2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I, the same Paul, who, when present among you, am timid, but when absent, am bold toward you, entreat you, by the mildness and gentleness of Christ;

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 I, indeed, beseech you, that I may not, when present, be bold with that confidence with which I think I shall be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the 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 we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the 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, through God, for the overthrowing of strongholds, )

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.

5 overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought to 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 being ready to take vengeance on all disobedience, when your obedience shall have been fully established.

We are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

7 Do you look on things according to the outward appearance? If any one trusts in himself, that he is Christ’s, let him again reason thus of himself: that as he is Christ’s, so also are we.

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 though I should boast even, somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I would not be ashamed:

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 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

For I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you by my letters.

10 For his letters, says one, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his style of speech contemptible.

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 one conclude thus―that such as we are in word, by letters, while absent, such also will we be in deed, when present.

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 do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, have no understanding.

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 ourselves with respect to regions not measured to us; but according to the measure of the line which God, who measures, has appointed for us to reach even to 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 we do not stretch ourselves too far, as if we did not come to you: for even as far as to you, have we already come in the gospel 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 ourselves in the labors of others in regions not measured off to us, but having hope that, when your faith is increased, we shall be magnified among you abundantly, according to our line,

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 so as to preach the gospel in regions beyond you, and not to boast in regions made ready under another man’s line.

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 let him that boasts, boast in the Lord:

But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

18 for he that commends himself is not approved; but he whom the Lord commends.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.