The Apostle’s Claims and Authority

10 Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ – I who, ‘in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you’ – 2 I implore you not to drive me to ‘show my boldness,’ when I do come, by the confident tone which I expect to have to adopt towards some of you, who are expecting to find us influenced in our conduct by earthly motives. 3 For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war. 4 The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds. 5 We are engaged in confuting arguments and pulling down every barrier raised against the knowledge of God. We are taking captive every hostile thought, to bring it into submission to the Christ, 6 and are fully prepared to punish every act of rebellion, when once your submission is complete. 7 You look at the outward appearance of things! Let anyone, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again on the fact – that we belong to Christ no less than he does. 8 Even if I boast extravagantly about our authority – which the Lord gave us for building up your faith and not for overthrowing it – still I have no reason to be ashamed. 9 I say this so that it doesn’t seem as if I am trying to overawe you by my letters. 10 For people say ‘His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible.’ 11 Let such a person be assured of this – that our words in our letters show us to be, when absent, just what our deeds will show us to be, when present. 12 We have not indeed the audacity to class or compare ourselves with some of those who indulge in self-commendation! But, when such persons measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they show a want of wisdom. 13 We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth. 14 For it is not the case, as it would be if we were not in the habit of coming to you, that we are exceeding our bounds! Why, we were the very first to reach you with the good news of the Christ! 15 Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labours of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere – 16 So that we will be able to tell the good news in the districts beyond you, without trespassing on the sphere assigned to others, or boasting of what has been already done. 17 Let anyone who boasts make their boast of the Lord. 18 For it is not those who commend themselves that stand the test, but those who are commended by the Lord.

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11 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me. 2 I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I promised you in marriage as a pure bride, to one husband – the Christ. 3 Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the snake by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ. 4 For, if some newcomer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a good news different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvellously tolerant! 5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles! 6 Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

7 Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted – I mean because I told you God’s good news without payment. 8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you! 9 And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our friends, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way. 10 As surely as I know anything of the truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, will not be stopped in any part of Greece. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

12 What I am doing now I will continue to do in order to cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do. 13 Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ! 14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.Titleless Section Break

16 I say again – Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, so that I, too may indulge in a little boasting. 17 When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently. 18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast. 19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough! 20 You tolerate a person even when they enslave you, when they plunder you, when they get you into their power, when they put on airs of superiority, when they strike you in the face! 21 I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast – though it is foolish to say so – I am not afraid either! 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I! 23 Are they “Servants of Christ”? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door. 24 Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep. 26 My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among people pretending to be followers of the Lord. 27 I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness. 28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness! 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – he who is for ever blessed – knows that I am speaking the truth. 32 When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

12 I must boast! It is unprofitable; but I will pass to visions and revelations given by the Lord. 2 I know a man in union with Christ, who, fourteen years ago – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows – was caught up (this man of whom I am speaking) to the third heaven. 3 And I know that this man – whether in the body or separated from the body I do not know; God knows – 4 Was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable things of which no human being may tell. 5 About such a man I will boast, but about myself I will not boast except as regards my weaknesses. 6 Yet if I choose to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will be speaking no more than the truth. But I refrain, in case anyone should credit me with more than he can see in me or hear from me, and because of the marvellous character of the revelations. 7 It was for this reason, and to prevent my thinking too highly of myself, that a thorn was sent to pierce my flesh – an instrument of Satan to discipline me – so that I should not think too highly of myself. 8 About this I three times entreated the Lord, praying that it might leave me. 9 But his reply has been – “My help is enough for you; for my strength attains its perfection in the midst of weakness.”

Most gladly, then, will I boast all the more of my weaknesses, so that the strength of the Christ may overshadow me. 10 That is why I delight in weakness, ill treatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties, when borne for Christ. For, when I am weak, then it is that I am strong!