¹ I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ² I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we’re not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. ⁷ Look at what’s before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

What authority can we trust? It’s sometimes hard to choose. We know authority can be good. It was God’s gift to image bearers when he entrusted them with dominion. But on this side of the Fall, we also know that authority can be twisted, distorted, abused. Obvious cases include parents who are abusive, husbands who are harsh, pastors who are domineering, presidents who reject checks and balances, bosses who are overbearing. Such cases make people skeptical of authority for good reasons.

What gets trickier is when bad authorities have convinced us that they’re good, or when our own values have warped our ability to discern good authority from bad. The ones we ought to trust, we don’t; and the ones we shouldn’t trust, we do. Such was the case among some in the church at Corinth. False apostles crept in and painted themselves as good authorities while casting doubts on Paul’s authority, authority given by Jesus.

We catch a drift of what they were spreading in verse 10: “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” And some of the Christians were tricked into believing them, likely because they shared the same values. They wanted power, polish, popularity. Perhaps you’ve been tricked before. How do you know that you’re not being tricked now? How do we discern good authority from bad authority? What authority can we trust?

Paul writes this letter to convince Christians that he’s a trustworthy authority. Some of that evidence he already explained in chapters 1-7, like his commitment to the gospel, his motives before God, his sufferings like Christ. Chapters 8-9 then encouraged the church to give generously. But even this collection of money wasn’t for Paul, it was for others. Unlike the false apostles, Paul wasn’t in it for the money but to serve others.

Now, in chapters 10-13, Paul closes his letter with a personal plea; and it’s in these chapters that he goes hard after the bad authorities and anybody else believing them. But in it, we learn how to discern good authority. In verses 1-11, I see at least three qualities that mark good authority. Why trust Paul’s authority over these others?

Good authority cherishes the meekness of Christ.

For starters, he cherishes the meekness of Christ. Good authority cherishes the meekness of Christ. Look at verse 1: “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!” Verse 1 ends with an exclamation in the ESV. Perhaps this reflects the accusations of Paul’s opponents: he’s “bold” when absent but “humble” when present. Both are meant negatively. Verse 10 brings it out even more: “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

Basically, “Paul writes like an intimidating lion but in person he’s a scaredy cat. He’s timid, weak.” But Paul is saying be careful how you judge him. If you judge him with worldly criteria, you’ll miss the significance of the choices he makes. Why did he choose humility when present? Why did he choose to suffer so much? Why was he patient when wronged? Why does he give himself over to death that others might live? Why not just wash his hands of these irritating Christians and go with those who like him? Because Paul didn’t operate by the pride and one-upmanship of the world. Paul cherished the meekness and gentleness shown by Christ.

Paul grounds his appeal in the character of Christ. His meekness—one dictionary describes meekness as “the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance.”[i] He’s totally other-oriented, self-forgetting. His meekness suffocates all desires to be noticed and praised by man.

A similar word appears in Matthew 11:29, when Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle [or meek] and lowly in heart.” In context, he’s not like the Pharisees, unwilling to lift a finger; Jesus gets down beneath our burdens and lifts them. His heart doesn’t say, “Work your way to me! Get yourself together and stand up!” His heart is one that condescends to raise you up.

Combine that with the gentleness of Christ. Again, one of the dictionaries puts it this way: “making allowances despite facts that might suggest reason for a different reaction.”[ii] Let’s put it this way: he does not deal with us according to what our sins deserve. He has the divine rights to be severe in his judgments, given our rebellion. When Jesus is arrested, he tells Peter, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Unbelievable authority, power! But that’s not why he came. Willingly he suffers and dies in our place.

So, neither term means that Jesus is weak in character, or that he won’t say hard things. Rather, both terms describe his willingness to choose the uncomfortable road of suffering to raise his people up. The very heart of Jesus—which reveals the heart of God—is one that gladly lowers himself to be with you, to carry your burdens, and to save you. How low is his heart willing to go? Unto death on a cross for your sins—he willingly bears your greatest burden of all. Paul put it like this in 8:9, “Though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” To use Old Testament words: “he’s slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

I wonder, do you cherish the meekness and gentleness of Christ? Do you find yourself longing to have the same character—that of going low to raise others up, that inner-strength that enables you to tolerate mistreatment in serving the good of someone else? What about the leaders you trust, the online tutors that fill your podcast all week—would you say they emulate the meekness and gentleness of Christ?

