2 Corinthians 10:1-18 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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By Meekness and Gentleness
Comments for Study 7

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I. Unconventional Warfare (10:1-6)

>1. What characteristics did Paul use to show his motive? (1-2)

* 2 Corinthians 10:1-2 "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!" I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world."

* "meekness"

* "gentleness"

* "of Christ"

* "timid"

* "bold"

>What does "live by the standards of this world" mean in this context? (Ezekiel 11:12)

* Ezekiel 11:12 "And you will know that I am the LORD, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you."

* "live by the standards of this world"

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>What kind of people would say that Christians like Paul "live by the standards of this world"? (Mark 8:15; Matt. 23:25-28)

* Mark 8:15 "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

* Matthew 23:25-28 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."

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>2. Can the life of a follower of Jesus be placid, unpretentious, and unassuming? (3-4)

* 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

* "we live in the world"

* "wage war"

* "we do not wage war as the world does"

* "The weapons we fight"

* Paul expends most of the chapter explaining and defending his ministry. Others, especially from within the church were trying to undermine him and his ministry. Verses 3 thru 6 stand out. Here Paul defines his work allegorically. He sees his ministry as a spiritual war.

Jesus told his disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 6:15-16) Paul's mission obeyed this imperative. Specifically, Jesus told him thru Ananias at mission call, "This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel." (Acts 9:15-16)

Paul equates preaching the good news and proclaiming Jesus' name as waging a spiritual war. When I do so, whether thru word or action I am fighting the good fight.

Human war in this world physically destroys, harms, tears down, and kills. The weapons used to fight a physical battle include hands, legs, swords, arrows, guns, gas, bombs, and many other types of physical malicious devices. The spiritual war does not use these weapons (4).

The spiritual fight is with words and loving actions. Whenever I follow Jesus' example and apply his teaching I am using spiritual weapons. Jesus's words are divine power ready for my use, but only when lead by the Spirit in love.

I do not always want to fight the good fight. Sometimes I am tired, lazy, and selfish. It is then that I become vulnerable to defeat. Thank God that he is the source of unending power. When I am weak, He is strong and enables me to fight on.

>How do the weapons of the world compare to the weapons of God's children?

* "are not the weapons of the world"

* "On the contrary"

* "they have divine power to demolish stronghold"

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>What is the nature of the conflict? (5)

* 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

* "We demolish arguments"

* "every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God"

* "we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

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>3. What does verse 6 mean?

* 2 Corinthians 10:6 "And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."

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>Is the spiritual battle internal or external?

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II. Authority for Building Up (10:7-11)

>4. In their assessment of people, including Paul, how were the Corinthians making their conclusions? (7a)

* 2 Corinthians 10:7a "You are looking only on the surface of things."

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>How does God see people? (1 Chron. 28:9; Prov. 16:2; Luke 5:22)

* 1 Chronicles 28:9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."

* Proverbs 16:2 "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD."

* Luke 5:22 "Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?"

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>How should God's people view others? (John 7:24)

* John 7:24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

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>5. Why can a judgment based on outward appearance be misleading and lead to God's disfavor? (7b; Isaiah 53:2-3; Mark 6:2-3)

* 2 Corinthians 10:7b "If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he."

* Isaiah 53:2-3 "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

* Mark 6:2-3 "When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him."

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>What do you think those who were saying Paul was worldly look like? (Mark 12:38-39; Acts 15:5; Titus 1:10-11)

* Mark 12:38-39 "As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets."

* Acts 15:5 "Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.'"

* Titus 1:10-11 "For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain."

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>6. How had Paul countered the teaching from those who looked good on the outside, but on the inside were not of Christ? (8)

* 2 Corinthians 10:8 "For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it."

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>Why wasn't he ashamed of doing this?

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>7. What was his motive in writing the first letter to the Corinthians? (9)

* 2 Corinthians 10:9 "I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters."

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>What did those who opposed the gospel Paul preached have to say about him? (10)

* 2 Corinthians 10:10 "For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

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>What did they not realize? (11)

* 2 Corinthians 10:11 "Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present."

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>How can this be applied to our life? (John 6:61-65)

* John 6:61-65 "Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

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III. Boast in the Lord (10:12-18)

>8. When is it wrong to classify and compare ourselves? (12)

* 2 Corinthians 10:12 "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."

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>When is it right? (13)

* 2 Corinthians 10:13 "We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you."

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>How is this the same as the day we will stand before? (Matt. 25:23, 28-30)

* Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"

* Matthew 25:28-30 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

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>9. What is the field that Paul was talking about in verse 13? (14-15)

* 2 Corinthians 10:14-15 "We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,"

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>How does this compare to Jesus' ministry? (Matthew 13:37-39)

* Matthew 13:37-39 "He answered, 'The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.'"

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>What should we always remember as we work in our field? (16)

* 2 Corinthians 10:16 "so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory."

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>10. What does boasting in the Lord have to do with preaching the gospel? (17)

* 2 Corinthians 10:17 "But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

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>Whose commendation should we seek? (18)

* 2 Corinthians 10:18 "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."

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>How does seeking Jesus' commendation compel us to share the gospel to strangers?

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