2 Corinthians 10: Weapons Not of the Flesh
Answering critics who scorn his presence, Paul wages spiritual war with divine power and refuses to boast beyond the work God gave him.
2 Corinthians 10 (WEB)
1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,
5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.
7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s.
8 For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,
9 that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.
10 For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”
11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.
12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
13 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.
14 For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,
15 not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,
16 so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.
17 But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
18 For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10 (KJV)
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:
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.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
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;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust 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.
8 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:
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Let such an 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.
12 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.
13 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 unto you.
14 For we stretch not ourselves 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:
15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
16 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.
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
2 Corinthians 10 (ASV)
1 Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:
2 yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds);
5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.
7 Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
8 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:
9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.
11 Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.
12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
13 But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.
14 For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ:
15 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,
16 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.
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Summary
Paul begins his defense against critics by appealing to the meekness and gentleness of Christ, even as he acknowledges the charge that he is humble when present but bold from a distance. He begs them not to force him to be bold when he comes against those who accuse him of walking according to the flesh. Though he lives in the flesh, he does not wage war by worldly means; the weapons of his warfare are not fleshly but have divine power to demolish strongholds. With them he tears down arguments and every proud obstacle raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ, and he stands ready to punish every disobedience once their own obedience is complete. He challenges those who judge only by outward appearance: anyone confident of belonging to Christ should recognize that Paul belongs to him just as much. Even if he boasts somewhat freely of the authority the Lord gave for building them up rather than tearing them down, he will not be ashamed, nor does he wish to seem to be frightening them with his letters, which critics call weighty and strong while dismissing his bodily presence as weak and his speech as contemptible. Such a person, Paul says, should realize that what he is in word by letter when absent he will also be in deed when present. He refuses to classify or compare himself with the self-commending teachers, who measure themselves by themselves and so lack understanding. Instead, Paul will boast only within the limits of the field God assigned him, which reaches even to the Corinthians, for he came all the way to them with the gospel and does not claim credit for work done by others. He hopes that as their faith grows, his sphere among them will be enlarged so he can preach in regions beyond, never boasting in another's labor. In the end, he says, the one who boasts should boast in the Lord, for it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Main Characters
- Paul — The apostle who, in the meekness of Christ, defends his authority, wields spiritual weapons against strongholds, and boasts only in the Lord.
- The critics — Those at Corinth who judge by appearances, claim Paul's letters are bold but his presence weak, and accuse him of walking according to the flesh.
- The self-commending teachers — Rivals who measure and compare themselves with one another, boasting in others' labors and commending themselves rather than waiting for the Lord's commendation.
- Christ — The Lord whose meekness and gentleness shape Paul's appeal, who gave authority for building up, and whose commendation alone counts.
Key Verse
2 Corinthians 10:4 (WEB)
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,
Lessons Learned
- Spiritual battles are not won by worldly weapons but by the power of God.
- Every thought and argument exalted against God is to be brought captive to Christ.
- True authority builds others up rather than tearing them down.
- We should seek the Lord's commendation, not commend ourselves.
- Our warfare is spiritual. “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, WEB). God's power, not human force, prevails.
- Take every thought captive. We are “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, WEB). The battlefield includes our minds and arguments.
- Authority is for building up. The Lord gave authority “for building you up, and not for casting you down” (2 Corinthians 10:8, WEB). Godly power serves rather than dominates.
- Boast only in the Lord. “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord… it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18, WEB). God's approval is what matters.
- How does Paul describe the nature of his spiritual weapons, and what do they accomplish (10:3-5)?
- What does it mean to take “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (10:5)?
- How does Paul respond to the accusation that his letters are strong but his presence weak (10:9-11)?
- Why is comparing ourselves with others “without understanding” (10:12)?
- Whose approval do you most seek, and what would it look like to boast only in the Lord?
- Paul says his weapons “are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds” (10:4). They are spiritual, not worldly—truth, prayer, the gospel, the power of God. With them he demolishes arguments and proud obstacles “against the knowledge of God” (10:5). The real battle is fought on a spiritual plane and won by God's power, not human cleverness or force.
- It means subjecting our reasoning, attitudes, and beliefs to the lordship of Christ, so that even our inner life obeys him (10:5). Arguments and imaginations that exalt themselves against God are confronted and brought under Christ's authority. The Christian fight is not only outward but internal, capturing the mind so our thinking aligns with the truth of God.
- Critics said his “letters… are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak” (10:10). Paul answers that he is not inconsistent: “what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present” (10:11). He warns that the boldness of his letters will be matched in person; his integrity is the same whether near or far.
- Those who measure themselves “by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding” (10:12). Self-comparison uses the wrong standard—other people rather than God—and breeds either pride or despair. It produces a distorted view of ourselves. The only valid measure is the Lord's calling and commendation, not how we stack up against rivals.
- This is a personal-application question. Paul insists that “it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends” (10:18). Invite members to examine whose approval drives them—peers, audiences, self—and what changes if God's approval becomes primary. As leader, encourage freedom from comparison and the rest of boasting only in the Lord.