2Cor 10 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now 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 !

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Describes Himself

1 Now ^aI, Paul, myself ^burge you by the ^cmeekness and gentleness of Christ— I who ^dam ^{▼▼ Lit lowly}meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 I ask that ^fwhen I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^gsome, who regard us as if we walked ^haccording to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ⁱaccording to the flesh, 4 for the ^jweapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^{▼▼ Or mighty before God}divinely powerful ^lfor the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every ^mlofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ⁿobedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^oyour obedience is complete.

7 ^{▼▼ Or Look at... or Do you look at...?
,} ^qYou are looking at ^{▼▼ Lit what is before your face}things as they are outwardly. ^sIf anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^tso also are we. 8 For even if ^uI boast somewhat ^{▼▼ Or more abundantly}further about our ^wauthority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9 ^{▼▼ Lit so that I may not seem}for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^{▼▼ Lit bodily presence is weak}personal presence is ^zunimpressive and ^aahis speech contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with ^{▼▼ Or any}some of those who ^accommend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast ^adbeyond our measure, but ^{▼▼ Lit according to the measure
,} ^afwithin the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^agwe were the first to come even as far as you in the ^ahgospel of Christ; 15 not boasting ^aibeyond our measure, that is, in ^ajother men’s labors, but with the hope that as ^akyour faith grows, we will be, ^{▼▼ Lit according to our sphere}within our sphere, ^amenlarged even more by you, 16 so as to ^anpreach the gospel even to ^aothe regions beyond you, and not to boast ^{▼▼ Lit to the things prepared in the
,} ^aqin what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. 17 But ^ar he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not he who ^ascommends himself that is approved, but he ^atwhom the Lord commends.