Galatians 4

Galatians 4:1

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:2

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:3

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:4

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:5

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:6

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:7

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:8

Thank God for His Indescribable Gift

2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul is not exhausted by using persuasive arguments to motivate the Corinthians to giving in the right way. His arguments place ‘giving’ in Divine light. It’s not about money-making. It is about an incredible privilege to which special blessings are attached.

You have to do with a mighty God. Do you want to be a cheerful giver? God is able to give you in a mighty way what you need. Not a little, but in abundance. Note these words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “all”, “always”, “all”, “everything”, “every”. Do they not speak of a great abundance?

Does it mean that God will give you much money? This is possible if need be. In any case He makes “all grace abound to you”. This is what you need first because giving starts with this. Giving begins with the attitude of your heart and then comes the doing of your hand.

He gives “all sufficiency” not to buy nice things for yourself (although sometimes you can buy nice things), but that you may “have an abundance for every good deed”. In 1 Timothy 6 you read that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. But this is immediately followed by the way you may enjoy and that is “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:17). Can it be clearer? A Christian enjoys giving. Hudson Taylor, the man who founded a great missionary work in China, once said: ‘My experience has been that the more I give to others, my soul is all the more filled with happiness and blessings.’

2 Corinthians 9:9. This verse is a quote from Psalms 112 (Psalms 112:9). There some characteristics of a Godly man are cited. One of this is giving to the poor. God gives you certain resources which when you pass on to others you show that you are God-fearing. Whatever you scatter abroad and give to the poor is not lost. God sees it as “righteousness”, because it is a righteous act whose worth remains till eternity.

2 Corinthians 9:10. Again there is a comparison to the sower, as in 2 Corinthians 9:6, but with a different application. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 you saw that you cannot expect a great harvest if you sow sparingly. What you reap is dependent on the quantity you sow. Here the lesson is that God gives you earthly possessions in the first place that you might distribute it and after that God provides what you need for a living. First He gives seed and then bread for food. It is about the order in which you deal with your property and your money. Sow and reap. Give first and then take for yourself.

Practically you can do this by first laying aside something from your income and then consider your own needs. God gives both seed and bread. Only His way of calculating is a bit different from the way we often calculate. He gives that we might first give away, and then we take something for ourselves. Often we do it the other way around. First we take for ourselves and then we look if anything is left over for God.

Speaking of calculation, God also multiplies. You get back not only the seed you scattered. You get a lot more so that you can give more in turn. The fruits of such righteous deeds always increase.

2 Corinthians 9:11-12. It creates new wealth with which new deeds of love can be performed. What emerges from this is thanksgiving to God. By this you go a step higher.

The closer we come to the end of the chapter the more cheering is the tone. In the previous verses the scene of action is more the earth with its needs. But in the verses following it terminates in heaven where God is and where grateful hearts praise Him until finally in the last verse God Himself is the object of admiration and adoration.

What a splendid result of a ministry that ‘only’ satisfies the practical needs of the believers. This service not only alleviates suffering but also leads to a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13. The beneficiaries lift up their hearts to God and glorify Him. They do so because they see in the gift the giver’s commitment to the gospel of Christ. Their confession is not simply lip service but a service done with their hand. Do you see here that a joyful giving is connected with the obedience to the gospel of Christ?

You thought perhaps that the gospel is meant only for the lost sinners. Of course it has primarily to do with them. A sinner who recognizes that he is guilty before God and sees that he can be saved only by the Lord Jesus from sin and hell will gladly submit to the gospel. But here you must see that as believers the submission should be a permanent attitude and the determining factor in all things pertaining to life.

Who wants to be free from sin and judgment only and then have nothing more to do with the gospel for the rest of his life? The one who argues thus does not give the impression that he is truly converted. Subjection to the gospel with heart and soul also means a joyful submission to the good news (the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) when it comes to your money.

