1 I|strong="G1473", Paul|strong="G3972", am|strong="G0548" begging|strong="G3870" you|strong="G5210" with|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" gentleness|strong="G4240" and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" kindness|strong="G1932" of|strong="G1223" Christ|strong="G5547". Some|strong="G3588" say|strong="G1223" that|strong="G3739" I|strong="G1473" am|strong="G0548" bold|strong="G2292" when|strong="G2532" I|strong="G1473" am|strong="G0548" writing you|strong="G5210" from|strong="G2596" a|strong="G3739" distance, but|strong="G1161" not|strong="G3739" when|strong="G2532" I|strong="G1473" am|strong="G0548" there|strong="G1722" with|strong="G1722" you|strong="G5210".
2 They|strong="G3739" think|strong="G3049" our|strong="G2596" motives|strong="G2596" for|strong="G1909" what|strong="G3739" we|strong="G2249" do|strong="G3361" are|strong="G3739" like|strong="G5613" those|strong="G3588" of|strong="G1909" the|strong="G3588" world. I|strong="G1473" plan to|strong="G1909" be|strong="G5100" very bold|strong="G5111" against|strong="G2596" those|strong="G3588" people|strong="G4561" when|strong="G5613" I|strong="G1473" come. I|strong="G1473" hope I|strong="G1473" will|strong="G3739" not|strong="G3361" need to|strong="G1909" use that|strong="G3739" same|strong="G3739" boldness with|strong="G1909" you|strong="G3739".
3 We live|strong="G4043" in|strong="G1722" this|strong="G2596" world, but|strong="G1063" we don’t|strong="G3756" fight|strong="G4754" our|strong="G2596" battles in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" same way|strong="G2596" the|strong="G1722" world does.
4 The|strong="G3588" weapons|strong="G3696" we|strong="G2249" use are|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3756" human|strong="G4559" ones. Our|strong="G2316" weapons|strong="G3696" have|strong="G1473" power|strong="G1415" from|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" and|strong="G2316" can destroy the|strong="G3588" enemy’s strong|strong="G1415" places. We|strong="G2249" destroy people’s arguments,
5 and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2532" tear|strong="G2507" down|strong="G2507" every|strong="G3956" proud idea that|strong="G3956" raises itself against|strong="G2596" the|strong="G3956" knowledge|strong="G1108" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316". We|strong="G2532" also|strong="G2532" capture every|strong="G3956" thought|strong="G3540" and|strong="G2532" make it|strong="G2532" give up|strong="G1519" and|strong="G2532" obey|strong="G5218" Christ|strong="G5547".
6 We|strong="G2532" are|strong="G3956" ready|strong="G2092" to|strong="G2532" punish|strong="G1556" anyone|strong="G3956" there|strong="G1722" who|strong="G3588" does|strong="G2192" not|strong="G2532" obey|strong="G5218", but|strong="G2532" first we|strong="G2532" want you|strong="G5210" to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" fully|strong="G4137" obedient|strong="G5218".
7 You|strong="G1487" must|strong="G1510" look|strong="G0991" at|strong="G1909" the|strong="G3588" facts before|strong="G1909" you|strong="G1487". If|strong="G1487" you|strong="G1487" feel sure|strong="G3982" you|strong="G1487" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G1909" Christ|strong="G5547", you|strong="G1487" must|strong="G1510" remember that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G1909" Christ|strong="G5547" the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G0846" as|strong="G2531" you|strong="G1487" do|strong="G1510".
8 It|strong="G1437" may|strong="G2532" seem as|strong="G1519" though|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" boast|strong="G2744" too|strong="G2532" much about|strong="G4012" the|strong="G3588" authority|strong="G1849" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" gave|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325". But|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" gave|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325" this|strong="G3588" authority|strong="G1849" to|strong="G1519" strengthen|strong="G3619" you|strong="G5210", not|strong="G3756" to|strong="G1519" hurt you|strong="G5210". So|strong="G2532" I|strong="G1473" will|strong="G3739" not|strong="G3756" be|strong="G2532" ashamed|strong="G0153" of|strong="G2962" whatever|strong="G1437" boasting|strong="G2744" we|strong="G2249" do|strong="G2532".
