Print Page Options

Ang Pagtatanggol ni Pablo sa Kanyang Ministeryo

10 Ako mismong si Pablo, ay nananawagan sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng kapakumbabaan at kaamuan ni Cristo, ako na sa mukhaan ay mapagkumbaba kapag kasama ninyo, ngunit matapang sa inyo kapag malayo!

Ngayon, hinihiling ko na kapag ako'y kaharap, hindi ko kailangang magpakita ng tapang na may pagtitiwala na nais kong ipakita laban sa mga naghihinalang kami ay lumalakad ayon sa makasanlibutang gawi.

Sapagkat bagaman kami ay lumalakad sa laman, ay hindi kami nakikipaglabang ayon sa laman.

Sapagkat ang mga sandata ng aming pakikipaglaban ay hindi makalaman, kundi maka-Diyos na may kapangyarihang makagiba ng mga kuta.

Aming ginigiba ang mga pangangatuwiran at bawat palalong hadlang laban sa karunungan ng Diyos, at binibihag ang bawat pag-iisip upang sumunod kay Cristo;

na handang parusahan ang bawat pagsuway, kapag ang inyong pagsunod ay ganap na.

Masdan ninyo ang mga bagay na nasa harapan ng inyong mga mata. Kung ang sinuman ay nagtitiwala na siya'y kay Cristo, paalalahanan niyang muli ang kanyang sarili na kung paanong siya'y kay Cristo, kami ay gayundin.

Sapagkat bagaman ako ay nagmamalaki ng labis tungkol sa aming kapamahalaan na ibinigay ng Panginoon upang kayo ay patatagin at hindi upang kayo ay gibain, ako ay hindi mapapahiya,

upang huwag akong parang nananakot sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng aking mga sulat.

10 Sapagkat sinasabi nila, “Ang kanyang mga sulat ay mabibigat at matitindi; subalit ang anyo ng kanyang katawan ay mahina, at ang kanyang pananalita ay walang kabuluhan.”

11 Hayaang isipin ng gayong tao na kung ano ang aming sinasabi sa pamamagitan ng mga sulat kapag kami ay wala, ay gayundin ang aming ginagawa kapag kami ay nakaharap.

12 Hindi kami nangangahas na ibilang o ihambing ang aming sarili sa ilan sa mga nagmamalaki sa kanilang sarili. Subalit silang sumusukat sa kanilang sarili sa pamamagitan ng kanilang sarili, at inihahambing ang kanilang sarili sa isa't isa, sila ay hindi nakakaunawa.

13 Subalit hindi kami magmamalaki ng lampas sa sukatan, kundi ayon sa hangganan ng panukat na itinakda ng Diyos sa amin, upang umabot hanggang sa inyo.

14 Sapagkat hindi kami lumampas sa aming hangganan nang kami'y dumating sa inyo. Kami ang unang dumating sa inyo dala ang ebanghelyo ni Cristo.

15 Hindi kami nagmamalaki nang lampas sa sukat, samakatuwid ay sa pinagpaguran ng iba, subalit ang aming pag-asa ay habang ang inyong pananampalataya ay lumalago, ang aming saklaw sa inyo ay lumawak nawa,

16 upang aming maipangaral ang ebanghelyo sa mga lupain sa dako pa roon ng lupain ninyo, na hindi nagmamalaki sa mga gawang natapos na sa nasasakupan ng iba.

17 “Ngunit(A) siyang nagmamalaki ay magmalaki sa Panginoon.”

18 Sapagkat hindi ang pumupuri sa kanyang sarili ang tinatanggap, kundi siya na pinupuri ng Panginoon.

10 (A)Ako ngang si Pablo ay namamanhik sa inyo alangalang sa (B)kaamuang-loob at kapakumbabaan ni Cristo, ako (C)na sa harapan ninyo ay mapagpakumbaba sa gitna ninyo, nguni't ako'y lubhang malakas ang loob kung wala sa harapan ninyo:

Oo, ako'y namamanhik sa inyo, upang kung ako'y nahaharap ay (D)huwag akong magpakita ng katapangang may pagkakatiwala na ipinasiya kong ipagmatapang laban sa (E)ilang nagiisip sa amin, na waring kami ay nagsisilakad ng (F)ayon sa laman.

