SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:4
(Porque las armas de nuestra milicia no son carnales, sino poderosas de parte de Dios para la destruccin de fortalezas);
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 10:4
Verse 4. The weapons of our warfare] The apostle often uses the metaphor of a warfare to represent the life and trials of a Christian minister. See Eph. vi. 10-17; 1 Tim. i. 18; 2 Tim. ii. 3-5. Are not carnal] Here he refers to the means used by the false apostle in order to secure his party; he calumniated St. Paul, traduced the truth, preached false and licentious doctrines, and supported these with sophistical reasonings.
But mighty through God] Our doctrines are true and pure, they come from God and lead to him, and he accompanies them with his mighty power to the hearts of those who hear them; and the strong holds-the apparently solid and cogent reasoning of the philosophers, we, by these doctrines, pull down; and thus the fortifications of heathenism are destroyed, and the cause of Christ triumphs wherever we come; and we put to flight the armies of the aliens.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. For the weapons of our warfare , etc..] By warfare is here meant, not that which is common to all believers, who are enlisted as volunteers under the captain of their salvation, and fight his battles, and are more than conquerors through him; but what is peculiar to the ministers of the Gospel; and designs the ministerial function, or office, and the discharge of it. So the Levitical function, or the ministerial service of the Levites, is called hdb[h abx , the warfare of the service, ( Numbers 8:25 * marg). The ministry of the word is so styled, because that as war is waged in defence of men's rights, properties, and liberties, and for the weakening of an enemy's power and possessions, and for the enlargement of kingdoms and dominions; so this is in defence of the truths and liberty of the Gospel, that they may continue and abide; for the weakening of Satan's kingdom, by delivering the lawful captives, taking the prey from the mighty, turning souls from the power of Satan to God, and translating them from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ Jesus; and so for the enlargement of his kingdom, by spreading the Gospel far and near. The weapons with which this warfare is managed are the Scriptures of truth, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God; and which indeed are an armoury, out of which may be taken weapons of all sorts, both offensive and defensive; such as serve both to establish and secure the doctrines of the Gospel, and to refute the errors of the wicked: to which may be added all those gifts which Christ has received for, and gives to men, qualifying them for the work of the ministry, and for the understanding of the sacred writings; together with all those means made use of by them for their improvement in spiritual knowledge; such as diligent reading the word of God, and the labours of his faithful servants, frequent meditation thereon, and earnest prayer to God for more light and experience. Also the various graces of the Spirit, with which they are endued, may be taken into the account; such as the breast plate of faith in Christ, and love to himself, his people, word, ordinances, cause, and interest; the helmet of salvation, hope, the girdle of truth and faithfulness, and the excellent grace of patience to endure all hardships, reproaches, insults, afflictions, and persecutions, cheerfully; and finally, all the acts of their ministration, such as preaching, prayer, the administration of ordinances, and laying on of censures, with the consent of the church. Now these weapons are not carnal ; such as the men of the world fight with, not the temporal sword; for Christ sent forth his apostles without that, naked and unarmed amidst their enemies, his kingdom not being of this world, and so not to be defended and propagated in such a way; or as the weapons the false apostles used, such as natural eloquence, fleshly wisdom, carnal reason, cunning craftiness, the hidden things of dishonesty, and great swelling words of vanity; or they were not weak and impotent, which is sometimes the signification of flesh; (see Genesis 6:3, Isaiah 31:3) but mighty through God : powerful and effectual through the blessing of God, and the influences of his grace and Spirit for the conversion of sinners, the edification of saints, the defence of truth, the confutation of error, the destruction of Satan's kingdom, and the enlargement of Christ's: for these weapons are not powerful of themselves; they are passive instruments, which are only efficacious when used by a superior hand; when the Gospel ministration is attended with the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; and then they are serviceable to the pulling down of strong holds . The allusion seems to be to the falling of the walls of Jericho, at the sound of ram's horns, which must be ascribed not to those instruments, which were in themselves weak and despicable, but to the power of God that went along with the sound of them. By strong holds are meant, the strong holds of sin and Satan; such as unbelief, pride, hardness of heart, etc.. with which the heart of man is walled (so bl twryq , the walls of the heart, ( Jeremiah 4:19 * marg)) against God and Christ, and the Gospel of the grace of God, and by which Satan fortifies himself, and keeps the palace and goods in peace, until the everlasting doors are thrown open, which were bolted and barred; and these walls of defence are pulled down by the King of glory, who enters in, which is usually done by the power of God, in the ministry of the Gospel: so sins are called strong holds, fortresses, and bulwarks, by the Talmudists f82 , who give this as the sense of ( Ecclesiastes 9:14) a little city, this is the body; and few men in it, these are the members; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, this is the evil imagination, lust, or concupiscence; and built against it ydwxm , great bulwarks, or fortresses, twnw[ hla , these are iniquities.
