Destroying Arguments
Notes
Transcript
2 Corinthians: Destroying Arguments
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—
2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
1. Introduction – As we make our way into chapter 10 of 2 Corinthians, what you’ll hopefully notice in the closing 4 chapters of this letter is a drastic change in Paul’s tone.
a. Even when he was defending himself against unjustified attacks to his ministry – Paul’s tone was encouraging towards the Corinthians.
i. When he was challenging them to finish the collection which they started the previous year – Paul spoke confidently about their ability to accomplish the task.
1. Paul’s longing for reconciliation had him speaking gently and softly to his spiritual children.
b. But at the beginning of chapter 10 there is a noticeable change in tone. Paul begins to write with irony and sarcasm. He writes harshly.
i. But he doesn’t write harshly towards the Corinthians or about the Corinthians…
1. He writes harshly about his opponents in Corinth…
a. These false teachers, those interlopers….later he’ll sarcastically call them ‘super apostles.’
i. Paul writes harshly towards them for the damage they are causing in the Corinthian church.
c. The sudden change in tone has caused some people to think that chapters 10-13 weren’t originally part of 2 Corinthians and added on later.
i. Some think Paul wrote this part himself after he had a bad night’s sleep.
1. Some think that chapters 10-13 actually make up the severe letter that has been referenced a few times.
ii. But I don’t think it’s the best approach to see chapters 10-13 as a separate letter. I don’t think it’s the best approach for interpreting and understanding 2 Corinthians.
1. There are words and concepts and ideas used at the end of the letter that we also find at the beginning of the letter.
a. When authors do this – repeat themes at the beginning and the end of work – the repetition forms brackets around the whole work – showing its cohesiveness.
i. The technical term for this style of writing is called an inclusio.
iii. So the change in tone in chapters 10-13 doesn’t mean it’s a separate letter – it means that Paul is following an ancient letter writing technique – where he first commends and encourages his audience…and saves the confrontive part of what he wants to say until the end.
1. There’s some very serious and erroneous teaching happening in Corinth – and it needed to be addressed.
a. Paul confronts the false teachers in Corinth…that’s the purpose of this final major section of this letter…
i. And it starts here in 10:1-6. And how he confronts the false teachers…specifically here in this section is Paul uses imagery that’s drawn from the battlefield.
iv. Hear God’s Word – 2 Corinthians 10:1-6.
2. Accusation – So we noted the change in tone…we noted the reason for the change in tone…
a. Now we need to figure out why Paul had to change tone…We have to figure out who Paul’s opponents in Corinth were and what they accused Paul of.
i. Earlier in the letter, Paul addressed his opponents – previously he called them peddlers of God’s Word – he accused them of carrying letters of recommendation…
1. But in the last few chapters of this letter, Paul calls them deceitful workers and Satan’s servants…who are out to enslave, exploit, and slap the Corinthians in the face.
a. So who are they and what did they do?
b. His opponents were Jewish Christians who put themselves forward as true apostles. They sought to undo Paul’s ministry and bring elements of OT law into the church as a means of salvation.
i. Their concept, style and the substance of ministry was wildly different then Paul’s.
1. They prized eloquent speech, displays of authority, visions and revelations and the performance of mighty works as the signs of a true apostle.
a. These infiltrators were showy and flashy and charismatic…and they thought and taught that every apostle…every Christian should act in the same manner.
ii. And unfortunately it is human nature to like style over substance…to get caught up in the flashiness and showiness…to get caught up in a person’s charisma instead of focusing on what they are saying or doing.
1. We get caught up in charisma instead of judging what a person says and does against the truth of the Bible. It happened in Corinth and it still happens today.
c. So these false teachers were showy and flashy spoke often and at length of their own spiritual experiences…and they tried to discredit Paul because he was weak and unassuming and he doesn’t ever speak of his own spiritual experiences.
i. His sermons weren’t eloquent or full of pizazz – so the Corinthian infiltrators taught that Paul couldn’t be apostle of Jesus.
