Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁷ Do you look on things after the outward appearance?

If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him also consider that as he is Christ’s, so also are we Christ’s. ⁸ And if I were to boast somewhat of our authority, which the Lord has given us to build up, and not to break you down, it would not be to my discredit. ⁹ I say this so that I do not seem as though I went about to make you afraid with letters. ¹⁰ For the epistles (says he) are strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is poor. ¹¹ Let such a man think of it this way: that as we are in words by letters when we are absent, such are we in deeds when we are present.