2 Corinthians 10

2 Corinthians 10:1

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:

I have spoken to you for the poor; and now I solicit you for myself: I beseech you therefore, who might seem to have power to command, not by ought in me, but by the meekness and gentleness of Christ our Saviour; even I Paul beseech you, whose presence, as my adversaries say, is mean and contemptible amongst you, howsoever in my absence I take upon me to deal roundly with you:

2 Corinthians 10:2

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.

But I beseech you, that ye will so order the matter, that I may not have cause, when I am present, to make use of that bold and free severity against you, which I purpose to use against some envious detractors, which think and speak of us, as if there were nothing in us but what they see; as if we used worldly craft and policy to get a hand over you.

2 Corinthians 10:3

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

For, though we do indeed live in the flesh and are clothed about with this earthly body, yet we do not live carnally, nor make use of carnal and indirect means to advantage ourselves.

2 Corinthians 10:4

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

We have indeed a warfare in hand; and we have weapons, which we do and must employ in it; but, as the warfare, so also the weapons which we use, are spiritual, not carnal: we do not think to prevail by secular power and dignity, but by the mighty power of the Gospel, which is able, through the co-operation of God, to pull down the strongest holds of flesh and blood.

2 Corinthians 10:5

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;

Casting down all the vain and wicked imaginations of the heart, and that proud ostentation of secular wisdom and knowledge, that exalts itself against the true and saving knowledge of God; and bringing every thought of man’s heart into a holy captivity, to be submissively obedient and conformable to the will of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:6

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

And having in a readiness to take just revenge upon the disobedience of those persons, who, after their submission to the Gospel, have run out into outrageous offences; whom we shall accordingly censure, after that ye have so fulfilled your obedience to our admonitions, that there may no exception be taken at our forbearance of you.

2 Corinthians 10:7

Do ye look on the 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.

Do ye judge of things according to their outward appearance? The false teachers make a fair flourish: I go simply to work: Do ye judge of them and me, as we seem? Your false apostles brag of their interest in Christ; that they have seen him, and pertain to him: but if any man make these boasts of himself, let him learn to know, that he hath not, neither can have, more right in Christ, nor more relation to him, than we have.

2 Corinthians 10:9

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

But I will not speak much of this our authority, lest I should seem, as they accuse me, to speak big in letters, and to terrify you with the threatenings of my power.

2 Corinthians 10:10

For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

For his letters, say they, are full of great authority and imperiousness, but his person is weak and mean; neither promis- D d 2 ing nor performing ought; and his speech is plain, homely, contemptible.

2 Corinthians 10:11

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.

But let such an one know, that he shall find he hath mistaken us: for he shall well understand and feel, that such as we are in the expression of ourselves by letters, in our absence; such we will be found in our deeds and carriage, when we are present.

2 Corinthians 10:12

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, &c.

As for us, we content ourselves with our own mediocrity: we dare not enter into comparison with these your glorious masters, that commend themselves, and brag of their own abilities; but, let me tell you, they, only looking upon and admiring their own good parts, and not comparing their small gifts with the greater and more excellent indowments of others, bewray themselves to be unwise.

2 Corinthians 10:13

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.

But, however they exceed, we will not boast of ourselves immoderately, and go beyond those bounds of just gloriation which God hath set us; but will keep ourselves within those limits of our abilities and deserts, which God hath distributed unto us; in which compass, our just boastings shall extend themselves unto you, of whom we know we have well merited, even above others; and will confine our vaunts of success within the line of those regions, to which we have preached, wherein yours of Corinth is plainly comprehended.

2 Corinthians 10:14

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:

For we stretch not ourselves and the praise of our labours and preachings beyond our due bounds, in saying, that we reached so far as Corinth, in these our apostolic pains and teachings; for ye well know, that we are come as far at least, as to you, in this holy errand of preaching the Gospel of Christ:

2 Corinthians 10:15

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.

Not boasting ourselves of things done beyond our line and measure, and arrogating to ourselves the praise of other men’s labours; but well hoping, then, when your faith is increased,