2 Corinthians 10
10
Paul Defends his Ministry
1I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you — I who am said to be meek and mild when I am with you, but harsh with you when I am away. By the gentleness and kindness of Christ 2I beg you not to force me to be harsh when I come; for I am sure I can deal harshly with those who say that we act from worldly motives. 3It is true that we live in the world, but we do not fight from worldly motives. 4The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; 5we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ. 6And after you have proved your complete loyalty, we will be ready to punish any act of disloyalty.
7You are looking at the outward appearance of things. Is there someone there who reckons himself or herself to belong to Christ? Well, let them think again about themselves, because we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8For I am not ashamed, even if I have boasted somewhat too much about the authority that the Lord has given us — authority to build you up, not to tear you down. 9I do not want it to appear that I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10Someone will say, “Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!” 11Such a person must understand that there is no difference between what we write in our letters when we are away and what we will do when we are there with you.
12Of course we would not dare to classify ourselves or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards! 13As for us, however, our boasting will not go beyond certain limits; it will stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us, and this includes our work among you. 14And since you are within those limits, we were not going beyond them when we came to you, bringing the Good News about Christ. 15So we do not boast about the work that others have done beyond the limits God set for us. Instead, we hope that your faith may grow and that we may be able to do a much greater work among you, always within the limits that God has set. 16Then we can preach the Good News in other countries beyond you and shall not have to boast about work already done in someone else's field.
17 #
Jer 9.24
But as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done.” 18For it is people of whom the Lord thinks well who are really approved, not people who think well of themselves.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
2 Corinthians 10
10
Tearing Down Strongholds
1Now I, Paul, appeal myself to you by the meekness and gentleness of Messiah—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when far away.
2I beg of you that when I am present I won’t need to be bold with the courage I consider showing against some who judge us as walking in 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 through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments
5and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah—
6ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Messiah, let him reconsider that just as he belongs to Messiah, so also do we.
8For even if I boast a little more about our authority—which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down—I will not be put to shame.
9Not that I would try to terrify you by my letters—
10for they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his presence in person is weak and his speech of no account.”
11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word through letters when we are absent, we also are in action when we are present.
12For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding.
13But we will not boast beyond limits, but within the limits of the area that God has assigned to us—to reach even as far as you.
14We are not extending ourselves too far, as if we did not reach you—for we did come even as far as to you with the Good News of Messiah.
15Neither are we boasting beyond limits based on the labors of others, but we have hope while your faith is growing for our area among you to be greatly enlarged—
16so that we may proclaim the Good News even to regions beyond you, not boasting about what has been accomplished in another’s area.
17But “let him 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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