^10:1 Now I, Paul, myself, encourage you^° through the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who according-to face {i.e., face to face} am indeed humble among you^°, but being absent am courageous toward you^°. ^10:2 But I am beseeching you^° (not while I am present^*) to be courageous with the confidence in which I am reasoning to dare against some who reason us as walking according-to the flesh. ^10:3 For^* although we are walking in the flesh, we are not warring according-to the flesh. ^10:4 For^* the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are mighty in God, toward the demolition of strongholds, ^10:5 demolishing evil reasonings and every exalted thing which is lifting itself up against the knowledge of God and capturing every device of the Adversary to the obedience of the Christ; ^10:6 and have in readiness to avenge all disobedience^*, whenever your^° obedience might be fulfilled.

      ^10:7 Are you^° looking at things according-to their countenance? If anyone has confidence in himself to be Christ’s, let him count this again from within himself, that, just-as he himself is Christ’s, so are we also Christ’s. ^10:8 For^* even if I should boast even-more of something concerning our authority (which the Lord gave to us ^*for your^° building up and not ^*for your^° demolition), I will not be shamed; ^10:9 in-order-that I may not seem as if I wished to make you^° fearful through the letters from me. ^10:10 Because indeed he says, The letters are weighty and strong, but the body’s presence is weak and the speech has been nothing special. ^10:11 Let such a one count this, that, such-as we are in word through letters, being absent, such will we also be in work, while being present^*.

      ^10:12 For^* we are not daring to class or to compare ourselves together-with some of the ones who are commending themselves, but they themselves are measuring themselves together in themselves and comparing together themselves to themselves. They do not understand!

      ^10:13 Now we will not be boasting in the immeasurable things, but according-to the measure of the standard^* of which the God divided to us a measure which is able to reach up-to even you^°. ^10:14 For^* we do not overstretch ourselves, as though we are not reaching toward you^°; for^* till we have attained even up to you^° in the good-news of the Christ. ^10:15 We were not boasting in the immeasurable things (that is, in another’s labors) but have hope that when your^° faith is grown to be magnified in you^° according-to our standard^* into your^° abundance, ^10:16 reaching out to proclaim the good-news into areas past you^° and not to boast in the things prepared in another’s standard^*. ^10:17 But the one boasting, let him boast in the Lord. ^10:18 For^* he who commends himself, that man is not approved after being tested, but whom the Lord is commending.