Paul Defends his Ministry

1And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you—through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ—who in presence, indeed [am] humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you, 2and I beseech [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, not according to the flesh do we war, 4for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds, 5reasonings bringing down, 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.

7The things in presence do ye see? if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ’s, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ’s, so also we [are] Christ’s; 8for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed; 9that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters, 10‘because the letters indeed—saith 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, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise, 13and we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us—to reach even unto you; 14for not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ, 15not boasting of the things not measured, in other men’s labours, and having hope—your faith increasing—in you to be enlarged, according to our line—into abundance, 16in the [places] beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another’s line in regard to the things made ready, to boast; 17and he who is boasting—in the Lord let him boast; 18for not he who is commending himself is approved, but he whom the Lord doth commend.