2 Corinthians 9:14. Apart from the fact that God returns what you gave to Him and to His own – and He always gives more than what you gave to Him and to His own, for He never will be anyone’s debtor – there is yet another beautiful result by the recipients of the gift. They will pray for you. It is of immeasurable value that people pray for you and you must appreciate this more than anything else. A special bond is formed through the gift. The receivers of the gift perceive the surpassing grace of God in you.

It is not about praising you and telling you what a great guy you are. When you give, you take part in what is called the “surpassing grace of God”. You notice how Paul is searching for words to let them know what great value giving has.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Inevitably he ends up with God as the great Giver. God has given the greatest and absolutely incomparable gift that has ever been given. God could not give a greater proof that He is the Giver than in the gift of His Son. God gave His own, only beloved Son. God did not give Him impulsively in a fit of emotion. God knew what would happen to His Son, how people would mistreat Him and in the end kill Him by letting Him die the vilest, the ugliest form of all deaths. But God gave.

God knew that this ’seed’ would bring an enormous fruit. The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 12 when He spoke of His death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The Lord Jesus died as a grain of wheat and you and I and all believers are the fruit thereof. What fruit! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Now read 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 again.

Reflection: Get on your knees and thank God as the Giver of His Gift and submit yourself to the gospel of Christ by giving.

Galatians 4:10

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:11

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:12

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:13

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:14

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:15

The Destruction of Fortresses

The final part of the letter begins with chapter 10. In that part (chapters 10-13) Paul defends his apostleship to the church in Corinth. This subject we already came across several times in the first chapters of this letter. Now the apostle elaborates on it.

He did not like this but it became necessary because the honor of his Sender and the wellbeing of the believers were at stake. Certain people had come in Corinth who presented themselves as apostles. They are false apostles who try to put Paul in a bad light with the Corinthians. We will see how they proceed in this. They do this with the intention to separate the believers in Corinth from Paul and connect them to themselves. The sad thing is that the Corinthians listen to them.

It also happens today. One has a work among a group of believers and then other people come and criticize that work and they do this to gain entry into that work. Perhaps you have also discovered in yourself how prone you are to believe the evil that is told about someone. It is good to see how Paul responds to all this suspicion. He does not beat his fist on the table to legitimize his authority. You can learn a lot from the way he exhorts the Corinthians. In this he follows the Lord Jesus in His footsteps.

2 Corinthians 10:1. That he takes this matter personally to heart he explains clearly saying: “Now I, Paul, myself.” He does this, not to defend his person, but his service. His attitude toward the Corinthians is an attitude of “meekness and gentleness”. This is a spiritual masterpiece. To keep one’s face like flint and react in such a way, is a real hard job. This is not possible unless you live close to the Lord. You can learn from Him Who said: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness and gentleness are not traits that are appreciated in the world. It is considered weakness there. In the world one must use high flown words and grandiose language to defend one’s position. People impress others to push their case. But an attitude of meekness and gentleness doesn’t mean that you are a wimp or a softy. The Lord Jesus also did not mince words but called a spade a spade. Plainly and right to their face He said to the pharisees and the scribes that they were hypocrites. So also Paul expresses himself clearly and authoritatively in his defense.

At the end of 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul ironically quotes what the false apostles said about him. They said that he behaved very humbly when he was with the Corinthians but had a big mouth when he was far away from them.

2 Corinthians 10:2. Paul says that he does not hope that it would be necessary to prove that this representation of him is pulled out of thin air. He wants to give in an unequivocal manner a strongly worded answer to the people who accused him of walking “according to the flesh”. To walk “according to flesh” means to speak and act from fleshly motives. But that was not the way Paul wanted to deal with things that came up against him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4. That he walked “in the flesh” was not anything special, for flesh here means body. Every man walks in the flesh.

The warfare Paul had to do with – and which every Christian has to do with – is not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. This struggle cannot be fought with carnal resources. Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor with which the spiritual battle must be fought (Ephesians 6:10-20). There you find spiritual weapons such as ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’, and ‘prayer’. These are not weapons of the flesh but Divinely powerful weapons. With them you can achieve victory and destroy the fortresses of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5. What these fortresses are, you read in this verse. They are “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”. Summarized in one word it is the pride of man. Such man is always busy seeking arguments in everything for his own advantage. It never occurs to him to acknowledge that God is above him and everything. You come across this attitude when you share the gospel with people. Of course we cannot expect anything else from unbelievers but unfortunately this is prevalent even among believers. Paul writes to such people.