Young men, let me speak to you specifically. There’s a push in our circles to arrest your heart with a vision of masculinity that looks more like Stone-cold Steve Austin than our crucified Lord. I get the appeal. Especially in a culture that wrongly attempts to erase distinctions between men and women—there’s a real urge to “stick it to the establishment.” But how did Christ conquer? By speaking truth and laying down his life for enemies; and we must follow in his footsteps. Trey, Jordan—I speak also to myself—as pastors, do we cherish the meekness and gentleness of Christ?

Paul cherishes this about Christ. It shapes his own heart in ministry. That’s why he says earlier in the letter, “death is at work in us, but life in you.” He’s laying down his life to raise up these believers in Corinth. The false apostles have misread him. By worldly standards, Paul looks weak as he suffers. But Paul embodies the meekness and gentleness of Christ; and now he’s appealing to them on the same grounds.

Paul’s words aren’t those of an angry, controlling dictator. They are words grounded in the good news of our Lord who humbled himself to save us and lift our burdens. They are words grounded in the patient and forbearing character of our Lord; and Paul’s saying, “Don’t take it for granted. Don’t overlook his patience with you.” Good authority cherishes the meekness of Christ.

Good authority fights for obedience to Christ.

But be careful: meekness doesn’t mean you’re a pushover. Meekness doesn’t mean you’re a softy when it comes to truth. Jesus says in Matthew 11 that he’s “meek and lowly;” and then in Matthew 23 he pronounces woe after woe upon the Pharisees. When the wolf attacks your sheep, you don’t mess around. It’s because Jesus is meek that he speaks tough words to those who burden his people.

Paul emulates the same when protecting the church. Which leads to another quality that marks good authority: it fights for obedience to Christ. According to verse 2, some in the church have sided with the false apostles. Some suspect that Paul “walks according to the flesh,” that he conducts himself like one of the other polished speakers of his day. But again, they’re judging him by human standards. They’re playing the comparison game like those in verse 12 who measure themselves by one another. Verse 10 tells us what they’re thinking: “Paul’s bodily presence is weak. His speech is of no account.” In their eyes, he doesn’t look like anybody with power.

But in verse 3 we learn that Paul is fighting a different battle. “For though we walk in the flesh,” he says, “we’re not waging war according to the flesh.” In other words, “I exist in the flesh. Just like everybody else, I have a body that’s frail. But I don’t win by playing your one-upmanship games. That’s not my battle.” “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

Again, we’re catching that theme of God’s power in weakness. Those who are playing the comparison game are pointing at Paul and saying, “This man is of no account. Look how weak he is compared to these others.” But little do they know that Paul’s weapons have divine power to destroy strongholds. He borrows imagery from siege warfare. The “strongholds” are clarified by the second part of verse 4: “arguments” (meaning false arguments); “lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God.”

In other words, his opponents have entered the church and built a fortress with their ideas, their arguments, their arrogant opinions; and Paul has been entrusted with weapons that have power to destroy the strongholds, capture rebel thoughts, and then punish every disobedience. What are these weapons? Well, we know what they’re not. They’re not “according to the flesh.” Meaning, they’re not weapons that originate by human means—they’re not forged in a factory or in cleverness and pride.

Paul’s weapons originate with God. They’re of “divine power,” he says. In 4:7, God’s power worked by placing the treasure of the gospel message in jars of clay. In 6:7, God’s power worked by “truthful speech.” In 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, God’s power works by the word of the cross to destroy the wisdom of the wise. We could also turn to the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17, which is the word of God. It seems, then, Paul’s weapons consist mainly of the truths of the gospel message. These truths promote the knowledge of God, and they capture thoughts for obedience to Christ.