1. And here in chapter 10, Paul is responding to a claim that while he is physically present with the Corinthians he is weak and timid – but in his writing he is completely different…he is bold and aggressive.
a. The distance…and his pen make him bolder.
ii. So how does Paul respond to this accusation? By lambasting them in writing? No – in fact, he does just the opposite.
1. He writes an appeal. I entreat you…I appeal to you. And look at what he appeals to…
a. Not to his authority as an apostle…not to his authority as their pastor and spiritual father…
i. Paul appeals to them based on his meekness and gentleness. Remember the Corinthians like strength and authority…but Paul appeals to them based on meekness and gentleness…
1. Just as Jesus himself is humble and gentle…so too the apostle appeals to the Corinthians based on the gentleness he shown them.
iii. To a church that loved showiness…that loved ecstatic and spurious experiences…to a church that loved charisma and valued some spiritual gifts higher than others…
1. To a church that for all intents and purposes was worldly as can be…a church that was expecting Paul to react and lash out in his writing…Paul instead writes to them humbly.
a. Paul didn’t take the bait.
iv. And Paul wants the Corinthians to correct any erroneous behaviour before he gets there…or else he would be forced to act boldly and with authority towards them in person.
d. And at the end of v.2 – Paul hits at another accusation…one that we’ve heard before – that he is worldly and walks and acts according to his flesh…that is according to basic human instincts.
i. And Paul uses this accusation as a transition to show the Corinthians the difference between his ministry and the ministry of the false teachers.
3. Spiritual War/Physical World – Paul admits that he does actually live in a physical world…like we all do.
a. While he doesn’t walk or act on think according to basic human instincts – he does live in the real work.
i. But unlike the false teachers in Corinth – Paul isn’t interested in entertaining or tickling his audience’s ears.
1. He’s not interested in being flashy and showy – in eloquent speech or detailing his spiritual experiences.
a. Paul reminds his audience that the enemy isn’t flesh and blood…but powers and principalities in the spiritual realm.
2. So the weapons Paul employs aren’t entertainment and experiences…Paul usual spiritual weapons that are infused with divine power.
ii. Now, usually Paul uses battle imagery to speak of a Christian standing against spiritual forces and fighting for the gospel.
1. But here he uses battlefield imagery to confront the false teachers who have come to Corinth.
a. They use human standards and human approaches to carry out their ministry.
i. But Paul uses weapons on divine power…and he uses this spiritual weaponry in order to lead people to a place where they put their faith in Jesus as Saviour.
b. Paul is using language that the people of his day would readily understanding…he’s using language taken from the battlefield…in particular he is writing about siege warfare…and he is applying the battlefield language to spiritual realities.
i. In the ancient world when cities were built – they were more often than not fortified by building walls around it.
1. Think of Jericho…and the walls came tumbling down. Or Nehemiah who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after the exile.
ii. And if an opposing army wanted to conquer another city, they would have to lay siege to it.
1. This was a long and drawn out affair where supplies into the city was cut off.
a. Nothing could go into the city and nothing could come out.
iii. And as the siege came to an end the invading army would bring catapults, battering rams and siege towers in order to break through the out defense.
1. Think about the battle scene from the Return of the King at Minas Tirith and you get the idea.
a. But often within these fortified walls surrounding cities – there was one area of the wall that was more heavily fortified than any other part of the wall. This section of the wall was called the stronghold.
2. If the outer wall was breached by the invading army – there was always the option of retreating to the stronghold in order to delay your inevitable capture.
a. When the stronghold was breached, then the siege was over and the soldiers and king and anyone else who was still alive at that point would be taken back to the invading army’s capital city…let’s say Rome.
i. There the soldiers and kings and citizens would be paraded through the streets of Rome in a triumphal procession – something we looked at in detail when we studied chapter 2.
c. So Paul uses this siege warfare to speak to how he is going to combat the teaching of the Corinthian invaders.
i. First, he is going to tear down their arguments – just like walls would be torn down in a siege.
