What Does the Phrase 'Casting Down Imaginations' Mean in the Bible? ... Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself ... BibleStudyResources-Tips,OnlineBibleSearch,Devotions ChristiansinIranNeedBiblesandYouCanHelp! BROWSETOPICSX JoinPlus PlusLogin Plus Devotionals Faith Family Church News&Culture More Subscribe Plus WhatDoesthePhrase'CastingDownImaginations'MeanintheBible? Share Tweet E-Mail WhatDoesthePhrase'CastingDownImaginations'MeanintheBible? KathyCollardMiller ContributingWriter 2021 1Feb “Castingdownimaginations,andeveryhighthingthatexaltethitselfagainsttheknowledgeofGod,andbringingintocaptivityeverythoughttotheobedienceofChrist” 2Corinthians10:3-5(KJV).WhenwefirstreadPaul’sphrase“castingdownimaginations,”wemightwonderifGodisencouragingustonotuseourimaginations.Althoughit’strueourimaginationscanbemisused,PaulisemphasizingadifferentspiritualconceptforeveryChristiantopreventbelievinginlies.Paul’sphraseisencasedinthreeveryimportantversesin2Corinthians10:3-5: “Forthoughwewalkintheflesh,wedonotwaraftertheflesh: (Fortheweaponsofourwarfarearenotcarnal,butmightythroughGodtothepullingdownofstrongholds;)Castingdownimaginations,andeveryhighthingthatexaltethitselfagainsttheknowledgeofGod,andbringingintocaptivityeverythoughttotheobedienceofChrist”(italicsaddedKJV).Aswe’llsee,theweakChristianslocatedinCorinthhaveadoptedcertainideasthathavecapturedtheir“imaginations”—theirthinking.Thesewrongideashavebeenacceptedintotheirbeliefsystemasiftheyaretrue.ButtheideasareagainsteverythingPaulintroducedtothemandtaughtthem.Theyareoftheworld,notGod.Contextof2Corinthians10:5OneoftheprimarypurposesofPaul’sletters(yes,thereweretwoorthree)totheCorinthiansistofightagainstthewrongthinkingofthefalseteacherswhoarespirituallyharassingthebelieversinthatpagancity.Beingataphysicaldistancefromhisspiritualbrothersandsisters,PaulisdeterminedtoconvincethemtheyarecooperatingwithadestructiveinfluencethatistearingdowntheirfaithinJesusChrist.HealsoknowsthefalseteachershavebeencriticalofhimselfasGod’sappointedmessenger.Sincetheweakbelieversareeasilyswayedbythesefalsedoctrines,Paulisfirmlyandyetgentlyremindingthemofthetruthshetaughtthemwhilehewaswiththem.Heiswondering,sincetheytrustedhimthen,howtheycouldbeinfluencedagainsthimnow.Heisshocked.Paulwritesthislettertoremindthemofthespiritualdoctrineshetaughtthemwhilewiththem.Paulistreadingondangerousground.Hedoesn’twanttoseemmean-spiritedorcritical.HewantstocomeacrosswiththemeeknessofChrist.YethealsopassionatelydesirestoshaketheCorinthiansfreefromthestrongholdoffalsehoodstheotherteachershaveheapeduponthem.Paulislimitedtohandwrittenlettersbeingpersonallydeliveredbyhistrustedhelpers.Heiswalkingatightropeofshowingloveandyetspeakingthetruth.That’swhyhebeginsthissectionofhisletter(2Corinthians10:1)referringto“themeeknessandgentlenessofChrist.”HeisremindingthemthatinpersonherepresentedChrist’snatureandneitherhenorJesushavechanged.Becauseofhisconcernforthem,hemustteachthemhowtoexaminethewrongbeliefs—the“imaginations”—thefalseteachersarethrowingatthem.Thoseideasrepresentthewaytheworldthinks,notthewayPaultaughtthemthatGodthinks.WhatDoesCastingDownImaginationsMean?TheGreekwordsmakingupthephrase“castingdownimaginations”iskathaireologismos.