He surely loved
those dear Believers!
Yet there too
Paul met a great many of his adversaries!
It seems a group
of preachers, false teachers really, moved into Corinth and
began to infiltrate the Church.
They literally
despised Paul and the Gospel he preached.
They of course
said some terrible things about the great Apostle too.
They apparently
accused him of not being a real disciple of Christ!
He lacked the
credentials, they alleged, of the true Jerusalem-approved men of
God!
He also had a
weak "bodily appearance!" He did not even look like a preacher
to them!
And his "speech"
was contemptible! "Not a good preacher at all," they retorted!
They questioned
the fact that Paul chose not to take a salary from the Church,
deciding rather to make tents to supplement his income!
Even his honesty
may have been doubted, honesty in how he handled offerings and
gifts for the poor saints at Jerusalem or elsewhere!
In 2nd
Corinthians Paul of necessity has to defend himself
against such lies and hatred.
He had to go to
war for the Gospel's sake!
He once said:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war after the flesh." 2nd Corinthians 10:3
One of Paul's
favorite word pictures for the Christian life is comparing it to
a long "walk." The Greek verb, "peripateo," here means "to
trample or tread" all "around" the pathway of life. At times
Paul has the Christian life as a race to be run, a fight to be
fought, or even a love affair to some day be properly and purely
consummated! Here, it's just a "walk."
All the
accusations being hurled at Paul reminded him how very human he
really was! He lived, or walked, in the flesh. In a human body!
Breathing air and eating bread and sleeping each night ... just
like all other people!
BUT ... since the
detractors in Corinth had challenged Paul and attacked him and
sought to destroy the Gospel he so clearly preached ... war must
be declared!
Spiritual war,
that is!
And though
admittedly Paul "walks" in a human form, he will not "battle"
that way!
No sir!
The word "war"
translates "strateuomai" and is a present middle indicative verb
meaning "to serve as a soldier, to engage in battle or to wage
war!"
Paul will
fight the enemy!
These in Corinth
who hate God's Grace and belittle God's Men will be challenged
... and defeated!
Not defeated with
guns or missiles or tanks ... but by the power of God!
That's the only
way to overcome false doctrine!
Or false teaching
and preaching!
False thinking!
False living!
In the next few
lessons we shall, Lord willing, follow "General" Paul into
battle. We shall observe him at work and at war!
There is much to
learn!
And, having
graduated from the Apostolic war college ... we shall be better
equipped to fight the devil and his demons, the world and its
philosophies, and the flesh and its desires!
Remember:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war after the flesh."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, VERSE 5:
Is it possible?
Can a man or a
woman really control his or her thoughts?
Paul thinks so!
And he might even
be talking about more than our individual mental patterns too!
I believe he also
has in mind ideas, philosophies, bits and pieces of news,
hearsay, and anything else that does not glorify the Lord!
Anyway, the great
Apostle clearly suggests that we "bring
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ!"
2nd Corinthians 10:5
Let's stop for a
minute and ask a question.
What is it that
dominates your mind? What is foremost in my thinking?
What keeps us
from mentally dwelling on Christ Jesus the Lord?
What occasionally
overtakes us and controls our minds and hearts?
Fear?
Worry?
Lust?
Anger?
Doubt?
Senseless
daydreaming?
The latest bit of
slander we heard on the phone or at Church?
Whatever it might
be, Paul classified such as part of our "thought" life.
Remember our goal
now: "Bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ!" 2nd Corinthians 10:5
The noun used
here for "thought" is spelled "noema." The Greek word for "mind"
is "nous." Therefore, a "thought" is that upon which the mind is
centered or focused. It means "a mental perception."
In the King James
Bible "noema" it is translated three different ways. I will
underline the English words that represent "noema." Second
Corinthians 2:11 says: "Lest Satan should
get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his
devices." Then Second Corinthians 3:14 reminds us of
the Jews: "But their minds were
blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away
in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done
away in Christ." Second Corinthians 4:4 records:
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
Then in Second Corinthians 11:3 Paul continues:
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the
serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Then, the last occurrence of the word in the New Testament:
"And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Three words used
for "noema:" one's thoughts, the content of one's mind
and the devices of the devil. Paul has actually suggested
here that we know the thoughts of the devil! I am sure he means
that we know such things by studying the Scriptures.
