2 Corinthians 10:4

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 Living Translation (NLT)We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

Context of 2 Corinthians 10:4

2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

2 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 6:7by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
• Romans 6:13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
• Romans 13:12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
• Ephesians 6:13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
• 1 Timothy 1:18This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
• 2 Timothy 2:3You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 3:5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
• 2 Corinthians 13:3since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.
• Judges 7:13And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”
• Judges 15:14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.
• 1 Samuel 17:45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
• Psalms 110:2The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
• Isaiah 41:14“Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,” says the Lord And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
• Zechariah 4:6So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

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

• Armor
• Blessing
• Church
• Gospel
• War

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Approved
• Beseech
• Captivity
• Carnal
• Measure
• Walk
• Warfare
• Weapon

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