2 Corinthians 10:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Now I Paul, &c.— St. Paul having finished his exhortation to liberality in the collection for the Christians at Jerusalem, he resumes his former argument, and prosecutes the main purpose of this epistle; which was, totally to reduce and put a final end to the adverse faction,—which seems not yet to have been entirely extinct,—bybringing the Corinthians wholly off from the false apostle, to whom they had adhered; and to re-establish himself and his authority in the minds of all the members of that church. Thinking it fit to forbear all severity till he had, by fair means, reduced as many of the contrary party as he could, (see 2 Corinthians 10:6.) he begins his discourse here by conjuring them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, as an examplewhichmightexcusehisdelayofinflictingpunishmentupontheringleadersand chief offenders, without giving them reason to think it was for want of power. It seems very probable that they had upbraided and reflected upon him in some such language as that in the close of the verse: but there was a sense in which he was indeed lowly among them, his presence having nothing majestic. See 2 Corinthians 10:10. Instead of base, Dr. Heylin reads mean.