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| 1 And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ who in presence, indeed [am] humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you, |
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| 2 and I beseech [you], that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh; |
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| 3 for walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh do we war, |
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| 4 for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds, |
Weapons of our warfare – All laboring upon the walls of Zion, as with Nehemiah, need to be equipped with the weapons of 1 Thes. 5:8 and Eph. 6:17 every moment R3675:6
Are not carnal – But spiritual. R1744:5
The Lord's great army will use carnal weapons. D543
Carnal weapons are not merely swords, spears and guns, but anger, malice, hatred, strife, and a contesting, combative spirit. R3274:4
There is no commission in the Bible for God's consecrated people to war--to take from others either life or property. R5760:6
The spiritual Israelite fights against a different kind of enemy and with different weapons. R2681:6
We have various weapons of defense given us by our Captain, a helmet of salvation, etc., but we only have one weapon for offensive warfare, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. NS239:4
Under the typical Jewish dispensation carnal weapons were proper. R2015:3, 768:4
Mighty through God – Through the Spirit, the power of God. E250
God's truth is mighty. R3089:5, 1627:5*
Without him we can do nothing, but in him we become eventually mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of error and to the setting up of the Kingdom of God under the whole heavens. NS502:2
Pulling down of strong holds – Of error. R3675:5
Of error and superstition. R3089:5
Of error and iniquity. R1744:5
Of error and sin. E250; R5592:6, 3858:1
These are in ourselves, sin in our minds, in our imaginations--mental strongholds. R5889:3
The spiritual Israelite is to watch and pray to pull down error and gain victory over sin and self and Satan. R2681:6
Deceptive errors and influences must be pelted to death by the stones of truth. R768:4
Of the devil. CR437:5
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| 5 reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ, |
Imaginations – Human reasonings. D543
False doctrines, superstitions – ignorance, pride, unholy ambitions, idle speculations, etc. R5889:3[R5889:3]
Every high thing – Those which exalt themselves against the true knowledge of God, the Spirit of God. R5889:5[R5889:5]
Against – We should not accept any theory that does not prove itself from God's Word, and also be very certain that our heart is empty of self will and plans which we want to see carried out. R1223:1[R1223:1]
To wrest the Scriptures in order to establish a theory is a terrible crime. If we begin with a theory we want to prove, the Adversary will be ready to assist us. R1223:1[R1223:1]
The knowledge of God – The members of the Church are required to avail themselves of knowledge, as a part of being copies of God's dear Son, the righteous Servant who shall justify many by his knowledge. (Isa. 53:11) NS506:2
Bringing into captivity – That we may realize the seductive influences and treachery of our fallen natures and utterly destroy them, and thus come into the condition mentioned by the Apostle. R3103:4, 5646:3, 4527:2
Absolute holiness is to be the standard. R5127:4, 3307:4
This should be our constant aim. He who would be perfect must find his chief delight in learning and doing the will of Christ, even as Christ Jesus delights to do the will of Jehovah. R765:3*
By increased limitations of one's own liberty. F149
Judging ourselves--we scrutinize, criticize, so as to bring our very thoughts into captivity. R4524:1
Setting guards upon their lives, those who have suffered disease of the soul can manifest to themselves and others that they have sought and used Jesus' assistance in gaining victories over their weaknesses. F149
The saints' weapons are mighty among those who are influenced by them (to the true people of God, his Word is sharper than any two-edged sword) but these weapons do not operate upon the world thus. D543
Every thought – And so far as possible, every word and act. R2878:3
Wishes, desires of our hearts. R2480:5, 5127:4; CR432:4
If we are filled with love there is no room left in our hearts for evil. R4241:4*
Whatsoever things are pure, lovely, etc., think on these things. (Phil. 4:8) R1802:5*
The subjection of the Church to Christ is a willing subjection, inspired by love, veneration, gratitude, implicit confidence and trust in his superior wisdom to do what is best for us. R1552:5
This is the holiness that belongs to the Temple class. CR458:4
Through all his tribulations the Apostle pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling. The mark to be attained was the holiness which brings every thought into captivity to God and Christ. R1885:2
The Vow has helped many in this respect. R4227:3
Obedience of Christ – To the will of God in Christ. R5488:2, 5127:4, 2480:5
He who would be perfect must find his chief delight in learning and doing the will of Christ, even as Christ Jesus delights to do the will of Jehovah. It should be his constant aim. R1075:3,4
Obedience to the Lord's Word is the first condition of acceptance with him. R2415:6, 2416:1
Heart-loyalty to the Lord requires effort. It is our first duty, our continual duty, the end of duty. "Be ye holy, for I am holy." "This is the will of God, your sanctification." (1 Pet. 1:16; 1 Thess. 4:3) R5127:4, 4524:1, 765:3
In proportion to our zeal for the Lord, will we be zealous in putting down all idols. R2381:4
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| 6 and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled. |
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| 7 The things in presence do ye see if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ's, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ's, so also we [are] Christ's; |
Even so are we Christ's – False brethren had charged that Paul was not Christ's servant. (2 Cor. 11:23) R4517:6
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| 8 for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed; |
For though I should boast – False brethren had charged that Paul was given to self-commendation (2 Cor. 3:1; 5:12). R4517:6
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| 9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters, |
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| 10 'because the letters indeed saith one [are] weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.' |
His bodily presence – Greek: parousia; one of two places where properly rendered "presence." B158, B159; R2979:1; HG24:4
Contemptible – Intimating that Paul was but lightly esteemed at Corinth. R3127:3
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| 11 This one let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, [we are] in deed. |
In deed when we are present – Paul declares he would speak in the same denunciatory manner if he were present with them. R2514:4
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| 12 For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise, |
Measuring themselves by themselves – We are not to measure ourselves by one another, but by the standard "Be ye perfect, even as your Father." (Matt. 5:48) R5123:4
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| 13 and we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us to reach even unto you; |
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| 14 for not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ, |
We stretch not ourselves – False brethren had charged that Paul assumed unauthorized authority. R4517:6
We would like to awaken the foolish virgins to a realization of their proper position and need of prompt action and redoubled energy in cleansing the robe and embroidering it. SM260:1
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| 15 not boasting of the things not measured, in other men's labours, and having hope your faith increasing in you to be enlarged, according to our line into abundance, |
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| 16 in the [places] beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another's line in regard to the things made ready, to boast; |
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| 17 and he who is boasting in the Lord let him boast; |
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| 18 for not he who is commending himself is approved, but he whom the Lord doth commend. |
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