1Now I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent.
2I beg that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be daring against some who regard us as walking according to the flesh.
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful before God for the tearing down of strongholds. We tear down arguments
5and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ,
6and we are ready to punish every disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
7You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider this again about himself: that just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we.
8For even if I should boast somewhat more abundantly about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame.
9I say this so that I may not seem to be frightening you through my letters.
10For, they say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.”
11Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word through letters when absent, such we will also be in deed when present.
12For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand.
13But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the sphere that God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you; for we did indeed come as far as you with the gospel of Christ.
15We do not boast beyond measure in other people’s labors, but we have hope that, as your faith grows, we may be enlarged among you within our sphere, unto abundance,
16so as to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast within someone else’s sphere about things already done.
17But “let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
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