Look at what is obvious.[a] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ,(A) let him remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. For if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up(B) and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame. 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 amounts to nothing.” 11 Let such a person consider this: What we are in our letters, when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:7 Or You are looking at things outwardly

You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself is, so also are we. For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down[a], I will not be put to shame, so that I do not want to appear as if I were terrifying you by my letters, 10 because it is said, “His letters are severe and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech is of no account.” 11 Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word by letters when we[b] are absent, we will also be in actions[c] when we[d] are present.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:8 Literally “for building up and not for tearing down of you”
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are absent”) which is understood as temporal
  3. 2 Corinthians 10:11 Literally “deed”
  4. 2 Corinthians 10:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are present”) which is understood as temporal