II Corinthians 10:4
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The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
A confutation of those who try to propagate their creed by force and persecution (compare Luk 9:54-56). weapons--for punishing offending members (Co2 10:6; Co1 4:21; Co1 5:5, Co1 5:13); boldness of speech, ecclesiastical discipline (Co2 10:8; Co2 13:10), the power of the word, and of the sacraments, the various extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. carnal--Translate, "fleshly," to preserve the allusion to Co2 10:2-3. mighty through God--Greek, "mighty to God," that is, mighty before God: not humanly, but divinely powerful. The power is not ours, but God's. Compare "fair to God," that is, divinely fair (Act 7:20, Margin). Also above (Co2 2:15), "unto God a sweet savor." "The efficacy of the Christian religion proves its truth" [BENGEL]. pulling down--As the Greek is the same as in Co2 10:5, translate, "casting down." Compare Jer 1:10 : the inspired servants of God inherit the commission of the Old Testament prophets. strongholds-- (Pro 21:22); namely, in which sinners entrench themselves against reproof; all that opposes itself to Christ; the learning, and eloquence, and philosophical subtleties on which the Corinthians prided themselves. So Joshua's trumpet blast was "mighty" under God to overthrow the walls of Jericho.
Open source ↗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 (Co2 10:1-6). He then proceeds to reason the case with the Corinthians, asserting his relation to Christ, and his authority as an apostle of Christ (Co2 10:7-11), 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 (Co2 10:12 to the end).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight,
The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
The LORD extends Your mighty scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”