A question concerning 2 Cor. 10:5

Is Paul talking about personal thoughts in 2 Cor. 10:5 or something else? Let us interpret. I quoted the immediate passages to get the fuller meaning.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness 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.3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.7 ¶ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? 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 Christ's.8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence isweak, and his speech contemptible.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.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.

2 Corinthians 10:4 plus Matthew 24:6 ~ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Thank you for your response

@Magenta, although I’m not a Calvinist by any stretch of imagination, I tend to agree with John Piper on this. Let me know what you think.

John Piper said “When Paul says, first, that he’s destroying arguments and arrogant opinions against God and, second, that he is taking thoughts or minds captive, we need to realize it’s the minds and thoughts of others. He’s not talking about taking his own thoughts captive; it’s the thoughts of others. “I’m moving in to these rascals in Corinth who are so boastful in their philosophical prowess that I am going to demolish them not by counter-philosophy, but by divine power. I’m going to show power, and they’re going to collapse in their thinking, and then I’m going to take their thoughts captive so that they now obey Christ.”


“So, he’s the warrior, and the enemy is these people whose minds and arguments are proud and lifted up against God. And when Paul defeats those minds and arguments in the power of the Holy Spirit, their thoughts and their minds are taken captive, and they become people with the mind of Christ or obedient to Christ.”

Apparently there was a faction in the church at Corinth who disrespected Paul's apostleship, and so he hoped that they would not need to be reproved when he visited them. The weapons needed for that confrontation would be words (cf. EPH 6:10-17).

The strongholds are arguments or false doctrines, referred to as imaginations or pretensions that are opposed to the true knowledge of God and disobey Christ.

Sounds a little like CC. Not sure what the revenge or punishment would be. Perhaps putting them on ignore?
(Possibly excommunication, as in 1CR 5:13.)

I agree that Paul is talking about demolishing the arguments of others... and I am not a Calvinist, either .

Well said.

😊

I wish I could have came with that answer and figured it out lol.

Personal thoughts. Satan has access to the human mind. Evil spirits can inject thoughts, pretending to be us. For example, they won't say, "You don't feel like reading the Bible", they will say, "I don't feel like...."

Adam and Eve were tempted through words. They failed. Lord Jesus was tempted through words. He resisted and spoke God's word back to the devil. We should answer any thoughts that are contrary to God's word with the truth.

How do we know if the thought is from ourselves or from evil spirits? Ask yourself, "Did I choose to think this thought?" If you did not, it was an evil spirit.

Much that is destructive and harmful comes from thoughts injected from outside of us. False teachings, cults, terrible decisions, depression and hopelessness can result. This is the result of not testing our thoughts to ascertain where they came from. If we practice this, it becomes second nature. We will dismiss or accept a thought very quickly. Many Christians are so filled with demonic thoughts that they can hardly think for themselves. If that is the case, each thought must be inspected and rejected. Eventually, the mind will become clear.

The mind also needs to be renewed. Fill the mind with God's truth. It will come to your defence when under attack. Sometimes we just feel flat. It's as if our spirit man has become dormant. We can reactivate our spirit by confessing God's word. It's a good way to start the day to wake us up.

Remember that evil spirits will speak the truth at times. They will point to your weaknesses and failures. I suffered this for way too many years. We need to remember as the born again that we are new creations in Christ. The old has passed away. We are dead and buried! So those accusations are directed at a dead man. Satan will continually try to get us to see ourselves outside of Christ. We must, for our own sake, answer with what God has to say about us. Don't try to defend yourself on the basis of your own righteousness. Declare who you are in Christ. Satan will soon flee.

I have never known that of you.

Wishing/desiring/seeking is the key. Seek and you will find (MT 7:7).
I sought, found and passed it on for you to find and pass on.
Which reminds me of a song:

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going
And soon all those around, can warm up in glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You spread his love to everyone;
You want to pass it on (pass it on, pass it on)

What a wondrous time is spring, when all the trees are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring
You want to pass it on (pass it on, pass it on)

I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I have found
You can depend on him, it matters not where you are bound
I’ll shout it from the mountain top
I want the world to know, the Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on (pass it on, pass it on)

(That was a bonus :^)

Thank you informative, and I agree seeing this in scripture

Living Bible

Luke 21:14-15

14 Therefore, don’t be concerned about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such logic that none of your opponents will be able to reply!

And some or many will, they assuredly have against Paul, who only saw in the risen Son, over the imitating Son's done work for us all to be new in the risen Son, that evil goes against the risen Son, trying to get our focus on his earth walk only and death only, to not see the new life in the risen Son for us to be given this truth to stand in love to all, from Father, thank you

Thought(s) is what I see this epistle from Paul is doing his best to expose to us
Seeing this corerlation

Living Bible

Proverbs 23:1-7
23 1-3 When dining with a rich man,[a] be on your guard and don’t stuff yourself, though it all tastes so good; for he is trying to bribe you, and no good is going to come of his invitation.
4-5 Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!
6-8 Don’t associate with evil men; don’t long for their favors and gifts. Their kindness is a trick; they want to use you as their pawn. The delicious food they serve will turn sour in your stomach, and you will vomit it and have to take back your words of appreciation for their “kindness.”

In King James version


Authorized (King James) Version

Proverbs 23:1-7

23 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,
consider diligently what is before thee:
2 and put a knife to thy throat,
if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties:
for they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich:
cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?
for riches certainly make themselves wings;
they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,
neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7 for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Eat and drink, saith he to thee;
but his heart is not with thee.

Discernment needed, as only Father God gives this to each kid, he has accepted
You believe God, then God accepts you, reveals his reconciliation, forgiveness, and sealing of his love for you to show you over time and any mistakes made to see new and do new, not of self anymore, more so of Father's done work through Son as risen for you to be new and now when any thought is not you, you will know immediately so and not give it anymore attention, getting your conscience purged from sin by the done work of Father through Son for us to stand in thanksgiving and praise, seeing by Son all sin is taken away forever from Daddy's Papa's sight for you personally too. Eph 1:6,7,13

Authorized (King James) Version


Matt 10:16-20
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.


Authorized (King James) Version

Luke 21:14-15

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.