Paul's Ministry Defended
1 Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ??aul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"??2 I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh.
1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
1 Now (A)I, Paul, myself (B)urge you by the (C)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who (D)am (a)meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
1 Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.
1 Now I myself, Paul, plead with you with the gentleness and kindness of the Messiah I who am humble when I am face to face with you but forceful toward you when I am away!
2 Though I do walk on the low level of the flesh, I do not make war as the flesh does;
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
2 I ask that (E)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against (F)some, who regard us as if we walked (G)according to the flesh.
2 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 behaving in an unspiritual way.(a)(A)
2 I beg you that when I come I will not need to be courageous by daring to oppose some people who think that we are living according to the flesh.
4 For I pull down imaginations and every crag that lifts itself against the knowledge of God. And I carry every thought away into captivity and subjection to Christ;
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
4 for the (I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but (b)divinely powerful (J)for the destruction of fortresses.
4 since the weapons of our warfare(B) are not worldly,(d) but are powerful(C) through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the world. Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments
5 and I am fully prepared to punish every act of disobedience, when once your submission has been put beyond question.
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
5 We are destroying speculations and every (K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the (L)obedience of Christ,
5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge(D) of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
5 and every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive in order to obey the Messiah.
6 Look these facts in the face. If any man is fully persuaded as regards himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also am I.
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
6 And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.
6 Once your obedience is complete, we will be ready to reprimand every type of disobedience.
7 If, however, I were to boast more loudly concerning the authority which the Lord gave me (not to cast you down, but to build you up), I should have no cause for shame.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
7 (c)(N)You are looking at (d)things as they are outwardly. (O)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, (P)so also are we.
7 Look at what is obvious.(e) If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ,(E) he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.
7 Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident that he belongs to the Messiah, he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to the Messiah, so do we.
8 Let it not seem as if I were overawing you with my letters.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
8 For even if (Q)I boast somewhat (e)further about our (R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
8 For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up(F) and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed.
8 So if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave us to build you up and not to tear you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
9 "His letters indeed," says one, "are mighty and forcible, but his personality is weak, and his speech contemptible."
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
9 I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters.
9 I do not want you to think that I am trying to frighten you with my letters.
10 Let such a man assure himself that my actions, when I am present, will be just like my words in my letters when I am absent.
10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his (g)personal presence is (S)unimpressive and (T)his speech contemptible.”
10 For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.”
10 For someone is saying, "His letters are impressive and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible."
Paul's Reason For Bragging
11 I have not indeed the audacity to class myself among, or compare myself with, certain of the self-commenders; yet they are not wise in measuring themselves by one another and in comparing themselves with one another.
11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
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.
11 Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.
11 Someone like this should take note of the following: What we say by letter when we are absent is what we will do when present!
12 I, however, will not indulge in undue boasting, but will confine it within the limits of the sphere to which God has assigned me?? sphere which reaches even to you.
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with (h)some of those who (U)commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
12 For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend(G) themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves,(H) they lack understanding.(I)
12 We would not dare put ourselves in the same class with, or compare ourselves to, those who recommend themselves. Whenever they measure themselves by their own standards or compare themselves among themselves, they show how foolish they are.
13 For I am not overstepping the limits of my authority, as though I reached you not; since I have already come even as far as Corinth to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
13 But we will not boast (V)beyond our measure, but (i)(W)within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned(J) to us, which reaches even to you.
13 We will not boast about what cannot be evaluated. Instead, we will stay within the field that God assigned us, so as to reach even you.
14 I am not "boasting beyond measure in the labors of others," but it is my hope that, as your faith goes on increasing among yourselves, by the enlargement of my appointed limits,
14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for (X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the (Y)gospel of Christ;
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.
14 For it is not as though we were overstepping our limits when we came to you. We were the first to reach you with the gospel of the Messiah.
15 I may carry the gospel to countries beyond you; and not be boasting of work made ready to my hand within another man's limit.
15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
15 not boasting (Z)beyond our measure, that is, in (AA)other men’s labors, but with the hope that as (AB)your faith grows, we will be, (j)within our sphere, (AC)enlarged even more by you,
15 We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope(K) that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,
15 We are not boasting about work done by others that cannot be evaluated. On the contrary, we cherish the hope that your faith may continue to grow and enlarge our sphere of action among you until it overflows.
16 Meanwhile. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.
16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
16 so as to (AD)preach the gospel even to (AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast (k)(AF)in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
16 so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you,(L) not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.(M)
16 Then we can preach the gospel in the regions far beyond you without boasting about things already accomplished by someone else.