The Corinthians came under the influence of such people. These intrusions, the spirit of thinking and speaking which gained entry among the Corinthians could be overcome only by the power of God. As for the world they are foolish weapons used by the believing warriors.

To the world the Bible is an ancient book and praying is a sign of weakness. The inhabitants of Jericho may have laughed themselves sick when the Israelites marched around their city once every day for six days and even seven times on the seventh day. Every time they finished one round nothing happened. How foolish it would have appeared to do the same again the next day. But on the seventh day while they were on the seventh round suddenly it happened. The walls came tumbling down. The people took Jericho which was said to be invincible. They defeated the mighty city with its high walls not in their own strength but by doing exactly what the Lord told them to do.

The method might have looked foolish in the eyes of the inhabitants of Jericho but that was the way to victory. This is the way Paul also wanted to destroy the fortresses of the enemies in Corinth. In this way in the power of God – not in your own strength – you can also conquer people who appear to be invincible.

Paul would come to Corinth and share his strategy which would, he expected, help Christians taking “captive” every imagination of the false apostles who brought the Corinthians under their influence. The wrong thinking is called the enemy here. The thoughts formed in their brain were considered huge dangers against the believers. They brought them to a wrong path, a path that did not lead them to Christ but to their own self. The only solution was to take those thoughts into captivity.

Paul wanted to show them what were the intentions of the false apostles, what stood before their eyes, and he wanted to direct the thinking of the Corinthians back to Christ and make them obedient to Christ. That was the goal of his own life, and this goal stood before his eyes for everyone who was converted through his ministry.

You also, keep this goal before your eyes. Don’t give in to all kinds of impressing speeches of people who have a great show, but who don’t direct your thoughts on Christ. The touchstone to appraise if your work is done in the right way is to test if your work redounds to the glory of God and if it magnifies the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6. Paul was ready to punish all disobedience. Disobedience is the basic sin in the believer’s life that can in no way be tolerated. Paul in his wisdom did not punish disobedience immediately. First the Corinthians had to show that they obeyed his first letter in everything. Even when it comes to pointing out and condemning the wrong things patience is necessary. Not all wrong issues were taken up immediately and addressed simultaneously.

Don’t you also agree that the Lord was patient with you and led you step by step on the path of obedience? And that He endured so many wrong things you committed until the moment when He showed them to you, and you in turn could condemn them and put them away?

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: What are the strongholds in your life that still need to be pulled down?

Galatians 4:16

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:17

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:18

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:19

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:20

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:21

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:22

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:23

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:24

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:25

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:26

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:27

To Everyone a Sphere

2 Corinthians 10:7. We all easily fall into the same error in which the Corinthians fell: to look at what is before our eyes or to observe things as they are outwardly. Someone who is able to keep up appearances, flexible, accommodative and smooth-tongued impresses us more than a puny little man who moves stiffly and has a simple message. The false apostles knew how to cash in on the human weakness of the Corinthians and find an entry among them.

Paul did not have an impressive appearance. He makes clear to them that if these people claim that they belong to Christ, he also can in all respects. They must know it for certain.

2 Corinthians 10:8. He could boast of the authority the Lord has given him. The false apostles could not claim that. This authority was not purposed to destroy but to build them up. Paul always saw his ministry and authority in view of the welfare of the church and did not use it for his own pleasure. Also in this he followed his Lord. The Lord Jesus never used His authority to defend Himself. He always used it to stand up for the honor of His Father.

If Paul used his authority to destroy, then that happened in his love for the Corinthians. He destroyed in them the things and thoughts that did not agree with the thoughts of God. In that way they would again be able to accept the apostle’s edifying instructions. There was no need for him to be ashamed of his authority. He did not abuse it as it occasionally happens today with spiritual leaders.

