'I,3Paul,4myself1entreat5you,6by7the8meekness9and10gentleness11of Christ13—Iwho14amhumble18whenface to face1516with19you,20but22bold23toward24you25when I am away!—21 I beg1of youthat3when I am present5I maynot4haveto show boldness6with such7confidence8as9I count on10showing11against12some13who suspect15us16of walking1720according to18the flesh.19 For3though wewalk4in1the flesh,2we are8not5waging war8according to6the flesh.7 For2the1weapons3of5our6warfare5arenot7of the flesh8but9have[divine]12power10to13destroy14strongholds.15We destroy17arguments16 We destroy argumentsand1every2lofty opinion3raised4against5the6knowledge7of God,9and10take11every12thought13captive11to obey141516Christ,18 being4ready3to punish5every6disobedience,7when8your10obedience12is complete.9 Look at4what1is[before your eyes].23If5anyone6is confident7that heis10Christ’s,9let him remind1213himself15that16just as17he18isChrist’s,19so20also21arewe.22 For3even2if1I boast6a little5too much4of7our10authority,9which11the13Lord14gave12for15building [you] up16and17not18for19destroying20you,21I will23not22be ashamed.23 I do3not2want to appear3to be frightening6you7with8myletters.10 For1they say,5Hisletters3areweighty6and7strong,8but10hisbodily13presence11isweak,14and15hisspeech17of no account.18 Let2such a person4understand2that5what6we7say9by10letter11when absent,12wedo17when present.15 Not1thatwe dare3to classify4or5compare6ourselves7with some8of those9who are commending11themselves.10But12whenthey13measure17themselves16by14one another15and18compare19themselves20with one another,21they are23without22understanding.23 But2we1will7not3boast7beyond limits,456but8will boast onlywith regard to9the10area11of influence13God18assigned15to us,16to reach20even22to21you.23 For2we are8not1overextending8ourselves,9as though3we didnot4reach5you.7For11we were [the first] to come14all the way10to you13with15the gospel17of Christ.19 We donot1boast5beyond limit4in6the3labors8of others.7But10ourhope9is that asyour15faith14increases,12our22area of influence21among16you17may be18greatly2324enlarged,18 so that12we maypreach the gospel5in [lands] beyond3you,4without6boasting13of10work already done1112in7another’s8area of influence.9 Let3the one1who boasts,3boast6in4the Lord.5 For2it isnot1the one3who commends5himself4who6is7approved,8but9the one whom10the11Lord12commends.13