THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS in liis intercourse with the Corinthian Christians had been misconstrued as indicating weakness, vacillation and cowardice. Thus the disposition of Paul, so much like that of Christ, who was “ meek and lowly” (Matthew xi. 29-30) had been grossly misrepre sented. As the wasp sucks poison from the very same flower from which the bee extracts honey, so had these enemies of the apostle sought to make the virtues of Paul’s life appear as vices in the estimation of his friends at Corinth. But, as in the case of the flower, the cause of the honey or the poison extracted is to be sought for within the insect itself, each insect giv ing its own character to that which is extracted from the flower, so was it with the wicked hearts of Paul’s ene mies. “ Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” Even the physical disabilities of Paul, such as “ his bodily presence,” which, apparently, was not by any means prepossessing, but on the con trary, repulsive (he is said to have been diminutive in stature and to have been afflicted with sore eyes), for which he himself was not responsible, had been made capital of by his ene mies. Naturally, of course, to the Greeks, who worshipped the perfect in nature, especially in the human form, a weak, imperfect and unprepossessing bodily presence was contemptible and despicable. On this trait of the Greek mind the opponents of Paul had played, and to some extent played well. They had, further, insinuated that P^ul was a coward in reality. He was bold in absence, and by letters he made them afraid, but only weakness and fear (1 Corinthians ii.' 3) did he mani fest when in their midst (2 Corinthians x. 2, 8-11), and that, in reality, Paul was a coward (cf. v. 6 - 8 ). These insinuations Paul answers (x. 2-11): He admits such human
861 frailty and insignificance^ as intimated by his opponents, and boldly renounces “ all confidence in the flesh” (x. 3 ) although at other times and under dif ferent circumstances he shows that he has as much to boast of in that line as his enemies have (Philippians iii. 1-10). But the battle he is fighting and the conflict in which he is engaged is not one in which any “ confidence in the flesh” counts at all. He does not war “ after the flesh.” The gospel weapons are spiritual, not carnal (x. 3-5; Ephesians vi. 10-19). Indeed vic tory in such a warfare can never be achieved by resorting to human wis dom and physical prowess/ These human boasts must be “ cast down” and “ brought into, captivity unto Christ” (x. 4, 5; cf. Luke ii. 24; Romans vii. 23; 2 Timothy iii. 6 ). Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, else would His servants fight with worldly weapons (cf. Matthew xxvi. 51, 52; John xviii. 33-38). God’s weapons and instrumentalities are of a vastly different nature: a rod (Exo dus iv. 2, 3), a sling and stone ( 1 Sam uel xvii. 49), an oxgoad (Judges iii. 81), the jaw bone of an ass (Judges xv. 14-20), and such, as the world calls them, “ base things” ( 1 Corinthians I 26-30) does God use with which to achieve great victories in the realm of faith and spirit. Not by man’s wisdom —which is foolishness with God, but with the simplicity of the thing preached, called “ the foolishness of preaching”— regarded by man as con summate foolishness, does God save men (1 Corinthians ii. 1-10). When ever the pride, wisdom, cleverness and intrigue of man raises itself as an instrument for the propagation of the work of God; it is to be cast down and brought into captivity. Those spiritual forces alone which God has ordained for the carrying on of His work are to be exalted. Such spiritual weapons God commands His servants to use. Obedience to such commands brings
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