2 Corinthians 10:18

10:18 For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:1

Paul’s Authority from the Lord

10:1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!) –

2 Corinthians 5:12

5:12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance 10  and not in what is in the heart.

Hebrews 13:17

13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. 11  Let them do this 12  with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.


tn The Greek pronoun (“you”) is plural.

tn The word “personally” is supplied to reflect the force of the Greek intensive pronoun αὐτός (autos) at the beginning of the verse.

tn Or “leniency and clemency.” D. Walker, “Paul’s Offer of Leniency of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:1): Populist Ideology and Rhetoric in a Pauline Letter Fragment (2 Cor 10:1-13:10)” (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1998), argues for this alternative translation for three main reasons: (1) When the two Greek nouns πραΰτης and ἐπιείκεια (prauth" and ejpieikeia) are used together, 90% of the time the nuance is “leniency and clemency.” (2) “Leniency and clemency” has a military connotation, which is precisely what appears in the following verses. (3) 2 Cor 10-13 speaks of Paul’s sparing use of his authority, which points to the nuance of “leniency and clemency.”

tn Or “who lack confidence.”

tn Or “when face to face with.”

tn Or “but bold.”

tn The present tense of συνιστάνομεν (sunistanomen) has been translated as a conative present.

tn Or “to boast about us.”

tn Or “who boast.”

10 tn Or “in what is seen.”

11 tn Or “as ones who will give an account”; Grk “as giving an account.”

12 tn Grk “that they may do this.”