2 Corinthians 10 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Paul’s Apostolic Authority

10 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. 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 according to the flesh. ³ For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴ since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments ⁵ and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. ⁶ And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is obvious.^[a] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. ⁸ 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. ⁹ I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. ¹⁰ For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing.” ¹¹ 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.

¹² 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. ¹³ 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. 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. ¹⁵ 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, ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^{[b] 18} For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.