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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 10
Bring every thought into obedience—Paul glories in the Lord.
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1 NOW I Paul myself
beseech you by the ameekness and gentleness of Christ, who
in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward
you:
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
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3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not
awar after the flesh:
4 (For the aweapons of our
bwarfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every athought to the
bobedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all
adisobedience, when your bobedience is
fulfilled.
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7 Do ye look on things after the outward
aappearance? If any man trust to himself that he is
Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is
Christ's, even so are we bChrist's.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of
our aauthority, which the Lord hath given us for
bedification, and not for your destruction, I should not be
ashamed:
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
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10 For his letters, say they,
are weighty and powerful; but his
abodily presence is weak, and his speech
bcontemptiblea.
11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
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10a his bodily presence is
weak, and his speech contemptible Paul's physical presence
was that of a small man with a normally high sceetchy voice. It was only in
and by the spirit of the word of God that Paul's words became powerful. And
this seems the case when Paul would speak by the spirit his faility in size
and voice was swollowed up in the power of the spirit of the message from
God. For Paul would speak often and long concerning the gospel word of God by
the power of the spirit.
Some consider that this might be Paul's thorn in
his side which he would have God remove, either his 'contemptible voice' or/and
his smallness in physical presence. But Paul more likely spoke of the
'weakness' of the natural man as did both Paul and Nephi so despise unto
refering to such as they being but 'wretched men' of the flesh as compared
to one who is totally controlled and wroght by the spirit in all things like
perhaps John the apostles was and would seem to be after his change to his
'temporary immortal' state of raised being. Perhaps Paul desired to be so
established that he too could over come the natural man in all things,
subjecting himself to the righteousness of the control of the spirit and to
put aside the corruptible natural man as had John been blessed with.
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12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
13 But we will not aboast of
things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule
which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
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14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
15 Not boasting of things without our
measure, that is, of other men's alabours; but
having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you
according to our rule abundantly,
16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
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17 But he that glorieth, let him
aglory in the Lord.
18 For not he that
acommendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord
commendeth.
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