Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.  I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

• 2 Corinthians 10:1-18

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

2 Corinthians 10-13 ‘could these last four chapters be the “severe” letter?’: “An alternative is to suppose that the ‘earlier’ letter, warning against sexual immorality, is part of 2 Corinthians. Similarly, the four final chapters (2 Cor. 10–13) are considered to be the so-called ‘severe’ letter, the letter written ‘out of much affliction and anguish’ (2 Cor. 2:4). Those favoring this option point to a marked contrast: the positive relationship between Paul and the Corinthians evidenced in the early chapters of 2 Corinthians versus Paul’s harsh attacks on some in Corinth in 2 Cor. 10–13.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 10-13 ‘Paul’s Third Visit to Corinth’: “In the final chapters of 2 Corinthians Paul defends himself against false teachers who had come to Corinth and claimed authority greater than his. They mistook the ‘gentleness of Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:1) in Paul’s life for weakness, claiming that he was braver in his letters than he would be in a face-to-face encounter (10:10). In response Paul argues that the authority they claim is based on comparing themselves with each other and not on having the commendation of God (10:18).
“Paul wrote this defense of his apostolic authority in advance of his third visit to Corinth (12:14; 13:1), and thus after his ‘sorrowful’ visit (see 1:23–2:1). Paul’s uncharacteristic personal boasts (12:1) and his harsh condemnations of his opponents are in stark contrast to his warm regard for the Corinthians in other parts of 2 Corinthians (see 7:8–11, 16). Possibly these chapters were written soon after the “sorrowful” visit while emotions were still high on both sides, whereas the earlier chapters were written later once Paul and the Corinthians had been reconciled …
“Still, 2 Corinthians could have been written by Paul as it now appears in the New Testament. The apostle could have made reconciliation with some of the Corinthians while yet dealing with other opponents in the church.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 10:1-2 ‘more false teachers’: “Some of the Corinthians were being influenced by false teachers who had infiltrated the church. So Paul pleads with the believers in a spirit of meekness and gentleness to listen to him to avoid his having to boldly confront those who were behaving according to the flesh and had accused Paul of being self-serving.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:1 ‘meekness’: ”The humble and gentle attitude that expresses itself in patient endurance of unfair treatment. A meek person is not bitter or angry, and he does not seek revenge when wronged. See … Matt. 5:5. gentleness. This is similar in meaning to meekness. When applied to someone in a position of authority it refers to leniency. Gentle people refuse to retaliate, even when it is in their power to do so (Phil. 4:5). Lowly … bold toward you. Paul sarcastically repeated another feature of the Corinthians’ accusation against him; sadly, they had mistaken his gentleness and meekness toward them for weakness. Further, they accused him of cowardice, of being bold only when writing to them from a safe distance (cf. v. 10).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 ‘A spiritual war’: ”All biblical scholars recognize there is an abrupt shift in Paul’s tone as he moves into this next section of his letter. While there are different theories as to the cause of this shift, the most likely explanation is that 2 Corinthians 1-9 was written in one stage and, a short while later, Paul received some distressing news that caused him to pick up his pen and add 2 Corinthians 10-13. Once again, the issue at stake is the attempt within the church to discredit him.
“Paul sees this opposition as a spiritual war. This war was being raged not only outside the walls of the church but also from within. Paul knew there were those in the Corinthian fellowship who were rebelling against his leadership and tearing down his reputation. His claim is that if a war is necessary to prove his accusers are wrong, he will not back away from it. For many believers today, this confrontation is worrying. They do not believe a Christian leader-filled with the love of God-should be as confrontational as Paul is in this section of his letter. But Paul understands what is at stake. This is a war raging for the very hearts and minds of the believers in Corinth … and they are in immense danger. As he states, ‘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 in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God’ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
“This battle for the mind is too critical for him to tiptoe around. These strongholds of the mind must be fought and overthrown. This is what we find the apostle doing as he begins his final section of the letter.”

