2 Corinthians 10

1 Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I, who present indeed am lowly among you, but am bold toward you when absent;

2 I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

but I entreat you, that I may not when I am present be bold with that confidence wherewith I think of being bold towards some, who think of us as walking according to the flesh.

3 For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

4 The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

(for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, )

5 We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

casting down reasonings, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every purpose into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

and being in readiness to punish every disobedience, when the measure of your obedience shall be full.

7 You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.

Ye look at the outward appearance. If any one trusteth to himself that he belongeth to Christ, let him of himself consider this again, that as he belongeth to Christ, so also do we.

8 For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

For even if I should boast still more highly of our authority, which the Lord gave us for building you up, and not pulling you down, I should not be put to shame;

9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.

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

10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”

For his letters, saith one, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11 Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.

Let such a one count upon this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such will we be also in deed when present.

12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

For we do not venture to reckon ourselves among, or compare ourselves with, some of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise.

13 We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.

But we will not boast of things that are without our measure, but according to the measure of the line which God allotted us, —a measure to reach even to you.

14 We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.

For we do not stretch ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not to you; (for as far as even to you did we come, in the gospel of Christ; )

15 Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,

not boasting of things that are without measure, in other men's labors, but having hope, when your faith is increased, that our line will through you be still further extended,

16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

so that we may preach the gospel in the regions beyond you; not boasting, in another's line, of things made ready to our hand.

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

But “he that boasteth, let him boast in the Lord.”

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

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth.