2 corinthians 10 (NMV)
1 Now I, Paul, myself appeal to you by the humility 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 I consider necessary to use against some who think we walk according to the flesh.
3 For although we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
6 And we are ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
7 You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him remind himself of this: just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.
8 For even if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.
9 I don't want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters.
10 For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech amounts to nothing."
11 Let such a person consider this: what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present.
12 For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, they lack understanding.
13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but only within the boundaries of the area God has assigned to us, which includes reaching even to you.
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you, since we were the first to come to you with the good news of Christ.
15 We do not boast beyond measure in the labors of others. But we have the confident expectation that as your faith increases, our area of ministry among you will be greatly enlarged,
16 so that we may preach the good news in regions beyond you, without boasting about work already done in someone else's area.
17 Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.