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Mercoledi, 15 maggio 2024 - Sant'Isidoro agricoltore ( Letture di oggi)

2 Corinthians 10


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CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAINNEW JERUSALEM
1 But I myself, Paul, am begging you, through the meekness and modesty of Christ. I am certainly, by appearances, lowly among you, yet I have confidence in you, even while I am absent.1 I urge you by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ -- this is Paul now speaking personal y-I, theone who is so humble when he is facing you but ful of boldness at a distance.
2 So I am petitioning you, lest I be bold, when present, with that bold confidence that I am considered to have by certain ones who judge us as if we were walking according to the flesh.2 Yes, my appeal to you is that I should not have to be bold when I am actual y with you, or show thesame self-assurance as I reckon to use when I am chal enging those who reckon that we are guided by humanmotives.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh.3 For although we are human, it is not by human methods that we do battle.
4 For the weapons of our battles are not carnal, yet still they are powerful with God, unto the destruction of fortifications: tearing down every counsel4 The weapons with which we do battle are not those of human nature, but they have the power, inGod's cause, to demolish fortresses. It is ideas that we demolish,
5 and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ,5 every presumptuous notion that is set up against the knowledge of God, and we bring every thoughtinto captivity and obedience to Christ;
6 and standing ready to repudiate every disobedience, when your own obedience has been fulfilled.6 once you have given your complete obedience, we are prepared to punish any disobedience.
7 Consider the things that are in accord with appearances. If anyone trusts that by these things he belongs to Christ, let him reconsider this within himself. For just as he belongs to Christ, so also do we.7 Look at the evidence of your eyes. Anybody who is convinced that he belongs to Christ should go onto reflect that we belong to Christ no less than he does.
8 And if I were even to glory somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord has given to us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.8 Maybe I have taken rather too much pride in our authority, but the Lord gave us that for building youup, not for knocking you down, and I am not going to be shamed
9 But let it not be said that I am scaring you by means of epistles.9 into letting you think that I can put fear into you only by letter.
10 For they say: “His epistles, indeed, are weighty and strong. But his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.”10 Someone said, 'His letters are weighty enough, and ful of strength, but when you see him in person,he makes no impression and his powers of speaking are negligible.'
11 Let someone like this realize that whatever we are in word through epistles, while absent: we are much the same in deed, while present.11 I should like that sort of person to take note that our deeds when we are present wil show the samequalities as our letters when we were at a distance.
12 For we would not dare to interpose or compare ourselves with certain ones who commend themselves. But we measure ourselves by ourselves, and we compare ourselves with ourselves.12 We are not venturing to rank ourselves, or even to compare ourselves with certain people whoprovide their own commendations. By measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves tothemselves, they only show their fol y.
13 Thus, we will not glory beyond our measure, but rather according to the measure of the limit which God has measured out to us, a measure which extends even to you.13 By contrast we do not intend to boast beyond measure, but wil measure ourselves by the standardwhich God laid down for us, namely that of having come al the way to you.
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we are not able to reach as far as you are able. For we have gone even as far as you have in the Gospel of Christ.14 We are not overreaching ourselves as we would be if we had not come all the way to you; in fact wewere the first to come as far as you with the good news of Christ.
15 We are not glorying immeasurably over the labors of others. Instead, we hold on to the hope of your growing faith, so as to be magnified in you, according to our own limits, but in abundance,15 So we are not boasting beyond measure, about other men's work; in fact, we hope, as your faithincreases, to grow greater and greater by this standard of ours,
16 and even so as to evangelize in those places that are beyond you, not in order to glory in the measure of others, but rather in those things which have already been prepared.16 by preaching the gospel to regions beyond you, rather than boasting about work already done insomeone else's province.
17 But whoever glories, let him glory in the Lord.17 Let anyone who wants to boast, boast of the Lord.
18 For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but rather he whom God commends.18 For it is not through self-commendation that recognition is won, but through commendation.