In verse 3 Paul goes on to speak of spiritual warfare: “For walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.” Being human, the apostles are still in the flesh. Hence, they walk in flesh. But they do not walk, especially in the spiritual warfare, according to flesh. Rather, they walk according to spirit (Rom. 8:4).
In verse 3 Paul seems to be saying, “Because we are still in the old creation, we are still in flesh. But we do not walk according to flesh. In particular, we do not war according to flesh. I do not deny that I am still in the flesh, but I am not a person who lives, speaks, and acts according to the flesh. On the contrary, I walk according to spirit. Therefore, in the matter of spiritual warfare, I fight according to spirit. Corinthians, you have been altogether mistaken in thinking that we apostles fight according to flesh. No, our warfare is according to spirit.”
In verses 4 and 5 Paul continues, “For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God to the overthrow of strongholds, overthrowing reasonings and every high thing rising up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ.” Since spiritual warfare is not against flesh, but against spiritual forces (Eph. 6:12), the weapons should not be fleshly but spiritual. These are powerful to overthrow the strongholds of the enemy.
Reasonings and thoughts are in the mind and of the mind. These are the strongholds of Satan, God’s adversary, within the mind of those who are disobedient to God. Through spiritual warfare, the reasonings must be overthrown and every thought taken captive to obey Christ.
The high things in verse 5 refer to haughty things within the reprobate mentality against the knowledge of God. These must also be overthrown by spiritual weapons.
The goal of this spiritual fighting is to tear down Satan’s strongholds in the reprobate human mind. These strongholds are the proud thoughts, the high thoughts and imaginations in man’s mind. The haughty imaginations and proud thoughts are strongholds built up by Satan in the human mind. These stand against the knowledge of God. The goal of our fighting is to tear down these strongholds. People are rebellious against God because of these strongholds, these high reasonings and haughty thoughts. Therefore, we must fight against these things so that every thought may be taken captive unto the obedience of Christ.
In verse 6 Paul says, “And being ready to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.” The word avenge here is a bold and severe word in the way of blame. Paul’s reference to obedience indicates that our obedience affords a base for the Lord to deal with others’ disobedience.
In Paul’s time a number of Jews believed in Christ and then assumed the position of teachers. In their teaching they gave a prominent place to the law. As a result, in their teaching there was a mixture of the New Testament gospel with the Old Testament law. This caused trouble, especially when the gospel came to the Gentile world under the apostleship of Paul.
The Judaizers, those who confused the New Testament with the Old Testament, did not agree with Paul. In fact, there was a great discrepancy between Paul’s teaching and theirs. Some of them went to the Gentiles deliberately to visit the churches in order to propagate their Judaistic teachings. As a result, they caused a great deal of damage to the churches. According to the books of Galatians and 1 and 2 Corinthians, we see that these Judaizers went to Galatia and Achaia, stirring up the believers and causing trouble. In 1 and 2 Corinthians we see that the believers at Corinth had been infused with Judaistic teachings and stirred up by them.
Paul’s word in 10:5 concerning reasonings and high things rising up against the knowledge of God was spoken with reference to the teachings of the Judaizers. This was the background of what Paul wrote in this verse. We have seen that Paul says that the warfare of the apostles was to overthrow strongholds, reasonings, and high things that rise up against the genuine and proper New Testament knowledge of God. Furthermore, Paul says that the goal of his warfare was to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In particular Paul has in mind those thoughts which have their source in Judaistic teachings.
On the one hand, the Judaistic teachers claimed to be of Christ. On the other hand, they taught many things concerning the law that actually were against Christ. They believed in Christ and yet taught matters that were contrary to Him. They did not have a full surrender to Christ or an absolute obedience to Him. In their thinking there was something that needed to be subdued. Therefore, Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians is a fighting against Judaistic thoughts, reasonings, and imaginations. It is a fighting to take captive to the obedience of Christ those thoughts which were influenced by Judaistic teachings.
Verse 6 indicates that among the saints in Corinth there were some who, under the influence of Judaistic reasonings and thoughts, were rebellious. For this reason, Paul said that he was ready to avenge all disobedience when the obedience of the Corinthians had been fulfilled. The disobedience in this verse refers to that of the Judaistic teachings. Paul’s readiness to avenge this disobedience had a condition, and this condition was the obedience of the Corinthians. It was first necessary for them to become absolutely obedient to the gospel of Christ. They could not be partly for the New Testament gospel and partly for the Old Testament law. To be even partially for the law was rebellion and disobedience. When the Corinthians became utterly obedient to the New Testament gospel, the situation would be right for Paul to avenge all disobedience. The situation in Corinth would afford him a base to deal with the disobedience of the Judaizers. This is the proper interpretation of this portion of the Word.