ing after you on account of the exceeding grace of God in
you. (15)Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

X.

NOW I, Paul, myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of
Christ, who in presence indeed am lowly among you, but being absent am
bold toward you; (2)but I entreat, that I may not when I am present be
bold with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some,
who think of us as walking according to the flesh. (3)For though
walking in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; (4)(for the
weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty before God to the
pulling down of strongholds) (5)casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
(6)and being in readiness to punish every disobedience, when your
obedience is made perfect.

(7)Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man
trusts to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself consider
this again, that, as he is Christ's, so also are we. (8)For even if I
should boast somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord
gave us for edification, and not for your destruction[10:8], I shall
not be put to shame; (9)that I may not seem as if I would terrify you
by my letters. (10)For his letters, says one, are weighty and strong;
but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. (11)Let
such a one consider this, that such as we are in word by letters when
absent, such will we be also in deed when present.

(12)For we venture not to reckon ourselves among, or to compare
ourselves with, some of those who commend themselves; but they,
measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with
themselves, are not wise. (13)But we will not boast of things without
measure, but according to the measure of the line which God
apportioned to us, a measure to reach even to you. (14)For we do not
stretch ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not to you;
for as far as to you also did we come, in the gospel of Christ;
(15)not boasting of things without measure in other men's labors; but
having hope, when your faith increases, that we shall be enlarged
among you according to our line abundantly, (16)to preach the gospel
in the regions beyond you, not to make our boast, in another's line,
of things made ready to our hand. (17)But he that boasts, let him
boast in the Lord. (18)F