2 Corinthians 10

NOw I Paul my self beseech you by the meekness, and gentleness of Christ Meekness respecteth the Spirit or inward man, being a Virtue that moderateth inward anger and rash passions. Gentleness more respecteth the outward conversation. The Apostle mentioneth both these Virtues, as eminent in Christ, who is our great Example, and to whom all Christians are bound to be conformable., who in presence am base among you He here repeateth the words of those who, in this Church, reproached him; they reported him a man, who, when he was there in presence with them, was lowly and humble enough:, but being absent, am bold towards you but when he was absent from them, then he wrote imperiously and confidently enough. The sense of the words is plainly this, I Paul (of whom some amongst you say, That when I am there with you I am low and humble enough, even to some degrees of baseness; but when I am absent, then I write like a Lord, boldly and confidently) I beseech you to consider the temper of our common Lord and Saviour, to remember how free he was from rash anger and passion, how gentle he was in his conversation, and by the obligation that is upon you, to love and practise those Virtues which you saw, or have heard of, in him.. Hitherto the Apostle, (who in his former Epistle had blamed this Church for so many things, and dealt sharply with them) in this Epistle, has treated them as if they had been a people that had had no aults, or none but what in obedience to his former Epistle they had reformed, and become a new lump: which argueth, that the major part of the Members of it were a good and an obedient people, by whose prevalent Vote they had reformed much that was amiss. But in these four last Chapters, to let us know that there was yet some of the old leaven amongst them, he useth another stile; taking notice, that he understood there was amongst them another (though possibly the lesser) Party who had much vilified him; and justifying himself against their whisperings and calumnies, not without some sharp reflections upon them.

But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present It is true (says the Apostle) when I have been with you, I have made it my business to behave my self with all obliging sweetness, not using that Authority which I might have used; and I beseech you, as not to blame me for that, (remembring the meekness and gentleness of Christ) so by your conversation not to force me to another kind of conversation amongst you; that you would not constrain me to a severer behaviour towards you when I am present with you,, with that confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh to be so free with some of you, as at present I am resolved to be; such, I mean, as have traduced me, as if I walked according to the flesh, that is, not guided by the holy Spirit of God, and the directions of his Word, but by some external, carnal considera ions, respecting my own profit, pleasure, or reputation, indulging my own passions or corrupt affections. Walking after the flesh is opposed to a walking after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. He walketh after the flesh, to whom the fleshly appetite is the Principle, Rule, and End of his Actions: as he, on the contrary, to whom those habits of Grace, which are wrought in the Soul by the holy Spirit, or the Spirit himself more immediately by his motions or impulses, are the Principle of his Actions; and the Word dictated by the Spirit, is the Rule of his Actions; and the Glory of God is the End of his Actions, is truly said to walk after the Spirit..

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh There is a great difference betwixt walking in the flesh, and warring after the flesh. The best of men in this life walk in the flesh, as their Souls are not in a state of separation from, but union with the body; but they do not walk after the flesh, as their fleshly appetite is not the Principle of their actions, nor the satisfaction of it the End of their actions. The Apostle, in the latter part of the Verse, changeth the Verb; in the former part he called our conversation, a Walking; in the latter part he calleth it a Warring; which he describeth Negatively in this Verse, Positively in the following Verses. In calling it a Warring, he lets us know that it is, and will be a life of opposition, in which a Christian will have many Enemies: though his hand be against none, yet many hands will be against him. But though they be men of stri e and contention, in a Passive sense, yet they are not so in an Active sense, according to the usual notion of warring: For they war not after the flesh, neither as fleshly men, nor in a carnal fleshly manner, nor yet for fleshly ends. The men of the World war for their honour and glory, or for revenge and satisfaction of their lusts, or for the inlarging of their Territories and Dominions; but we do not thus war after the flesh.:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal As our End is spiritual, so are our Means: the Means by which we manage our spiritual Fight, are spiritual. Whether by these Weapons he meaneth the Word of God, and his preaching the Gospel, or the Censures of the Church duly administred; it is true, they are not of a carnal nature, or fitted to the subduing of mens bodies, and bringing them into subjection; they are of a spiritual nature, and have their effects upon the mind and inward part of a man: yet, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds through the concurrence of Divine Grace, there is in them a mighty force and power, to pull down strong Holds. By which Metaphorical expression he understands whatsoever opposeth the Gospel, and seemeth to defend and uphold men in their sinful courses; subduing the Will of man, which is so strong an Hold, that all the power of Hell cannot storm it..)

