2 Corinthians 10

1 Nowe I Paul my selfe beseech you by the meekenes, and gentlenes of Christ, which when I am present among you am base, but am bolde toward you being absent:

Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ – I who, ‘in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you’ –

2 And this I require you, that I neede not to be bolde when I am present, with that same confidence, wherewith I thinke to bee bolde against some, which esteeme vs as though wee walked according to the flesh.

I implore you not to drive me to ‘show my boldness,’ when I do come, by the confident tone which I expect to have to adopt towards some of you, who are expecting to find us influenced in our conduct by earthly motives.

3 Neuerthelesse, though wee walke in the flesh, yet we doe not warre after the flesh.

For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war.

4 (For the weapons of our warrefare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to cast downe holdes)

The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds.

5 Casting downe the imaginations, and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ,

We are engaged in confuting arguments and pulling down every barrier raised against the knowledge of God. We are taking captive every hostile thought, to bring it into submission to the Christ,

6 And hauing ready the vengeance against all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

and are fully prepared to punish every act of rebellion, when once your submission is complete.

7 Looke yee on things after the appearance? If any man trust in himselfe that hee is Christes, let him consider this againe of himself, that as he is Christes, euen so are we Christes.

You look at the outward appearance of things! Let anyone, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again on the fact – that we belong to Christ no less than he does.

8 For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie, which the Lord hath giuen vs for edification, and not for your destruction, I should haue no shame.

Even if I boast extravagantly about our authority – which the Lord gave us for building up your faith and not for overthrowing it – still I have no reason to be ashamed.

9 This I say, that I may not seeme as it were to feare you with letters.

I say this so that it doesn’t seem as if I am trying to overawe you by my letters.

10 For the letters, sayeth hee, are sore and strong, but his bodily presence is weake, and his speache is of no value.

For people say ‘His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible.’

11 Let such one thinke this, that such as wee are in woorde by letters, when we are absent, such wil we be also in deede, when we are present.

Let such a person be assured of this – that our words in our letters show us to be, when absent, just what our deeds will show us to be, when present.

12 For wee dare not make our selues of the nomber, or to compare our selues to them, which praise themselues: but they vnderstand not that they measure themselues with themselues, and compare themselues with themselues.

We have not indeed the audacity to class or compare ourselves with some of those who indulge in self-commendation! But, when such persons measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they show a want of wisdom.

13 But we wil not reioyce of things, which are not within our measure, but according to the measure of the line, whereof God hath distributed vnto vs a measure to attaine euen vnto you.

We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth.

14 For we stretche not our selues beyonde our measure, as though wee had not attained vnto you: for euen to you also haue we come in preaching the Gospel of Christ,

For it is not the case, as it would be if we were not in the habit of coming to you, that we are exceeding our bounds! Why, we were the very first to reach you with the good news of the Christ!

15 Not boasting of things which are without our measure: that is, of other mens labours: and we hope, when your faith shall increase, to bee magnified by you according to our line aboundantly,

Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labours of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere –

16 And to preache the Gospel in those regions which are beyonde you: not to reioyce in another mans line, that is, in the thinges that are prepared alreadie.

So that we will be able to tell the good news in the districts beyond you, without trespassing on the sphere assigned to others, or boasting of what has been already done.

17 But let him that reioyceth, reioyce in the Lord.

Let anyone who boasts make their boast of the Lord.

18 For hee that praiseth himselfe, is not alowed, but he whome the Lord praiseth.

For it is not those who commend themselves that stand the test, but those who are commended by the Lord.