The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now I, Paul, myself make request to you by the quiet and gentle behaviour of Christ, I who am poor in spirit when with you, but who say what is in my mind to you without fear when I am away from you:
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I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you - I who am said to be meek and mild when I am with you, but harsh with you when I am away. By the gentleness and kindness of Christ
2 Yes, I make my request to you, so that when I am with you I may not have to make use of the authority which may be needed against some to whom we seem to be walking after the flesh.
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I beg you not to force me to be harsh when I come; for I am sure I can deal harshly with those who say that we act from worldly motives.
3 For though we may be living in the flesh, we are not fighting after the way of the flesh
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It is true that we live in the world, but we do not fight from worldly motives.
4 (For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh, but are strong before God for the destruction of high places);
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The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments;
5 Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;
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we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.
6 Being ready to give punishment to whatever is against his authority, after you have made it clear that you are completely under his control.
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And after you have proved your complete loyalty, we will be ready to punish any act of disloyalty.
7 Give attention to the things which are before you. If any man seems to himself to be Christ's, let him keep in mind that we are as much Christ's as he is.
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You are looking at the outward appearance of things. Are there some there who reckon themselves to belong to Christ? Well, let them think again about themselves, because we belong to Christ just as much as they do.
8 For though I might take pride in our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for your destruction), it will not be a cause of shame to me:
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For I am not ashamed, even if I have boasted somewhat too much about the authority that the Lord has given us - authority to build you up, not to tear you down.
9 That I may not seem to have the desire of causing you fear by my letters.
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I do not want it to appear that I am trying to frighten you with my letters.
10 For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.
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Someone will say, "Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!"
11 Let those who say this keep in mind that, what we are in word by letters when we are away, so will we be in act when we are present.
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Such a person must understand that there is no difference between what we write in our letters when we are away and what we will do when we are there with you.
12 For we will not make comparison of ourselves with some of those who say good things about themselves: but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and making comparison of themselves with themselves, are not wise.
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Of course we would not dare classify ourselves or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards!
13 We will not give glory to ourselves in over-great measure, but after the measure of the rule which God has given us, a measure which comes even to you.
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As for us, however, our boasting will not go beyond certain limits; it will stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us, and this includes our work among you.
14 For we have no need to make ourselves seem more than we are, as if our authority did not come as far as to you: for we came even as far as you with the good news of Christ:
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And since you are within those limits, we were not going beyond them when we came to you, bringing the Good News about Christ.
15 Not taking credit to ourselves for what is not our business, that is, for the work of others; but having hope that, with the growth of your faith, we may get the credit for an increase which is the effect of our work,
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So we do not boast about the work that others have done beyond the limits God set for us. Instead, we hope that your faith may grow and that we may be able to do a much greater work among you, always within the limits that God has set.
16 So that we may be able to go on and take the good news to countries still farther away than you are, and not take credit for another man's work in making things ready to our hand.
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Then we can preach the Good News in other countries beyond you and shall not have to boast about work already done in someone else's field.
17 But whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.
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But as the scripture says, "Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done."
18 For the Lord's approval of a man is not dependent on his opinion of himself, but on the Lord's opinion of him.
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For it is when the Lord thinks well of us that we are really approved, and not when we think well of ourselves.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.