Notice, it’s not the people but their arguments that Paul destroys. What happens to the people is in the Lord’s hands—he aims at their arguments. He dismantles arguments by speaking the truth; and God works through his truth to make the walls come tumbling down. Also notice that he’s not fighting for obedience to Paul. People will sometimes use their authority to clamp down and control others. But Paul uses his authority for this purpose: taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ. Victor Furnish put it this way: “Paul does not wish to use his authority to strengthen his hold over the Corinthians, but only to strengthen their grip on the gospel…”[iii]

That’s why he also says in verse 6: “being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” He doesn’t want to act despite them but beside them. His use of authority enables them to mature spiritually, such that their own obedience to Christ will lead them to punish those who are leading the church away from Christ.

What can we learn from this? Well, a good starting place is to acknowledge who’s capturing thoughts and whose thoughts need capturing. In the text, Paul is taking thoughts captive, and it’s church members who need their thoughts taken captive. So, we shouldn’t read this first as “we need to take thoughts captive” but “we need Paul’s words to take our thoughts captive.” We need Paul’s words to destroy our lofty opinions.

That means we should open Paul’s letters (or any of the apostles’ writings) and say, “Okay, Lord, conquer my thoughts through the teachings of your authorized apostles.” If you’ve ever read Paul’s letters and find yourself bristling, saying, “I don’t know if I like this!” then you’ve found an area in your thinking that needs to be captured and further aligned with obedience to Christ.

Then, once our own thoughts align with Paul’s, the next step is joining Paul in not tolerating disobedience to Christ inside the church—verse 6. Paul wants the whole church acting together with him. The battle is against the “some people” of verse 2 and the “they” of verse 10. Paul will act (and he wants the church to act) against those who are rejecting Jesus by rejecting Paul. The church is not another social club. We’re not here to entertain or make everybody happy. We’re here to help each other mature in our obedience to Jesus; and any teaching that doesn’t help us obey Jesus must be corrected.

Doing nothing invites harm on the church as false teaching spreads and draws people away from good authority. Paul wants the church to act; and, corporately, we too should act whenever necessary. That doesn’t mean we’re harsh and rash—ready to drop the hammer the second we see error. No, notice that Paul brings people the truth with gentleness before punishing disobedience.[iv] Did you catch the beginning of verse 6? “Being ready to punish”—he’s ready to punish, if necessary. But that’s only in cases where people in the church refuse to obey Jesus. The first steps include destroying arguments and capturing thoughts in hopes that people will obey Jesus.

Part of Christian maturity is learning to align our actions as a church with the actions of Christ’s apostles. By exercising good authority, you will protect each other from bad authority.

In this, I hope you also see that your mind is a spiritual battleground. Paul is dealing with “arguments,” “lofty opinions.” He takes captive “every thought.” So, let this be a reminder to cultivate the life of your mind. Part of your spiritual discipline should be a commitment to serious study of God’s word and how it addresses various false ideas. Set study goals for yourself. Form partnerships and read challenging books; tease out the ideas and learn to evaluate them from a Christian worldview. Careful thinking helps us avoid captivity to false ideas that lead us away from obeying Christ.

In his book Love God with All Your Mind, J. P. Moreland shows how the Christian mind is committed to several virtues—like truth seeking, honesty, humility, self-criticality, vigilance. But his last group of virtues is “fidelity to God and dedication to his cause in the world as our chief end.” He says, “The Christian…is here to serve a Name, not to make one.” The same is seen in Paul’s ministry. Unlike the false apostles who valued a powerful presence, Paul’s not in it to make a name for himself. He’s committed to the name of Christ and obedience to Christ. When enemies attack with lofty opinions, good authorities wage war with the truths of the gospel.

Good authority aims to build up in Christ.

Let’s look at one more quality that marks good authority: good authority aims to build up in Christ. Verse 7, “Look at what’s before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.”

Some in the church have doubted his authority. But Paul is calling them to consider the evidence. It’s staring them in the face. If they belong to Christ, well certainly Paul does too. He brought them to Christ. He was the first to bring them the gospel. He was the first to disciple them. He was their father in the faith. If they’re willing to question his connection to Christ, then what are they saying about themselves? All they needed to do was look around and see the fruit of Paul’s ministry.

