2 Corinthians chapter 10

vs 1

I think this appeal is starting a new point now. Paul is obviously making something of a comment that has been made, about him being a timid speaker when present, but a bold letter writer in absence.

vs 2

Paul is prepared to be bold if that is what it takes, but I think he's saying that it's easier on both parties if he's bold in a letter but gentle when with them in body. They may well mistake his gentleness for timidness, but that won't last long if he's got to sort some people out. Their problem, apparently, is living under the standards of this world.

vs 3

Perhaps the people he is talking of were getting violent because people were disputing their faith? Perhaps they were considering militating against the government?

vs 4

Physical weapons aren't much good at damaging spiritual targets. The wrong people will get hurt if we fling them around. There is an enemy who has strongholds, but who is it?

vs 5

The enemy is anything which sets itself up against God. Presently, Paul is talking mostly about arguments against God, and pretensions, or things that seek to lift themselves up into God's place. On the other front, the enemy they seek to capture is thoughts (I'm guessing its their own thoughts?) for the sake of obedience to Christ. So it's not a physical war. Of course, the other people in Corinth may not have been militating physically, they might have just been trying to use the world's arguments and pretensions, which will work just as badly.

Or, Paul might be talking about taking the thoughts of the enemy captive to Christ, so that the enemy become obedient. I am somewhat for this interpretation, because it makes the next verse easier to understand.

vs 6

See, once their obedience is complete, what disobedience is there to punish? The answer, of course, is that of the people outside the church. Paul might be talking about a bit of end times stuff, about the final judgement and believers involvement? Possibly. Or possibly Paul is just saying that he doesn't really want to punish disobedience, so he'll wait until the church is obedient, then come.

vs 7

It's quite possible that some people were even questioning Paul's faith. If the Corinthian church had been infiltrated by anti-Paul people, or some sort of heretics, then it's entirely possible that they were trying to undermine Paul.

vs 8

Paul would rather boast about the authority God has given him for the building and maturing of the gentile churches than for them to think he's ashamed of the gospel and his calling to it.

vs 9

But some are obviously saying that Paul's trying to be a big ogre while he's away, in order to keep his authority over the church even while absent. Scaring them into submission or what not.