2 Corinthians 10

1 But as for me Paul, I entreat you by the gentleness and self-forgetfulness of Christ--I who when among you have not an imposing personal presence, but when absent am fearlessly outspoken in dealing with you.

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 I beseech you not to compel me when present to make a bold display of the confidence with which I reckon I shall show my 'courage' against some who reckon that we are guided by worldly principles.

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 are still living in the world, it is no worldly warfare that we are waging.

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

4 The weapons with which we fight are not human weapons, but are mighty for God in overthrowing strong fortresses.

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

5 For we overthrow arrogant 'reckonings,' and every stronghold that towers high in defiance of the knowledge of God, and we carry off every thought as if into slavery--into subjection 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 while we hold ourselves in readiness to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as ever you as a Church have fully shown your obedience.

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

7 Is it outward appearances you look to? If any man is confident as regards himself that he specially belongs to Christ, let him consider again and reflect that 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 If, however, I were to boast more loudly of our Apostolic authority, which the Lord has given us that we may build you up, not pull you down, I should have no reason to feel 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 Let it not seem as if I wanted to frighten you by my letters.

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

10 For they say "His letters are authoritative and forcible, but his personal presence is unimpressive, and as for eloquence, he has none."

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

11 Let such people take this into their reckoning, that whatever we are in word by our letters when absent, the same are we also in act when 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 have not the 'courage' to rank ourselves among, or compare ourselves with, certain persons distinguished by their self-commendation. Yet they are not wise, measuring themselves, as they do, by one another and comparing themselves with one another.

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 We, however, will not exceed due limits in our boasting, but will keep within the limits of the sphere which God has assigned to us as a limit, which reaches 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 there is no undue stretch of authority on our part, as though it did not extend to you. We pressed on even to Corinth, and were the first to proclaim to you the Good News of the 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 do not exceed our due limits, and take credit for other men's labours; but we entertain the hope that, as your faith grows, we shall gain promotion among you--still keeping within our own sphere--promotion to a larger field of labour,

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 shall tell the Good News in the districts beyond you, not boasting in another man's sphere about work already done by him.

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 boasts, let his boast be in the Lord."

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

18 For it is not the man that commends himself who is really approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

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