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.

Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

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 beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

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

For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

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

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

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,

We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

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

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

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.

You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.

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,

For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

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

I do not want to seem to be trying 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 some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”

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.

Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions 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.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

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 boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that 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,

We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of 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,

Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,

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

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

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

Rather, “Let him who boasts boast 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 one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.