What am I to do
with my thoughts, my mental patterns?
"Bring them into
captivity to Jesus!"
The verbal
expression here ... "bringing into captivity" ... is quite
dramatic! It is spelled "aichmalotizo" and contains the Greek
word for "spear." That's spelled "aichme." The remaining part of
the word, the "alosis" section, means something like "to
capture" or "to seize!"
To arrest at the
point of a sword!
Surprisingly,
this term is found three times in the New Testament.
Here in a
prophetic Text it is translated "led away captive." Luke 21:24
says: "And they shall fall by the edge of
the sword, and shall be led away captive into all
nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
Then comes Romans
7:23 with its "bringing into captivity" again:
"But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members"
says Paul! This is Bible doctrine.
Then our very
practical and personal Text: "Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ." 2nd Corinthians 10:5
Think of this
amazing concept! The very possibility is thrilling!
Every thought I
have ... being seized and forced to come into the presence of
Jesus! Where it will glow brightly if it's noble and holy ... or
melt away and vaporize if it lacks purity!
And just exactly
where do I bring these thoughts?
"To the obedience
of Christ!"
The noun
"obedience" is spelled "hupakoe" This word combines the Greek
preposition for "under" ("hupo") with their word for "hearing"
("akouo"). Combine these components and you get this word
picture: bringing every thought at knifepoint ... bringing it to
Jesus ... and making it sit there at His feet to be evaluated
... or converted!
Powerful
Scripture!
We may have just
been studying the single greatest passage ever written on
controlling one's thoughts!
Master this Text!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8, VERSE 6:
The
Apostle Paul was a kind gentle man.
At least most of
the time he was ... to the people of God.
He thought of the
new converts in the Churches as his "little children."
He "fathered"
them and occasionally "mothered" them, once even saying he
"nursed" them.
He would have
died for them, and several times nearly did.
But Paul could be
vicious ... if forced to do so!
Vicious in
defending those young Believers in Christ!
Or ferocious in
fighting wickedness or the devil!
Once, in 2nd
Corinthians 10:3-6, Paul was teaching ... really preaching ...
about our minds, our very thoughts.
He instructed us
how to conquer impure thoughts and lies and gossip and false
doctrine and doubt and every other thing that exalted itself
against Christ our Lord.
He, simply
stating the facts, said "attack!"
Go on the
offense!
He reminded us
that we war in the spiritual realm. These manifold "thoughts"
that enter our minds are either devilish ... or godly!
And our "weapons"
must be both supplied and empowered by God Himself!
Because we all
have some mental and intellectual and philosophical and
so-called scientific "strongholds" to pull down, to demolish!
These strongholds are the secure and fortified dwelling places
for these "suspect" thoughts.
Yes, we must
dislodge them from their proud places of security and place them
under arrest! Bringing them captive to Jesus Christ our Saviour
and Lord!
But ... even
after all that is done, Paul is not finished!
Here ... he gets
even more fierce!
He now wants to
talk "revenge!"
Don't
misunderstand me now.
Not "revenge"
against a personal enemy, or as far as I can tell ... not even
against any human being, but against these wrong thoughts!
These wicked
imaginations!
Read with me:
"Having in a readiness to revenge all
disobedience" says the great Preacher! Those words are
from 2nd Corinthians 10:6.
The verb "having"
translates "echo" as a present participle. "Holding onto"
readiness, never letting it go! Constantly and vigilantly being
prepared to fight evil theories and ideas and speech!
The noun itself
for "readiness" is spelled "etoimos." It is derived from "heteos"
which means "fitness!" We hear a lot today about being
"physically fit." Well, now Paul says we're to be "spiritually
fit!" This same Paul also told us that physical exercise
profiteth little. Always on "standby" to deal with bad thinking!
On "alert" status! This word is used to describe a meal that has
been prepared and awaits the guests to arrive!
