< 2 Corinthians 10 >

1 I, Paul, myself appeal to you, by the humility and gentleness of Christ. I am meek when I am in your presence, but I am bold toward you when I am away.
Αὐτὸς δὲ ἐγὼ Παῦλος παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς διὰ τῆς πρᾳΰτητος καὶ ἐπιεικείας τοῦ χριστοῦ, ὃς κατὰ πρόσωπον μὲν ταπεινὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀπὼν δὲ θαῤῥῶ εἰς ὑμᾶς·
2 I beg of you that, when I am present with you, I will not need to be bold with self-confidence. But I think I will need to be bold when I oppose those who assume that we are living according to the flesh.
δέομαι δὲ τὸ μὴ παρὼν θαῤῥῆσαι τῇ πεποιθήσει ᾗ λογίζομαι τολμῆσαι ἐπί τινας τοὺς λογιζομένους ἡμᾶς ὡς κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦντας.
3 For even though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
ἐν σαρκὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦντες οὐ κατὰ σάρκα στρατευόμεθα,
4 For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly. Instead, they have divine power to destroy strongholds. They bring to nothing misleading arguments.
(τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικά, ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων), λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες
5 We also destroy every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive into obedience to Christ.
καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες πᾶν νόημα εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ χριστοῦ,
6 And we are getting ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.
καὶ ἐν ἑτοίμῳ ἔχοντες ἐκδικῆσαι πᾶσαν παρακοήν, ὅταν πληρωθῇ ὑμῶν ἡ ὑπακοή.
7 Look at what is clearly in front of you. If anyone is convinced that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.
Τὰ κατὰ πρόσωπον βλέπετε; εἴ τις πέποιθεν ἑαυτῷ χριστοῦ εἶναι, τοῦτο λογιζέσθω πάλιν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ὅτι καθὼς αὐτὸς χριστοῦ, οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς.
8 For even if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for us to build you up and not to destroy you, I will not be ashamed.
ἐὰν γὰρ περισσότερόν τι καυχήσωμαι περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἡμῶν ἧς ἔδωκεν ὁ κύριος εἰς οἰκοδομὴν καὶ οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν ὑμῶν, οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσομαι·
9 I do not want it to appear that I am terrifying you by my letters.
ἵνα μὴ δόξω ὡς ἂν ἐκφοβεῖν ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν.
10 For some people say, “His letters are serious and powerful, but physically he is weak. His words are not worth listening to.”
ὅτι Αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ μέν, φησίν, βαρεῖαι καὶ ἰσχυραί, ἡ δὲ παρουσία τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενὴς καὶ ὁ λόγος ἐξουθενημένος.
11 Let such people be aware that what we are in the words of our letters when we are absent is what we will be in our actions when we are there.
τοῦτο λογιζέσθω ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὅτι οἷοί ἐσμεν τῷ λόγῳ δι᾽ ἐπιστολῶν ἀπόντες, τοιοῦτοι καὶ παρόντες τῷ ἔργῳ.
12 We do not go so far as to group ourselves or compare ourselves with those who praise themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with each other, they have no insight.
Οὐ γὰρ τολμῶμεν ἐγκρῖναι ἢ συγκρῖναι ἑαυτούς τισιν τῶν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστανόντων· ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἑαυτοὺς μετροῦντες καὶ συγκρίνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς, οὐ συνιᾶσιν.
13 We, however, will not boast beyond limits. Instead, we will do so only within the limits of what God has assigned to us, limits that reach as far as you.
ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος οὗ ἐμέρισεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς μέτρου ἐφικέσθαι ἄχρι καὶ ὑμῶν.
14 For we did not overextend ourselves when we reached you. We were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel of Christ.
οὐ γὰρ ὡς μὴ ἐφικνούμενοι εἰς ὑμᾶς ὑπερεκτείνομεν ἑαυτούς· ἄχρι γὰρ καὶ ὑμῶν ἐφθάσαμεν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ χριστοῦ·
15 We have not boasted beyond limits about the labors of others. Instead, we expect that as your faith continues to grow, our work among you will greatly expand.
οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχώμενοι ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις κόποις, ἐλπίδα δὲ ἔχοντες αὐξανομένης τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν μεγαλυνθῆναι κατὰ τὸν κανόνα ἡμῶν εἰς περισσείαν,
16 We hope for this, so that we may preach the gospel even in regions beyond you. We will not boast about the work being done in another's area.
εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα ὑμῶν εὐαγγελίσασθαι, οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι εἰς τὰ ἕτοιμα καυχήσασθαι.
17 “But let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Ὁ δὲ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω·
18 For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved. Instead, it is the one whom the Lord recommends.
οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν δόκιμος, ἀλλὰ ὃν ὁ κύριος συνίστησιν.

< 2 Corinthians 10 >