Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

For the last couple weeks, have been looking at the end of Ephesians exploring the seriousness of spiritual warfare.

My first priority was to expose the seriousness of the attacks from satan and then to show you the strength of our Commander and also the weapons we have at our disposal.

Warfare is a substantial part of the Christian life.

I don’t have to say much to remind you of the recent attacks on our church here and of those who have not done well at using ALL the weapons that Ephesians chapter 6 lists for us.

This morning I want to look at a church that struggled through major spiritual warfare.

History tells us that this church triumphed for a season after a few letters of sound rebuke, but then eventually collapsed from repeating the same mistakes!

This church is the Church of first century Corinth.

This church had many problems and these problems were apparently so abundant, the issue of spiritual warfare was more than a daily occurrence.

As Paul rebukes them in his letters, one gets the idea that this warfare was a minute by minute loosing battle with no end in sight; however, they did succeed in fighting satan’s battles for a while when they were repentant and fighting.

Transition:

Although most of the Corinthian congregation sided with Paul, a persistent few continued to slander him.

The group questioned Paul’s integrity by pointing out that he was bold in his letters but a wuss in person—in other words, too scared to exercise any authority when he visited them.

Paul’s enemies saw this as an opportunity to prove that Paul truly didn’t possess the spiritual authority he claimed.

The passage I want to explore with you is the start of a harsh section in 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

Chapters 10 through 13 are Paul’s direct response to his critics in Corinth.

This section begins with kind and gentle words.

Paul had the authority to command, yet he consciously refused to exercise his authority in an overbearing manner.

Instead, he pled with them:

Scripture Reading:

Paul believed that the danger of people defecting from him and his gospel were very real.

By appealing for obedience, he tested the confidence that Titus said the Corinthians had in him

Christ was Paul’s model in the approach he took here with this troubled church.

Although Jesus possessed complete heavenly authority, he came to this earth as a servant Instead of demanding obedience and respect, Jesus simply asks for people to believe in him and encourages obedience.

Following Christ’s example, the apostle Paul, who possessed full authority from Jesus, merely pleaded with the Corinthians.

Transition:

Let us consider what Paul says of the weapons of our warfare and what they can accomplish—even in a battle torn church much like ours.

I.

An Accusation of Weakness (vv.1-2)

Alongside recognizing our source of strength, Paul brings the element of the converse by way of personal humility

Paul’s loving demeanor as true servant of Christ often came across as meek to those around him as this verse indicates.

Paul begins with an emphatic emphasis on his own person, I, Paul, myself.

Paul entreated/urged/beseeched/exhorted or encouraged them [παρακλεω, “call them along side”] by the influence of/ or on account of the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Paul wants to become more Christlike because he realized that true spiritual power is found in meekness and gentleness not in throwing his weight around.

Paul's purpose was to exalt Christ, not himself.

He refused the dictator leadership style that would make them dependent on him and the strength of his own will.

He wanted his church to trust the Lord and not the servant so he deliberately played down his own authority and rights.

Paul is also addressing his aggressive accusers who pointed out that he was lowly while with them.

His enemy portrayed his mild and non-dominating presence as weakness.

Yet he was only following his Lord's example of inner strength not outer show.

The Greek word for “gentleness” has the idea of “forbearance”—like that of a benevolent judge being lenient on the guilty.

“Kindness” speaks of friendliness and cheerfulness.

In other words, Paul wasn’t going to act like a harsh and overbearing judge.

Meekness is more than self-control, it is a humbleness that wants God's to control.

Kindness or gentleness is the opposite of roughness, bad temper, short-fused anger.

It is non-violent, non combative attitude that does not press for all one's own way.

Paul continues in verse two

Here Paul explained why he was writing this letter.

He earnestly desires them to put their house, their church, their life in order so that he may not be forced on his arrival to demonstrate that he is not only capable of writing them bold letters but also of being courageous in their midst.

Paul is also letting them know that his inner strength is indeed spiritual strength.

There was spiritual energy in him that he interestingly calls, “boldness” which they would do well not to provoke.

You could almost picture him shaking a fist as he wrote this!

He had been entrusted by Christ, Himself, with authority which he wanted to use to build up the church, not to tear down.

Paul was confident that God would be fully with him in his boldness because of his apostolic position and because of all the battles of faith he had fought in Christ’s service through the years.

But Paul refused to govern by demand even when it was within his right as an apostle to do so.

There is a popular misconception that meekness and gentleness are incompatible with sternness.

Somehow, I am misinterpreted when I must be stern as being mean, rude, and even arrogant.

Yet Christ Himself could be stern against false teachers and hypocrites with some very choice words!

Let’s read Mt. 23:13-33 to hear Jesus speak:

Hypocrites!

Blind Fools!

Serpents!

Children of hell!

If you think people are leaving the church now, just wait until I start using the same terms on them as Christ did! No, but seriously, it is not that Paul is too weak in person before the Corinthian Church, nor am I too scared to confront sin in this church, it is rather that both he and I would rather choose meekness and patience.

Transition:

So the accusation of weakness is, in one sense, true that Paul and we here are too weak to fight spiritual battles on our own, but in another sense, based on Christ, the accusation crumbles.

II.

THE ANSWER OF SPIRITUAL STRENGTH (vv.3-5)

Here we have clear distinction drawn again between living in the world and using worldly conduct and techniques in verses 3 & 4. In verse 3 Paul states that he was not guided by the principles of ordinary men, who act out the influence of their fallen nature.

Paul equates the Christian life to a war yet again.

Because the Corinthians, lead by their false teachers, judged Paul's ministry by outward appearances they completely missed the power that was there.

They evaluated things according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit.

But Paul took a different direction in life not walking after the pattern of the flesh or according to the natural man but he walked in the Spirit depending on the Spirit.

Yes, he lived in a fleshy body like every other man, subject to the limitation that are common to all human flesh.

But he did not depend for success on anything the flesh (that is, human nature) could muster.

The Christian life is a spiritual war against spiritual forces aligned against Christ.

Fighting this spiritual war with weapons of the world—with physical strength, worldly strategies, and material wealth is to lose the war.

A spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons that can only come from YHWH.

The Greek term war [stratos] is literally "lead an army."

Paul states that though he does not fight according to the flesh, he does still fight a real--he even admits that he leads an army to war.

This war though was not against flesh and blood.

Our foes are the devil and his demonic agents—not people!

Paul warred against the power of darkness.

Thus Paul used spiritual weapons because you cannot fight spiritual battles with fleshly weapons against other people.

We too must put on the full armor of God and fight with spiritual weapons against satan and his demons.

The Christian life is not a comfortable walk but a fierce war.

Stop expecting a comfortable home here on Earth!

I fear that new believers and seeking unbelievers get the wrong idea from too many well intentioned Christians that once we trust in Christ, life gets easier.

YES! Life does get better when you come to Christ, BUT better does not always equate to easier and comfortable.

Don’t believe me?

Then answer me, which one of the twelve disciples of Christ had a life of ease and comfort after following Christ?

Verse 4 encourages us to abandon worldly methods (weapons) to rely on spiritual weapons.

Thanks to last week, we know what these weapons are!

YHWH’s weapons are faith, truth, righteousness, the gospel message, salvation, and the word of God through prayer.

Anyone can use fleshly weapons, but only a few in Christians will actually use spiritual weapons.

We must have the weapons with which to fight.

We absolutely need divinely powerful weapons.

We need weapons that are forged by YHWH, Himself.

Paul's attitude of humility is one more weapon, since pride places us in the control of Satan.

Only spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for overthrowing the strongholds of evil.