2 Corinthians 10:1-8

Paul Defends His Ministry

1 aI, Paul, myself entreat you, by the bmeekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2I beg of you cthat when I am present I may not have to show dboldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the eweapons of four warfare are not of the flesh but have gdivine power hto destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and ievery lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to jobey Christ, 6 kbeing ready to punish every disobedience, lwhen your obedience is complete.

7 mLook at what is before your eyes. nIf anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as ohe is Christ’s, pso also are we. 8For even if I boast a little too much of qour authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.

2 Corinthians 10:11

11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

2 Corinthians 13:1-10

Final Warnings

1 rThis is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established sby the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 tI warned uthose who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that vif I come again I will not spare them— 3since you seek proof that Christ wis speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but xis powerful among you. 4For yhe was crucified in weakness, but zlives by the power of God. For aawe also are weak in him, but in dealing with you abwe will live with him by the power of God.

5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. acTest yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that adJesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7But we pray to God that you may not do wrongnot that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9For we are glad when aewe are weak and you are strong. Your afrestoration is what we pray for. 10For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come agI may not have to be ahsevere in my use of aithe authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

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