1 I , Paul, ask you this myself. I do it through Christ Who is so gentle and kind. Some people say that I am gentle and quiet when I am with you, but that I have no fear and that my language is strong when I am away from you.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

2 D o not make me speak strong words to you when I come. Some people think we want the things of the world because of what we do and say. I have decided to talk to these people if I have to.

but I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 I t is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 W e do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil.

(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 W e break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.

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

6 W e are ready to punish those who will not obey as soon as you obey in everything.

and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

7 Y ou are seeing things only as men see them. If anyone feels sure he belongs to Christ, he should remember that we belong to Christ also.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

8 I am not ashamed if I say this of myself. The Lord gave me the right and the power to help you become stronger, not to break you down.

For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

9 I do not want you to think I am trying to make you afraid with my letters.

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10 T hey say, “His letters are strong and they make us think. When he is here with us, he is weak and he is hard to listen to.”

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

11 W hat we say in our letters we will do when we get there. They should understand this.

Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

12 W e do not compare ourselves with those who think they are good. They compare themselves with themselves. They decide what they think is good or bad and compare themselves with those ideas. They are foolish.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

13 B ut we will not talk with pride more than God allows us to. We will follow the plan of the work He has given us to do and you are a part of that work.

But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

14 W e did not go farther than we were supposed to go when we came to you. But we did come to you with the Good News of Christ.

For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

15 W e take no pride in the work others have done there. But we hope your faith will keep growing because of help from others. Then we will grow because of you.

not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16 W e hope to preach the Good News in the countries on the other side of you. Then we would take no pride in work done by another person in another country.

to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.

17 I f anyone wants to be proud, he should be proud of what the Lord has done.

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18 I t is not what a man thinks and says of himself that is important. It is what God thinks of him.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.