Facing Your Critics
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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!— 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. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Introduction: This section begins a sharp break from what Paul has been saying and teaching. He disassociates himself from Timothy. He no longer says “we,” but “now I Paul myself beseech you.” The phrase is forceful. Paul is now going to deal primarily with his critics, both with the false teachers who had crept into the church and with any of their followers who had not shared in the revival of repentance that had taken place (2 Co. 7:2–6).
This was necessary, for the church needed to make sure that the false teachers did not regain a foothold in the church. They needed to know that Paul intended to personally confront any who had not repented. He was going to deal with those who were attacking him and teaching false doctrine.
The present passage deals with the minister (Paul) : his warfare and weapons.
But it reflects to us across the age as an example of how to confront our critics.
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!— 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.
1. Paul, Accusations Against: Paul was accused of walking after the flesh. This charge can be seen behind the words of Paul in these two verses. He was answering “some people” who thought of him as walking after the flesh (v. 2). They were saying two things about Paul. 2 Cor 10:1-2
a. Some were saying that Paul was a coward (v. 1). They were saying that Paul was bold in his instructions; that is, he rebuked the church when he was writing to them, but he was a coward when it came to speaking face to face with them.
b. Some were saying that Paul was carnal—that he walked after the flesh. This means several things:
→ that Paul was unregenerate, that is, not really saved.
→ that Paul was preaching and ministering in the flesh; he was not really called of God.
→ that Paul was living in the flesh; he was an ungodly and immoral man seeking only to please and live for himself. He was only after a personal following—only seeking to sell his own ideas and position—only interested in lining his own pockets and in securing personal recognition and honor.
Paul says that he will confront these critics when he arrives in Corinth. But I don’t fight like you do I fight to win.
My weapons are different than yours and where we fight them are on different field
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
2. Minister Believer —Spiritual Warfare—Mind—Thoughts: the minister/ Believer (we) wars and fights, but not in a fleshly way.
This is the ground we battle for because this is where we succeed or fail
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
the Spirit pulls the mind to spiritual things. This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture, for it discusses the human mind: “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Pr. 23:7). Where a man keeps his mind and what he thinks about determine who he is and what he does. If a man keeps his mind and thoughts in the gutter, he becomes part of the filth in the gutter. If he keeps his mind upon the good, he becomes good. If he focuses upon achievement and success, he achieves and succeeds. If his mind is filled with religious thoughts, he becomes religious. If his thoughts are focused upon God and righteousness, he becomes godly and righteous. A man becomes and does what he thinks. It is the law of the mind. Scripture says three things about the power of the Spirit and of the human mind.
a. The believer is in spiritual warfare. Scripture is perfectly clear about this:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The war is not waged against flesh and blood, against physical and material beings, but against spiritual forces.
These spiritual forces attack and prey upon the imaginations and thoughts of men.
And from the energy of these ideas come the evil acts of men.
Note two things:
→ Selfish, evil, and lustful thoughts are mental and immaterial. Ideas and thoughts are not physical and material substances. They are invisible and mental substances. When you think you are battling the idea of doing, but when you are doing you are not wrestling you are sinning.
→ Selfish, evil, and lustful ideas are by nature not of God. God is not evil, selfish, or lustful; therefore, such evil thoughts and reasonings are often injected into the mind of men by spiritual forces that stand opposed to God.
So I don’t fight your critics, fight that thing that motivates them to fight that thing that is driving your critics. If you gone fight fight the fight you can win.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 The Message
3-6 The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
But the believer knows that there is nothing in the world that can conquer the spiritual forces that lie behind the evil and death of this world. Therefore, he fights the spiritual battles of this life with spiritual weapons, weapons that are of God and are made mighty and powerful by God.
c. How do we fight our battle in our mind in the spirit
1) The believer casts down imaginations(logismous): thoughts and imaginations that are uncontrolled, wild, evil,
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful; who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Ro. 1:20–21, 28–32).
2) The believer casts down “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God”: false ideas about God, false doctrine, false teaching, false reasonings; the human pride and arrogance, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness that set themselves up against God. (WE Destroy this with truth)
3) The believer seeks to captivate every thought to the obedience of Christ. A phenomenal statement—every thought controlled and subjected to Christ! This is the spiritual objective of the true Christian believer. God created man for fellowship and communion. so shift what you think on change the conversation to truth
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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.
and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
So no to the critic it may seem that you area coward or fake. but you need to know you are from either and when you realize that you will be quicker to stand for truth
3 (10:6) Stand Firm in Who You are: the minister/ Believer stands ready to deal with false teachers and rebels, but only after genuine believers have stepped forward.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
You can face your critics just face them on your battle field and not thiers
You don’t have to be silent and beat down because you got saved quiet the opposite you have power
Just not power to knock somebody out
But power to lead them to salvation.
Your greatest ally is an enemy you saved by mercy