2 Corinthians 10

1I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Messiah—I who am humble face to face among you, but bold toward you when absent.

2But I beg that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence by which I consider daring to confront 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—tearing down arguments

5and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive into obedience to Messiah,

6and being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

7You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Messiah, let him consider this again within himself: that just as he belongs to Messiah, so also do we.

8For even if I should boast somewhat 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.

9so that I may not seem as though I were trying to frighten you by my letters.

10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”

11Let such a person consider this: what we are in word by letters when absent, we are also in deed when 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 do not understand.

13But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the sphere that God assigned to us—a measure that reaches even to you—

14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we had not reached you, for we came even as far as you with the gospel of Messiah—

15not boasting beyond measure in the labors of others, but having hope that, as your faith is growing among you, we will be enlarged according to our sphere of ministry, unto abundance,

16to proclaim the good news in the regions beyond you, not to boast in another's sphere about things already prepared.

17But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.