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, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward 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.

But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

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

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds,

5 and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ,

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;

6 and standing ready to repudiate every disobedience, when your own obedience has been fulfilled.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

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.

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 also we are Christ's.

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.

For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

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

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify 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, "His letters," they say, "are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised."

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 we do not stretch ourselves too much, as though we did not reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of 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,

not boasting excessively in the work done by others, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

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

17 But whoever glories, let him glory in the Lord.

But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

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

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