The Weapons of Our Warfare; Ready to Punish Disobedience (2 Cor. 10:6–11)

2 Cor. 10:6. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

This word is already to those who, having believed, enter the flock of Christ. He had previously brought the discourse to obedience to Christ the Lord. Further, what?—Life in this obedience. This obedience embraces the entire moral-religious arrangement of Christ’s Church, and its acceptance is taken into conscience and sealed by covenant. One who acts against it is a transgressor bringing upon himself righteous punishment. The guardians of God-instituted orders of the Church and avengers of willful violation of them were the same persons entrusted from on high to establish them, namely the holy Apostles. They always fulfilled this. Those violating order they would convince to correct themselves; the incorrigible they would excommunicate. So after the Apostles their successors acted, and so it is done even now. Of this precisely the Apostle now speaks, that we always have ready the power and strength to punish every disobedience, but speaks this in application to the circumstances of the Corinthian Church. He has already pointed out to them the shortcomings that have crept in and waits for correction. Titus assured him that they expressed readiness to correct everything, but some are reluctant to undertake this. Perhaps these were the very ones who said: the Apostle is weak when he acts personally. The holy Paul reminds them now that the power to act against the disobedient, entrusted to me from on high, as one of the weapons strong by God for the building up of the Church, is always in my hands, and I am always ready to use it, as soon as necessity appears; I will use it with you as soon as you have fulfilled your obedience and the disobedient distinguish themselves by themselves. “The Apostle depicted the reason for his patience. We wait, he says, to persuade the greater part by word and exhortation, and then punish those who intend to resist further” (Theodoret).

Saint Chrysostom says: “Here the Apostle frightens not only those who slandered him, but also all the Corinthians, for he says to them: we are waiting for you, so that, when you according to our instructions and threats have set yourselves in order, been cleansed and ended communion with the slanderers, then, separating them alone, we subject to punishment only those who are incurably ill, as soon as we are fully sure that you have withdrawn from them; for though you obey now, you do not do so fully. First I want to correct you and then proceed to punish those. What can be more merciful than this mercy? Since he sees that those close to him have entered into communion with an opponent, he wants to strike a blow; but he spares, restrains his anger, until they separate from the opponents, so that he might punish only these, or rather—not punish even them, for he threatens those close to him for the purpose of returning them to himself, so that those, corrected by fear, might change and, in this way, his anger might not be poured out on anyone. In everything he acted as a skilled physician, as the common father, protector and defender of all: how much he cared for all! He removed obstacles everywhere, quieted harmful people, was present everywhere, and did not achieve his goal through combat, but as if going toward an easy and assured victory, he erected victory monuments, overthrew, destroyed, scattered the strongholds of the devil and the schemes of demons, and led all captives into the army of Christ. Even for a short time he did not give himself rest, quickly went from them to others, and from these again to still others, and, as an experienced general, daily, or rather—hourly, erected victory monuments. Entering into military ranks in only a tunic, he took cities and inhabitants. His tongue was a bow, a spear, arrows and everything, for Paul’s tongue, since he spoke alone, and his words struck opponents more powerfully than any fire; he cast out demons, and people possessed by them he brought to himself. When he cast out an evil spirit (in Ephesus), a great multitude of people who engaged in secret arts gathered; they burned the magical books worth fifty thousand drachmas and turned to the truth. And as in battle, as soon as the walls of a fortress fall or the oppressor is overthrown, all those with him cast down their weapons and go over to the leader of the opposite side, so it was then. For as soon as the evil spirit was cast out, all those held by it in a siege, having thrown down the books, or rather, having destroyed them, fled to Paul’s feet. And he, fighting with the entire world as if with one army, never stopped anywhere, but as if borne on wings, did everything: now healed the lame, now raised the dead, now punished with blindness—I mean the sorcerer (Acts 13); even imprisoned in prison, he did not remain idle, but even there drew to himself the guard of the prison, continuing to captivate people into his good captivity.”

2 Cor. 10:7. Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

Do you judge only by appearances?—You saw that I am not impressive, weak in health, speak quietly,—and believed those slanderers that I am nothing in the order of grace. Yes, if one were to look at me only as a Christian, and even then it would not follow that either they should speak thus about me or you should believe their speech. For know that as he belongs to Christ, so do I; and as he, being Christ’s, strives to act according to Christian conscience, as a servant of Christ, so by me let him judge and about me, that I too so care in all things to be faithful to Christ, to fulfill his will, in his glory to act in all things. Take this into account, everyone, and you will not misunderstand me and my works. Thus I speak, not yet pointing to the special appointment which I personally received from Christ the Lord himself and which my reproachers in no way can boast of. But about this in the next verse.

