Now 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.
I 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 living according to the flesh.
since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments
and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
For 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.
For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing.”
Let 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.
For 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.
We, 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.
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.
We 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,
so 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.
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017, 2020 by Holman Bible Publishers.
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