1 I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you — I who am said to be meek and mild when I am with you, but harsh with you when I am away. By the gentleness and kindness of Christ
2 I beg you not to force me to be harsh when I come; for I am sure I can deal harshly with those who say that we act from worldly motives.
3 It is true that we live in the world, but we do not fight from worldly motives.
4 The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments;
5 we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.
6 And after you have proved your complete loyalty, we will be ready to punish any act of disloyalty.