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

10 Now de I egō, Paul Paulos myself autos, appeal parakaleō to you hymeis by dia the ho meekness prautēs and kai gentleness epieikeia of ho Christ Christos—I who hos when kata present prosōpon am “ timid tapeinos among en you hymeis, but de when away apeimi am bold tharreō toward eis you hymeis. I ask deomai · de that when I am present pareimi I may not have to be bold tharreō,” with ho such a confidence pepoithēsis as hos I expect logizomai I will dare tolmaō to use against epi those tis who ho think logizomai that we hēmeis are walking peripateō according kata to the flesh sarx. For gar though we walk peripateō in en the flesh sarx, we are not ou waging war according kata to the flesh sarx, for gar the ho weapons hoplon of ho our hēmeis warfare strateia are not ou of the flesh sarkikos, but alla are empowered dynatos by ho God theos for pros tearing kathairesis down strongholds ochurōma. We tear down kathaireō arguments logismos and kai every pas lofty hypsōma idea that is raised epairō against kata the ho knowledge gnōsis of ho God theos, and kai we take captive aichmalōtizō every pas thought noēma to eis make it · ho obey hypakoē · ho Christ Christos. And kai we are echō ready en hetoimos to avenge ekdikeō every pas act of disobedience parakoē, whenever hotan your hymeis obedience hypakoē becomes complete plēroō. · ho

You are looking blepō · ho at kata outward prosōpon appearances . If ei anyone tis has persuaded peithō himself heautou that he belongs eimi to Christ Christos, he should remind logizomai himself epi heautou that hoti just as kathōs he autos belongs to Christ Christos, so houtōs also kai do we hēmeis. For gar even te if ean I boast about kauchaomai it tis, and more than that perissoteros, about peri the ho authority exousia which hos the ho Lord kyrios gave didōmi us hēmeis for eis building oikodomē you up and kai not ou for eis tearing kathairesis you hymeis down, I will not ou be ashamed. I do not want to hina seem dokeō as hōs though I am trying to frighten ekphobeō you hymeis with dia my ho letters epistolē. 10 For hoti some are saying phēmi, “ His ho letters epistolē are weighty barys and kai forceful ischuros, but de his ho physical sōma presence parousia · ho is weak asthenēs, and kai his ho rhetoric logos amounts to nothing exoutheneō.” 11 Let logizomai such a person toioutos consider logizomai this houtos, · ho that hoti what hoios we are eimi in ho word logos through dia letters epistolē when absent apeimi, such toioutos we also kai are in ho act ergon when present pareimi. 12 For gar we would not ou dare tolmaō to classify enkrinō or ē compare synkrinō ourselves heautou with some tis of those ho who are recommending synistēmi themselves heautou. Rather alla, when metreō they autos measure metreō themselves heautou by en themselves heautou and kai compare synkrinō themselves heautou by themselves heautou, they are without ou understanding syniēmi. 13 We hēmeis, however de, will kauchaomai not ou boast kauchaomai beyond eis · ho proper ametros limits , but alla only within kata the ho measure metron of the ho sphere kanōn of action which hos God theos has assigned merizō to us hēmeis · ho as a measure metron, extending ephikneomai even kai as far as achri you hymeis. 14 For gar it is not ou as hōs though we had not come ephikneomai to eis you hymeis, over-reaching hyperekteinō ourselves heautou, for gar we did come phthanō even kai as far as achri you hymeis with en the ho gospel euangelion of ho Christ Christos. 15 We will not ou go beyond eis · ho proper limits ametros by boasting kauchaomai in en the labors kopos of others allotrios, but de we have echō hope elpis that as your hymeis faith pistis continues to grow auxanō, · ho our hēmeis area of activity kanōn among en you hymeis will be greatly eis enlarged megalynō, · ho 16 so that eis we may preach the gospel euangelizō in places ho beyond hyperekeina you hymeis, not ou boasting about kauchaomai the work already eis done in en another allotrios person’ s territory kanōn. · ho 17 But rather de, “ Let kauchaomai the ho one who boasts kauchaomai, boast kauchaomai in en the Lord kyrios.” 18 For gar it is not ou the ho one who recommends synistēmi himself heautou who ekeinos is eimi approved dokimos, but alla the one whom hos the ho Lord kyrios recommends synistēmi.