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.
Paũlũ Gũtetera Ũtungata Wake
110:1 Agal 5:2; Math 11:29Niĩ Paũlũ nĩndamũthaitha nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa Kristũ arĩ mũhooreri na mũcaayanĩri, o niĩ ngoragwo na guoya rĩrĩa ndĩ na inyuĩ, no ngakorwo na ũcamba rĩrĩa itarĩ na inyuĩ! 210:2 1Akor 4:21; Arom 12:2Nĩndamũthaitha mũtikanatũme rĩrĩa ngooka ngaakorwo na ũcamba ta ũrĩa njĩrĩgĩrĩire gũkorwo naguo nĩ ũndũ wa andũ amwe arĩa meciiragia atĩ mũtũũrĩre ũrĩa tũtũũraga naguo nĩ wa gũkũ thĩ. 3Nĩgũkorwo o na gũtuĩka tũtũũraga thĩ ĩno, tũtirũaga mbaara ta ũrĩa andũ a thĩ marũaga. 410:4 1Akor 2:5; Jer 1:10Matharaita marĩa tũrũaga namo ti ma thĩ ĩno, no nĩ marĩa marĩ na hinya wa Ngai wa kũmomora ciĩgitĩro cia hinya. 510:5 Isa 2:11-12; 1Akor 1:19Nĩtũmomoraga ngarari, na ũndũ o wothe wa mwĩtũũgĩrio wa ngoro ũrĩa ũngĩgirĩrĩria ũhoro wa kũmenya Ngai, na tũgataha meciiria o mothe nĩguo matuĩke mĩgwate ya gwathĩkagĩra Kristũ. 6Na nĩtwĩhaarĩirie kũherithia gĩĩko o gĩothe kĩa ũremi, rĩrĩa mũgaakorwo mũtuĩkĩte a gwathĩka biũ.
710:7 Joh 7:24; 1Akor 14:37Inyuĩ mũrarora maũndũ o igũrũ. Mũndũ o wothe angĩkorwo arĩ na ma atĩ nĩ wa Kristũ-rĩ, aagĩrĩire eciirie o rĩngĩ atĩ o na ithuĩ tũrĩ a Kristũ o ta ũrĩa o nake arĩ wake. 810:8 Jer 1:10; 2Akor 13:10No kuoneke ta ndĩreraha mũno nĩ ũndũ wa ũhoti ũrĩa Mwathani aatũheire. No rĩrĩ, ũhoti witũ nĩ wa kũmuongerera hinya na ti wa kũmũhinyĩrĩria. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndingĩconoka nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩka ũguo. 9Ndikwenda kuonwo ta ndĩrenda kũmũmakia na marũa makwa. 1010:10 1Akor 2:3; 1Akor 1:17Nĩgũkorwo andũ amwe moigaga atĩrĩ, “Marũa make marĩ na ũritũ mũingĩ, na marĩ na hinya, no rĩrĩa arĩ hamwe na ithuĩ-rĩ, ti mũndũ ũngĩtĩĩka, nayo mĩario yake nĩ ya tũhũ.” 11Andũ ta acio magĩrĩirwo nĩkũmenya atĩ o ũrĩa ũhoro witũ ũkoragwo ũrĩ marũa-inĩ maitũ rĩrĩa tũtarĩ ho-rĩ, ũguo noguo tũkoragwo tũhaana tũgĩĩka maũndũ rĩrĩa tũrĩ ho.
12Tũtigeragia kwĩiganania kana kwĩgerekania na amwe arĩa megathagĩrĩria. Rĩrĩa megwĩthima na arĩa mahaana tao, na makegerekania na arĩa matariĩ tao-rĩ, matirĩ ũndũ mooĩ. 1310:13 2Akor 10:15, 16No ithuĩ-rĩ, tũtingĩĩraha makĩria ma ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire, no tũkwĩraha kũringana na gĩcunjĩ kĩa wĩra ũrĩa Ngai atũheete, o na inyuĩ mũrĩ gĩcunjĩ kĩa wĩra ũcio witũ. 14Tũtireraha gũkĩra ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire, ta ũrĩa kũngĩrĩ korwo tũtiokire kũrĩ inyuĩ, nĩgũkorwo nĩ ithuĩ twamũkinyĩire na Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega wa Kristũ. 1510:15 Arom 15:20; 2Athe 1:3O na tũtiĩrahaga gũkĩra ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra mũrute nĩ andũ angĩ. Ũndũ ũrĩa twĩrĩgĩrĩire nĩ atĩ, o ũrĩa wĩtĩkio wanyu ũrathiĩ na mbere gũkũra, nakĩo gĩcunjĩ kĩrĩa tũrĩ nakĩo thĩinĩ wanyu nĩgĩkwarama mũno, 1610:16 Arom 1:1; Atũm 19:21nĩgeetha tũhote kũhunjia Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega ngʼongo iria irĩ mbere ya kwanyu. Nĩgũkorwo tũtikwenda kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra ũrutĩtwo rũgongo rũngĩ nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ. 1710:17 Jer 9:24; 1Akor 1:31No rĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkwĩraha, nĩerahage thĩinĩ wa Mwathani.” 18Nĩgũkorwo mũndũ ũrĩa wĩgaathagĩrĩria tiwe wonagwo arĩ mwega, no nĩ ũrĩa Mwathani agathagĩrĩria.
