We live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does

2 Corinthians 10:1-11

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

Paul now turns his attention to the hostile minority at Corinth who has challenged his authority and criticized his behavior. This sounds very like a continuation of the old rival cliques of 1 Corinthians 1-4. They show the same conceit, the same old mistaken standards of judgment. They have attacked Paul on a number of counts:

He may be a brave letter-writer, but meet him face to face and he's a coward. He is no speaker.

Why?

Paul is humble and gentle of Christ before Corinthians, but someone looked at him as a coward and no good speaker. People of Corinthian look at their appearance and their certificate to judge a man.

Actually what we have should be the life inside our appearance, when the spirit of the Lord is inside our hearts we will show love and gentleness outside.

Yes, we are living in this world but we do not wage war as the world does. 

Those people who are judging by appearances, they should consider again who belongs to Christ just as much as they do.

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10-13章 多半直言不諱說哥林多教會的人，一群人猶太信徒強調口才，得到啟示等來當作使徒的憑證。以此來批評保羅，針對這群不悔改的人。

勇敢是指講放膽指責教會中一些人，懲治不信的信徒。保羅也是屬血氣的人，但是不靠血氣的方法，堅固的營壘就是人鋼硬的心。把人的心奪回來，得著基督的心。用福音的大能使心柔軟，順服基督。我們的敵人是我們內心的鋼硬。保羅不希望用嚴厲的手段而是使人的心歸回。

保羅得到的權柄是為了建造教會，但是其他人是用權柄來打倒不認同他們的人。完全沒有私心！保羅不去收別人傳福音的成果，保羅一直在開拓教會，這都是神賜的恩賜，並且希望所建立的教會繼續向外傳福音。要評斷好不好，不是人講的，主講的才算是。教會的權柄是拿來服事人。誇口當指著主誇口。

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How?

When people know I belong to Christ, I should live out the appearance of Christ.