Paul's
Defense Of His Ministry
By
the Meekness and Gentleness of Christ,
I
appeal to you—I Paul,
Who
am 'Timid' when face to face with you,
But
'Bold' when away!
2 I
beg you that when I come
I
may not have to be as Bold as I expect to be
Toward
some people who think
THAT
WE LIVE BY THE STANDARDS OF THIS WORLD.
3
FOR THOUGH WE LIVE IN THE WORLD,
WE
DO NOT WAGE WAR AS THE WORLD DOES.
4
THE WEAPONS WE FIGHT WITH
ARE
NOT THE WEAPONS OF THE WORLD.
ON
THE CONTRARY,
THEY
HAVE DIVINE POWER
TO
DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS.
5
WE DEMOLISH ARGUMENTS
AND
EVERY PRETENSION
THAT
SETS ITSELF UP AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD,
AND
WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT
TO
MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST.
6
And we will be ready to Punish every Act of Disobedience,
Once
your Obedience is complete.
7
You are looking only on the surface of things.
If
anyone is Confident that he belongs to Christ,
He
should consider again
That
we belong to Christ just as much as he.
8
For even if I Boast somewhat freely
About
the authority the Lord gave us
For
building you up
Rather
than pulling you down,
I
will not be ashamed of it.
9 I
do not want to seem to be
Trying
to frighten you with my letters.
10
For some say,
'His
letters are Weighty and Forceful,
But
in person he is Unimpressive
And
his speaking amounts to nothing.'
11
Such people should realize
That
what we are in our letters when we are absent,
We
will be in our Actions when we are Present.
12
We do not dare to Classify or compare ourselves
With
some who Commend themselves with themselves,
They
are not Wise.
13
We, however, will not Boast beyond proper limits,
But
will confine our Boasting
To
the field God has assigned to us,
A
field that reaches even to you.
14
We are not going too far in our Boasting,
As
would be the case of we had not come to you,
For
we did get as far as you
With
the Gospel of Christ.
15
Neither do we go beyond our limits
By
Boasting of work done by others.
OUR
HOPE IS THAT,
AS
YOUR FAITH CONTINUES TO GROW,
OUR
AREA OF ACTIVITY AMONG YOU
WILL
GREATLY EXPAND,
16
SO THAT WE CAN PREACH THE GOSPEL
IN
THE REGIONS BEYOND YOU.
For
we do not want to Boast about work already done
In
another man's Territory.
17
But, 'Let him who Boasts Boast in the Lord.'
18
FOR IT IS NOT THE ONE
WHO
COMMENDS HIMSELF WHO IS APPROVED,
BUT
THE ONE WHO THE LORD COMMENDS.
(2
Corinthians 10)
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