2 Corinthians 10 Study Notes

10:1 These words (Now I Paul) mark the most important transition in the epistle. The only other place he used his own name was in the salutation. The first nine chapters of 2 Corinthians have been warm and encouraging. Here the language dramatically changes to a harsh, threatening tone, because Paul was on the defensive against charges made by the false apostles (11:13).

10:2 Paul planned to challenge certain people who had accused him of behaving according to the flesh—that is, according to human standards. For his earlier discussions of things characteristic of frail humanity versus things that are evidence of God’s power, see notes at 4:8-9; 4:17-18; and 6:8-10.

10:3-4 Paul often used the language of battle and struggle (1Co 14:8; 1Tm 1:18; 4:7), but there is a right way and a wrong way to fight. Christians should resort neither to the literal weapons of warfare nor to the rhetorical weapons of sophisticated philosophical reasoning to advance the gospel. Divine, supernatural power is required to defeat Satan’s strongholds. Believers experience this power by putting on the armor of God (Eph 6:10-18).

10:5 The proud thing refers to arguments made by false teachers. These would not be defeated by sophisticated reasoning but by the foolishness of the message preached (1Co 1:22). See 1:18-30 for Paul’s earlier guidance to the Corinthians on this topic.

10:6 The phrase your obedience means the commitment of the Corinthians to Paul’s cause in opposing the false apostles. On his intention to deal severely with the troublemakers, see note at 13:2.

10:7 One clique in the Corinthian church—and perhaps the false teachers—had arrogantly claimed, “I belong to Christ” (1Co 1:12) to the exclusion of others. Paul had condemned this divisiveness (1Co 1:10-17) because there is no inner circle in Christianity made up of an especially enlightened group.

10:8 Within the church (made up of spiritual equals) Christ has given authority and leadership responsibility to certain individuals to use for building . . . up believers but never for tearing . . . down.

10:9-10 Paul’s earlier correspondence caused the Corinthians to be “grieved” (7:8), but it was for their own good and it was not done just to frighten them. The false apostles contrasted the powerful impact of his letters with the weak impact of his presence and his lack of oratorical skill in his public speaking (11:6; 1Co 2:1-4), supposing this was proof of a major defect in the apostle.

10:11 If the situation required, Paul would not hesitate to exercise his God-given authority (13:2).

10:12 The false apostles were good at self-promotion, or commending themselves. For people to use themselves as the standard for evaluating their ministry shows that they lack understanding.

10:13 Paul’s standard of self-evaluation was the extent to which he had obeyed God’s call on his life, rather than comparing himself to others. The word area suggests either an agricultural image (a measured-out field to be planted and harvested) or an athletic image (a marked-out lane in which to run; vv. 15-16).

10:14-15 The Corinthians’ own conversion experience was proof of Paul’s obedience to God’s call.

10:16 Paul understood his ministry as essentially that of a pioneer church planter. He may have already been planning to go to Spain, or the regions beyond (Rm 15:28).

10:17 The phrase let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord is a summary of Jr 9:24. Jeremiah 9 prophesied the coming destruction of Judah, a people rich in external appearances but lacking in the true knowledge of God and his holy character. Paul’s application to the present situation in Corinth implied that he knew God, but the false apostles did not.

10:18 The one the Lord commends refers to the judgment seat of Christ (5:10).