| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! | 1Now 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. |
| 2I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. | 2I 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. |
| 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, | 3For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. |
| 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. | 4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. |
| 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, | 5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. |
| 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. | 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete. |
| 7You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. | 7You 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. |
| 8For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, | 8For 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. |
| 9for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. | 9I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters. |
| 10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." | 10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.” |
| 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present. | 11Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present. |
| 12For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. | 12We 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. |
| 13But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. | 13We, 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. |
| 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; | 14We 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. |
| 15not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, | 15Neither 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, |
| 16so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. | 16so 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. |
| 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. | 17Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” |
| 18For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. | 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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