2 Corinthians 10:9. Paul was accused that he was trying to terrify the Corinthians by his letters. According to some opinions he used in his letters a threatening language in the sense of: ‘If you do not listen to what I say you will reap the consequences.’ But threatening is something different from warning. Warning means that you make another aware of certain hazards and help him avoid such dangers. He will be grateful for it. To threaten is to instill fear. Warning happens out of concern.

2 Corinthians 10:10. Paul warned not to be misled by people who said that he was an unbalanced person. They said that he has a big mouth in his letters but as a person he is meaningless. To put it in modern terms: he had no charisma. You cannot pull down a person better than by making people to talk about him like that. Tell around that he is moody; he talks one thing one time and another at another time and then the confidence in him is gone.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Well, Paul clearly says that someone who talks like that is missing the mark considerably. There was no difference between his letters and his appearance. Whoever drew this conclusion from his humble demeanor that he had no courage to sort out the misunderstanding with the Corinthians was wrong. In chapter 1 Paul says why he had not gone to Corinth: it was to spare them (2 Corinthians 1:23). That is something different from not daring. In his letters as well as in his appearance he shows clearly what he is about. Misunderstanding is ruled out. From this you can learn that it is important that others know what you are and that you do not behave differently on different occasions.

2 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse the irony sounds again. Paul did not dare to be counted one with the false apostles nor compare himself with them. Of course he never wanted that. They were people who recommended themselves. Never believe people who are self-satisfied. They cannot stop talking about all of their fabulous performances and capabilities. It is amazing how many fall for it over and again. In times of political elections the top candidates of a party flaunt the most impressive feats of their party to convince voters that their party deserves the support of the voters. They all recommend themselves.

In professing Christianity also spiritual leaders boast of their qualities and achievements just to get more followers. They are not like the Lord Jesus even a little bit. They compare themselves with themselves and not with Him, Who is the only standard around which all else revolves. Paul calls them “not wise”. To him they disqualified themselves. Of course it is an embarrassment to the people who boasted in their understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:13. Paul was not thinking about himself. His thought was about the Lord and His work. For this work the Lord had given him a sphere. He had no say in this.

You also have your own sphere of activity. This is your residential area. Let your light shine there in front of the people who live there. Do not work in an area where you know that there are other believers working for the Lord. Respect their work. You also would not be happy to find others work in your area in a competitive way. Such activities do not build up but destroy.

2 Corinthians 10:14. Corinth lay in the area which God allocated to Paul. So it was the Lord Who brought the Corinthians in contact with Paul and it was he who preached the gospel to them. Would they now turn away from him and listen to people who had infiltrated into his area?

2 Corinthians 10:15. These people wanted to adorn themselves with the results of the work that Paul had done among them. It was a clever method which Paul did not approve. He would not enter an area where others had already begun their work for the Lord. He did not want to decorate himself with borrowed plumes. What he was hoping was that they would grow in their faith. Now their growth in faith has come to a standstill through the influence of the false apostles. If you begin listening to the insinuations of false apostles against a true servant of God, that would be a major obstacle to your spiritual growth.

If their faith must again start growing – and this could happen only if they condemned the negative influences – then Paul would enjoy more esteem than he had. The way will then be free again to instruct them further in the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:16. The way would also be free to travel to other areas where Christ had not been preached. But Paul was prevented from going further with the work, for the Corinthians, his ‘problem children’, had to be dealt with first. Even now it can still happen that a servant of the Lord must devote all his time and energy to deal with all kinds of problems among believers and that he finds no time to preach the gospel to the unbelievers. If Paul will be able to go to other regions where other workers had already brought the gospel it was not to take credit.

2 Corinthians 10:17. Besides, he is not at all concerned to boast in himself. He says again what he wrote in his first letter (1 Corinthians 1:31) that one should boast only in the Lord, for He is the One Who produces results.

2 Corinthians 10:18. The best yardstick to assess a servant of the Lord is to see if he recommends himself by speaking of himself, or whether he is recommended by the Lord and is his service all about the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes clear if someone is a tried and tested servant.