Saint Chrysostom enters more deeply into the intentions of the holy Paul and says: “Alongside everything else, what is worthy of special wonder in Paul is that, being placed in great necessity to praise himself, he achieves a dual purpose: that is, he praises himself, and at the same time by such self-praise does not become burdensome to others. It is difficult and requires great prudence – both to maintain modesty and to say something great about oneself. And see with what dignity he does this here: – ‘What do you see when you look at us?’ – Having reproved those who deceived the Corinthians, he does not stop his discourse at them, but proceeds from them and also to the deceived. Thus he always acts, – reproves not only the authors of deception, but also those led by them into deception. For if he had not subjected these latter to accountability as well, they would not have been so easily corrected by what was said to others; indeed, they would have become proud as not being reproved. Therefore he also reproves them. And this is not the only thing worthy of wonder in Paul, but especially that he uses rebukes which are fitting for some and the others. – Hear what he says to those fallen into deception: ‘Do you look at things according to their outward appearance?’ No small but very important rebuke! Why? – Because mankind very easily falls into deception. The meaning of his words is thus: do you judge by appearance? By fleshly, by bodily relations? – What does it mean: by appearance? – If someone is rich, if someone boasts, if someone is surrounded by many flatterers, if someone praises himself, seeks empty glory, if someone hypocritically pretends to be virtuous without having virtue (he is great and worthy of attention with you); for this is what the words mean: ‘Do you look at things according to their outward appearance? – If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again that just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.’ The Apostle does not wish to show himself stern all at once, but gradually raises and strengthens his speech. And see how what he has said about himself becomes especially felt and significant. For – ‘from himself’ means, do not expect to learn from us, that is, from our rebuke, but judge by yourself that as he belongs to Christ, so do I. He did not say: just as much Christ’s as he, but as he belongs to Christ, so I belong to Christ. In this we are equal. For one cannot say that he belongs to Christ, but I belong to someone else. But, having shown this equality, he displays a superiority as well, saying”:

2 Cor. 10:8. Even if I boast somewhat freely “about the authority” “the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.”

Thus, he says, if one were to look at me only as a Christian, and even then my reproachers are wrong and you who believed them are wrong. But I am more than every Christian. Power was given to me by the Lord to arrange his Church, and to give laws for it, and to exact from the violators of these laws. Such is my power! In this you yourselves can be assured. Test and see. I am not afraid to be put to shame as if I spoke falsehood. Or ‘I will not be ashamed’ means—and by deed I will show this power, I will not disgrace the apostolic power present with me by false forbearance. At the same time he gives to understand that although such power is always inherent in him, as it was entrusted to him, so he uses it not to destroy but to build. In this lies also the reason why I do not always manifest it, and if I do manifest it, it is with caution after trying all measures of correction. “The Apostle said this, that he received power for building up, not for destruction, showing that his opponents act contrary to this, and do not want to build but attempt to destroy the work of others” (Theodoret).

Such thoughts are contained in the Apostle’s word, but they are expressed by him somewhat veiled so as not to seem too sharply displaying himself. St. Chrysostom says: “See how he softens his speech, having proposed to say something great about himself. For nothing is so offensive to many of the listeners as self-praise; therefore, removing offense, he speaks thus: ‘So even if I boast somewhat freely.’ He did not say: if anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Christ, let him think that he is far from us. For I received from the Lord such great power that I can punish and condemn whom I will to death. But what did he say?—‘So even if I boast somewhat.’ Although it is impossible to express how great the power he had, nevertheless in his words he does not show this. He did not say also: boast, but ‘if I boast,’ if I wish to boast. And thus he at once preserves modesty and shows his advantage. Therefore he says: ‘So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us.’ Again he ascribes everything to God and makes the gift common. ‘For building you up rather than pulling you down.’ Do you see how again he removes envy which his self-praise might have awakened, and attracts the listener by pointing to the benefit for which he received power? And how above he said: ‘We demolish arguments’?—This is the preeminent way of building—to destroy obstacles, to condemn the rotten and use only the true for building. So although for the purpose of building we received power, still if anyone stubbornly resists, opposes and offers no hope of correction, we will use and the other force, we will demolish and overthrow him. Therefore he also adds ‘I will not be ashamed,’ that is, I will prove to be neither a liar nor vain-glorious.”

2 Cor. 10:9. I do not want to seem to be frightening you with my letters.

I could, he says, boast of power, but I will not do this so it does not seem that I am only frightening you with my letters. It is understood: it would be better when need arises, I will show this power by deed itself. The Apostle employs such a turn of speech in which, as if not speaking or not wishing to speak, he says everything that is necessary. “The meaning of these words is thus: I could boast, but so they do not again say that in letters I am eloquent but at personal meeting I am nothing, I will not say anything great about myself. Although he later spoke, but not about the force by which he was terrible, but about revelations, and even more about afflictions” (St. Chrysostom).

2 Cor. 10:10. For some say, ‘His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’

Thus they spoke of St. Paul. What he says: “said” does not point to one person but includes all his opponents. Or he means the one who first invented this phrase. “His letters are weighty”—he pronounces stern judgment, lays a heavy yoke—“and forceful,” with force, authoritative, commanding. “But his bodily presence is weak”—that is, when he himself is face-to-face with us, then neither authority nor force is seen in him, and “his speech is despised,” is humble, not commanding. So that I not entrench them further in such thoughts, I will not now speak of my authority, although I have already said what was necessary. Although he writes: I will not speak, but by this he clearly reminds that he does not wish to speak about it in word so as to show it in deed when he is with them, if need be. “Therefore he adds:”

2 Cor. 10:11. Such a person should realize that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.

I will not elaborate. Let him know—apparently the same one who invented such speech, and in his person all who side with him—let him know that I even in person by deed am as stern as I seem to be in the letter by word. ‘We are able to display the greatness of apostolic dignity and show that deeds correspond to writings’ (Theodoret). ‘Let those speaking thus know that we, both in presence and in absence, are always the same. As we are absent, in word and letters, so we are present, in deed. That is, not only do we threaten when absent, but we are strong, and when present, to bring into effect what we threaten’ (Oecumenius). A mighty and sobering word!