Tag: Devotion

2 Corinthians 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

McClaren observed well, “There was in the Corinthian Church a party, probably Judaisers, which denied his authority and said bitter things about his character. They apparently had contrasted the force of his letters and the feebleness of his ‘bodily presence’ and speech. They insinuated that his ‘bark was worse than his bite.’ Their language put into plain English would be something like this, ‘Ah! He is very bold at a distance, let him come and face us and we shall see a difference. Vapouring in his letters, he will be meek enough when he is here.'”

God will enable the Apostle Paul to declare the truth and refute the falsehoods against the gospel in the church of Corinth. The Apostle Paul first ought the Corinthian church to be in obedience to the truth.

Recall the time when the Syrians opposed the ministry of Elisha because he warned the king of Israel of the ambush of the enemy. The Syrians came to besieged the city of Dothan which Elisha dwelled. They sought to bring him to God’s prophet.

2 Corinthians 10:5 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;

When the disciples met Jesus for the third time at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection, Jesus reminded them of their calling that they were to be fishers of men. Peter and John and others were on the boat when Jesus commanded them to cast their net to the right side. They caught a whole net full, 153 fishes, and the net did not break. Jesus then bade them to come to shore and dine with Him.

Then He asked Peter, John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

2 Corinthians 10:5 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;

Sin occurred first in heaven before it took place in the Garden of Eden by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Lucifer, the most beautiful of the archangel rebelled against the sovereign rule his Creator in 5 prideful thoughts.

Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: 14 I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

In Isaiah 14:15, is recorded God’s judgment upon Lucifer or Satan, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Spiritual battles are fought by the power of the Spirit of God as is declared well in Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah saw a special candlestick, which the Jews call the Menorah. It is of solid gold and very precious. The candlestick had seven branches. In this 5th vision signifies the completion of the Temple. The Manorah is a significant furnishing in the tabernacle and temple. It is to shine forth as light and witness to the world of the living and true God. Israel is to be the light of the world by their worship of Him, reflecting God’s light, just like the Church today. Every church is symbolized by a lamp into which God puts the light which is to be reflected and spread abroad. Holding forth the word of life is the sacred mandate of every local church. The Holy Spirit is the power that energizes the church in her efforts of missions and evangelism.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

When Jesus betrayed by Judas Iscariot and unjustly hurled away by the men instructed by the chief priests and elders of the people, the disciple Peter drew his sword and struck a servant of the high priest’s and smote off his ear (Matt. 26:51).

Jesus rebuked Peter to lay down his sword – Matthew 26:52-56 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Luke 22:52-53 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

The Apostle Paul sought the wisdom of God in thwarting the efforts of the enemies to the gospel. He explained well the reason in Romans 8:2-6 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Indeed, this wisdom of God is not after the flesh as James distinguishes in James 3:15-18 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

2 Corinthians 10:1-2 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 toward you: 2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

Lenski observed well, “Paul begins the subject regarding his opponents in Corinth in a striking manner. He urges and begs the Corinthians not to put his courage to the test when he gets to Corinth, i.e., not to listen to his enemies who say that Paul is brave only when he is away from Corinth, brave only in his letters. It is very likely that some of these enemies even said that Paul was afraid to come to Corinth… And he literally begs the Corinthians not to become involved with these enemies, not to listen to them or in any way to take sides with them so that, when he comes and makes short work of these enemies, he will have to deal equally with any of the Corinthians.”

The way by which the Apostle Paul will handle the dissenters of the gospel will not be by any sinful way, as according to the flesh. He sought to do so by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. It must be pointed out as Lenski did, that our Lord “twice drove the traffickers out of the Temple. The woes with which he denounced the scribes and Pharisees to their very faces are no less than terrific (Matt. 23:13). Christ was also severe, scathing, fiery, and crushing. He was not an anaemic Jesus, whose every word was soft. The thunders of his denunciations are terrible. Yet this is true, he used severity only when he had to use it; he ever longed to use only gentleness.” He did not tolerate the desecration of the Temple because it is the house of prayer and not a den of thieves. For this reason, the money-changers were driven out so that the sanctity of God’s House may be preserved.

2 Corinthians 10:1 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 toward you:

The Apostle Paul exhorts the Corinthian church by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Christ’s meekness speaks of His obedience to the Father’s will. Christ’s gentleness describes how He is good and forbearing, kind and forgiving even toward the ungrateful. He was pleading for the church in Corinth to be persuaded to the veracity his exhortations in this letter and of his time spent with them when he brought the gospel to them and sought to ground them in the faith. But there was disparaging opposition in Corinth to the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Matthew Henry applied well, “He addresses them in a very mild and humble manner… When we find ourselves tempted or inclined to be rough and severe towards anybody, we should think of the meekness and gentleness of Christ, that appeared in Him in the days of His flesh, in the design of His undertaking, and in all the acts of His grace towards poor souls.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

The Apostle Paul exhorted in this concluding thought on the exhortation to giving to forget not our God, our Giver, by which we have been greatly blessed. The gift of Jesus Christ, our Creator, Sustainer and Saviour must be received with utmost gratitude. We cannot fully account for the benefits that we have received through Christ. For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Indeed, such knowledge of our blessings cannot be told because it is too wonderful for words – indescribable, inexpressible.

For indeed, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17). Here is an exhortation to thanksgiving!