Now read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 again.

Reflection: What is the sphere God has assigned to you?

Galatians 4:29

Simplicity and Purity to Christ

Paul continues to unmask the false apostles who spread lies about him. May be you are thinking now whether it is necessary that we know so much detail about Paul’s defense. Yes, this knowledge of his defense is important for our time. Indeed there are still people today who argue that we do not need to attach authority to what Paul wrote. They also assert quietly that Paul at certain instances was totally wrong and that he was not in step with his times. The people who maintain this position present themselves as people who know the Bible well. This includes even theologians.

But criticism of Paul ultimately is criticism of God Himself Who gave the order to Paul to write. So it is good that you get to grips with all his arguments and by doing so you will not get upset in case you meet people who have something to find fault with Paul.

The way the apostle speaks to the Corinthians makes it clear how severely they were influenced by the false apostles. Paul is forced to compare his doings to the people who claim the Corinthians for themselves. These comparisons must open the eyes of the Corinthians to the duplicity of the false apostles who professed to have come with a message from God.

2 Corinthians 11:1. He first asks if they are willing to endure a little folly from him, for it is foolish to talk about oneself. At the end of the previous chapter he said that it was important that God recommended someone instead of one recommending himself. But note well that what he does happens out of necessity. He pleads to bear with him, for he must say a few things which may not be pleasant.

2 Corinthians 11:2. He does so because he is “jealous”. The word jealousy is used in the good sense here. Normally one thinks jealousy is something wrong and something negative. When your friend has something which you do not have, you can easily feel a sense of jealousy rising in you. With Paul it is about a jealousy which God also has. There can be nothing wrong in it; it is a jealousy that has to do with love.

Through his ministry Paul had related the believers in Corinth with Christ. He compares this to an engagement. When young people get engaged a connection which goes far beyond friendship is established. You can have many friends but only one fiancé or fiancée. Certainly the person whom you are engaged to would relate only to you. None of you will have a similar connection with anybody else and if it happened, then that would strain the relationship and things would be very difficult for both concerned.

Then the partners will be jealous also. You want the love of your engaged partner wholly for yourself and you are right. This is God’s jealousy which Paul expressed, because the Corinthians had turned away from the Christ Whom Paul had preached and instead listened to what the dissemblers preached.

He compares the Corinthians to “a pure virgin” and this applies to the whole church. A pure virgin has had no marital relationship with a man. If the church forgets her relationship with Christ and connects with the world then that causes great grief to the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:3. Paul fears that the church is becoming less and less aware that her love must be directed only to the Lord Jesus, her Bridegroom. The reason is that the church, like Eve, fails to discover the craftiness of satan. You find this illustration Paul cites in Genesis 3. In paradise the serpent came to Eve. The serpent is the devil (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). He was crafty in approaching Eve. He does not approach with a coarse lie. No, first he quotes something that God had said. But watch out. He twisted the words of God (cf. Genesis 3:1 and Genesis 2:16).

This is the first mark of satan. He always quotes from the Word of God in a way that raises doubts. Then he says bluntly that God doesn’t make true what He has said (cp. Genesis 3:4 and Genesis 2:17). Finally he replaces God’s Word with his own lies (Genesis 3:5).

The allurement of this lie is underscored by what Eve sees when she looks at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She concludes how gorgeous it looks. It is exactly as the serpent said! Can he be wrong then? When it came this far evil was already born. Eve had already forgotten what God had said and her thoughts were tainted by what the serpent said. What should she have done? She should have stuck to what God had said.

But is it any better in the church? Did the church always consult the Word of God when something had to be done or is she misled by rhetoric? I am afraid of the latter. The church has departed from the simplicity and purity to Christ. Her thoughts didn’t remain fixed on Christ alone. Simplicity means that there is only one object on which you are focused.

Purity is abandoned and the church is defiled through its dealings with the world. The church has begun to think and act more and more like the world. The church has begun to be like a commercial enterprise that is governed in the ways of the world. What do you think of the World Council of Churches that has mixed up with all kinds of political issues, sometimes even providing funds for arms purchases? It goes so bad when thoughts are corrupted and Christ is no longer the only object in the heart of the believers.