1. When the out defense is torn down – Paul will then focus on the strongholds.
a. Those thoughts and actions and beliefs that are more heavily fortified…
i. Those lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God…as the lines of defense are broken down – the deeper the message of the gospel can penetrate into someone’s life.
ii. Notice again that the battle isn’t against flesh and blood…Paul emphasizes issues of thought – strongholds…arguments…not like a verbal fight between two people…
1. Arguments as in points of view…lofty opinions…
a. Paul writes…take every thought captive.
i. Paul emphasizes thoughts here because theological issues are really critical to what’s going on because people live out the way they think.
d. Paul talks of breaking the outer lines of defense…he talks about tearing down the inner strongholds that are guarded more securely…
i. But the battlefield imagery continues because after the lines of defense are torn down…there comes the part where soldiers are take captive…but in this cause – after arguments and strongholds are destroyed – after lofty opinions against the knowledge of God are destroyed…
1. It’s not the physical body that is taken captive…but every thought is taken captive to obey Christ.
e. Think about that line for a minute…take every thought captive to obey Christ…
i. I don’t know about you – but I think a lot…I try not to, but sometimes it just happens.
1. And honestly…I think about a lot of useless things.
a. Guitars, guitar gear, recording gear…golf…how I played in my last round…what I’m going to try in my next round.
i. I think about tools and how I’m going to lay out my new shop…I think about what needs to be fixed around the house or spruced up…pretty useless things.
ii. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks about random things like that…but what’s missing??? Captive thoughts to obey Christ.
1. Just imagine the growth we would experience if we took every thought captive to obey Christ…Every thought!!! I have a lot of thoughts…some of you probably think more than I do…imagine if every thought you had…wasn’t focused on random or useless or selfish things…but focused on how Christ…Wow!
f. But how do we do this? How do we take every thought captive? Here is a good place to start.
i. Look at what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi…we find in Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
1. Whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praise worthy…think about these things.
a. Instead of spending our time thinking about useless material things – take those thoughts captive and use your thoughts to bring you into a deeper awareness and understanding of who Jesus is and what he’s done for you.
4. Two Thoughts – As we close today – I want to leave you with 2 thoughts.
a. First – have you ever thought of your own conversion in this way?
i. When you came to Christ – no how old or young you were when this happened…know this.
1. You didn’t make the decision willy nilly. It wasn’t a choice you made because of your own will or volition.
a. Paul describes what happened here in this section…And what happened at your conversion?
ii. You heart was sieged by the power of the gospel. Your outer fortress was broken down…then your strongholds were destroyed.
1. Your arguments…your lofty opinions against the knowledge of God were destroyed…
a. Your heart and life was taken captive in the most extraordinary way possible.
i. And you became a servant for Jesus…and in loving obedience to your Saviour…your thoughts are taken captive. Isn’t that incredible to think about?!
b. And my second closing thought is this – if this is what happened in your life before, during and after your conversion…then this is what has to happen in the hearts and lives of those people whom we are seeking to lead to Jesus.
i. I’ve often heard this phrase quoted, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.”
1. It’s often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, but he never actually said it…but that’s another story for another day.
a. The issue with this misquote is that if sets up an unhelpful dichotomy between those who practice the gospel and those who preach the gospel…as if those who practice the gospel are more faithful to the faith than those who preach it.
ii. And while it is absolutely true that we must meet practical needs of people…while we must display the love of Jesus to people in practical ways…there is no excuse for not also telling them about Jesus with our words.
1. This is something that St. Francis of Assisi…the man who is thought to have said…would readily agree with.
c. How can arguments against the knowledge of God be destroyed without the use of words?
i. How can a fortified heart be penetrated by the gospel without someone lovingly and winsomely sharing the words of the gospel with that person?
1. How can strongholds be destroyed without the divine power of the gospel breaking through it?
a. How can thoughts be taken captive to obey Christ if people aren’t told a proper biblical perspective?
i. Or as Paul says in Romans…How can they believe if they are not told?
ii. Strongholds, arguments, lofty opinions must be destroyed in the hearts and lives of people we are trying to lead to Christ.
1. This work of destroying strongholds, arguments and lofty opinions against the knowledge of god continues with us today.
a. And the same divine power – the same spiritual weaponry that the apostle Paul used is still available for us today – as we go about in our physical world waging war against spiritual realities for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.