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Pablo defiende su ministerio

10 Por la ternura y la bondad de Cristo, yo, Pablo, apelo a vosotros personalmente; yo mismo que, según dicen, soy tímido cuando me encuentro cara a cara con vosotros, pero atrevido cuando estoy lejos. Os ruego que cuando vaya no tenga que ser tan atrevido como me he propuesto ser con algunos que opinan que vivimos según criterios meramente humanos, pues, aunque vivimos en el mundo, no libramos batallas como lo hace el mundo. Las armas con que luchamos no son del mundo, sino que tienen el poder divino para derribar fortalezas. Destruimos argumentos y toda altivez que se levanta contra el conocimiento de Dios, y llevamos cautivo todo pensamiento para que se someta a Cristo. Y estamos dispuestos a castigar cualquier acto de desobediencia una vez que yo pueda contar con vuestra completa obediencia.

Fijaos en lo que está a la vista.[a] Si alguno está convencido de ser de Cristo, considere esto de nuevo: nosotros somos tan de Cristo como él. No me avergonzaré de jactarme de nuestra autoridad más de la cuenta, autoridad que el Señor nos ha dado para la edificación y no para vuestra destrucción. No quiero dar la impresión de que trato de asustaros con mis cartas, 10 pues algunos dicen: «Sus cartas son duras y fuertes, pero él en persona no impresiona a nadie, y como orador es un fracaso». 11 Tales personas deben darse cuenta de que lo que somos por escrito estando ausentes lo seremos con hechos estando presentes.

12 No nos atrevemos a igualarnos ni a compararnos con algunos que tanto se recomiendan a sí mismos. Al medirse con su propia medida y compararse unos con otros, no saben lo que hacen. 13 Nosotros, por nuestra parte, no vamos a jactarnos más de lo debido. Nos limitaremos al campo que Dios nos ha asignado según su medida, en la cual también vosotros estáis incluidos. 14 Si no hubiéramos estado antes entre vosotros, se podría alegar que estamos rebasando estos límites, cuando lo cierto es que fuimos los primeros en llevaros el evangelio de Cristo. 15 No nos jactamos desmedidamente a costa del trabajo que otros han hecho. Al contrario, esperamos que, según vaya creciendo vuestra fe, también nuestro campo de acción entre vosotros se amplíe grandemente, 16 para poder predicar el evangelio más allá de vuestras regiones, sin tener que jactarnos del trabajo ya hecho por otros. 17 Más bien, «Si alguien ha de gloriarse, que se gloríe en el Señor».[b] 18 Porque no es aprobado el que se recomienda a sí mismo, sino aquel a quien recomienda el Señor.

Footnotes

  1. 10:7 Fijaos … vista. Alt. Vosotros os fijáis en las apariencias.
  2. 10:17 Jer 9:24

Dios le dio autoridad a Pablo

10 1-2 Dicen que soy muy tímido cuando estoy entre ustedes, pero muy valiente cuando estoy lejos. Yo les ruego, por el cariño y la bondad de Cristo, que cuando vaya a verlos, no me obliguen a ser duro con los que nos acusan. Ellos dicen que nosotros hacemos las cosas sólo por interés, como lo hace la gente de este mundo. Es verdad que vivimos en este mundo, pero no actuamos como todo el mundo, ni luchamos con las armas de este mundo. Al contrario, usamos el poder de Dios para destruir las fuerzas del mal, las acusaciones y el orgullo de quienes quieren impedir que todos conozcan a Dios. Con ese poder hacemos que los pecadores cambien su manera de pensar y obedezcan a Cristo. Estamos dispuestos a castigar a todo el que no obedezca a Cristo, comenzando por ustedes, hasta que llegue el día en que todos lo obedezcan.

Ustedes sólo aceptan lo que pueden ver. A los que están seguros de que son de Cristo, quiero decirles que yo también lo soy. Aunque yo exagere un poco en mi autoridad, no me da vergüenza. El Señor Jesucristo me dio autoridad sobre ustedes, para ayudarlos a confiar más en él y no para destruirlos. No quiero que piensen que trato de asustarlos con mis cartas. 10 Algunos dicen que mis cartas son duras y fuertes, pero que cuando hablo en persona soy débil, y que no sé hablar bien ni impresiono a nadie. 11 Esas personas tienen que entender que, cuando vaya a verlos, seré tan fuerte como lo soy en las cartas que envío desde lejos.

12 Jamás llegaré a compararme con los que hablan bien de sí mismos. Compararse con uno mismo es una tontería. 13 Tampoco voy a presumir de lo que no he hecho. Si de algo voy a sentirme orgulloso, es del trabajo que Dios me mandó hacer. ¡Y ustedes son parte de ese trabajo! 14 No voy a presumir más de lo que debo, pero fui de los primeros en llegar a Corinto y en anunciarles la buena noticia de Jesucristo. 15 Tampoco voy a sentirme orgulloso del trabajo que otros hicieron. Al contrario, espero poder trabajar más entre ustedes, según vaya aumentando su confianza en Dios. Ésa es la meta de mi trabajo. 16 También deseo anunciar la buena noticia en lugares más allá de Corinto, donde nadie haya trabajado antes. Así nadie podrá decir que ando presumiendo con el trabajo de otros.

17 La Biblia dice: «Si alguien quiere sentirse orgulloso de algo, que se sienta orgulloso de creer en el Señor.» 18 La persona que merece aplausos no es la que habla bien de sí misma, sino aquella de quien el Señor habla bien.

10 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. 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. For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, 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, and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

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. 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, that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify 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.” 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.

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. 13 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 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, 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, 16 so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done. 17 But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”(A) 18 For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness(A) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,(B) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold(C) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.(D) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.(E) The weapons we fight with(F) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power(G) to demolish strongholds.(H) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient(J) to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.(K)

You are judging by appearances.[a](L) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,(M) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.(N) So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us(O) for building you up rather than tearing you down,(P) I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive(Q) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”(R) 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.(S) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,(T) a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you(U) with the gospel of Christ.(V) 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits(W) by boasting of work done by others.(X) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,(Y) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel(Z) in the regions beyond you.(AA) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b](AB) 18 For it is not the one who commends himself(AC) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:7 Or Look at the obvious facts
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:17 Jer. 9:24

Paul’s Apostolic Authority

10 Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.[a](A) For though we live in the body,[b] we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,[c] since the weapons of our warfare(B) are not worldly,[d] but are powerful(C) through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge(D) of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.

Look at what is obvious.[e] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ,(E) he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up(F) and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed. I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. 10 For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.” 11 Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.

12 For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend(G) themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves,(H) they lack understanding.(I) 13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned(J) to us, which reaches even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope(K) that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you,(L) not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.(M) 17 So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.(N)[f] 18 For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:2 Or are living as a non-Christian; lit are walking according to flesh
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:3 Lit flesh
  3. 2 Corinthians 10:3 Lit war according to flesh
  4. 2 Corinthians 10:4 Lit fleshly
  5. 2 Corinthians 10:7 Or You are looking at things outwardly
  6. 2 Corinthians 10:17 Jr 9:24