CHAPTER 10
Now
by
the
mildness
and
gentleness
of Christ,
I appeal
to you—
I,
Paul,
who
am humble
when face to face
with
you,
but
bold
when away.
I beg you
that
when I come,
I may not need to be
as bold
as
I expect
toward
those
who
presume that
we
live
according to
the flesh.
The
weapons
of
our
warfare
are not
the weapons of the world.
Instead,
they have
divine
power
to
demolish
strongholds.
We tear down
arguments,
and
every
presumption
set up
against
the
knowledge
of God;
and
we take captive
every
thought
to
make it obedient
to Christ.
You are looking
at
outward appearances.
If
anyone
is confident
that he
belongs to
Christ,
he should remind
himself
that
we
belong to Christ
just
as much as
he
does.
For
even
if
I boast
somewhat
excessively
about
the
authority
the
Lord
gave
us
for
building you up
rather than
tearing you down,
I will not be ashamed.
For
some say,
“His
letters
are weighty
and
forceful,
but
his
physical
presence
is unimpressive,
and
his
speaking
is of no account.”
Such people
should consider
that
what
we are
in
our letters
when absent,
we will be
in our actions
when present.
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 show their ignorance.
We,
however,
will not boast
beyond our limits,
but only
within
the
field of influence
that
God
has assigned
to us—
a field
that reaches
even
to
you.
We are not overstepping
our bounds,
as if
we had not come
to
you.
Indeed,
we were the first to reach
you
with
the
gospel
of Christ.
Neither
do we boast
beyond our limits
in
the labors
of others.
But
we hope that,
as your
faith
increases,
our
area of influence
among
you
will greatly increase as well ,
so that
we can preach the gospel
in the regions
beyond
you.
Then we will not be boasting
in
the work
already done
in
another man’s
territory.