﻿2 Corinthians.
Chapter 10.
I, Paul, appeal to you myself by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person, but bold toward you when absent. 
I beg you that when I am present I will not have to be bold with the confidence I intend to show toward some who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. 
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. 
For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful through God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 
and every lofty thing raised against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 
We are ready to punish every act of disobedience once your obedience is complete. 
You look at outward appearances. If anyone is convinced that he belongs to Christ, let him consider this again: just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. 
For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave to build you up and not to tear you down, I will not be put to shame. 
I do not want to seem as though I were trying to frighten you with my letters. 
For someone says, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.” 
Let such a person consider this: what we are in words through letters when absent, we are also in deeds when present. 
For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack understanding. 
We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but within the measure of the field God has assigned us—a measure that reaches even to you. 
For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we had not reached you. We did reach you with the gospel of Christ. 
We do not boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. Rather, we hope that as your faith grows, our work among you will grow abundantly within our assigned field, 
so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions beyond you, without boasting in work already done in someone else's field. 
“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends. 