2 Corinthians 11:4. As for the Corinthians they fell in danger even to the extent of rejecting Paul because he seemed not to be a genuine apostle. What he told them perhaps was too simple and too radical. Do you really have to live all alone for Christ? Is Christ to have the full authority over their lives? The teachers who came after Paul had views that were easier to accept. The other Jesus they preached was better to them. This is one who does not ask everything of you, as Paul preached to them, pushing to the background what the true Jesus did for them.

This “different spirit”, the spirit which these teachers brought to them, they easily accepted because it left them some more room for their own thoughts. The Holy Spirit they received did not give room for this. The Holy Spirit Who would guide them into all truth (John 16:13) was pushed to the background. A “different gospel”, a comfortable gospel that not called for radical conversion, not a thorough self-judgment, was easier to accept than what they heard and accepted from Paul. Paul indeed exposed the utter bankruptcy of man. But wasn’t there still something good in man?

Such arguments as these were accepted by the Corinthians. They proved how much they had opened themselves to the corrupting influences of the false apostles and how those influences had worked in them. Take the lessons to your heart. Keep yourself focused on what God has said in His Word and let your eyes be focused on the Lord Jesus alone.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 again.

Reflection: What is the best thing you can do to prevent the serpent from leading you astray?

Galatians 4:30

Simplicity and Purity to Christ

Paul continues to unmask the false apostles who spread lies about him. May be you are thinking now whether it is necessary that we know so much detail about Paul’s defense. Yes, this knowledge of his defense is important for our time. Indeed there are still people today who argue that we do not need to attach authority to what Paul wrote. They also assert quietly that Paul at certain instances was totally wrong and that he was not in step with his times. The people who maintain this position present themselves as people who know the Bible well. This includes even theologians.

But criticism of Paul ultimately is criticism of God Himself Who gave the order to Paul to write. So it is good that you get to grips with all his arguments and by doing so you will not get upset in case you meet people who have something to find fault with Paul.

The way the apostle speaks to the Corinthians makes it clear how severely they were influenced by the false apostles. Paul is forced to compare his doings to the people who claim the Corinthians for themselves. These comparisons must open the eyes of the Corinthians to the duplicity of the false apostles who professed to have come with a message from God.

2 Corinthians 11:1. He first asks if they are willing to endure a little folly from him, for it is foolish to talk about oneself. At the end of the previous chapter he said that it was important that God recommended someone instead of one recommending himself. But note well that what he does happens out of necessity. He pleads to bear with him, for he must say a few things which may not be pleasant.

2 Corinthians 11:2. He does so because he is “jealous”. The word jealousy is used in the good sense here. Normally one thinks jealousy is something wrong and something negative. When your friend has something which you do not have, you can easily feel a sense of jealousy rising in you. With Paul it is about a jealousy which God also has. There can be nothing wrong in it; it is a jealousy that has to do with love.

Through his ministry Paul had related the believers in Corinth with Christ. He compares this to an engagement. When young people get engaged a connection which goes far beyond friendship is established. You can have many friends but only one fiancé or fiancée. Certainly the person whom you are engaged to would relate only to you. None of you will have a similar connection with anybody else and if it happened, then that would strain the relationship and things would be very difficult for both concerned.

Then the partners will be jealous also. You want the love of your engaged partner wholly for yourself and you are right. This is God’s jealousy which Paul expressed, because the Corinthians had turned away from the Christ Whom Paul had preached and instead listened to what the dissemblers preached.

He compares the Corinthians to “a pure virgin” and this applies to the whole church. A pure virgin has had no marital relationship with a man. If the church forgets her relationship with Christ and connects with the world then that causes great grief to the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:3. Paul fears that the church is becoming less and less aware that her love must be directed only to the Lord Jesus, her Bridegroom. The reason is that the church, like Eve, fails to discover the craftiness of satan. You find this illustration Paul cites in Genesis 3. In paradise the serpent came to Eve. The serpent is the devil (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). He was crafty in approaching Eve. He does not approach with a coarse lie. No, first he quotes something that God had said. But watch out. He twisted the words of God (cf. Genesis 3:1 and Genesis 2:16).

