2 Corinthians 10

New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul Describes Himself

10 Now ^(A)I, Paul, myself ^(B)urge you by the ^(C)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^(D)am ^[a]meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! ² I ask that ^(E)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^(F)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(G)according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(H)according to the flesh, ⁴ for the ^(I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[b]divinely powerful ^(J)for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every ^(K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(L)obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(M)your obedience is complete.

^7 [c](N)You are looking at ^[d]things as they are outwardly. ^(O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^(P)so also are we. ⁸ For even if ^(Q)I boast somewhat ^[e]further about our ^(R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, ^9 [f]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[g]personal presence is ^(S)unimpressive and ^(T)his speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with ^[h]some of those who ^(U)commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast ^(V)beyond our measure, but ^[i](W)within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(Y)gospel of Christ; ¹⁵ not boasting ^(Z)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(AA)other men’s labors, but with the hope that as ^(AB)your faith grows, we will be, ^[j]within our sphere, ^(AC)enlarged even more by you, ¹⁶ so as to ^(AD)preach the gospel even to ^(AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[k](AF)in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. ¹⁷ But ^(AG)he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not he who ^(AH)commends himself that is approved, but he ^(AI)whom the Lord commends.