Sapagka't bagaman kami ay nagsisilakad sa laman, ay hindi kami nangakikipagbakang ayon sa laman.

(G)(Sapagka't ang mga sandata ng aming pakikilaban ay hindi ukol sa laman, kundi sa harapan ng Dios ay may kapangyarihang gumiba ng mga kuta);

Na siyang gumigiba ng mga maling haka, at ng bawa't bagay na matayog na nagmamataas laban sa karunungan ng Dios, at bumibihag sa lahat ng pagiisip sa pagtalima kay Cristo;

At nangahahanda upang maghiganti sa lahat ng pagsuway, kung maganap na ang inyong pagtalima.

Minamasdan ninyo ang mga bagay (H)na nahaharap sa inyong mukha. (I)Kung ang sinoman ay mayroong pagkakatiwala sa kaniyang sarili na siya'y kay Cristo, ay muling dilidilihin ito sa kaniyang sarili na, kung paanong siya'y kay Cristo, kami naman ay gayon din.

Sapagka't bagaman ako ay (J)magmapuri ng marami tungkol sa (K)aming kapamahalaan (na ibinigay ng Panginoon sa ikapagtitibay sa inyo, at hindi sa ikagigiba ninyo) ay hindi ako mapapahiya.

Upang huwag akong wari'y ibig ko kayong pangilabutin sa takot sa aking mga sulat.

10 Sapagka't, sinasabi nila, Ang kaniyang mga sulat, ay malaman at mabisa; (L)datapuwa't ang anyo ng kaniyang katawan ay mahina, at ang kaniyang (M)pananalita ay walang kabuluhan.

11 Bayaang isipin ng isang gayon ito, na, kung ano kami sa pananalita sa mga sulat pagka kami ay wala sa harapan, ay gayon din kami naman sa gawa pagka kami ay nahaharap.

12 Sapagka't (N)hindi kami nangagmamatapang na makibilang o makitulad sa mga ilan doon sa mga nagmamapuri sa kanilang sarili: nguni't (O)sila na sinusukat ang kanilang sarili sa kanila rin, at kanilang itinutulad ang sarili sa kanila rin ay mga walang unawa.

13 Datapuwa't hindi naman ipinagmamapuri ang labis sa aming sukat, kundi ayon sa sukat ng (P)hangganang sa amin ay ipinamamahagi ng Dios, na gaya ng sukat, upang umabot hanggang sa inyo.

14 Sapagka't hindi kami nagsisilagpas ng higit, na waring hindi na namin kayo aabutin: (Q)sapagka't hanggang sa inyo naman ay nagsirating kami sa evangelio ni Cristo:

15 Na hindi namin ipinagmamapuri ang labis sa aming sukat, sa makatuwid baga'y (R)ang mga gawa ng ibang mga tao; kundi yamang may pagasa, na ayon sa paglago ng inyong pananampalataya, kami'y pupurihin sa inyo ayon sa aming hangganan sa lalong kasaganaan,

16 Upang ipangaral ang evangelio sa mga dako pa roon ng lupain ninyo, at huwag kaming mangagmapuri sa hangganan ng iba tungkol sa mga bagay na nangahahanda na sa amin.

17 Datapuwa't ang nagmamapuri ay (S)magmapuri sa Panginoon.

18 Sapagka't hindi subok ang nagtatagubilin sa kaniyang sarili, kundi (T)ang ipinagtatagubilin ng Panginoon.

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold toward you while absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. I beg you that when I am present, I might not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete.

Do you look at things from the outward appearance? If any man trusts that he is Christ’s, let him consider again that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed, lest I appear to frighten you by my letters. 10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this: that as we are in word by letters when we are absent, we will also be in deed when we are present.

12 For we dare not count or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. They who measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another are not wise. 13 But we will not boast beyond measure, but within the boundaries which God has appointed us, which reach even you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves as though we did not reach you, since we have come to you, preaching the gospel of Christ. 15 We are not boasting of things beyond our measure in other men’s labors. But we have hope that when your faith is increased, our region shall be greatly enlarged by you, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man’s accomplishments. 17 But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”[a] 18 For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he 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

10 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.