< 2 Corinthians 10 >
1 Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who indeed am lowly in presence among you, but am bold toward you when absent.
Now I, Paul, myself appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when with you face to face, but bold toward you when absent!
2 But I pray not to be bold when present with the confidence by which I consider to be valiant toward some who consider us as walking according to flesh.
I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think that we walk according to the flesh.
3 For though walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the demolition of strongholds,
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.
5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought captive into the obedience of the Christ,
We tear down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
6 and having in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience is fulfilled.
We are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
7 Do ye look at things according to appearance. If any man has convinced himself to be of Christ, let him consider this again of himself, that, as he is of Christ, so also are we of Christ.
Are you looking only at outward appearances? If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that just as he belongs to Christ, so we also belong to Christ.
8 For even if I also should boast somewhat more abundantly about our authority (which the Lord gave us for building up and not for tearing you down), I will not be shamed,
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority (which the Lord has given us for building you up and not for tearing you down), I will not be ashamed.
9 so that I would not seem as if to terrify you by the letters.
For I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you by my letters.
10 Because, The letters, he says, are indeed weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is disdained.
For, “His letters,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.”
11 Let such a man think this, that such kind we are in word by letters when absent, we are also such kind when present in the work.
The people who say such things should realize that what we say in our letters when we are absent, we will demonstrate by our actions when we are present.
12 For we dare not classify or compare ourselves to some of those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, do not understand.
For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves with one another and compare themselves to one another, they do not show good sense.
13 But we will not boast in things immeasurable, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned to us, of a measure to reach even as far as you.
We, however, will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting to the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even as far as you.
14 For it is not as not reaching for you. We overextend ourselves. For we even reached as far as you in the good news of the Christ,
For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.
15 not boasting in things immeasurable, in other men's labors, but having hope of your faith growing in you to be enlarged according to our measure for abundance,
We do not go beyond our limits by boasting in the labors of others. On the contrary, our hope is that, as your faith increases, our area of ministry among you will be greatly expanded,
16 in order to preach the good news beyond you, not to boast in another measure, in things prepared.
so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, without boasting about work already done in someone else's area of ministry.
17 But he who boasts should boast in the Lord.
But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
18 For he who commends himself, that man is not approved, but whom the Lord commends.
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.