Paul Speaks Up for His Service to the Church
1Christ is humble and free of pride. Because of this, I make my appeal to you. I, Paul, am the one you call “shy” when I am face to face with you. But when I am away from you, you think I am “bold” toward you. 2I am coming to see you. Please don’t make me be as bold as I expect to be toward some people. They think that I live the way the people of this world live. 3I do live in the world. But I don’t fight my battles the way the people of the world do. 4The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy. 5I destroy every claim and every reason that keeps people from knowing God. I keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ. 6Until you have obeyed completely, I will be ready to punish you every time you don’t obey.
7You are judging only by how things look on the surface. Suppose someone is sure they belong to Christ. Then they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8Do I brag too much about the authority the Lord gave me? If I do, it’s because I want to build you up, not tear you down. And I’m not ashamed of that kind of bragging. 9Don’t think that I’m trying to scare you with my letters. 10Some say, “His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn’t seem like much. And what he says doesn’t amount to anything.” 11People like that have a lot to learn. What I say in my letters when I’m away from you, I will do in my actions when I’m with you.
12I don’t dare to compare myself with those who praise themselves. I’m not that kind of person. They measure themselves by themselves. They compare themselves with themselves. When they do that, they are not wise. 13But I won’t brag more than I should. God himself has given me an opportunity for serving. I will only brag about what I have done with that opportunity. This opportunity for serving also includes you. 14I am not going too far in my bragging. I would be going too far if I hadn’t come to where you live. But I did get there with the good news about Christ. 15And I won’t brag about work done by others. If I did, I would be bragging more than I should. As your faith continues to grow, I hope that my work among you will greatly increase. 16Then I will be able to preach the good news in the areas beyond you. I don’t want to brag about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17But, “The one who brags should brag about what the Lord has done.” (Jeremiah 9:24) 18Those who praise themselves are not accepted. Those the Lord praises are accepted.
Paulo Ateteza Utumiki Wake
1Mwa kufatsa ndi kuleza mtima kwa Khristu, ndikukupemphani, ine Paulo amene anthu ena amati ndimachita manyazi tikaonana maso ndi maso ndi inu, koma wosaopa pamene ndili kutali nanu! 2Ndikukupemphani kuti ndikadzafika kumeneko ndisadzachite kuyankhula mwamphamvu monga mmene ndimayembekezera kudzachita kwa anthu ena amene amaganiza kuti machitidwe athu ndi ofanana ndi anthu a dziko lapansi. 3Ngakhale ife timakhala mʼdziko lapansi, sitimenya nkhondo monga mmene dziko lapansi limachitira. 4Pakuti zida zathu zankhondo si zida za dziko lapansi. Koma ndi mphamvu zochokera kwa Mulungu zotha kugwetsa malinga. 5Timagonjetsa maganizo onse onyenga ndiponso kudzikuza kulikonse kolimbana ndi anthu kuti asadziwe Mulungu. Ndipo timagonjetsa ganizo lililonse kuti limvere Khristu. 6Ndipo ife tidzakhala okonzeka kulanga aliyense wosamvera ngati inuyo mutakhala omvera kwenikweni.
7Inu mukuweruza potengera zimene maso anu akuona. Ngati wina akutsimikiza kuti ndi wake wa Khristu, iye aganizenso kuti ifenso ndife a Khristu monga iye. 8Tsono ngakhale nditadzitama momasuka za ulamuliro umene Ambuye anatipatsa woti tikukuzeni osati kukuwonongani, ndithu sindidzachita manyazi. 9Ine sindikufuna kuoneka ngati ndikukuopsezani ndi makalata anga. 10Pakuti ena amati, “Makalata ake ndi awukali ndi amphamvu koma maonekedwe a thupi lake ndi wosagwira mtima ndipo mayankhulidwe ake ndi achabechabe.” 11Anthu oterewa ayenera kuzindikira kuti zomwe timalemba mʼmakalata tili kutali ndi zomwe tidzakhale tili komweko.
12Sitikudziyika kapena kudzifananiza tokha ndi anthu ena amene amadziyenereza okha. Pamene akudzifanizira okha podziyerekeza ndi anzawo a mʼgulu lawo lomwe, ndi opanda nzeru. 13Komabe, ifeyo sitidzitama modutsa malire ake enieni, koma kudzitama kwathu kudzalekeza mʼmalire amene Mulungu anatiyikira, malire ake ndi mpaka kwa inu. 14Pakuti sitikudzitama modutsa malire ngati kuti sitinafike kwa inu, popeza tinali oyamba kufika kwa inu ndi Uthenga Wabwino wa Khristu. 15Choncho sitinyadiranso ntchito imene ena anayigwira. Chiyembekezo chathu nʼchakuti, pamene chikhulupiriro chanu chikukulirakulira, dera lathu la ntchito pakati panu lidzakulanso kwambiri, 16kuti tikalalikire Uthenga Wabwino mu zigawo zina kupitirira kwanuko. Pakuti sitikufuna kudzitama pa ntchito yogwira ena kale mʼdera la munthu wina. 17Koma, “Ngati munthu akufuna kunyadira, anyadire mwa Ambuye.” 18Pakuti munthu amene amavomerezedwa, si amene amadziyenereza yekha, koma munthu amene Ambuye amuyenereza.
