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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.

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Paul’s Ministry Defended

10 Now I, Paul, appeal to you myself by the humility and gentleness of Christ, who when I am present in person[a] am humble among you, but when I[b] am absent am bold toward you— now I ask when I[c] am present that I will not need to be bold with the confidence with which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh. For although we[d] are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And we are ready[e] to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is completed.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:1 Literally “to the face”
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:1 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“am absent”) which is understood as temporal
  3. 2 Corinthians 10:2 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“am present”) which is understood as temporal
  4. 2 Corinthians 10:3 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are living”) which is understood as concessive
  5. 2 Corinthians 10:6 Literally “having with ready”