II KORINTHIËRS 10

Paulus verdedig sy apostoliese gesag.

1 EN ek self, Paulus, tbid julle by tdie sagmoedigheid en vriendelikheid van Christus, ek twat in julle teenwoordigheid wel nederig is onder julle, maar in my afwesigheid moedig teenoor julle —

2 ek smeek dan dat tas ek teenwoordig is, II Kor. 13:2,10ek nie moedig hoef te wees met die vertroue waarmee ek meen om dit aan te durf teen tsommige wat reken dat ons tvolgens die vlees wandel nie.

3 Want hoewel ons in die vlees wandel, voer ons die stryd nie volgens die vlees nie;

4 want tdie wapens van ons stryd is nie vleeslik nie, maar kragtig deur God om vestings neer te werp,

5 terwyl ons planne verbreek en elke skans wat opgewerp word teen die kennis van God, en elke gedagte gevange neem tot die gehoorsaamheid aan Christus,

6 en ons gereed hou om elke ongehoorsaamheid te straf wanneer julle gehoorsaamheid volkome is.

7  tKyk julle na wat voor oë is? tAs iemand by homself vertrou dat hy aan Christus behoort, laat hy dit by homself weer oorweeg, dat net soos hy self aan Christus behoort, ons ook so aan Christus behoort;

8 want tal sou ek ook nog meer roem oor tons gesag wat die Here ons gegee het om julle op te bou en nie neer te werp nie, sal ek nie beskaamd uitkom nie —

9 anders sou dit die skyn hê asof ek julle deur die briewe wil bang maak.

10 Want die briewe, sê hulle, is wel gewigtig en kragtig, maar tdie persoonlike teenwoordigheid is swak en tdie woord niks werd nie.

11 Laat so iemand bedink dat soos ons met die woord deur briewe in ons afwesigheid is, ons dit ook met die daad in ons aanwesigheid is.

12 Want ons waag dit nie om ons te reken of te vergelyk met sommige van die twat hulleself aanbeveel nie. Maar tomdat hulle hul met hulself meet en met hulself vergelyk, is hulle onverstandig.

13 Maar ons sal nie buite die maat roem nie, maar volgens die maat van die werkkring wat God ons as ’n maat toebedeel het om ook julle te bereik.

14 Want ons strek onsself nie te ver uit asof ons julle nie kan bereik nie, want tons het reeds by julle gekom met die evangelie van Christus.

15 Ons roem nie buite die maat tin die arbeid van ander nie, maar ons het hoop om, wanneer julle geloof toeneem, in hoër mate onder julle toe te neem volgens ons werkkring,

16 om die evangelie te verkondig in plekke anderkant julle, nie om in die werkkring van ’n ander oor wat tot stand gekom het, te roem nie.

17 Maar twie roem, moet in die Here roem.
18 Want nie hy wat homself aanbeveel, dié is beproef nie, maar hy twat deur die Here aanbeveel word.

2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s.8 For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,9 that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.10 For, “His letters,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.13 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.14 For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,15 not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,16 so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.17 But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”t

18 For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.