Paul’s Apostolic Authority

1Now I, Paul, myself exhort you⁺ by the mildness and gentleness of Christ—I who indeed as to presence am humble among you⁺, but being absent am bold toward you⁺. 2Now I implore you that being present, I need not to be bold with the confidence with which I reckon to be daring toward some reckoning us as walking according to the flesh.

3For walking in flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful before God toward the tearing down of strongholds, 5tearing down arguments and every high thing lifting itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought into the obedience of Christ, 6and having readiness within to avenge all disobedience, when your⁺ obedience shall have been fulfilled.

7You⁺ are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone has been persuaded in himself to be of Christ, let him reckon this upon himself again, that as he is of Christ, so also are we. 8For even if I should boast somewhat more abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave us for building up and not for tearing you⁺ down, I will not be ashamed, 9so that I might not seem as if to frighten you⁺ through the letters. 10For they say, “The letters indeed are weighty and strong, but the presence of the body is weak, and the word is of no account.” 11Let such a one reckon this, that such as we are in word through letters being absent, also such we are in deed being present.

12For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some commending themselves. But these, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand. 13But we will not boast unto the things without measure, but according to the measure of the area that God apportioned to us, a measure to reach even as far as you⁺. 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as not reaching to you⁺. For we came also as far as you⁺ in the gospel of Christ, 15not boasting unto the things without measure in others’ labors, but having hope of your⁺ faith increasing among you⁺ to be enlarged according to our area, to abundance, 16so as to preach the gospel in the places beyond you⁺, not to boast in the things ready in another’s area.

17But, “The one boasting, let him boast in the Lord.”† 18For the one commending himself, that one is not approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Footnotes:

17 Jeremiah 9:24