10 I, Paul, need to ask you something. Perhaps you think that I am only humble when I am present there with you. You think that I only speak strongly to you when I am far away! Now I am away from you. But I am still humble and kind, like Christ is. 2 So please listen to what I am asking you. Some people among you think that we live like people who belong to this world. When I come to visit you, I am sure that I will be brave enough to speak against those people. But I do not want to have to speak strongly like that against all of you.
3 It is true that we live in this world as humans. But we do not use our human ideas to fight against what is wrong. 4 It is like we are fighting in a war, but we do not use human weapons. Instead we use God's weapons. Those weapons are powerful enough to destroy the enemy's strong places. We use those weapons to destroy people's wrong ideas. 5 People may speak proud ideas that stop other people from knowing God. We show that those ideas are completely wrong. We change the way that people think, so that they want to obey Christ. 6 You must show that you are ready to obey completely. Then we will be ready to punish anyone who refuses to obey in any way.
7 Take a careful look at what is happening among you. If anyone is sure that he belongs to Christ, he should remember this: We also belong to Christ, just as he does. 8 You may think that I am too proud of my authority. But it is the Lord who has given that authority to us apostles. We have that authority so that we can help you become stronger as believers. We do not have it so that we can destroy you! So I am not ashamed to be proud of this.
9 When I write letters to you, I am not trying to frighten you. Please do not think that. 10 Some people say: ‘Paul's letters are powerful and they say strong things. But when he himself is here with us, he seems to be weak. And the words that he speaks have no value.’ 11 Anyone who says things like that should understand this: There is no difference between what we write and what we do. When we come to you, we will do what we have written in our letters.
12 Some people praise themselves. They say how clever they are. But we could never do that. We could not even try to be like those people. But they do not understand anything. They decide among themselves how good they are. They look at one another to see if they are better or worse. 13 As for us, we will only be proud of the work that God has given us to do. We will not be proud of anything more than that. And that includes our work among you. 14 We were the first people to come as far as Corinth and tell you the good news about Christ. That was part of the work that God has given to us to do. So it is right for us to tell you how proud we are.
15 We do not praise ourselves for the work that other people have done. That would not be right. But we hope that you will continue to believe more and more strongly. In that way our work among you will become even greater. But it will still be the work that God has given to us, and no more than that. 16 Then we want to tell God's good news to people in places beyond where you are. Those are not places where God has sent other people to work. Then we will not be praising ourselves for the work that anyone else has done. 17 The Bible says this:
‘If you want to be proud about something,
be proud of what the Lord has done.’
18 Who is really good? It is not the person who praises himself. It is the person that the Lord says is a good person.
10 I, Paul, am begging you with the gentleness and the kindness of Christ. Some say that I am bold when I am writing you from a distance, but not when I am there with you. 2 They think our motives for what we do are like those of the world. I plan to be very bold against those people when I come. I hope I will not need to use that same boldness with you. 3 We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. 6 We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey, but first we want you to be fully obedient.
7 You must look at the facts before you. If you feel sure you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to Christ the same as you do. 8 It may seem as though we boast too much about the authority the Lord gave us. But he gave us this authority to strengthen you, not to hurt you. So I will not be ashamed of whatever boasting we do. 9 I don’t want you to think that I am trying to scare you with my letters. 10 Some people say, “Paul’s letters are powerful and sound important, but when he is with us, he is weak and the worst speaker you have ever heard.” 11 Those people should know this: When we are there with you, we will show the same power that we show now in our letters.
12 We don’t dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don’t compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.
13 But we will not boast about anything outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our boasting to the work God gave us, but this work includes our work with you. 14 We would be boasting too much only if we had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good News about Christ. 15 We limit our boasting to the work that is ours. We don’t boast about the work other people have done. We hope that your faith will continue to grow. We hope that you will help our work to grow much larger. 16 We want to tell the Good News in the areas beyond your city. We don’t want to boast about work that has already been done in someone else’s area. 17 “Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord.” [ a ] 18 What people say about themselves means nothing. What counts is whether the Lord says they have done well.
10 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2 But I beseech 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.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye 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.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are 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.
13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto 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:
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,
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.
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
10 Now ( A ) I, Paul, myself ( B ) urge you by the ( C ) meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ( D ) am [ a ] meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 I ask that ( E ) when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against ( F ) some, who regard us as if we walked ( G ) according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle ( H ) according to the flesh, 4 for the ( I ) weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [ b ] divinely powerful ( J ) for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all ( K ) arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ( L ) obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ( M ) your obedience is complete.
7 [ c ] ( N ) You are looking at [ d ] things as they are outwardly. ( O ) If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ( P ) so too are we. 8 For if ( Q ) I boast somewhat [ e ] more about our ( R ) authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9 [ f ] for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his [ g ] personal presence is ( S ) unimpressive and ( T ) his speech contemptible.” 11 Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
12 For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with [ h ] some of those who ( U ) commend themselves; but when they [ i ] measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding. 13 But we will not boast ( V ) beyond our measure, but [ j ] ( W ) within the measure of the [ k ] domain which God assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ( X ) we were the first to come even as far as you in the ( Y ) gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting ( Z ) beyond our measure, that is , in ( AA ) other people’s labors, but with the hope that as ( AB ) your faith grows, we will be, [ l ] within our [ m ] domain, ( AC ) enlarged even more by you, 16 so as to ( AD ) preach the gospel even to ( AE ) the regions beyond you, and not to boast [ n ] ( AF ) in what has been accomplished in the domain of another. 17 But ( AG ) the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord . 18 For it is not the one who ( AH ) commends himself that is approved, but the one ( AI ) whom the Lord commends.
10 By the humility and gentleness ( A ) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, ( B ) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold ( C ) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. ( D ) 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ( E ) 4 The weapons we fight with ( F ) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power ( G ) to demolish strongholds. ( H ) 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, ( I ) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient ( J ) to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. ( K )
7 You are judging by appearances. [ a ] ( L ) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, ( M ) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. ( N ) 8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us ( O ) for building you up rather than tearing you down, ( P ) I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive ( Q ) and his speaking amounts to nothing.” ( R ) 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. ( S ) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, ( T ) a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you ( U ) with the gospel of Christ. ( V ) 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits ( W ) by boasting of work done by others. ( X ) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, ( Y ) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel ( Z ) in the regions beyond you. ( AA ) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” [ b ] ( AB ) 18 For it is not the one who commends himself ( AC ) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. ( AD )
