In the last lesson I explained the fact that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians just months after writing 1 Corinthians. The reason being that there were still some things that bothered him and he wanted to clear the air. It is evident Paul was made aware of certain accusations and criticisms of his ministry that were circulating in this assembly. So, in this follow-up letter he endeavors to both vindicate his ministry and (in light of the direct, corrective nature of the first letter) reassure them of his love and care for them.
In the last lesson we looked at the first three (of five) instances where Paul appears to answer some of the accusations that had been made regarding his ministry there. So, let’s continue on to 2 Corinthians 10. In verse 1 he refers to the criticism that when present, he’s timid (“base” in the KJV, from tapeinos, usually translated, lowly, in context here, lacking self-confidence or courage), but bold when absent. In other words, the accusation was, he’ll say those things in a letter, but would never have the courage to say them to our face. Then, the accusation continues in verse 2 that Paul lived according to the flesh (worldly standards), implicating his ministry was not spiritual or Godly in nature.
So, Paul answers, saying though he lives in the world, he doesn’t wage war like the world does (verse 3), and the weapons he fights with are not the weapons of the world, but have the power of God to accomplish this one specific thing – the “pulling down of strongholds” (verse 4). And since this is often misused to help justify what some groups call “spiritual warfare” (yelling at the devil, demons and anything else they perceive to be evil and telling God what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who to do it to), I will take the time to explain what Paul is really talking about here.
The word translated “strongholds” is ochuroma, a fortress, used here to illustrate those things people trust for safety. Now let’s put this in context. When Paul preached the Gospel in a gentile culture, he was opposing the false reasoning of pagan philosophies (and, yes, demonic influence). And when he moved on to another place, Jewish zealots would come in after him to discredit and disrupt his work in an attempt to reassert their Judaism. These are the strongholds he’s talking about.
Now, how did Paul pull down these strongholds? He tells us in verse 5 (and it’s not yelling at the devil or telling God what to do). The first thing he mentions is “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God”. Here, “casting down” is from kathaireo, to destroy, “imaginations” is from logismos, often translated reasoning and is suggestive of wrong or evil intent and “high things” is from hupsoma, a general reference to the many false, intellectual arguments against the existence of God.
Paul is simply saying he destroyed the pagan philosophies, mythologies and idolatries in these Gentile cultures by preaching the truth of Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected. The pseudo-intellectual thoughts of Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, along with the empty promises and perversions of the idol temples shriveled from the weight of truth and the conviction felt by those who embraced the Gospel message, as these believers in Corinth had done.
The other thing Paul mentions here is “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. To put it simply, none of the empty, purposeless, evil, lascivious thoughts of these religious systems could stand against the virtue, purity and love of God demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Again, these Corinthian believers were well aware of how the reality of a righteous God had changed them. Paul has just reminded them of that transformation – from intellectual deniers and perverse idolaters to lovers and followers of God.
Let’s turn our attention to another criticism of Paul. In 2 Corinthians 10:10 we find, “For they say, His letters are impressive and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and not a good speaker.” Then in 11:6 he says, “I may not be a skillful speaker, but I know what I am talking about, as you well know.” I smile when I read this and remember a recent television series that depicted Paul as tall, handsome, blue-eyed, sophisticated and eloquent (with an obvious English accent).
At this point Paul is getting ready to illustrate one of the most important principles in scripture. And, as in other instances, I think it’s necessary to give you an expanded, contextual translation to get the full meaning here. This is 2 Corinthians 11:7-8, “(But where is all this undue criticism coming from?) Was I wrong to cheapen myself in your estimation so I could enrich you by teaching the Gospel of God to you free of charge? I took money from others (even more than their fair share), so I could serve you.”
Paul nails it here! We all tend to not value (or at least undervalue) the things we don’t work for or don’t have to pay for – it’s our nature. Anyone who has raised children has seen that demonstrated. Because of this many parents decide to make their children work and pay for certain things, as they get older, so they will, hopefully, value them. For some reason (he doesn’t tell us why) Paul decided not to take support from these Corinthian believers. And what was the result? They questioned his character, criticized his ministry and failed to properly appreciate the full measure of what he had done for them in bringing them to Christ.
So, was he, in fact, wrong? Yes, he was. Paul was a Pharisee, an Old Testament scholar. He was fully aware of the fact that God had always required believers to have a vested interest or financial responsibility in their relationship with Him.
It started in Genesis 4 with God’s instructions to Cain and Able. They were to sacrifice a healthy, valuable animal from their flock. As you progress through the Old Testament, God makes provision for the support of the family priest. Then He gives specific instruction regarding what people are to give and when they are to give it, to support the Levitical priesthood. Then into the New Testament, Jesus makes it clear those who accept the responsibility to care for the spiritual welfare of others should live by the financial support they receive from them.
Now, I’m not going to go into a long, detailed dissertation on giving. However, it would be irresponsible to not take this opportunity to explain what I believe are the three obvious reasons why God requires it. The first is what Paul is illustrating here in 2 Corinthians – people tend to not properly value or appreciate what costs them nothing. We tend to take for granted the things that require no sacrifice on our part. It’s what some call “having skin in the game”. Those who give usually have a better appreciation of spiritual things.
I’m sorry; I have to expand this just a little. Those who give have a greater capacity to recognize spiritual issues in their lives, and then benefit from them. In other words, they don’t tend to just float through life ignoring God; they’re paying attention, because they want to know what He’s doing or what He wants. The fact of the matter is that God wants to be directly involved in the life of every believer, but not every believer takes advantage of this reality.
The second reason is that regular giving is, at the very least, a partial rejection of worldly values. Giving forces us to establish the right priorities in our lives over and over again. What’s more important, spiritual principles and issues, or the things we could do or have if we kept the money for ourselves?
The third reason is that giving provides the opportunity to learn to trust in God’s provision. In some ways, giving is designed to create need, so God can provide in His own way and according to His timing. This builds trust and helps believers bridge that gap between material things and spiritual things. If God is faithful in material, worldly things, why would He not be just as faithful in spiritual, eternal things? If He keeps his promises that are related to this life, will He not keep those promises related to the next?
Remember when I said earlier Paul was wrong. This is 2 Corinthians 12:13, “In what way were you put to a disadvantage in comparison to the other churches, unless it was the fact that I did not burden you with my financial support. Forgive me, I was wrong!” Paul as much as says here this was the only place he didn’t require the church to support him financially. It is my own personal belief he was allowed to make this mistake here, so this important principle could be presented in the New Testament.