Casting down imaginations, Reasonings;, and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and every high thing, every height of reasoning, which exalteth it self against the knowledge of God. The great Troublers of this Church of Corinth were the Heathen Philosophers, and such as had sucked in their Principles; with whose Notions, which were Conclusions drawn from Reason not sanctified and subdued to the Will of God, divers Doctrines of Faith would not agree. S. Paul tells them, that the Gospel (which was the great weapon of his warfare) through the Power of God, was mighty to pull down the strong Holds, which Unbelief had in the carnal Understanding of men, to overthrow their Reasonings, the heights of them, which exalted themselves against the Doctrine of Faith., and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And to bring, every thought or counsel into a captivity to the obedience of Christ; so as whatsoever was revealed by the Apostles from the Spirit of God, men readily agreed and yielded obedience to; what-ever their thoughts or reasonings about it were, they gave credit to it: not because it appeared rational to them, but upon the divine authority of the Revelation; submitting their reason to that, and believing it the most rational thing in the World, that they should believe what God affirmed, and do what God commanded, and this blessed effect the Gospel had in all those who heartily imbraced it: for indeed to give an assent to a Proposition, merely upon a sensible or rational demonstration, is no Faith; that is, no divine Faith; Truly to believe, in a divine sense, is to assent to a Proposition upon the credit of the Revelation, though we cannot make it out by our Reason: and this it is to have our thoughts brought into a Captivity to the Obedience of Christ. That whereas Reason, as it is since the Fall subjected in man, riseth up in Arms against several divine Propositions; and says, How can these things be? How can one be three, and three one? How could the divine and humane nature unite in one person? How can the dead rise? &c. The Believer audit verbum Dei & tacet, readeth these things and others of the like nature plainly asserted in holy Writ, and chides down his reason; resolving to give credit to these things merely because God has said them, who cannot ly. Thus our thoughts, counsels, reasonings, deliberations, conclusions, all the product of our understanding, is brought into a Captivity to the Obedience of Christ; and reason it self, which is the Governess and Mistress of the Soul of man, is made a Captive to Revelation. And in this appeared the mighty power of the Weapons of the Apostles Warfare..

And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled The Apostle certainly means by this, Excommunication; which was the Rod which he had before mentioned: asking them, if they would he should come unto them with a Rod; This Rod he here threatneth them with; telling them, that he had another Weapon of his warfare of a spiritual nature too, to be used against such as preferred themselves to be Believers, but walked disorderly; Only he at present spared them, because though a great part of them were obedient, yet there were some amongst them of whose Obedience he could not yet glory; but yet he hoped well, and therefore should wait, until by the use of all fair means (such as Exhortations, and Arguments) he had reduced as many of them, as he could unto Obedience. But that being done, God had intrusted him with another Weapon, with which he would, in the name and by the authority of God, revenge his glory upon the disobedience of others. Herein the Apostle has set a Rule and a Pattern to all Churches, where are multitudes that walk disorderly; not to be too hasty in Excommunicating them, but to proceed gradually; first using all fair means, and waiting with all patience for the reducing them to their duty, who will by any gentle, and fair means be reduced; and then revenging the honour and glory of God only upon such as will not be reclaimed..

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance Are ye so weak as to judge of persons and things merely from their Faces, pretences, or outward appearances? and to magnify these false Apostles and Teachers, merely because they set forth, and magnify themselves, or because they take up a great breadth in the World, and live in a little state and splendor?? If any man trust to himself that he is Christs If any of them do judge that he is the servant, or the Minister of Christ, why should he not think the same of me? what has he to say to prove his relation to Christ more than I have? what has he to glory in upon that account more than I have?, let him of himself think this again, that as he is Christs, even so are we Christs p.

For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority (which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction Here is a remarkable Maxime, a Rule from which all Ecclesiastical Superiours ought to measure their actions. God has given to no Superiours a power for destruction of the Flock, but only for Edification; so as that no such can pretend to a power received from God, to do, or exact any thing which may any wayes hinder the Salvation of the Souls put under their trust; they ought to command or exact nothing, nor to do any thing, but what may probably tend to the promoting of peoples Faith, and Holiness, and Eternal Salvation. This Maxime the Apostle puts in in a parenthesis in this Verse, to sweeten what he had before spoken, concerning his readiness to revenge the disobedience of such who should appear to be stubborn and contumacious.) I should not be ashamed But he tells them, he should not be ashamed if he did boast something more of a just and due authority than the false Apostles and Teachers had, who vi ified him; for he was an Apostle, and had a more immediate authority than they who were ordinary Teachers..

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters This was one imputation upon the Apostle (as we may learn by the next Verse.) I tell you (says the Apostle) that I have an Authority, and a further Authority than those who vilify me can pretend unto: but I also tell you, I have no Authority to do any harm to any of you; all the Authority I have is for your Edification, as much as lyeth in me to promote the business of your Salvation; So that I need not be reported as one that went about to terrify you by my Letters; yet I know there are some who so represent me unto you..

