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2 Corinthians 10

Paul defends authority shaped by Christ’s gentleness, empowered by God, and accountable to the Lord’s approval.

Paul addresses Corinthians who question his authority and contrast his strong letters with his weak presence and despised speech. He appeals through Christ’s humility and gentleness while warning that his actions will match his words when he comes. He describes a conflict against claims raised against the knowledge of God, explains that his authority serves to build them up, and rejects self-comparison. His closing concern is the work God has assigned and the approval the Lord gives.

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1Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.
3For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;
4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,
5throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.
7Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s.
8For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,
9that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.
10For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”
11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.
12For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
13But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.
14For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,
15not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,
16so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.
17But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
18For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
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Key verses
2 Corinthians 10:1Paul begins his defense with Christ’s humility and gentleness, setting the terms for the firmness that follows.
2 Corinthians 10:4The warfare image locates the strength of Paul’s ministry in God’s power against resistance to the knowledge of God.
2 Corinthians 10:18The closing verse makes the Lord’s commendation the measure of approval, exposing the limits of self-praise.
Where this chapter reaches

Ephesians shares the image of spiritual warfare sustained by God’s strength, while 1 Corinthians also challenges boasting and human measures of status. Paul’s call to boast in the Lord echoes Jeremiah’s teaching that boasting belongs in knowing God rather than in human strength or achievement.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does Paul’s appeal to Christ’s gentleness shape your reading of his warnings?

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Where do you feel the pull to measure yourself by others, and how does Paul challenge that measure?

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Questions people ask about 2 Corinthians 10

What are the strongholds in 2 Corinthians 10:4?

Paul explains the image in the next verse: imaginations and exalted claims that oppose the knowledge of God. The strongholds belong to his warfare metaphor for confronting resistance to Christ. The passage focuses on bringing thought into obedience to Christ and does not identify physical places or prescribe a ritual.

Why does Paul boast in 2 Corinthians 10?

Paul is answering challenges to his authority and his work among the Corinthians. He limits his claims to the work God assigned him, including bringing them the Good News. He refuses credit for others’ labor and ends by making the Lord’s commendation the decisive measure of approval.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).