The verb
"revenge" is represented by "ekdikeo." It's a forensic term,
from the courtroom or police station! It means "to carry out
justice." To execute a judge's righteous and legal sentence! The
other 4 times "ekdikeo" is used in the Bible, it's rendered
"avenge." And Paul's Holy Spirit inspired "sentence" upon these
kinds of useless thoughts ... "mortify" them! Kill them! Take
the sword of justice and hack them to pieces!
That's what we do
... not to people, not even to the devil ... but to the less
than godly thoughts that come our way!
Thoughts that are
"disobedient" to our Lord Jesus Christ! Those pesky little sins
that keep reappearing in our minds! Any big sins too, by the
way! Again, let's listen to Paul in Colossians 3:5-7.
"Mortify therefore your members which are
upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for
which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye
lived in them." To "mortify" something means to make it
dead!
Well, kind old
Paul became rather ruthless against sin today, didn't he?
Oh, how we need
more preaching against iniquity and unrighteousness!
Christians, we
must police our thoughts ... all the time.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9, VERSE 6:
I think Paul, perhaps without even
realizing it, often shares life-changing truth in his preaching
and teaching.
For example, read
this verse: "And having in a readiness to
revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
2nd Corinthians 10:6
The "context" in
which this single verse "sits" deals with our thoughts, our
fears and worries and even the things we hear ... and can't get
out of our minds!
Paul likens these
"thoughts" to enemies, perched high above our heads and lurking
in their impenetrable fortresses, attacking us at will!
Such a condition
would be spiritually dangerous, being bombarded with unfit
thoughts all the time!
So the great
Apostle teaches us how to go on the offense!
How to attack
those thoughts and destroy them!
Then ... as our
verse today explains ...
After those old
wicked and ungodly thoughts have been dethroned, we are still
not quite finished!
Paul asks one
more thing!
Take revenge
on them!
Decimate them!
Slice them into
pieces with the two-edged sword of God's Word!
Mortify them!
And ... here's
today's lesson ... we can best punish the disobedience of those
thoughts and meditations and reasonings and imaginations WHEN
OUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED!
We fight best
when we live best!
We most
efficiently overcome the devil and his wicked goals when we are
closest to God and His plans!
Yes ... "we
revenge all such disobedience
when we are fully and
completely obeying!"
That's one reason
Jesus defeated Satan at their every meeting!
Jesus is sinless!
His obedience to
the Father was always perfect, complete, overflowing!
The noun for our
"obedience" is beautiful! "Hupakoe" is derived from two Greek
words. "Hupo" means "under" and "akouo" means "to hear!" Thus,
obedience pictures the Believer sitting at the feet of Jesus,
under His authority, listening to His Words ... with proper
follow-through in mind!
When we can fully
do this ... we will be deadly to the wrong kinds of thoughts!
So ... the way to
fight the devil is to draw closer and closer to Jesus!
Let's let James
tell us: "Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you." (James 4:8) Little wonder that in the
same context James also says: "Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you."
Christian friend,
I hope you see this vital Truth! When we are obeying fully, we
more powerfully can overcome the devil and those terrible
thoughts and fears and worries and lies and doubts and rumors he
wants to sent our way!
Say it again
Paul: "And having in a readiness to
revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
Thank you!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10, AN OVERVIEW:
Paul apparently was quite familiar
with warfare!
With military
tactics and strategies.
How so?
He had spent a
lot of time in the company of infantrymen and cavalry and
apparently even artillery specialists!
He knew
centurions and captains and commanders as well as common
fighting men.
He was even
personally acquainted with some of Caesar's elite bodyguard
corps.
Having been
imprisoned so many times in such diverse locations and guarded
by such an array of fighters, Paul overheard ... and learned
much!
He sure did know
how to "take" a city!
In fact, Paul's
instructions in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6 reflect this military
expertise!
The great Apostle
is teaching us how to overcome an enemy!
It's just that
this enemy is not a human being necessarily, or an army ... but
a bunch of wrong thoughts!
Paul likens these
thoughts, when they have multiplied, to some despised adversary
who wishes to harm us ... maybe even cripple us in our Christian
walk!