• David Jeremiah, 2 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

2 Corinthians 10:3 ‘walk in the flesh’: “Paul’s opponents at Corinth had wrongly accused him of walking in the flesh in a moral sense (cf. Rom. 8:4). Playing off that, Paul affirmed that he did walk in the flesh in a physical sense; though possessing the power and authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ, he was a real human being (cf. 4:7; 16, 5:1). war according to the flesh. Although a man, Paul did not fight the spiritual battle for men’s souls using human ingenuity, worldly wisdom, or clever methodologies (cf. 1 Cor. 1:17–25; 2:1–4). Such impotent weapons are powerless to free souls from the forces of darkness and bring them to maturity in Christ. They cannot successfully oppose satanic assaults on the gospel, such as those made by the false apostles at Corinth.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 ‘in danger of being led astray’: “Paul knew that the Corinthians were in grave danger of being led astray from the gospel. The Corinthian church needed to express loyalty to Christ by demonstrating loyalty to Paul, Christ’s representative (2Co 5:20; 7:15). Paul urged the Corinthians to use spiritual weapons to war against the ‘strong man,’ Satan (Lk 11:21). Paul urged them to pull down the strongholds that had been established in their minds by making every thought obedient to Christ. When they had ‘complete’ obedience, Paul could, with their support, punish the false apostles and those who continued to follow these deceivers (2Co 10:6).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 10:5 ‘capturing thoughts’: “Capturing thoughts is serious business. It was for Jesus. Remember the thoughts that came his way courtesy of the mouth of Peter? Jesus had just prophesied his death, burial, and Resurrection, but Peter couldn’t bear the thought of it. ‘Peter took Jesus aside and told him not to talk like that … Jesus said to Peter, “Go away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don’t care about the things of God, but only about the things people think are important”’ (Matthew 16:22-23).
“See the decisiveness of Jesus? A trashy thought comes his way. He is tempted to entertain it. A cross-less life would be nice. But what does he do? He stands at the gangplank of the dock and says, ‘Get away from me.’ As if to say, ‘You are not allowed to enter my mind.’
“What if you did that? What if you took every thought captive?”

• Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving

2 Corinthians 10:5 ‘exiling our thoughts to a new thought entirely’: “Monarchs of old, such as the kings of Assyria and Babylon, when they subdued a country, removed the people to a distance away from their old haunts to find new homes. When the Lord captivates the thoughts of our mind, he leads them away, conducting them to another reason altogether. The thoughts of the mind he guides into the spiritual realm, wherein they delight in the Lord and bow themselves before him. The person who, being made conscious of sin, believes in Jesus Christ and submits all the thoughts of his judgment and understanding to the obedience of Christ. Before he called evil good and good evil, he substituted darkness for light and light for darkness, he substituted bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Is 5:20)-but now, when he is in difficulty about a moral question, he asks his Lord. Now, if pleasure tempts him, he judges whether it is sweet to his Lord. If a certain doctrine is stated, he weighs it not in the balances of his own thoughts, much less in the scales of popular opinion, but asks, ‘What did my Master say? What would the Lord Jesus think of this?’ He suspends his own judgment for his Master’s judgment. His powers of meditation and consideration keep within the circle of truth and holiness, finding green pastures there. Even when thinking about common things, matters that have to do with affairs of this world, he seeks to serve the Lord, for he knows that ‘every thought,’ not some thoughts, is to be humbled into the obedience of Christ.“

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

2 Corinthians 10:5 ‘the sum of voluntary thoughts’: “Anyone who wishes to check on his true spiritual condition may do so by noting what his voluntary thoughts have been over the last hours or days. What has he thought about when free to think of what he pleased? Toward what has his inner heart turned when it was free to turn where it would?
“When the bird of thought was let go did it fly out like the raven to settle upon floating carcasses or did it like the dove circle and return again to the ark of God? Such a test is easy to run, and if we are honest with ourselves we can discover not only what we are but what we are going to become.
“We’ll soon be the sum of our voluntary thoughts.”

