The Letters · New Testament

2 Corinthians 10

2 Corinthians 10: weak in presence, bold in letters

General context

Paul appeals in his own name by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, repeating the description others give of him, base when present and bold when absent. He asks not to have to be bold when he arrives against certain people who say he walks according to the flesh. He grants that he walks in the flesh but denies that he wars that way, describing weapons that are not carnal but able to pull down strong holds, cast down imaginations and every high thing raised against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. He says he is ready to punish all disobedience once their own obedience is complete. He asks whether they judge by outward appearance, and argues that anyone claiming to belong to Christ must grant that he does too. He could boast further about an authority given for building up and not for pulling down without being ashamed, but he does not want to seem to frighten them by letters. He then quotes what is said about him: his letters are weighty and powerful, his bodily presence weak and his speech contemptible. His answer is that he will act in person as he writes when absent. He refuses to rank himself with people who commend themselves and measure themselves by themselves, and says he boasts only within the measure God assigned, which reaches as far as Corinth because he came there preaching. He hopes to preach beyond them as their faith grows, rather than boasting in work already done by others, and closes with glorying in the Lord and with approval that comes from the Lord's commendation rather than one's own.

Cited passages: 2 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 10:3, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Corinthians 10:6, 2 Corinthians 10:7, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 10:9, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 2 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 10:14, 2 Corinthians 10:15, 2 Corinthians 10:16, 2 Corinthians 10:17, 2 Corinthians 10:18

2 Corinthians 10 (KJV)

¹Now 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:

²But 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.

³For 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;)

⁵Casting 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;

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

⁷Do 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.

⁸For 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:

⁹That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

¹⁰For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

¹¹Let 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.

¹²For 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.

¹³But 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.

¹⁴For 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:

¹⁵Not 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,

¹⁶To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.

¹⁷But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

¹⁸For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

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Historical context

The chapter preserves a criticism of Paul in reported speech, introduced as say they: his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. No critic is named, and the accusation that he walks according to the flesh is likewise attributed to an unnamed some. It establishes that Paul reached Corinth himself in preaching the gospel of Christ and that he hopes to preach in the regions beyond you, which are not identified. The claim that he will not boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand implies other workers at Corinth but describes none of them. Verse 17 reads But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord, without any formula marking it as a quotation; similar wording stands at Jeremiah 9:24, which prints But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. No date, journey or third party is named anywhere in the chapter.

Cited passages: 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 10:7, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 10:14, 2 Corinthians 10:16, 2 Corinthians 10:17, Jeremiah 9:24

Literary context

Presence and absence organise the whole chapter. It opens with the pair, returns to it when Paul refuses to terrify by letters, and settles it with a promise that word and deed will match. In the middle the argument borrows a siege: strong holds pulled down, high things cast down, thoughts taken captive. That vocabulary makes the dispute sound like a campaign while the chapter insists the weapons are not carnal. The second half runs on one word, measure, used five times across three verses alongside rule, so the answer to rivals who compare themselves among themselves is a boundary rather than a boast. Quoting the insult in full is itself a tactic; the sharpest sentence about Paul in the letter is one he prints himself.

Cited passages: 2 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Corinthians 10:9, 2 Corinthians 10:10, 2 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 10:14, 2 Corinthians 10:15

Key moments

Base present, bold absent (2 Corinthians 10:1). Paul opens with the description of himself as humble in person and bold at a distance.
Weapons not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). He describes the weapons of his warfare as mighty through God.
Every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). He speaks of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The insult quoted (2 Corinthians 10:10). Paul prints what is said of him: weighty letters, weak presence, contemptible speech.
Measuring by themselves (2 Corinthians 10:12). He refuses to compare himself with those who commend themselves.
Glory in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17). He directs any glorying away from self-commendation.

For reflection

Paul repeats the complaint that his presence does not match his letters, and answers that the two will be the same. Where does the gap sit for you between what you write and what you do in the room?