Paul’s Apostolic Authority 1 CPDV But I myself, Paul, am begging you, through the meekness and modesty of Christ. I am certainly, by appearances, lowly among you, yet I have confidence in you, even while I am absent. BSB BSB: Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.
2 CPDV So I am petitioning you, lest I be bold, when present, with that bold confidence that I am considered to have by certain ones who judge us as if we were walking according to the flesh. BSB BSB: I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.
3 CPDV For though we walk in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh. BSB BSB: For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4 CPDV For the weapons of our battles are not carnal, yet still they are powerful with God, unto the destruction of fortifications: tearing down every counsel BSB BSB: The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 CPDV and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ, BSB BSB: We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 CPDV and standing ready to repudiate every disobedience, when your own obedience has been fulfilled. BSB BSB: And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.
7 CPDV Consider the things that are in accord with appearances. If anyone trusts that by these things he belongs to Christ, let him reconsider this within himself. For just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we. BSB BSB: You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.
8 CPDV And if I were even to glory somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord has given to us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed. BSB BSB: For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.
9 CPDV But let it not be said that I am scaring you by means of epistles. BSB BSB: I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.
10 CPDV For they say: “His epistles, indeed, are weighty and strong. But his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.” BSB BSB: For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
11 CPDV Let someone like this realize that whatever we are in word through epistles, while absent: we are much the same in deed, while present. BSB BSB: Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.
12 CPDV For we would not dare to interpose or compare ourselves with certain ones who commend themselves. But we measure ourselves by ourselves, and we compare ourselves with ourselves. BSB BSB: We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
13 CPDV Thus, we will not glory beyond our measure, but rather according to the measure of the limit which God has measured out to us, a measure which extends even to you. BSB BSB: We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.
14 CPDV For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we are not able to reach as far as you are able. For we have gone even as far as you have in the Gospel of Christ. BSB BSB: We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.
15 CPDV We are not glorying immeasurably over the labors of others. Instead, we hold on to the hope of your growing faith, so as to be magnified in you, according to our own limits, but in abundance, BSB BSB: Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,
16 CPDV and even so as to evangelize in those places that are beyond you, not in order to glory in the measure of others, but rather in those things which have already been prepared. BSB BSB: so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.
17 CPDV But whoever glories, let him glory in the Lord. BSB BSB: Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
18 CPDV For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but rather he whom God commends. BSB BSB: For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.