“Kathaireo”isdefinedas"demolish"andbringdown.GodpromptsPaultousetheconceptofbringingdownsincemanyunbelieversworshippedtheirgodsin“highplaces”whichwereelevatedareaswherealtarswerebuilt.Paulcontinueshisinstruction,writing,“Castingdownimaginations,andeveryhighthingthatexaltethitselfagainsttheknowledgeofGod,”(2Corinthians10:5,italicsadded).Eachofus“exalts”or“liftsup”ourpreferencesbymakingchoicesweconsidermostbeneficialforus.Wechoosethatwhichwethinkwillmeetourneeds.ButifweareChristians,theideaswe“exalt”aboveothersshouldbeGod’sperspectiveandhowHewantsustothinkandact.PaultaughttheCorinthianbelieversfromthebeginningoftheirsalvationtolifthighthevalueofJehovahGod,findsalvationonlythroughHisSonJesusChrist’sdeathandresurrection,andobeyGod’sprinciples.Butbecauseoftheinfluenceofthefalseteachers,theyhavenowreplacedtheirhighvalueofChristwithincorrectideas.TheseideasincludequestioningPaul’sauthorityasanapostle,believingtheycanliveimmorallivesandhaveadivisionbetweenbelievers.ThesecondGreekwordofthephrasefor“imaginations”islogismoswhichisdefinedasarguments,thoughts,andreasonings.JustasSatanquestionedEve’sperceptions,challengedGod’swords,andreasonedwithhertoconfuseherintheGardenofEden(Genesis3:1-6),SatanwasusingthedeceptivereasoningoffalseteacherstocausetheCorinthiansbelieverstoquestionwhoGodisandhowHedefinessalvationandwalkinginthepoweroftheHolySpirit.Thankfully,Paul’s lettertohisbelovedpeoplewaseffective.ThelargemajorityoftheCorinthianbelieversstayedtruetothemessageoftheGospelclaimingonlyJesuscouldsavethemfromtheirsins.Theyalsoturnedawayfromtheungodlyandimmoralchoicestheyhadbegunaccepting.ToPaul’sgreatrelief,theykepttheirallegiancetoPaulasGod’sofficialmessengeroftheGoodNews.HowCanChristiansCastDownImaginations?InIICorinthians10:5,Paulcontinueshisthoughtswithhowtocastdownimaginationsbyurginghisreadersadding“and bringingintocaptivityeverythoughttotheobedienceofChrist.”Everyday,everyoneofushasthousands,evenmillions,ofthoughtswhichcouldbeidentifiedasavarietyofgoals,plans,questions,ideas,conclusions,andanalysisofcircumstances.Likearrowsbeingflungtowardourmindsandhearts,wearebombarded.Manyofthosearrowsaretruth.Manyofthemarelies.ThetruthsfostertrustinGodandacknowledgmentofhisLordshipinourlives.Theliescreatedoubt,confusion,wrongconclusions,andultimatelyquestioningGod’snature—hisgoodness,motives,faithfulness,andmanyotherattributes.Ephesians6:16tellsus,“Aboveall,takingtheshieldoffaith,wherewithyeshallbeabletoquenchallthefierydartsofthewicked.”Those“darts,”ourinnerdialogue,comefrommanysources,includingourownanalysis,ourhearts’desires,theopinionswehearfromothers,whatweread,watch,andhear.Withoutbeingviewedthroughthefilteroftruth,theinfluenceofthedartsturnsustowardworry,hate,lackofself-control,criticism,discontent,andmanyotherresponseswhicharetheoppositeofthefruitoftheSpirit(Gal.5:22-23).WhenweusethefilterofthetruthofScriptureandwhoGodis,weexperiencethefruitoftheSpirit: