2CO 10:1-18

Paulʼs Apostolic Authority

1Now I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am humble in person when face to face with you, but bold toward you when away.

2I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some who regard us as walking according to the flesh.

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but are powerful before God for tearing down strongholds —

5tearing down reasonings and every high thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

6and being ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

7Look at what is before you. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

8For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority — which the Lord gave for building up and not for tearing you down — I will not be put to shame.

9I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.

10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech amounts to nothing."

11Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word through letters when absent, we will also be in deed when present.

12For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack understanding.

13But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned us — to reach even as far as you.

14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach you; for we were the first to come even as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

15We do not boast beyond measure in the labors of others, but we have hope that as your faith grows, our sphere will be greatly enlarged,

16so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions beyond you, not boasting in another's territory about what has already been accomplished.

17But the one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Corinth, Paul’s defense of his apostolic authority would have been heard against the backdrop of Greco-Roman rhetorical conventions and the honor-shame culture. Paul’s opponents likely accused him of being weak in person but bold in letters, a charge that undermined his credibility in a society where public presence and rhetorical prowess were highly valued. Paul’s use of terms like (meekness) and (gentleness) would have resonated with Stoic ideals of self-control and reasonableness, but he subverts these by framing them as Christ-like virtues rather than human achievements. His metaphor of demolishing (strongholds) and (thoughts) draws on military imagery familiar to a Roman audience, emphasizing divine power over human strategies. Paul’s claim to wage war not (according to the flesh) but with divine weapons would have challenged the Corinthians’ assumptions about power and authority, redirecting their focus to spiritual realities rather than worldly status.

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How other translations render this

2CO 10:1

KJV: Now 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:
BSB: Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.
Koinōnos: Now I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am humble in person when face to face with you, but bold toward you when away.

2CO 10:2

KJV: But 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.
BSB: I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.
Koinōnos: I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some who regard us as walking according to the flesh.

2CO 10:3

KJV: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
BSB: For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
Koinōnos: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

2CO 10:4

KJV: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
BSB: The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
Koinōnos: for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but are powerful before God for tearing down strongholds —

2CO 10:5

KJV: Casting 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;
BSB: We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Koinōnos: tearing down reasonings and every high thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

2CO 10:6

KJV: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
BSB: And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.
Koinōnos: and being ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

2CO 10:7

KJV: Do 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.
BSB: You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.
Koinōnos: Look at what is before you. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

2CO 10:8

KJV: For 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:
BSB: For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.
Koinōnos: For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority — which the Lord gave for building up and not for tearing you down — I will not be put to shame.

2CO 10:9

KJV: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
BSB: I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.
Koinōnos: I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.

2CO 10:10

KJV: For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
BSB: For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
Koinōnos: For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech amounts to nothing.

2CO 10:11

KJV: Let 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.
BSB: Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.
Koinōnos: Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word through letters when absent, we will also be in deed when present.

2CO 10:12

KJV: For 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.
BSB: We 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 show their ignorance.
Koinōnos: For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack understanding.

2CO 10:13

KJV: But 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.
BSB: We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.
Koinōnos: But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned us — to reach even as far as you.

2CO 10:14

KJV: For 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:
BSB: We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.
Koinōnos: For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach you; for we were the first to come even as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

2CO 10:15

KJV: Not 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,
BSB: Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,
Koinōnos: We do not boast beyond measure in the labors of others, but we have hope that as your faith grows, our sphere will be greatly enlarged,

2CO 10:16

KJV: To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.
BSB: so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another manʼs territory.
Koinōnos: so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions beyond you, not boasting in another's territory about what has already been accomplished.

2CO 10:17

KJV: But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
BSB: Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Koinōnos: But the one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

2CO 10:18

KJV: For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
BSB: For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Koinōnos: For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

2CO 10:1

meekness:The word translated 'meekness' here describes a disposition of gentle strength and self-control, not weakness or timidity. It was often used to describe a powerful animal, like a war-horse, that was trained to be obedient and responsive to its master's will.
gentleness:The term used here for 'gentleness' carries the sense of reasonableness, fairness, and equity, often in contrast to strict legalism or harshness. It suggests a willingness to yield or be flexible for the sake of others.

2CO 10:4

of strongholds,:The word translated 'strongholds' refers to a fortified place or fortress, a secure and often imposing structure. In this context, it is used metaphorically to describe entrenched ideas or arguments.

2CO 10:5

thought:The word translated 'thought' here refers to a perception, a mental concept, or an intention. It encompasses not just an idea, but the entire mental process or product of the mind.