Font Size
2 Corinthians 10
Worldwide English (New Testament)
2 Corinthians 10
Worldwide English (New Testament)
10 Now I, Paul, beg you to do something since you know that Christ was kind and gentle. You say I am weak when I am face to face with you, but when I am not with you, then I speak to you with hard words.
2 I beg you, do not force me to talk hard words when I come. I have made up my mind to talk hard words against some people. They think we are living for the things in this world.
3 Of course we are living in bodies made for this world. But we are not fighting for the things in this world.
4 We do not use the things of this world in our fighting, but we use the power of God. This power can break down the walls where the enemy hides.
5 We can break down what people think and every big idea that tries to stop people from knowing God. And we can make every thought a prisoner to obey Christ.
6 Only when you all obey, then we are ready to punish anyone who will not obey.
7 Surely you can see this. If one person is sure that he belongs to Christ, then he should see that we too belong to Christ just as he does.
8 The Lord gave us power to build you up, not to break you down. Maybe I talk about it too much. But I feel I am right in talking about it.
9 I do not want you to think that I am trying to make you afraid by my letters.
10 Some people say, `Paul's letters make us listen. They are strong. But he himself is weak and what he says is not worth listening to.'
11 People like that should know this. When we come we will do what we have said in our letters.
12 We do not want to be like those people who praise themselves. They measure themselves by their own ideas, and look at themselves to see how good they are. When they do that, they are foolish!
13 We will not talk of things we did not do. No, we will only be proud of those things which God has given us to do. And he has sent us even as far as you.
14 We are not going farther than we should when we come to you. We were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ.
15 We will not be proud of other men's work which we did not do. We hope that you will believe more strongly, so that we can do more work among you, as God gives it to us.
16 Then we hope to tell the good news in places far beyond you. We will not be proud of the work given to someone else to do - work that was done before we got there.
17 The holy writings say that the person who is proud should be proud only of the Lord.
18 A man who praises himself is not a man who is good. The man who is really good is the man whom the Lord praises.
2 Corinthians 10
New International Version
2 Corinthians 10
New International Version
Paul’s Defense of His Ministry
10 By the humility and gentleness(A) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,(B) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold(C) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.(D) 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.(E) 4 The weapons we fight with(F) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power(G) to demolish strongholds.(H) 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient(J) to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.(K)
7 You are judging by appearances.[a](L) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,(M) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.(N) 8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us(O) for building you up rather than tearing you down,(P) I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive(Q) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”(R) 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.(S) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,(T) a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you(U) with the gospel of Christ.(V) 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits(W) by boasting of work done by others.(X) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,(Y) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel(Z) in the regions beyond you.(AA) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b](AB) 18 For it is not the one who commends himself(AC) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.(AD)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 Or Look at the obvious facts
- 2 Corinthians 10:17 Jer. 9:24
2 Corinthians 10
King James Version
2 Corinthians 10
King James Version
10 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.