Worry, gossip and
slander, empty daydreams, vain meditations, false teachings,
godless theories, mockery and the like ... all would ruin us
spiritually if allowed to do so!
These mental
enemies are occupying an imaginary fortress, a castle, high
above us. They constantly throw fiery darts of doubt and
lethargy and even apathy into our very hearts and souls and
spirits!
The only thing to
do?
Attack!
And using
concentric circles of resistance ... tightening gradually and
progressively toward enemy "headquarters," Paul drags such
devilish lies to the ground, stomping them to death!
Then after that,
he stays around to quench any smoldering embers that might flare
up again!
The godly old
Preacher means to "mortify" these bad thoughts indeed!
And, as Paul
elsewhere wrote: "If God be for us, who
can be against us?"
Praise God, the
victory is ours!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11, THOUGHTS ...
AND THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH:
The Apostle Paul often lets us observe some of his personal
habits, especially those that reveal his methods of fighting sin
and wickedness!
He also openly
tells us what motivates him to such a high level of godly
living!
In 2nd
Corinthians 10:3-6 he discusses his awesome strategy in
overcoming wrong thoughts.
Personal
thoughts, unbiblical thoughts, bitter thoughts, misguided
thoughts, and yes ... even sinful thoughts!
To learn how Paul
reasoned, what a blessing that would be!
But what kinds of
thoughts would cross the great Paul's mind? I mean thoughts that
needed to be challenged. Wrong thoughts that needed to be made
right.
Based on the
Epistle of 1st Corinthians, the Letter that occasioned the
writing of 2nd Corinthians, we can tell some of the thoughts and
imaginations that the Church at Corinth needed to overcome.
Therefore Paul, in helping these young Christians, had to tackle
these thoughts as well.
1st Corinthians
chapter 1 ... "For it hath been declared
unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house
of Chloe, that there are contentions among you."
Argumentative thoughts!
1st Corinthians
chapter 2 ... "And I, brethren, when I
came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God." False teachers
had come to Corinth. They belittled the Apostle Paul, mocking
him often! Here are proud thoughts that disrespected the Man of
God. "Looking down" on people! Paul readily admitted that he
lacked superb Greek-Roman rhetorical skills, "excellency of
speech or wisdom," but rather hungered for the "testimony of
God!"
1st Corinthians
chapter 3 ... "And I, brethren, could not
speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ." Immature thoughts!
1st Corinthians 4
... "Now some are puffed up, as though I
would not come to you." Angry and jealous thoughts!
1st Corinthians 5
... "It is reported commonly that there
is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so
much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his
father's wife." Immoral thoughts!
1st Corinthians 6
... "Dare any of you, having a matter
against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the
saints?" Thoughts of litigation, lawsuits against the
brethren!
1st Corinthians 7
... "Nevertheless, to avoid
fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every
woman have her own husband." Sexual thoughts!
1st Corinthians 8
... "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to
offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I
make my brother to offend." Thoughts about separation!
How far can I go in a given "gray" area, and still not be wrong?
1st Corinthians 9
... "Am I not an apostle? am I not free?
have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the
Lord?" What kind of thoughts might Paul have battled when
these folks were calling him an imposter? A fake? Such talk
could arouse feelings of hatred, even in a Preacher!
1st Corinthians
10 ... "But I say, that the things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not
to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with
devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of
devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the
table of devils." Thoughts about worship! Can I go back
to the heathen temples?
1st Corinthians
11 ... "For in eating every one taketh
before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and
another is drunken." Thoughts about Church life, here the
Lord's Supper! And some have abused it!
1st Corinthians
12 ... "Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have you ignorant." Ignorant
thoughts! Especially concerning Christian service.
1st Corinthians
13 ... "And now abideth faith, hope,
charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity." Thoughts about the proper priorities! Some
apparently bragged on their faith!
1st Corinthians
14 ... "Follow after charity, and desire
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."
Thoughts about preaching! The "primacy" of Preaching one Man of
God called it! Many in Corinth coveted the secondary gifts!
1st Corinthians
15 ... "Now if Christ be preached that he
rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no
resurrection of the dead?" Thoughts about the
Resurrection! Both Jesus' Resurrection and ours at the Rapture!
