1Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ--I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.
2I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.
12For we don't dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.
13We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you.
15We are not bragging beyond measure about other people's labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,
