Paul’s Apostolic Authority 1 DBY But I myself, Paul, entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, who, as to appearance, when present am mean among you, but absent am bold towards you; 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 DBY but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to 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 DBY For walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh. BSB BSB: For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4 DBY For the arms of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful according to God to the overthrow of strongholds; BSB BSB: The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 DBY overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the 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 DBY and having in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled. BSB BSB: And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.
7 DBY Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are 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 DBY For and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given to us for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame; 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 DBY that I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters: BSB BSB: I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.
10 DBY because his letters, he says, are weighty and strong, but his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught. 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 DBY Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also present in deed. BSB BSB: Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.
12 DBY For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent. 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 DBY Now we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also. 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 DBY For we do not, as not reaching to you, overstretch ourselves, (for we have come to you also in the glad tidings of the 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 DBY not boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly 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 DBY to announce the glad tidings to that which is beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand. 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 DBY But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord. BSB BSB: Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
18 DBY For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord 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.