A few in Corinth denied such doctrine!
1st Corinthians
16 ... "Now concerning the collection for
the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia,
even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Thoughts
about money! Especially the offering at Church! Some had been
stingy!
What dangerous
thoughts these pose to the Christian mind!
These wrong
meditations and false opinions, having been common in Corinth
for years, had to be confronted, attacked, and defeated!
Annihilated!
And our Text
here, again that's 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6, tells us how!
Oh, the power of
God to conquer sin!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 12, MAKING IT
PERSONAL:
The
primary New Testament Text about
"thought control" is found in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6.
By the term
"thought control" I mean the process by which a Christian
regulates his or her mind so that wrong ideas are not allowed to
become dominant.
A fleeting
thought may not be stoppable, but an enduring word picture can
be absolutely dangerous, maybe even deadly! And even passing
thoughts, if not controlled, can become enduring word pictures!
Let's take this
great Passage and "personalize" it, applying it to our everyday
lives. Again, here's what Paul says:
"For though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all
disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
The whole
paragraph is set in a military context. Battle lines are drawn
everywhere. "War, weapons, pulling down, captivity, revenge" ...
just listen to the tension!
The "heart" of
Paul's sermon here is found in the words
"bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of
Christ!"
Every thought!
Let's say I
ponder a thought that strikes needless fear into my heart! Some
worry producing possibility! Something I can't control anyway!
Something my God can control! Yet that thought "lords" over me,
tormenting me time and time again!
I am to go on the
offense! Attack! As if that thought is a machine gunner in a
bunker on top of a mountain, I am to scale the heights and grab
that thing by the arms and jerk it to the ground, dashing it on
the jagged rocks below!
Then I am to
remove my sword and arrest that thought, forcefully bringing it
into the presence of my Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ!
By the way, once
any unfit thought gets into Jesus' Presence, it will vaporize in
the light of His Holiness and Glory! Sin just can't exist around
Him!
Vile immoral
thoughts?
The same tactics
apply!
Hatred?
Lust?
A lie?
False Doctrine?
Gossip?
Whatever!
Handle every
thought precisely according to Paul's instructions here and ...
victory will be yours ... through the Power of the Holy Spirit
of God!
Folks, it works!
This is simply
applying the Word of God to our practical situations!
Being "doers" of
the Word!
How many of you
will try it?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
CONCLUSION:
We have been
studying the "thought life" of a Believer in Jesus Christ, one
who seriously lives for the Lord.
He or she has
disciplined his or her mind so that every thought is carefully
evaluated. And if sinful ... in fact, if less than honorable ... that thought is attacked and demoted and taken captive, being
brought "under arrest" to Jesus!
In other
words, every single mental impression we have ... if it's the
least bit substandard, will cause us to approach our dear Lord,
bringing in tow that rebellious idea!
Every
erroneous thought ... involves a trip to Jesus' Side?
Yes!
And every bit
of gossip!
And every lie!
And every bit
of false teaching!
And all slander!
Including empty
imaginations!
Preacher
Bagwell, I sure would be making a lot of trips to see Jesus
every day!
That's my
point!
We would
nearly be living in His Presence!
That's called,
I think, "abiding" in Christ!
Being "filled"
with Him!
Constant
"communion!"
Sweet
"fellowship!"
(Isn't that
the way we are supposed to be living anyway?)
And, I'll
guarantee you this too.
The more the
devil sees that those various worries or bits of gossip or angry
reflections or whatever ... send you to Jesus, He may not want
to continue harassing you with those kinds of thoughts!
Believe me.
The devil does not want you living in conscious contact with the
Lord of Glory!
So ... bring
your thoughts to the Lord. I mean after you have crippled the
questionable ones. Then stay a while and enjoy fellowship with
Jesus!
Thank Him for dying for you! Express gratitude for that last
prayer He answered! Worship Him sincerely!
And in so
doing you will certainly frustrate
the devil!
Live a life of
victory!
Grow in grace!
Have a pure
mind!
Enjoy God's
best for your life!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