• A. W. Tozer, Born After Midnight

2 Corinthians 10:7 ‘false super-apostles’: “Certain religious leaders had presented themselves to the Corinthian church as ministers of Christ (2Co 11:23). They brought letters of recommendation (2Co 3:1), commended themselves (2Co 10:12), and identified themselves with so-called ‘super-apostles’ (2Co 11:5). These men had credentials, social status, education and persuasive rhetoric (1Co 1:26; 2:1). However, despite outward appearances, they were not genuine apostles (2Co 11:13). They opposed Paul (2Co 10:10), sought monetary gain (2Co 2:17), and indulged in sensuality (2Co 12:21). Paul urged the Corinthians to evaluate these men by spiritual rather than carnal standards.”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 10:9 ‘terrify you by letters’: “The false apostles had accused Paul of being an abusive leader, of trying to intimidate the Corinthians in his letters (such as the “severe letter,” see Introduction: Background and Setting). Paul’s goal, however, was not to terrify the Corinthians, but to bring them to repentance (cf. 7:9. 10), because he loved them (cf. 7:2, 3; 11:11; 12:15).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:12 ‘Self-esteem’: “Self-esteem is how each individual values herself. Poor self-esteem (bad, condemning feelings about yourself) are weights that keep believers under condemnation and cause them to be less than what God intends. Believers are to combat such feelings of inferiority (Heb 12:1).
“Proper self-esteem in a follower of Christ is a matter of recognizing and confronting yourself in your humanity, including the tendency to sin, ‘going astray’ (1Pe 2:25). It is also a matter of embracing Jesus’ work on the cross—his grace that covers a multitude of sins. The process of comprehending God’s infinite care for the individual—each with unique strengths and weaknesses—puts a perspective on self-esteem. Psalm 139 expresses the wonder of being uniquely created by God and the intimate care of his presence at all times. Jesus tenderly described his love for his children (Mt 6:25–34).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 10:13 ‘not boast beyond measure’: “In contrast to the proud, arrogant, boastful false apostles, Paul refused to say anything about himself or his ministry that was not true and God-given. the limits of the sphere which God appointed us. Paul was content to stay within the bounds of the ministry God had given him—that of being the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 1:5; 11:13; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11). Thus, contrary to the claims of the false apostles, Paul’s sphere of ministry included Corinth. The apostle again demonstrated his humility by refusing to boast of his own accomplishments, preferring to speak only of what Christ had done through him (Rom. 15:18; Col. 1:29).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:15 ‘enlarged in our sphere’: “When the crisis in Corinth had been resolved and the Corinthians’ faith strengthened, Paul would, with their help, expand his ministry into new areas.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:16 ‘regions beyond you’: “Areas such as Rome (Acts 19:21) and Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 ‘boast in the Lord’: “Paul quotes the wisdom of the prophet Jeremiah: So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (10:17). How do you know you’re operating in the right spot and for the right reasons? Because you find that you’re consciously doing what you do for the glory of God-that is, you’re making God look good by how you live. Boasting in yourself, your abilities, and your accomplishments is a dead-end street because it’s a lie (the Lord is your source, not you) and it ultimately won’t satisfy. Remember, it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends (10:18).
“Self-approval carries no weight, no legitimacy. But when you boast in God rather than in yourself, you will align yourself with God’s kingdom agenda. And when you do, you’ll obtain the only approval that matters, the approval of the King.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 10:18 ‘evaluated on human standards’: “The apostles who were seeking to turn the Corinthian church against Paul were frauds. They evaluated and commended themselves by human standards (v. 12). They claimed authority over the Corinthian church and by their own virtue had thus transgressed the proper limits of an apostle (vv. 13, 16). Paul had limits of authority that he did not breach (v. 15). These leaders exalted themselves, claimed ownership of the ministry in Corinth, and took personal credit for the growth there. Paul argued that such self-commendation was not of Christ (Jer 9:23–24).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 10 ‘Summary’: ”In this passage, Paul uses a military analogy to talk about his capacity to defend himself against the attacks of his opponents. There are four key points we can take away from his words. First, we have a dangerous enemy. Peter warned, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). Any area of our lives can become a battlefield when our enemy sees an opportunity. As Peter states, this is why we must be vigilant. As dangerous as our enemy is, he is no match for our Ally.
“Second, our battles should not be taken lightly. Many heroes of the faith suffered severe setbacks when they let down their guard or underestimated their opponent. Peter inadvertently did Satan’s work when he challenged Jesus’ prediction of His crucifixion (see Matthew 16:21-23). Later, a few unnamed disciples thought they could drive a demon out of a boy but discovered that they could not (see 17:14-21). Luke writes that Satan entered Judas Iscariot and caused him to betray Jesus to His enemies (see 22:3).
“Third, we need to arm ourselves far the conflict. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul encouraged believers to ‘put on the whole armor of God,’ including the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit (see 6:11-18). Part of our preparation involves identifying our vulnerable spots. For instance, if we know we are vulnerable to gossip, we need to remove ourselves from places where rumors flow freely.
“Fourth, resistance is not futile. James says, ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you’ (4:7). We resist the devil by asking God for His help and by studying His Word. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord countered his attacks by quoting Scripture. Jesus’ example reveals that the more of the Bible we commit to memory, the better equipped we will be to counter Satan’s attacks. We also resist the enemy by not giving him a foothold. We turn our back on temptation the moment it occurs or address our doubts the moment we experience them. We do this because we know the longer we allow negative emotions to hang around, the more entrenched they become in our lives.”

