God’s Word Translation
2 Corinthians 10:4
4The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments
2 Corinthians 10:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
- New International Version (NIV)The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
Context of 2 Corinthians 10:4
2I beg you that when I am with you I won’t have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives. 3Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans. The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments 5and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. 6We are ready to punish every act of disobedience when you have become completely obedient.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 102 Corinthians 10:4 word by word
τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικὰ ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντεςRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- the weaponsὅπλονhoplon · weaponG3696
- of ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- warfareστρατείαstrateia · warfareG4752
- notοὐou · noG3756
- carnalσαρκικόςsarkikos · fleshlyG4559
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- mightyδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415
- through Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the pulling downκαθαίρεσιςkathairesis · destructionG2506
- of strong holdsὀχύρωμαochurōma · strongholdG3794
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 10:4
- 2 Corinthians 6:7truthfulness, and the presence of God’s power. We demonstrate that we are God’s servants
- Romans 6:13Never offer any part of your body to sin’s power. No part of your body should ever be used to do any ungodly thing. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have come back from death and are now alive. Offer all the parts of your body to God. Use them to do everything that God approves of.
- Romans 13:12The night is almost over, and the day is near. So we should get rid of the things that belong to the dark and take up the weapons that belong to the light.
- Ephesians 6:13For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8Since we belong to the day, we must be sober. We must put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
- 1 Timothy 1:18Timothy, my child, I’m giving you this order about the prophecies that are still coming to you: Use these prophecies in faith and with a clear conscience to fight this noble war.
- 2 Timothy 2:3Join me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us.
- 2 Corinthians 13:3Since you want proof that Christ is speaking through me, that’s what you’ll get. Christ isn’t weak in dealing with you. Instead, he makes his power felt among you.
- Judges 7:13When Gideon got there, he heard a man telling his friend a dream. The man said, “I had a strange dream. There was a loaf of barley bread rolling around in the camp of Midian. When it got to the command post, the loaf of bread hit that tent so hard that the tent collapsed, turned upside down, and fell flat.”
- Judges 15:14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines met him with shouts ⌞of triumph⌟. But the Lord’s Spirit came over him. The ropes on his arms became like strings burned in a fire, and those on his hands snapped.
- 1 Samuel 17:45David told the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the army of Israel, whom you have insulted.
- Psalms 110:2The Lord will extend your powerful scepter from Zion. Rule your enemies who surround you.
- Isaiah 41:14Don’t be afraid, Jacob, you worm. You people of Israel, I will help you,” declares the Lord, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel.
- Zechariah 4:6Then he replied, “This is the word the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t ⌞succeed⌟ by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Armies.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 10:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The weapons of our warfare - The apostle often uses the metaphor of a warfare to represent the life and trials of a Christian minister. See Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:3-5. 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4For the weapons of our warfare - The means by which we hope to achieve our victory. Are not carnal - Not those of the flesh. Not such as the people of the world use. They are not such as are employed by conquerors; nor are they such as people in general rely on to advance their cause. We do not depend on eloquence, or talent, or learning, or wealth, or beauty, or any of the external aids on which the people of this world rely. They are not such as derive…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5A military metaphor strengthens Paul's argument that Paul's weapons have divine power over spiritual strongholds (see 4:3–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. A confutation of those who try to propagate their creed by force and persecution (compare Lu 9:54-56). weapons--for punishing offending members (2Co 10:6; 1Co 4:21; 5:5, 13); boldness of speech, ecclesiastical discipline (2Co 10:8; 2Co 13:10), the power of the word, and of the sacraments, the various extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. carnal--Translate, "fleshly," to preserve the allusion to 2Co 10:2, 3. mighty through God--Greek, "mighty to God," that…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 10:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries