2 Corinthians 10

Now I {will speak about} myself, Paul. I am humbly and reasonably urging you {to do what is right}, just like the Messiah {was humble and reasonable}. {Some people say that} when I was with you in person, I was gentle with you, but now, when I am away, I am forceful with you.

I do intend to be forceful when I boldly act against these people who think that I and those {who serve} with me act in merely human ways. So, I ask you {to do what is right} so that I will not need to be forceful with you too when I visit you. \*

In fact, although we act as humans, we do not defend ourselves in merely human ways.

In fact, what we use to defend ourselves is not what humans normally use. Rather, God empowers {what we use to defend ourselves} so that we can defeat what other people powerfully argue. \*

{We} also {defeat} anything that people claim is greater than knowing God. Further, we work to influence everything that people think so that they obey the Messiah.

At the time when you fully obey {the Messiah}, we will be ready to punish anyone who disobeys {him}. \*

Think about what is obvious. Suppose that people are sure that they represent the Messiah. Those people need to remember that we too represent the Messiah, just like they do.

Indeed, I do not disgrace myself when I say many great things about how the Lord {Jesus} has empowered us to represent him. {He did that} so that we could encourage and help you {to trust God more}, not so that we could discourage you {from trusting God}. \*

So, {you can tell that} I am not trying to scare you when I send {forceful} letters to you.

{I write that} because some people say {about me}, “He sends severe and powerful letters to us, but he is feeble and speaks very poorly when he is with us.” \*

People who say those things need to realize that what we write in our letters {to you} when we are not with you is also how we act when we are with you.

We are too humble to say that we are as good as people {you know} who say that they are trustworthy. Those people are foolish. {When they say that they are great,} they are looking only at themselves. \*

In contrast, we do not say great things about ourselves beyond what we actually do. Rather, {we say great things about ourselves} that match with what God has given us to do. That includes what we do whenever we are with you.

In fact, only if we had not actually visited you would {what God has given us to do} not include you. Of course, we really have already visited you {and told you} the good news about the Messiah. \*

We do not say great things about ourselves because of what others do but because of what we actually do. In fact, we confidently expect that God will give us even more to do with you. {That will happen} when you trust {God} more.

That way, we can tell the good news to people who live even further away from us than you do. {That is what we plan to do} instead of saying great things about ourselves because of how other people have done what God has given them to do. \*

{Everyone should do what the prophet Jeremiah wrote,} “Anyone who says great things should say them about the Lord {God}.”

{Everyone should do that} because the Lord {Jesus} recommends those whom he says are trustworthy, not those who say that about themselves. \*