• David Jeremiah, 2 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

My Thoughts

Paul speaks of being timid.  In 1 Corinthians, he wrote about not being a charismatic speaker.  He did not use rhetoric to sway the audience by pressing emotional buttons.  He simply told the Good News and let the message change people’s lives.  But Paul was bold when it came to teaching the Good News and not the latest development that seems better.  There is nothing better, but too many people chase after the latest fad.

Some scholars say that these last four chapters of 2 Corinthians are the severe letter.  Most scholars that I researched state that it seems that even more false teachers came to Corinth to pull them away from Paul’s teaching.  With that theory, it seems that Paul has added a Post Script.  Maybe this was before the days of adding a P.S. after the final blessing to add something that the writer forgot or came to mind after the letter was complete.

One key element in the false teaching is to take a more worldly view.

Odd how the church today is taking a more worldly view thinking that we cannot reach the younger generations with the same old story.  But God does not change.  Romans 12:2 says that we must not conform to this world, so why has conforming to this world been the answer for so many churches over the past 2000 years?  I have said many times that the arrows in Satan’s quiver rarely change.  Why?  With our sin nature, we chase after the sparkling thing that seems new but is only the old story with a new coat of paint.

Paul speaks of war, but our weapons are different from worldly weapons.  The reason for this is that our enemy is spiritual.  We argue to destroy strongholds.  And we must take captive thoughts that take us from looking toward Jesus.

First, the strongholds of today are institutionalized.  The entire world seems to be happy with the idea of millions of years, evolution, and no need for God – indeed, no room for God.  Our ecological mess, according to the world pundits, is manmade and man can solve it.  Man cannot solve it and most attempts in the past have led to everything getting worse, and then someone says we missed the target due to missing the point.

No one ever gets the idea that the foundational idea that man can fix man’s problem is problematic.  Michael Crichton did.  On his website when he died, he had a history of the manmade mistakes in Yellowstone National Park.  The ecosystem was out of balance, so the park service did something, and that something made something else worse.  Not enough elk, so we relocate elk.  Too many elk, introduce more wolves.  Too many wolves …  You get the picture.  We want a park that is natural, but we also want a park that humans visit.  You cannot have both.  One kills off the other in time.  And that is what happens to manmade solutions to problems man caused in the first place.

