1And I, Paul, myself, call on you—through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ—who in presence [am] indeed humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you, 2and I implore [you], that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh; 3for walking in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds, 5bringing down reasonings, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ, 6and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.

7You see the outward appearance. If anyone has trusted in himself to be Christ’s, let him reckon this again from himself, that according as he is Christ’s, so also we [are] Christ’s; 8for even if I will also boast anything more abundantly concerning our authority, that the LORD gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed, 9that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters, 10“because the letters indeed,” says one, “[are] weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.” 11This one—let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, [we are] in deed.

12For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise, 13and we will not boast ourselves in regard to the unmeasured things, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure appointed to us—to reach even to you; 14for we do not stretch ourselves too much, as not reaching to you, for even to you we came in the good news of the Christ, 15not boasting of the things not measured, in other men’s labors, and having hope—your faith increasing—in you to be enlarged, according to our line—into abundance, 16to proclaim good news in the [places] beyond you, not in another’s line in regard to the things made ready, to boast; 17and he who is boasting—let him boast in the LORD; 18for he who is commending himself is not approved, but he whom the LORD commends.