9 I|strong="G1223" don’t|strong="G3361" want you|strong="G5210" to|strong="G2443" think|strong="G1380" that|strong="G2443" I|strong="G1223" am trying to|strong="G2443" scare you|strong="G5210" with|strong="G1223" my|strong="G1223" letters|strong="G1992".
10 Some|strong="G3588" people|strong="G3588" say|strong="G5346", “Paul’s letters|strong="G1992" are|strong="G3588" powerful|strong="G2478" and|strong="G2532" sound important, but|strong="G1161" when|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G3588" with|strong="G2532" us, he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G3588" weak|strong="G0772" and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" worst speaker|strong="G3056" you|strong="G3754" have|strong="G2532" ever heard.”
11 Those|strong="G3588" people|strong="G1510" should|strong="G3778" know this|strong="G3778": When|strong="G2532" we|strong="G3778" are|strong="G1510" there|strong="G1510" with|strong="G1223" you|strong="G3754", we|strong="G3778" will|strong="G1510" show the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G3778" power that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G3778" show now|strong="G2532" in|strong="G2532" our|strong="G2532" letters|strong="G1992".
12 We|strong="G2532" don’t|strong="G3756" dare|strong="G5111" put ourselves|strong="G1438" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G0846" class|strong="G1469" with|strong="G1722" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" think they|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" so|strong="G2532" important. We|strong="G2532" don’t|strong="G3756" compare|strong="G4793" ourselves|strong="G1438" to|strong="G2532" them|strong="G0846". They|strong="G0846" use themselves|strong="G1438" to|strong="G2532" measure|strong="G3354" themselves|strong="G1438", and|strong="G2532" they|strong="G0846" judge themselves|strong="G1438" by|strong="G1722" what|strong="G3588" they|strong="G0846" themselves|strong="G1438" are|strong="G3588". This|strong="G3588" shows that|strong="G0846" they|strong="G0846" know nothing|strong="G3756".
13 But|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" will|strong="G2316" not|strong="G3756" boast|strong="G2744" about|strong="G2596" anything|strong="G0235" outside the|strong="G3588" work that|strong="G3739" was|strong="G3739" given us|strong="G1519" to|strong="G1519" do|strong="G2532". We|strong="G2249" will|strong="G2316" limit our|strong="G2316" boasting|strong="G2744" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" work God|strong="G2316" gave us|strong="G1519", but|strong="G1161" this|strong="G3588" work includes our|strong="G2316" work with|strong="G2316" you|strong="G5210".
14 We|strong="G2532" would|strong="G5547" be|strong="G2532" boasting too|strong="G2532" much only|strong="G3756" if|strong="G5613" we|strong="G2532" had|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3756" already come|strong="G5348" to|strong="G1519" you|strong="G5210". But|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2532" come|strong="G5348" to|strong="G1519" you|strong="G5210" with|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G2098" News|strong="G2098" about|strong="G5613" Christ|strong="G5547".
15 We|strong="G2249" limit our|strong="G2596" boasting|strong="G2744" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" work|strong="G2873" that|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3588" ours|strong="G1473". We|strong="G2249" don’t|strong="G3756" boast|strong="G2744" about|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" work|strong="G2873" other|strong="G1161" people|strong="G3588" have|strong="G2192" done. We|strong="G2249" hope|strong="G1680" that|strong="G1161" your|strong="G2192" faith|strong="G4102" will|strong="G1473" continue to|strong="G1519" grow|strong="G0837". We|strong="G2249" hope|strong="G1680" that|strong="G1161" you|strong="G5210" will|strong="G1473" help our|strong="G2596" work|strong="G2873" to|strong="G1519" grow|strong="G0837" much larger.
16 We|strong="G2744" want to|strong="G1519" tell the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G2097" News|strong="G2097" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" areas beyond|strong="G1519" your|strong="G1722" city. We|strong="G2744" don’t|strong="G3756" want to|strong="G1519" boast|strong="G2744" about|strong="G1722" work that|strong="G1722" has already been|strong="G3756" done in|strong="G1722" someone else’s area|strong="G2583".
17 “Whoever|strong="G3588" boasts|strong="G2744" should boast|strong="G2744" only about|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962".”
18 What|strong="G3739" people|strong="G1510" say about|strong="G3588" themselves|strong="G1438" means|strong="G1510" nothing|strong="G3756". What|strong="G3739" counts|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" whether the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" says they|strong="G3739" have|strong="G1510" done well|strong="G1063".