And even if a scientist comes up with a theory that man did not create climate change, etc., the basic manmade problem is that Adam and Eve broke God’s one and only rule, and the result is that this world is broken, and this world will remain broken until God fixes it.  Mankind cannot fix it.  But we are really good at making things worse.

But back to those strongholds.  There is evidence that evolution could not be what everyone says that it is.  Yet, people cling to their flawed theory in fear that God might just be right.  The same is true for millions of years.

Why are these worldly strongholds important to be demolished?  God put a curse on Adam and Eve in the Garden.  Also the serpent was cursed and the world was changed.  Man would have to deal with the thorns of life.  Woman would have to deal with the pain of childbirth.  And the Son of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.  Death was introduced by killing an animal to make clothing for Adam and Eve.  Then, Noah’s flood was a worldwide, cataclysmic event.  With the secular worldview, all that goes away and it eats at the foundation of our faith.

But there is evidence that the secular worldview is wrong.  But when you give a good argument, they shout their argument without any proof to back it up, then they cancel, ghost, or simply ignore the evidence, and then they attack your character.  They say, “You are a knuckle-dragging idiot for believing what the Bible says.”  No one wants to hear that, so we become timid, weak, and useless.

Paul tells us to be bold, but be bold in our knowledge as well as what we have in our hearts.

Then keeping our thoughts captive is my biggest battlefield.  My wife passed to the Lord over three years ago when this comes out.  I am alone in this house.  Anything and everything has become a distraction.  It has interfered with my writing at times, and since my writing is on a self-imposed schedule, as I wander around the house trying to remember what errand I put myself on, the only thing that happens is that I get some exercise by walking up and down stairs.  It seems that I can focus on writing – in brief spurts – and I can be distracted in putting a jigsaw puzzle together, but cleaning the house is way down on the priority list.  Right now, the sink is empty.  When I start washing dishes, I can finish that task.  But reorganizing my books is something that never seems to happen and the books are in the way in getting other things sorted and placed in the trash, for the most part.

But naughty thoughts can creep into my mind also.  Satan does not have to remind me of those things.  He could be satisfied with keeping my head in a fog.  But no, he has to introduce thoughts of covetousness, anger, lust (maybe from the lack of personal contact), and wanting stuff that is not needed to follow God’s plan.

And notice that we must conquer our own disobedience before we can straighten out the disobedience of the church.

Corinth was guilty of judging by appearance, what looks good rather than what is right with God.  Again, using a worldly filter in our glasses.

And Paul did not feel that he needed a letter of commendation.  The Corinth church was his letter.  He had founded the church there.

We see what is broken with our political system.  Have you ever noticed that as an elected official starts to do things that make a positive change in people’s lives, the media attacks the person.  Attacking something that is helping people would easily be seen as idiotic, but then the people question whether the change is good since the person affecting the change has been accused of being bad.  We are being manipulated with each bit of “news” that comes out, one way or the other.

And now, Paul has to defend himself.  They attack Paul because what Paul teaches is the Truth.

Yes, Satan has a limited amount of arrows in his quiver, but they have been affective for 2000 years in making the church weak and ineffective, unless we realize we are at war.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

2 Corinthians 10 1. From Paul’s ex-ample here, what is supposed to be the ‘normal’ way Christians exercise leadership over one another? On a scale from 1-10, how well do you demonstrate Christ’s gentleness and meek-ness in leading others?
“2. What will you work on this week that demonstrates your interest in building others up?
“3. When is it right to show ‘tough love’ by demanding that someone change? What risks does this involve?
“4. As an act of ‘tough love,’ what worldly, anti-God thoughts prevail in your circle of friends, which you can ‘take captive’ and ‘make obedient to Christ’ (v.5)?

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Second Corinthians 10 has one set of questions.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.