II Corinthians 10 · The Lantern

Now I Paul myself beseech you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence [am] base among you, but being absent am bold towards 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 beseech [you], that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, with which I think to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked 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 we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

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 imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of 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 having in a readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trusteth to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he [is] Christ's, even so [are] we Christ's.

For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

"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.

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by 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 [his] letters (say they) [are] weighty and powerful; but [his] bodily presence [is] weak, and [his] speech contemptible.

Let such one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such [will we be] also in deed when we are present.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

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 of things without [our] measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even to 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 stretch not ourselves beyond [our measure], as though we reached not to you; for we are come as far as to you also in [preaching] the gospel of Christ:

Not boasting of things without [our] measure, [that is], of other men's labors; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our rule abundantly,

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 be 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.

To preach the gospel in the [regions] beyond you, [and] not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

But he that glorieth, let him glory 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 not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

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