2 Corinthians 10:7

Contextual Overview

⁷ You must look at the facts before you. If you feel sure you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to Christ the same as you do. ⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If any one is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that as he is Christ's, so are we. ⁷ Loke ye on thynges after ye vtter apparence? Yf eny man trust in him silfe yt he is Christis let the same also considre of him silfe yt as he is Christis even so are we Christes. ⁷ Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Messiah's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Messiah's, so also we are Messiah's. ⁷ You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so too are we.⁷ You must look at the facts before you. If you feel sure that you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to Christ just as you do. ⁷ You look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also are we. ⁷ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trusteth to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he [is] Christ's, even so [are] we Christ's. ⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. ⁷ Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye look: 2 Corinthians 10:1, *marg. 2 Corinthians 5:12, 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 23:5, Luke 16:15, John 7:24, Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29

If: 1 Corinthians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 14:37, 1 Corinthians 15:23, Galatians 3:29

even: 2 Corinthians 5:12, 2 Corinthians 11:4, 2 Corinthians 11:18, 2 Corinthians 11:23, 2 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 13:3, 1 Corinthians 9:1, Galatians 1:11-13, Galatians 2:5-9, 1 John 4:6

Reciprocal: Job 15:9 - knowest Mark 9:41 - because Romans 8:9 - he is 1 Corinthians 4:6 - these 1 Corinthians 9:3 - them Galatians 5:24 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon: that is it which compasses the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

Genesis 2:11
The first river, named Pishon, flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first [is] Pison, which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold;

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

Genesis 2:11
The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the o ryuer is Fyson, thilke it is that cumpassith al the lond of Euilath, where gold cometh forth,

Genesis 2:11
the name of the one [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of the Havilah where the gold [is],

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first river is Pishon; it winds through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance,.... Or "look upon things", ironically said; or "ye do look on things", a reproof for making judgment of persons and things, by the outward appearance of them; so many judged of Paul by the meanness of his person, the weakness of his body, the lowness of his voice, his outward circumstances of life, his poverty, afflictions, and persecutions; and despised him; whilst they looked upon the riches, eloquence, haughty airs, noisiness, and personable mien, of the false apostles, and admired them:

if a man trusts to himself that he is Christ's: is fully assured that he has an interest in his love and favour, is redeemed by his blood, is a partaker of his grace, and a believer in him; or rather, that he is a minister of the Gospel, and an apostle of Christ, one that is qualified and sent forth by him to preach the word:

let him, of himself, think this again, that as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's; that is, he may, and ought of himself, without another's observing it to him, of his own accord, willingly reason and conclude, by the selfsame marks and evidences he would be thought to be a minister of Christ, that we are also. The sense is, that let a man be ever so confident of his being a true minister of the Gospel, he will not be able to point out one criterion or proof of his being so, but what he might discern in the Apostle Paul, and the rest of his fellow ministers, and therefore ought to conclude the same of them as of himself. In which may be observed the great modesty of the apostle, who does not go about to disprove others being Christ's, who so confidently boasted of it; nor bid them look to it to see if they were or not, since all that say so are not; only as if granting that they were, he would have them look upon him, and his fellow apostles as such also, who had at least equal pretensions to this character.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? - This is addressed evidently to the members of the church, and with reference to the claims which had been set up by the false teachers. There can be no doubt that they valued themselves on their external advantages, and laid claim to special honor in the work of the ministry, because they were superior in personal appearance, in rank, manners, or eloquence to Paul. Paul reproves them for thus judging, and assures them that this was not a proper criterion by which to determine on qualifications for the apostolic office. Such things were highly valued among the Greeks, and a considerable part of the effort of Paul in these letters is to show that these things constitute no evidence that those who possessed them were sent from God.

If any man trust to himself ... - This refers to the false teachers who laid claims to be the followers of Christ by way of eminence. Whoever these teachers were, it is evident that they claimed to be on the side of Christ, and to be appointed by him. They were probably Jews, and they boasted of their talents and eloquence, and possibly that they had seen the Saviour. The phrase “trust to himself,” seems to imply that they relied on some special merit of their own, or some special advantage which they had - Bloomfield. It may have been that they were of the same tribe that he was, or that they had seen him, or that they. confided in their own talents or endowments as a proof that they had been sent by him. It is not an uncommon thing for people to have such confidence in their own gifts, and particularly in a power of fluent speaking, as to suppose that this is a sufficient evidence that they are sent to preach the gospel.

Let him of himself think this again - Since he relies so much on himself; since he has such confidence in his own powers, let him look at the evidence that I also am of Christ.

That as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s - That I have given as much evidence that I am commissioned by Christ as they can produce. It may be of a different kind. It is not in eloquence. and rank, and the gift of a rapid and ready elocution, but it may be superior to what they are able to produce. Probably Paul refers here to the fact that he had seen the Lord Jesus, and that he had been directly commissioned by him. The sense is, that no one could produce more proofs of being called to the ministry than he could.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 10:7. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? — Do not be carried away with appearances; do not be satisfied with show and parade.

If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's — Here, as in several other places of this and the preceding epistle, the τις, any or certain, person, most evidently refers to the false apostle who made so much disturbance in the Church. And this man trusted to himself-assumed to himself that he was Christ's messenger: it would not do to attempt to subvert Christianity at once; it had got too strong a hold of Corinth to be easily dislodged; he therefore pretended to be on Christ's side, and to derive his authority from him.

Let him of himself — Without any authority, certainly, from God; but, as he arrogates to himself the character of a minister of Christ, let him acknowledge that even so we are Christ's ministers; and that I have, by my preaching, and the miracles which I have wrought, given the fullest proof that I am especially commissioned by him.