New Testament

2 Corinthians — Chapter 10

  1. Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when away!
  2. I beg you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be bold against some who think that we live by the standards of the flesh.
  3. For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,
  4. for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
  5. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
  6. being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
  7. Look at what is before your eyes: the things that are despised are what God has chosen—things that are not—to overthrow the things that are,
  8. so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
  9. It is due to God’s doing that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
  10. in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
  11. It is not as if I were trying to terrify you by my letters.
  12. For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”
  13. Let such people realize that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.
  14. We live by the power of God, who has equipped us with everything good for doing his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
  15. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.
  16. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
  17. because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
  18. We look at the things that are unseen, because they are eternal.
  19. So we do not lose heart.