Paul’s Defense of His Ministry
1By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
7You are judging by appearances.10:7 Or Look at the obvious facts If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 11Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”10:17 Jer. 9:24 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Paulo Yi Ne Ho Ano
1Me, Paulo a sɛ mewɔ mo nkyɛn a meyɛ mmerɛ na sɛ menni mo nkyɛn nso a me koko yɛ duru ma mo no, me na metu saa fo yi. Mesrɛ me Kristo a ɔyɛ ɔyamyɛfoɔ no din mu sɛ: 2Sɛ meba hɔ a, monnhyɛ me mma menkasakasa mo anim. Menim yie sɛ me bo bɛtumi ayɛ duru wɔ nnipa a wɔka sɛ ewiase adwene na yɛde di dwuma no no so. 3Ɛyɛ nokorɛ sɛ, yɛte ewiase, nanso yɛnnyina wiasesɛm so wɔ yɛn ko mu. 4Akodeɛ a yɛde ko no mfiri ewiase. Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akodeɛ a ano yɛ den a yɛbɛtumi de asɛe atamfoɔ mpampim a wɔabobɔ. Yɛsɛe akyinnyehunu. 5Yɛsɛe akwansideɛ biara a ɛtia Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ no. Yɛto adwene biara nnareka ma wɔtie Kristo. 6Sɛ mo setie wie pɛyɛ na obi sane yɛ asoɔden ɛkwan biara so a, yɛbɛtwe nʼaso.
7Sɛdeɛ nneɛma te no ara na mohunu. Obi wɔ hɔ a ɔkari ne ho ka sɛ, ɔyɛ Kristo dea? Onii no nkari ne ho bio nhwɛ ɛfiri sɛ, yɛn nso yɛyɛ Kristo dea sɛdeɛ ɔno nso yɛ ne dea no. 8Ɛnyɛ me aniwu sɛ aba sɛ mede tumi a Awurade de ama me sɛ memfa nhwɛ mo na monnyini no bɛhoahoa me ho. 9Mempɛ sɛ modwene sɛ mede me nkrataa a matwerɛ mo no rehunahuna mo. 10Obi bɛka sɛ, “Paulo nkrataa mu nsɛm no yɛ ya nanso sɛ ɔba yɛn nkyɛn nso a, ɔyɛ bɔkɔɔ na ne nsɛm nso nka hwee!” 11Ɛsɛ sɛ saa onipa no te ne ho ase sɛ, nsonsonoeɛ biara nna nsɛm a ɛwɔ yɛn nkrataa a yɛtwerɛɛ ɛberɛ a yɛnni mo nkyɛn no, ne deɛ sɛ yɛwɔ mo nkyɛn a, yɛyɛ no mu.
12Ɛyɛ nokorɛ, yɛrentumi mfa yɛn ho ntoto wɔn a wɔfa wɔn ho sɛ wɔn asetena korɔn no ho. Saa nnipa no yɛ nkwaseafoɔ! Wɔnam wɔn ho a wɔde wɔn ho toto wɔn ho wɔn ho no so bu wɔn ho atɛn. 13Yɛn deɛ, yɛn ahohoahoa no nntra beaeɛ bi. Yɛn ahohoahoa no nntra dwuma a Onyankopɔn atu yɛn sɛ yɛnyɛ a mo mu adwumayɛ ka ho no. 14Esiane sɛ mowɔ saa tebea no mu enti, yɛbaa mo nkyɛn bɛkaa Asɛmpa a ɛfa Kristo ho no a yɛantra. 15Yei enti yɛmmfa adwuma a nkurɔfoɔ ayɛ nhoahoa yɛn ho te sɛ yɛn ara na yɛyɛeɛ. Deɛ yɛrepɛ ne sɛ mo gyidie ase bɛtim na ɛnam so ama yɛatumi ayɛ mo mu adwuma a yɛntra beaeɛ a Onyankopɔn ahyɛ no. 16Na yɛnam so atumi aka Asɛmpa wɔ aman foforɔ so a yɛremfa adwuma a ɔfoforɔ ayɛ no nhoahoa yɛn ho. 17Atwerɛsɛm no ka sɛ, “Obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔhoahoa ne ho no nhoahoa no wɔ adeɛ a Awurade ayɛ mu.” 18Ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnyɛ ka a onipa bɛka ne ho asɛm pa no na ɛma Onyankopɔn gye no to mu, na mmom onipa a Onyankopɔn no ara bɛka ne ho asɛm pa no na ɔgye no to mu.
