2 Corinthians 10:6

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Translate, 'Having ourselves (i:e., being) in readiness to exact punishment for all disobedience,' etc. WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE ... He charitably assumes that the Corinthian church will act obediently; therefore he says "YOUR obedience." But as some will act otherwise, in order to give all an opportunity of joining the obedient, he waits (not prematurely exacting punishment) until the full number of those who obey Christ has been 'completed,' and the remainder have proved incorrigible. He had acted already so at Corinth (Acts 18:6: cf. ; Matthew 13:28)....

6._And are in readiness to avenge. _This he adds, lest insolent men should presumptuously lift themselves up in opposition to his ministry, as if they could do so with impunity. Hence he says, that power had been given him — not merely for constraining voluntary disciples to subjection to Christ, but also for inflicting _vengeance _upon the rebellious, (759) and that his threats were not empty bugbears, (760) but had the execution quite in readiness — to use the customary expression. Now this vengeance is founded on Christ’s word — whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven. (Matthew 18:18.) For although God does not thunder forth immediately on the minister’s pronouncing the sentence, yet the decision is ratified, (761) and will be accomplish

1-6 While others thought meanly, and spake scornfully of the apostle, he had low thoughts, and spake humbly of himself. We should be aware of our own infirmities, and think humbly of ourselves, even when men reproach us. The work of the ministry is a spiritual warfare with spiritual enemies, and for spiritual purposes. Outward force is not the method of the gospel, but strong persuasions, by the power of truth and the meekness of wisdom. Conscience is accountable to God only; and people must be persuaded to God and their duty, not driven by force. Thus the weapons of our warfare are very powerful; the evidence of truth is convincing. What opposition is made against the gospel, by the powers of sin and Satan in the hearts of men! But observe the conquest the word of God gains. The appointed means, however feeble they appear to some, will be mighty through God. And the preaching of the cro...

Verse 2 Corinthians 10:6. _AND HAVING IN A READINESS TO REVENGE ALL_ _DISOBEDIENCE_] I am ready, through this mighty armour of God, to punish those opposers of the doctrine of Christ, and the disobedience which has been produced by them. _WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED._] When you have in the fullest manner, discountenanced those men, and separated yourselves from their communion. The apostle was not in haste to pull up the _tares_, lest he should pull up the _wheat_ also. All the terms in these two verses are _military_. Allusion is made to a _strongly fortifed city_, where the enemy had made his _last stand; entrenching_ himself about the _walls; strengthening_ all his _redoubts_ and _ramparts_; raising _castles, towers_, and _various_ _engines_ of

AND HAVING IN A READINESS ... - I am ready to punish all disobedience, notwithstanding all that is said to the contrary; see the notes on 2 Corinthians 10:1. Clothed as I am with this power; aiming to subdue all things to Christ, though the weapons of my warfare are not carnal, and though I am modest or timid 2 Corinthians 10:1 when I am with you, I am prepared to take any measures of severity required by my apostolic office, in order that I may inflict deserved punishment on those who have violated the laws of Christ. The design of this is, to meet the objection of his enemies, that he would not dare to execute his threatenings. WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED - Doddridge renders this: “now your obedience is

EXPOSITION With this chapter begins the last great section of the Epistle (verse 1-2 Corinthians 13:10), which contains an impassioned vindication of the apostle's position as compared with that of his opponents. It is so much more vehement and severe than the former part of the Epistle, and the whole style and tone of the Epistle at this point change so completely, that many have supposed that this is in reality another letter, and some have even identified it with the letter alluded to in 2 Corinthians 7:8. There is no trace of external evidence in favour of this view. It is much more probable that St. Paul would here have ended his letter but for fresh information given him by Titus, or the arrival of some new messenger from Corinth, from whom he learnt the bitter

AND HAVING IN A READINESS TO REVENGE ALL DISOBEDIENCE,.... Not with the temporal sword, as the civil magistrate, but with the spiritual one; meaning either censures and excommunication, which a faithful minister of the Gospel, with the suffrage of the church, has at hand, and a power to make use of, for the reclaiming of disobedient persons; or rather that extraordinary power which was peculiar to the apostles, of inflicting punishments on delinquents, such as what was exercised by Peter upon Ananias and Sapphira, by the Apostle Paul on Elymas the sorcerer, the incestuous person, and Hymenaeus and Philetus, and which still continued with him; it was ready at hand, he could exercise it whenever he pleased, he only waited a proper time: WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED: till they were thoroughly reformed from the several abuses, both in doctrine and practice, they had fallen into, and wer...

III. THE APOSTLE'S SELF-DEFENSE AND VINDICATION. CHAPTER S 10-13 1. The Vindication of His Authority CHAPTER 10 The apostle now turns to vindicate the authority, which he had received from the Lord. This had been brought into question by the enemy. In doing this Satan aimed at three things: He attempted to discredit him as a true minister of God; he tried to damage the great truths the apostle preached, and he endeavored also to bring about a separation between the apostle and the Corinthians. Assuredly the great man of God was troubled and did not want to speak much of himself and his authority. But he was forced to do so in this epistle and also in the epistle to the Galatians, for the truth of God and the honor of the Lord were at stake. The defense of his apostolic authority stands in the foreground in Galatians; here he puts it at the close of his letter, for it was necessary to d...

A WARNING TO THOSE WHO MISUNDERSTAND AND MISREPRESENT PAUL. The abruptness and emphasis of the opening words, as well as their want of connexion with what precedes, are best explained on the hypothesis that we have here a portion of another letter. The description of himself that follows, humble when he is at Corinth, overbearing when he is at a safe distance, is probably one of the several echoes (or quotations) in this chapter from the language used of Paul by his critics at Corinth. They have sneered at him as a very human person (walking according to the flesh). He prays that he may not have to prove on their persons (_cf._ 1 Corinthians 5:3) that both his courage and his power are from God. It is his business to destroy sophistries, the strongholds of disobedience, and to bring every operation of the mind into subjection to Christ. And this he is prepared to do, taking ve

It is I Paul who call upon you--and I am doing it in the gentleness and the sweet reasonableness of Christ--I, who, as you say, am a poor creature when I am with you, but a man of courage when I am absent. It is my prayer that, when I do come to you, I may not have to be bold with that confidence with which I reckon that I can boldly face some who reckon that we direct our conduct by purely human motives. It is true that we live in a human body, but for all that we do not carry on our campaign with human motives and resources (for the weapons of our campaign are not merely human weapons, but God has made them powerful to destroy fortresses). Our campaign is such that we can destroy plausible fallacies and all lofty-mindedness which raises itself up against the knowledge that God has given, such that we capture every intention and bring it into obedience to Christ, such that we are prepar...