February 14, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Deuteronomy and Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Corinthians 10 (NIV)
Paul’s Defense of His Ministry
1 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.……Continue Reading
As Paul was trying to explain to the Corinthians, our battle is a supernatural one. Sure, sometimes we fight physical battles and life gets difficult but even when we cannot change our circumstances we can always change our reaction to it.
5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We are always fighting our own flesh nature, we are always in a battle to do what is right in the sight of God and not man. God must be the measure. Every good work we do is only because He gives us the breath to do so and so to Him be the glory! Every time we slip up and choose sin, only He paid the debt to cleanse us from that unrighteousness and so to Him be the glory for the forgiveness He offers as well as when we repent from that choice.
Calling Paul timid. WOW!!!! The strongest most unfearful man I have ever known. One of the greatest verses in all of scripture. We can crush any negative demonic thought in our mind. By claiming the truth of bringing that thought under the obedience of Jesus Christ. Done!!!! Paul later proves their actions are full of pride by comparing themselves with others. God’s standards is by which we should always measure our thoughts and actions.
2 Corinthians 10
2 Corinthians 10
“But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.10.17-18.NIV
In scripture God instructs us to not commend ourselves but to instead give all glory to God. 2 Corinthians 10:17,18. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.} Elsewhere in scripture, we are told the same. Here is another example. Proverbs 27:2 { Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.} Remember when we boast about ourselves, it leads to pride which leads to sin. If our focus is on ourselves, it will quench the Holy Spirit that is within us. 1 Thess, 5:19 {Quench not the Spirit.} God also instructs us to take up the whole armour of God for we are in a spiritual battle. 2 Cor. 10:4,5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exacted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.} We press on to be like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and have His thoughts. We have to be aware of our own negative thoughts and bring them into as it says; captivity. Eph. 6:10-18 is a good reference to what the armor of God is. Here is another good scripture. 1 Thess. 5:8 {But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.} May the Lord bless us as we seek and follow Him.
By not letting the fear of what people think affect our actions, and by keeping our minds on God’s truth, we demolish those strongholds that hold us back from doing what God has purposed for our lives. By so doing, we move towards living an abundant, blessed life that God has promised to those who love and follow him.
2 Corinthians 10
It is hard to confront people as well as be confronted, and yet we all need to learn the value of having people in our lives that are willing to be honest with us and are willing to confront with the truth. It is one way God would have us to be kept in line with His ways. Now that is not to say we don’t also confront ourselves in term of the things in our minds that present themselves as being better than God. And yet we are to hold those thoughts captive and set them aside if they are not of Christ. And that is the power with which we wage war in our own minds. And it is only when we are able to confront ourselves that we can see fit to confront each other. Because it does no good to have people around you that are just like you and just pat you on the back all the time. We all need a smack upside the head sometimes. Because it is not the one who commends themselves who is approved, but the one that the Lord commends!!
The flesh and spirit demonstrated in Paul. Weak in the flesh (to keep him humble) but having spiritual authority. Wisdom and strength in his letters, his appearance pitiful.
I was thinking about women having a “weaker vessel”. We are co-heirs, but in this weaker body. We can be confident in the spirit; when we are out of these bodies we have the same eternal inheritance.
Have a spiritual mindset.
”Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.“
I Peter 3:7 NKJV
”For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,“
II Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV