1Now 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: 2But 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. 3For 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;) 5Casting 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; 6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 7Do 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. 8For 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: 9That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. 10For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 11Let 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. 12For 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. 13But 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. 14For 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: 15Not 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, 16To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand. 17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Odgovori na optužbu
1Ja, Pavao, preklinjem vas s blagošću i krotkošću Kristovom, iako neki kažu da sam odvažan kad sam daleko od vas, ali popustljiv kad sam među vama, 2nemojte da moram biti vrlo odvažan, kao što sam odlučio biti prema onima koji pogrešno drže da mi postupamo iz ljudskih pobuda. 3Istina, živimo u tijelu, ali ne služimo se zato tjelesnim oružjem. 4Služimo se Božjim moćnim oružjem, a ne ljudskim, da rušimo utvrde. 5Obaramo mudrovanja i svaku oholost koja se podiže protiv spoznaje Boga te zarobljujemo svaki razum da se pokorava Kristu. 6Pripravan sam kazniti svaku nepokornost kad vaša pokornost bude savršena.
7Vi vidite samo vanjštinu! Ako tko sebe zasigurno drži Kristovim, neka zna da smo i mi Kristovi kao što je i on. 8Ako sam se malo više i pohvalio vlašću koju nam je Gospodin dao, ne stidim se toga. Jer on nam je tu vlast dao za vašu izgradnju, a ne vama na propast.
9Govorim vam to da ne biste pomislili kako vas svojim poslanicama želim prestrašiti. 10Jer neki kažu: “Poslanice su mu ozbiljne i stroge, ali kad je osobno nazočan, onda je slabić, a i slab je propovjednik!” 11Oni koji tako govore, neka znaju da ću, kada dođem, biti isti kao i u svojim poslanicama!
12Ne usuđujem se, razumije se, izjednačiti ili usporediti s onima koji vam sami sebe preporučuju. Ali oni sebe procjenjuju samo vlastitim mjerilima i međusobno se uspoređujući! Nerazumno postupaju.
13Mi se ipak nećemo hvaliti vlašću koju nemamo. Cilj nam je mjeriti se prema Božjoj nakani za nas, koja obuhvaća i naš rad s vama. 14Ne idemo predaleko tvrdeći da imamo određenu vlast nad vama jer smo bili prvi koji smo vam donijeli Radosnu vijest o Kristu. 15Ne hvalimo se prekomjerno pripisujući sebi tuđe zasluge. Nadamo se, naprotiv, da će vaša vjera rasti, tako da i naše djelo među vama uvelike poraste. 16Tada ćemo moći naviještati Radosnu vijest i u drugim krajevima, gdje još nitko ne radi; tada nitko neće postavljati pitanje zašto djelujemo na tuđem području. 17Kao što piše u Svetome pismu:
“Ako se tko hvali,
neka se hvali jedino time što je Gospodin učinio”.10:17 Jeremija 9:24.
18Kad se tko hvali samim sobom i dobrima koja je učinio, ne računa mu se mnogo. Ali kad Gospodin nekoga preporučuje, to je nešto drugo!