This is the first mark of satan. He always quotes from the Word of God in a way that raises doubts. Then he says bluntly that God doesn’t make true what He has said (cp. Genesis 3:4 and Genesis 2:17). Finally he replaces God’s Word with his own lies (Genesis 3:5).

The allurement of this lie is underscored by what Eve sees when she looks at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She concludes how gorgeous it looks. It is exactly as the serpent said! Can he be wrong then? When it came this far evil was already born. Eve had already forgotten what God had said and her thoughts were tainted by what the serpent said. What should she have done? She should have stuck to what God had said.

But is it any better in the church? Did the church always consult the Word of God when something had to be done or is she misled by rhetoric? I am afraid of the latter. The church has departed from the simplicity and purity to Christ. Her thoughts didn’t remain fixed on Christ alone. Simplicity means that there is only one object on which you are focused.

Purity is abandoned and the church is defiled through its dealings with the world. The church has begun to think and act more and more like the world. The church has begun to be like a commercial enterprise that is governed in the ways of the world. What do you think of the World Council of Churches that has mixed up with all kinds of political issues, sometimes even providing funds for arms purchases? It goes so bad when thoughts are corrupted and Christ is no longer the only object in the heart of the believers.

2 Corinthians 11:4. As for the Corinthians they fell in danger even to the extent of rejecting Paul because he seemed not to be a genuine apostle. What he told them perhaps was too simple and too radical. Do you really have to live all alone for Christ? Is Christ to have the full authority over their lives? The teachers who came after Paul had views that were easier to accept. The other Jesus they preached was better to them. This is one who does not ask everything of you, as Paul preached to them, pushing to the background what the true Jesus did for them.

This “different spirit”, the spirit which these teachers brought to them, they easily accepted because it left them some more room for their own thoughts. The Holy Spirit they received did not give room for this. The Holy Spirit Who would guide them into all truth (John 16:13) was pushed to the background. A “different gospel”, a comfortable gospel that not called for radical conversion, not a thorough self-judgment, was easier to accept than what they heard and accepted from Paul. Paul indeed exposed the utter bankruptcy of man. But wasn’t there still something good in man?

Such arguments as these were accepted by the Corinthians. They proved how much they had opened themselves to the corrupting influences of the false apostles and how those influences had worked in them. Take the lessons to your heart. Keep yourself focused on what God has said in His Word and let your eyes be focused on the Lord Jesus alone.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 again.

Reflection: What is the best thing you can do to prevent the serpent from leading you astray?

Galatians 4:31

Simplicity and Purity to Christ

Paul continues to unmask the false apostles who spread lies about him. May be you are thinking now whether it is necessary that we know so much detail about Paul’s defense. Yes, this knowledge of his defense is important for our time. Indeed there are still people today who argue that we do not need to attach authority to what Paul wrote. They also assert quietly that Paul at certain instances was totally wrong and that he was not in step with his times. The people who maintain this position present themselves as people who know the Bible well. This includes even theologians.

But criticism of Paul ultimately is criticism of God Himself Who gave the order to Paul to write. So it is good that you get to grips with all his arguments and by doing so you will not get upset in case you meet people who have something to find fault with Paul.

The way the apostle speaks to the Corinthians makes it clear how severely they were influenced by the false apostles. Paul is forced to compare his doings to the people who claim the Corinthians for themselves. These comparisons must open the eyes of the Corinthians to the duplicity of the false apostles who professed to have come with a message from God.

2 Corinthians 11:1. He first asks if they are willing to endure a little folly from him, for it is foolish to talk about oneself. At the end of the previous chapter he said that it was important that God recommended someone instead of one recommending himself. But note well that what he does happens out of necessity. He pleads to bear with him, for he must say a few things which may not be pleasant.

