2 Corinthians Chapter 10

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.^fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.^fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.^fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Paul Defends His Ministry

(Parallel teachings: Romans 15:15-21)
(Thematic parallels: Joshua 6; 1 Samuel 17:4-11, 40-51)

• 1 And I myself, Paul, urge you through the gentle strength and kindness of the Anointed; I who am indeed humble in appearance when I’m among you, but I’m boldly confident to you while absent.
• 2 And I implore that while present, I won’t need to be boldly confident in the confidence that I consider to be daring, to some of the men considering us like men walking in accordance with the flesh.
• 3 For though walking in the flesh, we don’t wage war in accordance with the flesh.
• 4 For the weapons^fn“weapons” this Greek word refers to the various tools, implements, and especially weapons used to wage war.  The Greek word is “ὅπλον” (hoplon), which was one name for the large wooden shield from which the “Hoplites” in the ancient Grecian military got their name. of our warfare aren’t carnal, but powerful through God for tearing down strongholds, ^CFParallel teachings: Ephesians 6:10-18
• 5 tearing down arguments and every battlement rising up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of the Anointed,
• 6 and in having a readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience might be completed.
• 7 You see things in accordance with the outward appearance.  If someone has persuaded himself to be of the Anointed, let him consider this about himself again: that just as he’s in the Anointed, so we are also [of the Anointed].
• 8 For even if I boast somewhat more abundantly about our authority – which the Lord gave [to us] for building up and not for tearing you down – I won’t be ashamed,
• 9 so that I wouldn’t seem like I desire to frighten you through the letters.
• 10 For they indeed declare: “The letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his word is *worthless.”^fn“worthless” The Greek word here literally means to treat something as having no value, and thus to despise it or treat it with contempt.
• 11 Let such a man consider this: That just as we are in word through letters while absent, so also we are in action while present.
• 12 For we don’t dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who are commending themselves.  But they – measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves – they don’t understand.
• 13 But we won’t boast about things beyond our measure, but only in accordance with the measure of the region that God allotted to us, a measure which reaches even as far as you.
• 14 For we aren’t overextending ourselves like we aren’t reaching to you.  For we reached even as far as you in proclaiming the good news of the Anointed.
• 15 We aren’t boasting in things beyond our measure (in labors which belong to another), but we’re having hope to be abundantly enlarged among you in your growing faith in accordance with our region,
• 16 to proclaim the good news in the regions beyond you, not to boast in the readiness of another’s region.
• 17 Yet “The man boasting, let him boast in the Lord.“^fnquotation/allusion to Jeremiah 9:24
• 18 For it’s not the man commending himself who is proved genuine,^fn“proved genuine” this Greek word is an adjective.  It was used of coins that had been tested to prove they were genuine coins, and not counterfeit or mixed with lesser metals (corrupted) but that man whom the Lord commends.

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