Corinthios Ii 10
1 Ipse autem ego Paulus obsecro vos per mansuetudinem, et modestiam Christi, qui in facie quidem humilis sum inter vos, absens autem confido in vos.
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 Rogo autem vos ne præsens audeam per eam confidentiam, qua existimor audere in quosdam, qui arbitrantur nos tamquam secundum carnem ambulemus.
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 In carne enim ambulantes, non secundum carnem militamus.
For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war.
4 Nam arma militiæ nostræ non carnalia sunt, sed potentia Deo ad destructionem munitionum, consilia destruentes,
The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds.
5 et omnem altitudinem extollentem se adversus scientiam Dei, et in captivitatem redigentes omnem intellectum in obsequium Christi,
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 et in promptu habentes ulcisci omnem inobedientiam, cum impleta fuerit vestra obedientia.
and are fully prepared to punish every act of rebellion, when once your submission is complete.
7 Quæ secundum faciem sunt, videte. Si quis confidit sibi Christi se esse, hoc cogitet iterum apud se: quia sicut ipse Christi est, ita et nos.
You look at the outward appearance of things! Let anyone, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again on the fact – that we belong to Christ no less than he does.
8 Nam, etsi amplius aliquid gloriatus fuero de potestate nostra, quam dedit nobis Dominus in ædificationem, et non in destructionem vestram: non erubescam.
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 Ut autem non existimer tamquam terrere vos per epistolas:
I say this so that it doesn’t seem as if I am trying to overawe you by my letters.
10 quoniam quidem epistolæ, inquiunt, graves sunt et fortes: præsentia autem corporis infirma, et sermo contemptibilis:
For people say ‘His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible.’
11 hoc cogitet qui eiusmodi est, quia quales sumus verbo per epistolas absentes, tales et præsentes in facto.
Let such a person 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 Non enim audemus inserere, aut comparare nos quibusdam, qui seipsos commendant: sed ipsi in nobis nosmetipsos metientes, et comparantes nosmetipsos nobis.
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 Nos autem non in immensum gloriabimur, sed secundum mensuram regulæ, qua mensus est nobis Deus, mensuram pertingendi usque ad vos.
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 Non enim quasi non pertingentes ad vos, superextendimus nos: usque ad vos enim pervenimus in Evangelio Christi.
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 Non in immensum gloriantes in alienis laboribus: spem autem habentes crescentis fidei vestræ, in vobis magnificari secundum regulam nostram in abundantiam,
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 etiam in illa, quæ ultra vos sunt, evangelizare, non in aliena regula in iis quæ præparata sunt gloriari.
So that we will 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 Qui autem gloriatur, in Domino glorietur.
Let anyone who boasts make their boast of the Lord.
18 Non enim qui seipsum commendat, ille probatus est: sed quem Deus commendat.
For it is not those who commend themselves that stand the test, but those who are commended by the Lord.
