| Christian Standard Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. | 1Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! |
| 2I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving according to the flesh. | 2I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. |
| 3For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, | 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, |
| 4since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments | 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. |
| 5and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. | 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, |
| 6And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete. | 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. |
| 7Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. | 7You are looking at things as they are outwardly. 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, so also are we. |
| 8For if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame. | 8For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, |
| 9I don't want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. | 9for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. |
| 10For it is said, "His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing." | 10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." |
| 11Let such a person consider this: What we are in our letters, when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present. | 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present. |
| 12For we don't dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding. | 12For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. |
| 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you. | 13But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. | 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; |
| 15We are not boasting beyond measure about other people's labors. On the contrary, we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, | 15not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, |
| 16so that we may preach the gospel to the regions beyond you without boasting about what has already been done in someone else's area of ministry. | 16so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. |
| 17So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. | 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. |
| 18For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends. | 18For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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