Bible Commentaries

Here begins the third division of the epistle, in which the writer vindicates his authority. Here he seems to have more especially in mind the minority who have been opposed to him. While walking in the flesh, that is, of course, living on human levels and being conscious of all the limitations of his body, he assures them that he does not war according to the flesh, but that his warfare is in "casting 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."

They have been looking at the outward things. This he explains later by quoting their own words. "His letters . .. are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." In all probability those who were his chief opponents, and with whom he deals in this section, are those who constituted the Christ party referred to in his first epistle.

The apostle declares that if a man make such a claim, "even as he is Christ's, so also are we." Thus he does not exclude this man from relation to Christ, but claims that the man has no right to exclude him. The apostle declines, however, to adopt the principle of self-glorying on which his opponents were acting. The whole motive and method of their work is self-centered, and their glorying is therefore of the same nature. His sphere lies even beyond the Corinthians, and, moreover, he is looking to entering into that through their co-operation.

Here again is revealed a true principle of work, that its enlargement grows out of itself. Every toil undertaken under divine direction creates new forces for still larger opportunities. Thus the true object of glorying is the Lord. Workers who are obedient to His arrangement have something to glory of, while those arrogating to themselves places and programs are, for lack of authority, driven to the expedient of self-commendation. The apostle finally declares that self-commendation does not mean approval. That comes only from the commendation of the Lord.