II Corinthians 10 · The Lantern

Paul’s Apostolic Authority

Now I myself, Paul, encourage you through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ — I who in appearance am humble among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

Paul is saying that he is the same person whether present or absent. He refers here to the meekness and gentleness of Christ because he does not want to appear to be harsher in person than in a letter.

Some Jewish believers were ordering Gentile converts to follow the law of Moses. They condemned Paul, calling him base and stupid, and claiming that although he kept the law in secret himself, he was prepared to dispense the Gentiles from it publicly, because he thought they were too ignorant to be able to keep it.

After dealing with the good ministers of Christ and of the faith, the Apostle now attacks false ministers and false apostles. First, he attacks these; secondly, those who, being deceived by them, have adhered to them (chap. 13). In regard to the first he does two things.

But I implore that when present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I reckon to be daring toward some who reckon us as walking according to the flesh.

Paul is referring here to those who did not accept that his teaching was spiritual.

I ask, he says, do not force me to make strong use of my power (for by the word "boldness" he means his power), "which I intend to use," that is, which I suppose, think, or intend, since I am being compelled to do so, to use against those who slander us, as if we are hypocrites and boasters; for this is what the words mean: "that we walk according to the flesh." Notice that he…

Then when he says, I beg of you, he refuses to make a test. For they believed that the Apostle acted humbly among them because of fear; hence, he says: you believe so, but I beg of you—since you would like to experience whether I, if it were necessary, would do when I am present as I do in my absence.

For though walking in flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful before God for the demolition of strongholds,

There is no agreement between the divine and the human sacrament, the standard of Christ and the standard of the devil, the camp of light and the camp of darkness. One soul cannot be due to two masters-God and Caesar.

"For our weapons are not of the flesh." For what sort of weapons are of the flesh? Wealth, glory, power, fluency, cleverness, circumventions, flatteries, hypocrisies, whatsoever else is similar to these. But ours are not of this sort: but of what kind are they?

That we are not carrying on a worldly war he proves when he says, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly [carnal]; and first of all, from the weapons of warfare, as a fighter has weapons suitable to his warfare. Now it is plain that the weapons of those who fight according to the flesh, or wage war, are riches, pleasures, and worldly and temporal honors and power.

casting down reasonings and every high thing lifting itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

For "to bring themselves into captivity," and to slay themselves, putting to death "the old man, who is through lusts corrupt," and raising the new man from death, "from the old conversation," by abandoning the passions, and becoming free of sin, both the Gospel and the apostle enjoin.

A brother came to Poemen and said to him, 'Many thoughts come into my mind and put me in danger.' He sent him out into the open air, and said, 'Open your lungs and do not breathe.' He replied, 'I can't do that.' Then he said to him: 'Just as you can't stop air coming into your lungs, so you can't stop thoughts coming into your mind. Your part is to resist them.'

Men fortify themselves against God in two ways: some with astute plans, such as tyrants, who plot with their evil designs to destroy the things of God, that they may exercise their tyranny; as to this he says, we destroy arguments [counsels], namely, of tyrants: "He takes the wise in their own craftiness" (Job 5:13).

and being ready to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.

You are looking at the things according to appearance. If anyone is persuaded in himself that he is of Christ, let him reckon this again within himself: that just as he is of Christ, so also are we.

For even if I should boast somewhat more excessively about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame,

"For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be put to shame." For since he was going to say somewhat great, observe how he softens it. For nothing doth so offend the majority of hearers as for any one to praise himself.

He did not say: I have the authority to punish and put to death, while they do not, but humbly: "even if more." And he did not say: if I boast, but: "if I were to boast," that is, if I wish, he says, to boast about the authority "which the Lord gave us," again attributing all this to the Lord.

Then when he says, For even if I boast, he pursues his cause. But it sometimes happens that a person is moved against someone because the former is deceived by the authority of someone who gives himself out as being great.

so that I may not seem as if to frighten you through the letters.

Come, now, if he had not "wholly saddened" so many persons in the first Epistle; if he had "rebuked" none, had "terrified" none; if he had "smitten" the incestuous man alone; if, for his cause, he had sent none into panic, had struck (no) "inflated" one with consternation,-would it not be better for you to suspect, and more believing for you to argue, that rather some one far d…

This is what Paul's enemies were saying he was trying to do.

Then when he says, I would not seem to be frightening you, he pursues his cause with the evidence of the facts. In regard to this he does three things. First, he shows that the charge laid against him is false; secondly, the reason he says this (v. 12); thirdly, he explains the reason (v. 13).

For they say, “The letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his word is despised.”

Let such a one reckon this: that such as we are in word through letters when absent, such also we are in deed when present.

For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some of those commending themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand.

For we dare not join or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves: They are those who commend themselves, who desire to rule without receiving authority, claiming authority for themselves. For the one who is sent does not assert authority for himself, but rather for the one who sent him, showing himself to be a chosen steward by the Lord.

As often as you think of the perfection of the virtues, do not consider what others have less than you have but what you have less than you ought to have. You should not think that you are perfect in virtue if you see other women given over to sins; nor consequently should you credit yourself with any greater speed if you see some women either backsliding or walking feebly.

Then when he says, Not that we venture, he indicates the reason behind what he says, saying: I say that we are not like the false apostles, nor is the charge they lay against us true, because I do not say any more than I have to say.

But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the area that God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

Touching such, however, as are betrothed, I can with constancy "above my small measure" pronounce and attest that they are to be veiled from that day forth on which they shuddered at the first bodily touch of a man by kiss and hand.

"But we will not glory beyond our measure:" as they do. For it is probable that in their boasting they said, 'we have converted the world, we have reached unto the ends of the earth,' and vented many other such like big words.

Having indicated the reason behind the things he had said, the Apostle now explains that reason. For he had said that he measures himself by himself and did not go beyond that measure. But a person could be excessive in two ways in glorying and commending himself. First, in regard to that about which he glories; for example, if he glories about something he does not have.

For we are not overextending ourselves as though not reaching to you; for we came as far as you also in the gospel of the Christ,

not boasting beyond measure in the labors of others, but having hope, as your faith increases, to be enlarged among you according to our area unto abundance,

The primacy of knowledge the apostle shows to those capable of reflection, in writing to those Greeks of Corinth, in the following terms: "But having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall he magnified in you according to our rule abundantly, to preach the Gospel beyond you." He does not mean the extension of his preaching locally: for he says also that in Achaia fai…

"Not glorying beyond" our "measure," that is, "in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance, so as to preach the Gospel even unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in another's province in regard of things ready to our hand." He sets forth a large accusation of them on these…

Therefore he draws the conclusion, saying: therefore, when I glory in you, I am not glorying beyond measure. Hence he says: We do not boast beyond limit, in other men's labours, where someone else laid the foundation of faith.

so as to evangelize in the regions beyond you, not to boast in another’s area in the things ready to hand.

But the one boasting, let him boast in the Lord;

By saying this Paul intimates that even his assurance and pride are to be given to the Lord, because it is by his favor that he has them. Someone who has confidence in the power of the gospel has confidence in the God who enables it. Thus God is glorified by all godly work.

"He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." This also, he saith, accrueth to us from God.

Then when he says, Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord, he shows that he is not going beyond the measure as to that in which he glories, saying: if I glory in him in whom one should glory, I am not going beyond. But since one should glory in God, Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord: "Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me" (Jer. 9:24).

for it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

II Corinthians10

Paul’s Apostolic Authority