5. and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
6. And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.
7. Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.
8. For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed.
9. I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters.
10. For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.”
11. Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.
12. For 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.
13. We, 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.
14. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.