2 Corinthians 10

1 But I myself, Paul, am begging you, through the meekness and modesty of Christ. I am certainly, by appearances, lowly among you, yet I have confidence in you, even while I am 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 So I am petitioning you, lest I be bold, when present, with that bold confidence that I am considered to have by certain ones who judge us as if we were walking 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 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh.

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

4 For the weapons of our battles are not carnal, yet still they are powerful with God, unto the destruction of fortifications: tearing down every counsel

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

5 and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to 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 standing ready to repudiate every disobedience, when your own obedience has been fulfilled.

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

7 Consider the things that are in accord with appearances. If anyone trusts that by these things he belongs to Christ, let him reconsider this within himself. For just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we.

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

8 And if I were even to glory somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord has given to us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.

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 But let it not be said that I am scaring you by means of epistles.

I say this, that it may not seem as if I were trying to overawe you by my letters.

10 For they say: “His epistles, indeed, are weighty and strong. But his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.”

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

11 Let someone like this realize that whatever we are in word through epistles, while absent: we are much the same in deed, while present.

Let such a man 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 we would not dare to interpose or compare ourselves with certain ones who commend themselves. But we measure ourselves by ourselves, and we compare ourselves with ourselves.

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 Thus, we will not glory beyond our measure, but rather according to the measure of the limit which God has measured out to us, a measure which extends even to 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 are not overextending ourselves, as if we are not able to reach as far as you are able. For we have gone even as far as you have in 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 We are not glorying immeasurably over the labors of others. Instead, we hold on to the hope of your growing faith, so as to be magnified in you, according to our own limits, but in abundance,

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 even so as to evangelize in those places that are beyond you, not in order to glory in the measure of others, but rather in those things which have already been prepared.

So that we shall 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 whoever glories, let him glory in the Lord.

‘Let him who boasts make his boast of the Lord.’

18 For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but rather he whom God commends.

For it is not the man who commends himself that stands the test, but the man who is commended by the Lord.