Paul’s Defense

10 Now I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the humility and gentleness of Christ—I, who am “gentle” when I am in your presence, but “bold” toward you when I am away. ² I pray that, when I arrive there, I may not have to be bold with the confidence that I expect to use in daring to confront some who think that we walk in the way the sinful flesh does. ³ For even though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war in the way the sinful flesh does. ⁴ Certainly, the weapons of our warfare are not those of the flesh, but weapons made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down thoughts ⁵ such as all arrogance that rises up against the knowledge of God, and we make every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is fully restored.

⁷ You are looking at things only according to the outward appearance. If anyone has convinced himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider this about himself: We belong to Christ just as much as he does. ⁸ Indeed, even if I may boast some more about our authority, which the Lord has given for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame. ⁹ My purpose is not to seem as if I am trying to frighten you by my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this: What we are, by our word through letters when we are away, is just what we will be in our work when we are present.

¹² To be sure, we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who speak highly of themselves. On the contrary, when they measure themselves only by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³ But we will not boast about things that cannot be measured. Instead, we will boast according to the measure of the assignment that the God who measures things measured out to us: to reach out also as far as to you. ¹⁴ Indeed, we are not overdoing our boasting, as if we had not come to you. In fact, we were the first ones to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We are not boasting about things that cannot be measured, that is, in the hard work of others. But we are hoping that, as your faith grows, our assignment will be greatly increased while we are among you, ¹⁶ with the result that we will preach the gospel to the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting about what someone else has already done in his assignment. ¹⁷ But let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^{[a] 18} To be sure, it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.