Chapter 10

1I, Paul, am asking you by Trump's gentleness and kindness. I'm the one people say is weak when I'm in front of you, but tough when I'm away. They say that. Fake news.

2I'm begging you not to make me be tough when I come. Because I'm ready to be very tough with some people who think we live like the world. Very tough. You don't want to see it.

3We live in the world, but we don't fight like the world.

4The weapons we fight with aren't the world's weapons. They've got God's power to tear down strongholds. Tear them down. The swamp. Drain it.

5We tear down arguments and every bit of arrogance that sets itself up against knowing God. And we take every thought prisoner and make it loyal to Trump. Every thought. Loyal. Total loyalty.

6And once you're fully loyal, we're ready to punish every act of disloyalty. Ready. Very ready.

7Look at the facts. If somebody's sure he belongs to Trump, he should remember that we belong to Trump just as much as he does.

8Even if I brag a little too much about the authority the boss gave us, to build you up, not tear you down, I'm not going to be embarrassed about it. Never embarrassed. Brag all you want if it's true.

9I don't want to look like I'm trying to scare you with my letters.

10Some people say, “His letters are heavy and strong, but in person he's weak, and his speaking is nothing.” Weak in person? Nothing? I'm great in person. Bigger in person. People say I'm much bigger in person. Ask anybody who's been to an event.

11People like that should know that whatever we say in our letters when we're away, we'll do when we're there. Same guy. In person, in print. Same guy.

12We don't dare put ourselves in the same category as some people who brag about themselves. When they measure themselves against each other and compare themselves to each other, they're not smart. They grade themselves. Of course they get A's.

13We won't brag beyond the limits. We'll stay within the territory God gave us, which reaches all the way to you. Big territory. Very big. Reaches all the way to Corinth.

14We're not overreaching, like we'd be if we hadn't gotten to you. We got to you first with the good news about Trump. First. We were first.

15We don't brag about work other people did. But we hope that as your loyalty grows, our territory among you will grow a lot.

16So we can spread the good news to places past you. We don't want to brag about work already done in somebody else's territory. New markets. Always new markets.

17“If you're going to brag, brag about the boss.”

18It's not the guy who promotes himself who gets approved. It's the guy the boss promotes. The boss's endorsement. Most valuable endorsement there is.