2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

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.

2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

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.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

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

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

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

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

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;

6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

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.

7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s.

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.

8 For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

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.

9 that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

Let it not seem as if I wanted to frighten you by my letters.

10 For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”

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

11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

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.

12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

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.

13 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

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.

14 For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

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.

15 not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

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,

16 so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

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

17 But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

But "whoever boasts, let his boast be in the Lord."

18 For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

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