1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who is humble when present among you but bold when absent.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

2 I beg you that when I am present, I will not have to be bold with the confidence I consider using against some, who think we live according to the flesh.

But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

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

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but they are powerful through God for the destruction of strongholds. We demolish arguments

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 and every lofty thing that rises up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And we are ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

7 Do you look only at outward appearances? If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again that just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

8 Even if I boast a little more about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

9 I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters.

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10 For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speech is contemptible.'

For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11 Let such people realize that what we are in our letters while absent, we will be in our actions when present.

Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

12 We 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 lack understanding.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.

But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

14 We are not overextending ourselves, as though we had not reached you. For we were the first to come to you with the gospel of Christ.

For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand,

Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast in work already done in another person's area.

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

17 But, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.