Book of Common Prayer

Now Don’t Make Me Have To Act Boldly Against Some of You, For My Weapons Are Powerful

10 Now I, Paul, myself, am appealing-to you by the gentleness and kindness of Christ— I who face-to-face am lowly among you, but while absent am-bold toward you! ² And I am begging that I may not [have to] be bold^[a] while present with the confidence with which I am considering to dare [to act] against some considering us as walking in accordance with the flesh^[b]. ³ For [though] walking in the flesh, we are not waging-war in accordance with the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly^[c], but powerful in^[d] God for the tearing-down of fortresses. We are tearing-down^[e] considerations^{[f] 5} and every height^[g] being raised-up against the knowledge of God, and taking-captive every thought^[h] to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish^[i] all disobedience^[j], when your obedience is fulfilled^[k].

If I Boast In My Authority In Christ, I Will Not Be Put To Shame

⁷ You are^[l] looking at things according to appearance. If someone^[m] is confident in himself that he is Christ’s^[n], let him consider this again in himself: that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁸ For if I should boast anything more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building-up and not for tearing you down, I shall not be put-to-shame— ⁹ in order that I may not seem^[o] as-if I would [merely] frighten you by my letters! ¹⁰ Because “The letters”, he^[p] says, “are weighty and strong, but the presence of his body is weak, and his speaking is treated-with-contempt^[q]”. ¹¹ Let such a one consider this: that such as we are in word by letters while absent, such ones we are also in deed while present!

For I Do Not Commend Myself Or Compare Myself To Others

¹² For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves. But they— measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves— do not understand^[r].

And I Do Not Boast In Unmeasured Things Or In The Labors of Others

¹³ And we will not boast in unmeasured^[s] things, but in-relation-to^[t] the measure of ^[u] the standard^[v] which God apportioned to us as a measure: to reach as far as even you. ¹⁴ For we are not, as-if not reaching to you, overextending ourselves. For we arrived even as far as you in connection with the good-news of Christ!— ¹⁵ not boasting in unmeasured things, in labors belonging-to-others, but having the hope, while your faith is growing, that we might be enlarged^[w] in^[x] you in relation to our standard of measure, for an abundance; ¹⁶ that we might announce-the-good-news in the regions beyond^[y] you, not that we might boast in the prepared things in the standard of measure belonging-to-another.

The One The Lord Commends Is The Approved One

¹⁷ But “let the one boasting be boasting in the Lord” [Jer 9:24]. ¹⁸ For not that one commending himself is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Don’t Babble On In Prayer. Pray As a Child of God, Aligned With His Purposes

⁷ “And while praying, do not babble as-indeed the Gentiles do. For they are thinking that they will be heard by means of their many-words^[a]. ⁸ So do not be like them, for your Father knows of the things which you have a need before you ask Him. ⁹ Therefore, you be praying as follows, ‘Our Father in the heavens: ¹⁰ let^[b] Your name be treated-as-holy. Let Your kingdom come. Let Your will be done^[c]— as in heaven, also on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also forgave^[d] our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into a temptation^[e], but deliver^[f] us from the evil one^[g]’. ¹⁴ For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.