2 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NASB)

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NASB)

Sermon Notes: Loving Confrontation

• For the last couple of weeks we have looked at 2 Corinthians 8-9 which were focused on a relief offering that Paul was collecting for the poor in Jerusalem.
• The relief offering had been a church matter, but beginning in chapter ten on through chapter thirteen, Paul deals with a personal matter.
• In the first seven chapters, Paul's response to his critics was defensive, refuting the accusations of his critics. But now his tone has changed and he moves from a defensive position to an offensive one and directly confronts his attackers.
• He is not responding out of emotional hurt or pain but what he does is to confront his critics because there is a larger issue at stake and that is the spiritual protection of the Corinthians.
• When conflict among believers is saturated with and motivated and guided by authentic love, growth can occur.
• Martin Luther - "…peace, if possible, but the truth at any rate."

• It is significant that Paul's desire is to confront the Corinthians by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.
• 1 Peter 2:23 - "…and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously."
• Meekness epitomizes the strength that comes from loving others rather than self and Paul's desire was to appeal to the Corinthians in a Christlike manner.
• Notice Paul's use of sarcasm: "I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!" This was one of the accusations that his critics levied against Him, that he talked tough but in person he wasn't at all.
• He warns the Corinthians that his humble character should not be taken for cowardice or weakness.

• Paul's critics accused Paul of operating with insincere motives and that he acted according to the standards of the world.
• Paul acknowledged that he lived in the world but denied that he lived like the world. He was in the flesh physically but not according to the flesh spiritually and it is interesting that he describes what it means to live in the world in terms of a battle or war.
• Harry Blamires' best known work is The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think? First published in 1963 his book's main thesis, repeated over and over in chapter 1, is that there is no longer a Christian mind, meaning that in our time there is no longer a distinctly Christian way of thinking.
• With spiritual thinking comes spiritual discernment, specifically being able to understand what the will of God is, which raises the question: "If I am not thinking with a renewed mind, can I know what the will of God is?".
• The Bible makes it clear. There is a spiritual warfare going on whether we recognize it or not, and sometimes the problem is not just a human person but the evil force and power behind it.
• Notice that Paul's weapons are divinely powerful; spiritually powerful.
• God's weapons tear down "spiritual fortresses" or "stronghold," a Greek word that in the Bible only appears here, and is used figuratively to describe the strength of false arguments.
• God's weapons destroy the way people think, demolishes their sinful thought patterns, dismantles and tears down their corrupt reasoning and rationalizations, shreds to pieces the unbelief, and blows to pieces their stronghold of rebellion against God.

• The truth of God's word is that outside of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus.
• We are sinners, separated from God and under His judgment and condemnation. But in Christ the Bible says there is no commendation because when you trust Jesus as Lord and Savior you become completely identified with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. We have been forgiven and our sins washed away, not because of how good we are but because of how good God is. We are the recipients of his unmerited favor and kindness which the bible calls grace.