2 Cor. 10:9. However, let it not seem that I am frightening you only by letters.
2 Cor. 10:10. For someone says: in his letters he is strict and powerful, but in personal presence he is weak, and his speech is insignificant,
2 Cor. 10:11. Let such a person know that what we are in word through letters when absent, such we are also in deed when present.
As he is in words, so also in deed: I could boast, but do not think that I am frightening you with epistles, as my slanderers say: "he boasts in his epistles and sends threatening letters, but in personal presence he is insignificant and is not such as he is in his epistles." But let everyone who speaks thus know that we not only threaten in our epistles, but in personal presence we can also carry out our threats.
2 Cor. 10:12. For we dare not class or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves,
Here he shows that they are boasters and praise themselves too much. So, he says, "we do not dare to classify," that is, to number, "or compare," that is, to set ourselves against those among them who exalt themselves with praises.
2 Cor. 10:12. They measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves without understanding.
They, he says, do not deign to compare themselves with any other people, but measure themselves by themselves, compete among themselves, and do not realize how ridiculous they are as a result. For each one, considering himself better than the others, belittles the other; thus, all appear glorious before one another; they themselves do not understand how ridiculous this is.
2 Cor. 10:13. But we will not boast beyond measure,
For, boasting, they perhaps said: "we have reached the ends of the earth and converted the world." But we, he says, are not like that.
2 Cor. 10:13. But according to the measure of the portion which God has assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
Just as God divided vineyards among farmers, so also He divided the world among us, the apostles. Therefore, we will boast according to the measure of the portion that God assigned to us. And what is this measure? That of reaching even as far as you. Therefore, since this is our measure, we boast even as far as you.
2 Cor. 10:14. For we do not overextend ourselves, as though not reaching to you, for we have come even as far as to you with the Gospel of Christ,
Probably, the false apostles and those who went somewhere without any preaching boast of their mere arrival and ascribe everything to themselves. So the apostle says: we do not overextend ourselves, as though we had not reached you, for we reached you not merely, but with the gospel of Christ, that is, we not only came, like those others, but also with the preaching of the Gospel.
2 Cor. 10:15. We do not boast beyond measure, nor in other men's labors, but we hope that, as your faith increases, our sphere among you will be abundantly enlarged,
2 Cor. 10:16. So as to preach the Gospel even beyond you, and not to boast of things made ready in another man's domain.
He shows that those people boast in the labors of the apostles and boast without measure, that is, excessively and in others' labors. But we are not like that; rather, having reached you, we boldly say that we have reached you. In this we hope, without doubt, in God (for Paul did not intend to put himself forward) — that, having sufficiently taught and increased your faith, we will be magnified among you. For a teacher is magnified when he multiplies the achievements of his disciples and abundantly increases his portion, that is, expands the measure of the portion that he received. So what do we hope for? That we will preach the Gospel even beyond you, and perhaps will boast even further, if we bring them benefit. As a steward of the universe and architect, he everywhere speaks of portion and measure, and to show that all this belongs to God, Who determines this portion and this measure, he also cites the following passage.
2 Cor. 10:17. But he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.
For, in performing such deeds, we do not boast nor ascribe anything in them to ourselves, but all of this, and the very measure to which we have attained, we attribute to God. This is what they too should boast about.
2 Cor. 10:18. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
He did not say: we are skillful, but: "whom the Lord commends," that is, the one whom the reality of labor and endeavor, by the grace of God, has shown to be worthy.