Paul’s Ministry and Mission

2 Corinthians 10

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to y’all by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with y’all, but bold toward y’all when away! I ask that when I am present, I will not have to be as boldly confident as when I plan to be bold against those who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but powerful through God for tearing down fortresses. We tear down arguments and every lofty thing that is elevated against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And we are prepared to retaliate for every act of disobedience when y’all’s obedience is complete.

Y’all are looking at what’s in front of your face. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider this again from within: we belong to Christ just as much as they do. For even if I boast a bit much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building y’all up and not tearing y’all down, I will not be ashamed. I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify y’all with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speaking is forgettable.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in the words of our letters when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present.

For we don’t classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. We, however, will not boast beyond certain limits, but within the boundaries God has appointed to us, which also comes around y’all. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we hadn’t come to y’all. For we were the first to come to y’all with the gospel of Christ, so we are not boasting beyond our limits in other people’s labors. But we have hope that as y’all’s faith grows, the boundaries of our ministry will be expanded through y’all, so that we might preach the gospel in the regions beyond y’all, not boasting about what has been done in someone else’s area. But “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord [YHWH].”+Jer 9:24 For it is not the one who commends themselves who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.