For his letters (say they) are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible There are some amongst you that tell you, that indeed (when absent) I write severely, and with authority; but when I am there with you, neither my behaviour, nor my speech, speaks any such Authority..

Let such a 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 I would have no such person think so of me, for he shall find me the same in deed when I come, that I have spoke my self to be by my Letters. I do not write vainly, merely to terrify you, but what I truly intend to do; and when I come he shall find that I will do..

For we dare not make our selves of the number, or compare our selves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise This whole Verse is a reflection upon the false Teachers of the Church of Corinth, from whose manners Paul purgeth himself. I (says he) dur t no, as some others, magnify my self, nor compare my self with those that do so. Neither is it any wisdom in them to contemn and despise others, in comparison of themselves; for observe, what measures they take, they only measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves amongst themselves, that is, with Birds of their own Feather, such as are like unto themselves, and of their own Faction and Party: which no wise men would do..

But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. The Apostle may be understood, as speaking both of Spiritual gifts, and also of his Travails to the several places whither he had gone preaching the Gospel. He reflecteth still upon the false teachers who were crept into this Church; who (as it should seem) had much boasted of their gifts and abilities, and of their labours, and successes. In opposition to whom (he says) that he boasted not without his measure, or (as it is in the Greek) unmeasurable things; but he kept himself within the measure of the rule; that is, according to that regular measure which God has set us. Which measure extendeth even to you. You have those amongst you who boast unmeasurably of the gifts which they have, and of the great things which they do; I durst not do so (says the Apostle) God has given me a measure and a rule, according to that I have acted, and of those actings only I will glory. And in my so doing I can boast of you, for to you my measure and line has reached. God has made me an instrument to raise him up a Church amongst you.

For we stretch not our selves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you, for we are come as far as to you also, in preaching the Gospel of Christ For in our boasting of you as our Converts, amongst whom I have preached the Gospel, and God has made my preaching successful; we do not stretch our selves beyond our measure, and arrogate that to our selves which belongeth not to us: for the thing is true, and ye know that in our preaching the Gospel we have come as far as unto you, and that God has given our Labours success amongst you..

Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other mens labours, but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our rule abundantly So that although we have boasted of you, we have not boasted of things without our measure; that is of things that are not, or (as the Apostle expounds himself) of things that were not done by him but by other men; for his line did reach unto them, and his Labours had been imployed, and made successful amongst them. And he declares his hope, that when the Gospel should have had its full success amongst them, and their faith should be increased; (either by the addition of more persons to the Church amongst them, or by the perfecting of their Faith, and other Graces;) they, who were Apostles and the Ministers of the Gospel to them, should by it be magnified, or made great: to wit by their means, who using much Navigation, would have opportunities to commend the Gospel, and the Ministry of it, to other people, amongst whom they should come: Wherein yet they should not exceed their Rule; for though ordinary Ministers be fixed in particular Churches and places, yet the Apostles Rule was to go and preach the Gospel over the whole World, being tied to no certain people or places..

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you The Apostle here expoundeth what he meaneth by the term magnified or inlarged in the preceding verse, viz. to have a door opened to preach the Gospel in places whither it was not yet come. God honoureth persons when he maketh them instruments to bring any to an acquaintance with, and to the embraing of his Gospel, who formerly had been ignorant of it, and not acquainted with it., and not to boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hand He here seemeth to reflect on the false Teachers crept into this Church, who had nothing to boast in but a pretended building upon other mens foundations, and carrying on a work by others made ready to their hands; and seemeth to prefer the work of Conversion, and an instrumentality in that, before an instrumentality merely in edification, and carrying on the work of God already begun in peoples Souls..

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord But we have none of us any thing to glory in; neither I Paul who plant, nor Apollos that watereth; whether God maketh use of us as the first Planters of the Gospel, or as Instruments to carry on the work of the Gospel already planted, we have nothing of our own to glory in. God gives the increase; we have therefore no reason to glory in our selves, or in our own performances, but only to give thanks to God, who maketh use of us poor earthly Vessels to carry about and distribute that heavenly Treasure, by which he maketh Souls rich in Faith and good Works; all that we do is only instrumentally; God is all, and in all; as to primary Efficiency..

For, not he that commendeth himself, is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth Solomon, Prov. 27.2. says, Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips. Self-commendation is an ungrateful sound to ingenuous ears; no man thinks another a jot the better for his commending himself, but always has the worser opinion of him for such boasting; but this Text speaketh of an higher approbation, viz. from God. No man is approved of God for his speaking well of himself; the business is, who they are who approve themselves in the work which God has committed to them; to whom the Lord will say, Well done, good and faithful servants: to whom the Apostle refers both himself, and those who magnified themselves, but vilified him..