Chapter Ten
2 Cor. 10:1. I myself, Paul, who am humble when face to face among you, but bold toward you when absent, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.
Having finished his discourse on almsgiving, he now begins to speak with severity against the false apostles and those who disparaged him as feeble-minded and foolishly boastful, and he intends to defend himself, having been compelled to do so lest the preaching lose its authority. He points both to his own deeds and to the grace given by God. Therefore, one would not err in calling this epistle a panegyric of Paul. The opening words, directed against those who called him powerless and a braggart, contain something like the following meaning: I myself, Paul, entreat you — the teacher of the whole world (for the words "I myself, Paul" signify dignity and express something like the following: behold, I myself, Paul, speak to you and entreat you, so that my detractors may not compel me to use my authority against them). It is also of great significance that the apostle entreats, and he further introduces the meekness of Christ as a mediator, speaking as if to say: be ashamed before the meekness of Christ, by which I beseech you. At the same time he shows why he spares them — namely, in imitation of the forbearance of the Savior Christ, and not because he lacks power. So do not force me to depart from the meekness which I love so much that I present it to you as well as a mediator. "Who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you." Either he speaks ironically, using the words of those who disparaged him — for they said that when he is personally present among them, he deserves no respect but is, on the contrary, insignificant and worthy of contempt, yet when he is absent from them, he is puffed up, conducts himself grandly, and makes threats. Or he spoke truly about himself: that when he is among them, he is humble and meek, and if he now speaks with authority, he does this not out of haughtiness but out of hope in them.
2 Cor. 10:2. I ask that upon my coming I not have to resort to that firm boldness which I intend to use against some who think of us that we walk according to the flesh.
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 calls boldness the intention to respond to certain people, although he intends to do this not for his own sake, but for the sake of the preaching. But it is more proper for a teacher to be slow in punishments than to resort to them immediately.
2 Cor. 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
That is, although we are clothed in flesh, we do not use carnal weapons. He reasons about preaching, showing that it is not a human affair and has no need of earthly help. And when he says "we wage war," he conveys this thought: we are waging war and have entered into battle.
2 Cor. 10:4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
That is, not wealth, nor glory, nor smooth speech, nor flattery, nor hypocrisy, for such are the weapons of the flesh.
2 Cor. 10:4. but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,
He did not say: but spiritual (as, of course, one should have said in contrast to the word "carnal"), but – "mighty," hinting that carnal weapons are weak and powerless. See how far he is from pride. He did not say: we are mighty, but: "weapons, mighty through God," that is – God made them mighty. Since they were persecuted and tormented, which would seem to indicate weakness, he says: "mighty through God," for through this the power of God is especially revealed, and He is the one acting and fighting, although we are the ones bearing the weapons. In what way "mighty"? In "the pulling down of strongholds," and what strongholds these are, he speaks of below.
2 Cor. 10:4. by them we overthrow schemes
With these weapons, he says, we cast down the reasonings of the Greeks and their pride, or: we draw out their minds and souls from the error with which they are infected, and subject them to the truth. Thus the mind and haughtiness of the Areopagite were drawn away from impiety and subjected to piety. Note that he did not say: we employ battering rams, but simply: we destroy; by this is shown the ease of the victory and the power of the weapons.
2 Cor. 10:5. and every exaltation rising against the knowledge of God,
He continues the allegory in order to clarify what is desired. Even if, he says, there stood against the reason of God, that is, the Gospel, an "exaltation," that is, a tower or fortress, even this we destroy.
2 Cor. 10:5. and we take captive every thought into the obedience of Christ,
The word "captivity" has a twofold meaning: it signifies both the loss of freedom and complete captivity, after which one can no longer resist. Paul now used the word "we take captive" in the second sense. Not only, he says, do we overcome and conquer every human reasoning, but we also take captive, which signifies the most complete victory. Furthermore, since the word "captivity" is harsh, he says: "to the obedience of Christ." That is, we bring into slavery to Christ, which is more precious than any freedom — we subject to Christ, from perdition to salvation, from death to life. Remember those who burned their magic books in Ephesus, and you will understand how Paul took captive.
2 Cor. 10:6. And being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Here he also frightens the Corinthians. We are waiting for you, he says, so that when you have been corrected by our instructions and have ceased your fellowship with the slanderers, we may subject to punishment only those who are incurably afflicted. Punishment is ready on our part, but since you have fellowship with them, we do not employ it for now, lest the blow strike you as well. With the words "when your obedience is fulfilled," he hints that although they are obedient even now, they are not yet perfectly so. At the same time, he sternly demands that both groups reform and that no one be subjected to punishment. In us, thoughts are first formed through the struggle of the worse against the better, and then exaltations arise in honor of those who have gained the victory, rising up against the knowledge of God, so that they come into a state called agitation, ecstasy. For thinking is a simple and immediate activity of the mind, presenting things themselves rather than proof. And in those deluded by demons there are, it seems, such thoughts, which Paul, and everyone guided by his spirit, takes captive to the obedience of Christ.
2 Cor. 10:7. Do you look at outward appearance?
Not only does he frighten the deceivers, but he also rebukes the deceived; therefore he says: recognize by their deeds who is arrogant, who is rich, who hides behind a mask of virtue.
2 Cor. 10:7. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again by himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we Christ's.
The false apostles boasted that they were Christ's and supposedly eyewitnesses of the Word. "Of himself" he said instead of: let him not wait for our exposure against him, but let him consider for himself that precisely because he is Christ's, he has no advantage over us. For I too cannot be an apostle of anyone else, even if he were Christ's. But here he expressed a concession, since he had already shown earlier how much higher he was.
2 Cor. 10:8. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I would not be put to shame.
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. And I received it from God in order to strengthen in the faith, by doing good, not by punishing. So why did you say: "we demolish schemes"? Because building up consists precisely in tearing down everything rotten and destroying obstacles. So how do you threaten with destruction when you did not receive authority for this? I received it primarily for building up; but if someone were to prove incurable, then we will also use the authority for tearing down. So if I wish, he says, to boast that God has granted me more, so that I have the authority first of all to do good, and in the case of resistance — to punish, I will not be put to shame, that is, I will not appear to be a liar or a boaster.