In the upcoming chapters, Paul will help them weigh the evidence. He engages in some boasting. But his boasting is centered on all that the Lord has done through him. Still, he doesn’t want them to misunderstand his purpose. So, he writes in verse 8, “For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. I don’t want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.’ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.”

Despite what his opponents claim, Paul is consistent. What he says by letter, he does when present. Just read the book of Acts. Read Galatians. Paul is a shining example of integrity. And while he refuses to engage in the rhetorical flourish of his opponents, the church needs to know that Paul is serious. If these few in the church continue in their sin and falsehoods, he will not hold back. He will use his authority to discipline. For Paul, submission to Jesus comes first in the life of a church.

But given the accusations of verse 11, it wouldn’t be surprising that some misunderstand his use of authority. As we all know from our own text messages, writing is a more limited means of communication; and we’re sometimes mistaken about the other person’s intent. Paul doesn’t want them to mistake his intent here. He doesn’t write to frighten them. Even his warning about punishment isn’t ultimately to tear them down, as if he’s coming in to decimate the church. No, the Lord gave him authority “for building you up and not for destroying you.”

“Not for destroying you”—the same word he used in verse 4 about destroying the strongholds of these false teachers. The point is that he only destroys the bad things tearing them down, in order to build them up in all that’s good. It’s like yanking out the weeds before you plant the garden, or removing earth before you level the foundation, or ripping out the rotten wood before you install a new window. The whole point of Paul’s authority is to build them up in Christ. Good authority builds up in Christ.

What authority has God entrusted to you? Husbands, God has entrusted you with authority in your marriage. But how do you use that authority? Do you use tactics that frighten your wife—harsh words, threats, or maybe you go radio silent? The picture of authority for husbands in Ephesians 5:25 is not that of keeping your wife under your thumb; it is a picture of building her up in Christ. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.”

Parents, God has entrusted you with authority over your children. How are you exercising it? Is it passive, distant, leaving the kids to figure out life on their own. Is it harsh? Have you created an environment where everybody walks on eggshells lest they catch your wrath? The picture of authority for parents in Scripture is that of nurture and gentle correction. It includes raising your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. God gives you this authority to build them up in Christ.

Elders (including me), God has entrusted us with authority over the church. How are we using that authority? Does it reflect that of a Shepherd, who leads his people beside still waters, who lays his life down for the sheep? The picture of authority for pastors in 1 Peter 5:3 is that we’re not “domineering over those in our charge but being examples to the flock.” We use our authority to build up in Christ.

What authority has God entrusted to you? Maybe you own a business. Maybe you’re a supervisor, a teacher, a coach. Maybe you oversee a team of doctors. Or maybe you’ve been given authority over a specific task. If you’re a member of this church, you have authority as a congregation to act in some very important ways—both formatively and correctively. Whatever authority you have, would others compare you to a rock on which to stand or a crushing weight to endure?

Authority is not about keeping everybody in check so that you don’t lose authority; it’s about seeking the good of others under your charge. As we find here in the apostle Paul, good authority doesn’t rule by frightening people into submission. That’s the very thing he doesn’t want them to feel. Instead, the Lord entrusted him with authority to build them up and not to tear them down.

That’s an authority worth trusting, because that’s an authority that exhibits Christ. How does Christ use authority in his earthly ministry? To teach (Matt 7:29), to heal (Matt 8:9-10), to forgive sins (Matt 9:6), to cast out demons (Matt 10:1). He also uses it to serve. What was it that he told his disciples in Matthew 20:25-26? “You know, the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The cross teaches us a lot about good authority, and what it looks like. And how is Jesus using his authority now—now that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him? He uses it to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) and to build them up into a “holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21). He uses it to rescue people from the powerful strongholds of Satan and bring them into the kingdom of God. What authority can we trust? In short, it’s authority that images Jesus and keeps others clinging to him.

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[i] BDAG, s.v., “prautēs.”

[ii] BDAG, s.v., “epieikeia.”

[iii] Victor P. Furnish as cited in David Garland, 2 Corinthians, CSB (Nashville: Holman, 2021), 497.

[iv] John Calvin, 2 Corinthians, Calvin’s Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 325.