And so Philo the Jew speaks of ta bebaiathv kakiav ereismata , the firm munitions of vice being broken down. Or else by them may be meant the fortresses of a man's own righteousness, holiness, good works, and moral duties, in which he entrenches, and thinks himself safe: which the Spirit of God, in the ministry of the word, blows a blast upon, and which are cast down by it, that revealing a better righteousness, even the righteousness of Christ; or else the fleshly wisdom, rhetorical eloquence, and sophisms of false teachers, with which they endeavoured to fortify themselves against the doctrines of the Gospel, but in vain.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - While others thought meanly, and spake scornfully of the apostle, he had low thoughts, and spake humbly of himself. We should be aware of our own infirmities, and think humbly of ourselves, even when me reproach us. The work of the ministry is a spiritual warfare with spiritual enemies, and for spiritual purposes. Outward force is not the method of the gospel, but strong persuasions, by the power of truth an the meekness of wisdom. Conscience is accountable to God only; an people must be persuaded to God and their duty, not driven by force Thus the weapons of our warfare are very powerful; the evidence of truth is convincing. What opposition is made against the gospel, by the powers of sin and Satan in the hearts of men! But observe the conques the word of God gains. The appointed means, however feeble they appea to some, will be mighty through God. And the preaching of the cross, by men of faith and prayer, has always been fatal to idolatry, impiety and wickedness.
Greek Textus Receptus
τα 3588 T-NPN γαρ 1063 CONJ οπλα 3696 N-NPN της 3588 T-GSF στρατειας 4752 N-GSF ημων 2257 P-1GP ου 3756 PRT-N σαρκικα 4559 A-NPN αλλα 235 CONJ δυνατα 1415 A-NPN τω 3588 T-DSM θεω 2316 N-DSM προς 4314 PREP καθαιρεσιν 2506 N-ASF οχυρωματων 3794 N-GPN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Carnal. Rev., better, of the flesh, thus preserving the play on the words. The idea of weakness attaches to that of fleshliness. See on sarx flesh, sec. 4, Rom. vii. 5.Through God (tw Qew). Lit., mighty unto God, in God's sight. See on exceeding fair, Acts vii. 20. Rev., before God.
Pulling down (kaqairesin). Only in this epistle. Compare Luke i. 52. Also used of taking down pride, or refuting arguments.
Of strongholds (ocurwmatwn). Only here in the New Testament. From ecw to hold, so that holds is an accurate rendering. Compare keep, a dungeon. The word is not common in classical Greek, but occurs frequently in the Apocrypha. In its use here there may lie a reminiscence of the rock-forts on the coast of Paul's native Cilicia, which were pulled down by the Rom. in their attacks on the Cilician pirates. Pompey inflicted a crushing defeat upon their navy off the rocky stronghold of Coracesium on the confines of Cilicia and Pisidia.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:4 {The weapons of our warfare} (ta hopla tes strateias). strateia (old word, in N.T. only here and #1Ti 1:18) is {campaign} and not army as some MSS. have (stratia). But both strateia and stratia occur in the papyri for the same word (Deissmann, _Bible Studies_, p. 181f.). For hopla (Latin _arma_) see on 6:7; Rom 6:13; 13:12. {Of the flesh} (sarkika). See on 1Co 3:3; 2Co 1:12. They had accused him of artifices and craft. {Mighty before God} (dunata twi qewi). this dative of personal interest (ethical dative) can be like asteios twi qewi (#Ac 7:20), in God's eyes, as it looks to God. {To the casting down of strongholds} (pros kaqairesin ocurwmatwn). kaqairesis is old word from kaqairew, to take down, to tear down walls and buildings. Carries on the military metaphor. ocurwma is old word, common in the Apocrypha, from ocurow, to fortify, and that from ocuros (from ecw, to hold fast). Nowhere else in N.T. In Cilicia the Romans had to tear down many rocky forts in their attacks on the pirates.
