II Corinthians 10, Both Boldness and Timidness

Now begins a four chapter emotional defense of Paul's ministry, a continuation of chapters 3-5.

2 Corinthians 10: 1-2, Please, live holy lives!
By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

We live by different standards, argues Paul, aware that he has been accused of inconsistency.

2 Corinthians 10: 3-6, Our battle is different, it is spiritual!
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

The Christian -- a resident of a different country! -- does not wage a material, earthly war, but a spiritual one. Part of the spiritual warfare is learning to transform one's thinking and mindset.

2 Corinthians 10: 7-8, Don't look just on the surface
You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

Paul argues that there are deeper things at play and that those who belong to Christ should recognize Paul's common work. More generally, those who follow Christ should be aware of -- and supportive of -- the work of other followers.  This is good advice for many of us amidst the denominational divisiveness here in the USA.

2 Corinthians 10: 9-11, We are both timid and forceful
I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

If people think that Paul is timid, they may be surprised when he arrives in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 10: 12-15a, Proper boasting
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others.

There is a place for legitimate boasting.  Paul is proud of his work in Corinth, and rightly so. Paul boasts that they reached even faraway Corinth with the gospel and he recognizes that others have similar rights to be proud of their own work.

This passage is a little unclear; the Greek words translated here as "limits" imply some type of measurement. Is Paul speaking of physical limits like distance?  The NIV offers an alternative translation to verses 13 and 15: "We, however, will not boast about things that cannot be measured, but we will boast according to the standard of measurement that the God of measure has assigned us--a measurement that relates even to you ....  Neither do we boast about things that cannot be measured in regard to the work done by others."

2 Corinthians 10: 15b-18, Going further in Christ
Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Paul wants to go even further than Corinth, on west to places the gospel has not yet reached.  In Romans 5:24, Paul expresses his desire to travel on to Spain.  At the time of this letter, Paul had not yet traveled as far west as the Italian peninsula.

The quote in verse 17 is from Jeremiah 9:24.  Again Paul emphasizes proper boasting; one can brag about one's work if they recognize God's action in it.