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 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.
