10 Now I myself, Paul, am indeed humble when I’m with you all, but when I’m absent I’m bolder. I implore you all by the humility and gentleness of the messiah 2 and I beg you so that when I come I won’t have to be as bold as I’m expecting to counter those who consider us to be motivated by worldly desires. 3 We might be living in this world, but it’s not people that we’re at war with, 4 because the weapons that we use in war are not physical but come with God’s power for tearing down anti-God institutions and nullifying their arguments. 5 We attack every theory that’s used to argue against the possibility of knowing God, and capturing all thinking so it becomes obedient to the messiah, 6 and being ready to stand against all disobedience for whenever your obedience might be complete.

7 You all are looking at the outside appearance of things. Anyone who has personally decided to follow Messiah needs to take this into account: just as they belong to Messiah, so also do we. 8 So if I boast too often about our authority (which the master gave us for building you up rather than for tearing you down), I won’t be ashamed of it 9 so that hopefully I won’t be terrifying you all with my letters. 10 Some are saying, “His letters are heavy and strongly-worded, but when he’s actually here, he’s weak and his words get mocked.” 11 Those people should reconsider and realise that as we are in our letters when we’re absent, that’s also how we’ll work when we’re present.

12 We don’t dare to classify ourselves or compare with some of those who commend themselves, but they measure and compare themselves with each other—not understanding what they’re doing. 13 But we won’t boast about immeasurable things—only those domains where God allotted a measure to us which was to reach all of you. 14 In not reaching you we don’t overextend ourselves, because we came your way with the good message about the messiah. 15 We don’t boast of things we can’t measure like other peoples’ work, but we have hope that as your faith grows, you’ll see us as more important in more areas 16 so we can preach the good message to the areas beyond you—not boasting about things already done in others’ areas.

17 But [ref]‘if anyone does boast, they should boast in the master’, 18 because it’s not the people who commend themselves that are approved, but those who the master commends.