¹Now I Paul myself call upon you, through the meekness and fairness of Christ – I who am lowly when face to face among you, but being absent, I have confidence in you – ²and I appeal to you that when I am present, I do not have to be audacious, in the confidence which I count on, to stand up to some who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. ³For although we walk in the flesh, we do not serve as soldiers according to the flesh – ⁴for the weapons of our campaign are not fleshly, but are extremely powerful in demolishing strongholds – ⁵as we demolish arguments, and all arrogance exalted against knowledge of God, and as we take every thought captive to obedience to Christ, ⁶and as we are ready to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is made complete. ⁷Do you look at the things that are before your eyes? If anyone is convinced that he is Christ's, let him consider this again: that just as he is Christ's, so also are we Christ's. ⁸For even if I should boast somewhat exceedingly about our authority – which the Lord gave us for your edification and not for your demolition – I shall not be ashamed, ⁹in order that I should not seem, as it were, to terrify you with the epistles. ¹⁰For, “The epistles”, they say, “are weighty and forcible, but his presence in the body is weak, and his speech is deplorable.” ¹¹Let such a person consider this: that as we are in word through epistles when we are absent, so we are in deed when physically present. ¹²For we are not so bold as to reckon ourselves among – or compare ourselves with – some of those who commend themselves. But they who measure themselves by their own standards and compare themselves with each other do not show understanding. ¹³But we will not boast outside our limits, but within the limits of the area which God has apportioned us – limits reaching you as well. ¹⁴For we are not overstretching ourselves as if we did not reach as far as you previously, for we have been quick in coming to you as well with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵We do not boast outside our limits, in the labours of others, but we do have hope, as your faith grows, that our labour will greatly grow in stature among you within our area, ¹⁶progressing to preaching the gospel in places beyond your region, but not to do so in another's area, so boasting about places already evangelized. ¹⁷But let him who boasts boast in the Lord. ¹⁸For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

Reference(s) in Chapter 10: v.17 ↔ Jeremiah 9:23^MT (Jeremiah 9:24^AV).