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Paul Confronts the Corinthians

¹ Now ^(C1)I, Paul, myself ^(C2)urge you by the ^(C3)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^(C4)am ^(F1)meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!² I ask that ^(C1)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against ^(C2)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(C3)according to the flesh.³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle ^(C1)according to the flesh,⁴ for the ^(C1)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^(F1)divinely powerful ^(C2)for the destruction of fortresses.⁵ We are destroying arguments and all ^(C1)arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(C2)obedience of Christ,⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(C1)your obedience is complete.

^7 (F1)(C1)You are looking at ^(F2)things as they are outwardly. ^(C2)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, ^(C3)so too are we.⁸ For if ^(C1)I boast somewhat ^(F1)more about our ^(C2)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,^9 (F1)for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.¹⁰ For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^(F1)personal presence is ^(C1)unimpressive and ^(C2)his speech contemptible."¹¹ Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with ^(F1)some of those who ^(C1)commend themselves; but when they ^(F2)measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding.¹³ But we will not boast ^(C1)beyond our measure, but ^(F1)(C2)within the measure of the ^(F2)domain which God assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(C1)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(C2)gospel of Christ;¹⁵ not boasting ^(C1)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(C2)other people's labors, but with the hope that as ^(C3)your faith grows, we will be, ^(F1)within our ^(F2)domain, ^(C4)enlarged even more by you,¹⁶ so as to ^(C1)preach the gospel even to ^(C2)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^(F1)(C3)in what has been accomplished in the domain of another.¹⁷ But ^(C1)THE ONE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.¹⁸ For it is not the one who ^(C1)commends himself that is approved, but the one ^(C2)whom the Lord commends.