God’s power that tears down any stronghold

 

God’s power that tears down any stronghold

 

2 Corinthians 10:3–6: "For though we walk (*peripatountes*) in the flesh (*en sarki*), we do not wage war (*strateuometha*) according to the flesh. The weapons we fight with are not of the flesh but are God’s power for tearing down any stronghold. We tear down every argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. And we are ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."

*En sarki* means "in the flesh," and *peripatountes* means "walking." *Strateuometha* refers to carrying out a ministry or campaign. It means that while we live in this world *in* the flesh, we do not follow the flesh; in other words, we do not conduct ministry with a fleshly mindset. Those who follow the flesh are guided by what is visible to the eye.

Those who follow the flesh lack God’s power. They attacked the spiritual gifts through which God’s power is manifested, labeling them as mysticism or heresy. Those who follow the flesh possess a humanistic mindset characterized by logical, coherent speech.

Those who follow the flesh do not know *ho Logos* (the Word) who dwells within their spirits, or even if they do know Him, they do not obey the Lord’s voice. To obey Christ, one must take one’s thoughts captive. An understanding of the heart and the mind is necessary. English Bibles express this distinction well: there is the "heart" and the "mind." The "heart" refers to the disposition arising from one’s relationship with the Lord—that is, the spiritual heart—whereas the "mind" refers to thoughts originating from the flesh. By pointing out their disobedience, Paul seeks to transform them into people of complete obedience. Paul speaks of conflict and obedience, noting that we face a battle—not a physical one, but a spiritual struggle that ultimately demands obedience to God. This spiritual battle is a conflict within the believer's heart between the fleshly self and the spiritual self.

Paul counters his adversaries. There were those who claimed that while his letters carried weight and power, he was weak and unimpressive in speech when present in person. Paul’s opponents clouded the judgment of the Corinthian believers and criticized him; they encouraged people to judge by outward appearances, accusing Paul of being authoritarian and claiming a discrepancy between his writings and his actual conduct. However, Paul warns against the folly of using the fleshly self as a standard—measuring, comparing, and commending oneself based on that basis.

There are conflicts in this world where rational communication fails. Yet, we do not fight according to the world's methods; instead, we learn to wage battle as the Lord leads us. It is through the power of God alone that we tear down even the strongest of strongholds. These strongholds represent the "old self" within the believer's heart, attacking us much like the seven nations of Canaan once attacked Israel. Losing this battle signifies a problem arising between us and God. Those who live wisely seek the things of heaven first.

Paul asserts that we belong to Christ; he tells the believers to examine themselves, and if they consider themselves to belong to Christ, then they should regard us as belonging to Christ as well. 2 Corinthians 10:8: "For even if I should boast somewhat more about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up (*oikodomen*) rather than tearing you down (*kathairesin*), I would not be ashamed."

*Kathairesin* (καθαίρεσιν) means to destroy or tear down, whereas *oikodomen* (οἰκοδομὴν) refers to building up the church. The point is that there is no shame in boasting about the power or authority given by the Holy Spirit.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had spoken sternly to the believers who were in the wrong; however, he did not do so in the second letter. While his letters carried weight, critics claimed that—despite the Lord's presence within him—he was physically weak and that his proclamation of the Word (*ho Logos*) invited contempt. He was defending his apostleship.

There were those within the Corinthian church who labeled Paul a coward, a hypocrite, and a man driven by fleshly desires, claiming he was not truly an apostle of God. Nevertheless, Paul declared that he would boldly confront such people, relying on the qualifications and authority of his apostleship.

Why was Paul able to face these detractors boldly, with the conviction of his apostleship, undeterred by such slander and false accusations? It was because his life had already proven the authenticity of his apostleship. Paul had already addressed this fact in 1 Corinthians 9:2, stating, "Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am an apostle to you." Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1, he urged them: "Therefore I urge you to imitate me," and "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

When a messenger of the Word displays a disconnect between their life and God's Word, their very apostleship comes under attack by their listeners. Apostleship—being an apostle of God—is defined by one's life itself. One's life substantiates their identity and reality. Attitudes toward others, the content of one's speech, the use of material possessions, the orientation of the heart, and the purpose and direction of life—all these aspects of a person's life reveal the true nature of their being. This is because every believer called by Christ inevitably undergoes a transformation in their way of life due to their relationship with the Lord.

Within the church community, there are those who commend themselves—measuring their own worth and praising themselves by comparing themselves to others. Such people go to great lengths to draw attention to themselves. Paul declares that those who boast of their own merits lack wisdom.

Some members of the Corinthian church strongly opposed Paul, questioning whether he was being overly critical given that he was the one who had founded the church. In response, Paul maintained that his words were spoken according to the standard of Christ; his aim was not to say things the congregation found unpalatable, but to lead them toward the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the standard for boasting. Paul emphatically stated that he did not measure others' labors by his own yardstick. When Christ becomes the standard, one avoids boasting beyond the proper measure. Those who boast based on the standards of others would be, for instance, those who take pride in their faith by aligning themselves with the faction of Paul or Apollos. The point is that it is problematic to use human beings—rather than Christ—as a standard. One should not seek self-commendation; rather, one ought to be a person whom the Lord commends. In this sense, the Corinthian church served as a symbol of the church community as we know it today.