Corinthians 1:17, 30 and 31, 4:15-17, 9:12, 15:1-8; II
Corinthians 2:12, 9:13; Galatians 1:7, 6:16; Ephesians 4:7, 13 and 16;
Philippians 1:27; I Thessalonians 3:2; II Timothy 2:15. Note: verbs with
a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the
"perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of
this study.]
