< 2 Corinthians 10 >

1 Now I Paul myself plead to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
Now I, Paul, beseech you, by the mildness and gentleness of the Messiah, although I am mild towards you when present, but bold towards you when absent!
2 But I plead to you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
yet I beseech of you that, when I come, I may not be compelled by the boldness that is in me to be daring, as I estimate it, towards the persons who think we walk according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
For, although we walk in the flesh, our warfare is not after the flesh.
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; )
For the arms of our warfare are not those of the flesh, but those of the power of God; by which we subdue rebellious castles.
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
And we demolish imaginations, and every lofty thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and subjugate all reasonings to obedience to the Messiah.
6 And being alert to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
And we are prepared, when your obedience shall be complete, to execute judgment on all the disobeying.
7 Do all of you look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
Do ye look on outward appearances? If any one is confident in himself that he is of the Messiah, let him know, from himself, that as he is of the Messiah, so also are we.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
For if I should glory somewhat more, in the authority which our Lord hath given me, I should not be ashamed; for he gave it to us for your edification, and not for your destruction.
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
But I forbear, lest I should be thought to terrify you terribly, by my epistles.
10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech (logos) contemptible.
For there are some who say, His epistles are weighty and forcible, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word (logos) by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
But let him who saith so, consider this, that such as we are in our epistolary discourse, when absent, such also are we in action, when present.
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
For we dare not value, or compare ourselves, with those who vaunt: but they, because they compare themselves with themselves, are not wise.
13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
But we will not glory beyond our measure, but within the measure of the limits which God hath imparted to us, that we should reach as far as you.
14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
For we do not stretch ourselves, as if not reaching to you; for we do reach as far as you in the annunciation of the Messiah.
15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
And we do not glory beyond our measure, in the toil of others: but we have the hope, that when your faith shall mature, we shall be magnified by you, as being within our measure;
16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
and that we shall so abound also, as to make announcements beyond you. It is not in the measure of others, and in things ready prepared, that we will glory.
17 But he that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
But let him that will glory, glory in the Lord.
18 For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
For not he who praiseth himself, is approved; but he whom the Lord praiseth.

< 2 Corinthians 10 >