Paul Defends His Authority

10 Now ^(A)I, Paul, myself ^(B)plead with you by the ^(C)gentleness and forbearance of Christ—I who ^(D)am humble when face-to-face with you, but courageous toward you when absent! ² But I beg that ^(E)when I am present I need not act so courageously with the confidence that I consider to daringly use against ^(F)some, who consider us as if we walked ^(G)according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(H)according to the flesh, ⁴ for the ^(I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[a]divinely powerful ^(J)for the tearing down of strongholds, ⁵ as we tear down speculations and every ^(K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the ^(L)obedience of Christ, ⁶ and are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(M)your obedience is fulfilled.

^7 [b](N)You are looking at ^[c]things as they are outwardly. ^(O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^(P)so also are we. ⁸ For even if ^(Q)I boast somewhat ^[d]further about our ^(R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame, ^9 [e]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[f]personal presence is ^(S)weak and ^(T)his ^[g]words contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with ^[h]some of those who ^(U)commend themselves, but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast ^(V)beyond our measure, but ^[i](W)within the measure of the area of influence which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach you, (for ^(X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(Y)gospel of Christ), ¹⁵ not boasting ^(Z)beyond our measure in ^(AA)other men’s labors, but having the hope—that as ^(AB)your faith grows—to be ^(AC)enlarged even more by you ^[j]within our area of influence, ¹⁶ so as to ^(AD)proclaim the gospel even to ^(AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[k](AF)in what has been accomplished in the area of influence of another. ¹⁷ But ^(AG)he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not the one who ^(AH)commends himself that is approved, but the one ^(AI)whom the Lord commends.