Paul’s Apostolic Authority

1Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ — I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. 2I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.a, b 3For though we live in the body,c we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,d 4since the weapons of our warfaree are not worldly,f but are powerfulg through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledgeh of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. 6And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.

7Look at what is obvious.i If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ,j he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we. 8For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you upk and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed. 9I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. 10For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.” 11Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.

12For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commendl themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves,m they lack understanding.n 13We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assignedo to us, which reaches even to you. 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. 15We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hopep that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, 16so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you,q not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.r 17So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.s, t 18For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.u