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Paul Defends His Authority

10 Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.

Look at the obvious facts.[b] Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.

I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.

12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

13 We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. 14 We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ.

15 Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. 16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. 17 As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”[c]

18 When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

Footnotes

  1. 10:4 English translations divide verses 4 and 5 in various ways.
  2. 10:7 Or You look at things only on the basis of appearance.
  3. 10:17 Jer 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.