5 reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,
for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings:
and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that `is' in my members.
for the reckoning of God is living, and working, and sharp above every two-edged sword, and piercing unto the dividing asunder both of soul and spirit, of joints also and marrow, and a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart;
because, having known God they did not glorify `Him' as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,
Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon.
The haughty eyes of man have been humbled, And bowed down hath been the loftiness of men, And set on high hath Jehovah alone been in that day. For a day `is' to Jehovah of Hosts, For every proud and high one, And for every lifted up and low one,
The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. `God is not!' `are' all his devices.
and now having been made manifest, also, through prophetic writings, according to a command of the age-during God, having been made known to all the nations for obedience of faith --
and having been made perfect, he did become to all those obeying him a cause of salvation age-during,
Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,
though I also have `cause of' trust in flesh. If any other one doth think to have trust in flesh, I more; circumcision on the eighth day! of the race of Israel! of the tribe of Benjamin! a Hebrew of Hebrews! according to law a Pharisee! according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless! But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss; yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him, not having my righteousness, which `is' of law, but that which `is' through faith of Christ -- the righteousness that is of God by the faith,
through the proof of this ministration glorifying God for the subjection of your confession to the good news of the Christ, and `for' the liberality of the fellowship to them and to all,
And bowed down hath been the haughtiness of man, And humbled the loftiness of men, And set on high hath Jehovah alone been in that day.
An abomination to Jehovah `are' thoughts of wickedness, And pure `are' sayings of pleasantness.
Scatter abroad the wrath of thine anger, And see every proud one, and make him low. See every proud one -- humble him, And tread down the wicked in their place.
Whom hast thou reproached and reviled? And against whom lifted up a voice? Yea, thou dost lift up on high thine eyes -- Against the Holy One of Israel!
who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- `the day doth not come'.
and Jehovah smelleth the sweet fragrance, and Jehovah saith unto His heart, `I continue not to disesteem any more the ground because of man, though the imagination of the heart of man `is' evil from his youth; and I continue not to smite any more all living, as I have done;
`And yet for this I have caused thee to stand, so as to show thee My power, and for the sake of declaring My Name in all the earth; still thou art exalting thyself against My people -- so as not to send them away;
`Take heed to thee lest there be a word in thy heart -- worthless, saying, Near `is' the seventh year, the year of release; and thine eye is evil against thy needy brother, and thou dost not give to him, and he hath called concerning thee unto Jehovah, and it hath been in thee sin;
For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
The thought of folly `is' sin, And an abomination to man `is' a scorner.
And come unto thee, bowing down, Have sons of those afflicting thee, And bowed themselves to the soles of thy feet Have all despising thee, And they have cried to thee: `City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'
`Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works `are' truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'
and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand `is' thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured. `Then from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down; and this `is' the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided. This `is' the interpretation of the thing: Numbered -- God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. Weighed -- Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking. Divided -- Divided is thy kingdom, and it hath been given to the Medes and Persians.' Then hath Belshazzar said, and they have clothed Daniel with purple, and a bracelet of gold `is' on his neck, and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,
He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,
who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things? the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;
and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, `Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?' And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord said, `I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;' trembling also, and astonished, he said, `Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?' and the Lord `said' unto him, `Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.'
through whom we did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name;
but the foolish things of the world did God choose, that the wise He may put to shame; and the weak things of the world did God choose that He may put to shame the strong; and the base things of the world, and the things despised did God choose, and the things that are not, that the things that are He may make useless -- that no flesh may glory before Him;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 10
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
There was no place in which the apostle Paul met with more opposition from false apostles than at Corinth; he had many enemies there. Let not any of the ministers of Christ think it strange if they meet with perils, not only from enemies, but from false brethren; for blessed Paul himself did so. Though he was so blameless and inoffensive in all his carriage, so condescending and useful to all, yet there were those who bore him ill-will, who envied him, and did all they could to undermine him, and lesson his interest and reputation. Therefore he vindicates himself from their imputation, and arms the Corinthians against their insinuations. In this chapter the apostle, in a mild and humble manner, asserts the power of his preaching, and to punish offenders (v. 1-6). He then proceeds to reason the case with the Corinthians, asserting his relation to Christ, and his authority as an apostle of Christ (v. 7-11), and refuses to justify himself, or to act by such rules as the false teachers did, but according to the better rules he had fixed for himself (v. 12-18).
2Cr 10:1-6
Here we may observe,
2Cr 10:7-11
In these verses the apostle proceeds to reason the case with the Corinthians, in opposition to those who despised him, judged him, and spoke hardly of him: "Do you,' says he, "look on things after the outward appearance? v. 7. Is this a fit measure or rule to make an estimate of things or persons by, and to judge between me and my adversaries?' In outward appearance, Paul was mean and despicable with some; he did not make a figure, as perhaps some of his competitors might do: but this was a false rule to make a judgment by. It should seem that some boasted mighty things of themselves, and made a fair show. But there are often false appearances. A man may seem to be learned who has not learned Christ, and appear virtuous when he has not a principle of grace in his heart. However, the apostle asserts two things of himself:-
2Cr 10:12-18
In these verses observe,