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 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 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.

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

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage 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 of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.

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.

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

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

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.

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

For I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten 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,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.”

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

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 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 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 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,

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 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 can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, without boasting about work already done in someone else's area of ministry.

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

But, “Let him who boasts, 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 it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.