2 Corinthians

10 —And I Paul myself urge you by the Christ’s gentleness and reasonableness, I who face to face am a nobody among you, but at a distance am stouthearted toward you— 2 but I beg that I may not at close quarters be stout with that assurance with which I reckon on venturing against some people, those who reckon us as walking in the way of flesh. 3 For, while we walk in flesh, we do not carry on our campaign in the way of flesh; 4* for the weapons of our campaigning are not fleshly but divinely powerful for the demolishing of fortified positions, 5 demolishing argumentations and every high structure raised against the knowledge of God and taking every idea prisoner into obedience to the Christ, 6 and all ready to deal out penalties for every noncompliance when your obedience has come to the full.

7** Look at what you see before your faces. If somebody feels confident that he belongs to Christ, let him think this over again to himself, that we belong to Christ just the same as he does. 8 For if I boast more or less freely about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for demolishing you, I shall not be shamed;— 9 not to speak as if I were sort of scaring you by my letters, 10* because “the letters,” he says, “are impressive and strong, but the personal presence is weak and the talk does not amount to anything.” 11 Let such a man think this over, that what we are like in talk by letters while absent is just what we are like in action when present.

12 For we do not venture to put ourselves in the same class with, or compare ourselves with, some of those who are recommending themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not see what is what. 13 But we will not boast beyond the range of measurement, but suitably to the measurement of the yardstick of the measure God gave us, to come clear through to you. 14 For we are not overstretching ourselves, as we might be if we were not coming through to you; for we did get clear through to you in preaching the Christ’s gospel; 15 not boasting out of measure on the basis of other people’s hard work, but having a hope that as your faith grows we may be greatened in you, conformably to our yardstick, to a further extension, 16 to preach the gospel in the places out beyond you, not in somebody else’s yard to brag of ready-made progress. 17 But “let him who boasts boast of the Lord.” 18 For it is not he who recommends himself that rates as up to the standard, but he whom the Lord recommends.