2 Corinthians 10
English Standard Version
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 (A)I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the (B)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you (C)that when I am present I may not have to show (D)boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the (E)weapons of (F)our warfare are not of the flesh but have (G)divine power (H)to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and (I)every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to (J)obey Christ, 6 (K)being ready to punish every disobedience, (L)when your obedience is complete.
7 (M)Look at what is before your eyes. (N)If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as (O)he is Christ's, (P)so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of (Q)our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but (R)his bodily presence is weak, and (S)his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or (T)compare ourselves with some of those who (U)are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are (V)without understanding.
13 But we will not boast (W)beyond limits, but will (X)boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, (Y)to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. (Z)For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that (AA)as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be (AB)greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let (AC)the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is (AD)not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one (AE)whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10
New King James Version
The Spiritual War
10 Now (A)I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—(B)who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you (C)that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 (D)For the weapons (E)of our warfare are not [a]carnal but (F)mighty in God (G)for pulling down strongholds, 5 (H)casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 (I)and being ready to punish all disobedience when (J)your obedience is fulfilled.
Reality of Paul’s Authority
7 (K)Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? (L)If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even [b]so (M)we are Christ’s. 8 For even if I should boast somewhat more (N)about our authority, which the Lord gave [c]us for [d]edification and not for your destruction, (O)I shall not be ashamed— 9 lest I seem to terrify you by letters. 10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but (P)his bodily presence is weak, and his (Q)speech contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.
Limits of Paul’s Authority
12 (R)For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13 (S)We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), (T)for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, (U)in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.
17 But (V)“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 18 For (W)not he who commends himself is approved, but (X)whom the Lord commends.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 of the flesh
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 NU as we are.
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 NU omits us
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 building up
2 Corinthians 10
Jubilee Bible 2000
10 ¶ Now I, Paul, myself beseech you by the meekness and clemency of the Christ (who in presence am low among you, but being absent am bold toward you)
2 but I beseech you that I need not be bold when I am present with that confidence, with which I am esteemed to use against some who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the destruction of strong holds),
5 casting down reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ
6 and having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 ¶ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If anyone trusts to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.
8 For though I should glory somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed,
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10 For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
12 ¶ For we dare not mix ourselves in with or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they do not understand that they are measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves.
13 But we will not glory of things beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the rule, of the measure which God has distributed to us, to reach even unto you.
14 For we do not overextend ourselves by reaching unto you; for we are also come unto you with the gospel of the Christ,
15 Not glorying of things beyond our measure in the labours of others; but having hope of the increase of your faith, that we shall be abundantly enlarged among you according to our rule,
16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, without entering into the measure {Gr. rule} of another to glory in that which has already been made ready.
17 But he that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For it is not he that commends himself that is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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