2 Corinthians 10:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here he already threatens punishment. “It is true that we are clothed with flesh,” he says. “I do not deny this. But we do not live according to the flesh.” Yet he did not even say this, but hides it for the time being, because it pertains to the praise of his life. Instead he speaks of the preaching, showing that it is not a human work and has no need of earthly help. Therefore he did not say, “we do not live according to the flesh,” but, “we do not wage war according to the flesh.” That is, we conduct a war and have entered into battle. Yet we do not fight with fleshly weapons, nor with the help of human powers.

That is, although we are clothed with flesh, we do not use fleshly weapons. He speaks of the preaching, showing that it is not a human work and has no need of earthly help. When he says “we wage war,” he suggests this thought: we are conducting a war and have entered into battle.

For although we walk in the flesh, nevertheless, “although we walk, nevertheless,” compare the Syriac of Walton, we do not wage war according to the flesh. That is, although we collect gifts, we do not collect them for ourselves, as they say.

The defensive section, 2 Cor 10-13:10, contains three principal thoughts, forming three divisions of unequal length.

Against the slanderers who demean the Apostle, he shows that, when necessary, he is just as severe in person as in his letters (2 Cor 10:1-11).

In 2 Cor 10:1-11, after threatening that the slanderers may have to experience the Apostle's real severity upon themselves, he nevertheless instructs the Corinthians in the spirit of Christ's meekness and gentleness.

He teaches them that "the weapons of his warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God for the destruction of strongholds" of arrogance, unbelief, and disobedience. He teaches that one must not judge him by his outward appearance, unimpressive and weak.

In this and the following chapters, the Apostle defends his apostolic dignity. Some had shaken it by saying that he lacked consistency: severe in his letters, but humble in personal dealings, as though he were currying favor in human fashion.

In refutation of this, the Apostle shows that in person he is just as severe as in writing, when the duty of his calling requires it. Therefore he urges the Corinthians to correct themselves, lest they experience his severity.

Until now the Apostle's speech was addressed to believing Christians. For this reason it was quiet, warm, and kindly. Now he speaks against his detractors, and therefore his speech is stern and bears clear marks of apostolic authority.

It is as if he says: "If one looks at us, we are the same as all people. Yet in deed we are not at all the same.

"We walk in the flesh, in human form and body, with human speech and powers. Yet what we do, what we seek, and the means by which we attain it are all not human.

"It is true that we are clothed with flesh," he says, "and I do not deny this. Yet we do not live according to the flesh."

He is speaking about the preaching, showing that it is not a human work and has no need of earthly help.

Therefore he did not say, "we do not live according to the flesh," but, "we do not wage war according to the flesh." That is, we conduct a war and have entered into battle. We do not even fight with fleshly weapons, nor with any human assistance (St. Chrysostom).