2Cor.10.1

And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I'm being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I'm with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters.

2Cor.10.1

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!

2Cor.10.1

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

2Cor.10.1

Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person.

2Cor.10.2

Please don't force me to take a hard line when I'm present with you. Don't think that I'll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I'm an unprincipled opportunist. Then they'll have to eat their words.

2Cor.10.2

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

2Cor.10.2

But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

2Cor.10.2

I hope it won't be necessary, but when I come I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives.

2Cor.10.3

The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way--never have and never will.

2Cor.10.3

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

2Cor.10.3

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

2Cor.10.3

We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods.

2Cor.10.4

The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.

2Cor.10.4

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

2Cor.10.4

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

2Cor.10.4

We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds.

2Cor.10.5

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.

2Cor.10.5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2Cor.10.5

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

2Cor.10.5

With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.

2Cor.10.6

Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

2Cor.10.6

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

2Cor.10.6

and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

2Cor.10.6

And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient.

2Cor.10.7

You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can't see the forest for the trees. If you're looking for a clear example of someone on Christ's side, why do you so quickly cut me out? Believe me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ.

2Cor.10.7

You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.

2Cor.10.7

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.

2Cor.10.7

The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance. You must recognize that we belong to Christ just as much as those who proudly declare that they belong to Christ.

2Cor.10.8

You may think I overstate the authority he gave me, but I'm not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of building you up, after all, not tearing you down.

2Cor.10.8

For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

2Cor.10.8

For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed--

2Cor.10.8

I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear you down. And I will not be put to shame by having my work among you destroyed.

2Cor.10.9

And what's this talk about me bullying you with my letters?

2Cor.10.9

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.

2Cor.10.9

lest I seem to terrify you by letters.

2Cor.10.9

Now this is not just an attempt to frighten you by my letters.

2Cor.10.10

"His letters are brawny and potent, but in person he's a weakling and mumbles when he talks."

2Cor.10.10

For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

2Cor.10.10

"For his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."

2Cor.10.10

For some say, "Don't worry about Paul. His letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are really bad!"

2Cor.10.11

Such talk won't survive scrutiny. What we write when away, we do when present. We're the exact same people, absent or present, in letter or in person.

2Cor.10.11

Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

2Cor.10.11

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

2Cor.10.11

The ones who say this must realize that we will be just as demanding and forceful in person as we are in our letters.

2Cor.10.12

We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

2Cor.10.12

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

2Cor.10.12

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

2Cor.10.12

Oh, don't worry; I wouldn't dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring themselves by themselves. What foolishness!

2Cor.10.13

We aren't making outrageous claims here. We're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include you.

2Cor.10.13

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

2Cor.10.13

We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us--a sphere which especially includes you.

2Cor.10.13

But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you.

2Cor.10.14

We're not moving into someone else's "territory." We were already there with you, weren't we? We were the first ones to get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any question of overstepping our bounds by writing or visiting you?

2Cor.10.14

We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

2Cor.10.14

For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;

2Cor.10.14

We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to travel all the way to you with the Good News of Christ.

2Cor.10.15

We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you'll play a part within our expanding work.

2Cor.10.15

Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,

2Cor.10.15

not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

2Cor.10.15

Nor do we claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged.

2Cor.10.16

And we'll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it.

2Cor.10.16

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory.

2Cor.10.16

to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment.

2Cor.10.16

Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places that are far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question about being in someone else's territory.

2Cor.10.17

"If you want to claim credit, claim it for God."

2Cor.10.17

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

2Cor.10.17

But "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

2Cor.10.17

As the Scriptures say, "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."

2Cor.10.18

What you say about yourself means nothing in God's work. It's what God says about you that makes the difference.

2Cor.10.18

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

2Cor.10.18

For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

2Cor.10.18

When people boast about themselves, it doesn't count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that's different!