2 Corinthians 10

Paul’s Authority to Speak Forcefully

1 I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I’m the one who is humble when I’m with you but forceful toward you when I’m not with you.2 I beg you that when I am with you I won’t have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives.3 Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans.4 The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments5 and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.

6 We are ready to punish every act of disobedience when you have become completely obedient.
7 Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident he belongs to Christ, he should take note that we also belong to Christ.

8 So, if I brag a little too much about the authority which the Lord gave us, I’m not ashamed. The Lord gave us this authority to help you, not to hurt you.
9 I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to frighten you with my letters.10 I know that someone is saying that my letters are powerful and strong, but that I’m a weakling and a terrible speaker.

11 The person who is saying those things should take note of this fact: When we are with you we will do the things that we wrote about in our letters when we weren’t with you.

Paul’s Reason for Bragging

12 We wouldn’t put ourselves in the same class with or compare ourselves to those who are bold enough to make their own recommendations. Certainly, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.13 How can we brag about things that no one can evaluate? Instead, we will only brag about what God has given us to do—coming to the city of Corinth where you live.14 It’s not as though we hadn’t already been to Corinth. We’re not overstating the facts. The fact is that we were the first to arrive in Corinth with the Good News about Christ.

15 How can we brag about things done by others that can’t be evaluated?
We have confidence that as your faith grows, you will think enough of us to give us the help we need to carry out our assignment—

16 spreading the Good News in the regions far beyond you. We won’t brag about things already accomplished by someone else.
17 “Whoever brags should brag about what the Lord has done.”

18 It isn’t the person who makes his own recommendation who receives approval, but the person whom the Lord recommends.

2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:2 yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),5 casting 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 shall be made full.7 Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we.8 For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame:9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.11 Let such a one reckon 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 certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.13 But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.14 For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ:15 not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance,16 so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in another’s province in regard of things ready to our hand.17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.