¹ Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ,—I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you;—

² I entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking,—

³ For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war,—

⁴ For, the weapons of our warfare, are not fleshly, but mighty, by God, unto a pulling down of strongholds,—

⁵ When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

⁶ And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as your obedience shall be fulfilled!

⁷ The things that lie on the surface, ye are looking at:—if anyone hath come to trust in himself that he is, Christ’s, this, let him reckon, again, with himself—that, even as, he, is Christ’s, so, also are, we.

⁸ Yea, if, somewhat more abundantly, I should boast concerning our authority—which the Lord hath given for building up and not for pulling you down, I shall not be put to shame,—

⁹ That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

¹⁰ Because, The letters, it is true (saith one), are weighty and strong, but, the presence of the body, is weak, and, the discourse, contemptible;—

¹¹ This, let such a one reckon—that, what we are, in our word, through means of letters, being absent, such, also, being present, are we, in our deed.

¹² For we dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

¹³ We, however, not as to the things without measure, will boast ourselves, but, according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned unto us, as a measure—to reach as far as even you!

¹⁴ For, not as though we were not reaching unto you, are we over-stretching ourselves, for, as far as even you, were we beforehand in the glad-message of the Christ:

¹⁵ Not, as to the things without measure, boasting ourselves in other men’s toils, but having, hope—your faith, growing—among you, to be enlarged, according to our limit for something beyond,—

¹⁶ Unto the regions beyond you, to carry the glad-message: not, within another man’s limit, as to the things made ready, to boast ourselves.

¹⁷ He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;

¹⁸ For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.