2 Corinthians 11:2. He does so because he is “jealous”. The word jealousy is used in the good sense here. Normally one thinks jealousy is something wrong and something negative. When your friend has something which you do not have, you can easily feel a sense of jealousy rising in you. With Paul it is about a jealousy which God also has. There can be nothing wrong in it; it is a jealousy that has to do with love.

Through his ministry Paul had related the believers in Corinth with Christ. He compares this to an engagement. When young people get engaged a connection which goes far beyond friendship is established. You can have many friends but only one fiancé or fiancée. Certainly the person whom you are engaged to would relate only to you. None of you will have a similar connection with anybody else and if it happened, then that would strain the relationship and things would be very difficult for both concerned.

Then the partners will be jealous also. You want the love of your engaged partner wholly for yourself and you are right. This is God’s jealousy which Paul expressed, because the Corinthians had turned away from the Christ Whom Paul had preached and instead listened to what the dissemblers preached.

He compares the Corinthians to “a pure virgin” and this applies to the whole church. A pure virgin has had no marital relationship with a man. If the church forgets her relationship with Christ and connects with the world then that causes great grief to the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:3. Paul fears that the church is becoming less and less aware that her love must be directed only to the Lord Jesus, her Bridegroom. The reason is that the church, like Eve, fails to discover the craftiness of satan. You find this illustration Paul cites in Genesis 3. In paradise the serpent came to Eve. The serpent is the devil (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). He was crafty in approaching Eve. He does not approach with a coarse lie. No, first he quotes something that God had said. But watch out. He twisted the words of God (cf. Genesis 3:1 and Genesis 2:16).

This is the first mark of satan. He always quotes from the Word of God in a way that raises doubts. Then he says bluntly that God doesn’t make true what He has said (cp. Genesis 3:4 and Genesis 2:17). Finally he replaces God’s Word with his own lies (Genesis 3:5).

The allurement of this lie is underscored by what Eve sees when she looks at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She concludes how gorgeous it looks. It is exactly as the serpent said! Can he be wrong then? When it came this far evil was already born. Eve had already forgotten what God had said and her thoughts were tainted by what the serpent said. What should she have done? She should have stuck to what God had said.

But is it any better in the church? Did the church always consult the Word of God when something had to be done or is she misled by rhetoric? I am afraid of the latter. The church has departed from the simplicity and purity to Christ. Her thoughts didn’t remain fixed on Christ alone. Simplicity means that there is only one object on which you are focused.

Purity is abandoned and the church is defiled through its dealings with the world. The church has begun to think and act more and more like the world. The church has begun to be like a commercial enterprise that is governed in the ways of the world. What do you think of the World Council of Churches that has mixed up with all kinds of political issues, sometimes even providing funds for arms purchases? It goes so bad when thoughts are corrupted and Christ is no longer the only object in the heart of the believers.

2 Corinthians 11:4. As for the Corinthians they fell in danger even to the extent of rejecting Paul because he seemed not to be a genuine apostle. What he told them perhaps was too simple and too radical. Do you really have to live all alone for Christ? Is Christ to have the full authority over their lives? The teachers who came after Paul had views that were easier to accept. The other Jesus they preached was better to them. This is one who does not ask everything of you, as Paul preached to them, pushing to the background what the true Jesus did for them.

This “different spirit”, the spirit which these teachers brought to them, they easily accepted because it left them some more room for their own thoughts. The Holy Spirit they received did not give room for this. The Holy Spirit Who would guide them into all truth (John 16:13) was pushed to the background. A “different gospel”, a comfortable gospel that not called for radical conversion, not a thorough self-judgment, was easier to accept than what they heard and accepted from Paul. Paul indeed exposed the utter bankruptcy of man. But wasn’t there still something good in man?

Such arguments as these were accepted by the Corinthians. They proved how much they had opened themselves to the corrupting influences of the false apostles and how those influences had worked in them. Take the lessons to your heart. Keep yourself focused on what God has said in His Word and let your eyes be focused on the Lord Jesus alone.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 again.

Reflection: What is the best thing you can do to prevent the serpent from leading you astray?