love,joy,peace,longsuffering,gentleness,goodness,faith,meekness,andtemperance.Ofcourse,whenPaulwroteGod’swordsdown,hewasreferringspecificallytoacceptingthegodly“imaginations”hetaughttheCorinthiansandtorejectungodlyliesfromthefalseteachers.Hewantedthebelieverstotaketheirthoughtsinto“captivity.”ButtheconceptPaulenvisionedfortheCorinthianbelieversisaspiritualpracticenecessaryforallofus.Thinkofitthisway.Wearegoingaboutourdayanddifferentideasarisewithinusorwehearsomethingsaid.Inour“imagination,”wecangrabaparticularthoughtasifitwereadart,andask,“Isthisthetruth?”Or,“WhatdoestheBiblesayaboutthis?”Or,“AmIthinkingthetruthaboutwhoGodis?”WhenweaskanyquestionslikethatandthenrejecttheliesandacceptGod’struths,weare“castingdownimaginations.”Here'sapracticalapplication.Youcouldweararubberbandonyourwristandwhenyounoticeitthroughoutyourday,ask,“Whereismymindgoing?Totruthortoideas‘thatexaltethitselfagainsttheknowledgeofGod’?”Thisisalife-longprocess.Wemightdeterminetodothisandnotquestionourthoughtsallday.Butseveraltimesthenextday,wenoticeathoughtwhichseemscorrectbutuponexaminationisactuallyalieaboutGodorhowHeworks.Withindaysandthenweeks,wearemoreoftenalertaboutwhetherourideasarebiblical.ThenwewillbemorediligenttochoosecastingdownimaginationsthatarenotoftheLord.PrayerforCastingDownImaginationsAlmightyGodoftheUniverse,thankyouforwantingtoempowermetobecastingdownimaginationsthatplaguemeanddrawmeawayfromyou.Youareworthytobetrustedbecauseyouarewise,gentle,andyetstrong.Youknowtheliesdestroyingme.ThankyouthatyouwanttosetmefreesothatIcanexaltyou.OpenmyeyestothetruthsofyourWord.StrengthenmyhearttoresistSatan’squestioningofyourworthandvalue.Delivermefromthesinfulstrategiesplaguingme.Onlyyouoffereverythingtruthful,worthwhile,andgood.I’msogratefulthatyouaremyGodandareempoweringmetocastdownwrongimaginations.InJesusName,Amen.GodledtheApostlePaultoempowertheCorinthianbelieverswithaverypracticalspiritualdisciplinethatwaseffectiveforthemandiseffectiveforus.ManyoftheideasofeveryChristian’sinnerdialogueandthemessagesreachingthemfrom“outside”theirmindsareattemptingtobeakindof“falseteacher.”God,ontheotherhand,isstrengtheningHischildwithtruthfromtheHolySpirittofightSatan’slies.ThebelievercancalluponHishelptoreceivetruthandcastdownlies.HowblessedwearethatGoddoesnotleaveusdefenseless.TheGodoftruthiswithus.Photocredit:©GettyImages/natasaadzic KathyCollardMillerdelightsinsharingbiblicalinsightstoinspireChristianstotrustGodmoreandknowHisattributesintruth.Sheistheauthorof58booksandoverathousandarticlesandblogposts.Hermostrecentbook,co-authoredwithherhusband,Larry,isGod’sIntriguingQuestions:60NewTestamentDevotionsRevealingJesus’sNature.LarryandKathyliveinSouthernCaliforniaandareinternationalspeakers,parents,grandparents,andlaycounselors. www.KathyCollardMiller.comThisarticleispartofourlargerresourcelibraryofpopularBibleversephrasesandquotes.Wewanttoprovideeasytoreadarticlesthatansweryourquestionsaboutthemeaning,origin,andhistoryofspecificverseswithinScripture'scontext.ItisourhopethatthesewillhelpyoubetterunderstandthemeaningandpurposeofGod'sWordinrelationtoyourlifetoday."BeStillandKnowthatIAmGod""PrayWithoutCeasing""FearfullyandWonderfullyMade""AllThingsWorkTogetherforGood""DoNotFear" Share Tweet E-Mail Comments RecentlyOnBibleStudy WhatDoesitMeanThatJesusIsOurShepherdToday? 3TruthsaboutHowGodSeesPrayerfromHebrews4 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