Dig Deeper

Maybe you are tired of reading your Bible. Or perhaps you never started because it seems overwhelming, or boring, or you just don’t know what to do with it.

We can gain a fresh perspective on the scriptures when we take the time to break them down and define the words we think we know, and see what they actually mean. (By looking in a concordance, or clicking on the Hebrew or Greek in e-Sword to get the author’s original meaning, not looking them up online in a modern dictionary.)

Paying attention to grammatical clues is also helpful. When you see a : get ready for an example or elaboration. When you see a ; know that the ideas before and after are related and need to be read together.

This morning I did that with 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. Usually we hear verses 4 and 5 quoted most often, but verses 3 and 6 are also very important! (They are connected by punctuation to the other verses.)

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
(3) Though we walk after the flesh we do not war after the flesh:
(4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
(5) 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;
(6) And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Here is the same portion of scripture again with the words defined in [ ]:

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
(3) Though we walk [tread around] after the flesh [body, external] we do not war [go to war] after the flesh [external]:
(4) (For the weapons [tools, armor] of our warfare [military service] are not carnal [fleshly, temporal], but mighty [powerful, capable] through God to the pulling down [demolition, extinction] of strong holds [fortification, castle];
(5) Casting down [demolish with violence] imaginations [reasoning, thought], and every high thing [barrier] that exalteth itself against [more excellent] the knowledge [knowing] of God, and bringing into captivity [make captive, lead away] every thought [perception, purpose, intellect] to the obedience [attentive hearkening, compliance] of Christ;
(6) And having in readiness [prepared] to revenge [attack] all disobedience [inattention] when your obedience [attentive hearkening] is fulfilled [well supplied, executed].

When I know what the words mean, I can better understand what God wants me to do. There is much more to this verse than simply changing my thought patterns.

• I must remember that although I walk in a physical body, I don’t go to war with external things.
• My tools for success are not fleshly or temporal, but powerful and capable through God!
• I can, through my powerful and capable God, make fortifications/castles in my life extinct.
• I must demolish with violence my own reasoning and thought, and any barrier in my life that would make itself more excellent than knowing God.
• I must lead away every perception, purpose, and thought into attentive hearkening and compliance to Christ.
• I must be prepared to attack all inattention when I have well supplied myself with attentive listening, and executed what I have heard.

Now I have a lot more direction in praying through this scripture than if I simply glanced over it. Study takes time, but it is so worth it!

What scripture can you break down (or have you broken down) to get a better understanding?