Paul Defends His Ministry

¹Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold toward you while absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.[#2Co 10:10; #Mt 11:29]

²I beg you that when I am present, I might not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.[#2Co 13:2, 10]

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds,[#Jer 1:10; 2Co 6:7]

⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,[#Isa 2:11–12; 1Co 1:19]

⁶and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete.[#2Co 2:9; 7:15]

⁷Do you look at things from the outward appearance? If any man trusts that he is Christ’s, let him consider again that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.[#Jn 7:24; 2Co 5:12; #1Co 14:37]

⁸For even if I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed,[#2Co 13:10]

⁹lest I appear to frighten you by my letters.

¹⁰“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”[#1Co 1:17; 2Co 11:6]

¹¹Let such a person consider this: that as we are in word by letters when we are absent, we will also be in deed when we are present.

¹²For we dare not count or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. They who measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another are not wise.[#2Co 3:1; #Pr 26:12]

¹³But we will not boast beyond measure, but within the boundaries which God has appointed us, which reach even you.[#Ro 15:20]

¹⁴For we are not overextending ourselves as though we did not reach you, since we have come to you, preaching the gospel of Christ.[#1Co 4:15]

¹⁵We are not boasting of things beyond our measure in other men’s labors. But we have hope that when your faith is increased, our region shall be greatly enlarged by you,

¹⁶to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man’s accomplishments.

¹⁷But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”[#Jer 9:23–24; 1Co 1:31; #10:17 Jer 9:24.]

¹⁸For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.[#Ro 2:29; 1Co 4:5]